法苑珠林 36.143

36.143

唐括州刺史樂安任義方。武德年中死。經數日而蘇。自云。被引見閻羅王。王令人引示地獄之處。所說與佛經不殊。又云。地下晝日昏暗如霧中行。于時其家以義方心上少有熅氣。遂即請僧行道。義方乃於地下聞其讚唄之聲。王撿其案謂之吏曰。未合即死。何因錯追。遂放令歸。義方出度三關。關吏皆睡。送人云。但尋唄聲當即到舍。見一大坑當道。意欲跳過。遂落坑中。應時即起。論說地獄畫地成圖。其所得俸祿皆造經像。曾寫金剛般若千餘部。義方自說（右一驗出冥報拾遺）。

Ren Yifang of Le'an was the prefect of Kuozhou during the Tang dynasty. During the Wude era (618–626), he died and revived after several days. He himself recounted that he had been summoned to meet King Yama. The king had someone lead him to view the places of hell, and what he saw did not differ from the Buddhist scriptures. He also said that beneath the earth, the daytime was dim and dark, as if walking in a fog. At that time, because there was still a little warmth over Yifang's heart, his family immediately invited monks to perform the rites. Yifang then heard the sound of their chanted praises beneath the earth. The king examined his record and said to his clerk, 'He is not yet due to die; why was he mistakenly summoned?' He then released him and sent him back. Yifang went out and passed three checkpoints, where the checkpoint officers were all asleep. His escort said, 'Just follow the sound of the chanting, and you will reach home.' He saw a large pit directly in the road and wished to leap over it, whereupon he fell into the pit and instantly revived. Discussing the hells, he drew maps on the ground. All the stipends and salaries he received were used to make scriptures and images; he once had over a thousand copies of the Diamond Prajñā transcribed. Yifang recounted this himself. (This one miracle is from the Mingbao shiyi).