法華傳記 3.8

3.8

釋隆法師者。不知何許人。以貞觀年中。從北道而出北印度。欲勸化。更於中天。誦得梵本法華。到健陀羅國自開講。四方雲而馳集。萬郡星而朝望。後遇疾而死。經三日蘇起曰。吾見炎魔天子問。道人有何功德。答吾誦得法華。自開講肆。勸化眾生。王曰。讀誦是真實。講說浮虛。隨情分別。豈勝功德。答讀誦專自講說慧施。利物是菩薩懷。豈浮虛無功德。王歡喜從座而下。長跪言。善哉善哉。汝昇座將講說其義。隆即昇高。唱題開義。廳中罪人。隆聲所及離苦得樂。枷鎖自解。或生人天。王言。止止。汝命未盡。還到本身。即隨歸路。得蘇當知。妙法人天要行。菩提直道。專心行專。莫懈怠。聞者流淚。生慇重心益多。凡見聞者。捨小歸大。北方僧來傳說如此焉（出求法新錄。又唐僧傳雖載隆緣。其事不委。今依廣文而已）。

Shi Long, Dharma Master, was of unknown origin. During the Zhenguan era, he travelled along the northern route and set out for North India, seeking to exhort and convert beings. Later, in Central India, he memorized a Sanskrit manuscript of the Lotus Sūtra. Arriving in Gandhāra, he himself began to lecture on it; people gathered in clouds from the four quarters, and gazed toward him like stars from myriad commanderies. Later he fell ill and died, but revived after three days, saying: "I saw the Heavenly Son Yama, who asked: 'What merit does the religious man possess?' I answered: 'I memorized the Lotus Sūtra and opened a lecture hall myself to exhort and convert sentient beings.' The king said: 'Reading and reciting is genuine; lecturing and expounding is superficial and empty, merely making distinctions according to one's thoughts—how could it surpass [recitation's] merit?' I replied: 'Reading and reciting are concentrated on oneself; lecturing and expounding constitute the gift of wisdom. Benefiting beings is the aspiration of a bodhisattva—how could it be superficial and devoid of merit?' Overjoyed, the king descended from his seat, knelt upright, and said: 'Excellent, excellent! Ascend the seat and explain its meaning.' Thereupon Long mounted the high seat, proclaimed the title, and unfolded the doctrine. The sinners in the hall were freed from suffering and gained bliss wherever Long's voice reached; their cangues and fetters fell away on their own, and some were reborn among humans and devas. The king said: 'Cease, cease! Your life is not yet spent; return to your original body.' Following the road back, I was restored to life." One should know that the Saddharma is the essential practice for humans and devas, and the direct path to bodhi. Concentrate your mind and practice with single-mindedness; do not be negligent! Those who heard this shed tears, and their respectful faith increased all the more. All who saw or heard him abandoned the Hīnayāna and took refuge in the Mahāyāna. A monk from the north arrived and related this tale. (Taken from the Qiufa xinlu. Although the Tang gaoseng zhuan also records Master Long's story, the account is not detailed; here we follow the expanded text.)