第九唐幽州漁陽縣虞安良助他人造釋迦像免苦感應
Tang Dynasty, Youzhou, Yuyang County: Yu Anliang Helped Create a Shakyamuni Statue and Was Spared Suff
幽州漁陽縣安良。姓虞氏。家族以殺生為業。良所殺生。不知幾千萬億。又復不識修功德。恒云。修善者必衰。生年三十七。遊獵落馬。悶絕頓氣盡。經半日方活。起悲泣投身於大地。悔過於淨天云。吾謬吾謬。奴婢問所由。良久而曰。吾初悶絕之時。二人馬頭牛頭。以火車來投入吾身。猛火燒身。苦痛無量。時有一人綵服僧。來以水灑車上。以手拒逆火。身心苦息。至于閻魔法王所。王見沙門。從階走下。合掌恭敬白言。何故來坐。僧曰。此罪人是我檀越。欲乞暫命。王曰。惡人也。不可放還。但大師故來不可惜之。僧將我還。良心懷疑怪。助我不審。誰即問僧。答曰。汝不識否。汝兄安通發心。造釋迦像。汝依緣投錢三十文。助彼造像。既投少錢令造我像。是故來救汝。見綵服以為驗。言已不見。以是因緣故。悔過悲責。迺過安通家。兄像全同所見。被服感悟。自造像矣。
In Youzhou, Yuyang County, there lived a man named An Liang, whose family name was Yu. His family made a living by killing living beings. The number of creatures An Liang had killed was beyond measure—thousands upon millions. Moreover, he never cultivated good deeds or merit. He always claimed, "People who practice virtue are sure to decline." At the age of thirty-seven, while out hunting, he fell from his horse. He became unconscious and stopped breathing, only reviving after half a day.
Upon waking, he wept bitterly, threw himself on the ground, and repented to the Pure Heaven, crying, "I was wrong! I was terribly wrong!" His servant asked him what had happened. After a long pause, he said, "When I first lost consciousness, two beings—one with a horse's head, one with an ox's head—came with a fiery chariot and threw me into it. Blazing flames burned my body, and my suffering was unbearable. At that moment, a monk in colorful robes arrived and sprinkled water on the chariot, using his hand to ward off the fire. My body and mind found relief, and soon I was brought before King Yama, the Lord of Judgment.
The king saw the monk, descended from his throne, and with palms joined, respectfully asked, 'Why have you come?' The monk replied, 'This sinner was once my benefactor. I wish to ask for a temporary reprieve for his life.' The king said, 'He is an evil man. He cannot be released. Yet, since a great master has come, I cannot refuse you.'
The monk then brought me back. My mind was filled with doubt and wonder, wondering who had helped me. So I asked the monk. He answered, 'Don't you recognize me? Your elder brother, An Tong, made a vow to craft a statue of Shakyamuni. You, in connection with that, contributed thirty coins to help make the statue. Since you gave those small coins to create my image, I have come to save you. You see these colorful robes as proof.' Having said this, he vanished.
Because of this event, I repented in sorrow and self-blame. I then went to An Tong's home and found that the statue of the Buddha he had made was identical to the vision I had seen, including the robes. Deeply moved, I resolved to create my own statue."