法苑珠林 57.44

57.44

In the third year of the Longshuo reign era of the Tang (663 CE), Lady Chen was the wife of Liu Gongxin of the Three Guards, living in Tonggui Ward within the city of Chang'an. Her mother had previously passed away. Lady Chen suddenly died due to an illness. She saw someone lead her into hell, where she fully witnessed the various torments, which cannot be recounted in detail. At the very end, she saw a hell whose stone gate was solidly shut. There were two great demons of mighty and imposing stature guarding both sides of the gate, who glared fiercely with enraged eyes at Lady Chen: "What manner of person are you to have arrived here?" She saw the stone gate suddenly open, and her deceased mother was inside enduring suffering that cannot be recounted in detail. Her suffering slightly easing, she approached the gate, so that mother and daughter could see each other and speak from a distance. The mother spoke to the daughter, saying: "When you return, strive to copy a sutra for me." The daughter inquired: "Mother, what sutra do you wish to have copied?" "Copy the Lotus Sutra for me." As soon as she finished speaking, the stone gate closed. Lady Chen revived, and recounted everything to her husband. Her husband thereupon relied on his brother-in-law Zhao Shizi, wishing to copy the Lotus Sutra. This Shizi formerly understood the copying of sutras. There was a copyist who had brought a newly copied set of the Lotus Sutra that had not yet been mounted. That man had previously been hired by another person to copy it; the owner of the sutra was surnamed Fan. This copyist took the other person's Lotus Sutra and traded it away to Zhao Shizi for two hundred cash. The patron [Fan] did not know that it had been traded for money. Shizi further said to his wife's brother: "Now that you are awaiting a sutra at home, there is a set of the Lotus Sutra; brother, redeem this sutra. It was valued at one thousand cash." Lady Chen's husband used four hundred cash to redeem it. When the mounting was completed, he made offerings to it at home on behalf of the mother. Later, the daughter Lady Chen dreamed of her mother demanding the sutra from her: "I previously bade you copy a set of the Lotus Sutra for me. For what reason have I not received it down to this day?" The daughter reported to her mother, saying: "I have already redeemed a set of the Lotus Sutra for you, Mother; it is now fully mounted and offerings are being made to it at home." The mother spoke to her daughter, saying: "It is solely because of this sutra that I undergo all the more suffering! In the nether paths, the hell wardens beat my back until it broke. Look at the sores on my body! The hell official said: 'For what reason did you take the Fan family's sutra and regard it as your own sutra? What merit do you have? You have committed a great transgression!'" Seeing her mother speak thus, the daughter separately had another copy of the Lotus Sutra made for her mother. Before the sutra was finished, the daughter again saw her mother in a dream coming to urge the sutra along. Immediately she saw a monk holding a scroll of the Lotus Sutra in his hand, who spoke to the mother, saying: "Your daughter has already copied the first fascicle of the sutra for you, and the merit has already been accomplished. For what reason do you come again to press and coerce her? Wait until it is finished; why must you be in such haste?" Afterwards, when the copying of the sutra was completed, the mother came to inform her daughter: "Because you copied the sutra for me, I have now been able to leave the nether paths and be reborn in a good realm. Having received the power of your kindness, I therefore come to inform you. You should dwell well, be fine in womanly conduct, and take faithful devotion as the foundation." Having finished speaking, they parted with sorrowful tears. Later, when they investigated the owner of the previously redeemed Lotus Sutra, it indeed turned out to be surnamed Fan. Although the Fan family did not receive the sutra, since the sutra was already completed, their meritorious blessing of giving was already fulfilled. The later person who traded it away brought guilt and blame upon himself. Liu's wife, by the act of redemption, faintly attained a small amount of merit, yet the deceased mother could not gain any benefit from it. (Lady Chen's husband, Liu Gongxin, related this in full to the Reminder himself.)