三寶感應要略錄 1.27

1.27

Anliang of Yuyang County in Youzhou was surnamed Yu. His clan took killing living beings as their livelihood, and the living beings Liang had killed were of an unknown number of thousands, ten thousands, and kotis. Furthermore, he did not know how to cultivate merit, and was always saying: 'Those who cultivate good deeds must inevitably decline.' In his thirty-seventh year, while hunting he fell from his horse, lost consciousness, and his breath ceased abruptly. Only after half a day did he revive. Rising, he wept sorrowfully, threw himself to the ground, and repented before the pure sky, saying: 'I was mistaken! I was mistaken!' When the male and female servants asked the reason, after a long while he said: 'When I first lost consciousness, two horse-headed and ox-headed beings came with a fiery cart and threw me into it. Fierce flames burned my body, causing immeasurable agony. At that time, a monk in coloured robes came, sprinkled water over the cart, and fended off the flames with his hand; my physical and mental suffering ceased. We arrived at the realm of King Yama, the Dharma King. When the King saw the śramaṇa, he ran down from the steps, joined his palms in reverence, and addressed him: 'For what reason have you come here?' The monk said: 'This sinner is my dānapati. I wish to beg for a reprieve of his life.' The King said: 'He is an evil man and cannot be released to return. However, because the Great Master has specifically come, I cannot begrudge him to you.' The monk brought me back. In my heart I wondered in bewilderment who had helped me, so I asked the monk. He answered: 'Do you not recognize me? Your elder brother Antong gave rise to the aspiration to make a Śākyamuni statue. Relying on that condition, you contributed thirty copper coins to help him make the statue. Since you contributed a small sum of money to have my statue made, I have therefore come to rescue you. Take seeing the coloured robes as verification.' Having spoken, he was seen no more. For this reason, I repent and sorrowfully blame myself.' He then went over to Antong's house; his brother's statue was identical in every detail to what he had seen. Deeply moved by its attire, he personally made a statue.