釋門自鏡錄 1.46

1.46

道秀少出家。專精學問。咸稱神俊。學徒雲萃。宗匠當時。有同學慧懿。年卑數歲而超悟過之。戒素自居高談出眾。於是名振鄴都道俗傾仰。遂來與秀對寺開講。秀心懷妬嫉。專思折辱。而懿聲聞轉高無由一啟。秀以暴連禍將有異圖。營衛既繁卒無得醒。後與弟子出城。止一樹下秀睡臥。忽旋風勃起來。濛秀身雙足俄變合成蛇尾。如此稍上至胸。悲號謂弟子曰。我以惡心轉熾欲害懿師。毒害內蒸變成蛇身。業報如此。悔之無益。可取房中衣物為我作福。并謝懿師布施歡喜。言訖忽變為蛇。長二三丈許。須曳草中數百小蛇競來迎接。於是而去。遠近聞之。莫不為其傷歎也。

Daoxiu went forth into renunciation in his youth, devoted himself single-mindedly to study, and was universally praised as having divine talent. His disciples gathered like clouds, and he was an exemplary master of his time. There was a fellow student, Huiyi, who was several years younger, yet his transcendent awakening surpassed Daoxiu's. Upholding moral purity, his elevated discourse stood out from the crowd. Thereupon his renown shook the capital of Ye, and both clergy and laity looked up to him. He then came to open lectures at a monastery directly opposite Daoxiu. Daoxiu harbored jealousy in his heart and thought solely of humiliating him, but Huiyi's reputation grew ever higher, leaving Daoxiu no opportunity to speak against him. Daoxiu's fierce rage brought about disaster, and he was about to hatch an abnormal plot; but with guards and followers being numerous, in the end he found no opening. Later, he went outside the city with his disciples and rested beneath a tree. As Daoxiu lay asleep, a whirlwind suddenly arose furiously and enveloped Daoxiu's body; his two legs instantly transformed and merged into a serpent's tail. In this manner, it gradually rose up to his chest. Weeping and wailing, he said to his disciples: 'Because my evil intention burned ever more fiercely to harm Master Yi, the poisonous malice steamed internally and transformed me into a serpent's body. The karmic retribution being such, regret is of no avail! You may take the robes and belongings in my room to create merit on my behalf, and also apologize to Master Yi with donations so that he may rejoice.' Having finished speaking, he suddenly turned into a serpent twenty to thirty feet long. In an instant, hundreds of small snakes in the grass vied to welcome him, and he departed with them. When people far and near heard of this, there were none who did not grieve and sigh on his account.