釋門自鏡錄 1.48

1.48

道契姓陳氏。頴川人也。容貌最陋。言情鄙僻。雖造淨居志嬰羈紲。然薄閑醫診。不好明法。為淺識所知由斯。矜誕輕陵宿少。寺有沙門德隣。器業通瞻。妙解毘尼。兼修定慧。勞謙退靜風被遐邇。與契年臘肩隨而譽望隆重。契惡其光價。恒加謗黷。隣每虛受遜辭承候顏色。潤之以正法。誘之以慈仁。契乃含毒內烝日月彌盛。懷姦詐鬪偽。遂相誣告。時縣宰劉義。與契周旋信其讒說。備加非理。詭結占辭。斷隣還俗。隣不勝悲恨。頂戴袈裟。對眾垂泣。將心自誓。於是舉眾哀痛咸增憤結。指契而私祝者蓋難量矣。經數日契居房晝寢。忽見四神長百尺。各將部眾從。直至其前。中有一神。怒目言曰。我毘沙門故來取汝。汝能賊害善人使如此邪。命鬼卒撲之倒提出。契驚號徹叫聲聞閭巷外。諸僧犇競往觀見。契去地數尺。頭手下垂耳目口鼻並皆流血。冉冉空行似有持者。至門外都街。忽然墮地氣絕復穌。纔辯數言而卒。于時道俗渾合怪喜相趨。排賢嫉德者莫不革誠遷慮矣。劉公目覩妖徵。披肝悔過。請隣歸寺。敷弘寶訓。隣廣化導有緣。寫法華百部般若千卷。設萬人會。為契陳懺願消怨障。

Daoqi was of the Chen clan and a native of Yingchuan. His countenance was extremely ugly, and his speech and manners were vulgar and uncouth. Although he entered the pure dwelling, his mind was entangled in worldly fetters. However, he was slightly versed in medicine and diagnosis, but took no pleasure in clarifying the Dharma. For this reason, he became known to people of shallow understanding. On this account, he grew boastful and arrogant, slighting both elders and juniors. In the monastery was a monk named Delin, of expansive capacity and great learning, who had a wonderful comprehension of the vinaya while cultivating both concentration and wisdom. Diligent, modest, retired, and serene, his influence spread far and wide. He was of the same age and monastic seniority as Daoqi, but his renown and esteem were eminent. Daoqi despised his prestige and constantly subjected him to slander and abuse. Delin always received this with open humility, speaking modestly and watching his expressions, moistening him with the correct Dharma and guiding him with loving-kindness. Daoqi's inner venom, however, smoldered within, growing more virulent by the day and month. Harboing malice, deceit, and mendacity, he ultimately brought a false accusation against him. At that time, the magistrate of the district, Liu Yi, associated with Daoqi, believed his slanderous words, treated Delin with utter injustice, and by deceitfully contriving the testimony, decreed that Delin be defrocked. Delin, overcome with grief and indignation, carried his kāṣāya atop his head, wept before the assembly, and resolved himself with an inner vow. Thereupon the whole assembly grieved and mourned, all feeling an intensified sense of outrage; those who pointed at Daoqi and muttered private prayers [for justice] were beyond count. After several days, Daoqi was taking a midday nap in his room when he suddenly saw four spirits, a hundred feet tall, each leading an entourage, coming straight before him. One of the spirits, with glaring eyes, said, "I am Vaiśravaṇa, and I have come especially to seize you! How could you harm a good person and bring him to such a state?" He ordered ghost soldiers to strike him down and drag him out upside-down. Daoqi shrieked and screamed at the top of his voice, his cries echoing beyond the neighborhood alleys. The monks rushed in haste to watch and saw Daoqi several feet off the ground, with his head and hands drooping downward, and blood streaming from his ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Moving slowly through the air as if held by someone, upon reaching the grand thoroughfare outside the monastery gate, he suddenly fell to the ground; his breath ceased, then revived, and having barely managed a few intelligible words, he died. At that time, monastics and laity gathered in a mixed crowd, running to the scene in astonishment and relief; of those who reject the worthy and envy virtue, none failed to reform their sincerity and change their thoughts. Having witnessed the monstrous portent with his own eyes, Magistrate Liu bared his heart and repented of his error. He invited Delin to return to the monastery to expound and propagate the precious teachings. Delin broadly converted and guided those with affinities, copied one hundred sets of the Lotus Sūtra and one thousand scrolls of the Prajñā, and held a feast for ten thousand people to confess and repent on Daoqi's behalf, wishing to dispel his obstruction of enmity.