[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 52.35 # 法苑珠林 52.35 法苑珠林 52.35 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [52.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52.35) 宋袁廓字思度。陳郡人也。元徽中為吳郡丞。病經少日奄然如死。但餘息未盡。棺櫬之具並備。待畢而殮。三日而能轉動視瞬。自說云。有使者稱教。喚廓隨去。既至有大城池。樓堞高整階闥崇麗。既命廓進。主人南面陛森然。威飾冠自。執刀者點廓坐。坐定溫涼畢設酒炙果粽𦵔餚等。廓皆嘗進。種族形味不異世中。酒數巡行。主人謂廓曰。身主簿不幸。閤任有闕。以君才頴故欲相屈。當能顧懷不。廓意亦知是幽途。乃固辭。凡薄非所剋堪。加少窮孤兄弟零落。公私二三乞蒙恩放。主人曰。君當以幽顯異方故有辭耳。此間榮祿資待身口服御。乃當勝君世中。勤勤之懷甚貪共事。想必降意副所期也。廓復固請曰。男女藐然並在齠齓。僕一旦恭任。養視無託。父子之戀理有可矜。廓因流洟稽顙。主人曰。君辭讓乃爾。何容相逼。願言不獲深為嘆恨。就案上取一卷文書。句點之。既而廓謝恩辭歸。主人曰。君不欲定省先亡乎乃遣人將廓行。經歷寺署甚眾。末得一垣城門楯並黑囹圄也。將廓入中斜趣一隅。有諸屋宇駢填銜接。而甚陋弊。次有一屋。見其所生母羊氏。在此屋中容服不佳。甚異平生。見廓驚喜。戶邊有一人。身面瘍痍形類甚異。呼廓語。廓驚問其誰。羊氏謂廓曰。此王夫人汝不識耶。王夫人曰。吾在世時不信報應。雖復無甚餘罪。正坐鞭撻婢僕過苦。故受此罰。亡來楚毒殆無暫休。今特少時寬隙耳。前喚汝姊來望以自代。竟無所益徒為憂聚。言畢洟泗。王夫人即廓嫡母也。廓姊時亦在其側。有頃使人復將廓去。經涉衖陌。閭里整頓似是民居。末有一宅竹籬茅屋。見父披被著巾憑案而坐。廓入門。父揚手遣廓曰。汝既蒙罷可速歸去。不須來也。 > Yuan Kuo of the Song was styled Sidu and was a native of Chen Commandery. During the Yuanhui era, he served as Assistant Prefect of Wu Commandery. Having been ill for a few days, he suddenly appeared to be dead, yet his lingering breath was not entirely exhausted. The implements for his coffin were all prepared, awaiting his end before encoffining. After three days, he was able to move and blink his eyes, and recounted himself: An envoy arrived claiming orders and summoned Kuo to follow him. Upon arrival, there was a great walled city, its battlements high and orderly, and its steps and portals towering and magnificent. Once Kuo was ordered to enter, the host was facing south on a raised dais, imposing and severe, his awe-inspiring attire and cap stately and majestic. A sword-bearing attendant directed Kuo to sit down. Once seated and greetings of health were concluded, wine, roast meat, fruits, zongzi, and delicacies were served, and Kuo tasted all of them. Their varieties, shapes, and flavors were no different from those in the world. After several rounds of wine, the host said to Kuo: "Unfortunately, my recording secretary has passed away, and there is a vacancy in the administrative staff. Because of your talent and brilliance, I wish to invite your service; would you be inclined to give it your regard?" Kuo knew in his mind that this was the underworld, so he firmly declined: "I am ordinary and frivolous, incapable of fulfilling it. Moreover, from my youth I have been poor and orphaned, and my siblings have drifted away; for both public and private reasons, I beg to receive your gracious release." The host said: "You must be declining merely because the hidden and manifest realms are different spheres. Here, the honorable emoluments, material support, sustenance, clothing, and conveyances will surpass what you had in the world. My earnest wish is to work together with you; I trust you will condescend to fulfill what is expected." Kuo firmly pleaded again, saying: "My sons and daughters are young and frail, all at a tender age. If I suddenly take up this appointment, their care and upbringing will have no support; the mutual affection between father and child truly deserves pity." Kuo thereupon wept tears and bowed his head to the ground. The host said: "Since you decline so firmly, how could I force you? That my wish is unfulfilled causes me deep regret." Reaching for a scroll of documents on the desk, he made punctuation marks on it. Then, as Kuo expressed gratitude and took leave to return, the host said: "Do you not wish to visit your deceased kin?" He then dispatched someone to lead Kuo on. They passed through numerous offices and departments, until finally coming to a walled enclosure with black door leaves and posts, which was a prison. Leading Kuo inside, they turned obliquely into a corner, where various dwellings were crowded together and joined, yet were extremely wretched and dilapidated. Next was a room where he saw his birth mother, Lady Yang, in this room, her appearance and clothing unattractive and entirely different from during her lifetime. Seeing Kuo, she was pleasantly surprised. Beside the door, there was a person whose body and face were covered in sores and whose appearance was exceedingly bizarre; this person called out to speak to Kuo. Kuo asked in alarm who it was, and Lady Yang said to Kuo: "This is Madame Wang; do you not recognize her?" Madame Wang said: "When I was in the world, I did not believe in retribution. Although I had no other grave transgressions, it was precisely because I flogged the maidservants and bondsmen too severely that I now suffer this punishment. Since my death, the excruciating torments have hardly paused for a moment; it is only now that I have a brief respite. Previously, I called your elder sister here hoping she could substitute for me, but in the end it was of no avail and merely brought useless sorrow." Having finished speaking, she wept profusely. Madame Wang was Kuo's legal mother, and Kuo's sister was also by her side at the time. After a short while, the envoy led Kuo away again, traversing lanes and paths; the neighborhoods were well-ordered, resembling human dwellings. At the end, there was a residence with a bamboo fence and thatched roof, where he saw his father wrapped in a quilt and wearing a headcloth, leaning against a desk as he sat. When Kuo entered the door, his father waved his hand to dismiss Kuo, saying: "Since you have obtained release, you may return quickly; there is no need to come here." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 52.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52.34) - [Next: 52.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52.36) - [Up: 52](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.52.35) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.52.35) · Pramāṇa