法華傳記 7.4

7.4

京師高表仁孫子。甞讀法華經。龍朔三年正月二十七日。乘馬從順義門出。有兩騎追之曰。令捉獲矣。其人問曰。卿是何人。答曰。我是閻王使者。故來追卿。其人惶忙走馬西出。欲投普光寺。使人曰。疾投寺門勿令入。入即得脫。及至寺門。乃見一騎投門。又西走欲入開善寺。又令騎投門。遂爾相從西奔。欲還本宅。宅在化度寺東。恐道遠。乃欲入醴泉坊。一騎在前。其人以拳擊之。鬼遂落馬後鬼曰。此人大麁。急曳下挽却頭髮。即被牽髮。如刀割狀。遙擲于地。亦隨髮落馬人與還。至晚蘇云。備見閻王云。君何盜僧果子。何事說三寶過。遂依伏罪無敢厝言。王言盜果之罪。合吞鐵丸四百五十枚。四年受之方盡。說過之罪。合耕其舌。因放令出。遂蘇少時。還絕口如吞物遍身赫赤。有苦楚相纏。經日方醒云。經一年吞百餘丸。其苦難言。明日復爾。恰經四日吞丸亦盡。方欲拔舌耕之拔而不出。勘案所由乃云。曾讀法華。舌不可出。遂放令活。今見在化度寺圓滿師處。聽法懺悔云云。

The son of Gao Biaoren of the capital used to read the Lotus Sūtra. On the twenty-seventh day of the first month in the third year of the Longshuo era, he rode a horse out through Shunyi Gate. Two horsemen pursued him, saying, "We have been ordered to capture you!" The man asked, "Who are you?" They replied, "We are emissaries of King Yama, specifically sent to pursue you." In panic, the man galloped his horse westward, wishing to take refuge at Puguang Monastery. The emissary said, "Gallop swiftly to the monastery gate; do not let him enter! If he enters, he will escape." When they reached the monastery gate, he saw one horseman charge at the gate. He then fled westward, wishing to enter Kaishan Monastery, but again they directed a horseman to charge at the gate. Thereupon they chased after each other galloping westward, wishing to return to his original residence. The residence was east of Huadu Monastery, but fearing the distance was too great, he wished to enter the Liquan Ward. One horseman was in front; the man struck him with his fist, and the ghost fell from his horse. The trailing ghost said, "This man is extremely violent! Quickly drag him down and pull back his hair!" He was immediately seized by the hair as if sliced by a knife, and thrown afar to the ground, falling from his horse along with his hair. The emissaries returned with him. In the evening, he revived and said that he had appeared before King Yama, who said, "Why did you steal the monastic fruits? And why did you speak of the faults of the Three Jewels?" He thereupon submitted to his guilt, not daring to offer any excuse. The King said, "For the sin of stealing fruits, you are sentenced to swallow four hundred and fifty iron pellets, which will take four years to endure before being exhausted. For the sin of speaking of faults, you are sentenced to have your tongue plowed." He was then released to depart. He revived for a short while, but his mouth remained tightly closed as if swallowing something, his entire body glowing scarlet, entangled in agonizing suffering. Only after an entire day did he awake and say, "In the span of one year, I swallowed over a hundred pellets; the suffering was unspeakable." The next day it was again like this. In exactly four days, the swallowing of pellets was completed. Just as they were about to pull out his tongue to plow it, they pulled, but it would not come out. Checking the case records for the cause, it was stated: "Having once read the Lotus Sūtra, his tongue cannot be pulled out." He was thereupon released to live. He is currently at Master Yuanman's place in Huadu Monastery, listening to the Dharma and practicing repentance.