弘贊法華傳 10.6

10.6

Shi Daochao: it is not known where he was from. He became a monk and lived in a mountain monastery in Qi commandery. His conduct was pure and clean. He had a disciple whose name is lost, aged fifteen, who was reciting the Lotus Sūtra and had mastered one fascicle, when he suddenly died of illness. This disciple was diligent in study by nature, had a bright and spirited bearing, and was endowed by nature with benevolence and filial piety. His master loved him dearly. From the time he passed away, his master sorrowfully remembered him morning and night. Qi commandery was not far from the Mount Tai shrine. Daochao thought to himself: "I have always heard that when a person dies, their conscious spirit must first pass before the Lord of Mount Tai, and only then do they obtain rebirth. Though the hidden and manifest realms are separated, where there is sincerity there is surely a response. Let me try asking the Lord of Mount Tai; perhaps I can learn the place of my disciple's rebirth." Thereupon, holding his tin staff and burning incense, he went to the mountain shrine and fully stated the purpose of his coming. After he had addressed the deity three times, the wooden spirit tablet suddenly gave voice and replied, saying: "Since you, Dharma Master, have pure and sincere adherence to the precepts, and the intent of your coming is earnest, on the matter you ask, how would I dare not inform you?" He then commanded an attendant spirit of wood to call the officer in charge. The attendant spirit went into the eastern wing and summoned a man. The Lord of the Prefecture then asked: "Where is the deceased disciple now?" This man answered, saying: "He is detained here; he has not yet obtained a place of rebirth." Daochao then begged to see him. The Lord of the Prefecture had him follow that man to the eastern wing. Ten or so paces away, he saw his disciple, his appearance and clothing just as in life. Master and disciple wept sorrowfully. After a long while, [the master] asked him: "How are your karmic retributions of suffering and joy?" The disciple answered, saying: "Being detained right now, there is neither suffering nor joy. But my place of rebirth is not yet determined, and I urgently need the support of merit. If I have no roots of goodness, I fear I will be born in an evil realm." The master asked: "What kind of meritorious goodness can be done to adorn and assist you?" The disciple answered, saying: "I wish that you, master, would make one copy of the Lotus Sūtra and hold a vegetarian feast for one hundred monks." The master said: "This matter can be managed." Thereupon he took leave of the disciple and again saw the Lord of the Prefecture. The Lord of the Prefecture fully inquired: "What was said in your meeting?" The master recounted the matter of needing to hold a feast and make the scripture. The Lord of the Prefecture said: "The dark paths have great need of merit. Master, you should urgently arrange to complete it, and then come see me again." Daochao thereupon returned to his dwelling, immediately prepared paper and brushes, and hired someone to copy the scripture. He also held a feast in celebration. When the meritorious work was completed, he returned to the shrine and met with the Lord of the Prefecture, explaining that the cultivation of merit was finished and he had come seeking his disciple. The Lord of the Prefecture again commanded the attendant spirit to summon the previous officer in charge. When the officer arrived, the Lord of the Prefecture asked: "Is the disciple here or not?" The man answered, saying: "He has already been born in an exalted place." Daochao asked: "When did he receive rebirth?" He answered, saying: "When the scribe initially wrote the character miào (妙), and the component nǚ (女) was just completed but he had not yet written shǎo (少), precisely at that moment, he obtained his place of rebirth." Daochao asked again: "Where is he born now?" The divine being answered, saying: "He has been born into the household of Wang Wu in Qi commandery. Wait until he is two or three years old, and you may go search for him." Daochao kept the deity's words in his mind, took leave of the Lord of the Prefecture, and withdrew. After three years had passed, he went to the Wang household and asked, saying: "The dānapati has a son; this poor monk wishes to see him." This family was a wealthy household that revered and had faith in the Three Jewels, but they had never had a son, which was known far and wide. Later, when they had this son, they did not speak of it to distant or close relatives. Gentleman Wang denied and concealed it, not saying he had a son. Daochao said: "My disciple came to be born in the dānapati's house and has already reached three years of age; why not show him to me?" He then fully recounted the circumstances of his inquiry to the Lord of Mount Tai. Hearing this from within the inner quarters, his mother said to the father: "If the Dharma Master has spiritual efficacy like this, how can we conceal it?" She immediately carried the boy and placed him outside the doorway of the inner quarters, several zhang away from Daochao. [The boy] then ran straight from afar into Daochao's embrace and wept for a long time. When he grew up, he left home and served Daochao as his disciple once again. This was the fifteenth year of the Kaihuang reign [595 CE]. It is not known at what age the master and disciple each passed away.