釋門自鏡錄 1.16

1.16

The monk Huida, whose secular surname was Liu and personal name was Sahe, was a native of Lishi in Hexi. When living at home, he was raised in the military, did not hear the Buddhadharma, valued weapons, and was fond of hunting. At the age of thirty-one he suddenly fell ill and died. His body remained warm and pliant, so his family did not dare encoffin him. After seven days he revived, recounting: When he was about to pass away, he saw two men seize and bind him to take him away, heading northwest. As they traveled, the road became steeper, gradually reaching a level thoroughfare lined on both sides with trees. He saw a man holding a bow and wearing a sword, standing in the middle of the thoroughfare, who pointed and told the two men to take Sahe to the west. He saw a great many buildings. Suddenly he saw two monks, who said to Sahe, "Do you recognize us?" Sahe answered, "I do not." The monks said, "You should now take refuge in Śākyamuni Buddha." Sahe gave rise to this thought according to their words. Thereupon he traveled along with the monks. Looking into the distance, he saw a city resembling the city of Chang'an, but of an extremely black color—it was indeed an iron city. He saw people of immense height, with skin as black as lacquer and hair trailing to the ground. The monks said, "These are ghosts in the hells." That place was bitterly cold, with ice like scattered flying stones: striking someone's head, the head was severed; striking their feet, the feet were severed; striking their arms, the arms were severed. The two monks said, "This is the Cold Ice Hell." Sahe then inwardly reproached himself and recognized his past lives, realizing that the two monks had both been his teachers back in the time of Vipaśyin Buddha. At that time, when he was able to become a monk, because he committed a secular transgression he was unable to receive the precepts; although a Buddha was present in the world, he never managed to see him. From then on, he twice obtained human rebirth: one lifetime among the Qiang, and his present life in the Jin lands. Next he saw the Hell of the Mountain of Knives, observing and witnessing a great many hells in sequence. Each hell was a distinct realm, not intermingling with the others, and the number of people was exceedingly large, beyond reckoning. The harsh punishments broadly corresponded with what is explained in the sūtras. Suddenly there was a pure, dazzling golden radiance, and a person about twenty feet tall, adorned with majestic marks, their entire body golden. Those to the left and right said, "It is the Great Being Avalokiteśvara!" All rose to welcome and pay homage. There were two monks of similar appearance walking side by side to the east and west. After Sahe finished paying homage, the Bodhisattva expounded the Dharma in full detail for him, uttering over a thousand words, and also said, "You were destined to undergo retribution for your sins across kalpas; however, because you once rejoiced at hearing the scriptural Dharma, you shall now undergo a light retribution in the present, escaping it entirely after just one pass. When you are revived, you may become a monk." Sahe met someone else who said to him, "Why did you kill a deer when you were in Xiangyang?" Sahe knelt and replied, "Someone else killed the deer; I merely added a spear thrust. Furthermore, I did not eat its flesh; on what grounds should I receive retribution?" At that moment he immediately saw the place where the deer was shot in Xiangyang, with the grasses, trees, mountains, and marshes distinctly before his eyes; the black horse he had ridden could also speak, fully testifying to the year, month, time, and day Sahe killed the deer. Sahe was terrified and had no answer. In an instant, someone pierced him with a pitchfork and cast him into a boiling cauldron. He watched as his four limbs disintegrated into mush. A wind blew his body together on the water's bank, and suddenly, without realizing it, his form was restored whole again. A person said to him again, "You also shot pheasants and once killed wild geese." Having spoken, they cast him into the boiling cauldron with a pitchfork, mincing him just as before. After undergoing these punishments, Sahe was dispatched to leave. Going forth, he entered a large city inhabited by people. Someone said to Sahe, "You have received a light retribution and are able to return to life again; this is supported by the power of merit. From now on, do not commit any more sins." A person was dispatched to escort Sahe. Sahe saw his former body in the distance and was unwilling to return; the escort pushed and pulled him, and only after a long time did he reattach to the form, whereupon he revived. He practiced the Dharma with vigorous diligence, and immediately renounced household life. His subsequent meditative awakenings and marvelous transformations are recorded in a separate biography.