法華傳記 5.44

5.44

Zhitong of Longcheng County in Tianshui Commandery, before reaching the age of twenty, maintained the fasts and precepts and recited scriptures such as the Lotus Sūtra and the Diamond Prajñā[-pāramitā Sūtra]. His repentance and worship during the six periods of the day were never omitted. At the age of twenty he was robust and clever. He was enrolled as a guardsman in the Qingde Garrison, registered in the Shujun militia. He received an imperial command sending him on an expedition against the southern barbarians, more than ten thousand li from his home. On the road, day and night, his worship and chanting never ceased. When they reached the territory of the southern barbarians, the imperial army was defeated in battle, and the soldiers scattered and fled. At that time, a group of more than a hundred men did not know where to turn, and many were wounded or killed. Zhitong was terrified and had nowhere to run. Suddenly, there were five men, all riding mares, surrounding Tong in front and behind. One of them rode up and told Tong, "Do not fear, do not fear! You are fully endowed with cultivated merits; surrounded in front and behind, harm cannot befall you." They traveled for some seven-odd li and reached a pagoda temple. They entered inside to hide, and the barbarians then returned to their camp. Suddenly, two monks came to where Tong was and said to Tong, "Patron, you chant the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, and worship and mind the Buddhas; this is inconceivable, which is why [we] were sent to rescue you. The five men who just rode horses surrounding you in front and behind were all the power of the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā; they also jointly rescued you, fearing the brigands would harm you. Diligently cultivate meritorious deeds, chant and uphold the scriptures, and do not give rise to negligence. All the good spirit kings will constantly protect you." Having spoken these words, they ascended into the air and departed. Tong had not had food for whole days and was extremely hungry and exhausted. In an instant, two young boys brought a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables and flatbread, and gave it to Tong to eat. Having finished eating, they also told Tong, "Diligently cultivate merit, chant the Prajñā-sūtra, and do not let it fall into neglect." When they finished, they also ascended into the air and departed. Tong wept with tears, repenting from the depths of his heart. He then joined the main army and went through three battles without being wounded by an inch of iron. Relying on these conditions, this was all the power of the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā. When the barbarians routed the imperial army, he was released and returned, and single-mindedly chanted and upheld the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā, daring not to be negligent. It is also said that on the twenty-eighth day of the first month in the eighth year of Zhenguan, his body fell ill, and on the night of the eighth day of the second month, his life came to an end. He was then brought before the King [of the Underworld]. The crowd inspected and passed through was exceedingly large; Tong stood at the rear. The clerk called the names, and the king asked about their karmic deeds of good and evil, allocating them in sequence. At the very end, Tong's name was called. [The king] questioned him in detail as to what meritorious deeds he had done while alive. Tong then reported to the king, "Throughout my life, I have chanted and upheld the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, constantly maintained the fasts and precepts, and worshiped the Buddha during the six periods." When the king heard these words, he pressed his palms together reverently and said, "Excellent, excellent! This man's merit is inconceivable." He told the messengers who brought him, "According to which ledger was he summoned? Hand it over to the officer in charge to examine the records carefully, so that he was not brought here in error." The officer in charge reported that Tian had previously cast off his life, but this man still had six years of lifespan remaining and was not yet due to die. The king then asked for the records, inspected them himself, and indeed it was not an error. He said to the attendants on his left and right, "Fetch a couch and table." Thereupon, from the southern wing, they brought a golden couch and a jade table before the king. He ordered them placed on the west side of the hall, spreading various felt mats, and ordered Tong to take the upper seat and chant the scriptures. Tong then chanted one fascicle each of the Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, both with complete fluency. [The king] also sent a clerk into the repository to fetch the ledger recording his scripture-chanting and cultivated merits. The clerk and Tong went westward together to fetch it. After walking about two li, there was a great scripture repository; all the ledgers of merit were within it, all adorned with the seven jewels. From the very bottom, the messenger retrieved one scroll, which had about one sheet of paper, titled "Register of Merit Cultivated by Zhitong." He brought it to the king, who opened and unrolled it. Inside it was noted that Tong had chanted the Prajñā-sūtra ten thousand times and the Lotus Sūtra a thousand times; his merits from worshiping the Buddha and observing the fasts and precepts were all contained within. The king said to the messenger, "The merit cultivated by Tong is exceedingly deep. Lead him to view the hells, so that he may know [the consequences of] sin and merit." The messenger obeyed the order and led Tong out of the city to the northwest for more than five li. There was a great city, with watchtowers and breastworks, and iron nets hanging down. In the gate were four hell wardens, their heads like rākṣasas, fire spewing from their mouths, their bodies tall and massive, holding iron pitchforks, standing on the left and right. There were two bronze dogs at the two wings of the gate, spitting molten copper from their mouths, which poured and flooded into the hells, spraying over the sinners. All the people undergoing suffering entered through this gate. The eighteen hells were all inside this city. Seeing this, Tong trembled in body and mind, unable to calm himself. The guide then brought him to the king and reported, "He has finished viewing the hells." The king said to Tong, "You have now seen in full the karmic fruits of suffering for sins and receiving merit. Diligently advance in recitation and do not abandon it. You still have six years of lifespan; I release you to return home. Do not give rise to a regressing mind and fall into the evil destinies where no one will save you. You must chant and recite, and not regress from bodhi. Throughout your remaining years until your life ends in old age, you will certainly be born in the Pure Land." Tong revived and recounted this matter, cultivating and chanting all the more. After six years had passed, he died. An extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and he was welcomed to the Pure Land.