釋門自鏡錄 1.72

1.72

At Lingguang Monastery in Jizhou, there was an elderly monk whose name has been lost. He purely cultivated moral conduct and always kept a single alms-bowl, which for several decades he had never let anyone else touch. Later, due to urgent business, he had a novice wash it. The novice's hand slipped, and he dropped and broke the bowl. When the elderly monk heard of this, he cried out in shock; his grief and resentment were so extreme that he lay down and died. His disciples buried him in the countryside. After several days, he transformed into a great serpent that coiled around the novice from foot to crown, bending its head downward about to swallow him. The assembly of monks chanted in alarm and made vows, saying: “For the sake of a single bowl, through the poison of stinginess and anger, you have died and taken the body of a serpent. You do not repent your past transgression, and now you even wish to swallow and kill your disciple! What an immense sinful karma! Why act like this?” They spoke extensively of good and evil, repenting and making vows on his behalf. After a long while, the serpent loosened its coils and departed. The novice was left dazed and senseless, and only gradually regained his senses after ten days.