釋氏稽古略 3.215

3.215

The Wife of Young Master Ma was Guanshiyin. In the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, the Bodhisattva, through great compassionate power, wished to transform Shaanxi. Manifesting as a beautiful woman, she went to that place. People, seeing her posture, appearance, and elegance, wanted to take her in marriage. The woman said, "I too wish to wed, but I will serve whoever can recite the 'Universal Gate Chapter' in a single night." At dawn there were twenty people who had recited it through. The woman said, "How can one woman's single body marry so many? You must recite the Diamond Sūtra." By morning there were still over a dozen people who had mastered it. The woman again declined their proposals, and furthermore gave them the Lotus Sūtra in seven fascicles, agreeing on three days to master it. When the time arrived, only the son of the Ma family was able to master the scripture. The woman instructed him to prepare the ceremonial rites to complete the marriage. When the Ma family came to welcome her, the woman said, "Just now I do not feel well in body; wait until I am slightly better before we meet." Before the guests had dispersed, the woman died; she was then immediately buried as she decayed. A few days later, an old monk leaning on a khakkhara visited the Ma family and inquired about what had happened with the woman. The Ma family led him to the burial site. The monk cleared it away with his staff; the corpse had already decomposed, leaving only the interlocking bones of yellow gold. The monk picked up the bones with his staff and said to the assembly: "This was a holy one who pitied your heavy obstructions and therefore lowered an expedient means to transform you. You should carefully contemplate causes and conditions to avoid falling into the sea of suffering." Having spoken, he flew into the sky and departed. From this time forward, those in Shaanxi who venerated Buddhism were numerous. Reverend Can of Quanzhou praised in verse: / Her graceful posture so slender, her temple hair gently slanting, / She thoroughly beguiled the young gentlemen into reciting the Lotus. / After the handful of bones was hoisted away, / One knows not into whose house the bright moon fell. (Ganying zhuan of Bodhisattva Guanshiyin).