法苑珠林 26.33

26.33

Grand Tutor Yang You of the Jin, whose courtesy name was Shuzi, was a man of Taishan. As a famous minister of the Western Jin, his reputation was foremost in the land. When he was five years old, he once had his wet nurse fetch a ring he used to play with. The wet nurse said, "You never had this originally. Where should I fetch it from?" You said, "In the past, I played with it by the eastern wall and dropped it inside a mulberry tree." The wet nurse said, "You may look for it yourself." You said, "This is not my former residence; as a child, I do not know where it is." Later, going out the gate to look around, he walked eastward into the distance, and the wet nurse followed him. Reaching the household of the Li clan, he went in to the tree by the eastern wall, reached in, and found the small ring. The Li family was astonished and said, "Our son in the past had this ring and always loved playing with it. He died suddenly at the age of seven. After he died, we did not know where the ring was. This is our deceased boy's possession. Why are you carrying it away?" You ran off holding the ring, and the Li family pursued and questioned him. When the wet nurse recounted You's words, the Li family felt both sorrow and joy, and wished to seek You to be their son again. Only after the villagers reasoned with them did they stop. When You grew up, he often suffered from head wind. A physician wanted to treat it, but You said, "When I was three days old, my head faced the northern window, and I felt the wind blowing on my crown, causing great distress in my mind; I just could not speak. Since the root of the illness is so old, it cannot be treated." Later, when You served as Area Commander of Jingzhou stationed in Xiangyang, he supplied Wudang Temple far more than other monasteries. Someone asked him the reason, and You was silent. Later, in the course of repentance, he related the cause and effect, saying, "In a former life, I had accumulated various offenses; relying on the building of this temple, I obtained relief. Therefore, my sentiments of making offerings are especially earnest and deep."