弘贊法華傳 6.19

6.19

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.