法苑珠林 46.52

46.52

Gao Fayan of Chang'an County in Yongzhou under the Tang was the great-great-grandson of Gao Jiong, Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs under the Sui dynasty. On the twenty-fifth day of the first month in the third year of the Longshuo reign, he went to the Department of State Affairs to participate in the civil selections. At noon he returned home; his residence was at the southeast corner of Yining Ward, with its gate opening onto the street, and immediately east of Huadu Temple was the Gao residence. Wishing to exit the Shunyi Gate to the west of the imperial city, he encountered two mounted horsemen pursuing behind him inside the city. Having exited the city, they gradually pressed close to him. Outside the city gate, north of the road, was Puguang Temple. One person said to the horsemen: 'Run and seize the gate of Puguang Temple! Do not let this man enter the temple, lest it be difficult to catch him.' This man galloped according to the words to guard the gate. Fayan was frightened that he could not enter the temple, so he ran west and came again to Jincheng Ward on the west street. To the west of the south gate road, there was Huichang Temple. Four more horsemen were added, who further said to the previous two riders: 'Quickly guard the gate of Huichang Temple!' This man ran to seize the temple gate according to the words. Fayan was frightened and in urgency said to the horsemen: 'Who are you to press me so urgently?' The horseman said: 'The King has sent me to take you.' Fayan said: 'Which king sent you?' The horseman said: 'King Yama sent us.' When Fayan heard that King Yama's messengers had come, he clearly knew they were ghosts, and so resisted them. The ghost then became very angry, saying: 'Quickly cut off his hair!' One ghost drew a knife and immediately cut off both of Fayan's hair knots, falling to the ground flush with the flesh. Thereupon reaching the west street, he fainted, fell from his horse, and died suddenly without awareness. Having reached a major thoroughfare and pivotal road, in the hesitation and commotion more than a thousand people came to watch. A street-patrolling intrepid officer angrily asked the street guards why a crowd was gathering. The street guards recounted the delay in full. Next to the head of the west street was the Gao residence, so they called his family members to carry him home in a litter. Only at dawn did he revive, and he said to his family: 'I entered hell and saw King Yama ascending a grand, high seat, who angrily rebuked me, saying: "Why did you go to the chamber of Master Mingzang at Huadu Temple and eat the fruit belonging to the permanent Saṃgha? You ought to swallow four hundred red-hot iron pellets, taking four years to swallow them all. One day among humans corresponds to one year in hell, so in four days it will be completed." From the twenty-sixth to the twenty-ninth day of the first month, they were exhausted, eating a hundred pellets a day. When I regained consciousness on the twenty-sixth day, various ghosts came again to take me, Fayan. I fought with the ghosts again, but being pursued and exhausted of strength, I could do no more. I fainted and died suddenly again, going to hell to be made to swallow the iron pellets. When swallowing them, my throat dilated and contracted, and my body was scorched and curled up, turning red. Only after swallowing all of them did I revive. When I revived, the King said to me again: "Why did you not venerate the Three Jewels and speak of the faults and misdeeds of the Saṃgha? After you finish swallowing the iron pellets, you ought to undergo having an iron plow plow your tongue for one year." When the iron pellets had been swallowed on the twenty-ninth day, at dawn on the thirtieth day of the first month, I died again and arrived in hell, where I again underwent having an iron plow plow my tongue. I saw my own tongue several li long, while bystanders saw it sticking out more than a foot. The King further said to the hell wardens: "Since this man spoke of the merits and defects of the Three Jewels, cut off the root of his tongue with a great iron axe." The hell wardens chopped at it, but it would not sever. The King said again: "Chop his tongue finely with an axe, and take it into the boiling cauldron to boil it." When boiled, it still did not soften or decompose. The King was again astonished and asked the reason. Fayan reported to the King: "Your servant once read the Lotus Sūtra." The King at first did not believe it and ordered the Bureau of Merits inspected. They saw in the records that there was one reading of the Lotus Sūtra. Only after the King inspected and verified it was I released to come out.' This person is currently alive and revived as before. Those who looked on were like a marketplace, and those who saw it gave rise to the aspiration [for awakening]. The whole family faithfully venerates, exerting their wills in energetic diligence; dāna and kṣānti are not lacking, and precepts and sincerity are without weariness. Both the monastics and laity of the capital know of it, so there is no need to adduce further proof.