高僧傳 1.24

1.24

皓雖聞正法，而昏暴之性不勝其虐，後使宿衛兵入後宮治園，於地得一金像，高數尺，呈皓，皓使著不淨處，以穢汁灌之，共諸群臣笑以為樂。俄爾之間，舉身大腫，陰處尤痛，叫呼徹天。太史占言，犯大神所為，即祈祀諸廟，永不差愈。婇女先有奉法者，因問訊云：「陛下就佛寺中求福不？」皓舉頭問曰：「佛神大耶？」婇女云：「佛為大神。」皓心遂悟具語意，故婇女即迎像置殿上，香湯洗數十過，燒香懺悔，皓叩頭于枕，自陳罪狀，有頃痛間，遣使至寺問訊道人，請會說法，會即隨入。皓具問罪福之由，會為敷析，辭甚精要。皓先有才解，欣然大悅，因求看沙門戒。會以戒文禁祕，不可輕宣，乃取《本業》百三十五願，分作二百五十事，行住坐臥，皆願眾生。皓見慈願廣普，益增善意，即就會受五戒，旬日疾瘳，乃於會所住更加修飾，宣示宗室，莫不必奉。會在吳朝，亟說正法，以皓性兇麁，不及妙義，唯敘報應近事，以開其心。

Although Hao heard the correct Dharma, his dark and violent nature could not overcome its cruelty. Later, he ordered imperial guard soldiers to enter the rear palace to tend the garden, where in the ground they discovered a golden image several feet tall and presented it to Hao. Hao had it placed in an impure privy and poured foul waste over it, laughing with his ministers and making sport of it. In a brief moment, his whole body swelled greatly, his private parts were especially painful, and his howling and wailing reached up to heaven. The Grand Astrologer divined and said that it was caused by offending a great deity. Hao immediately prayed and sacrificed at various shrines, but was never cured. A palace lady who had previously practiced the Dharma took the opportunity to inquire after his health, saying, "Has Your Majesty sought blessings in a Buddhist monastery?" Hao raised his head and asked, "Is the Buddha deity great?" The palace lady said, "The Buddha is a great deity." Hao's mind thereupon understood the full import of her words. The palace lady then welcomed the image and placed it in the palace hall, washed it with fragrant water several tens of times, burned incense, and repented. Hao knocked his head against his pillow, confessing his own offenses. After a moment the pain subsided. He dispatched a messenger to the monastery to inquire after the monks and invite Senghui to preach the Dharma; Senghui followed the messenger and entered immediately. Hao asked in full detail the causes of sin and blessing; Senghui analyzed and expounded them for him, his phrasing exceedingly refined and essential. Hao, already possessing talented understanding, was delighted and greatly pleased, and thereupon requested to inspect the śramaṇa precepts. Because the text of the precepts is secret and prohibited and must not be lightly revealed, Senghui took the one hundred and thirty-five vows of the *Benye* [jing] (*Sūtra of Original Karma*) and divided them into two hundred and fifty matters: whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, all are vows for sentient beings. When Hao saw that the compassionate vows were wide and universal, he increased his good intentions all the more; he immediately received the five precepts from Senghui, and within ten days his illness was cured. Thereupon he had Senghui's dwelling place further renovated, and proclaimed to the imperial clan that none should fail to venerate it. While at the court of Wu, Senghui frequently preached the correct Dharma; because Hao's nature was fierce and crude, unable to grasp subtle meanings, Senghui only narrated proximate events of karmic retribution to open his mind.