釋氏稽古略 3.73

3.73

水陸儀文　咸亨二年三月。長安法海寺英禪師有異人來謁曰。弟子知有水陸齋。可以利益幽冥。自梁武歿後。因循不行。今大覺寺有吳僧義濟。藏此儀文。願師往求。以來月十五於山北寺如法修設。苟釋狴牢敢不知報。英尋詣義濟果得儀文。即以所期日山北寺如法修設。次日曛暮向者。異人與十數輩來謝曰。弟子秦莊襄王也。指其徒曰。此范睢。此穰侯。此白起。此王剪。此張儀。此陳軫。皆秦臣也。各坐本罪幽囚陰府。大夜冥冥無能救護。昔梁武帝於金山寺設此齋。時前代紂王之臣皆免所苦。弟子爾時亦暫息苦。然以獄情未決不得出離。今蒙吾師設齋。弟子與此徒輩并列國諸侯眾等。皆乘善力將生人間。慮世異國殊故此來謝。言訖遂滅。自是儀文布行天下。作大利益（賾禪師葦江集）。

The Water and Land Ritual Text. In the third month of the second year of Xianheng, an extraordinary person came to visit Chan Master Ying of Fahai Monastery in Chang'an and said, "Your disciple knows of the Water and Land feast, which can benefit the underworld. Since Emperor Wu of the Liang died, it has lapsed through neglect and has not been performed. Now, at Dajue Monastery, there is a monk from Wu named Yiji who preserves this ritual text. May the Master go and seek it, and perform it according to the Dharma on the fifteenth day of the coming month at Shanbei Monastery. If we are released from the prison of the netherworld, how could we dare not repay you?" Ying went directly to Yiji and indeed obtained the ritual text; then, on the appointed day, he performed it according to the Dharma at Shanbei Monastery. The following day at dusk, the extraordinary person of before and a dozen others came to express their gratitude, saying, "Your disciple is King Zhuangxiang of Qin." Pointing to his companions, he said, "This is Fan Ju, this is the Marquis of Rang, this is Bai Qi, this is Wang Jian, this is Zhang Yi, and this is Chen Zhen—all were Qin ministers. Each was held prisoner in the subterranean underworld on account of his own crimes; in the vast, dark night, none could rescue or protect us. Formerly, when Emperor Wu of the Liang held this feast at Jinshan Monastery, the ministers of King Zhou of the preceding dynasty were all freed from their suffering; your disciple also obtained temporary respite at that time. However, because our judicial cases were not yet resolved, we could not escape. Now, relying on the Master's holding of the feast, your disciple and these companions, together with the various feudal lords of the various states, have all mounted this virtuous power and are about to be reborn in the human realm. Fearing that in the next life we would be in different lands, we came here to offer thanks." Having finished speaking, he disappeared. From this time on, the ritual text spread throughout the empire, creating great benefits (from Chan Master Ze's *Weijiang ji*).