三寶感應要略錄 1.89

1.89

唐阿得死。三日還蘇說。初死時。兩人挾腋。有白馬吏驅之。不知行幾里。見北向黑門而入。見東向黑門而入。見南向黑門。北入見有七十餘梁間。凡舍有人。皂服龍冠。邊有二十餘吏。皆言府君。西南復有四五十吏。阿得便前辭府君。府君問何所奉事。得曰。家起浮圖寺塔。供養道人。府君曰。卿大福德。問都錄使者。此人命盡耶。見持一卷書伏案之。其字甚細。曰。餘壽三十五年。府君大怒曰。小吏敢頓奪人命。便縛白馬吏。著柱處罰一百。血出流漫。問得。欲歸不。得曰爾。府君曰。今當送卿歸。欲便遣卿案行地獄。即給馬一匹及一人。從東北出。不知幾里。見一城方數十里。有滿城上屋。因見其未事佛。時亡伯伯母己叔父母。皆著神域衣。破壞身體血。前行見一城。其中有以鐵床上者。燒床正赤。凡見十獄。各有楚毒。獄名赤沙黃沙白沙。如此七沙。有刀劍樹。抱赤銅柱。於是便速。復見七十之梁間凡室。挾道種槐名福舍。諸佛弟子住中。福多者上生天。福少者住此舍。遙見大殿二十餘梁。有一男子二婦人。從殿上來下。是得事佛後己伯父母須臾值。人來問得。一城方數十里有滿。識我不。得云不識。曰汝何以不識我。我共汝作佛門主。於是咲而憶之。還至府君所。即遣前二人送歸。急便蘇活者也。

Tang Ade died, and after three days he revived and related his experience. When he first died, two men took him under the arms, and an official on a white horse drove him along, not knowing how many li they traveled. He saw a north-facing black gate and entered; he saw an east-facing black gate and entered; he saw a south-facing black gate. Entering northward, he saw a common hall with more than seventy bays, where there was a person in black garments and a dragon crown. Beside him were more than twenty officials, all addressing him as the Prefect. To the southwest there were another forty or fifty officials. Ade then stepped forward to take leave of the Prefect. The Prefect asked what he had revered and served. Ade said: "My family erected a stupa and monastery pagoda, and made offerings to religious practitioners." The Prefect said: "You have great blessed virtue." He asked the Recording Envoy: "Has this man's life come to an end?" He saw him holding a scroll of writing and leaning over the desk; the characters were extremely fine. He said: "His remaining lifespan is thirty-five years." The Prefect was furious and said: "How dare petty officials abruptly take a man's life!" He then had the white-horse official bound to a post and punished with one hundred lashes, until blood flowed profusely. He asked Ade: "Do you wish to return or not?" Ade said: "Yes." The Prefect said: "I shall now send you back. I wish first to dispatch you to inspect the hells." Thereupon he gave him a horse and a companion. Exiting from the northeast, after traveling an unknown number of li, he saw a city several tens of li square, with houses filling the city. There he saw his deceased elder uncle and aunt, and his younger uncle and aunt, from before he had served the Buddha; all were wearing the garments of the spirit realm, their bodies mutilated and bleeding. Moving forward, he saw another city, inside which were those placed upon iron beds, the burning beds glowing bright red. Altogether he saw ten hells, each with its tortures. The names of the hells were Red Sand, Yellow Sand, and White Sand—seven sands such as these—and there were trees of knives and swords, and people embracing red-copper pillars. Thereupon he moved quickly, and again saw common rooms of seventy bays, with locust trees planted along both sides of the road, called Houses of Blessing. Disciples of the Buddha dwelt within them; those with much merit were born into the heavens above, while those with little merit dwelt in these houses. From afar he saw a great hall of more than twenty bays, and a man and two women came down from the hall; these were his own aunt and uncles from after Ade had served the Buddha. After a moment, a person came and asked Ade: "A city several tens of li square is full; do you recognize me or not?" Ade said: "I do not." He said: "Why do you not recognize me? I was the monastery patron who built the Buddha gate with you!" Thereupon he smiled and remembered him. Returning to the Prefect's place, the Prefect immediately dispatched the previous two men to escort him back, and he quickly revived.