三寶感應要略錄 3.67

3.67

李趙待者。雍州鄠縣人也。其父發惡見。撥無佛法。夢感神責。吐血而死。趙待本自歸心大勢至。念佛更為救父苦。造三尺勢至金像。始就刻彫日。大地振動。人皆謂地震。推吉凶。經二月功方畢。夢見金人頂戴寶冠云。汝識先地振否。我是大勢至菩薩也。汝造我像。我赴汝請來入此界。時舉足下足。大千震動。三惡眾生皆離苦。我依念佛門。入無生忍。攝取十方念佛眾生。汝造形像。兼修念佛。其父離地獄苦。我授手送淨土。聞是語舉目欲瞻禮。忽然夢覺。待悲喜交集。修念莫癈矣。

Li Zhaodai was a native of Hu County in Yongzhou. His father gave rise to evil views, negating the Buddha's Dharma, and having been rebuked by spirits in a dream, vomited blood and died. Zhaodai had originally taken refuge in Mahāsthāmaprāpta, and in reciting the Buddha's name, further desired to save his father from suffering; so he fashioned a three-foot golden image of Mahāsthāmaprāpta. On the day carving began, the great earth shook and trembled; people all considered it an earthquake and divined its good or ill fortune. After two months, the work was finally completed. In a dream he saw a golden person wearing a jewel crown on his head, who said: “Do you recognize the previous shaking of the earth? I am Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. Because you fashioned my image, I responded to your invitation and came into this realm. When I raise my foot and lower my foot, the great chiliocosm shakes, and beings in the three wretched realms are all freed from suffering. Relying on the gate of mindfulness of the Buddha, I have attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, gathering in all beings of the ten directions who recite the Buddha's name. Because you fashioned my image and concurrently practiced mindfulness of the Buddha, your father has escaped the suffering of hell; I extended my hand and sent him to the Pure Land.” Hearing these words, he raised his eyes, intending to gaze upon him in veneration, and suddenly awoke from the dream. Zhaodai’s sorrow and joy mingled together, and his practice of mindfulness was never abandoned.