法華傳記 7.48

7.48

Shi Daoxun's secular surname was Wang. He did not cultivate monastic discipline, but extensively managed fields and estates, accumulating silk, cloth, damask, and gauze, easily numbering in the tens of thousands. Yet he was greedy, stingy, and mean, refusing to pluck a single hair. Later he suddenly fell gravely ill: his private parts closed up and he could pass neither urine nor stool; his life was about to end. In this monastery there was a Dharma master who came to preach the Dharma to him. His mind was slightly awakened, and he thereupon gave away one-third of all he owned, distributing it all at once to various monasteries. As soon as the giving was completed, his illness immediately lessened and healed. Soon after his illness was cured, within a few days he inspected the upper story of the pavilion and saw that it was empty of goods. Reminiscing over the wealth and silk, he went mad, constantly crying out, "Thieves! The monks of the various monasteries have come and robbed my goods!" His companions admonished him, but he never regained his senses. The Dharma master then notified all the monasteries to return the goods and wealth. Only after Daoxun saw them did his shouting stop. Within a day or two, his old illness recurred, and his distress was even more severe. He again requested the Dharma master and sought repentance once more. The Dharma master scolded and exhorted him, telling him to relinquish his stinginess and greed and give back the previous goods. His illness was cured again. After he recovered, he begrudged the money, silk, cloth, damask, and gauze, constantly harboring hatred and resentment. A few days later, he died suddenly for nothing. When he died, his eyes were as large as cups, and his entire body was crimson red like a ghost. The Dharma master took pity on him and said, "How foolish! Stubbornly stingy and attached to wealth, he has fallen among the hungry ghosts. Even after hundreds of thousands of kalpas, he cannot escape. Wealth harms one across the three existences—these words are truly so!" He then took all that Daoxun possessed, copied several tens of sets of the Lotus Sūtra for him, gave them to various monasteries, and completed the transfer of merit. The Dharma master dreamed that Daoxun, wearing patched robes and without any foul smell, told him, "In my foolishness I begrudged wealth and fell into the realm of ghosts to suffer. From now on my condition will grow superior: the master gave away my wealth and produced copies of the Lotus Sūtra, so I have escaped suffering and attained bliss."