三寶感應要略錄 1.47

1.47

昔天竺阿輸沙國中。有一婆羅門。愚癡不信。惡業嚴身。其婦淨信。解念佛定。婦每勸夫曰。汝可念無量壽佛。夫不隨。此婆羅門多欲愛婦。情深染著。不知厭足。時婦曰。夫婦如双羽。汝如何不似我行。既不隨我心。我亦汝不隨。眾不順情。時婆羅門曰。我愚癡故。不能持汝行。將如何。婦曰。汝定一時。我修念佛定訖擊金鼓時。將唱南無阿彌陀佛。入寢屋方交臥。婆羅門如言而行。三年後依微疾而卒。脇下尚暖。婦疑不葬。五日方活。悲泣謂婦言。吾死入鑊湯地獄。羅剎娑以鐵杖打罪人。打動鑊緣。即謂汝金鼓聲。不覺高聲唱南無阿彌陀佛。爾時地獄如涼池。蓮花彌滿其中。聲所及罪人皆生淨土。羅剎白王。王放還吾曰。以此奇事傳說人間。即說一偈云。

Formerly, in the country of Aśoka in India, there was a brāhmaṇa who was foolish and lacked faith, his person adorned with evil karma. His wife had pure faith and understood the absorption of mindfulness of the Buddha. The wife often urged her husband, saying: 'You should be mindful of Amitāyus Buddha.' Her husband would not comply. This brāhmaṇa had many desires and loved his wife, being deeply attached to her without knowing satiety. Then the wife said: 'A husband and wife are like a pair of wings. Why do you not act as I do? Since you do not follow my wishes, I will not follow yours either, and we will not be in accord.' The brāhmaṇa then said: 'Because of my foolishness, I cannot keep your practices. What shall I do?' The wife said: 'Set a regular time: when I finish cultivating the absorption of mindfulness of the Buddha and strike the metal drum, you should chant "Namo Amitābha Buddha"; then you may enter the bedchamber and lie together.' The brāhmaṇa acted according to her words. Three years later, he died of a slight illness. Beneath his armpit it was still warm, so his wife suspected [he was alive] and did not bury him. Only after five days did he revive. Weeping in sorrow, he said to his wife: 'When I died, I entered the Hell of Boiling Cauldrons. The rākṣasas were striking sinners with iron staves; striking the rim of the cauldron, I immediately thought it was the sound of your metal drum, and unconsciously shouted in a loud voice, "Namo Amitābha Buddha!" At that moment, the hell became like a cool pond, overflowing with lotus flowers within. All the sinners reached by the voice were born in the Pure Land. The rākṣasas reported to the king, and the king released me to return, saying: "Transmit this wondrous matter to the human realm." He then recited a verse:'