釋門自鏡錄 2.86

2.86

泰州一僧號某。隨侍三昧先老人（華山具德）有年為某處地藏殿監院。性頗慳不浪用一錢。遷化後每中夜人靜。殿中兩禪單僧。輒見監院現形。初為兩單僧整鞋。面似愁苦。次登上佛座。以手摸他藏華冠。後嬉笑而去。眾白先老人。老人曰。此業障必有遺物在華冠內。故繫戀不捨也。令舉梯上探。果有銀八十金。立命修齋作追薦。法事訖。自此永不復現。

A monk of Taizhou named So-and-so had attended upon the late Elder Sanmei (Jude of Mount Huashan) for years, and served as the superintendent of a certain Kṣitigarbha Hall. By nature he was quite stingy, never wasting a single copper. After he passed away, whenever the deep of night grew quiet, the two monks on the meditation platforms in the hall would see the superintendent's apparition appear. First he would adjust the shoes of the two platform monks with a sorrowful expression; next he would ascend the Buddha throne, stroke Kṣitigarbha's ornate crown with his hand, and then leave with a chuckle. The assembly reported this to the Elder. The Elder said: 'This karmic obstacle must mean he left some possessions behind inside the ornate crown, and thus clings to them without letting go.' He ordered a ladder to be brought to inspect it, and indeed found eighty taels of silver. He immediately ordered a vegetarian feast to be held to make post-mortem dedications. Once the ritual was completed, [the ghost] never appeared again.