法華傳記 5.42

5.42

宋法華臺者。釋法宗歸心後。開祐昔所住。以為精舍。因誦號法華臺也。凡諸州志諷誦者。群集此臺。眾將三千。諷誦成喧雜。大眾評議。分十二時。以定眾限。打揵搥為剋限。諷誦不絕。其業常存。時一沙彌。從遠方而來。愚戇不識文句。晝夜志諷誦。望入眾限。然天性懶墮。亦不了剋限。大眾悲愍愚。汝以曉更揵搥聲為期。先習諷誦功方成。堪為眾限。一夏誦習。纔得兩三行。眾人輕慢。所誦甚少。不樂人眾。沙彌悲愁。以曉更鐘聲為期。日日專志流淚慚先業。欲投身於山崖河淵。即到高崖。放身而投悶絕。依先業入鑊湯地獄。獄卒以杖打罪人。鐵杖觸鑊緣。響聲似昔揵槌。沙彌憶本志。自能不覺。誦法華題目。獄中罪人。皆坐蓮華。地獄變作涼池。獄卒歎未曾有。將沙彌奏閻魔王。王言。沙彌有餘命。還閻浮提盡其志。聞是語已。如眠臥而覺。身無損壞。還到臺說此因緣。眾或信不信。沙彌至心發願。我冥所見不空。即業障輕微。一部文義。自然照了。發願已行道誦經。一部文義。自然誦通。眾聞所誦。併伏膺。上座沙彌為僧。於諷誦眾為上首。

The Lotus Terrace of the Song: After Shi Fazong set his mind [on the Dharma], he used the former dwelling of Kaiyou as a monastery. Because of [his] chanting, it was called the Lotus Terrace. Whenever there were those from various prefectures who aspired to chant and recite, they gathered in flocks at this terrace. The assembly was about three thousand. Chanting and recitation became clamorous and chaotic. The great assembly deliberated and divided [the day] into twelve periods, setting quotas for the groups, and striking the wooden striker (ghaṇṭī) as the time signal. Chanting and recitation did not cease, and their practice was constant. At that time, a novice monk came from afar. Ignorant and foolish, he did not know the words and phrases. Day and night, he aspired to chant and recite, hoping to enter the quotas for the assembly. However, he was naturally indolent and also did not understand the time signals. The great assembly took pity on his foolishness [and said], "Take the striking of the wooden striker at dawn as your set time. First practice chanting and recitation, and only when the practice is accomplished will you be fit to join the assembly's quota." He chanted and practiced for an entire summer retreat, but managed to learn only two or three lines. The assembly disdained him, for what he chanted was so little, and they took no joy in him. The novice monk was sorrowful. Taking the morning bell as his set time, day after day he applied his mind single-mindedly, shedding tears and feeling ashamed of his past deeds. He wished to cast his body off a mountain cliff or into a deep river. Going to a high cliff, he let go of his body and leaped, falling unconscious. According to his past deeds, he entered the Hell of the Boiling Cauldron. The hell wardens beat the sinners with staves; as the iron staves struck the edge of the cauldron, the sound resembled the wooden striker of former times. The novice monk recalled his original aspiration and unconsciously began chanting the title of the Lotus Sūtra. The sinners in the hell all sat upon lotus flowers, and the hell transformed into a cool pool. The hell wardens exclaimed at such an unprecedented event and brought the novice monk to report to King Yama. The king said, "The novice monk still has lifespan remaining; send him back to Jambudvīpa to fulfill his aspiration." Having heard these words, he awoke as if from sleep, his body unharmed. Returning to the terrace, he told of these events. The assembly partly believed and partly doubted him. The novice monk made a vow with utmost sincerity: "If what I saw in the netherworld was not in vain, may my karmic hindrances become light and subtle, and may the meaning of the entire text naturally illuminate [my mind]." Having made this vow, he circumambulated and chanted the scripture; the meaning of the entire text was naturally recited fluently. When the assembly heard his recitation, they all yielded to him in reverence. The senior monks ordained the novice monk as a monk, and he became the head of the assembly of chanters.