釋門自鏡錄 1.65

1.65

曇亮。俗姓傅氏。幼出家微聽習。籍以先福利養。豐委積聚綿絹數出萬餘。而慳愚自蔽身不衣食。有北州嚴禪師。戒行素立僧。每年常請名德轉藏經。一遍聞其富有。從行告乞。亮乃反發致嗔罵云。爾自有衣何故相惱。或有貧人從乞。亦復罵言。汝墮不勤致貧困。自少迄老不捨毫釐後遇患。困篤寺僧往問。懸見即瞋云。終無好心。祇須我物。三五日後寂無人省候。又於合瞑便即閉門。臥於櫃上數日。諸僧試覘之。乃見變或一蛇長二丈蟠在櫃上。便遣人送之。送已還返。後置深坑。遂絕不見。

Tanliang, whose secular surname was Fu, entered monastic life in his youth and heard and studied a little. Relying on offerings from his former merit, he accumulated an abundance of goods, with cotton and silk numbering well over ten thousand bolts. Yet he was blinded by stinginess and foolishness, and did not properly clothe or feed his own body. There was Dhyāna Master Yan of the northern prefecture, a monk whose moral conduct had long been established. Every year, he would regularly invite famous and virtuous monks to recite the canon of scriptures once. Having heard of Tanliang's wealth, Yan went to his residence to beg for alms. Tanliang, however, flew into a rage and reviled him, saying: “You have robes of your own; why do you harass me?” Sometimes when poor people begged from him, he would also scold them, saying: “It is because you are lazy and negligent that you have brought upon yourself poverty and distress.” From his youth to old age, he never parted with a hair's breadth. Later he contracted an illness, which became critically grave. When the monastery monks went to inquire after him, the moment he saw them from afar he became angry, saying: “You never have good intentions; you only want my possessions!” Three to five days later, all was quiet and no one went to look in on him. Furthermore, as darkness fell he would shut his door and lie atop his chests. After several days, the monks tentatively peeped inside, and saw that he had transformed into a serpent twenty feet long, coiled upon the chest. They immediately sent men to carry it away, but after being taken away it returned again. Later, they placed it in a deep pit, and it vanished without a trace.