[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [冥報記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082) › 2.3 # 冥報記 2.3 冥報記 2.3 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2.3) 隋大業中。有客僧。行至大山廟。求寄宿。廟令曰。此無別舍。唯神廟廡下。可宿。然而比來。寄宿者輒死僧曰。無苦也。令不得已從之為設床於廡下。僧至夜端坐。誦經可一更。聞屋中環珮聲。須臾神出。為僧禮拜。僧曰。聞比來宿者多死豈檀越害之耶。願見護。神曰。遇其死時將至。聞弟子聲。因自懼死。非殺之也。願師無慮。僧因延坐。談說如人。良久。僧問曰。聞世人傳說。大山治鬼。寧有之也。神曰。弟子薄福有之。豈欲見先亡已乎。僧曰。有兩同學僧。先死。願見之。神問名曰。一人已生人間。一在人獄。罪重不可見。與師就見可也。僧甚悅。因共起出門。不遂而至一所。多見廟獄。火光甚盛。神將僧入一院。遙見一人在火中號呼不能言。形變不可復識。而血肉焦臭。令人傷心。此是也。師不復欲歷觀也。僧愁愍求出。俄而至廟。又與神同坐。因問欲救同學。有得理耶。神曰。可得耳。能為寫法華經者。便免。既而將曙。神辭僧入堂。旦而廟令視僧不死。怪異之。僧因為說。仍即為寫法華經一部。經既成。莊嚴畢。又將經就廟宿。其夜神出如初。歡喜禮拜。慰問來意。僧以事告。神曰。弟子知之。師為寫經。始盡題目。彼已脫免。今久出生不在也。然此處不淨潔。不可安經。願師還送經向寺。言說久之將曉。辭而去。入僧送經於寺（杭州別駕張德言。前任兗州。具知其事。自向臨說云爾也）。 > During the Daye era of the Sui, there was an itinerant monk who traveled to the Mount Tai Shrine and sought lodging. The shrine director said, “There are no other quarters here; you can only lodge under the veranda of the spirit's shrine. However, recently, those who lodge here have invariably died.” The monk said, “There is no harm.” Having no choice, the director complied and set up a bed for him under the veranda. When night fell, the monk sat upright and recited sūtras for about one watch. He heard the tinkling sound of girdle pendants in the building. After a short while, the spirit came forth and bowed in veneration to the monk. The monk said, “I have heard that recently many who lodge here have died; could it be that the dānapati harmed them? I hope you will protect me.” The spirit said, “When they encountered their time of death about to arrive, upon hearing my voice, they died of their own terror; it was not I who killed them. Please do not worry, Master.” The monk then invited him to sit, and they talked just like ordinary people. After a long while, the monk asked, “I have heard worldly people pass on the legend that Mount Tai governs ghosts; is this truly so?” The spirit said, “Because of my meager merit, it is indeed so. Do you wish to see someone who has passed away?” The monk said, “I have two fellow monks who died earlier; I wish to see them.” The spirit asked their names and said, “One has already been born among humans; the other is in the human hell. His sins are heavy and he cannot be seen \[here\], but I can accompany you, Master, to go and see him.” The monk was very pleased. Thereupon, they rose together and went out the gate. After not far, they reached a place where many shrine hells were visible, with blazing flames of great intensity. The spirit led the monk into a courtyard. From afar, he saw a person amidst the fire, crying out and unable to speak, his form mutated beyond recognition, the scorch and stench of flesh and blood heartbreaking to behold. \[The spirit said,\] “This is he. You need not view any further, Master.” Sorrowful and pitying, the monk asked to leave. In a moment, they arrived back at the shrine and again sat together with the spirit. He then asked, “If I wish to save my fellow monk, is there any way?” The spirit said, “It can be done. If someone can copy the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra for him, he will be freed.” Soon dawn was approaching, and the spirit took leave of the monk and entered the hall. At dawn, the shrine director saw that the monk was not dead, and marvelled at it. The monk told him the whole story and immediately copied a set of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra for the fellow monk. When the sūtra was completed and fully adorned, he again took the sūtra to the shrine to lodge. That night, the spirit emerged as before, joyfully bowing in veneration, and inquired about the purpose of his visit. The monk told him the matter. The spirit said, “I already know. When you copied the sūtra for him, as soon as you completed the title, he was already delivered and freed; now he has long been reborn elsewhere and is no longer here. However, this place is impure, and the sūtra must not be placed here. I request that you take the sūtra back to a monastery.” After talking for a long time, dawn was near, and the spirit took leave and departed. The monk took the sūtra and delivered it to a monastery. (Zhang Deyan, Administrative Assistant of Hangzhou, formerly served in Yanzhou and knew this matter in detail; he personally told it to Tang Lin thus.) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2.2) - [Next: 2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2.4) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082~en-mt.2.3) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [弘贊法華傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2067.10.9) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2082.2.3) · Pramāṇa