法苑珠林 17.25

17.25

宋張興者。新興人也。頗信佛法。甞從沙門僧融曇翼時受八戒。興甞為劫所引。夫得走逃妻坐繫獄。掠笞積日。時縣失火出囚路側。會融翼同行經過囚邊。妻驚呼闍梨何以賜救。融曰。貧道力弱無救如何。唯宜勤念觀世音。庶獲免耳。妻便晝夜祈念。經十許日。於夜夢一沙門以脚蹈之曰。咄咄可起。妻即驚起。鉗鎖桎桔𤗯然俱解。便走趣戶。戶時猶閉警防殊嚴。既無由出。慮有覺者乃還著械。尋復得眠。又夢向沙門曰。戶已開矣。妻覺而馳出。守備者並已惛睡。妻安步而去。時夜甚闇。行可數里。卒值一人。妻懼躄地。已而相訊。乃其夫也。相符悲喜。夜投僧翼。翼藏匿之。因遂獲免。時元嘉初也。

Zhang Xing of the Song was a man of Xinxing who had considerable faith in the Buddha's Dharma. He had once received the eight precepts from the śramaṇas Sengrong and Tanyi. Xing was once implicated by bandits; the husband managed to flee and escape, but the wife was imprisoned for his crime, flogged and beaten for days on end. At that time, a fire broke out in the county, and the prisoners were brought out to the roadside. It happened that Rong and Yi were travelling together and passed beside the prisoner. The wife called out in alarm: 'Ācārya, how can you grant me rescue?' Rong said: 'A poor monk's power is weak; how can I rescue you? You should only diligently mindfulness Avalokiteśvara, and you may perhaps obtain deliverance.' The wife then prayed and was mindful day and night. After some ten days, she dreamed at night of a śramaṇa stepping on her with his foot, saying: 'Hey, get up!' The wife was startled awake, and her manacles, chains, and fetters slipped right off, completely undone. She ran toward the door, but the door was still closed at the time, and the guards were exceedingly strict. Having no way to get out, and fearing someone might notice, she put the shackles back on. Shortly after, she fell asleep again and dreamed of the same śramaṇa saying to her: 'The door is already open.' The wife awoke and dashed out; the guards were all sound asleep. The wife walked away calmly. The night was very dark, and after walking about several li, she suddenly ran into a person. Terrified, the wife collapsed to the ground. When they questioned each other, it was none other than her husband! They wept with joy at reuniting. That night they sought shelter with Sengyi, who hid and concealed them, and so they were able to escape. This was at the beginning of the Yuanjia era.