法華傳記 8.28

8.28

隋大業中有客僧。行至太山廟求寄宿。廟令曰。此無別舍。唯神廟。廡下可宿。然而比來寄宿者。輒必死。僧曰無苦也。令不得已從之。為設床於廡下。僧至夜端坐誦經可一更。聞屋中環珮聲。須臾神出為僧禮拜。僧曰。聞此宿者多死。豈檀越害之耶。願見護之。神曰。遇其死者將至。聞弟子聲。因自懼死非殺之也。願師無慮。僧因近坐。說談如食項。良久僧問曰。世間人傳說。太山活鬼寧有之也。神曰。弟子薄福有之。豈欲見先亡乎。僧曰。有兩同學僧先死。願見之。神問曰。姓名何。僧具答姓名。神曰。一人已生人間。一人重罪在獄不可喚。與師就見耳也。僧甚悅。因共起出門。不遠而至一所。多見廟獄。火燒光焰甚盛。神將僧入一院。遙見一人在火中。號呼不能言。形變不可復識。而血肉燋臭。令人傷心曰。此是也。師不復欲歷觀耶。僧愁愍求出。俄而至廟。又與神同坐因問。欲救同學。有得理耶。神曰可得耳。能為寫法華經者便免。既而將曙。神辭僧入堂。旦而廟令視。僧不死怪異之僧因為說。仍即為寫法華經一部。經既成莊嚴畢。又將經就廟而宿。其夜神出如初。歡喜禮拜。慰問來意。僧以事告之。神曰。弟子知之。師為寫經。始書題目。彼已脫免。今又出生不在人問也。然此處不淨潔。不可安經。願師還將送。經向寺。言訖久之。將曉辭訣而去。入僧送經於寺（又出法苑第十八）。

In the Daye era of the Sui dynasty, there was a traveling monk who walked until he reached the Mount Tai Temple and asked for lodging. The temple prefect said, 'Here there is no other building; only under the verandas of the spirit shrine can one lodge. However, those who have recently lodged here have invariably died.' The monk said, 'There is no harm.' The prefect had no choice but to comply, and arranged a bed for him under the veranda. When night fell, the monk sat upright and chanted sūtras until about the first watch. He heard the sound of pendant gems inside the hall. In an instant, the deity came out and bowed to the monk. The monk said, 'I hear that many who lodge here die; could it be that the dānapati harms them? I hope you will protect me.' The deity said, 'Those who encountered their death were already near the end of their lives. Hearing my disciples' sounds, they became terrified and died of themselves; it was not that I killed them. May the master have no worry.' The monk then sat near him and talked for the duration of a meal. After a long while, the monk asked, 'People in the world recount that there are living ghosts of Mount Tai; is that really so?' The deity said, 'I, who have little merit, have them. Could it be that you wish to see your deceased companions?' The monk said, 'I have two fellow-student monks who died earlier; I wish to see them.' The deity asked, 'What are their names?' The monk fully stated their names. The deity said, 'One has already been reborn among humans. The other, possessing heavy offenses, is in hell and cannot be summoned; I can only take the master along to see him.' The monk was very pleased. Thereupon they arose together and walked out of the gate. Before long, they arrived at a place where many shrine-prisons were seen, with blazing fires and exceedingly fierce flames. The deity took the monk into a courtyard. From afar, he saw a person amidst the flames, crying out and unable to speak, his form mutated beyond recognition, his flesh and blood scorched and putrid, breaking one's heart. The deity said, 'This is he. Does the master wish to view further?' The monk, saddened and pitying him, asked to leave. Presently they returned to the temple, and he sat with the deity again, asking, 'If I wish to rescue my fellow student, is there a way?' The deity said, 'It can be done. If you can copy the Lotus Sūtra for him, he will be freed.' Soon it was approaching dawn; the deity bade farewell to the monk and entered the hall. At dawn, the temple prefect saw that the monk had not died, and marveled at it. The monk then explained it to him, and forthwith copied one copy of the Lotus Sūtra for his companion. When the sūtra was completed and adorned, he took the sūtra again to the temple to lodge. That night, the deity came out as before, bowed with joy, and inquired about the purpose of his coming. The monk told him of the matter. The deity said, 'I know of it. When the master was copying the sūtra, as soon as you wrote the title, he was already delivered and freed; now he has been reborn, and is no longer in hell. However, this place is not pure and clean; the sūtra must not be placed here. May the master take the sūtra back and send it to a monastery.' Having spoken for a long time, as it was approaching dawn, he bade farewell and departed. The monk took the sūtra and sent it to a monastery. (Also appears in Fayuan zhulin, fascicle 18.)