法華傳記 8.4

8.4

Monk Xuanxu had a particular veneration for the Lotus Sūtra. He had a monastic friend sharing his room, Shi Daoming, whose lay surname was Yuan, a man from the same affinity group. From youth he was noble-minded and had many extraordinary traits; the renown of his austere discipline, dhyāna practice, and recitation was heard far and wide. In the third month of the first year of the Daye era, he passed away at his home monastery. In the seventh month of that year, Xuanxu, traveling through the countryside, suddenly encountered a saṃghārāma at sunset and went there to lodge. Reaching the gate, he saw Daoming just emerging from the monastery, his appearance and speech no different from when he was alive. He then led Xu to his room. Xu privately wondered at this, but dared not ask. Later in the night, Ming arose and said to Xu: “This is no ordinary place. Venerable sir, be careful not to go up to the hall.” At the time of the dawn bell, he came again and told Xu that he was not permitted to go up to the hall, yet his physical form was suddenly emaciated and withered, and his complexion drastically altered. After Ming left, secretly Xu went to the rear window of the refectory to observe what took place. The homage to the Buddha and the offering of incense were all according to monastic rules. Many of those who had passed away with haughty pride were seated in rows. When the karmadāna chanted that the gruel was served, people were seen carrying the gruel in; all the gruel brought in was the color of blood. When the food had been served throughout, all the monks were seen bursting into flames all over their bodies, writhing and fainting, collapsing to the ground for the duration of a meal. When the karmadāna struck the mallet to invite the monks, at once there was no longer any sign of suffering. Terrified, Xu returned to his lodging room. Shortly after, Ming arrived, even more haggard. Xu questioned him, and Ming said: “This is hell; the suffering is beyond words.” Xu asked again: “What offense brought you here?” Ming said: “Because in the past I took a bundle of firewood belonging to the Saṃgha to boil dye for my robes and forgot to compensate for it, I must undergo this punishment of burning my feet for one year.” Ming then lifted his robes with his hand: from the navel down to his knees, he was entirely charred black. Weeping, he said: “Venerable sir, in your compassion, I pray you will rescue and deliver me.” Surprised and lamenting, Xu said to Ming: “Even someone as refined as you is like this; how much worse will it be for the likes of us? I wonder, by what means might you be spared?” Ming said: “Buy a hundred bundles of firewood, multiplying it many times over, to provide a bathhouse for the Saṃgha, and copy one set of the Lotus Sūtra.” Xu said: “I shall exhaust all that I possess to accomplish this for you within a single day. May you quickly leave this suffering!” They then parted. Xu returned immediately to his monastery, fulfilled his promise accordingly, and having also copied the sūtra, went back to seek him, but all was desolate and nothing was to be seen. That night, he dreamed that Ming, with dignified and orderly deportment, came and said to Xu: “Relying on your great kindness, I have left suffering and been reborn in the Pure Land.”