神僧傳 7.44

7.44

僧慧因。善三論及法華金剛經。常為講說。至德中黃昏時見一人入門云。王請法師。因遂僵仆。惟心頂煖七日却蘇。云初隨使者至一城。極甚宏麗。入見王從數百人。下殿至閣門。拜曰。弟子不幸主世名祿兼治罪。甚用為苦。聞上人善講金剛經。幸為敷析。於是就坐講畢。王施絹三百匹。遂令送歸。次見一講堂。有百餘僧。相與談論。初極禮法少時各爭競。於手指上各生鐵爪。共相拏摑血肉塗地。牛頭巨卒以火燎之。盡成灰粉。須臾又復本身。因驚懼却蘇蹶然而起。絹已在櫃與前數同。遂得此施作功德。自此更不講說。惟持經而已。

The monk Huiyin was skilled in the Three Treatises, the Lotus Sūtra, and the Vajracchedikā-sūtra, and frequently expounded them. During the Zhide era, at dusk, he saw a person enter the door and say, 'The King invites the Dharma master.' Huiyin then fell down stiff. Only his chest and crown remained warm, and after seven days he revived. He related: 'At first, following the envoy, I reached a city that was exceedingly vast and magnificent. Entering, I saw the King attended by several hundred people. He descended the hall, came to the pavilion door, and bowed, saying: "This disciple is unfortunate to preside over worldly fame and emoluments while simultaneously punishing crimes, finding it exceedingly distressing. Hearing that the Venerable One is skilled at expounding the Vajracchedikā-sūtra, I hope you will kindly analyze and explain it for me." Thereupon I took a seat, and when the lecture was finished, the King bestowed three hundred bolts of silk and ordered that I be sent back. Next, I saw a lecture hall where there were more than a hundred monks conversing together. At first they were exceedingly decorous, but after a short while they began to dispute and contest with one another. Iron claws grew from their fingers, and they clawed and tore at one another, their blood and flesh smearing the ground. An ox-headed giant soldier burned them with fire until they turned completely to ashes and powder. In an instant, they restored their original bodies.' Terrified, Huiyin revived and sprang to his feet. The silk was already in a chest, identical in quantity to the previous number. He then took this donation and used it to perform meritorious deeds. From then on, he never lectured again, but merely upheld the sūtras.