釋門自鏡錄 1.91

1.91

釋法衡。未詳氏族。雖懷慕道不甚精勤。後得病旬餘亡。經三日而穌活說。死時有人將去。見如官曹舍者數處。不肯受之。俄見有鐵輪輪有鐵爪從西轉來。無持引者而轉駛如風。有一吏呼罪人。當輪立。輪轉來轢之。翻還如此。數人碎爛。吏呼衡。道人來當輪立。衡恐怖自責悔。不精進今日當此輪乎。乃至心念佛。吏曰。道人可去。又以衡付船船官使衡持柁。復遇群狗爭欲嚙衡。衡大懼渴欲飲水。乃墮水中因便得穌。於是晝夜精思。為至行沙門。

Shi Faheng: his clan origin is unknown. Although he aspired to the Way, he was not very energetic or diligent. Later, he fell ill and died after ten-odd days. After three days, he revived and recounted that when he died, someone took him away, and he saw several places resembling official bureaux, none of which would receive him. Presently, he saw an iron wheel with iron claws rolling from the west; no one was pushing or pulling it, yet it rolled as swiftly as the wind. An officer called out for a sinner to stand in front of the wheel. The wheel rolled over and crushed him, back and forth like this, grinding several people to pulp. The officer called out to Faheng: 'Monk, come and stand before the wheel!' Terrified, Faheng reproached himself with regret: 'Because I was not vigorous, must I face this wheel today?' Thereupon, with single-minded devotion, he recollected the Buddha. The officer said: 'The monk may go.' Then he handed Faheng over to a boat, where the boat officer had Faheng hold the helm. Again, he encountered a pack of dogs vying to bite him. In great terror and thirsty for water, Faheng fell into the water, and upon this he revived. Thenceforth, day and night he contemplated diligently, becoming a śramaṇa of supreme conduct.