法苑珠林 35.34

35.34

In the fifth year of the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang, there was a disciple of Dharma Master Huiguang of Anyang Temple in Liangzhou. His mother's family was poor and lacked undergarments indoors. She came into her son's room, took an old kāṣāya, altered it, and wore it. While she was gathered together chatting and laughing with neighboring mothers, she suddenly felt her feet growing hot, gradually rising to her waist. In an instant, a thunderbolt struck. It hurled the neighboring mothers more than a hundred paces away, filled their ears with mud, and left them unconscious for a whole day before they revived. The mother who had used the robe was struck dead by the thunder, burned black and curled up. Inscribed on her back was: "Due to using the Dharma robe improperly." Her son collected her remains for burial, but a thunderbolt struck them out again. Only when her skeleton was left exposed beneath the trees did it finally dissolve and disperse. By this, one knows that the blessings of receiving and upholding the Dharma robes protect even dragons who have taken the three refuges; truly this is not false! Recently, there was a monk dwelling in the mountains who lodged in a deep cliff cavern. He hung his robe in front as a barrier. An anomalous spirit came, exceedingly terrifying in form. It stretched out its arm to reach inside, intending to seize the lodger, but fearing to touch the kāṣāya, it was obstructed and could not enter. Thus he managed to escape. (The above two confirmations are drawn from the Tang Biographies of Eminent Monks.)