三寶感應要略錄 2.134

2.134

Under the Song, the śramaṇa Huidao of Waguan Monastery was a man of Yuzhou and the younger brother of Shi Huiguo by the same mother. In his life, he did not cultivate practice, but was only skilled in trade and commerce. In charge of the community's storehouses and kitchens, he secretly took items for his own consumption, and knowing where silks were kept, he found ways to cut and steal them. Later, he fell ill and died. Reviving after three days, he said: 'I was driven by netherworld officials along a dark and distant road. A śramaṇa said to Dao: "If the King interrogates you, you should speak thus: 'In the past, I made a vow to copy eight sets of the Lotus Sūtra.'" Having repeated these words several times, he suddenly disappeared. Thereupon, I reached the King's place. The King asked: "What merit have you cultivated?" I replied: "I have a vow to copy eight sets of the Lotus Sūtra." The King smiled and said: "Since you say you have this vow, if you copy the Lotus Sūtra and reach eight sets, you will surely escape the eight hells." On the basis of this single utterance, I was released back to the human realm.' Having recounted these causes and conditions, he gave away all his possessions to produce eight sets. The sūtras are still extant today.