法華傳記 10.28

10.28

長安縣有一老女。不知姓名。此女盲聾瘖瘂。為人輕賤。時於大寺講新法華。玄孫牽手向大寺。女雖到大寺。以盲聾故不見不聞。玄孫執老女二手而合。向講肆方。女內心存念。合掌而禮。後經三月忽暴卒。玄孫欲行葬。老女尚暖。至夜三更。發聲呼玄孫。聞者謂妖鬼生大恐。敢不應至。明日見起居。兩眼俱明。語如常人。流淚悲起。玄孫問。誰鬼魅。答曰。吾非妖鬼。初死之時。見冥官驅向王所。王從座下。合掌向妾。汝大功德人。以合掌供養法華經。業障消盡。諸根復本。尚有餘命。早還人間。示法華功力。即出少路。神入本身。眼耳平復。能言如此。經半日已飲食如例。女與玄孫往詣大寺。說其因緣。見者感喜。女捨居處。以供養經。不知卒時（出園記）。

In Chang'an County there was an old woman whose name is unknown. This woman was blind, deaf, and mute, and despised by others. At that time, the new Lotus Sūtra was being lectured on at the Great Monastery. Her great-great-grandson held her hand and led her to the Great Monastery. Although the woman arrived at the Great Monastery, because of her blindness and deafness she saw nothing and heard nothing. The great-great-grandson took both of the old woman's hands and joined them together toward the lecture seat. The woman held mindfulness in her heart, joined her palms, and bowed. After three months, she suddenly died abruptly. The great-great-grandson wished to conduct her funeral, but the old woman was still warm. At the third watch of the night, she raised her voice and called her great-great-grandson. Those who heard it thought it was an evil spirit and were terrified, not daring to respond. The next day, they saw her getting up and moving about; both of her eyes were bright, and she spoke like an ordinary person. Weeping tears of sorrow, she stood up. The great-great-grandson asked: 'What ghost or spirit are you?' She replied: 'I am no evil spirit. When I first died, I saw the underworld officers driving me toward the King's place. The King descended from his seat, joined his palms toward me, and said: "You are a person of great merit! Because you joined your palms in offering to the Lotus Sūtra, your karmic hindrances are entirely eliminated, and your faculties are restored to their original state. You still have remaining life; return early to the human world to demonstrate the efficacious power of the Lotus Sūtra." I then went out a short distance along the road, and my spirit entered my original body. My eyes and ears were restored, and I can speak like this.' After half a day, she ate and drank as normal. The woman and her great-great-grandson went to the Great Monastery and recounted these causes and conditions; those who saw it were moved and delighted. The woman renounced her residence to make offerings to the sūtra. The time of her death is not known. (From the Yuanji).