法苑珠林 76.26

76.26

唐雍州醴泉縣東陽鄉人楊師操。至貞觀初任司竹監。後因公事遷任藍田縣尉。貞觀二十一年。為身老還家躬耕為業。然操立性毒惡暴口。但一生已來喜見人過。每鄉人有事即錄告官。縣司以操曾在朝流亦與顏色。然操長惡不悛數忓擾官司。覓鄉人事過無問大小常生恐嚇。於自村社之內。無事橫生整理。大小譏訶是非浪作。但有牛羊蹤暴士女相爭。即將向縣。縣令裴瞿曇用為煩碎。初二三迴與理。後見事繁不與理。操後經州。或上表聞徹。惡心日盛。人皆不喜見操自知性惡。亦向人說云。吾性多急暴口。從武德已來四度受戒。持行禮拜。日誦經論。化人為善。然有大小侵已操不能忍。後至永徽元年四月七日夜。忽有一人。從東來。騎白馬著青衣。直到操門操見遂共溫涼訖。人云。東陽大監故遣我追儞。為儞自生已來。毒心纏縛不能忍捨。逢人即說勸善。己身持戒不全。慳貪不施。自噵我有善心供養三寶。然未曾布施片財。雖口云慚愧。心中即生別計惑亂凡俗。為此喚汝。須臾不見來人。操身在門忽然倒地。口不能言。唯心上少暖。家人輿將入舍臥。經宿不蘇。然操已到東陽都錄處。于時府君大衙未散。操遂。私行曹司。皆有机案床席。甚大精好。亦有囚人。或著枷鎖露頭散腰。或坐立行住。如是罪人不可算數。操向東行過到一處。處孔極小。唯見火星流出臭煙熢𤊹。不中人立。復有兩人。手把鐵棒修理門首。操因問把棒人。此是何。曹司答云。是猛火地獄。擬著持戒不全人。或修善中休人。知而故犯。死入此處。聞道有一楊師操。一生喜論人過。每告官司噵他長短。逢人詐言慚愧。有片侵𣣋實不能忍。今欲遣入此處。故修理之。其人今日是四月八日。家人為操身死布施齋供。曹司平章還欲放歸。未得進止。我在此間待師操。操便叩頭禮謝自云。楊師操者弟子身是願作方便。若為得脫。此人答云。儞但至心禮十方佛。殷心懺悔改却毒心。即隨往生。不來此處。雖懷惡意一期能悔。如菩薩行。不惜身命得生淨土。師操得此語已。即便依教發露殷勤懺悔。遂放還家。經三日得活。操得蘇已具述此事。操於後時便向惠靖禪師處改過懺悔。身今見在。年至七十有五。每一食長齋六時禮懺。操田臨官道。因行看麥。見牛三頭暴食麥苗。操就牛慚愧。不復驅出。歸家後日行麥不死。但有牛跡。涇陽西界有陳王佛堂。多人聚集。操向眾人具述其事。道俗驚怪禮懺彌殷。其夜作夢見有人來語操云。我是使人故來誡儞。儞既止惡更不追儞。但儞勤誠修善。不須憂之。有僧見操。傳向臨說（右一驗出冥祥記）。

Yang Shicao was a native of Dongyang Village, Liquan County, Yongzhou during the Tang dynasty. In the early Zhenguan era, he served as supervisor of bamboo plantations (Sizhujian). Later, on official business, he was transferred to become the police lieutenant (xianwei) of Lantian County. In the twenty-first year of Zhenguan, on account of old age, he returned home to take up farming as his livelihood. However, by nature Shicao was venomous and wicked, with a violent mouth. Throughout his life, he took pleasure in seeing others' faults; whenever the villagers had an issue, he would record it and report it to the authorities. The county officials gave him consideration because Shicao had previously been in the court ranks. Yet Shicao fostered evil without repenting, frequently disturbing the official organs, ferreting out the villagers' missteps and faults, and constantly intimidating them regardless of whether the matters were major or minor. Within his own village association, he arbitrarily created interventions where there was no issue, recklessly engaging in disputes and criticizing everyone, young and old. Whenever cattle or sheep trampled crops, or men and women quarrelled, he would immediately drag them to the county office. The county magistrate, Pei Qutan, considered this troublesome and trivial; the first two or three times he dealt with it, but later, seeing that matters were too frequent, he would not attend to it. Shicao later went to the prefecture, or submitted memorials directly to the throne. His malicious intentions grew stronger by the day, and no one was pleased to see him. Shicao knew his own nature was bad, and he would also say to people: "My temperament is impatient and my mouth is violent. Since the Wude era, I have received the precepts four times, observed rituals and prostrations, daily recited sūtras and treatises, and converted people to do good. Yet if there is any slight encroachment upon me, I cannot endure it." Later, on the night of the seventh day of the fourth month in the first year of Yonghui, there suddenly was a man coming from the east, riding a white horse and wearing green clothing, who came straight to Shicao's gate. When Shicao saw him, they exchanged greetings. The man said: "The grand director of Dongyang has specially sent me to summon you. Because from birth until now, your venomous mind has been tightly bound and unable to endure or let go; whenever you meet people you speak of encouraging good, yet you yourself do not completely uphold the precepts; you are stingy and do not give, claiming: 'I have a good mind and make offerings to the Three Jewels,' yet you have never given even a shred of wealth; though your mouth speaks of shame, another scheme arises in your mind to bewilder ordinary folk—for this reason I summon you." In an instant, the visitor was gone. Shicao's body suddenly collapsed to the ground at the gate. His mouth could not speak, and only a little warmth remained over his heart. His family carried him into the house to lie down, and he did not revive overnight. Meanwhile, Shicao had already arrived at the chief record office of Dongyang. At that time, the governor's grand assembly had not yet dispersed. Shicao then privately walked through the offices: they all had tables, desks, couches, and mats, which were extremely grand and fine. There were also prisoners, some wearing cangues and fetters, bareheaded and with loosened belts, either sitting, standing, walking, or staying—such sinful persons were beyond count. Shicao walked eastward and arrived at a place where the entrance was extremely small; he only saw sparks flying out and foul smoke billowing, unfit for a person to stand. There were also two men holding iron clubs, repairing the entrance. Shicao then asked the men holding clubs: "What office is this?" They answered, saying: "This is the Hell of Raging Fire. It is intended for people who do not uphold the precepts completely, or people who abandon cultivating good halfway; they knowingly commit transgressions, and upon death enter this place. We hear that there is one Yang Shicao who throughout his life took pleasure in discussing people's faults, constantly reporting others' shortcomings to the officials, falsely expressing shame whenever meeting people, but who truly could not endure the slightest offense. Now we intend to send him into this place, which is why we are repairing it. Today is the eighth day of the fourth month; his family is making donations and vegetarian offerings on behalf of Shicao's death. The office is deliberating and intends to release him back, but has not yet received permission. I am waiting here for Shicao." Shicao thereupon kowtowed, bowed, thanked them, and said of himself: "I, your disciple, am Yang Shicao. I pray that you will provide an expedient means: how may I obtain release?" This person answered, saying: "You only need to bow to the Buddhas of the ten directions with all your heart, earnestly repent, and change your venomous heart; then you will follow [this] to be reborn and will not come to this place. Even though you harboured evil thoughts, if you can repent in a single instant, it is like the bodhisattva practice; not begrudging body or life, you may attain birth in the Pure Land." Having received these words, Shicao immediately made confession and earnestly repented according to the instructions. He was thereupon released back home, and after three days he revived. Having revived, Shicao recounted this matter in detail. Later, Shicao went to Chan Master Huijing to amend his errors and repent. He is alive today, aged seventy-five. He observes a permanent vegetarian diet of one meal a day and performs prostrations and repentance at the six periods of the day. Shicao's field bordered an official highway. As he walked to inspect the wheat, he saw three oxen violently eating the wheat seedlings. Shicao approached the oxen with a sense of remorse and did not drive them away. Later, upon returning home, he went out to the wheat, and it had not died; there were only the footprints of the oxen. On the western border of Jingyang, there was the Buddha hall of the Prince of Chen, where many people gathered. Shicao recounted the matter in full to the assembly. Monastics and laypeople were astonished and performed prostrations and repentance with even greater earnestness. That night, he had a dream in which he saw a person come and say to Shicao: "I am a messenger, and I came specifically to admonish you. Since you have stopped evil, you will not be summoned again. Only diligently and sincerely cultivate good; you need not worry about it." A monk saw Shicao and passed on the account to [Wang] Lin (the above one verification is from the Mingxiang ji).