三寶感應要略錄 2.138

2.138

It is unknown where Shi Huiming was from, and his lay surname is also lost. His demeanor was very calm; he had great wisdom and broad learning, and was keenly awakened to the Buddha Vehicle. When lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra, his natural discernment was uniquely decisive, debating, explaining, and commenting. Sometimes he would enter the deep mountains and sit in a stone chamber to lecture on the sūtra. Several troops of apes and monkeys would come to listen to the Dharma. After three months, at night there was a bright light above the stone cave, which gradually drew near to the front of the cave. This was a deva, who proclaimed: 'Among the troops of apes and monkeys, I was the one who was old, decrepit, and blind. Relying on having heard you lecture, I was born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. My original body is more than seventy paces southeast of this chamber. Remembering the master's kindness, and in order to hear the master lecture, I have descended to this place. I pray to hear the lecture and exposition.' [Hui]ming said: 'How shall I lecture and expound?' The deva said: 'I must return hastily to heaven. Master, divide this single scripture into eight and lecture on it.' [Hui]ming said: 'The text I hold has seven fascicles, which I intend to divide into seven seats. Why must there be eight lectures?' The deva said: 'The Lotus Sūtra was spoken over eight years. To lecture on it for eight years would truly take long. I pray that you open eight seats, modeling it on the eight years of preaching; this will roughly accord with the Buddha's intent.' [Hui]ming immediately divided the seven fascicles into eight scrolls and opened the lecture for the deva. The deva offered eight genuine pearls as a gift and spoke a verse, saying: