弘贊法華傳 9.15

9.15

劉時。雍州萬年縣平康坊人。永隆二年六月患。經二日致死。死經六日。唯心上煖。其家已擇殯日。未敢襲斂。至七日平旦。忽然再穌云。當時。被一人引入大城。宮殿樓觀。壯麗異常。見閻羅王。云汝可具錄生時功德。遂答云。生時唯讀法華經兩卷。更無別功德。王遂索罪案。及業秤秤之。法華兩卷。乃重於罪案。王撿案云。其人合得九十年活。謂案典曰。汝何以錯追。大罪過。可放他還。因令得活。經二十許日。委頓方療。遂受戒。不飲酒食肉。造金字法華經。永充供養。

Liu Shi was a native of Pingkang Ward in Wannian County, Yongzhou. In the sixth month of the second year of the Yonglong era, he fell ill and died after two days. He had been dead for six days, but only the area over his heart remained warm. His family had already chosen the day for burial, but had not yet dared to shroud and encoffin him. At dawn on the seventh day, he suddenly revived and recounted: At that time, he had been led by a person into a great city, whose palaces, towers, and lookouts were extraordinary in their grandeur. He met King Yama, who said, 'You may record in full the meritorious virtues of your lifetime.' He then replied, 'In my lifetime I only read two scrolls of the Lotus Sūtra, and have no other meritorious virtues.' The king then called for the register of offenses and weighed them on the balance of karma: the two scrolls of the Lotus Sūtra were heavier than the register of offenses. The king examined the register and said, 'This man is entitled to live for ninety years.' He said to the clerk of records, 'Why did you mistakenly pursue him? A great offense! You may release him to return.' Thus he was permitted to live. After twenty-some days, his exhaustion was finally cured. He then received the precepts, abstained from wine and meat, and copied the Lotus Sūtra in gold characters to serve perpetually as an offering.