法苑珠林 75

English (machine translation) 75

Language: English

75.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

75.3

Division 6: Sexual Misconduct (This has three subdivisions)

75.4

Subdivision on Expounding the Meaning / Subdivision on Rebuking Desire / Subdivision on Treachery and Deceit

Lustful sounds corrupt virtue—this is what the wise do not practice. The marks of desire bewilder the spirit—this is what the sages all abandon. Therefore, King You of Zhou lost his state, truly due to the fault of Bao Si; Duke Xian of Jin brought ruin to his house, truly through the crime of Li Ji. On Mount Ekaśṛṅga, one did not awaken to the shame of having one's neck ridden; when an appointment was made in the ancestral temple, could one have realized the agony of burning oneself alive? These all occur because sentient beings of the desire realm do not cultivate contemplative understanding, and cannot sever or subdue the defilements bound to this realm. Moreover, of earth, water, fire, and wind, which is the master? Body, sensation, mind, and dharmas—their original nature is entirely empty. The thin skin and the thick skin encompass only impurity; the stomach and the intestines are vile and foul beyond description. They constantly tend to drag people down into the three evil destinies. Therefore, the great beings, the bodhisattvas, constantly cultivate contemplative practice: foul stench overflows, filling the entire body; the enemy-bandits of the six dusts ever torment and disturb; the caṇḍāla of the five aggregates can hardly be approached. Ordinary beings, perverted and upside-down, indulge this greed and delusion, falsely perceiving seductive appearances and clinging to florid charms: gleaming white teeth, crimson lips, arched eyebrows, and high coiffures, trailing silhouettes graceful and meandering, adding to allure and gorgeous beauty. Thus did the untying of the pendant by the Luo River cause the Prince of Chen to halt his carriage; and the playing with the pearls at the bend of the Han River left tender feelings at the confluence of the rivers. Upon the terrace of Mount Wu, one entrusted oneself to the comings and goings of clouds and rain; beside the waters of Magu, one sent forth feelings amid the flowing springs. Thus was the fragrance of burning incense made to waft afar into the garments of Han Shou; and the melody plucked upon the zither caused Xiangru's intentions to be perceived from afar. Some became intimate through offering the pillow; some grew close through relying on the hung hat. How could they know that the physical form is like a mass of foam, its substance like floating clouds? Internal and external are alike empty, dispersing and vanishing in an instant. The entire body is impure; the whole frame is impermanent. Before long, it will be discarded into ditches and drains to feed ants and crickets. Whenever sentient beings engage in this misconduct, it contravenes the path of Brahmā and obstructs the karma of bodhi; it becomes the cause of the four destinies and brings about the retribution of the three paths. Thus we know that the root of the three realms of existence truly arises from the karma of lust, and retribution in the six destinies is especially caused by the defilement of attachment. Because it moisturizes karma with exceptional gravity, the sages instituted rules against it.

75.7

Subdivision 2: Rebuking Desire

75.8

First, explaining the profusion of greedy desire: as a verse in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says:

75.9

If one is constantly sorrowful and distressed, / Sorrow then increases and multiplies; / Just as with one who loves sleep, / Sleep then grows profuse— / Greed for lust and fondness for wine / Are also just like this.

75.10

Also, a verse in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says:

75.11

Just as adding dry fuel to a fire / Causes the blaze to flare up and increase, / So too for one who enjoys pleasures: / The fire of craving increasingly grows. / Though a fire of fuel blazes intensely, / People are all able to abandon and leave it; / But the fire of craving burns the world, / Tightly entangling and impossible to forsake.

75.12

Also, a verse in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says:

75.13

Worldly people, foolish and deluded, / Are greedily attached to the five desires; / To the point of death they do not let go, / And for this, in future lives, / They suffer immeasurable torment. / Like a foolish person / Greedily attached to fine fruit, / Who climbs a tree to eat it / And refuses to come down in time; / Someone chops down that tree, / And when the tree topples, he falls, / His body and head shattered, / Dying in agonizing pain: / When obtained, the pleasure is meager; / When lost, the suffering is great. / Like a knife coated with honey: / The one who licks it craves the sweetness, / Not knowing it cuts the tongue, / And afterwards suffers great pain.

75.14

A verse in the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra says:

75.15

Greedy desire is truly painful; / Ordinary people, inverted and confused, / Falsely give rise to notions of pleasure. / The wise see the suffering: / Seeing the suffering, they sever it. / Experiencing desire without satiation / Is like drinking salt water: / It only increases one's thirst; / Because it increases thirst, / How could there be any pleasure? / Just like a dog chewing / On a dry bone smeared with blood: / Saliva gathers and combines, / And it imagines there is delicious flavor; / Greedy desire is also like this: / Within what is flavorless, / By the power of perverse delusion, / One deems it the experience of flavor. / Therefore know that sensual desire / Is truly painful, its pleasure empty; / Only when there is no greedy seeking / Can it be called true joy.

75.16

Second, explaining the contemplation of woman's impurity: women merely borrow outward appearances, while inwardly harbouring foul stench and filth. They bewilder people into clinging to marks, unaware of their falsity. Only the greatly wise can know them to be repulsive. Furthermore, the Chan miyao jing says: The Elder Maudgalyāyana attained the arhat path. His former wife brought an entourage, gorgeously adorned, wishing to corrupt Maudgalyāyana. Maudgalyāyana then spoke these verses for her:

75.17

Your body is dry bones standing upright, / Wrapped around by skin and flesh, / Inwardly filled with impurity; / Not a single thing is good. / A leather bag holding feces and urine, / The nine apertures constantly oozing, / Like a ghost, of no use: / How is it worthy of your self-esteem? / Your body is like a walking latrine, / Covered over with thin skin; / Cast aside and kept at a distance by the wise, / Just as a person walks away from a latrine. / If people knew your body / As I loathe and detest it, / All would keep far away from it, / Just as people avoid a privy. / You adorn your own body / With flowers, incense, and garlands; / What ordinary people covet and love, / The wise are not deluded by. / You are a heap of impurity, / A collection of vile and foul things; / Like an adorned latrine house, / Which fools consider fine. / Your ribs are attached to the spine / Like rafters resting on beams and pillars; / The five viscera are inside the belly, / Impure as a basket of dung. / Your body is like a dung house, / Treasured and clung to by foolish men; / Adorned with pearl necklaces, / Outwardly pleasing like a painted vase. / If one wished to dye empty space, / From beginning to end it could not be stained; / You wish to come and burn me, / Like a moth throwing itself into fire. / All the poisons of desires— / I have now entirely extinguished them; / The five desires are already far removed, / Māra's net is already torn apart. / My mind is like empty space, / Unattached to anything whatsoever; / Even if heavenly desires were to come, / They could not defile my mind.

75.18

Furthermore, the Ekottarika-āgama says: 'Better to pierce the eyes with an iron awl heated by fire than to look upon form and give rise to disordered thoughts.' Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: 'The nature of women is mostly jealous in mind. Because of this cause, after death women are mostly born into the destiny of hungry ghosts. Though they have sweet words, their minds are poisonous and harmful; their strong cleverness in falsehood and deceit can bewilder the world.'

75.19

Third, explaining that women are difficult to approach and should be loathed: therefore, a verse in the Udayana-rāja Sūtra says:

75.20

Women are the most evil; / Hard it is to be linked with them. / Once bound by affection and love, / They drag one into the gates of sin.

75.21

Not only do they drag people into the evil destinies; falling from the heavens is also caused by the delusion of women. Therefore, a verse in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says:

75.22

Of the great fetters in the heavens, / None surpasses womanly form; / Women bind the devas, / Leading them to the three evil destinies.

75.23

Also, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'The bodhisattva contemplates the various impurities of desire. Among all forms of ruin, the ruin caused by women is the gravest. Fire, knives, thunder, lightning, enemies, and poisonous snakes may still be approached for a time; but a woman's stinginess, jealousy, anger, flattery, bewitching filth, quarrelsomeness, and greed cannot be approached.' Therefore, the Buddha spoke in verse:

75.24

Better to have red-hot iron / Rolled around inside one's eyes / Than with a distracted mind / To cast improper glances at a woman's form. / Smiling to strike a pose, / Arrogant, haughty, shy, and modest, / Turning the face and batting the eyes, / Sweet words, jealousy, and anger, / An enchanting and filthy gait— / With these they bewilder people. / The net of lust and snares of desire: / People all throw themselves into it. / Sitting, lying down, walking, or standing, / Looking around with skillful charm; / Foolish people of meager wisdom / Are intoxicated in heart on their account. / Grasping a sword against an enemy— / That can still be overcome; / But the woman-bandit harms people— / This cannot be curbed. / A poisonous snake harboring venom / Can still be held by hand; / But a woman's passion bewildering people— / This cannot be touched.

75.25

Also, a verse in the Ekottarika[-āgama] says:

75.26

Do not have sexual relations with women, / Nor speak words with them; / One who is able to stay far away / Will be free from the eight difficulties.

75.27

Therefore, in the Satyaka-nirgrantha-sūtra, the Nirgrantha spoke in verse:

75.28

Not finding satisfaction in one's own wife, / And fond of lusting after other men's women— / Such a person has no sense of shame, / Constantly suffering without pleasure. / In the present and future lives, / They suffer torment, beatings, and binding; / Relinquishing the body, they are born into hell, / Constantly suffering without pleasure.

75.29

Also, the Zā pìyù jīng says: When the Buddha was in the world, a brahman had two daughters, both of whom were beautiful. He deliberately suspended gold, advertising for ninety days that if anyone could decry his daughters as ugly, he would give them the gold. In the end, no one responded. He brought them to the Buddha's place. The Buddha then rebuked them, saying: 'These daughters are entirely ugly; there is nothing good about them.' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'These daughters are truly beautiful, yet the Buddha calls them bad. What is not good about them?' The Buddha said: 'The human eye not looking at form is a good eye; the ear, nose, and mouth are likewise. The body not clinging to fine smoothness is a good body. The hands not stealing others' property are good hands. Now, observing these daughters: their eyes look at forms, their ears listen to sounds, their noses smell scents, their bodies delight in fine smoothness, and their hands delight in stealing property. Such as these are all not good.'

75.30

Furthermore, the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Bodhisattva Rìmíng (Sūryaprabha) states: 'The method by which bodhisattvas rebuke sexual desire [is as follows]: Female beauty is a cangue and chain of the mundane world; ordinary people cling to it with longing and are unable to extricate themselves. Female beauty is a grave affliction of the mundane world; ordinary people are distressed by it and cannot escape it until death. Female beauty is a disaster and misfortune of the mundane world; when ordinary people encounter it, no calamity fails to arrive. Once a practitioner has managed to abandon it, if they look back and yearn for it again, this is like escaping from prison only to think of re-entering it, like regaining sanity from madness only to delight in it again, or like recovering from illness only to desire falling ill again. The wise are angered by this, knowing that such a person is mad and will stumble and die in no time at all. Ordinary people esteem female beauty, willingly serving as its slaves, galloping about all their lives and toiling bitterly for its sake. Even if they are severed inch by inch upon the chopping block, and blades and arrows arrive in crossfire, they willingly endure it and do not consider it an affliction. The madman's delight in madness does not surpass this! If a practitioner can cast it aside without looking back, this is truly shattering the cangue and shedding the chains, loathing madness and tiring of illness, and parting from disasters and misfortunes. They will be both secure and auspicious, having escaped the prison, and will be free of adversity forever. The appearance of a woman is such that her speech is like honey, but her heart is like poison. It is like a deep, still abyss whose waters are clear as a mirror, yet where a flood dragon dwells; or like a golden mountain with jewel caverns, yet where a lion abides. One should know that this peril must not be approached even for an instant. Disharmony within the household is caused by women; the ruin of ancestral lines and the destruction of clans is the crime of women. They are truly hidden thieves who destroy a person's brightness of wisdom, and are like a hunting enclosure from which few can escape. They are like a high net into which a flock of birds falls, unable to spread their wings; or like a fine mesh into which many fish throw themselves, having their bellies disemboweled and their flesh sliced upon the block. They are also like a dark pit into which the blind cast themselves, or like moths rushing into a fire. Therefore, the wise understand this and keep their distance; they do not suffer their harm, but loathe and despise them as foul, and are not deceived by these beings.'

75.31

Furthermore, the Buddha-parinirvāṇa-sūtra states: 'The Buddha told the maiden Āmrapālī: "Those who are fond of sexual misconduct suffer five self-impediments: first, having many bad reputations; second, being hated by royal law; third, harboring deceit and much suspicion; fourth, entering hell upon death; fifth, when the retribution in hell is ended, taking the form of an animal. These are all brought about by sin. For those who are able to extinguish their minds themselves and not commit sexual misconduct, there are five increases of merit: first, being praised by many people; second, having no fear of government officials; third, attaining peace and security of body; fourth, ascending upon death to be born in heaven; fifth, attaining the path of nirvāṇa through purity of intention."'

75.32

Section 3: Adultery and Deceit

75.33

Furthermore, the Old Sūtra of Diverse Parables states: In the past, the son of a noble clan was handsome. He cast a female statue of gold and said to his parents: 'Only if there is a woman resembling this will I take her.' At that time, in another country, there was a woman whose appearance was also handsome. She likewise cast a golden man and told her parents: 'Only if there is a man resembling this will I marry him.' The parents of each heard of this, and from afar they arranged the betrothal and union. At that time, the king of the country held up a mirror to look at himself and said to his ministers: 'Is there anyone in the world whose countenance is like mine?' The ministers replied: 'Your servants have heard that in that country there is a man of peerless beauty.' The king then dispatched an envoy to invite him. The envoy arrived and informed him: 'The king wishes to see you, worthy sir.' He then prepared his chariot and set out. Having already departed, he reflected: 'The king sent for me because of my intelligence and understanding.' He then returned to fetch his books, only to see his wife committing adultery with a slave. Disconsolate and full of resentment, his vital energy became obstructed, and his complexion withered and became ugly. When the ministers saw this, they thought he was emaciated from traveling on the road, so they accommodated him in the horse stables. At night, in the stables, he saw the king's primary queen consort having illicit relations with a stable hand. He then came to an awakening: 'Even the king's grand queen consort is like this; how much more so my wife!' His mind was liberated, his heart was delighted, and his complexion returned to normal. He then met with the king. The king asked: 'For what reason did you stay outside for three days?' He replied: 'When your servant came, I forgot something and went back to fetch it, only to see my wife committing adultery with a slave. In my anger, my complexion withered and changed; thus, I remained in the stables for three days. Yesterday, I saw the king's primary queen consort come and have illicit relations with the horse-groom. Even the queen consort is like this; how much more so other people! My mind was liberated, and my complexion was restored.' The king said: 'Even my wife is like this; how much more so ordinary women!' Both of them abandoned everything, entered the mountains, shaved their hair, and became śramaṇas. Contemplating that women cannot be engaged with, they strove vigorously without remiss, and both attained the path of a pratyekabuddha.

75.34

Furthermore, the Old Sūtra of Diverse Parables states: In the past, a woman gave birth to a daughter of peerless beauty. When the girl was only three years old, the king of the country took her to look at her and summoned a man of the Way to read her physiognomy, asking whether she was fit to become queen consort in the future. The man of the Way informed the king: 'This girl will have a husband, and only afterwards will the king obtain her.' The king said: 'I will hide her securely; how could it be that I obtain her only afterwards?' He then summoned a crane to come, and asked: 'Where do you live?' The crane told the king: 'I abide in a great mountain, where halfway up there is a tree that neither humans nor beasts ever visit. Below it are swirling waters where no boats can go.' The king said: 'I entrust this girl to you to rear.' The crane then took her and flew away. Day after day, it took food from the king and gave it to the girl. After a long time had passed like this, an upstream settlement was suddenly washed away by floodwaters. A tree branch drifted downstream with the water, and a man managed to grasp the tree. Falling into the swirling water, he was unable to escape the eddy. On the bank, there was a grape vine that sprang forth and rested against the mountainside. Following it, the man was able to climb up to the crane's tree, where he engaged in illicit relations with the girl, and the girl hid him. The crane noticed that the girl's body had become heavy; searching left and right, it found the man, seized him, and threw him away. It reported the matter to the king. The king said: 'That former man of the Way was truly skilled in reading people's physiognomy.' The Master says: 'People have past retributions that cannot be controlled by force. When one meets the retribution, it must take place; animals are also like this.'

75.35

Furthermore, the Old Sūtra of Diverse Parables states: In the past, a king guarded his women strictly. The king's queen consort said to the crown prince: 'I am your mother, yet all my life I have never seen the realm. I wish to go out for a single tour; you may inform the king.' After she asked three times, the crown prince informed the king, and the king granted permission. The crown prince himself drove the carriage. Along the road, the ministers welcomed her and bowed in homage. The queen consort reached out her hand, parted [the curtain], and exposed herself so that people could see her. The crown prince saw the woman's face like this, and so feigned abdominal pain and turned back. The queen consort said: 'I have no auspicious signs indeed!' The crown prince reflected: 'Even my mother is like this; how much more so other women!' That night, he abandoned the realm, left, and entered the mountains to wander and observe. At that time, beside the road, there was a tree beneath which was a spring of water. The crown prince climbed the tree and happened to see a brāhmaṇa who walked alone into the water pool to bathe. Having come out and eaten, he performed magic arts: he vomited forth a pot, from which came a woman with whom he retired to a secluded chamber. When the brāhmaṇa fell asleep, the woman again vomited forth a pot, from which came a man with whom she also slept. After sleeping, she swallowed the pot. In a short while, the brāhmaṇa awoke, put his wife back into the pot, swallowed it, took his staff, and left. The crown prince returned to the country and informed the king. He invited the brāhmaṇa and all the ministers, prepared food for three people, and set it to one side. When the brāhmaṇa arrived, he said: 'I am alone.' The crown prince said: 'Brāhmaṇa, you should bring out your wife to eat together.' Having no choice, the brāhmaṇa brought out his wife. The crown prince said: 'Wife, you should bring out your husband to eat together.' After repeating this three times, she had no choice but to bring out the man to eat together. Having finished eating, they departed. The king asked the crown prince: 'How did you know of this?' He replied: 'When my mother viewed the realm, I drove the carriage. Mother parted [the curtain], reached out her hand, and let people see her. I reflected that women are capable of much lustful desire, so I feigned abdominal pain, returned, and entered the mountains. There I saw the brāhmaṇa who hid his wife in his belly like this. The deceitfulness of women cannot be eradicated. I pray that the Great King release and pardon those in the palace to wander freely as they wish.' The king issued an edict to the inner palace that whoever wished to leave was free to follow their inclination. The Master says: 'The most untrustworthy things under heaven are women.'

75.36

Furthermore, the Old Sūtra of Parables states: In the past, a man of the four castes hid his wife so that no one could see her. The wife met a servant dressed in green, dug a subterranean passage, and engaged in illicit relations with a silversmith boy. Later, the husband discovered his wife. The wife said: 'All my life I have never engaged in misconduct; do not speak falsely!' The husband said: 'I do not believe you. I shall take you to the sacred tree to take an oath.' The wife said: 'Very well.' The husband observed a fast for seven days. As he entered the fasting chamber, the wife secretly told the silversmith boy: 'You should pretend to be mad with disheveled hair; in the marketplace, when you meet people, embrace them, drag them along, and cast them aside.' When the husband finished the fast, he led his wife out. The wife said: 'I have never seen the marketplace; take me through the marketplace.' The silversmith boy then came, embraced her, feigned madness, and lay on the ground. The wife then cried out to her husband: 'Why do you let someone embrace me?' The husband said: 'This is a madman; why take note of him?' Husband and wife both went to the sacred site and kowtowed, [the wife] saying: 'All my life I have done no evil, except for being embraced by a madman.' The wife then escaped harm, and the husband fell silent in shame. The Buddha said: 'You should know that the deceitfulness of all women is like this; they cannot be trusted.'

75.37

Furthermore, the Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: When the Buddha was in Śrāvastī, a brāhmaṇa had a daughter whose facial features were upright and complexion pure, named Prabhāvatī. A physiognomist divined: 'This girl will later have relations with five hundred men.' After everyone heard this, though the girl reached twelve years of age, no one sought her in marriage. At that time, next to the brāhmaṇa lived a merchant who frequently went to sea to gather jewels. This merchant, from high on an upper floor, saw this girl from afar and immediately gave rise to lustful desire. He asked other people: 'Whose daughter is this?' They replied: 'She is the daughter of a certain brāhmaṇa.' 'Has anyone taken her?' They replied: 'No one has sought her.' He asked: 'For what reason has no one sought her?' They replied: 'This girl has a fault: a physiognomist divined that this girl will later have relations with five hundred men. That is why no one seeks her.' At that time, the merchant thought: 'Except for the śramaṇas of the Śākyan clan, no one enters my house.' He immediately went to seek her in marriage. Not long after the girl arrived, the merchant joined companions intending to go to sea. He called the gatekeeper and said to him: 'I intend to go to sea. Do not allow any man to force his way into my house, with the exception of the śramaṇas of the Śākyan clan, as they are faultless people.' He replied: 'Yes.' After he departed, a śramaṇa begged for food at the house. Seeing him, the girl said: 'Engage in desire with me.' The bhikṣus, not knowing [what to do], reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'In this house there will certainly be unchaste conduct; you must not go there.' Later, this girl fell ill and died during the night. Her family members took her with her ornaments and discarded her in the charnel ground. At that time, a band of five hundred thieves traveled through this place; seeing the dead woman, they immediately gave rise to lustful desire and engaged in desire with her. Because this woman had previously said to the śramaṇa brāhmaṇa, 'Engage in desire with me,' due to this cause and condition she fell into the evil destinies: in the north of that country, she was born as a lustful dragon named Bhīmadatta.

75.38

The verse on primary retribution says:

75.39

Committing sexual misconduct leads into the hells,
Where one climbs that forest of sword-leafed trees.
Hot iron nails shut their mouths;
Molten bronze is poured into their hearts.
Venomous dragons crush their bones and marrow;
Vajra-rats gnaw at their private parts.
They scale up and down bronze pillars;
Deeply embedded, they lie upon iron beds.

75.40

The verse on residual retribution says:

75.41

Murky lust deranges passions and physical charms;
Suffering misery without inside or out.
With residual karma, one obtains a human body,
Yet one's own wife constantly betrays oneself.
Both harbor mutual suspicion and jealousy;
Who would be willing to comply with one's desires?
For anyone with even a slight trace of spirit and mind,
How could they be without shame and remorse?

75.42

Accounts of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing twelve verifications):

75.43

In the Han, there was the anomaly of Tan Sheng's underworld marriage.
In the Jin, there was the anomaly of Lu Chong's underworld marriage.
In the Jin, there was the anomaly in Henan of a man who moved a woman to be reborn.
In the Jin, there was the anomaly of Zhang Shizhi's underworld marriage.
In the Jin, there was the anomaly of Ping Mazi who moved a woman to be reborn.
In the Jin, there was the anomaly of Huan Daomin who moved his wife to be reborn.
In the Song, there was the anomaly of Han Bozi and others pointing at a shrine woman's statue for an underworld marriage.
In the Song, there was the anomaly of a man of Hongnong who was moved to obtain an underworld marriage.
In the Qi, there was the anomaly of the underworld retribution for Wang Huan's jealous murder of a concubine.
In the Qi, there was the anomaly of the underworld retribution for Lady Chen's jealous mutilation of a former wife's child.
In the Tang, there was the anomaly of Wang Zhi's underworld marriage in Qizhou.
In the Tang, there was the anomaly of the underworld retribution for a printer's wife who broke her vow with an external illicit affair.

75.44

In the Han, there was a man named Tan Sheng. At forty he had no wife. He was always moved with zeal as he chanted the scriptures, not sleeping throughout the night. At midnight, a lovely maiden of fifteen or sixteen, whose beauty, countenance, and attire were peerless in the realm, came to join Tan Sheng, and they became husband and wife. She said to him: 'I do not pass the night in the manner of ordinary mortals. Be careful never to illuminate me with fire. Only after three years have passed may you shine light on me.' Tan Sheng lived with her as husband and wife, and she bore a son who was already two years old. Unable to restrain himself, one night while she was asleep, he secretly lit a light to inspect her. Below her waist she was flesh like an ordinary person, but above her waist she was only dry bone. The wife awoke and thereupon departed, saying: 'You have betrayed me. My body was just about to complete its transformation. Why could you not endure for one more year, but insisted on shining a light on me?' Tan Sheng apologized, weeping incessantly. She said: 'Though you and I have great obligations to each other, we must part now. Yet thinking of my child, I fear you are poor and unable to sustain yourself; follow me for a while, and I will bequeath you some goods.' Tan Sheng followed her into a splendid hall and an orchid-scented chamber, filled with extraordinary vessels and furnishings. She gave him a pearl-adorned coverlet and said: 'This will suffice for your sustenance.' She tore off the hem of Tan Sheng's robe, kept it, bid him farewell, and departed. Later, Tan Sheng took the coverlet to the marketplace. The King of Suiyang purchased it for ten million cash. The King recognized it and said: 'This is my daughter's coverlet! How could it be in the market? This man must have ransacked my daughter's tomb!' He then arrested and interrogated Tan Sheng. Tan Sheng answered fully with the truth. The King still did not believe him, so he went to inspect his daughter's tomb. The tomb was completely undisturbed, as before. Opening it to look, under the coffin lid they indeed found the hem of the robe. He summoned the boy to look at him, and his features resembled the King's daughter. The King thereupon believed him, immediately released Tan Sheng, reinstated his status, and accepted him as his son-in-law, memorializing the throne to make his son a Gentleman-of-the-Palace. (The single verification above is from the *Soushen ji*.)

75.45

During the Jin dynasty, there was Lu Chong of Fanyang. Thirty *li* to the west of his home was the tomb of Cui, the Major of the Palace. When Chong was twenty, on the day before the winter solstice, he went out west of his residence on a hunting outing. Seeing a roebuck, he shot it; after being struck, the roebuck fell, then got up again and ran. Chong pursued it step by step, unaware of how far he had gone. Suddenly, about a *li* north of the road, he saw tile-roofed buildings on all four sides, resembling an official mansion; the roebuck was no longer visible. When he reached the gate, an usher called out for the guest to step forward. There was another person holding a bundle of new clothes who said: 'The Lord of the Manor invites the young gentleman with these clothes.' Chong took and put them on, and went in to see the Major of the Palace. The Major said to Chong: 'Your noble father did not consider my family humble and lowly; recently I received a letter from him asking for my younger daughter's hand in marriage on your behalf, which is why I have welcomed you here.' He then showed the letter to Chong. When Chong's father died, Chong was still young, but he recognized his father's handwriting; he then wept and made no excuses. Cui ordered the inner quarters: 'Young Master Lu has arrived; have the young lady adorn herself and proceed to the eastern gallery.' At dusk, the inner quarters reported: 'The young lady's adornment is complete.' Cui said to Chong: 'Sir, you may proceed to the eastern gallery.' Having arrived, the bride had already descended from the carriage and stood at the head of the mat. They immediately bowed together. For three days, they were provided with food and drink. When the three days were over, Cui said to Chong: 'Sir, you may return home. If my daughter happens to bear a boy, she will give him to you; if she bears a girl, she will keep and raise her herself.' He ordered several carriages outside to escort the guest. Chong then took his leave and departed. Cui escorted him to the middle gate, held his hands, and wept. Stepping outside the gate, he saw a single carriage harnessed to a blue-gray ox, and also saw the clothes and bow and arrows he had originally worn, still outside the gate. Soon an attendant was sent with a person holding a bundle of clothes to deliver a message to Chong: 'Our marital alliance has just begun, and parting brings great sorrow. I now present a set of clothes, complete with quilt and mattress.' Chong boarded the carriage and left, speeding like lightning. In an instant he reached home. His mother asked what had happened, and Chong reported the details fully. Four years after the parting, on the third day of the third month, Chong was by the water's edge enjoying the festival when he suddenly saw a single carriage beside the water, sinking and floating by turns. Soon it came ashore, seen by everyone seated around. Chong went and opened the carriage's rear door, and saw Lady Cui sitting with a four-year-old boy. She handed the boy back to Chong, gave him a golden bowl as a parting gift, and also presented a poem that read:

75.46

"Resplendent is the nature of the sacred mushroom, / How luxuriant and brightly fair! / Its radiant blooms were manifest in their season, / A joyous union revealing the wondrous and divine. / Harboring petals before reaching full fruition, / In midsummer it withered under frost. / Its glory extinguished forever in darkness, / From the worldly path barred for eternity. / Little realizing the course of yin and yang, / The wise one suddenly came in splendor. / After this single parting today, / When could we ever meet again?"

75.47

Chong took the child, the bowl, and the poem, and suddenly she vanished. Chong later rode in a carriage to the market to sell the bowl, hoping someone would recognize it. A maidservant recognized the bowl and went back to report to her mistress: 'In the market I saw a man in a carriage selling the golden bowl from Young Mistress Cui's coffin.' The mistress was Lady Cui's maternal aunt. She sent her son to inspect it, and it was indeed as the maid had said. He boarded the carriage, gave his name, and said to Chong: 'Long ago, my elder maternal cousin, the daughter of the Major of the Palace, married and died; the family mourned her deeply and placed a golden bowl in her coffin as a gift. Can you explain the origin of this bowl?' Chong related the matter, and the cousin was also moved to tears. He took the bowl back and informed his mother. The mother immediately ordered Chong's family to bring the boy back; all the five degrees of kin gathered. The child had the features of the Cui clan and also bore a resemblance to Chong. Both child and bowl were verified. The aunt said: 'This is my nephew.' They gave him the courtesy name Wenxiu. 'Wenxiu' means 'wedded in the darkness.' When the child grew up, he became a commandery administrator; his descendants succeeded one another as officials up to the present day. His descendant Lu Zhi, styled Zijian, became famous throughout the realm. (The single verification above is from the *Xu soushen ji*.)

75.48

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty, a young man and woman in Hejian Commandery fell in love and agreed to marry. Soon after, the young man was conscripted into the army for many years. The parents married the girl to another man, and before long she died of grief. When the young man returned, in deep sorrow, he went to her gravesite. At first, he wished only to weep and express his grief, but overcome with emotion, he excavated the tomb and opened the coffin, and she instantly revived. He then carried her home, nursed and cared for her, and after a few days she fully recovered. Her husband then went to demand her back. The young man would not return her, saying: 'Your wife was already dead; when in the world has anyone heard of a dead person reviving? This is a gift bestowed on me by Heaven; she is no longer your wife.' They took each other to court, but neither the commandery nor the county could decide the matter, and they submitted the case to the Minister of Justice. The Minister of Justice memorialized: 'Her revival from death was moved by the extremity of earnest devotion, resonating with Heaven and Earth. This falls outside ordinary principles and cannot be settled by conventional etiquette or decided by ordinary forms of law.' He ruled that she should be returned to the one who opened the tomb. (The single verification above is from the *Soushen ji*.)

75.49

In the Jin dynasty, Li Zhongwen, the Grand Administrator of Wudu, lost his daughter in the commandery when she was eighteen. She was temporarily buried north of the commandery seat. Zhang Shizhi succeeded him as administrator. Shizhi had a son styled Zichang, aged twenty, who served as an attendant in the stables. He dreamed of a girl aged seventeen or eighteen, of extraordinary beauty, who identified herself as the daughter of the former administrator: 'Unfortunate to die young, I am now destined to be revived. My heart loves you, which is why I have come to join you.' After five or six such nights, she suddenly appeared in broad daylight, her clothes bearing an exquisite fragrance. They became husband and wife and slept together; the garments were stained, just as with a virgin. Later, Zhongwen sent a maidservant to inspect his daughter's grave. Passing by Shizhi's residence, the maid entered the stables and saw one of the girl's shoes under Zichang's bed. Picking it up, she wept and cried out: 'The tomb has been ransacked!' She took the shoe back and showed it to Zhongwen. Shocked, Zhongwen sent word to Shizhi: 'How did your son come by my deceased daughter's shoe?' Shizhi summoned and questioned his son, who related the whole story from start to finish. Both Li and Zhang thought it strange. When they opened the coffin to inspect it, the girl's body had already grown flesh, and her countenance was as it had been in life; her right foot wore a shoe, but the left foot had none. From then on, she died completely, her flesh rotted, and she could not revive. What words could express the myriad regrets in their hearts? Weeping and shedding tears, they parted.

75.50

In the Jin dynasty, Ping Xiaojiang of Dongping served as the Grand Administrator of Guangzhou. His son was named Mazi, aged twenty-odd, who slept alone in the stables. At night he dreamed of a girl aged eighteen or nineteen, who said: 'I am the daughter of Xu Xuanfang of Beihai, the former administrator. Unfortunate to die young, it has been four years since my death. I was wrongfully killed by a ghost. According to the Master of Records, I am destined to live past eighty, and I am permitted to revive. I must have someone to rely upon, Mazi, before I can come back to life, and I am destined to be your wife. Can you comply with my request and save my life?' Mazi replied: 'I can.' She set a date with Mazi for her emergence. When the day came, hair emerged from the ground in front of his bed, level with the floor. He ordered people to sweep it away, but it grew even clearer. Only then did he realize it was the one he had seen in his dream. He dismissed his attendants, and gradually her forehead emerged, then her face, then her neck and body all emerged at once. Mazi had her sit on the couch facing him, and she spoke of extraordinary matters. She then slept with Mazi, always admonishing: 'I am still ethereal, and must restrain myself.' When asked when she could fully emerge, she replied: 'My emergence must coincide with my original birth; the day of my birth has not yet arrived.' She then went to the stables, and everyone could hear the sound of her voice. When the girl calculated that her birth date had arrived, she fully instructed Mazi on the method to care for her after she emerged. Having spoken, she bowed and departed. Mazi followed her words. When the day came, with one red cock, a plate of millet, and a sheng of clear wine, he performed a libation before her grave, more than ten paces from the stables. The sacrifice completed, he dug up the coffin and opened it to look; the girl's body and features were completely intact, as before. Slowly he carried her out and placed her inside a felt tent; only below her heart was faint warmth, and her mouth had breath. He ordered four maidservants to attend and protect her, constantly dripping the milk of a blue-black goat into her eyes. Only then did she open her mouth and manage to swallow gruel. Gradually she was able to speak, within two hundred days she arose to walk with a staff, and after a full year her complexion, flesh, and vigor were completely restored to normal. He then sent word to the Xu clan, and everyone high and low came. Selecting an auspicious day, they presented betrothal gifts and wed as husband and wife. She bore two sons and one daughter. The eldest son was styled Yuanqing, who served as a Gentleman of the Palace in the Palace Library in the early Yongjia era; the younger son was styled Jingdu, who served as an aide to the Grand Tutor. The daughter married Liu Ziyan of Jinan, the grandson of the summoned scholar Yanshi. (The two verifications above are from the *Xu soushen ji*.)

75.51

In the Jin dynasty, Huan Daomin was a man of Qiao. In the fourth year of the Long'an era of Jin, his wife died. Daomin's devotion to his wife was exceedingly profound, and his grief was endless. That year, as he was about to sleep one night, he saw a human hand above the folding screen. Startled, he arose, lit a torch, and shone it outside the screen; it was indeed his wife. Her appearance was dignified, completely as in life. Min was not at all afraid, and brought her in to lie down with him; they exchanged conversation, recounting life and death. Min said: 'Since you passed away, there was never any trace or message from you; how is it that you have suddenly returned tonight?' She replied: 'How could there be any limit to my desire to return? But the ways of mortals and spirits are different, each under their own jurisdiction, with no means to act on our own. In life, your bride committed almost no offenses, except that I constantly suspected you of doting on the maidservants; for this jealous mind, I received retribution in the hells and have only just been released. Now I am due to be reborn as a human, which is why I came to bid you farewell.' Min said: 'Where will you be born? Can I seek and find you?' She replied: 'I only know I am to be reborn, but cannot tell where. Once a person of the world, there is no way to know one's past lives; how could you seek and find me?' At dawn she bid farewell, parting with tears streaming. Min escorted her as far as the covered walkway before returning. Only afterward did he feel immense terror, remaining in a daze for days.

75.52

During the Xianning era of the Song, the son of Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Han Bo, the son of Administrator of Kuaiji Wang Yun, and the son of Grandee of the Splendid Happiness Liu Dan were touring the shrine at Mount Jiang together. In the shrine were statues of several women that were extremely dignified and beautiful. In their drunkenness, each pointed to a statue to take as his wife, joking and jesting about the pairings. That very night, all three had the same dream: Lord Jiang sent a messenger to announce to them, saying, 'The girls of my household are quite plain and ugly, yet they have received your generous regard. I have therefore set a certain day of a certain month when all will be welcomed.' Since their dreams matched this extraordinary event, they sought out one another to ask, and indeed, each had experienced the identical dream, fitting together like a single seal. Thereupon, they were terrified, and they prepared three sacrificial animals and went to the shrine to apologize and plead for mercy. They again all dreamt that Lord Jiang came in person and said to them, 'Gentlemen, since you already extended your regard, I truly yearned for it. Now that the appointed time is at hand, how could there be room for regret in the middle of things?' Shortly thereafter, they all died. (This one verification is from the Zhiguai zhuan.)

75.53

In the Song period, there was a man of Yangshouli in Tongxiang of Huayin in Hongnong. He consumed the eight minerals and attained the transcendence of water paths, becoming the River Earl. The Youming lu states: South of Yuhang County there is the Upper Xiang. In the middle of the Xiang, an embankment was built. A man rode a horse to look at it, jokingly taking three or four people to Cen Village to drink wine. Becoming slightly intoxicated, he returned at dusk. It was hot at the time, so he dismounted, went into the water, and slept pillowing on a rock. The horse broke loose and galloped home, and his attendants all chased after the horse and did not return by nightfall. When he awoke from sleep, the sun had already inclined toward late afternoon, and he saw neither his people nor the horse. He saw a maiden arrive, about sixteen or seventeen years of age, who said, 'This young lady offers two bows. Dusk has already come, and this place is terribly frightening. What are you planning, sir?' He asked, 'What is the young lady's surname? How is it you suddenly ask about me?' Again, there was a youth, about thirteen or fourteen years of age, who was quite sharp and rode in a new carriage. Twenty men followed behind the carriage. Calling him to board the carriage, the youth said, 'The elder wishes to see you briefly.' Thereupon, the carriage turned around and departed. On the path, the traffic was continuous; men carried torches to patrol the city walls and settlements. When the carriage arrived, they entered the city and advanced to the administrative hall. Above hung a communication pennant inscribed 'Dispatch of the River Earl.' He saw a man around thirty years of age whose countenance was like a painting, with numerous attendants and guards. Meeting face to face, they rejoiced. He ordered wine and roast meat to be served, saying, 'I have a young daughter who is quite intelligent. I wish to provide her to hold your broom and dustpan.' This man knew he was a spirit, and out of respect and fear, he did not dare defy him. [The River Earl] then ordered preparations to be made to have him conclude the marriage as son-in-law. When it was reported that preparations were complete, they sent silk-fabric unlined garments, lined gauze robes, silk skirts, gauze shirts, trousers, shoes, and sandals, all exquisitely fine. They also provided ten junior clerks and dozens of maids dressed in green. The woman was about eighteen or nineteen, graceful and charming, and the marriage was concluded. Three days later, there was a great gathering of guests to pay respects at the hall. On the fourth day, [the Earl] said, 'Since ritual limits this, you must now be dispatched to leave.' The woman gave him a golden bowl and a musk scent pouch; weeping tears, they parted from each other. She also gave him one hundred thousand cash and three scrolls of medical recipes, saying, 'With these you can bestow merit and spread virtue.' She also said, 'In ten years, I will welcome you.' When this man returned home, he refused to marry anyone else. He took leave of his parents, left the household, and became a Daoist practitioner. Of the three scrolls of recipes he had received, one scroll was the Pulse Classic, one was decoction formulas, and one was pill formulas. He traveled around treating and curing, all producing miraculous efficacy. Later, because his mother grew old and his elder brother died, he returned to lay life, marriage, and an official career. (This one verification is from the Soushen ji.)

75.54

Wang Huan of Langye in the Qi served the Qi court, reaching the post of Left Servant of the Directorate of the Department of State Affairs. He had great faith in the Buddhist scriptures, yet his jealousy was profound, so that he forgot vast forgiveness. He was once in his studio having his beloved concubine groom his whiskers. Suddenly, a crow carrying a yellow plum flew over the courtyard and dropped it. Huan believed that the concubine had an illicit rendezvous and threw the fruit as a flirtation. He had a male slave go outside to spy. The slave happened to see a gentleman strolling in secret toward the fence. The slave immediately went to seize him, but this man cursed angrily and spoke foul obscenities, then quickly ran off. The slave returned and reported it. Huan believed there was real evidence and severely interrogated her. The concubine set forth her plea in full, but in the end was not believed. He immediately sent her down the steps and had her beaten to death. Undoing her clothes, the concubine swore, saying, 'My death today is truly an unjust wrong. If the way of men and gods exists, I shall cause the official to know!' Thereafter, she was seen several times coming to voice her grievance. Shortly afterward, Huan was sent out to serve as Regional Inspector of Yongzhou. His nature gradually grew mad and strange, as though he were possessed. For no reason, he beat to death an officer of his minor staff. His Chief Clerk, Liu Xingzu, falsely accused him of intending to rebel, and he was impeached by the Palace Attendant and Imperial Censor Kong Zhiwei. Emperor Shizu dispatched Palace Drafting Aide Lü Wenxian and General of the Imperial Bodyguard Cao Daogang to lead Qi guardsmen to arrest Huan. Huan's son Biao was known for being fierce and violent; he and Huan's son-in-law Yin Rui then urged Huan, saying, 'Cao and Lü have come today without showing an authentic imperial decree. We fear it is treason. The proper course is to seize them and gallop to report it to the throne.' Huan adopted their advice, assembled over a thousand men, and closed the gates to hold the defense with weapons. Biao then directly engaged the government army in battle. Biao was defeated and fled. Pei Shuye, Chief Clerk of Pacifying the Barbarians, raised troops within the city, attacked Huan, and decapitated him. People at the time considered this the retribution of the concubine. (These two verifications are from the Mingxiang ji.)

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese