X88n1641_見聞錄

卍新續藏第 88 冊 No. 1641 見聞錄

No. 1641

見聞錄

古吳沙門　智旭　隨筆

楚中有一生員。心跡正直。值冥府缺第七殿。上帝命暫主之。每隔數日則入冥理事。但正坐簡閱文簿。不勞簽判。而隨彼前人行業。罪福異趣。每見有自上刀山劍樹者。輒使左右救之。愈救愈上。竟莫能挽也。一日閱簿。見其妻有一罪款云。盜鄰雞一隻。連毛重一斤十二兩。遂折而識之。回陽詰問其妻。妻尚抵謾。彼述冥間所見質之。乃首曰。鄰雞食所曬物。失手誤打令死。懼鄰婦詬厲。故尚藏未發耳。因取出秤之。斤兩不爽。相對驚異。遂以死雞並價償謝鄰人。未幾復入冥。簡視前簿摺痕如故。而罪款已無影跡矣(江西養智禪人說)。

乙卯科浙省解元馮銓。因會試入燕都。有一老人止生二女。仰銓為名士也。拜而托之。銓下第歸。帶至揚州。竟潛賣與娼家。媒來取二女。二女詬為誣誑。媒出詮手書示之。二女驚哭。遂投水死。是夜詮妻夢二散發女子從溝道入。一鬼從之。手持虎頭牌。有速拿馮詮四字。驚異而醒。未幾詮安隱歸家。妻相接甚歡。詮問曰。我已下第。胡故歡甚。妻默不言。再三逼問。乃述前夢。詮正經行樓上。聞說夢畢。身即戰慄從樓墮下。七竅流血悶絕

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本《見聞錄》

古吳沙門（指居住在古吳地區的出家僧人）智旭（作者法號）隨筆

楚地（古代楚國的區域，大致在今湖北、湖南一帶）有一位生員（明清時通過科舉考試，取得入學資格的讀書人）。他心地正直。恰逢冥府（陰間）缺少第七殿的管理者，上帝（指天帝）便命他暫時代理。每隔幾天，他就會進入冥府處理事務。只是端坐著翻閱文簿，不用簽判（古代官府中的一種輔助官員）。而是按照那些人前世的行為，罪孽深重或福報深厚，各有不同的去處。每當看到有自己登上刀山劍樹（地獄中的酷刑）的人，總是讓左右（指冥府的差役）去救他們。但越救他們卻越往上爬，最終也無法挽救。有一天，他翻閱文簿，看到他的妻子有一條罪款，上面寫著：『盜鄰居雞一隻，連毛重一斤十二兩。』於是他摺疊了那一頁，做了個記號。回到陽間（人間）后，他質問他的妻子。他的妻子還想抵賴。他便講述了在冥間所見到的情況來質問她。他的妻子才承認說：『鄰居的雞吃了我曬的東西，我失手誤打死了它。害怕鄰居婦人責罵，所以一直藏著沒說。』於是取出雞來稱重，斤兩分毫不差。兩人相對驚異。於是用死雞和錢財向鄰居賠償道歉。沒過多久，他又進入冥府，檢視之前的文簿，摺疊的痕跡還在，但罪款已經無影無蹤了（江西養智禪人所說）。

乙卯科（明朝崇禎八年，1635年）浙江省的解元（鄉試第一名）馮銓，因為參加會試（進京參加的科舉考試）來到燕都（北京）。有一位老人只有兩個女兒，仰慕馮銓是位名士，便拜託他。馮銓科舉落榜回家，將兩個女兒帶到揚州，竟然偷偷地將她們賣給了妓院。媒婆來接兩個女兒，兩個女兒罵媒婆是誣陷。媒婆拿出馮銓的手書給她們看，兩個女兒驚恐哭泣，於是投水自盡。當天晚上，馮銓的妻子夢見兩個披散著頭髮的女子從溝渠進入，一個鬼跟在她們後面，手裡拿著虎頭牌，上面寫著『速拿馮銓』四個字。她驚恐地醒來。沒過多久，馮銓平安地回到家中。妻子非常高興地迎接他。馮銓問道：『我已經落榜了，你為什麼這麼高興？』妻子沉默不語。再三逼問，才講述了之前的夢。馮銓正在樓上走動，聽到妻子說完夢，身體立刻戰慄，從樓上摔了下來，七竅流血，昏死了過去。

【English Translation】 English version Record of What Was Seen and Heard

Written by Shramana (Buddhist monk) Zhixu of Guwu (ancient name for the region around present-day Suzhou)

In the region of Chu (ancient state roughly corresponding to present-day Hubei and Hunan provinces), there was a scholar (student who passed the preliminary civil service exam). He was upright in heart and conduct. It happened that the seventh court of the Underworld was lacking an administrator, so the Supreme Deity (referring to the Jade Emperor) ordered him to temporarily take charge. Every few days, he would enter the Underworld to handle affairs. He would simply sit and review the documents, without needing a secretary. Instead, according to the deeds of those who came before him, whether their sins were heavy or their blessings abundant, they would go to different destinations. Whenever he saw someone ascending the Mountain of Knives or the Tree of Swords (tortures in hell), he would always order his attendants (referring to the underworld servants) to save them. But the more they tried to save them, the higher they climbed, and ultimately they could not be rescued. One day, he was reviewing the documents and saw that his wife had a charge listed: 'Stole one chicken from the neighbor, weighing one catty and twelve taels with feathers.' So he folded that page and marked it. After returning to the human realm, he questioned his wife. His wife still tried to deny it. He then described what he had seen in the Underworld to question her. His wife then confessed, saying: 'The neighbor's chicken ate what I was drying, and I accidentally hit it and killed it. Fearing the neighbor woman's scolding, I kept it hidden and didn't say anything.' So she took out the chicken and weighed it, and the weight was exactly right. They were both surprised. So she used the dead chicken and money to compensate and apologize to the neighbor. Not long after, he entered the Underworld again and checked the previous document. The fold mark was still there, but the charge had disappeared without a trace (as told by Zen Master Yangzhi of Jiangxi).

During the Yimao year (1635 AD) of the Chongzhen (last emperor of Ming Dynasty) reign, Feng Quan, the top scholar (first-place graduate) of Zhejiang Province, came to Yandu (Beijing) to participate in the metropolitan exam (civil service exam in the capital). There was an old man who had only two daughters, and he admired Feng Quan as a famous scholar, so he entrusted them to him. Feng Quan failed the exam and returned home, bringing the two daughters to Yangzhou, where he secretly sold them to a brothel. A matchmaker came to pick up the two daughters, and the two daughters cursed the matchmaker for slander. The matchmaker showed them a letter written by Feng Quan, and the two daughters were shocked and wept, so they drowned themselves. That night, Feng Quan's wife dreamed of two disheveled women entering from the ditch, followed by a ghost holding a tiger-head plaque with the words 'Quickly seize Feng Quan' written on it. She woke up in fright. Not long after, Feng Quan returned home safely. His wife greeted him with great joy. Feng Quan asked, 'I have failed the exam, why are you so happy?' His wife remained silent. After being pressed repeatedly, she told him about the previous dream. Feng Quan was walking upstairs when he heard his wife finish the dream, and his body immediately trembled, and he fell from the stairs, bleeding from all seven orifices, and fainted.

于地。家人急扶起。喚醒之。乃具述負心事。言畢遂死(舟中嘉興人說)。

蘇州庠生陸谷。字戩夫。曩與予同參寒灰湛明諸公。后專精禪學。頗有省發。益復沉靜。庚午歲暮乘小舟有所往。忽遇糧船上六人借登其舟。舟遂覆。六人皆無恙。谷竟溺死。家屬償其修行無靈驗。乃示夢曰。余往世曾以一方便害此六人。今償夙債。非修行咎也。設不修行。報當更劇矣。

洞庭西山蔡坦如居士。妻甚賢良。持齋唸佛放生然燈。密作眾福不求人知。既病劇。謂坦如曰。死固不須擇日。但世人俗見謂修行人乃惡日死。亦所不便。幸為擇日。明日吉乎。答云不吉。後日吉乎。答云亦不吉。乃曰。吾不能更待矣。今日吉乎。答云今日頗吉。因即命取水澡浴。集親友唸佛。正坐合掌而逝。

吳江太湖灘有一老人。生平惟喜唸佛放生。別無所知。每行路時拾灘頭螄蜆放入水中。雖極冗不顧。平日遇有生命輒解衣割食買放。曾無退懈。忽一日謂家人曰。吾當西逝。可集親友送我。因集眾唸佛。安然坐逝。異香經宿不散(吳江鑒空師說)。

杭州北關羅四。造大悲像。鑄鏡光。有老嫗以一小鏡相助。羅愛其古。存之。初鑄僅成四邊。二鑄僅成半鏡。三鑄中缺一孔。與所留古鏡大小正等。乃出所留鏡投爐且云。此鑄若

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：倒在地上，家人急忙扶起他，把他喚醒。他便詳細地敘述了背信棄義的事情，說完就死了（是舟中的嘉興人說的）。蘇州的秀才陸谷，字戩夫，以前曾和我一起參訪寒灰湛明等諸位高僧。後來他專心研究禪學，頗有領悟和啓發，更加沉靜。庚午年（1690年）年末，他乘坐小船前往某地，忽然遇到一艘糧船上的六個人請求搭他的船。船因此翻覆，六個人都安然無恙，陸谷卻溺水而死。他的家屬責怪他修行沒有靈驗。陸谷便在夢中告訴他們說：『我前世曾經用一個方便法門害了這六個人，今生是來償還宿債的，這並非修行的過錯。如果我不修行，報應會更加嚴重。』洞庭西山的蔡坦如居士，他的妻子非常賢良，持齋唸佛，放生點燈，暗中做了很多善事而不求人知道。在她病重的時候，對蔡坦如說：『死本來不必選擇日子，但是世俗之人認為修行人在不好的日子死去，也是不方便的。希望你為我選擇一個日子。明天是吉日嗎？』蔡坦如回答說不吉利。『後天是吉日嗎？』蔡坦如回答說也不吉利。她就說：『我不能再等了，今天吉利嗎？』蔡坦如回答說今天還算吉利。於是她就命人取水洗澡，召集親友唸佛，端正地坐著，合掌而逝。吳江太湖灘上有一位老人，一生只喜歡唸佛放生，別無所知。每次走路時，他都會撿起灘頭上的螺螄、蜆子放入水中，即使非常勞累也不在意。平日裡遇到有生命的動物，總是解下衣服，節省食物來買來放生，從不懈怠。忽然有一天，他對家人說：『我將要往生西方了，可以召集親友來送我。』於是召集眾人唸佛，安然坐著去世了，奇異的香味經過一夜都沒有散去（是吳江鑒空師說的）。杭州北關的羅四，建造大悲像，鑄造鏡子。有一位老婦人拿出一面小鏡子來幫助他。羅四喜愛這面鏡子的古老，就把它儲存了下來。第一次鑄造只成了四邊，第二次鑄造只成了半面鏡子，第三次鑄造中間缺了一個孔，和所留下的古鏡大小正好相等。於是拿出所留下的鏡子投入爐中，並且說：『這次鑄造如果

【English Translation】 English version: He fell to the ground. His family members hurriedly helped him up and woke him. Then, he described in detail the matter of his faithlessness. After speaking, he died (as told by a Jiaxing person on the boat). Lu Gu, a scholar from Suzhou, styled Jianfu, used to visit eminent monks such as Han Hui Zhanming with me. Later, he devoted himself to the study of Chan Buddhism, gaining considerable insight and inspiration, becoming even more serene. At the end of the Gengwu year (1690), he was traveling somewhere by small boat when he suddenly encountered six people from a grain boat who asked to board his boat. The boat capsized as a result. All six people were unharmed, but Lu Gu drowned. His family blamed his practice for being ineffective. Lu Gu then told them in a dream: 'In a previous life, I used a expedient means to harm these six people. This life is to repay the karmic debt. This is not the fault of my practice. If I had not practiced, the retribution would have been even more severe.' Layman Cai Tanru of West Dongting Mountain had a very virtuous wife who observed vegetarianism, recited Buddha's name, released living beings, and lit lamps. She secretly performed many good deeds without seeking recognition. When she became seriously ill, she said to Cai Tanru: 'Death does not necessarily require choosing a date, but worldly people believe that a practitioner dying on an inauspicious day is also inconvenient. I hope you can choose a date for me. Is tomorrow auspicious?' Cai Tanru replied that it was not. 'Is the day after tomorrow auspicious?' Cai Tanru replied that it was also not auspicious. She then said: 'I cannot wait any longer. Is today auspicious?' Cai Tanru replied that today was fairly auspicious. So she ordered people to fetch water to bathe, gathered relatives and friends to recite Buddha's name, and passed away peacefully while sitting upright with her palms together. There was an old man on the Taihu beach in Wujiang who only liked to recite Buddha's name and release living beings throughout his life, knowing nothing else. Every time he walked, he would pick up snails and clams from the beach and put them into the water, not caring if it was very tiring. On weekdays, whenever he encountered living creatures, he would always take off his clothes and save food to buy them and release them, never slacking off. Suddenly one day, he said to his family: 'I am going to be reborn in the West. You can gather relatives and friends to send me off.' So he gathered everyone to recite Buddha's name, and passed away peacefully while sitting down. The strange fragrance did not dissipate overnight (as told by Master Jiankong of Wujiang). Luo Si of Beiguan in Hangzhou, built a Great Compassion Image and cast a mirror. An old woman helped him with a small mirror. Luo loved the antiquity of the mirror and kept it. The first casting only formed the four sides, the second casting only formed half a mirror, and the third casting was missing a hole in the middle, which was exactly the same size as the old mirror he had kept. So he took out the mirror he had kept and threw it into the furnace, and said: 'If this casting

成。吾當懺悔。若復不成。非吾咎矣。鑄果立就。於是復捐貲禮懺。今其鏡現在龍居永慶寺懺壇。

姑蘇陽山西王象橋。有居民夫婦。每至稻熟時輒于鄰田中搣取禾穗以自益。忽一日亡。父母附於女身大詬曰。汝盜鄰家谷。冥府乃督我搣己田中穗償之。兩手皆傷。不勝苦痛。汝何害我至此耶。

又一居民植菜。有鄰人齊根截去一疇。彼忍而不較。菜乃從根復生。茂盛倍常。次夜鄰又截去一疇。彼不復堪。痛加詛罵。此疇所留菜根倍多。竟枯腐無復生者。

又一居民索陳債。負債者嫌其太迫。即口抵之。彼含恨言。如何負我物而不肯償我。必為毒蛇噬之。未幾患黃病。展轉牀蓆者年餘。負債人聞其病篤。因念云。我本無心負彼。因彼態太惡。故謾相抵耳。今聞其抱病。我當償之。乃備一本一利並禮物四盒往謝。彼人喜甚。相留對飲。飲醉忽吐一蛇。厥病遂愈。

杭州鄉民有田數畝。界在祝鄉䆠田中。祝以勢力迫取之。民無可訴。誓來生作蛇相螫。遂得重病。命匠作棺留一孔穴。匠問知其故。以白于祝。祝悔悟。輿民至家。還其田契。並與養病之資。民感泣即吐出一蛇。霍然起走還家(王元建居士親知其事)。

杭州於行素。妻重病三載有餘。勢在必死。一夜夢彩雲擁菩薩到其庭。歡喜驚

醒。適值云棲大師到城。于率諸眷屬固求大師光臨。師命先作經懺道場四日。至末日乃往焉。病者恍如夢中所見。遂愈。

天啟初年。吳江桑葉大貴。有居民養蠶數筐。因計成繭所得之利。不如賣葉利多。遂埋蠶載葉至湖州鬻之。舟過太湖。有大鯉躍入舟中。民取而藏之頭艙。既至葉店。主人見葉上有血。詰問其故。答曰此魚血也。魚尚在頭艙。試取看之。則儼然一人頭矣。共相驚駭。更迫問之。答曰。實無他故。我自埋蠶賣葉。欲多取利耳。因同眾人至埋蠶處。掘地視之。復得一死屍。與頭相合。乃鳴于官。竟擬死罪。嗟乎。業報為蠶。不免煮繭之苦。亦甚慘矣。況為微利而活埋之。並使不得盡一期之生。人心安在。宜其報應之甚速也。

余母舅金赤城守贑州。因入覲歸家。夏感瘧癥。隱幾假𥧌。夢公署役人環列其左。出家緇流環列其右。復一老人語曰。若本從出家中來。今能回頭仍向此道乎。能則尚可送汝老母。不能則老母反送汝矣。舅因思。吾母已年八十有四。豈當反令其送我耶。即應聲曰。我當回頭。聲未訖。役人遂散。乃隨緇眾梵唄而行。忽動孤寂之感。悲悔而醒。異時在陽山墓廬。為余言之。但以䆠情甚熱。仍蒞贑州。未幾升兗東兵道。歸家病三四日而卒。竟使八旬餘之老母淚眼欲枯。嗚呼

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：醒來。恰逢云棲大師（云棲寺的著名僧侶）來到城裡。於是他率領全家懇請大師光臨。大師命人先做了四天的經懺道場。到了最後一天才前往。病人感覺好像在夢中所見，病就好了。

天啟（明熹宗年號，1621-1627年）初年，吳江的桑葉價格飛漲。有個居民養了幾筐蠶，因為計算下來，把蠶做成繭的利潤，不如直接賣桑葉的利潤多。於是他把蠶埋了，裝上桑葉到湖州去賣。船經過太湖時，有一條大鯉魚跳進船里。這人把魚拿起來藏在船頭。到了桑葉店，店主看見桑葉上有血，就問他原因。他回答說是魚血。魚還在船頭，可以拿出來看看。結果拿出來一看，竟然是一個人頭。大家都很驚恐。又逼問他，他回答說，實在沒有別的原因，我只是因為埋了蠶賣桑葉，想多賺點錢罷了。於是大家一起到他埋蠶的地方，挖開一看，又挖出一具屍體，和人頭正好吻合。於是就告到了官府。最終被判了死罪。唉，因為業報而變成蠶，免不了被煮繭的痛苦，已經很慘了。何況爲了微薄的利益而活埋它們，使它們不能活完一生的壽命，人心何在啊。也難怪他的報應來得這麼快。

我的舅舅金赤城擔任贑州（今江西贛州）的守將。因為進京朝見皇帝后回家，夏天得了瘧疾。靠著幾案休息，迷迷糊糊地睡著了。夢見官署的差役排列在他的左邊，出家的僧人排列在他的右邊。又有一個老人對他說，你本來是從出家修行中來的，現在能回頭仍然走這條路嗎？能的話還可以保全你的老母親，不能的話就是老母親反過來送你走了。舅舅心想，我的母親已經八十四歲了，怎麼能讓她反過來送我呢？就立刻回答說，我應當回頭。話音還沒落，差役就散開了。他就跟著僧眾唱著梵唄走了。忽然感到一種孤獨寂寞的感覺，悲傷後悔而醒來。後來他在陽山的墓廬，對我說了這件事。但是因為貪戀世俗的情感很強烈，仍然去贑州上任。沒多久升任兗東兵道。回家後生病三四天就去世了。最終使得八十多歲的老母親淚眼哭干。唉！

【English Translation】 English version: He woke up. It happened that Venerable Yunqi (a famous monk of Yunqi Temple) came to the city. Thereupon, he led his family to earnestly request the master's presence. The master ordered a four-day sutra chanting ceremony to be held first. He went there on the last day. The patient felt as if he had seen it in a dream, and then recovered.

In the early years of Tianqi (the reign of Emperor Xizong of Ming Dynasty, 1621-1627), the price of mulberry leaves in Wujiang soared. A resident raised several baskets of silkworms, because he calculated that the profit from making silkworms into cocoons was not as much as the profit from selling mulberry leaves directly. So he buried the silkworms and loaded the mulberry leaves to sell in Huzhou. When the boat passed Taihu Lake, a large carp jumped into the boat. The man picked up the fish and hid it in the bow of the boat. When he arrived at the mulberry leaf shop, the owner saw blood on the mulberry leaves and asked him why. He replied that it was fish blood. The fish was still in the bow of the boat, and he could take it out to have a look. As a result, when he took it out, it turned out to be a human head. Everyone was terrified. He was pressed again, and he replied that there was really no other reason, he just wanted to make more money by burying silkworms and selling mulberry leaves. So everyone went to the place where he buried the silkworms, and when they dug it up, they found another corpse, which matched the head exactly. So he was reported to the government. In the end, he was sentenced to death. Alas, because of karma, he became a silkworm, and he could not avoid the pain of being boiled into cocoons, which was already very miserable. What's more, he buried them alive for meager profits, so that they could not live out their lives. Where is the human heart? No wonder his retribution came so quickly.

My uncle, Jin Chicheng, served as the garrison commander of Ganzhou (now Ganzhou, Jiangxi). Because he went to the capital to see the emperor and returned home, he contracted malaria in the summer. He rested on the desk and fell asleep in a daze. He dreamed that the yamen servants were lined up on his left, and the monks were lined up on his right. An old man said to him, you originally came from monastic practice, can you turn back and take this path again? If you can, you can still protect your old mother, if you can't, your old mother will send you away instead. My uncle thought to himself, my mother is already eighty-four years old, how can I let her send me away instead? He immediately replied, I should turn back. Before he finished speaking, the servants dispersed. He followed the monks chanting Sanskrit and left. Suddenly, he felt a sense of loneliness and regret, and woke up sadly. Later, he told me about this in the tomb hut in Yangshan. But because he was greedy for worldly feelings, he still went to Ganzhou to take office. Not long after, he was promoted to Yandong Bingdao. He went home and died after being ill for three or four days. In the end, his eighty-year-old mother cried her eyes dry. Alas!

。蠅頭蝸角。迷人心志如此。世出世法。兩皆負墮。亦可為青雲路上人作永鑒也。

姑蘇南濠街有一人。常作陰隸。每數日輒往直班。鄰有一人語曰。能帶我至陰間遊戲乎。隸曰。可。汝但靜臥室中。敕家人勿開戶。我當帶汝去。仍送汝回。鄰人如命臥室中。隸即攝其魂同至府城隍廟前。囑令住石牌樓下相待。自乃持文書入中庭去。鄰人待久生厭倦心。見一大車從西過東。載四娼女並二男子。中一娼女原有舊情。以手招之遂登車同去。隸出廟覓鄰人不見。轉問旁人。知登車去。乃回陽急至傅門外一居民。家見有新產小豬七頭。其一即鄰人也。以手擲之。豬斃而魂忽不見。次於田岸見大赤蛇仰臥。即知鄰人所變。乃打殺之。捏其魂歸房。擲醒因問曰。汝同我游陰府頗適意乎。答曰。汝初置我于廟前石牌樓下。入廟經久不出。我方厭倦。幸舊識娼女邀我出傅門外。同至一舍相與飲食歡樂。忽有人奪我食。打我項。我怒而出。外困而偃息。復聞人呼曰。赤蛇赤蛇。以手攫我。我便驚醒。有何樂乎。隸笑語其故。黃洪江親聞其事。乃發心學道(洪江亦予在家時善友)。

泉州莊奇顯。癸丑科榜眼。年少嗜酒。忽一日飲于承天寺。醉后往藏經所。見有法師講大佛頂經。遂大怒取案上經擲地。以腳踏之。又仆韋䭾像于

【現代漢語翻譯】蠅頭蝸角（比喻極微小的事物）。迷惑人的心志竟然如此之深，無論是世間法還是出世間法，都因此而墮落沉淪。這件事也可以作為那些有志於飛黃騰達的人一個永遠的鑑戒。

姑蘇（今江蘇蘇州）南濠街有一個人，經常做陰間的差役，每隔幾天就要去陰間值班。他的鄰居有個人對他說：『你能帶我去陰間遊玩嗎？』差役說：『可以。你只要安靜地待在臥室裡，吩咐家人不要開門，我就可以帶你去，並且送你回來。』鄰居按照他的話，待在臥室裡。差役就攝取他的魂魄，一同來到府城隍廟前，囑咐他待在石牌樓下等候。自己拿著文書進入中庭去了。鄰居等了很久，心生厭倦。看見一輛大車從西向東駛來，載著四個妓女和兩個男子。其中一個妓女是他的舊相識，用手招呼他，於是他就上了車一同離去。差役從廟裡出來，尋找鄰居不見，轉而詢問旁邊的人，得知他上了車走了。於是急忙回到陽間，來到傅門外一戶居民家，看見有新生的七隻小豬，其中一隻就是他的鄰居變的。差役用手擲打那隻小豬，豬死了，鄰居的魂魄忽然不見了。後來在田埂上看見一條大紅蛇仰臥著，就知道是鄰居變的，於是打死了蛇，捏著他的魂魄回到房間，把他弄醒，問道：『你同我游陰府，覺得快樂嗎？』鄰居回答說：『你開始把我安置在廟前石牌樓下，進入廟裡很久不出來，我正感到厭倦。幸好舊相識的妓女邀請我出傅門外，一同到一戶人家相與飲食歡樂。忽然有人奪我的食物，打我的脖子，我生氣地跑了出來，在外睏倦而倒下休息。又聽見有人喊道：赤蛇赤蛇，用手抓我，我就驚醒了。有什麼快樂可言呢？』差役笑著把事情的經過告訴了他。黃洪江親耳聽說了這件事，於是發心學道（黃洪江也是我在家時的好朋友）。

泉州（今福建泉州）的莊奇顯，在癸丑年（清順治十年，1653年）考中榜眼，年少時嗜好飲酒。有一天在承天寺飲酒，醉酒後到藏經樓，看見有法師在講解《大佛頂經》，於是大怒，拿起桌上的經書扔在地上，用腳踩踏，又推倒了韋馱（佛教護法神）像。

【English Translation】 'Fly heads and snail horns' (idiom for trivial matters). To think they can delude people's minds to such an extent, causing both worldly and otherworldly pursuits to fall into ruin. This can also serve as a perpetual warning to those who aspire to high positions.

In Nanhao Street, Gusu (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), there lived a man who worked as a clerk in the underworld, going to work there every few days. A neighbor said to him, 'Can you take me to the underworld for fun?' The clerk said, 'Yes. Just stay quietly in your bedroom and tell your family not to open the door, and I will take you there and bring you back.' The neighbor did as he was told, staying in his bedroom. The clerk then took his soul to the front of the City God Temple, telling him to wait under the stone archway. He himself took the documents and went into the central courtyard. The neighbor waited for a long time and became bored. He saw a large cart coming from west to east, carrying four prostitutes and two men. One of the prostitutes was an old acquaintance, who beckoned him, so he got on the cart and left with them. The clerk came out of the temple, looking for the neighbor but couldn't find him. He asked the people nearby and learned that he had left on the cart. So he hurried back to the world of the living and came to a resident's house outside Fumen Gate, where he saw seven newborn piglets, one of which was his neighbor transformed. The clerk threw something at the pig, and the pig died, and the neighbor's soul suddenly disappeared. Later, he saw a large red snake lying on its back on the bank of a field, and he knew it was the neighbor transformed, so he killed the snake, grabbed his soul, returned to the room, and woke him up, asking, 'Did you enjoy your trip to the underworld with me?' The neighbor replied, 'You first placed me under the stone archway in front of the temple, and you went into the temple for a long time without coming out, and I was getting bored. Fortunately, an old acquaintance, a prostitute, invited me out of Fumen Gate, and we went to a house together to eat and drink and have fun. Suddenly, someone snatched my food and hit me on the neck, and I angrily ran out, feeling tired and falling asleep outside. Then I heard someone shouting, 'Red snake, red snake,' and grabbing me, and I woke up in fright. What fun was there?' The clerk laughed and told him what had happened. Huang Hongjiang heard about this incident firsthand and resolved to study the Dao (Huang Hongjiang was also a good friend of mine when I was at home).

Zhuang Qixian of Quanzhou (present-day Quanzhou, Fujian) passed the imperial examination in the year Guichou (1653 AD) and became the second scholar, and he was fond of drinking when he was young. One day, he was drinking at Chengtian Temple, and after getting drunk, he went to the Sutra Repository and saw a Dharma master lecturing on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. He became very angry, picked up the sutra from the table and threw it on the ground, trampled on it with his feet, and also knocked down the statue of Weituo (Skanda, a Buddhist guardian deity).

地。后數月以腳踢一廝。誤中柱上。腳指破裂成異瘡。漸腫至身。楚痛異常。見韋馱詰責而死。

泉州張翰沖。丙辰進士也。任金壇知縣。將行取一日坐堂。忽有緇流徑詣公堂語曰。我與汝前生道友。見汝有難。特來救汝。汝可罷官同入山學道。不唯免難且出生死。張以為誕。緇遂歷指其少時事數種。皆妻拏所不知者。張乃駭諤。欲如其言。竟為妻子所阻。緇尋別去。張赴京考選。甫至都門。腳忽生異癰。著靴不能脫。割靴調理。不愈而死。

晉江許兆馨。戊午舉人。往福寧州謁本房座師。偶過尼庵。悅一少尼。遂以官勢脅之強污焉。次日忽自嚙舌兩斷而死。

晉江王某。以文名諸生間。攜酒飲承天寺。入藏經堂。見少年沙彌某端坐閱經。強令飲酒。沙彌不從。復摟抱調弄之。歸家三日。忽掌口自罵。家人不知所謂。半日嚙舌而死。

孝豐縣監生楊龔。所買鳥銃八把。養獵狗數只。隨處損傷物命。一日欲往莊取稻。閤家人俱得夢雲。十年造業。惡報至矣。楊不信。復帶銃到莊。見野雞。以銃打之。誤中己頭。破腦而死。

泉州徐氏女。名三姐。年十六未嫁。忽得病。父母為覓醫。女垂淚告父母曰。吾必死。無用醫矣。蓋吾前生為某家婦。夫寵一婢。吾以妒故謀殺之。今在冥官處訴。我

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：

某地，後來幾個月，有人用腳踢一個僕人，不小心踢到柱子上，腳趾破裂形成奇怪的瘡，逐漸腫脹到全身，疼痛異常，看見韋馱（佛教護法神）前來責備而死。泉州人張翰沖，是丙辰年（具體年份需要查對，例如可能是明朝天啟六年（1626年）或清朝順治十三年（1656年））的進士。擔任金壇縣知縣。將要進京等待選官時，有一天坐在公堂上，忽然有個僧人直接來到公堂說：『我與你前世是道友，見你有難，特來救你。你可辭官一同入山學道，不僅能免除災難，而且能了脫生死。』張翰沖認為這是荒誕之言。僧人於是歷數他小時候的幾件事，都是妻子兒女所不知道的。張翰沖非常驚訝，想要聽從他的話，最終被妻子兒女所阻止。僧人隨即離去。張翰沖赴京參加選官，剛到都城門口，腳上忽然生出奇怪的癰瘡，穿著靴子無法脫下，割開靴子進行調理，沒有好轉就死了。晉江人許兆馨，是戊午年（具體年份需要查對，例如可能是明朝萬曆四十六年（1618年）或清朝順治十五年（1658年））的舉人。前往福寧州拜見本房的座師（科舉考試的主考官）。偶然路過一座尼姑庵，喜歡上一個年輕的尼姑，於是憑藉官勢脅迫她，強行姦污了她。第二天忽然自己咬斷舌頭而死。晉江人王某，以文章出名于諸生之間。攜帶酒到承天寺飲酒，進入藏經堂，看見一個少年沙彌（小和尚）端坐著閱讀經書，強迫他飲酒。沙彌不聽從，又摟抱調戲他。回家三天後，忽然掌摑自己的嘴巴，自己罵自己，家人不知道他在說什麼。過了半天，咬斷舌頭而死。孝豐縣監生楊龔，購買了八把鳥銃，養了數只獵狗，到處傷害生靈。有一天想要去莊上取稻穀，全家人都做了同一個夢，夢中說：『十年造業，惡報就要來了。』楊龔不相信。又帶著鳥銃到莊上，看見野雞，用鳥銃打它，不小心打中了自己的頭，腦漿迸裂而死。泉州徐家的女兒，名叫三姐，十六歲還沒有出嫁。忽然得了病，父母為她尋找醫生。女兒流著眼淚告訴父母說：『我必死無疑，不用找醫生了。因為我前世是某家的媳婦，丈夫寵愛一個婢女，我因為嫉妒就謀殺了她，現在在冥官（陰間的官員）那裡告我。』

【English Translation】 English version:

In a certain place, some months later, someone kicked a servant, accidentally hitting a pillar. The toe ruptured, forming a strange sore that gradually swelled up to the whole body, causing extreme pain. He saw Weituo (Skanda, a Buddhist guardian deity) come to reprimand him and died. Zhang Hanchong from Quanzhou was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the Bingchen year (the specific year needs to be checked, for example, it could be the sixth year of Tianqi (1626) in the Ming Dynasty or the thirteenth year of Shunzhi (1656) in the Qing Dynasty). He served as the magistrate of Jintan County. As he was about to go to the capital to await selection for an official post, one day while sitting in the public hall, a monk suddenly came directly to the hall and said: 'I was your Daoist friend in a previous life. Seeing that you are in trouble, I have come specifically to save you. You can resign from your official position and enter the mountains with me to study the Dao, which will not only save you from disaster but also liberate you from birth and death.' Zhang Hanchong thought this was absurd. The monk then recounted several things from his childhood, which even his wife and children did not know. Zhang Hanchong was very surprised and wanted to follow his words, but he was ultimately prevented by his wife and children. The monk then left. Zhang Hanchong went to the capital to participate in the selection of officials, and as soon as he arrived at the capital gate, a strange carbuncle suddenly grew on his foot. He could not take off his boots, so he cut open the boots to treat it, but it did not get better, and he died. Xu Zhaoxin from Jinjiang was a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial imperial examination) in the Wuwu year (the specific year needs to be checked, for example, it could be the forty-sixth year of Wanli (1618) in the Ming Dynasty or the fifteenth year of Shunzhi (1658) in the Qing Dynasty). He went to Fuzhou to visit his teacher (the chief examiner of the imperial examination). He happened to pass by a nunnery, fell in love with a young nun, and then used his official power to coerce her and forcibly defiled her. The next day, he suddenly bit off his own tongue and died. Wang from Jinjiang was known for his writing among the students. He brought wine to Chengtian Temple to drink, entered the Sutra Repository, and saw a young Shami (novice monk) sitting upright reading scriptures. He forced him to drink wine. When the Shami refused, he hugged and teased him. Three days after returning home, he suddenly slapped his own mouth and cursed himself. His family did not know what he was saying. After half a day, he bit off his tongue and died. Yang Gong, a student of Xiaofeng County, bought eight arquebuses and raised several hunting dogs, harming living beings everywhere. One day, he wanted to go to the village to get rice. The whole family had the same dream, in which it was said: 'Ten years of creating karma, the retribution is coming.' Yang Gong did not believe it. He took the arquebus to the village again, saw a pheasant, and shot at it with the arquebus, accidentally hitting his own head, causing his brains to burst and he died. The daughter of the Xu family in Quanzhou, named Sanjie, was sixteen years old and not yet married. She suddenly fell ill, and her parents sought a doctor for her. The daughter said to her parents with tears in her eyes: 'I will surely die, there is no need to find a doctor. Because in my previous life, I was the daughter-in-law of a certain family, and my husband favored a maid. Because of jealousy, I murdered her. Now she is suing me in the court of the Mingguan (officials of the underworld).'

當往償之。不得逭也。翼日遂死。

泉州徐氏女。名悌姐。嫁後生數子。產中多食雞。所殺雞頗眾。后仍于產時得病。見群雞索命而死。

晉江姚某。其表兄徐肖浯。因年荒捐百金賑饑。托姚經理其事。姚匿十數金肥己。后數日得病。自罵曰。徐托汝賑饑。安得侵匿。致餓死者不少。今取汝償命。遂斃。后二子亦皆餓死。

泉州徐氏女。名細嬰。年七歲。得疳積病垂死。其父雨海為鳴磬高聲唸佛送之。息已絕。忽再蘇。因為延尼僧誦金剛般若經百二十卷。女安隱若無病者。舉家皆謂病癒。女獨向父曰。兒暫假數日。聽經完去耳。經完乃逝。

泉州有賴姓者。家巨富。喜害生命。家中開一小池。以鐵網羅其上下。養鰍鱔魚鱉之類。用供不時飲食。后得病將死。諸子羅列床前。賴忽不見。遍索不得。乃見在小池鐵網中。則已死矣。

晉江有一無賴。忘其名。恒以殺狗為業。在興泉道街門邊溝側屠狗無數。忽一日自伏溝側作狗鳴。數日乃斃。

神宗時有一南道名王萬祚。管下巡江。居官最清廉。而性頗嚴急。捶楚之下傷命良多。忽得病。衙中冤鬼數百前後呼叫。同僚諸御史往問之。無不見聞者。五鼓。王竟不起。

南安縣山間有居民。夜起見鄰舍有一人驅一人入其門。其人不肯

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：當償還他，無法逃脫。第二天就死了。

泉州徐氏的女兒，名叫悌姐。嫁人後生了幾個兒子。坐月子期間多吃雞，殺的雞很多。後來仍然在坐月子時得了病，看見一群雞來索命而死。

晉江的姚某，他的表兄徐肖浯，因為年成不好捐了百金賑濟饑荒，委託姚某管理這件事。姚某私吞了十幾金中飽私囊。幾天後得了病，自己罵道：『徐某委託你賑濟饑荒，怎麼能侵吞隱瞞，導致餓死的人不少。現在要取你償命。』於是就死了。後來兩個兒子也都餓死了。

泉州徐氏的女兒，名叫細嬰，七歲時得了疳積病快要死了。她的父親雨海為她敲磬高聲唸佛送她。氣息已經斷絕，忽然又甦醒過來。於是請來尼姑誦讀《金剛般若經》一百二十卷。女兒安穩得好像沒有生病一樣。全家都說病好了。女兒獨自對父親說：『女兒暫時借幾天，聽完經就走了。』聽完經就去世了。

泉州有個姓賴的人，家境非常富有，喜歡殘害生命。家中開了一個小池塘，用鐵網罩住上下，養泥鰍、鱔魚、魚鱉之類的，用來隨時食用。後來得了病快要死了。兒子們排列在床前。賴某忽然不見了。到處尋找找不到，才發現在小池塘的鐵網中，已經死了。

晉江有個無賴，忘記了他的名字，一直以殺狗為業。在興泉道街門邊的水溝旁殺了無數的狗。忽然有一天自己趴在水溝旁學狗叫，幾天後就死了。

神宗（1068-1085）時有個南道名叫王萬祚的人，管理巡江事務。做官最清廉，但是性情非常嚴厲急躁，在拷打之下傷人性命很多。忽然得了病，衙門中幾百個冤鬼前後呼叫。同僚的御史們前去問候他，沒有誰沒有聽見看見的。五更時分，王萬祚竟然沒有起來。

南安縣山間有個居民，晚上起來看見鄰居家有一個人驅趕著一個人進入他家門，那個人不肯。

【English Translation】 English version: He should repay it and could not escape. He died the next day.

A daughter of the Xu family in Quanzhou, named Tidi. After marrying, she gave birth to several sons. During her confinement, she ate a lot of chicken, killing quite a few. Later, she fell ill again during confinement and saw a group of chickens demanding her life, and she died.

Yao from Jinjiang, whose cousin Xu Xiaowu, donated a hundred taels of silver to relieve famine due to a bad harvest, entrusting Yao to manage the matter. Yao embezzled more than ten taels to enrich himself. A few days later, he fell ill and cursed himself, saying, 'Xu entrusted you to relieve the famine, how could you embezzle and conceal it, causing many to starve to death. Now I will take your life in return.' Then he died. Later, his two sons also starved to death.

A daughter of the Xu family in Quanzhou, named Xiying, contracted infantile malnutrition at the age of seven and was on the verge of death. Her father, Yuhai, chanted Buddha's name loudly while playing a chime to send her off. Her breath had already stopped, but suddenly she revived. So they invited a nun to recite one hundred and twenty volumes of the Diamond Sutra. The daughter was peaceful as if she had no illness. The whole family said that she was cured. The daughter said to her father alone, 'I will borrow a few days to listen to the sutra and then leave.' After finishing listening to the sutra, she passed away.

There was a man surnamed Lai in Quanzhou, whose family was very wealthy and liked to harm living beings. He opened a small pond in his house, covered it with iron nets above and below, and raised loaches, eels, fish, turtles, and the like, for occasional consumption. Later, he fell ill and was about to die. His sons were lined up in front of the bed. Lai suddenly disappeared. After searching everywhere, he was found in the iron net of the small pond, already dead.

There was a rogue in Jinjiang, whose name I forgot, who always made a living by killing dogs. He slaughtered countless dogs beside the ditch at the street entrance of Xingquan Road. Suddenly one day, he lay down beside the ditch and barked like a dog, and died a few days later.

During the Shenzong (1068-1085) era, there was a man named Wang Wanzuo in Nandao, who was in charge of patrolling the river. He was the most honest and upright official, but his temperament was very strict and impatient, and many people lost their lives under his beatings. Suddenly he fell ill, and hundreds of wronged ghosts in the yamen shouted before and after him. His fellow censors went to visit him, and no one did not hear or see them. At the fifth watch, Wang Wanzuo did not get up.

There was a resident in the mountains of Nan'an County. He got up at night and saw a neighbor driving a person into his house, but that person refused.

入。且曰。吾僅欠渠銀三分。何得便入。驅者以杖打之。遂入。居民頗以為怪。明早詢之。則鄰舍已生一豬。民復疑豬所直不止三分。未幾豬墮圊死。竟有一人以三分銀買之。民疑乃解。

孝豐靈巖寺釋自謙。未出家時有友勞振宇。系江右人。在遞鋪灘賣鱔面。歲殺鱔數千斤。后移居德清縣。仍習前業。一日以滾湯煮鱔。若有人執其手。不能蓋鍋。群鱔帶沸湯跳起。攢頭匝面咬定不放。振宇號慟萬狀。須臾鱔死方脫。不十日。振宇尋死。

釋性戒。俗姓萬。有弟萬七。不事他業。專用繩索吊諸鳥雀及狐貍兔犬之類。屢勸改業不從。凡十餘年。后一夜臥床上以朽繩自纏頸。人莫知之。次早不起。方啟戶視之。已自斃矣。

神宗時應天巡撫周孔教。以新升侍郎過家中。有屬官數人。皆修書差隸往謝舉薦。隸在其門候未得。即通。忽見一承差持單。紅帖有侍生石星拜五字。門者急為傳進。周方晏坐。見之大驚。已而帖及承差俱不見。周遂病劇。子孫環立。又見白布包首者三十餘人。突入臥室訶之。則各以手持己頭。示人蓋斷頭鬼也。周遂卒。考其故。石向為兵部尚書時。周為御史。劾之下獄論死。而三十餘人。皆周為巡撫時以賊情誤殺者也。

臺州府松門衛有一居民。于崇禎辛未年五月盜檀香大士

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：一個人走進屋內，並且說：『我只欠他三分銀子，怎麼能進來？』驅趕他的人用棍子打他，於是他進去了。居民們都覺得很奇怪。第二天早上詢問這件事，原來是鄰居家生了一頭豬。人們又懷疑這豬的價值不止三分銀子。沒過多久，豬掉進糞坑淹死了，竟然有一個人以三分銀子買走了它。人們的疑惑這才解開。

孝豐靈巖寺的釋自謙（佛教僧侶的法號），未出家時有個朋友叫勞振宇，是江右（江西的別稱）人，在遞鋪灘賣鱔魚麵。每年殺掉幾千斤鱔魚。後來搬到德清縣，仍然做以前的行業。有一天用滾燙的開水煮鱔魚，感覺好像有人抓住他的手，使他不能蓋鍋。群鱔帶著沸騰的開水跳起來，一齊咬住他的頭和臉不放。勞振宇號啕大哭，過了很久鱔魚死了才脫身。不到十天，勞振宇就自殺了。

釋性戒（佛教僧侶的法號），俗姓萬，有個弟弟叫萬七，不做其他行業，專門用繩索吊各種鳥雀以及狐貍、兔子、狗之類的動物。多次勸他改行，他不聽，持續了十多年。後來有一天晚上，他躺在床上用腐朽的繩子自己纏住脖子。沒有人知道這件事。第二天早上沒有起床，打開門一看，已經自殺了。

明神宗（萬曆，1573-1620）時期，應天巡撫周孔教，因為新升爲侍郎而路過家中，有幾個下屬官員，都寫信派遣僕人去感謝他的舉薦。僕人在他家門外等候沒有得到接見，就通報了。忽然看見一個承差拿著名單，紅色的帖子上有『侍生石星拜』五個字。門房急忙為他傳進去。周孔教正在安穩地坐著，看見后非常吃驚。不久帖子和承差都不見了。周孔教於是病情加重。子孫們圍在他身邊，他又看見三十多個用白布包頭的人，突然衝進臥室呵斥他。那些人各自用手拿著自己的頭，給人看，原來是斷頭鬼。周孔教於是去世了。考察其中的緣故，石星先前擔任兵部尚書時，周孔教擔任御史，彈劾他下獄判處死刑。而那三十多人，都是周孔教擔任巡撫時因為賊情而被他錯誤殺害的人。

臺州府松門衛有一個居民，在崇禎辛未年（1631）五月偷盜檀香木雕刻的大士（觀音菩薩）。

【English Translation】 English version: A person entered the house and said, 'I only owe him three fen (a unit of currency) of silver, how can I be forced to enter?' The person driving him away hit him with a stick, and so he entered. The residents all found it very strange. The next morning, when they inquired about it, it turned out that a piglet had been born in the neighbor's house. People suspected that the pig was worth more than three fen of silver. Before long, the pig fell into the latrine and drowned, and someone actually bought it for three fen of silver. Only then were people's doubts resolved.

Shi Ziqian (Dharma name of a Buddhist monk) of Lingyan Temple in Xiaofeng, had a friend named Lao Zhenyu before he became a monk. Lao Zhenyu was from Jiangyou (another name for Jiangxi) and sold eel noodles at Dipu Beach. He killed thousands of catties of eels every year. Later, he moved to Deqing County and continued his previous business. One day, while boiling eels in boiling water, he felt as if someone was holding his hand, preventing him from covering the pot. The eels jumped up with the boiling water, swarming his head and face, biting him tightly and refusing to let go. Lao Zhenyu wailed in agony. Only after a long time, when the eels died, did he escape. In less than ten days, Lao Zhenyu committed suicide.

Shi Xingjie (Dharma name of a Buddhist monk), whose secular surname was Wan, had a younger brother named Wan Qi, who did not engage in any other occupation but specialized in using ropes to hang various birds, sparrows, foxes, rabbits, dogs, and the like. He was repeatedly advised to change his profession, but he did not listen, and this continued for more than ten years. Later, one night, he lay in bed and used a rotten rope to wrap around his neck. No one knew about this. The next morning, he did not get up. When the door was opened to check on him, he had already committed suicide.

During the Shenzong (Wanli, 1573-1620) period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhou Kongjiao, the inspecting governor of Yingtian, passed by his home because he had been newly promoted to vice minister. Several subordinate officials all wrote letters and sent servants to thank him for his recommendation. The servants waited outside his door without being received, so they sent a message. Suddenly, they saw a messenger holding a list with the five characters 'Shisheng Shi Xing Bai' (Student Shi Xing bows) written on a red card. The doorman hurriedly passed it in for him. Zhou Kongjiao was sitting comfortably when he saw it and was greatly shocked. Soon after, both the card and the messenger disappeared. Zhou Kongjiao's condition worsened. His children and grandchildren surrounded him, and he saw more than thirty people with white cloths wrapped around their heads suddenly rush into the bedroom and scold him. Each of them held their own heads in their hands, showing them to others, revealing that they were headless ghosts. Zhou Kongjiao then died. Upon investigation, it was found that when Shi Xing was Minister of War, Zhou Kongjiao was an imperial censor who impeached him, leading to his imprisonment and death sentence. And the thirty-odd people were all those whom Zhou Kongjiao had mistakenly killed as bandits when he was the inspecting governor.

In Songmen Garrison of Taizhou Prefecture, there was a resident who stole a sandalwood carved Dashi (Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva) in the fifth month of the Xinyi year (1631) of the Chongzhen era.

像一軀。至天臺縣欲售于鄉紳張大素。張許價六金。民嫌其少。遂欲劈像作香鬻之。時一皂役先一夜得夢女人稱苦求救。彼正妻死未久。疑是索薦。乃往西門店中買祭物。忽聞店內劈像聲。急趨入視之。恍悟前夢。因扭解至捕官所。其房亦于先一夜得夢。遂苦鞫之。自首從松門盜來。即申之縣令。以像歸張宅修理供養。其人未幾死於獄中。

高明寺沙彌岳弘。管庫事。侵克大眾無所不至。每於庫中私造飲食。偏眾獨享。並偷常住豆米等以供己用。甫及一年。于元旦夜夢關帝割其舌去。至初四即大病濵死。乃惶怖無地。盡賣衣單求眾懺悔。告辭庫司。病始漸愈。

高明寺又一沙彌靈灝。素不持戒。有瑞光上座率清眾各出己資。結大悲懺期。灝亦預焉。正在期中。仍私行不軌。遂夢關帝截其首去。次日即嘔血不已。重病數月而死。

佛日寺釋實相。中年出家。惟勤修苦行。照管常住為事。隨作務隨唸佛。所得即施不留余貲。不與人諍亦無怒容。壬申秋忽一日語人曰。吾明日當西逝。乃借云棲一老人坐龕。次日洗浴剃髮發未竟。已坐脫矣。

安吉州龍溪庵釋了空。延覺海法主講法華經。因迎送之禮殷重。里人妒之。誘一無賴莫姓者。打法主一拳。眾僧忿甚熟打。莫濵絕。里人乘機欲詐庵中。鳴官看

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：一尊佛像，像一具軀體。被帶到天臺縣，想賣給鄉紳張大素。張大素出價六金。百姓嫌少，就想劈開佛像當香賣。當時有個衙役，前一天晚上夢見一個女人痛苦地求救。他正妻去世沒多久，懷疑是來索要超度的。於是去西門店裡買祭品。忽然聽到店裡劈佛像的聲音，急忙跑進去看。猛然醒悟到之前的夢。於是扭著那人到捕官那裡。捕官的妻子也在前一天晚上做了同樣的夢。於是嚴厲審問那人。那人自首是從松門偷來的。就上報給縣令，把佛像送回張大素家修理供養。那人沒多久就死在監獄裡。

高明寺的沙彌（佛教出家男子）岳弘，掌管倉庫事務。侵吞大眾的財物無所不為。經常在倉庫里私自做飲食，獨自享用。並且偷常住的豆米等來供自己使用。剛過一年，在元旦夜裡夢見關帝（佛教護法神）割了他的舌頭。到初四就得了重病，瀕臨死亡。於是惶恐不安，賣掉所有的衣物，請求大眾懺悔。告別了庫司的職務。病才漸漸好起來。

高明寺又一個沙彌（佛教出家男子）靈灝，向來不持戒。有瑞光上座帶領清眾各自拿出自己的錢財，結大悲懺期。靈灝也參與了。正在懺期中，仍然私下做不正當的事。於是夢見關帝（佛教護法神）砍了他的頭。第二天就嘔血不止。重病幾個月就死了。

佛日寺的釋實相（佛教僧人），中年出家。只勤奮地修行苦行，照管常住的事務。隨著勞作也隨著唸佛。得到的財物就施捨出去，不留下剩餘的錢財。不和人爭執也沒有憤怒的表情。壬申年（1632年）秋天，忽然有一天對人說，我明天就要往生西方極樂世界了。於是借了云棲一位老人的坐龕。第二天洗浴剃髮，頭髮還沒剃完，就已經坐著圓寂了。

安吉州龍溪庵的釋了空（佛教僧人），請延覺海法主講法華經。因為迎接和送別的禮節很隆重，里人嫉妒他。引誘一個無賴莫姓的人，打了法主一拳。眾僧非常憤怒，狠狠地打了他。莫姓的人瀕臨死亡。里人趁機想訛詐庵里，告到官府。

【English Translation】 English version: There was an image, like a body. It was brought to Tiantai County, intending to sell it to the local notable Zhang Dasu. Zhang offered six gold pieces. The commoner thought it was too little, so he wanted to split the image and sell it as incense. At that time, a yamen runner had a dream the night before, in which a woman cried out in pain, begging for help. His wife had died not long ago, and he suspected she was seeking a recommendation for rebirth. So he went to the Ximen store to buy sacrificial offerings. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the image being split in the store. He rushed in to see what was happening. He suddenly realized the meaning of his previous dream. So he twisted the man and took him to the arresting officer. The officer's wife also had the same dream the night before. So he interrogated the man severely. The man confessed that he had stolen it from Songmen. He reported it to the county magistrate, who returned the image to Zhang's residence for repair and worship. The man died in prison not long after.

Yue Hong, a Shami (Buddhist novice monk) of Gaoming Temple, was in charge of the warehouse affairs. He embezzled the public's property in every possible way. He often made food and drink privately in the warehouse and enjoyed it alone. He also stole the temple's beans and rice for his own use. After just one year, on New Year's Day night, he dreamed that Guan Di (Buddhist Dharma protector) cut off his tongue. By the fourth day, he was seriously ill and on the verge of death. He was terrified and sold all his clothes and bedding to ask the public for repentance. He resigned from his position in the warehouse. His illness gradually improved.

Ling Hao, another Shami (Buddhist novice monk) of Gaoming Temple, had never kept the precepts. There was a senior monk named Ruiguang who led the assembly to contribute their own money to form a Great Compassion Repentance period. Ling Hao also participated. During the repentance period, he still secretly engaged in improper conduct. So he dreamed that Guan Di (Buddhist Dharma protector) cut off his head. The next day, he vomited blood incessantly. He was seriously ill for several months and died.

Shi Xiang (Buddhist monk) of Fori Temple became a monk in middle age. He only diligently practiced asceticism and took care of the temple's affairs. He recited the Buddha's name while working. He gave away all the money he earned and did not keep any surplus. He did not argue with people and had no angry expression. In the autumn of Renshen year (1632 AD), he suddenly said to people one day, 'I will pass away to the West tomorrow.' So he borrowed a sitting niche from an old man in Yunqi. The next day, he bathed and shaved his head. Before his hair was finished, he had already passed away while sitting.

Shi Liaokong (Buddhist monk) of Longxi Nunnery in Anji Prefecture invited Dharma Master Yanjuehai to lecture on the Lotus Sutra. Because the welcoming and farewell ceremonies were very grand, the villagers were jealous of him. They induced a rogue named Mo to punch the Dharma Master. The monks were very angry and beat him severely. Mo was on the verge of death. The villagers took the opportunity to extort money from the nunnery and reported it to the government.

驗。身無小傷需食更甚。官遂不能擬罪。逮輿歸俗舍則遍身皆損。飲食俱廢。半年後脅下尚流膿血。久久方愈。信伽藍護法之力不可思議云。癸酉春日過庵中。釋隱空親說。

世廟時吳城鄉紳陸俸。貪洞庭山西湖寺風水之勝。力謀吞噬。因本山鄒陸二氏極相抗訟。不遂厥志。乃放火焚殿。殿有古沉香觀音像。焚時香氣遠徹。后俸得奇疾。渾身癢發。滾水灌之。次第爛盡乃斃。同謀諸人並感惡報。

神廟時吳城鄉紳毛堪。侵天池寺作墓。將毀石佛殿為穴。天正晴朗。忽發厲雷。擊碎牌樓。堪懼因不毀此殿。留一二香火僧居之。然大剎已廢。其年。子女孫媳等俱死。后竟絕嗣。

楓橋有一豪民。素行無賴。恐被按院訪察。乃詐現善相。持珠唸佛。戒酒斷牌。諸惡黨亦翕然從化。稱之為師。而實私行非法。仍造眾惡。但所言禍福皆悉靈驗。利養日盛。如此年餘。忽自思曰。我本無真心修行。尚感此善報。信是佛法不虛。因發真心。覓一好師。受三歸五戒。是后所言禍福百無一驗。利養遂絕。出怨聲曰。我向以詐偽修行。反多利養。今真心學道。更見坎坷。佛法豈有實效哉。悶而假寐見。有人告之曰。汝莫怪我。汝向來詐偽虛誑妄談禍福。我輩得以互相佐助。今汝返邪歸正。我輩不復能相親近。故令汝無聊

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：經驗。身上沒有小傷就需要吃更多的食物。官府因此不能判罪。等到擡回家中，全身都是傷。飲食都廢止。半年後脅下還在流膿血。很久才痊癒。相信伽藍（寺廟）護法神的力量不可思議啊。癸酉年（清順治十年，1653年）春日經過庵中，釋隱空親自說的。世宗（明世宗嘉靖，1521-1566）時吳城鄉紳陸俸，貪圖洞庭山西湖寺風水的優越。極力謀劃吞併。因為本山的鄒、陸兩家極力互相訴訟，不能實現他的願望。於是放火焚燒佛殿。殿里有古老的沉香觀音像。焚燒時香氣傳得很遠。後來陸俸得了奇怪的疾病。渾身發癢。用開水澆灌。逐漸潰爛而死。一同謀劃的那些人也都感到惡報。神宗（明神宗萬曆，1573-1620）時吳城鄉紳毛堪，侵佔天池寺作為墓地。打算毀壞石佛殿作為墓穴。天氣正晴朗。忽然發出強烈的雷聲。擊碎了牌樓。毛堪害怕因此沒有毀壞這座佛殿。留下一兩個香火僧人居住在這裡。然而大寺已經荒廢。那一年，子女孫媳等都死了。後來竟然絕了後代。楓橋有一個豪民。一向行為無賴。害怕被按察院訪查。於是假裝表現出善良的樣子。拿著念珠唸佛。戒酒斷絕賭博。各種壞人都紛紛效仿。稱他為老師。而實際上私下做著非法的事情。仍然造作各種惡業。但是所說的話，關於禍福都非常靈驗。獲得的利益日益增多。這樣過了一年多。忽然自己想道。我本來沒有真心修行。尚且能感受到這樣的善報。相信佛法是不虛假的。於是發起真心。尋找一位好的老師。受三歸五戒。這之後所說的話，關於禍福沒有一件應驗。獲得的利益也就斷絕了。發出怨恨的聲音說。我以前用虛假的行為修行。反而得到很多利益。現在真心學道。更加坎坷。佛法難道沒有實際效果嗎？煩悶地假睡，夢見有人告訴他說。你不要怪我。你向來用虛假欺騙的言語妄談禍福。我們這些鬼神得以互相幫助。現在你改邪歸正。我們這些鬼神不能再和你親近了。所以讓你無聊。

【English Translation】 English version: Experience. If there are no minor injuries on the body, one needs to eat even more. Therefore, the officials could not impose a sentence. By the time he was carried back to his home, his whole body was covered in wounds. He lost his appetite and stopped eating. After half a year, pus and blood were still flowing from his side. It took a long time to heal. It is believed that the power of the Garan (monastery) Dharma protectors is inconceivable. This was personally recounted by the monk Yinkong in the spring of Guiyou year (1653) while passing by the hermitage. During the reign of Emperor Shizong (Jiajing, 1521-1566) of the Ming Dynasty, Lu Feng, a local gentry in Wucheng, coveted the superior feng shui of Xihu Temple in Dongting Mountain. He tried hard to seize it. Because the Zou and Lu families of the mountain strongly opposed each other in lawsuits, he could not achieve his ambition. So he set fire to the temple hall. In the hall was an ancient sandalwood Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) statue. When it was burned, the fragrance spread far and wide. Later, Lu Feng contracted a strange disease. His whole body itched. He poured boiling water on himself. Gradually, he festered and died. All those who conspired with him also felt the evil retribution. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong (Wanli, 1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty, Mao Kan, a local gentry in Wucheng, encroached on Tianchi Temple as a burial ground. He planned to destroy the stone Buddha hall to make a tomb. The weather was clear. Suddenly, a violent thunder struck and shattered the archway. Mao Kan was afraid and did not destroy the hall. He left one or two incense-burning monks to live there. However, the great temple was abandoned. That year, his children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law all died. Later, his lineage was cut off. In Fengqiao, there was a wealthy man who was always a rogue. Fearing that he would be investigated by the inspector, he pretended to be virtuous. He held prayer beads and chanted Buddha's name. He quit drinking and gambling. All kinds of bad people followed suit and called him 'teacher.' But in private, he still did illegal things and created all kinds of evil deeds. However, his words about fortune and misfortune were very accurate. His profits increased day by day. After more than a year, he suddenly thought to himself, 'I have not sincerely practiced, yet I can feel such good rewards. I believe that the Buddha's teachings are not false.' So he made a sincere vow. He sought a good teacher and took the Three Refuges and Five Precepts. After that, none of his words about fortune and misfortune came true. His profits were cut off. He complained, 'I used to practice with hypocrisy and received many benefits. Now I sincerely learn the Way, but I encounter more difficulties. Is there no real effect in the Buddha's teachings?' Annoyed, he dozed off and dreamed that someone told him, 'Don't blame me. You have always used false and deceitful words to talk about fortune and misfortune. We ghosts and spirits could help each other. Now that you have turned from evil to righteousness, we ghosts and spirits can no longer be close to you. That's why you feel bored.'

耳。

釋慈含與六湛游野池畔。見二水蛭。次第變作青蜓。至第三水蛭出。六湛以草阻之。連阻三次。忽變作蜈蚣。

吳城陸湛源居士。至洞庭東山吳鳳林家。其家為營素供。吳母時年九十四歲。偶至廚下因問。為何營此素供。婢云請陸相公。又問陸相公年幾何。婢云年五十四。母驚歎曰。渠年五十四便已茹素。吾年九十四乃不斷腪耶。從今日即當永斷。子媳輩力阻之。俱不聽。仍設香燭請陸居士作證。越三年于臘月間。忽謂子曰。為我請陸先生來。子訝。問其故。答曰。吾將遠行。子問何往。答曰。兒何太癡。吾已九十七歲。安得無去。遂遍集子孫輩言別。擇次日去。次日大雪。則云且俟天好方去。次日又問天好否。婢謬答云今日雪更甚。則云更俟天晴。未幾見日光照室。乃曰。汝等詒我。速取我凈衣及取香水來。遂起梳洗更衣禮佛。並遙禮湛源居士。馮幾端坐。命眷屬同時輕聲唸佛以送之。許久媳進茶湯。則已逝矣。

姑蘇神堂巷潘奉巖親家。渾名盛老鼠。有一外甥居鄉間。盛往探之。甥欲割雞為饌。力阻乃免。夜夢亡媳謝曰。雞即我後身也。吾因不敬三寶。墮此異類。賴翁慈力。昨免刀砧。吾七年前曾失一簪在竹筧內。可令姑取之。盛既醒。遂索此雞歸家。果於竹筧中尋得舊簪。夫妻皆大感

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本耳。釋慈含與六湛在野池邊遊玩。看見兩條水蛭，依次變成青色的蜻蜓。到第三條水蛭出現時，六湛用草阻擋它，連續阻擋了三次，忽然變成蜈蚣。吳城（今江蘇蘇州）的陸湛源居士，到洞庭東山吳鳳林家。吳家為他準備素食供養。吳母當時九十四歲，偶然到廚房問，為什麼要準備這些素食供養。婢女說，是為陸相公準備的。又問陸相公多少歲，婢女說五十四歲。吳母驚訝地說，『他五十四歲就已經吃素了，我九十四歲還不斷葷腥嗎？從今天起我就要永遠斷絕葷腥。』子孫輩極力勸阻她，都不聽。仍然設定香燭，請陸居士作證。過了三年，在臘月里，忽然對兒子說，『為我請陸先生來。』兒子驚訝，問她原因。回答說，『我將要遠行。』兒子問去哪裡。回答說，『你太癡了。我已經九十七歲，怎麼能不去呢？』於是遍告子孫輩告別。選擇第二天走。第二天大雪，就說等天氣好轉再去。第二天又問天氣好不好，婢女謊稱說今天雪更大了。就說再等天晴。不久看見陽光照進屋裡，就說，『你們騙我。快拿我的乾淨衣服和香水來。』於是起身梳洗更衣，禮拜佛，並遙拜湛源居士。靠著幾案端坐，命家人同時輕聲唸佛送她。許久媳婦送上茶湯，她已經去世了。姑蘇（今江蘇蘇州）神堂巷潘奉巖的親家，外號叫盛老鼠。有一個外甥住在鄉下。盛老鼠去探望他。外甥想殺雞做菜，盛老鼠極力阻止才免了。晚上夢見已故的媳婦感謝他說，『那隻雞就是我的後身。我因為不敬三寶（佛、法、僧），墮落為異類。依靠您的慈悲力量，昨天免遭刀殺。我七年前曾經遺失一支簪子在竹筧里，可以叫姑姑去取。』盛老鼠醒來后，就向外甥要了這隻雞帶回家。果然在竹筧中找到了舊簪子。夫妻都非常感動。

【English Translation】 English version Ear. Shi Cihan and Liu Zhan were playing by a wild pond. They saw two leeches, which successively transformed into green dragonflies. When the third leech appeared, Liu Zhan tried to block it with grass, blocking it three times in a row. Suddenly, it transformed into a centipede. Lu Zhanyuan, a lay Buddhist of Wucheng (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), went to the home of Wu Fenglin in Dongting East Mountain. The Wu family prepared vegetarian offerings for him. Wu's mother, who was ninety-four years old at the time, happened to go to the kitchen and asked why these vegetarian offerings were being prepared. The maid said they were for 'Master Lu.' She then asked how old Master Lu was, and the maid said fifty-four. Wu's mother exclaimed in surprise, 'He is already vegetarian at fifty-four, and I am still eating meat at ninety-four? From today on, I will abstain from meat forever.' Her children and grandchildren tried to dissuade her, but she would not listen. She still set up incense and candles and asked Layman Lu to be a witness. Three years later, in the twelfth lunar month, she suddenly said to her son, 'Please invite Mr. Lu to come.' Her son was surprised and asked her why. She replied, 'I am about to travel far away.' Her son asked where she was going. She replied, 'You are too foolish. I am already ninety-seven years old, how can I not go?' So she told all her children and grandchildren to say goodbye. She chose the next day to leave. The next day it snowed heavily, so she said she would wait for the weather to improve before leaving. The next day she asked again if the weather was good, and the maid lied and said that the snow was even heavier today. So she said she would wait for the weather to clear up. Not long after, she saw sunlight shining into the room and said, 'You are deceiving me. Quickly bring me my clean clothes and perfume.' So she got up, washed, dressed, and bowed to the Buddha, and also bowed remotely to Layman Zhanyuan. She leaned against the table and sat upright, ordering her family to chant the Buddha's name softly at the same time to send her off. After a long time, her daughter-in-law brought tea, but she had already passed away. The relative of Pan Fengyan of Shentang Lane in Gusu (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), nicknamed 'Old Mouse Sheng,' had a nephew living in the countryside. Old Mouse Sheng went to visit him. The nephew wanted to kill a chicken to prepare a meal, but Old Mouse Sheng strongly dissuaded him and it was avoided. That night, he dreamed that his deceased daughter-in-law thanked him, saying, 'That chicken is my reincarnation. Because I did not respect the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), I fell into this different species. Thanks to your compassionate power, I was spared the knife yesterday. Seven years ago, I lost a hairpin in the bamboo gutter. You can ask my aunt to retrieve it.' After Old Mouse Sheng woke up, he asked his nephew for the chicken and took it home. Sure enough, he found the old hairpin in the bamboo gutter. The couple were both very moved.

發。同出家于普陀山。后其妻坐逝。夫亦善終。

姑蘇周致和。賣藥為業。有一次媳。歿后附於妹身言曰。吾不敬三寶。罰作狗身。日被廚下人打。苦不可言。幸速救我。父母問曰。吾為汝禮慈悲懺法。汝得益否。答曰。正仗懺力。將脫難矣。父母乃從周家取狗以歸。三日而死。

姑蘇金龍川有一妻弟。于南濠開面坊。家人打驢。驢忽作人語。吾欠汝老主人五金。故來效力。汝何得鞭我。家人大驚。以語厥主。主取父舊帳簡之。果得五金借票一紙。因取向驢前碎之。語曰。吾已免汝。驢遂躑躅而斃。

金龍川又一表弟。住滸墅關。生一子常病。偶父子同臥頃。有鬼攝父魂至冥府。冥官責云。汝欠某人債若干。何久不還。父答云。我不識渠。因喚出相認。即其子也。遂憶前世曾欠債事。冥官命曰。汝速於三寶中為渠還卻。一諾而醒。其子宛然在床。心倍醒悟。后為作福延醫等事。計滿本數。子隨去世。母慟哭之。父曰。不須哭也。此是索舊債者耳。備述前夢。因相與奉戒修道。至今尚存。

湖州府武康縣公差。忘其名。路值一男二女尾其後行。到鄉宦駱家。見三人直入駱門。心異之。因待至暮不出。遂問守門者索人。守門人以為誣妄。諍打不已。聞于主翁。翁悟其意。命各房查生產事。乃見㹀

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：發，一同在普陀山出家。後來他的妻子去世，他也得以善終。

蘇州的周致和，以賣藥為生。有一次，他的兒媳去世后，附在小姑子的身上說：『我不敬三寶（佛、法、僧），被罰作狗身，每天被廚房裡的人打，痛苦不堪。希望你們趕快救我。』父母問：『我為你禮拜慈悲懺法，你得到益處了嗎？』回答說：『正仗著懺法的力量，將要脫離苦難了。』父母於是從周家把狗要了回來，三天後狗就死了。

蘇州金龍川有一個妻弟，在南濠開設麵坊。家人打驢，驢忽然說人話：『我欠你老主人五兩銀子，所以來效力。你為什麼鞭打我？』家人大驚，把這件事告訴了主人。主人查詢父親的舊賬，果然找到一張借據，上面寫著借了五兩銀子。於是把借據拿到驢面前撕碎，說：『我已經免了你的債。』驢就倒地而死。

金龍川還有一個表弟，住在滸墅關。生了一個兒子，經常生病。有一次，父子一同睡覺，有鬼把父親的魂魄攝到冥府。冥官責備他說：『你欠某人多少債，為什麼很久不還？』父親回答說：『我不認識他。』於是叫那人出來相認，就是他的兒子。父親於是想起前世曾經欠債的事情。冥官命令說：『你趕快在三寶（佛、法、僧）中為他還清。』父親答應了一聲就醒了。他的兒子安然地在床上。父親心裡更加醒悟，後來為兒子做福事、請醫生等，計算著還清了本金。兒子隨後去世。母親痛哭。父親說：『不必哭。這是來索取舊債的人罷了。』詳細地敘述了之前的夢。於是互相一起奉行戒律、修習道法，至今還活著。

湖州府武康縣的公差，忘記了他的名字。路上遇到一個男人和兩個女人跟在他的後面走。到了鄉紳駱家，看見這三個人直接進入駱家的大門。他心裡感到奇怪。於是等到傍晚，這三人也沒有出來。於是問守門的人要人。守門人認為他是誣陷，爭吵打鬥個不停。這件事傳到了主人那裡。主人明白了其中的意思，命令各房檢視生產的事情，於是看見了豬圈裡的豬。

【English Translation】 English version: Fa, both became monks at Mount Putuo. Later, his wife passed away, and he also had a peaceful death.

Zhou Zhihe of Gusu (Suzhou), made a living by selling medicine. Once, after his daughter-in-law died, she possessed her sister-in-law and said, 'I disrespect the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and I am punished to be a dog, beaten by the people in the kitchen every day, suffering unspeakably. I hope you can save me quickly.' The parents asked, 'I will perform the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance for you, will you benefit from it?' She replied, 'It is precisely relying on the power of the repentance that I am about to escape from suffering.' So the parents took the dog back from the Zhou family, and the dog died three days later.

Jin Longchuan of Gusu (Suzhou) had a brother-in-law who opened a noodle shop in Nanhao. The family was beating a donkey, and the donkey suddenly spoke human language, 'I owe your old master five taels of silver, so I came to work. Why are you whipping me?' The family was shocked and told the master about it. The master checked his father's old accounts and found a promissory note for five taels of silver. So he took the note to the donkey and tore it up, saying, 'I have forgiven your debt.' The donkey then fell to the ground and died.

Jin Longchuan also had a cousin who lived in Hushuguan. He had a son who was often sick. Once, the father and son were sleeping together, and a ghost took the father's soul to the underworld. The underworld official rebuked him, 'You owe someone a certain amount of debt, why haven't you paid it back for so long?' The father replied, 'I don't know him.' So he called that person out to recognize him, and it was his son. The father then remembered that he had owed a debt in a previous life. The underworld official ordered, 'You must quickly repay it for him in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).' The father agreed and woke up. His son was safe and sound in bed. The father became even more enlightened, and later performed meritorious deeds and hired doctors for his son, calculating to repay the principal. The son then passed away. The mother cried bitterly. The father said, 'There is no need to cry. This is just someone who came to collect an old debt.' He described the previous dream in detail. So they mutually observed the precepts and practiced the Dharma, and are still alive today.

A public servant from Wukang County, Huzhou Prefecture, whose name is forgotten. On the road, he encountered a man and two women following behind him. When he arrived at the home of the local notable Luo, he saw the three people entering the Luo family's gate directly. He felt strange in his heart. So he waited until dusk, but the three people did not come out. So he asked the gatekeeper for the people. The gatekeeper thought he was slandering him, and they argued and fought endlessly. This matter was reported to the master. The master understood the meaning and ordered each room to check the matters of production, and then he saw the pigs in the pigsty.

牛新生三牡。一壯二牝。即喚分差視之。三牛毛色與所見三人服色不異。方知三人已為牛矣。複查其姓名。皆欠駱家租米者也。后三牛既大。力有強弱。債多者強。債少者弱。分毫無爽焉。

吳城婁門內有姓蔣者。自幼喜毀神像。崇禎癸酉年拆其父所造火神殿為門房。毀神像以為薪然之。冬忽頭痛。命家人鳴啰集眾。眾既集。眼珠忽迸出垂於鼻間。死而復甦。蘇而復死。口唱冥府所歷諸苦。共經四十二日乃絕。合城人無不見聞。

寧國府涇縣水東鄉民。忘其姓名。居常修善。齋僧佈施無虛日。偶因病暴卒。至冥府。冥王稽其陽算未盡。遣還。民乞曰。為人多苦。不欲更還。如是再三。王乃問欲作何等。答曰愿預僧流。王驚曰。汝福幾何。望此高位。計汝生平福力。祗可作一百戶耳。民又固乞。設不能為名德沙門。求作一燒火僧足矣。王曰。燒火僧亦萬萬不易作。且與汝作一千戶何如。民又不欲。王曰。必欲作燒火僧。且回陽間。盡其形壽極力修福。或可冀耳。民遂復甦。作福倍前。數年乃逝(九華空如老人說)。

世廟時休邑大傅瀛。有童子名程镃。與同族弟兄捉樹上鵓鳩。議定上樹者得其二。在樹下者得其一。及上樹取得三鳩。則樹下者皆取去。镃追奪不肯還。遂並取擲殺之。夜夢二青衣執牌來

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本牛新生了三隻小牛，一隻是公牛，兩隻是母牛。於是叫來負責分管的人檢視，發現這三頭牛的毛色和之前見到的三個人的衣服顏色一樣。這才知道這三個人已經轉世為牛了。再查他們的姓名，都是欠駱家租米的人。後來這三頭牛長大后，力氣有強有弱，欠租米多的人力氣就強，欠租米少的人力氣就弱，一點都不差。吳城婁門內有個姓蔣的人，從小就喜歡毀壞神像。崇禎癸酉年（1633年）拆了他父親建造的火神殿，用來做門房，還把毀壞的神像當柴燒。冬天的時候，他忽然頭痛，讓家人敲鑼召集眾人。眾人聚集后，他的眼珠忽然迸出來，垂在鼻子上。死了又復活，復活了又死去，口中唱著在地府所經歷的各種苦難，一共經歷了四十二天才斷氣。全城的人沒有沒見過的。寧國府涇縣水東鄉的百姓，忘記了他的姓名。他平時經常行善，齋僧佈施沒有一天間斷。偶然因為生病突然去世，到了冥府。冥王查覈他的陽壽還沒有盡，就派他回去。這個百姓請求說：『做人太苦了，不想再回去了。』像這樣說了兩三次。冥王就問他想做什麼。他回答說：『希望能夠成為僧人。』冥王驚訝地說：『你的福報有多少，就想得到這麼高的位置？按照你平生所積的福力，只可以做一百戶人家。』這個百姓又堅決地請求，說即使不能成為有名望有德行的沙門（梵語，指出家修道者），求做個燒火僧也就足夠了。冥王說：『燒火僧也不是那麼容易做的。暫且讓你做一千戶人家怎麼樣？』這個百姓還是不願意。冥王說：『一定要做燒火僧，那就回到陽間，盡你的壽命，極力修福，或許可以期望。』這個百姓於是就復活了，做善事的力度比以前增加了一倍。幾年后就去世了（九華山的空如老人說的）。世廟（明世宗嘉靖）時，休寧縣的大傅瀛，有個童子名叫程镃。和同族的兄弟一起捉樹上的鵓鳩（鴿子）。商議好上樹的人得兩隻，在樹下的人得一隻。等到上樹的人捉到三隻鵓鳩，樹下的人就把三隻都拿走了。程镃追著要奪回來，他們不肯還，程镃就把三隻鵓鳩都搶過來摔死了。晚上夢見兩個青衣人拿著牌子來了。

【English Translation】 English version A cow gave birth to three calves, one male and two females. They called the person in charge to inspect them. The colors of the three calves' fur were the same as the colors of the clothes of the three people they had seen before. Only then did they realize that these three people had been reborn as cows. They checked their names and found that they were all people who owed rent rice to the Luo family. Later, when the three cows grew up, their strength varied. The one who owed more rent rice was stronger, and the one who owed less was weaker, without any discrepancy. In Loumen, Wucheng, there was a man named Jiang who had liked to destroy statues of gods since he was young. In the year of Guiyou in the Chongzhen reign (1633), he demolished the Fire God Temple built by his father to make a gatehouse, and burned the destroyed statues as firewood. In winter, he suddenly had a headache and asked his family to beat gongs and gather people. After the crowd gathered, his eyeballs suddenly popped out and hung down on his nose. He died and then revived, revived and then died, chanting the various sufferings he experienced in the underworld. He went through this for forty-two days before he died. Everyone in the city witnessed it. A commoner from Shuidong Township, Jing County, Ningguo Prefecture, whose name is forgotten, consistently practiced good deeds, offering vegetarian meals to monks and giving alms every day without fail. He suddenly died of illness and went to the underworld. The King of Hell checked that his lifespan in the mortal world was not yet exhausted and sent him back. The commoner begged, 'Being a human is too bitter, I don't want to go back.' He repeated this two or three times. The King then asked what he wanted to be. He replied, 'I wish to become a monk.' The King was surprised and said, 'How much merit do you have to aspire to such a high position? According to the merit you have accumulated in your life, you can only be the head of a hundred households.' The commoner insisted on begging, saying that even if he could not become a famous and virtuous Shramana (Sanskrit, meaning a wandering ascetic), he would be satisfied with being a fire-tending monk. The King said, 'Even being a fire-tending monk is not easy. How about I let you be the head of a thousand households?' The commoner still refused. The King said, 'If you must be a fire-tending monk, then return to the mortal world, exhaust your lifespan, and strive to cultivate merit, and perhaps you can hope for it.' The commoner then revived and did good deeds twice as much as before. He died several years later (as told by the Elder Kongru of Jiuhua Mountain). During the reign of Emperor Shizong (Jiajing) of the Shi Dynasty (Ming Dynasty), Da Fu Ying of Xiuning County had a boy named Cheng Zi. He and his cousins were catching turtledoves (pigeons) in a tree. They agreed that the one who climbed the tree would get two, and the one who stayed under the tree would get one. When the one who climbed the tree caught three doves, the ones under the tree took all three. Cheng Zi chased after them to get them back, but they refused to return them. Cheng Zi then snatched all three doves and threw them to their deaths. That night, he dreamed that two men in green robes came holding plaques.

捉云。有人命事。镃避走約二里許。竄入觀音大士殿中。見大士儼然在焉。二青衣亦追至。镃訴于大士曰。我未嘗殺人。何為捉我。二青衣出牌示曰。是三鵓鳩相告。今須同去理會。镃辯曰。鵓鳩不過小禽。何足償命。況我本與彼約。彼人負約。致我生忿而擲殺之。則罪不獨在我也。大士曰。鵓鳩若大。損犯禾苗。則汝殺之其罪稍輕。今既初生未嘗有過。汝今殺之理須償命。況彼人雖負約。而致之死地者實汝罪也。但念汝年幼未有成立。因命二青衣寬其限至十二年後。某日某時再來追之。二青衣奉大士命而散。镃亦遂寤。至十二年後。镃商于淞江。至期忽自立於秀野橋下而斃。

大傅瀛程玄偉。生一子。名本大。習儒業。費其家產略盡。于崇禎辛巳同族兄程天明往姑蘇。將本處祖屋賣與其侄。得價僅數十金。俱被天明扣去。空手而回。不數日遂抱郁死。止存一女已嫁商山吳宅。女歸送殮。竟於途中見乃父魂。因附其身而歸罵曰。天明甚無情誼。令我抑鬱而死。今已訴于冥王。兼告鄉約程宗涵作證矣。我又于抗州江干遇故侄程寬。寄我要打侄婦吳氏十掌云。我止有一子。汝何不肯撫養。乃起異心耶。玄偉聞而訶曰。汝在生時。破吾家事殆盡。今既死去。何故尚來作祟。答曰。吾前世本為商人。汝為店主。見我財寶

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：捉云。有人命案發生。镃（人名）爲了躲避，跑了大約二里路。藏進觀音大士殿中。看見觀音大士端莊地坐在那裡。兩個青衣（陰間的差役）也追到了。镃向觀音大士訴說：『我沒有殺過人，為什麼要抓我？』兩個青衣拿出牌子展示說：『是三隻鵓鳩（一種鳥）告發的，現在必須一起去審理。』镃辯解說：『鵓鳩不過是小鳥，怎麼能抵償人命？況且我本來與那人有約定，是他違背約定，導致我生氣而失手殺了他。那麼罪責不應該只在我一個人身上。』大士說：『鵓鳩如果長大了，損害莊稼，那麼你殺了它罪過還輕些。現在它們剛出生，沒有犯過任何過錯，你現在殺了它們，理應償命。況且那人雖然違背了約定，但導致他死亡的確實是你的罪過。但考慮到你年紀還小，還沒有成家立業，因此命令兩個青衣寬限你十二年，到十二年後的某日某時再來抓你。』兩個青衣遵從大士的命令離開了。镃也因此醒悟。到了十二年後，镃在淞江做生意，到了約定的日期，忽然自己站在秀野橋下而死。

大傅瀛程玄偉（人名）。生了一個兒子，名叫本大（人名）。學習儒業，幾乎耗盡了家產。在崇禎辛巳年（1641年），和族兄程天明（人名）一起去姑蘇（蘇州），將本處的祖屋賣給了他的侄子。得到的價錢只有幾十兩銀子，都被程天明扣留了。空手而回，沒過幾天就憂鬱而死。只留下一個女兒已經嫁給了商山吳家。女兒回家奔喪，竟然在途中看見了她父親的魂魄。於是附在她身上回家罵道：『程天明太沒有情義了，讓我憂鬱而死。現在我已經向冥王申訴了，並且已經告知鄉約程宗涵（人名）作證了。我又在杭州江邊遇到了已故的侄子程寬（人名），他托我打侄媳婦吳氏十個巴掌，說我只有一個兒子，你為什麼不肯撫養，竟然起了異心？』程玄偉聽了呵斥道：『你活著的時候，敗光了我的家產，現在已經死了，為什麼還要來作祟？』回答說：『我前世本來是商人，你是一家店舖的店主，你看到了我的財寶』

【English Translation】 English version: Zhuo Yun. A case of homicide occurred. Zi (person's name), in order to escape, ran for about two li (a Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters). He hid in the Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) Bodhisattva Hall. He saw Guanyin Bodhisattva sitting there solemnly. Two Qingyi (underworld messengers) also chased after him. Zi pleaded to Guanyin Bodhisattva, 'I have never killed anyone, why are you arresting me?' The two Qingyi took out a sign and showed it, saying, 'It was three turtledoves (a type of bird) who reported it, now we must go together for trial.' Zi argued, 'Turtledoves are just small birds, how can they compensate for a human life? Moreover, I originally had an agreement with that person, and it was he who broke the agreement, causing me to become angry and accidentally kill him. Then the blame should not be solely on me.' The Bodhisattva said, 'If the turtledoves were grown up and damaged crops, then your killing them would be a lesser crime. Now they are newly born and have not committed any wrong, so your killing them now should be compensated with your life. Moreover, although that person broke the agreement, it was indeed your crime that led to his death. But considering that you are young and have not yet established yourself, I hereby order the two Qingyi to grant you a grace period of twelve years, and come back to arrest you on a certain day and time twelve years later.' The two Qingyi obeyed the Bodhisattva's order and left. Zi also awakened because of this. Twelve years later, Zi was doing business in Songjiang. On the appointed date, he suddenly stood under Xiuye Bridge and died.

Da Fu Ying Cheng Xuanwei (person's name). He had a son named Ben Da (person's name). He studied Confucianism, almost exhausting the family property. In the year of Chongzhen Xin Si (1641 AD), he went to Gusu (Suzhou) with his cousin Cheng Tianming (person's name) and sold the ancestral house in his hometown to his nephew. The price he got was only a few dozen taels of silver, which were all withheld by Cheng Tianming. He returned empty-handed and died of depression a few days later. He only left a daughter who had married into the Wu family in Shangshan. The daughter returned home for the funeral and actually saw her father's soul on the way. So it possessed her body and returned home cursing, 'Cheng Tianming is so unfeeling, causing me to die of depression. Now I have appealed to the King of the Underworld, and have informed the village elder Cheng Zonghan (person's name) to testify. I also met the deceased nephew Cheng Kuan (person's name) on the Jianggan River in Hangzhou, and he asked me to slap his daughter-in-law Wu ten times, saying that I only have one son, why are you unwilling to raise him, and have evil intentions?' Cheng Xuanwei heard this and scolded, 'When you were alive, you ruined my family property, and now that you are dead, why do you still come to haunt us?' He replied, 'In my previous life, I was a merchant, and you were the owner of a shop, and you saw my treasures.'

謀奪我命。我今特來索債。但因汝任我揮霍。頗快我心。故恕汝命耳。何得以父禮責我哉。

淞江海口有朱姓者。慣收大豬宰殺為業。崇禎己卯年正月間。至二鼓時偶起登廁。聞人語聲。疑以為盜。執杖隨聲尋去。乃在豬欄中作福建人語。一云。苦哉。我明日必當見殺矣。一云。汝本當作豬七次。今已六次。苦將脫矣。我當作豬五次。今方初次。是為苦耳。其人本解福建鄉語。聞之大駭。遂棄惡業。

又一人宰羊為業。亦於己卯年正月間至鄉間買四羊牽歸。未至家中僅十里許。四羊爭躑躅。觸倒此人。一羊牽其頭。一羊按其兩足。二羊上其腹極力牴觸致死(已上四事並程智用親見故說)。

神廟時有一士子。弱冠即舉進士。座師及同年諸友咸器重之。其父待之愈嚴。稍不如法輒加笞辱。一日有同年公請士飲酒。士因父責遲遲乃去。兼向同年哭愬此情。同年大嘆服曰。甚矣。老年伯之深為年兄也。夫弟輩半生苦心。僅獲一第。而兄年未二十。亦遂得第。且名聲藉藉反勝弟輩。此造化所忌也。年伯若不用惡辣鉗錘。則兄必恣情任意。福壽俱損矣。士乃醒悟。歸時頓改舊觀。父訝問之。汝為自解我意能如此改過耶。抑誰向汝說破耶。士述同年語以對。父乃敦請同年。公命士禮之為師。以受切磋琢磨之益。

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：『你曾謀劃奪取我的性命，我今天特地前來索取償還。但因為你任由我揮霍，讓我非常高興，所以饒恕你的性命。你又怎麼能以父親的身份來責備我呢？』

在淞江海口，有一個姓朱的人，以收購大豬宰殺為業。崇禎己卯年（1639年）正月間，在二更時分偶然起身去廁所，聽到有人說話的聲音，懷疑是盜賊，拿著棍子順著聲音尋找過去，原來是在豬圈中說福建方言。其中一個說：『好苦啊，我明天必定要被宰殺了。』另一個說：『你本來應當做七次豬，現在已經做了六次，苦難將要結束了。我應當做五次豬，現在才第一次，真是苦啊。』這個人本來懂得福建方言，聽了之後非常害怕，於是放棄了宰豬的惡業。

又有一個人以宰羊為業，也在崇禎己卯年（1639年）正月間到鄉下買了四隻羊牽回家，還沒到家，離家只有十里左右，四隻羊爭相跳躍，把這個人觸倒。一隻羊牽住他的頭，一隻羊按住他的兩隻腳，兩隻羊在他的肚子上極力牴觸，導致他死亡（以上四件事都是程智用親眼所見，所以講述出來）。

明神宗時期，有一位士子，剛成年就考中了進士。座師（主考官）和同年（同年考中的進士）的各位朋友都非常器重他。他的父親對他更加嚴厲，稍微不合規矩就加以鞭打羞辱。有一天，有一位同年邀請這位士子喝酒，士子因為父親的責備而遲遲才去，並且向同年哭訴這種情況。同年非常感嘆佩服地說：『太厲害了，老伯父真是為年兄（對同年進士的尊稱）著想啊。我們這些同輩半生苦心，才僅僅獲得一個進士功名。而兄臺您年紀不到二十歲，也就考中了進士，而且名聲很好，反而勝過我們這些同輩。這是造化所嫉妒的啊。老伯父如果不使用嚴厲的手段，那麼兄臺您必定會放縱自己的情感和慾望，福壽都會受到損害啊。』這位士子於是醒悟，回家時立刻改變了以前的樣子。他的父親驚訝地問他：『你是自己理解了我的意思，能夠這樣改正過錯嗎？還是誰向你說明了情況呢？』士子講述了同年所說的話來回答。他的父親於是懇請這位同年，讓他命令士子以老師的禮節對待他，以便接受切磋琢磨的益處。

【English Translation】 English version: 'You plotted to take my life, and I have come specifically to demand repayment. However, because you allowed me to squander freely, which pleased me greatly, I will spare your life. How can you then reproach me as a father?'

In Songjiang estuary, there was a man surnamed Zhu who made a living by buying and slaughtering large pigs. In the first month of the Chongzhen Ji Mao year (1639), he happened to get up to go to the toilet at the second watch of the night and heard voices. Suspecting they were thieves, he grabbed a stick and followed the sound, only to find that it was coming from the pigsty and spoken in the Fujian dialect. One voice said, 'How bitter! I will surely be slaughtered tomorrow.' Another said, 'You were originally supposed to be a pig seven times, and now you have been one six times; the suffering is about to end. I am supposed to be a pig five times, and this is only my first time; it is truly bitter.' The man understood the Fujian dialect and was greatly frightened upon hearing this, so he abandoned the evil trade of slaughtering pigs.

Another man made a living by slaughtering sheep. Also in the first month of the Ji Mao year (1639), he went to the countryside to buy four sheep and led them back home. Before reaching his house, only about ten li (approximately 5 kilometers) away, the four sheep struggled and stumbled, knocking the man down. One sheep held his head, one sheep pressed down on his feet, and two sheep butted his abdomen with all their might, causing his death (the above four incidents were personally witnessed by Cheng Zhiyong, so he recounted them).

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, there was a scholar who passed the imperial examination at a young age. His examiner and fellow graduates all highly valued him. His father treated him even more strictly, and would whip and humiliate him for the slightest infraction. One day, a fellow graduate invited the scholar to drink wine. The scholar was late because of his father's scolding, and he wept to his fellow graduate about his situation. The fellow graduate sighed in admiration and said, 'How remarkable! The old gentleman is truly thinking deeply for you. We peers have toiled for half our lives to barely achieve a Jinshi degree. But you, brother, have obtained the degree before the age of twenty, and your reputation surpasses ours. This is something that even fate envies. If the old gentleman does not use harsh methods, then you will surely indulge your emotions and desires, and both your fortune and lifespan will be harmed.' The scholar then awakened and immediately changed his behavior upon returning home. His father asked him in surprise, 'Did you understand my intentions yourself and were able to correct your faults in this way? Or did someone explain the situation to you?' The scholar recounted what his fellow graduate had said. His father then earnestly requested the fellow graduate to instruct his son, ordering the scholar to treat him with the respect due to a teacher, so that he could benefit from his guidance and refinement.

和州有一居民。忘其姓。養鵝百餘隻。偶一日鵝食其親鄰稻穀。鄰打殺其鵝至五十餘。民婦見之。始亦甚怒。次深思曰。我設欲與成訟。力能勝彼。但須費數十金。計鵝所直不及其半。且鵝雖死。亦尚可用。何必爭此空氣。又吾夫今已醉臥。設與知之。或起驅打。尤為不便。遂命僮收拾死鵝腌之。次早鄰人忽自暴死。其夫醉醒。嘆訝其人無病而卒。甚為奇異。婦乃以昨事告之。夫深感曰。設汝昨為我說。我乘醉力必驅打之。不幾成人命乎。乃集親友作證。拜謝其婦(已上二事釋成泰說)。

池州府殷家匯經紀行。有一棉花客往鄉收花。途遇打狗者負一大犬。買歸放生。剩食飼之。弗離左右。一日至丁家洲收花。行主人叫舟送之。犬亦隨往。舟子見客銀多。起不良心。撐至江邊將客置布袋中。結口投水。犬遂下水口銜袋結嘶吠不已。漁人見而挽出。客因得蘇。回至行中。備言其事。行主安慰客心。佯為不知。往舟子家探問。客信且邀舟子到行飲酒。乃令客出面詰。伏罪奉還原銀。

九華山有住莊人。好殺鹿。一日率眾網鹿。見有老鹿身斑異色。四圍覓之。鹿見勢迫竄入莊家。眾復趕進。鹿跪伏淚下乞命。莊人以矛逆刺鹿目。鹿未去皮。而莊人眼忽先瞎矣。

青陽縣老田吳六房。有家人名吳毛

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：和州（今安徽和縣）有一位居民，忘記了他的姓氏。他養了一百多隻鵝。有一天，鵝吃了鄰居家的稻穀。鄰居打死了他的鵝，死了五十多隻。這位居民的妻子看到了，起初非常生氣，後來仔細一想，如果我一定要和他打官司，即使我能勝訴，也要花費幾十兩銀子，算算鵝的價值還不到一半。而且鵝雖然死了，但還可以食用，何必爭這口氣呢？而且我丈夫現在已經喝醉睡著了，如果讓他知道這件事，可能會起來打人，那就更不好了。於是她就讓家裡的僕人把死鵝收拾起來醃製。第二天早上，鄰居忽然暴病身亡。她的丈夫酒醒后，感嘆驚訝這個人無病而死，覺得非常奇怪。他的妻子就把昨天的事情告訴了他。丈夫深深感慨地說，如果昨天你告訴我這件事，我趁著酒勁一定會打人的，那不就差點鬧出人命了嗎？於是他召集親友作證，向他的妻子拜謝（以上兩件事是釋成泰說的）。池州府（今安徽池州市）殷家匯經紀行，有一位棉花商人去鄉下收購棉花。途中遇到一個打狗的人，他買下了一隻大狗放生，並用剩餘的食物餵養它，狗寸步不離地跟在他左右。有一天，他到丁家洲收購棉花，經紀行的主人叫了一條船送他。狗也跟著去了。船伕看到客人有很多銀子，就起了歹心，把船撐到江邊，把客人裝進布袋里，紮緊袋口扔進水裡。狗就跳下水，用嘴銜住袋子的結口，不停地嘶叫。漁夫看到了，就把他救了上來，客人因此得以活命。回到經紀行后，他詳細地說了這件事。經紀行的主人爲了安撫客人，假裝不知道這件事，去船伕家打聽情況。客人相信了他，還邀請船伕到經紀行喝酒。於是經紀行的主人就讓客人出面質問船伕，船伕伏罪並奉還了原來的銀子。九華山（位於安徽省池州市青陽縣境內）有一位住在山莊里的人，喜歡殺鹿。有一天，他帶領眾人張網捕鹿，看到一隻老鹿，身上有斑紋，顏色與衆不同。眾人四處追捕它。鹿見情勢危急，就逃到莊戶人家裡。眾人又追了進去。鹿跪在地上，流著眼淚乞求饒命。莊人卻用矛刺向鹿的眼睛。鹿還沒有被剝皮，莊人的眼睛卻忽然先瞎了。青陽縣（今安徽省池州市青陽縣）老田吳六房，有一位家人名叫吳毛。

【English Translation】 English version: In Hezhou (present-day He County, Anhui Province), there lived a resident whose surname is forgotten. He raised over a hundred geese. One day, the geese ate the rice of a neighbor. The neighbor beat and killed over fifty of his geese. The resident's wife saw this and was initially very angry. However, after thinking deeply, she said, 'Even if I were to sue him, and even if I were to win, it would cost dozens of taels of silver, which is more than half the value of the geese. Besides, although the geese are dead, they can still be eaten, so why bother arguing over this? Furthermore, my husband is currently drunk and asleep. If he were to find out about this, he might get up and start fighting, which would be even more troublesome.' So she ordered the servants to collect the dead geese and pickle them. The next morning, the neighbor suddenly died of a sudden illness. Her husband, after sobering up, sighed in surprise that this person had died without any illness, finding it very strange. His wife then told him about what had happened yesterday. The husband deeply lamented, 'If you had told me about this yesterday, I would have certainly started a fight while drunk, wouldn't that have almost resulted in someone's death?' So he gathered relatives and friends as witnesses and bowed to thank his wife (the above two incidents were narrated by Shi Chengtai). In Yinjia Hui Brokerage in Chizhou Prefecture (present-day Chizhou City, Anhui Province), there was a cotton merchant who went to the countryside to collect cotton. On the way, he encountered a dog beater and bought a large dog to release it, feeding it with leftover food. The dog stayed by his side at all times. One day, he went to Dingjia Zhou to collect cotton. The brokerage owner called a boat to send him there. The dog also went along. The boatman saw that the guest had a lot of silver and had evil intentions. He rowed the boat to the riverbank, put the guest in a cloth bag, tied the opening, and threw him into the water. The dog then jumped into the water, grabbed the knot of the bag with its mouth, and barked incessantly. A fisherman saw this and pulled him out, thus saving the guest's life. After returning to the brokerage, he told the story in detail. The brokerage owner, to appease the guest, pretended not to know about it and went to the boatman's house to inquire. The guest believed him and even invited the boatman to the brokerage for a drink. Then the brokerage owner had the guest confront the boatman, who confessed his crime and returned the original silver. In Jiuhua Mountain (located in Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province), there was a resident of a mountain village who liked to hunt deer. One day, he led a group of people to set up nets to catch deer. They saw an old deer with unique spots and colors. The group chased after it from all directions. Seeing the situation was dire, the deer fled into a villager's home. The group chased in after it. The deer knelt down, tears streaming down its face, begging for its life. The villager, however, thrust a spear into the deer's eyes. Before the deer could be skinned, the villager's eyes suddenly went blind. In Laotian Wu Liufang in Qingyang County (present-day Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province), there was a family member named Wu Mao.

。持戒茹素甚潔。左兵渡江搶虜殺人。主人盡走避之。惟吳毛代主看守房屋。被賊七槍而死。頃之厥弟來看。毛復醒。向弟曰。我夙業應七受豬身。因齋戒力。今受七槍以酬往因。徑生天矣。言訖遂逝。其弟素不信善。聞之駭然。亦遂迴心。

九華山澗多產石雞。形似蝦蟆而大。味勝家雞。每有上司過縣。必票取之。偶一夜。莊人以火照巖。舒手探取。被石雞咬住兩手。死不可㧞。直至五更。聞寺鐘聲。石雞各似合掌唸佛之狀。莊人乃得脫走。

池州府有一人。恒誦三官經。流賊臨城。其人夢三官告云。汝前世曾殺一人。今來報仇。不可免矣。驚懼而醒。復加懇禱。又得夢雲。往業難逃。豈能曲救。但汝夙冤名朱七。騎紅馬。明日必來。汝可跪于門前。口稱朱七將軍饒命。彼或問汝何故知我名字。即以兩夢告之可也。次日果於門前見有騎紅馬者。跪稱朱七將軍饒命。賊聞驚異。問知其故。遂憮然若失。置之不殺而去。

釋復禮。訪知友。歸九華。夜夢黃冠羽流三人奔求救命。旁有同衣詆之。次日行路。見一童子手提三鱔。肥大異常。買放井中。旁有一釋痛加訶罵。謂不宜放入于井。方悟夜夢即此三鱔云(已上六事俱釋隆仁說)。

徽州商人程伯鱗。久居揚州。事觀音大士甚虔。乙酉夏北兵破

{ "translations": [ "現代漢語譯本：\n持戒並吃素，非常潔凈。左兵渡江搶劫殺人，主人都跑去躲避。只有吳毛代替主人看守房屋，被賊人刺了七槍而死。不久他的弟弟來看他，吳毛又醒了，對弟弟說：『我前世的業報應該七次轉生為豬。因為齋戒的力量，現在受七槍來償還過去的因果。直接昇天了。』說完就去世了。他的弟弟向來不相信善報，聽了這話非常震驚，也就回心向善了。\n\n九華山的山澗里多產石雞（一種鳥，因叫聲似雞而得名）。形狀像蛤蟆但是很大，味道勝過家雞。每當有上司經過縣裡，必定要徵調石雞。有一次夜裡，莊稼人用火照著巖石，伸手去抓取。被石雞咬住兩手，死了也拔不出來。直到五更天，聽到寺廟的鐘聲，石雞都像合掌唸佛的樣子，莊稼人才得以脫身逃走。\n\n池州府有一個人，經常誦唸三官經（道教經文，祭祀天官、地官、水官）。流寇逼近城池，這個人夢見三官告訴他說：『你前世曾經殺過一個人，現在來報仇，不可避免了。』他驚恐地醒來，更加懇切地祈禱。又夢見三官說：『過去的業報難以逃脫，怎麼能徇私營救呢？但是你前世的冤家名叫朱七，騎著紅馬，明天必定會來。你可以跪在門前，口稱朱七將軍饒命。他如果問你為什麼知道他的名字，就把兩個夢告訴他就可以了。』第二天果然在門前看見一個騎著紅馬的人，他跪下來說朱七將軍饒命。賊人聽了非常驚異，問明緣由，於是悵然若失，放了他沒有殺害。\n\n釋復禮，拜訪朋友，返回九華山。夜裡夢見三個穿著黃色道袍的道士奔跑著求救，旁邊有一個穿著同樣衣服的人指責他們。第二天趕路，看見一個童子手裡提著三條鱔魚，肥大異常，買來放進井裡。旁邊有一個和尚痛加呵斥，說不應該放進井裡。這才明白夜裡夢見的就是這三條鱔魚（以上六件事都是釋隆仁說的）。\n\n徽州商人程伯鱗，長期居住在揚州，侍奉觀音大士非常虔誠。乙酉年（1645年）夏天，北方軍隊攻破揚州，", "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:He observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the Three Officials: Heaven, Earth, and Water). When the rebel bandits approached the city, the man dreamed that the Three Officials told him, 'In your previous life, you killed a person, and now they have come for revenge. It is unavoidable.' He woke up in fear and prayed even more earnestly. He dreamed again that the Three Officials said, 'Past karma is difficult to escape. How can we bend the rules to save you? But your karmic enemy is named Zhu Qi, riding a red horse, and will surely come tomorrow. You can kneel in front of the door and say, \"General Zhu Qi, spare my life.\" If he asks you why you know his name, you can tell him about the two dreams.' The next day, he indeed saw a man riding a red horse in front of the door. He knelt down and said, 'General Zhu Qi, spare my life.' The bandit was very surprised upon hearing this and asked for the reason. He was then lost in thought and let him go without killing him.\n\n釋 Fuli visited a friend and returned to Jiuhua Mountain. At night, he dreamed of three Taoists in yellow robes running and begging for help. Beside them was someone in the same clothing who was criticizing them. The next day, while traveling, he saw a child carrying three eels, exceptionally fat and large, and bought them to release into a well. A monk nearby scolded him severely, saying that they should not be released into the well. Only then did he realize that the dream he had the night before was about these three eels (the above six stories were all told by Shi Longren).\n\nCheng Bolin, a merchant from Huizhou, lived in Yangzhou for a long time and was very devout in serving the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In the summer of Yiyou year (1645), the northern army broke through Yangzhou," "English version:\nHe observed the precepts and was a strict vegetarian, very pure. The soldiers of the Left Army crossed the river, looting and killing. The masters all fled to avoid them. Only Wu Mao stayed behind to guard the house for his master. He was stabbed seven times by the bandits and died. Soon after, his younger brother came to see him. Wu Mao woke up again and said to his brother, 'My past karma dictated that I should be reborn as a pig seven times. Because of the power of fasting and observing the precepts, I now receive seven stabs to repay the past cause. I am ascending directly to heaven.' After saying this, he passed away. His brother had never believed in good deeds, but upon hearing this, he was shocked and repented.\n\nThe mountain streams of Jiuhua Mountain are rich in stone chickens (a type of bird, named for its chicken-like call). They resemble toads but are large, and their taste surpasses that of domestic chickens. Whenever a superior official passed through the county, they would invariably requisition stone chickens. One night, villagers used fire to illuminate the rocks and reached out to grab them. Their hands were bitten by the stone chickens, and they could not be pulled out even in death. It was not until the fifth watch (early morning) that they heard the temple bells. The stone chickens all seemed to be joining their palms in prayer like the Buddha. The villagers were then able to escape.\n\nIn Chizhou Prefecture, there was a man who constantly recited the Sanguan Jing (Taoist scripture, worshiping the

揚城。程禱大士求救。乃得夢雲。汝家共十七人。餘十六口俱不在劫。惟汝在數。不可逃也。程既醒。又復懇禱。仍得夢雲。汝前生殺王麻子二十六刀。今須償彼。決不可逃。汝當分付家中十六口。並住東廂。汝獨在中堂俟之。勿並遺累家人也。程頷之。越五日北兵扣門。程即問曰。汝非王麻子乎。若是王麻子可來殺我二十六刀。若非王麻子則本無怨。不須進門。兵云。我正是王麻子。程遂開門納之。兵下馬驚問。汝何以知我姓名。程具以兩夢告之。兵嘆曰。汝前世殺我二十六刀。我則今世報汝。我今殺汝。汝于來世不將又報我乎。乃以刀背斫程二十六下而宥之。攜其家屬同至金陵。

見聞錄(終)

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：在揚州城，程某向大士祈求救助，於是得到一個夢，夢中說：『你家共有十七人，其餘十六口都不在劫難之中，只有你在劫數之內，無法逃脫。』程某醒來后，又再次懇切祈禱，仍然得到夢，夢中說：『你前世殺了王麻子二十六刀，今生必須償還他，絕對無法逃脫。你應該吩咐家中十六口人，都住在東廂房，你獨自在中堂等候他，不要連累家人。』程某答應了。過了五天，北方來的士兵敲門。程某就問：『你不是王麻子嗎？如果是王麻子，可以來殺我二十六刀。如果不是王麻子，則我們本無怨仇，不必進門。』士兵說：『我正是王麻子。』程某於是打開門接納了他。士兵下馬後驚訝地問：『你為什麼知道我的姓名？』程某把兩次夢境都告訴了他。士兵嘆息道：『你前世殺了我二十六刀，我今生來報復你。如果我今天殺了你，你在來世難道不會又來報復我嗎？』於是用刀背砍了程某二十六下，然後寬恕了他，帶著他的家屬一同前往金陵（今南京）。

《見聞錄》終

【English Translation】 English version: In Yangzhou city, Cheng prayed to the Great Being (大士 - Dashi, a Bodhisattva) for salvation. Then he had a dream, saying: 'Your family has a total of seventeen people. The other sixteen members are not in this calamity, only you are destined to be in it, and cannot escape.' After Cheng woke up, he prayed earnestly again, and still had a dream, saying: 'In your previous life, you killed Wang Mazi (王麻子 - Wang Mazi, a person's name) with twenty-six cuts. In this life, you must repay him, and you absolutely cannot escape. You should instruct the sixteen members of your family to live in the east wing, and you alone should wait for him in the central hall, so as not to implicate your family.' Cheng agreed. Five days later, northern soldiers knocked on the door. Cheng immediately asked: 'Are you not Wang Mazi? If you are Wang Mazi, you can come and kill me with twenty-six cuts. If you are not Wang Mazi, then we have no grievances, and you don't need to enter.' The soldier said: 'I am Wang Mazi.' Cheng then opened the door and admitted him. The soldier dismounted and asked in surprise: 'How do you know my name?' Cheng told him about the two dreams. The soldier sighed and said: 'In your previous life, you killed me with twenty-six cuts, and I am here to avenge you in this life. If I kill you today, won't you come back to avenge me in the next life?' So he struck Cheng twenty-six times with the back of his knife and then pardoned him, taking his family to Jinling (金陵 - Jinling, present-day Nanjing) together.

End of 'Records of Things Seen and Heard'