三寶感應要略錄 3.75

3.75

昔如來在靈鷲山。時地藏菩薩。遊行諸國。教化眾生。到毘富羅山下。至喬提長者家。其長者家內。被鬼奪其精氣。其家有五百人。並皆悶絕。至不覺悟。經于旬日。地藏菩薩。見是事已。即作是念言。實可苦哉。實可痛哉。世間有如是等不可說事。我今愍此眾生。而作救濟。說此語時。便即騰身。而往靈鷲山下。見彼喬提長者家。有五百餘人。皆被惡鬼奪其精氣。悶絕在地。已經數日。我見是已。生怜愍心。生愛護心。唯願世尊。許我設此救濟之法。今諸惡鬼降伏於人。令諸行者隨意驅使。復令長者還得如故。爾時世尊。從頂上龍放光。方尋照地藏菩薩身。是時大會之眾。各相謂曰。今日如來。放光照菩薩身。此菩薩空成大法。教化眾生。時地藏菩薩白佛言。我今有一神呪。能失邪心。復驅使諸惡鬼等。我過去無量無邊久遠有佛。號曰燒光王。其佛滅後。於像法中。我住凡夫地。有一仙人。在俱特羅山。善行道術。我見眾生被諸鬼所惱。如彼長者家無異也。我於爾時作是誓願。遇知識當効降伏之法。說此語已。即往俱特羅處。語彼仙人。仙人見我。心生歡喜。即便諮問彼仙方法。爾時仙人。於三日之間。令我開解。預知萬理。消息善惡。又一切惡鬼。並集我所。依師法教。調伏其心。令發道心。於須臾間。一地獄受苦眾生。各乘蓮花諸苦停息。爾時仙人。見我得如是神力。與授記而作是言。汝於無量無邊世。佛與授記。名曰地藏。於五濁世中人天地獄。常當化身救度眾生令出災難。今見長者。如本無異。我今往彼家。特救護之。世尊聽許。菩薩往化五百餘人。一時還活也。

Formerly, when the Tathāgata was on Vulture Peak, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was traveling through various countries transforming sentient beings. He arrived at the foot of Mount Vipula and went to the house of the elder Qiaoti. Within that elder's house, their vital energy had been snatched away by ghosts. In his household there were five hundred people, all of whom had fainted into unconsciousness, remaining insensate for ten days. Having seen this, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva gave rise to this thought: "Truly lamentable! Truly painful! In the world there are such unspeakable things. I must now pity these sentient beings and deliver them." Having spoken these words, he immediately soared into the air and went to the foot of Vulture Peak. [He said:] "I saw that in the house of that elder Qiaoti, there were over five hundred people whose vital energy had all been snatched away by evil ghosts, lying faint on the ground for several days already. Having seen this, I have given rise to a mind of pity and a mind of loving protection. I only pray that the World-Honoured One will permit me to establish this method of relief, so that these evil ghosts are subdued by humans and made to be driven at will by practitioners, and furthermore cause the elder [and his household] to be restored as before." At that time, the World-Honoured One emitted light from the dragon atop his crown, which shone straight toward Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva's body. Then the members of the great assembly said to one another: "Today the Tathāgata emits light shining upon the Bodhisattva's body; this Bodhisattva will vainly accomplish the Great Dharma and teach sentient beings." Then Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying: "I now have a divine mantra that can banish heterodox minds and furthermore drive away evil ghosts and the like. Immeasurable, boundless, and long ago in the past, there was a Buddha named Shaoguang Wang (King of Burning Light). After that Buddha passed into extinction, during the semblance Dharma age, I was abiding in the stage of an ordinary being. There was a ṛṣi on Mount Jutuluo (Kutala) who was skilled in practicing the arts of the Way. I saw sentient beings being tormented by ghosts, no different from the house of that elder. At that time, I made this vow: 'When I meet a good spiritual friend, I shall emulate the method of subjugation.' Having said these words, I immediately went to Jutuluo and spoke to that ṛṣi. When the ṛṣi saw me, his heart was filled with joy, and I then inquired about that ṛṣi's methods. At that time, within three days, the ṛṣi caused me to open into understanding, to foresee all principles, and to discern good and evil. Moreover, all evil ghosts gathered at my place; relying on the master's teachings, I subdued their minds and caused them to generate the mind of the Way. In an instant, the sentient beings suffering in a single hell each rode upon lotus flowers, and their various sufferings ceased. At that time, seeing that I had attained such divine power, the ṛṣi gave me a vyākaraṇa, saying: 'In immeasurable, boundless ages, a Buddha will bestow a vyākaraṇa upon you, naming you Kṣitigarbha. In the world of the five defilements, among humans, gods, and hells, you shall constantly manifest transformed bodies to rescue sentient beings and deliver them from disasters.' Now seeing the elder, it is no different from before. I shall now go to that house to especially rescue and protect them." The World-Honoured One gave his permission, and the Bodhisattva went and transformed the five hundred-odd people, so that they all revived at once.