隋天台智者大師別傳 1.5

1.5

（其三）土人馬紹宗居貧。好施刈稻百束以供寺僧。執役疲勞身如有疾。心作是念。我由施故而感斯患。未測幽冥當有報否。因極寢臥夢。見智者加趺坐一床。燒香如霧安慰紹宗。汝家貧好施何疑無福。種種勸喻辭繁不載。爾夜宗兄及宗妻母三人共夢。晨朝各說異口同言。香氣盈家經日不歇。宗親感歎冥聖不遙。

(3) A local named Ma Shaozong was poor by nature but loved to give alms. He harvested a hundred bundles of rice to offer to the temple monks. Exhausted by the labor, his body fell ill. He thought to himself: “It is because of my giving that I have incurred this illness. I do not know whether the unseen realm will grant any reward.” Exhausted, he lay down to sleep and dreamed that he saw Zhizhe sitting cross-legged on a couch, with incense smoke like mist, consoling Shaozong: “Your family is poor yet loves to give alms; why do you doubt that there will be blessings?” He encouraged and admonished him in various ways, the words being too numerous to record. That night, Shaozong's elder cousin and his mother-in-law had the same dream as well. In the morning, each spoke of it, telling identical stories. A fragrant aroma filled the house and did not fade for an entire day. His relatives were moved and marveled, realizing that the unseen sages are not far away.