三寶感應要略錄 3.53

3.53

昔婆羅奈國有長者。唯有一子。壽命年合得十六。至年十五。有婆羅門。巡門乞食。見長者愁憂不樂。夫妻憔悴。面無光澤。沙門問長者。何為不樂。長者說向因緣。婆羅門答其長者。不須愁憂。但取貧道處分。子壽年長遠。于時婆羅門。作此像法。用千臂呪。一日一夜。得閻魔王報云。長者子壽年只今十六。今已十五。唯有一年。今遇善緣。得年八十。故來相報。爾時長者夫妻歡喜。罄捨家資。以施眾僧。當知。此像法不可思議也。

Formerly, in the realm of Vārāṇasī, there was an elder who had only one son whose destined lifespan was just sixteen years. When he reached the age of fifteen, a brāhmaṇa went from door to door begging for food. Seeing the elder sorrowful and unhappy, the husband and wife haggard and their faces lacking luster, the śramaṇa asked the elder, “Why are you unhappy?” The elder recounted the circumstance. The brāhmaṇa answered the elder: “There is no need to worry; simply take the instructions of this poor monk, and your son’s lifespan will be long and far-reaching.” Thereupon the brāhmaṇa performed this ritual of the image and used the dhāraṇī of the thousand arms. After a day and a night, he received a report from King Yama saying: “The elder’s son was destined to live only to sixteen; he is now fifteen, with only one year remaining. Now having encountered a wholesome condition, he obtains an age of eighty years; therefore I have come to report this.” At that time, the elder and his wife rejoiced, gave away their entire family wealth, and donated it to the assembly of monks. One should know that this image ritual is inconceivable.