往生集 3.72

3.72

元至正十五年冬。張士誠攻湖州。江浙丞相與戰。獲四十人。囚檻送官。夜宿西湖鳥窠寺。適大猷謀禪師。徐步廊下。囚者見師。神觀閒雅。持誦不輟。因告曰。長老救我。師曰。我不能救。但至誠念南無救苦救難阿彌陀佛。却救得爾曹也。中有三人。信受其語。念不絕口。天曉發囚。易枷鎖。偶至三人。刑具不足。惟繫以繩耳。既而審鞠。乃良民被虜者。遂得釋。

In the winter of the fifteenth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan dynasty, Zhang Shicheng attacked Huzhou. The Grand Councilor of Jiangzhe engaged in battle and captured forty men, sending them in prisoner cages to the authorities. At night, they stayed at Niaoke Monastery at West Lake. It happened that Chan Master Dayou Mou was strolling slowly under the corridor. Seeing the master's calm and graceful demeanor and unceasing recitation, the prisoners called out, saying, 'Venerable Elder, save us!' The master said, 'I cannot save you, but if you recite with utmost sincerity "Namo Amitābha Buddha who saves from suffering and difficulty," you will be saved.' Among them, three people faithfully accepted his words and recited without ceasing. At dawn, when the prisoners were dispatched and their cangues and locks were changed, it happened that when they came to the three men, the instruments of punishment were insufficient, and they were tied only with ropes. Soon after, when interrogated, they turned out to be good citizens who had been captured, and they were thereupon released.