法苑珠林 73.39

73.39

唐京兆殷安仁家富。素事慈門寺僧。以義寧元年初有客寄其家停止。客盜他驢於家殺之。驢皮遺安仁家。至貞觀三年。安仁遂見一人於路。謂安仁曰。追汝使明日至。汝當死也。安仁懼徑至慈門寺。坐佛殿中經宿不出。明日果有三騎并步卒數十人。皆兵仗入寺。遙見安仁呼出。安仁不應而念誦逾進。鬼相謂曰。昨日不即取。今日修福如此。何由可得。因相與去。留一人守之。守者謂安仁曰。君往日殺驢。驢今訴君。使我等來攝君耳。終須共對。不去何益。安仁遙答曰。往者他盜自殺驢。但以皮與我耳。本非我殺。何為見追。倩君還為我語驢。我本不殺汝。然今又為汝追福。於汝有利。當捨我也。此人許諾曰。驢若不許。我明日更來。如其許者。不來矣。言畢而出。明日遂不來。安仁於是為驢追福。而舉家持戒菜食云爾。盧文勵說之。安仁今現在。

In the Tang dynasty, Yin Anren of the Capital District was from a wealthy family and had long served the monks of Cimen Temple. In the beginning of the first year of the Yining era, a guest lodged at his house. The guest stole another's donkey and slaughtered it at the house, leaving the donkey's hide behind at Anren's home. In the third year of the Zhenguan era, Anren met a person on the road who said to him: 'The emissary summoning you will arrive tomorrow; you are to die.' Terrified, Anren went straight to Cimen Temple, sat in the Buddha Hall, and did not leave for a night. The next day, there indeed arrived three horsemen and several dozen foot soldiers, all armed, entering the temple. Seeing Anren from afar, they called for him to come out. Anren did not respond, but chanted with even greater diligence. The ghosts said to one another: 'Yesterday we did not take him immediately; today he is cultivating merit like this—how can we get him?' Thereupon they left together, leaving behind one person to guard him. The guard said to Anren: 'You slaughtered a donkey in the past, and now the donkey has lodged a complaint against you, sending us to arrest you. In the end, you must confront it together; what good is it not going?' Anren replied from afar: 'In the past, another person stole and slaughtered the donkey himself; he merely gave the hide to me. Originally it was not I who killed it; why am I being pursued? Please return on my behalf and tell the donkey: "I originally did not kill you. However, now I will also dedicate merit on your behalf. This will be beneficial to you, so you should let me go."' The man agreed, saying: 'If the donkey does not consent, I will come again tomorrow. If it consents, I will not come.' Having spoken, he went out. The next day, he indeed did not come. Anren thereupon dedicated merit for the donkey, and his whole family observed the precepts and ate a vegetarian diet. Lu Wenli recounted this; Anren is still alive today.