三寶感應要略錄 1.27

1.27

幽州漁陽縣安良。姓虞氏。家族以殺生為業。良所殺生。不知幾千萬億。又復不識修功德。恒云。修善者必衰。生年三十七。遊獵落馬。悶絕頓氣盡。經半日方活。起悲泣投身於大地。悔過於淨天云。吾謬吾謬。奴婢問所由。良久而曰。吾初悶絕之時。二人馬頭牛頭。以火車來投入吾身。猛火燒身。苦痛無量。時有一人綵服僧。來以水灑車上。以手拒逆火。身心苦息。至于閻魔法王所。王見沙門。從階走下。合掌恭敬白言。何故來坐。僧曰。此罪人是我檀越。欲乞暫命。王曰。惡人也。不可放還。但大師故來不可惜之。僧將我還。良心懷疑怪。助我不審。誰即問僧。答曰。汝不識否。汝兄安通發心。造釋迦像。汝依緣投錢三十文。助彼造像。既投少錢令造我像。是故來救汝。見綵服以為驗。言已不見。以是因緣故。悔過悲責。迺過安通家。兄像全同所見。被服感悟。自造像矣。

Anliang of Yuyang County in Youzhou was surnamed Yu. His clan took killing living beings as their livelihood, and the living beings Liang had killed were of an unknown number of thousands, ten thousands, and kotis. Furthermore, he did not know how to cultivate merit, and was always saying: 'Those who cultivate good deeds must inevitably decline.' In his thirty-seventh year, while hunting he fell from his horse, lost consciousness, and his breath ceased abruptly. Only after half a day did he revive. Rising, he wept sorrowfully, threw himself to the ground, and repented before the pure sky, saying: 'I was mistaken! I was mistaken!' When the male and female servants asked the reason, after a long while he said: 'When I first lost consciousness, two horse-headed and ox-headed beings came with a fiery cart and threw me into it. Fierce flames burned my body, causing immeasurable agony. At that time, a monk in coloured robes came, sprinkled water over the cart, and fended off the flames with his hand; my physical and mental suffering ceased. We arrived at the realm of King Yama, the Dharma King. When the King saw the śramaṇa, he ran down from the steps, joined his palms in reverence, and addressed him: 'For what reason have you come here?' The monk said: 'This sinner is my dānapati. I wish to beg for a reprieve of his life.' The King said: 'He is an evil man and cannot be released to return. However, because the Great Master has specifically come, I cannot begrudge him to you.' The monk brought me back. In my heart I wondered in bewilderment who had helped me, so I asked the monk. He answered: 'Do you not recognize me? Your elder brother Antong gave rise to the aspiration to make a Śākyamuni statue. Relying on that condition, you contributed thirty copper coins to help him make the statue. Since you contributed a small sum of money to have my statue made, I have therefore come to rescue you. Take seeing the coloured robes as verification.' Having spoken, he was seen no more. For this reason, I repent and sorrowfully blame myself.' He then went over to Antong's house; his brother's statue was identical in every detail to what he had seen. Deeply moved by its attire, he personally made a statue.