集神州三寶感通錄 3.60

3.60

龍朔三年六月二十日。司元少常伯崔義起。大不信佛。妻父蕭鏗念善誦經法花般若數千遍。薰酒不入門。起妻以五月亡。為修三七齋。正食亡妻來。有婢素玉。見作夫人語。我生時雖聞地獄不大信。今受苦不可言。汝男女等不得不信。由汝為我轉經然燈功德蒙放暫歸。便向大眾陳悔。我至二十日。更來將素玉看我受罪。至期果至。將素玉去。見大城官府夫人入別院。須臾有火鑊鐵床總至。夫人受毒。忽見夫人父蕭公。坐蓮花臺語夫人。早放素玉。還又告素玉曰。我女生時不用我語。多瞋妬不信善惡。今受此苦。我無力可救。汝歸可語其夫兒女道令修功德。不久解脫。又見婆羅門僧從。空中下。教素玉誦金剛般若。又誦藥師法華一遍兩遍。並得改名為聲聞。又曰。閻浮提人不信佛法。汝誦此經。問婆羅門並解經語。婢死三日便蘇。家人良賤初如常遇。麟德元年正月。薛將軍宅設齋。迎婢請三道佛頂骨婆羅門僧令試。素玉乃昇座。長誦一無脫漏。皆合掌歎曰。如西國本不異。合眾驚訝希有奇事。薛將軍遂口奏。

On the twentieth day of the sixth month in the third year of the Longshuo era, Cui Yiqi, Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (Siyuan Shaochangbo), had great disbelief in the Buddha. His wife's father, Xiao Keng, was mindful of goodness and had recited sūtras—the Lotus and Prajñā—several thousand times, never allowing pungent herbs or alcohol into his gate. Cui Yiqi's wife died in the fifth month; while holding the third seven-day fast for her, just as they were eating, the deceased wife arrived. A maidservant named Suyu saw her and spoke in the lady's voice: "When I was alive, although I heard of the hells, I did not truly believe; now my suffering is unspeakable. You, my sons and daughters, cannot fail to believe! Because you rolled the sūtras and lit lamps for me, by that merit I was granted leave to return briefly." She then confessed and repented before the assembly: "On the twentieth day, I shall come again to take Suyu to witness my punishment." When the time arrived, she indeed came and took Suyu away. They saw a great walled official city; the lady entered a separate courtyard, and in an instant, cauldrons of fire and iron beds all arrived, and the lady endured torment. Suddenly, they saw the lady's father, Lord Xiao, sitting upon a lotus dais, saying to the lady, "Release Suyu early to return." He also told Suyu: "When my daughter was alive, she did not heed my words; she was full of anger and jealousy, and did not believe in good and evil. Now she suffers this agony, and I have no power to rescue her. When you return, tell her husband, sons, and daughters to cultivate merit; before long she will be liberated." She also saw a brāhmaṇa monk descend from the sky, who taught Suyu to recite the Diamond Prajñā, and also to recite the Bhaiṣajyaguru and Lotus Sūtras once or twice; she was able to change her name to Śrāvaka. He also said, "The people of Jambudvīpa do not believe in the Buddha's Dharma; you shall recite this sūtra." When questioned, the brāhmaṇa also explained the words of the sūtra. After being dead for three days, the maid revived. The household, noble and base alike, treated her as usual at first. In the first month of the first year of the Linde era, a vegetarian feast was set up at General Xue's residence; they welcomed the maid and invited three brāhmaṇa monks carrying Buddha-uṣṇīṣa relics to test her. Suyu mounted the high seat and chanted at length without a single omission. All joined their palms and sighed in admiration, saying, "It is no different from the original text of the Western Countries!" The entire assembly was astonished at this rare and extraordinary affair. General Xue then reported it orally to