法華傳記 3.6

3.6

Shi Huiru resided at Zhenji Monastery. He practiced bitter austerities with diligent devotion, taking seated meditation and entering samādhi as his chief duty. During the Daye era of the Sui, in intervals between seated meditation, he cultivated the practice of the Saddharma. When the lecture hall dispersed, he entered a samādhi and remained motionless for seven days, which amazed the community. After the seven days had elapsed, Huiru opened his eyes, weeping tears that streamed down like rain. Startled, the assembly asked the cause. Huiru answered, saying: "My feet were burned by fire, and the agony was unbearable." He immediately showed them his sores; smoke and open cavities passed through the burns on his feet. The community asked the Dhyāna master again: "How did you obtain these sores?" Huiru said: "An official of the underworld came and presented a sealed letter, claiming to be an envoy of King Yama. Opening the document, it said: 'The Master's jewel of precepts is pure and lofty. Having abandoned the heretical three-stage doctrine of Chan Master Xinxing and taken refuge in the Lotus Sūtra, expounding and lecturing on it, you serve as an oarsman across the sea of suffering. We pray you will grant your compassionate pity.' I was thereupon invited by King Yama to expound the Lotus Sūtra for seven days. Countless sinners planted causes and conditions for the Buddha Path. The king was overjoyed, and presented thirty bolts of yellow silk to me as an offering. When the lectures ended, the king asked: 'Do you wish to see your deceased spiritual friends?' I replied that I wished to see two persons. The king immediately sent for one of them, but I saw only a turtle come and lick the soles of my feet, shed tears from its eyes, and depart. Regarding the other person, [the king] said: 'His sins are grave and he cannot be summoned; you must go to him to see him.' The envoy led me to the prison gate. The gate was bolted fast. The envoy called to the guard, and someone answered the Master: 'Step aside at once and do not stand facing the gate!' No sooner had I moved aside than the gate opened, and a great fire surged out of the gate like sparks bursting from forged iron; it immediately struck my feet. As I brushed it away and raised my eyes to look at the gate, it had already shut. Unable to meet him, I departed. I returned to the king's place and recounted the matter from beginning to end. The king said: 'Hell is like this; without the power of the Lotus Sūtra, one cannot be delivered. If one wishes to save them, one must lecture on and recite the Saddharma.' Such were the events; I have simply related what I saw, heard, and realized." Those among the assembly who heard it felt grief and joy. (Taken from the Mingzhiji. However, although the Mingbaoji records this event, it does not mention expounding the Lotus Sūtra; one should know that what was heard by the authors differed.)