Wang Fanxing: Learning by Ear, Practising in Daily Life
Person:Wang Fanxing
Period:Sui (Linyi)
Sui; the Xianying lu places the account in the Kaihuang era.
Reading preferences
以下依所列原典轉述;神異內容均為原書所載。
故事
王梵行住在臨沂,自幼失明。《法華經顯應錄》說,母親因愛念他,親口教他誦《法華經》。書中以一萬七千部記錄他的持誦累積;這是文獻所述數量,並不是給今日讀者設定的功課。
原文特別說,他的眼睛仍看不見,卻能在日夕往返中處理織簟、縫衣等事。旁人疑他另有所得而詢問,他始終不肯說。這段沒有記載視力恢復,也不能由此替他補出未載的神通或學習方法。
他穿布衣、吃蔬食,終身未娶。《顯應錄》記他七十一歲去世,遺言將遺體置於林野,身後留下舌不壞的感應敘述,由弟弟慧義供奉。《持驗記》也有較短的記載,並說他跏坐而逝。這些身後情節按宗教文獻原樣介紹,不作此次已獨立證明的事件。
母親口授與他長期受持的記載,讓這則故事不只圍繞身後瑞相,也保留了在家親人如何協助學經的線索。
編者省思(非原典)
不把能閱讀文字視為接近經典的唯一途徑,是這則故事可供今日讀者思考之處。聽聞、跟讀與合宜的學習協助,都可以各按條件安排;這是編者的實踐聯想,不是原書替每個人制定的方法。
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