法苑珠林 64.26

64.26

During the Sui dynasty, Jiang Lue of Tianshui, a Hawk-soaring Gentleman-Adjutant (yingyang langjiang), in his youth was fond of hunting and was skilled at unleashing hawks and hounds. Later he fell ill and saw flocks of birds numbering by the thousands, all without heads, encircling Lue's bed and crying out, 'Quickly return our heads!' Thereupon Lue suffered headaches, stopped breathing, and only revived after a long time. He then requested the assembly of monks to swiftly cultivate posthumous merits for the various birds. Once he promised this, they all departed. Soon afterward he recovered. After getting well, for the rest of his life he severed all alcohol and meat and did not kill living beings. When [Tang] Lin was in Longyou, he saw Jiang Lue, who was already about sixty years old, recounting this himself.