弘贊法華傳 6.25

6.25

王淹。字公遠。瑯琊臨泝人。祖份。尚書左㒒射。父琳。司徒左長史。長公主所生。官至黃門郎新安太守。專心佛道。無懈晨昏。持誦法華積有年稔。其第八弟固。亦菜食。誦法華經。淹亡。與固夢云。吾得生西方無量壽國。胎生在鐵葉蓮華內。五百歲方得出胎見佛。以誦法華苦到故。得生西方。以愚癡多疑故。受胎生。於是別矣。上報汝知。誦經勿懈也。

Wang Yan, courtesy name Gongyuan, was a man of Linzu in Langye. His grandfather, Wang Fen, was Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. His father, Wang Lin, was Left Chief Clerk to the Minister of Education. Yan was born of the Senior Princess. He rose in official rank to Gentleman of the Yellow Gates and Grand Administrator of Xin'an. He focused his mind on the Buddha's way, without laxity morning or evening. He had maintained the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra for accumulated years. His eighth brother, Gu, also ate a vegetarian diet and recited the Lotus Sūtra. When Yan died, he appeared in a dream to Gu, saying: 'I have gained rebirth in the Western Land of Immeasurable Life, born by womb within a lotus flower of iron leaves; only after five hundred years will I be able to emerge from the womb and behold the Buddha. Because my ascetic striving in reciting the Lotus Sūtra was consummate, I gained rebirth in the West; because I was foolish and full of doubts, I received a womb-birth. Now I must bid you farewell; I have reported this to let you know, so that you will not be lax in reciting the sūtra.'