汪氏菴僧 The (Naughty) Monk of the Wang Clan Cloister

Outside the walls of Huizhou three li, Gentleman for court discussion Wang’s family ancestral grave cloister was there. During the Xiaoxing reign, he invited the monk Huihong to live there and administer it. The monk just ate heartily and peacefully sat and did not chant sutras or make praise to the Buddha. In regard to offerings, he burned incense and did it as briefly as possible. He was merely able to restrain himself, and did not make other mistakes. In the master’s house above and below all was accustomed to this, and this was preserved for twenty years. 

In Gandao 2^nd year he was sick and died, and the Wang clan buried him at a nearby mountain. Originally there was a great mulberry tree and its branches were flourishing. Several months later it suddenly withered and died. After a rain, mushrooms grew, and a Wang servant tending goats passed by it, saw its plump white brilliant radiance, and plucked it to present to the master. If fried in the usual fashion, the taste was different and the fragrance sweet. It was probably better than meat. If this evening they were all picked, in the daytime it would be replenished, continually not exhausted, extending for three autumns. 

Gradually it was heard about outside, and some people with money would come and try to pick them and buy them, but all were refused and they did not give them. Further, they feared people would steal and take them, and so they built a short wall and fence to protect them. The neighbors resented them and at night jumped over the wall and enter, and were going to clear out its roots and stump. The mulberry suddenly became a person who spoke, saying: “This is not what you are able to eat. If you by force take it you will surely receive misfortune and calamity. I was once the head of the cloister. I sat in vain and received offerings and donations. I did not know shame. After my body died, a dark administrator punished me by turning me into fungus to repay. The reason why they are plump and beautiful is because my essence and blood are what they are made from. Now the number of pickings already amounts to enough, thus I will depart!” The neighbors were terrified and retreated to tell Wang. Wang, as if he didn’t believe, himself went to examine it, but there were never again mushrooms, and thereupon he cut it down to make firewood.

徽州城外三里, 汪 朝議家祖父墳庵在焉. 紹興間, 招僧恵洪住持. 僧 但飽食安坐, 未嘗誦經念, 於供事香火亦極簡略, 僅 能循循自守, 不為它過, 主 家皆安之. 凡歴歳二 十、乾道二年病終、汪 氏葬之於近山。元有大 楮樹、鬱茂扶疏、數月後頓以枯 死、經雨生菌、汪僕牧羊過之、見其肥白光粲、采而獻 之主人。用常法煠治, 味殊香甘, 殆勝於肉. 今夕摘盡, 明旦復然, 源源不窮, 至於三秋. 浸浸聞於外、或持錢來求掇買、悉拒弗與。又畏人盜 取、乃設 短牆闌護之。鄰人憤、夜半Ｘ牆入、將空。其根枿、楮忽作 人言曰、此非爾所得食、強取之必受殃災。我即昔時庵主也、坐虛受供施、不知 漸愧、身歿之後、冥司罰為菌蕈以償。所以肥美 者、吾精 血所化也。今謫數已足、従此去矣。」鄰人駭而退、以告汪。汪猶不信、自 往驗之、不復有菌、遂 伐以為薪。

(Oksana Badrak, Enoki)