法華傳記 5.40

5.40

Murong Wence was a native of Shangbang County in Qinzhou. At the age of seventeen he recited and maintained the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, never missing the vegetarian fasts. On the night of the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the seventh year of the Daye era of the Sui, two ghosts suddenly appeared before his bed holding documents, saying: "The King has now sent us to fetch you, sir." Wence was extremely flustered and frightened, and thereupon followed the messengers away. They approached a great city with imposing watchtowers and six concentric walls. As they were about to enter the first and second gates, there was an extremely great brilliance. When they reached the third gate, the gates were more than four li apart, and all was pitch dark; no road could be seen at all. The messengers led him through. Inside the fifth and sixth gates, there was again great brilliance. Three li from the gate, there were palace halls and chambers, with attendants on night watch holding staves all around, not different from the imperial palaces seen in the present world. The King sat in the palace hall. The men, women, monks, nuns, Daoist masters, and maidens brought there, along with six barbarian tribes of foreign lands, were beyond reckoning. Ce was walking behind the record-keeper; as names were called out, they passed before him. The King questioned them one by one regarding the karmic merits of their lives. Those with proof of merit were stationed to the west; those without proof of merit were stationed to the east. At the very end, Ce's name was finally called. The King asked: "What karmic merits have you accomplished in your lifetime?" Ce explained in detail: "Throughout my life, I have only recited and maintained the eight fascicles of the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus, revolving and reading the Prajñā day and night; I have also kept the vegetarian fasts without missing a single day." When the King heard these words, he pressed his palms together in reverent admiration and said: "The merit is exceedingly deep!" He handed him over to the presiding official to examine the registers carefully to ensure he had not been brought by mistake. The record-keeper held the files and reported to the King: "His physical death is not yet due." The King immediately released him to return, and sent him walking westward. While he was standing there before departing, a śramaṇa aged about fifteen or sixteen, holding a bright torch, passed before Ce. Following behind him, another novice passed by holding a bright torch. Ce grabbed his kāṣāya and held him back: "I beseech the master to save this disciple! The messengers mistakenly arrested and brought me here; having received the King's grace, my registers were inspected and I was released to return, but I do not know where to go. May the master have compassion and protect this disciple, showing me the road by which I came!" The two monks said to Ce: "Because the dānapati upholds the Prajñā, revolves and reads the Mahāyāna scriptures, and firmly maintains the vegetarian fasts, we have come to save you." The master said: "I will hold the bright torch in front; the dānapati need only follow behind me." They returned out through the six concentric city gates, and went back to the two pitch-black gates. The bright torches held in the hands of the two monks were like the radiance of the rising sun; all emerged outside the six concentric gates. The two monks then said to Ce: "Does the dānapati know where the hells are?" Ce said: "I do not know." The two novices raised their hands and pointed to the northwest corner of the city, where there was a great city four li away: "This is the city of hell." The two novices said: "We shall take the dānapati to view this city." Following the masters thither, the city was lofty and precipitous, with a great gate hung with iron nets. Four rākṣasas held iron pitchforks, standing in attendance to the left and right. The two monks said: "This is the gate of hell. All sinners assigned here pass through this gate." They immediately led Ce through the gate; after walking about two hundred paces, he saw a river of ashes. All the suffering people therein were immersed in the river, with only their heads visible, hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of them. Fierce flames blazed around these sinners; their agony and cries could not be fully described. Moreover, on all four sides were iron beds and sword-trees, and four hell wardens held iron pitchforks, running along the banks; the sounds of their shouts were terrifying indeed. The two monks said: "The eighteen hells are all in this city." Seeing this, Ce was terrified in his heart, and only held proper mindfulness of the Buddha, constantly reciting sūtras in his mind without ceasing. The two monks then led Ce out of the city gate, returning to the original path. There were five pathways close together; in his confusion, he did not know the path that led to his home. As the two monks were about to take leave of Ce and depart, he bowed down and pleaded: "Among the five paths, this disciple does not know which path to take. May the masters have compassion and show me the path!" The two monks thereupon led the way along the middle path. After walking about ten li, there was a great gate blocking the mouth of the path, making it impossible to pass through. The two monks opened it with their khakkhara staffs, and said to Ce: "Strive diligently to cultivate merit and recite sūtras; do not give rise to laxity, and you will surely attain a long life." Ce bade farewell to the masters and reached home, waking up in his body. His parents and relatives were all flustered and frightened; he comforted them with proper etiquette and recounted the circumstances of his release and return home through the power of merit. Those who heard of it rejoiced, their minds peaceful and serene. With this merit of reciting sūtras and observing the vegetarian fasts, he exhorted and transformed everyone; each gave rise to the aspiration to read and recite without missing a single day, increasing their diligence, and he too lived to an advanced age.