法華傳記 7.16

7.16

釋慧緣豫州人也。少出家。蔬食苦行。心欣生兜率。以所修行業。發願迴向彼業。志求奉見彌勒。十二年中更無休息。夢一人童子來告緣。汝行業欣兜率。雖生彼天。不可奉仕彌勒大士。何以故。未讀法華故。若人受持十善。雖生彼天處。不受持妙法華經者。唯在外天不事補處。著欲因緣。還墮三途。說是語已。上昇虛空。夢覺流淚。悔謝前心。更從師友受經。晝夜轉讀更三年。復夢前童子來謂緣。汝業既熟。壽命未盡。先欲奉見彌勒菩薩。從我脇下。即接上昇入內院。彌勒菩薩。與大菩薩圍繞說法。見緣入說偈讚曰。善哉大釋子。轉讀一乘故。現身見我身。捨壽必生此。緣聞斯偈訖。歡喜流淚。見前後左右。百千眾會在座。復見空座無人甚多。即問天眾。何故有座無人。時有二菩薩。即是侍者。一名法音林。二名大妙相。即從座起謂慧緣曰。當知空座者釋迦如來末法中。讀誦法華妙教之人。當生之時所坐之座。是故彼座空無人。汝座在彼中。汝行業妙故。我迎接汝。先所見童子。豈異人乎。大妙相我是也。速還人間。令聞知此事。轉讀大乘。十二年後。捨壽至此處受教。復教從前童子來下。夢覺歡喜。對朋友而說此事。十二年後。無病而卒。紫雲聳空。人皆謂瑞矣。

The monk Huiyuan was a native of Yuzhou. He left home in his youth, ate vegetarian food, and practiced austerities. In his heart, he aspired to be reborn in Tuṣita, and through the karma of his practices, he made a vow to dedicate that karma, striving with resolve to meet Maitreya. For twelve years, he took no rest. In a dream, a boy came and told Huiyuan, "In your practice, you aspire to Tuṣita; although you may be born in that heaven, you will not be able to attend upon the Great Being Maitreya. Why is that? Because you have not yet recited the Lotus Sūtra. If a person upholds the ten wholesome actions, though he may be born in that heavenly realm, if he does not uphold the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, he will dwell only in the outer heaven and cannot serve the One in the Final Body. Bound by causes and conditions of desire, he will fall back into the three bad destinations." Having spoken these words, [the boy] ascended into empty space. Awakening from the dream, [Huiyuan] wept, regretting and renouncing his former intention. He thereupon received the sūtra from masters and friends, and for three more years, he revolved and recited it day and night. Again, he dreamed that the former boy came and said to Huiyuan, "Your karma is now ripe. Though your lifespan has not ended, you first wish to behold Maitreya Bodhisattva; come under my arm." He immediately took him up to ascend into the Inner Court. Maitreya Bodhisattva, surrounded by great bodhisattvas, was preaching the Dharma. Seeing Huiyuan enter, he spoke a verse in praise: "Excellent, great son of the Śākyas! / Because you revolved and recited the One Vehicle, / In your present body you behold my form; / Casting off this life, you will surely be born here." When Huiyuan finished hearing this verse, he wept with joy. Looking before and behind, to the left and right, he saw an assembly of hundreds of thousands seated there. He also saw many empty seats with no one upon them. He then asked the heavenly host, "Why are there seats with no one upon them?" At that time, there were two bodhisattvas who were attendants: the first named Fayinlin, and the second named Damiaoxiang. They rose from their seats and said to Huiyuan, "You should know that the empty seats are the seats upon which persons in the mleccha age of Śākyamuni Tathāgata who recite the wondrous teaching of the Lotus will sit when they are born here. For this reason, those seats are empty and without occupants. Your seat is among them. Because your practice is sublime, I have welcomed you. Could the boy you saw before be anyone else? I am Damiaoxiang. Quickly return to the human realm and let this matter be heard and known, so that they will revolve and recite the Great Vehicle. Twelve years hence, casting off your lifespan, you shall arrive at this place to receive instruction." He then instructed him to follow the former boy back down. Awakening from the dream with joy, he spoke of this matter to his companions. Twelve years later, he died without illness. Purple clouds soared into the sky, and everyone called it an auspicious sign.