釋門自鏡錄 1.65

1.65

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.