釋門自鏡錄 1.26

1.26

思禮未詳其氏。雍州藍田人也。立性庸淺志規苟利。雖復緇衣未洽真化。以咸亨年中。於藍谷悟真寺夏日安居。于時眾徒數十率多精鍊。禮偷形濫吹每懷不軌。乃於殿內竊像裏絹。數日諸僧覺之。莫知誰盜。遞相推鞠人懷疑惑。愧悔者多各欲馳散。時上座法藏對眾言曰。傳聞此寺靈跡極多。今既有人毀折像。護伽藍神豈當默爾。三日之內願示其事。令僧眾得安。言訖各歸。禮於鐘樓下所住房晝寢。遂見白衣大神。陷禮於床壁之間。垂首向下以石壓之。至明旦諸僧既不見禮。就房訪覓。其房堅閉甚牢開竟不得。經一宿怪之逾甚。遂鑿穴戶扉。正見禮在床間。像裏之絹疊在身上。遂共提舉致於門外。見其面色如漆氣息不通。僧等為之懺悔。久乃稍穌。自陳罪惡。至夜而遁。莫知所終。

Sili's family name is not known; he was a native of Lantian in Yongzhou. By nature he was mediocre and shallow, his ambitions set only on illicit gain. Although clad in black robes, he was not imbued with the true transformation. During the Xianheng era, he observed the summer retreat at Wuzhen Monastery in Langu. At that time, the assembly numbered several dozen, mostly refined and disciplined; Li concealed his true nature and masqueraded among them, ever harboring illicit intents. Thereupon he stole the silk from inside an image in the hall. After several days the monks noticed it, but none knew who had stolen it; investigating one another in turn, everyone harbored suspicion, and many felt ashamed and regretful, each wishing to scatter and leave. At that time the elder Fazang spoke to the assembly, saying, "I have heard that this monastery has an abundance of miraculous traces. Now that someone has broken and damaged an image, would the guardian deity of the saṃghārāma remain silent? Within three days, may this matter be revealed so that the monastic assembly may find peace." Having spoken, each returned. While Li was taking a midday nap in his quarters beneath the bell tower, he saw a great white-robed spirit wedge him between the bed and the wall, hanging his head downward and crushing him with a stone. By the following morning, since the monks did not see Li, they went to his room to search for him; his room was bolted tightly, and they could not open it at all. After a night, finding it increasingly strange, they finally chiseled a hole in the door leaves and saw Li precisely wedged beside the bed, with the silk from inside the image folded upon his body. They lifted him out together and placed him outside the door, seeing his face as black as lacquer and his breath obstructed. The monks performed repentance on his behalf; after a long time he revived slightly, confessed his sins and misdeeds, and fled by night, none knowing where he ended up.