法華傳記 9.28

9.28

醴泉縣徐高思有少兒。生年七歲。受五戒為沙彌。師事大德。有相師見沙彌云。此沙彌明敏。眾相自足。但短壽。父母聞之憂惱。沙彌依緣往隣縣遭雨入精舍。有一僧誦法華經。沙彌聞經。歡喜白僧。吾辭父母。將隨師役仕。雨止出寺。至家經三日。先相師尚在。見沙彌云。汝既正壽九十有餘。有何異術。沙彌云。吾聞經心愛樂。此外亦無他事。相師善哉。大乘有不思議力。聞者延壽矣。

Xu Gaosi of Liquan County had a young son. At seven years of age, he received the five precepts and became a novice, serving a venerable monk as his teacher. A physiognomist saw the novice and said: "This novice is intelligent and keen, endowed with all physical marks, but his life will be short." Hearing this, his parents were grieved and troubled. On account of an errand, the novice went to a neighboring county. Encountering rain, he entered a vihāra, where a monk was reciting the Lotus Sūtra. Hearing the sūtra, the novice rejoiced and said to the monk: "I shall bid farewell to my parents and come follow the master in service." When the rain stopped, he left the monastery. Three days after arriving home, the previous physiognomist was still there. Seeing the novice, he said: "Your proper lifespan has now become more than ninety years; what extraordinary technique do you have?" The novice said: "My mind took delight in hearing the sūtra; apart from this, there was nothing else." The physiognomist said: "Excellent! The Mahāyāna possesses inconceivable power; those who hear it will have their lifespan extended."