法苑珠林 5.26

5.26

晉史世光者。襄陽人也。咸和八年於武昌死。七日沙門支法山轉小品。疲而微臥。聞靈座上如有人聲。史家有婢字張信。見世光在座上著衣帢具如平生。語信云。我本應墮龍中。支和上為我轉經。曇護曇堅迎我上第七梵天快樂處矣。護堅並是山之沙彌已亡者也。後支法山復往為轉大品。又來在座。世光生時以二幡供養。時在寺中乃呼張信持幡送我。信曰。諾。便絕死。將信持幡。俱西北飛。上一青山如琉璃色。到山頂望見天門。光乃自提幡遣信令還。與一青香如巴豆。曰以上支和上。信未還。便遙見世光直入天門。信復道而還。倐忽蘇活。亦不復見手中香也。幡亦故在寺中。世光與信於家去時。其六歲兒見之指語祖母曰。阿郎飛上天。婆為見不。世光後復與天人十餘。俱還其家徘徊而去。每來必見簪帢。去必露髻。信問之。答曰。天上有冠不著此也。後乃著天冠。與群天人鼓琴行歌。徑上母堂。信問。何用屢來。曰我來欲使汝輩知罪福也。亦兼娛樂阿母。琴音清妙不類世聲。家人小大悉得聞之。然聞其聲如隔壁障。不得親察也。唯信聞之獨分明焉。有頃去。信自送見光入一黑門。有頃來出謂信曰。舅在此日見榜撻楚痛難勝。省視還也。舅坐犯殺罪。故受此報。可告舅母會僧轉經。當稍免脫。舅即輕車將軍報終也（右一出冥祥記）。

Shi Shiguang of the Jin dynasty was a native of Xiangyang. In the eighth year of the Xianhe reign era, he died at Wuchang. On the seventh day, the śramaṇa Zhi Fashan was chanting the Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā. Becoming tired, he lay down briefly and heard what sounded like a human voice above the spirit altar. The Shi family had a maidservant named Zhang Xin, who saw Shiguang sitting upon the seat, dressed in a robe and cap just as in life. He said to Xin: 'I was originally due to fall among the dragons, but Upādhyāya Zhi chanted the sūtra for me, and Tanhu and Tanjian have welcomed me up to the seventh Brahma heaven, a place of joy.' Hu and Jian were both novices under Shan who had already passed away. Later, Zhi Fashan went again to chant the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā for him, and he appeared upon the seat once more. During his lifetime, Shiguang had made an offering of two banners, which were then in the monastery. He called out to Zhang Xin to take the banners and see him off. Xin said, 'Yes,' and thereupon swooned and died. Shiguang took Xin, who held the banners, and together they flew northwest, ascending an azure mountain the color of lapis lazuli. Arriving at the mountain peak, they saw the heavenly gate in the distance. Shiguang then took the banners himself and sent Xin back, giving her a piece of azure incense shaped like a croton seed, saying, 'Present this to Upādhyāya Zhi.' Before Xin had returned, she saw Shiguang from afar enter directly into the heavenly gate. Xin returned by the same road and suddenly revived; she also could no longer see the incense in her hand, and the banners were still in the monastery as before. When Shiguang and Xin had left the house, his six-year-old son saw it, pointed, and said to his grandmother: 'The young master is flying up to heaven! Grandmother, do you see him or not?' Later, Shiguang returned again with more than ten heavenly beings to his home, lingered, and then departed. Every time he came, he was seen wearing a hairpin and cap, but whenever he left, his hair knot was bare. Xin asked him about it, and he replied: 'In heaven there are crowns, so I do not wear this.' Later, he wore a heavenly crown, and together with the host of heavenly beings, played lutes and walked along singing, heading straight up to his mother's hall. Xin asked, 'Why do you come repeatedly?' He said, 'I come wanting you all to know of karmic offenses and blessings, and also to gladden mother.' The sound of the lute was clear and marvelous, unlike earthly sounds. The family, both young and old, all could hear it, yet they heard the sound as if separated by a wall or barrier, unable to perceive it closely; only Xin heard it distinctly on her own. After a short while, he left. Xin saw him off herself and saw Shiguang enter a dark gate. After a while, he came out and said to Xin: 'My maternal uncle is here, daily beaten with clubs and whips, suffering excruciating pain beyond endurance. I went to visit him and have now returned. Uncle was condemned for committing the crime of killing, and therefore receives this retribution. You may tell aunt to assemble monks to chant sūtras, and he should gradually be liberated.' The uncle was the General of Light Chariots, who had already died. (The preceding one is from the Ming xiang ji).