三寶感應要略錄 3.53

3.53

Formerly, in the realm of Vārāṇasī, there was an elder who had only one son whose destined lifespan was just sixteen years. When he reached the age of fifteen, a brāhmaṇa went from door to door begging for food. Seeing the elder sorrowful and unhappy, the husband and wife haggard and their faces lacking luster, the śramaṇa asked the elder, “Why are you unhappy?” The elder recounted the circumstance. The brāhmaṇa answered the elder: “There is no need to worry; simply take the instructions of this poor monk, and your son’s lifespan will be long and far-reaching.” Thereupon the brāhmaṇa performed this ritual of the image and used the dhāraṇī of the thousand arms. After a day and a night, he received a report from King Yama saying: “The elder’s son was destined to live only to sixteen; he is now fifteen, with only one year remaining. Now having encountered a wholesome condition, he obtains an age of eighty years; therefore I have come to report this.” At that time, the elder and his wife rejoiced, gave away their entire family wealth, and donated it to the assembly of monks. One should know that this image ritual is inconceivable.