三寶感應要略錄 3.61

3.61

涼州徐曲。姓姚氏。少喪父母。不識恩分。長聞報恩緣。兩目流淚。更畫千手千眼觀自在六觀自在像。於舊宅而供養之。經一年半。全無微感。明年七月十四日夜。空中呼徐曲。不識所由作問。是誰。答我等是汝双親也。恣造惡業。墮地獄吞熱鐵丸。去年二月十八日。六口沙門。威光赫赫入地獄城。獄卒見生敬心。敢不遮礙。入地獄已。攝收光明。為我等說法。初無識知。漸漸教誘。沒生天上者百千人。我等生第二天。初知汝恩。然天上受樂無間。餘事易忘。是故遲來。徐曲曰。以何為據。知是父母。答汝不信我言者。將見藏中黃箱。為汝收金錢百丸。語已無音。明見藏箱。誠如所言。喜喜交集。見畫像日時。雅合先言矣。

Xuqu of Liangzhou was of the Yao family. He lost his parents when young and was unaware of the debt of gratitude due to them. When he grew up, hearing of the conditions for repaying kindness, tears flowed from both eyes. He therefore painted images of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara and the Six Avalokiteśvaras, and made offerings to them in his old residence. A year and a half passed without the slightest response. On the night of the fourteenth day of the seventh month of the following year, a call came to Xuqu from mid-air. Not knowing where it came from, he asked, “Who is it?” They replied: “We are your two parents. Having freely committed evil karma, we fell into hell and were swallowing hot iron pellets. On the eighteenth day of the second month of last year, six śramaṇas of blazing awesome light entered the city of hell. When the hell wardens saw them, they gave rise to a mind of reverence and did not dare obstruct them. Having entered hell, they drew in their light and preached the Dharma for us. At first we had no awareness, but gradually they taught and guided us, and hundreds of thousands of people who passed away were reborn in heaven. We were reborn in the second heaven and only then came to know your kindness. However, the pleasure experienced in heaven is uninterrupted, and other matters are easily forgotten; therefore we have come late.” Xuqu said, “By what evidence may I know that you are my parents?” They replied: “If you do not believe our words, go look at the yellow box in the treasury; we stored one hundred round gold coins for you.” Having spoken, there was no more sound. The next morning he looked at the box in the treasury, and it was truly just as they had said. Joy upon joy mingled together. When he checked the date the image was painted, it tallied exactly with what had been said.