法苑珠林 70.87

70.87

Du Tongda, a native of Gaoyuan County in Qizhou under the Tang, was ordered by the county vice-magistrate during the Zhenguan era to escort a monk northwards. Seeing the monk's sutra chest, Tongda thought it was filled entirely with silk, and so conspired with his wife to strike the monk and kill him. Before the monk died, he recited two or three lines of a dhāraṇī. Thereupon, a fly flew into Tongda's nose and remained stuck inside without coming out. Tongda's eyes and nose suddenly became distorted, and his eyebrows and beard fell out. Confused and losing his way, his spirit was demoralized. In a short time, he contracted a malignant disease, and died before a year had passed. As he was on the verge of death, the fly flew out and entered his wife's nose instead. His wife fell ill and died after more than a year.