弘贊法華傳 6.19

6.19

清信女費氏者。寧蜀人。宋寧州刺史費悅之女也。出為羅璵之妻。少而敬信。誦法華經數年。勤至不倦。後忽得病苦心痛。閤門惶懼。屬纊待盡。費氏心念。我誦經勤苦。宜有益祐。庶不於此。遂致死也。既而睡臥。食頃。如窹如夢。見佛於窓中授手。以摩其心。應時痊愈。一堂男女婢僕。悉覩金光。亦聞異香氣。璵從妹。即王琰外族。曾祖尚書中兵郎費愔之夫人也。于時。省疾床前。亦具聞見。於是。大興信悟。虔或至終。每以此瑞。勸化子姪焉。

The upāsikā Lady Fei was a native of Ningshu, the daughter of Fei Yue, the regional inspector of Ningzhou under the Song. She married to become the wife of Luo Yu. From her youth she was reverent and faithful, reciting the Lotus Sūtra for several years with untiring diligence. Later she suddenly fell ill with severe heart pain. The household was terrified, placing fine cotton at her mouth to await the end. Lady Fei thought in her heart: "I have recited the sūtra with diligence and toil; there ought to be beneficial protection so that I might not die from this." Soon, while lying asleep for the space of a meal, as if awake and as if dreaming, she saw the Buddha reach out his hand through the window and stroke her heart. She was immediately cured. The men, women, maids, and servants filling the hall all beheld a golden light and also smelled an extraordinary fragrance. Yu's female paternal cousin was the maternal relative of Wang Yan and the wife of her great-grandfather, Fei Yin, the military director of the Ministry of Personnel. At that time, she was visiting the sickbed and witnessed and heard everything in full. Thereupon she gave rise to great faith and awakening, remaining devout until the end of her life. She always used this auspicious sign to instruct and transform her sons and nephews.