弘贊法華傳 8.8

8.8

清信士李山龍。𱝕翊人也。以武德年中。任左監門校尉。忽暴亡。而心上不冷如掌許。家人未忍殯斂。至七日而蘇。自說云。當死時。被冥官收錄。至一官曹廳。甚宏壯。其庭亦廣。庭內有囚數千人。或枷鎖。或杻械。皆立庭中。吏將山龍至廳事。見一大官坐高床。侍衛如王者。山龍問吏。此何官吏。曰。是王也。山龍至階下。王問。汝生平作何福業。山龍對曰。鄉人每設齊講。恒施物同之。王曰。汝身作何善業。山龍曰。誦法華經兩卷。王曰。大善。可升階。既升廳上。東北間。有一高座如講座者。王指座謂山龍曰。可升此座誦經。山龍奉命至座側。王即起立曰。請法師升座。山龍升座訖。王乃向之而坐。山龍誦曰。妙法蓮華經序品第一。王曰。請法師止。山龍即止下座。復立階下。顧庭內囚已盡。無一在者。王謂龍曰。君誦經之福。非唯自利。乃令庭內眾囚皆以聞經獲免。豈不善哉。今放君還去。山龍拜辭。行數十步。即見三人來。謂龍曰。王放君去。可不少多乞遺我等。龍未及言。吏謂山龍曰。王放君不由彼。然三人者。是前收錄君使人。山龍惶懼。謝三人曰。愚不識公。請至家備物。但不知於何處送之。三人曰。於水邊送。山龍許諾。辭吏歸家。見家人正哭經營殯具。山龍入至屍傍便活。後剪作錢帛。并酒食。送於水邊。忽見三人來謝。愧荷言畢。忽然不見。

The faithful layman Li Shanlong was a native of Fengyi. During the Wude era (618–626), he served as Commandant of the Left Gate Guard. He suddenly died, yet the area over his heart remained warm, about the size of a palm. His family could not bear to place him in the coffin, and after seven days he revived. He recounted of himself: When he died, he was arrested by nether officials and brought to a bureaucratic office hall that was exceedingly grand, with a spacious courtyard. Within the courtyard were several thousand prisoners, some in cangues and chains, others in fetters, all standing in the court. The officers led Shanlong to the hall, where he saw a high official seated on a high couch, attended like a king. Shanlong asked an officer, 'What official is this?' The officer replied, 'It is the King.' When Shanlong reached the foot of the steps, the King asked, 'What meritorious deeds did you perform during your life?' Shanlong replied, 'Whenever my villagers held vegetarian fasts and lectures, I constantly donated goods to join with them.' The King asked, 'What good deeds did you yourself perform?' Shanlong said, 'I recited two fascicles of the Lotus Sūtra.' The King said, 'Very good! You may ascend the steps.' Having ascended into the hall, in the northeast corner there was a high seat resembling a lecture throne. The King pointed to the seat and said to Shanlong, 'You may ascend this seat and recite the sūtra.' Shanlong obeyed the order and went to the side of the seat. The King immediately stood up and said, 'I invite the Dharma Master to take the seat.' After Shanlong took the seat, the King turned to face him and sat down. Shanlong recited: 'The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, Introductory Chapter, Number One.' The King said, 'I invite the Dharma Master to stop.' Shanlong immediately stopped and came down from the seat, standing again below the steps. Looking back, all the prisoners in the courtyard were gone; not one remained. The King said to Shanlong, 'The merit of your sūtra recitation was not only for your own benefit, but caused all the prisoners in the courtyard to gain release upon hearing the sūtra. How could it not be good! I now release you to return.' Shanlong bowed and took his leave. After walking several tens of paces, he saw three men approaching, who said to Shanlong, 'The King has released you to return; can you not give us some small gift?' Before Shanlong could speak, the officer said to Shanlong, 'The King released you not through their doing. However, these three men were the emissaries who previously arrested you.' Terrified, Shanlong apologized to the three men, saying, 'In my ignorance I did not recognize you, gentlemen. Please allow me to prepare goods upon reaching home; but I do not know where to deliver them.' The three men said, 'Deliver them at the water's edge.' Shanlong consented. Taking leave of the officer, he returned home and saw his family weeping and preparing funerary goods. Shanlong entered and went beside the corpse, whereupon he came back to life. Later, he cut paper money and cloth, and together with wine and food, delivered them to the water's edge. Suddenly he saw the three men arrive to thank him, expressing their gratitude, and as soon as they finished speaking, they abruptly vanished.