大唐內典錄 10.73

10.73

Furthermore, recently, on the twenty-seventh day of the first month in the third year of Longshuo, a grandson of Gao Biaoren, who had once read the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, rode a horse out from Shunyi Gate. Two horsemen pursued him, saying, 'Now you are captured!' The man asked, 'Who are you, gentlemen?' They answered, 'We are emissaries of Yamarāja, sent here to summon you.' In terror and haste, the man galloped his horse westward, intending to take refuge at Puguang Si. The emissaries said, 'Quickly seize the temple gate and do not let him enter! If he enters, he will escape.' When he reached the temple gate, he saw a horseman already seizing the gate. He ran west again, intending to enter Kaishan [Si], but they again ordered a horseman to seize the gate. He then followed them and fled west, intending to return to his own residence. The residence was east of Huadu Si; fearing the road was too long, he wanted to enter Liquan Ward. One horseman was in front; the man struck him with a fist, and the ghost fell from his horse. The other ghost said, 'This man is exceedingly rough! Quickly drag him down and pull back his hair!' He was immediately seized by the hair as if sliced by a knife, thrown afar to the ground, and fell from his horse along with his hair. His family carried him home. Toward evening, he revived and said: 'I saw King Yama in full detail. He said, "Why did you steal the sangha's fruit? Why did you speak of the faults of the Triratna?" Thereupon I submitted to my guilt and dared not utter a word. The king said, "For the sin of stealing fruit, you must swallow four hundred and fifty iron pellets, enduring it for four years before it is exhausted. For the sin of speaking of faults, your tongue must be plowed."' Thereupon he was released and let out. He then revived. After a short while, he fell unconscious again; his mouth moved as if swallowing something, his entire body became fiery red, and he showed signs of agony. Only after a day did he awaken, saying that he had swallowed over a hundred pellets over the course of a year, the suffering of which was unspeakable. The next day was the same. When exactly four days had passed, the swallowing of pellets was also finished. They were just about to pull out his tongue to plow it, but though they pulled, it would not come out. Checking the case records for the reason, it was stated, 'He once read the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra; his tongue cannot be pulled out.' Thereupon he was released and allowed to live. He is currently with Master Yuanman at Huadu Si, listening to the Dharma and repenting, and so forth.