Meng Longtan of Jiangxi and a Provincial Graduate named Zhu were sojourning together in the capital. They happened to enter a Buddhist temple. The halls and monks' quarters were not very spacious; only one old monk was lodging there. Seeing the visitors enter, he straightened his robes and came out to welcome them, leading them on a worship tour.

　　In the main hall stood a statue of Master Zhi. The murals on the two walls were exquisitely painted, the figures as if alive. On the eastern wall was painted a group of celestial maidens scattering flowers. Among them was a maiden with her hair hanging loose, holding a flower and smiling. Her cherry lips seemed about to move, and the ripples of her eyes seemed about to flow.

　　Zhu gazed at her for a long time. Unconsciously, his mind was shaken and his spirit seized. In a trance, he fell into deep thought. His body suddenly floated upward, as if riding mist and clouds, and he found himself already on the wall. He saw tier upon tier of halls and pavilions, no longer the human world. An old monk was seated on a dharma throne expounding the scriptures, and a large number of monks in half-shouldered robes surrounded him listening. Zhu also stood among them.

　　After a little while, he felt someone secretly tugging at his robe. He turned his head and saw the maiden with hanging hair, who smiled and walked away. He immediately followed her. Crossing a winding balustrade, she entered a small room. Zhu hesitated and did not dare go forward. The maiden turned her head, raised the flower in her hand, and beckoned to him from afar. So he hurried toward her. The room was silent and empty of people. He at once embraced her, and she did not resist much. Thus he had intimate relations with her. Afterward she closed the door and left, telling him not to cough. At night she came again. This went on for two days.

　　Her female companions discovered this. They searched together and found Zhu. Playfully they said to the maiden, "The little man in your belly is already so big, yet you still go about with flowing hair like a virgin?" They brought out hairpins and ear ornaments and urged her to coil up her hair. The maiden was shy and speechless. One of the maidens said, "Sisters, let us not stay long, lest we make them unhappy." They all laughed and left.

　　Zhu looked at the maiden. Her hair was piled high like a cloud, with phoenix hairpins hanging low. She was even more beautiful than when she had worn it loose. Looking around and seeing no one, he gradually became intimate again. The fragrance of orchids and musk intoxicated his heart. Their pleasure had not yet reached its peak when suddenly they heard the loud, harsh sound of jimo boots and the clanking of chains. Then came a noise of clamor and dispute.

　　Startled, the maiden rose and peered out together with Zhu. They saw a golden-armored messenger, his face black as lacquer, holding chains in his hand and carrying a hammer. Maidens surrounded him. The messenger asked, "Are all here?" The answer was, "All are here." The messenger said, "If there is any among you who has hidden a mortal from the lower world, reveal it at once, and do not bring trouble upon yourselves." Again they answered with one voice, "There is none." The messenger turned his body and looked around like an owl, as if about to search for any hidden person.

　　The maiden was terrified, her face the color of dead ashes. In panic she said to Zhu, "Hide quickly under the bed." Then she opened a small door in the wall and abruptly fled away. Zhu crouched down, not daring to breathe for a moment. Soon he heard the sound of boots coming into the room and then going out again. After a while, the noise gradually faded into the distance. His heart calmed a little, but outside the door there were constantly people passing by and talking. Zhu, having been cramped and ill at ease for a long time, felt as if cicadas were buzzing in his ears and fire blazing from his eyes. The situation was almost unbearable. But he could only wait quietly for the maiden to return, and he no longer remembered from where his body had originally come.

　　Meanwhile, Meng Longtan was still in the main hall. In the blink of an eye, he could not see Zhu. Puzzled, he asked the old monk. The monk smiled and said, "He has gone to hear the dharma expounded." Meng asked, "Where?" The monk replied, "Not far away." After a little while, the monk used his finger to tap the wall and called out, "Donor Zhu, why have you wandered so long without returning?" Instantly, on the painted wall, Zhu's image appeared, with his ear inclined and standing still, as if listening. The monk called again, "Your traveling companion has been waiting for you a long time." Then Zhu floated down from the wall, his mind blank and his body stiff as wood, his eyes staring and his legs weak.

　　Meng was greatly alarmed. He calmly questioned him, and Zhu told him that he had been lying under the bed when he heard a knocking sound like thunder, so he had come out of the room to look, and then returned. Together they looked at the flower-holding maiden on the mural. Her coiled hair stood up prominently, and she was no longer a maiden with hanging hair.

　　Zhu, startled, bowed to the old monk and asked him the reason. The monk laughed and said, "Illusions are born from the human mind. How could this poor monk explain it?" Zhu's breath was blocked and his spirit depressed. Meng's heart was terrified and without direction. They immediately rose, went down the steps, and left the temple.

　　The Historian of the Strange says: "Illusions are born from the human mind" – these words resemble one who has attained the Way. When a person has lustful thoughts, then lewd realms arise; when a person has licentious thoughts, then fearful realms arise. The Bodhisattva, in order to enlighten the ignorant, causes a thousand illusions to appear together; all of them are set in motion by the human mind itself. The compassionate heart of the teacher is deep; it is a pity that the student did not, upon hearing these words, achieve great awakening and retire with loosened hair into the mountains.


中文如下:

　　【原文】

　　江西孟龙潭，与朱孝廉客都中。偶涉一兰若，殿宇禅舍，俱不甚弘敞，惟一老僧挂褡其中。见客入，肃衣出迓，导与随喜。殿中塑志公像。两壁图绘精妙，人物如生。东壁画散花天女，内一垂髫者，拈花微笑，樱唇欲动，眼波将流。

　　朱注目久，不觉神摇意夺，恍然凝想。身忽飘飘，如驾云雾，已到壁上。见殿阁重重，非复人世。一老僧说法座上，偏袒绕视者甚众。朱亦杂立其中。少间，似有人暗牵其裾。回顾，则垂髫儿，冁然竟去。履即从之。过曲栏，入一小舍，朱次且不敢前。女回首，举手中花，遥遥作招状，乃趋之。舍内寂无人，遽拥之，亦不甚拒，遂与狎好。既而闭户去，嘱勿咳，夜乃复至。如此二日。

　　女伴觉之，共搜得生，戏谓女曰：“腹内小郎已许大，尚发蓬蓬学处子耶？”共捧簪珥，促令上鬟。女含羞不语。一女曰：“妹妹姊姊，吾等勿久住，恐人不欢。”群笑而去。生视女，髻云高簇，鬟凤低垂，比垂髫时尤艳绝也。四顾无人，渐入猥亵，兰麝熏心，乐方未艾。忽闻吉莫靴铿铿甚厉，缧锁锵然。旋有纷嚣腾辨之声。女惊起，与生窃窥，则见一金甲使者，黑面如漆，绾锁挈槌，众女环绕之。使者曰：“全未？”答言：“已全。”使者曰：“如有藏匿下界人，即共出首，勿贻伊戚。”又同声言：“无。”使者反身鹗顾，似将搜匿。女大惧，面如死灰，张皇谓朱曰：“可急匿榻下。”乃启壁上小扉，猝遁去。朱伏，不敢少息。俄闻靴声至房内，复出。未几，烦喧渐远，心稍安，然户外辄有往来语论者。朱跼蹐既久，觉耳际蝉鸣，目中火出，景状殆不可忍。惟静听以待女归，竟不复忆身之何自来也。

　　时孟龙潭在殿中，转瞬不见朱，疑以问僧。僧笑曰：“往听说法去矣。”问：“何处？”曰：“不远。”少时，以指弹壁而呼曰：“朱檀越，何久游不归？”旋见壁间画有朱像，倾耳伫立，若有听察。僧又呼曰：“游侣久待矣。”遂飘忽自壁而下，灰心木立，目瞪足耎。孟大骇，从容问之，盖方伏榻下，闻叩声如雷，故出房窥听也。共视拈花人，螺髻翘然，不复垂髫矣。朱惊拜老僧，而问其故。僧笑曰：“幻由人生，贫道何能解。”朱气结而不扬，孟心骇而无主。即起，历阶而出。

　　异史氏曰：幻由人生，此言类有道者。人有淫心，是生亵境；人有亵心，是生怖境。菩萨点化愚蒙，千幻并作，皆人心所自动耳。老婆心切，惜不闻其言下大悟，披发入山也。

　　【翻译】

　　江西人孟龙潭和一个姓朱的举人一同客居在京城里。有一天，他们俩偶然走进了一座寺庙，寺庙里面的殿宇和僧房都不怎么宽敞，只有一个老和尚暂时投宿在那里。老和尚见到有客人进来，便整理了衣服前往迎接，领着他们到庙中各处游览。佛殿中央有一座高僧宝志的塑像，两边的墙壁上绘着精致神妙的壁画，画里的人物一个个都栩栩如生。东侧墙上画着一群散花的天女，其中有一位披发少女，手里拿着一朵花在微笑，樱桃小口好像要张开说话，含情脉脉的眼睛仿佛流波四溢。

　　朱举人对少女注目了很久，不知不觉间神魂飘荡，恍恍惚惚地陷入了想入非非的凝思当中。忽然，他的身子飘飘飞起，如同腾云驾雾一样，就飞到了墙壁上。只见殿堂楼阁重重叠叠，不像是人间世界。一个老和尚正在高座上讲说佛经，有许多身穿僧衣的和尚围着老和尚听讲。朱举人也站在这些人当中。过了一会儿，觉得好像有人暗暗地拉他的衣襟。他回头一看，正是那个披发少女，朝他莞尔一笑便转身离开了。朱举人就抬脚跟了上去。走过一段曲折的长廊，看见少女走进了一间小屋子，朱举人欲行又止地不敢往前走了。那个少女回过头来，举着手中的花朵，远远地招呼他，朱举人于是就快步跟着少女走进了小屋。小屋里寂静无人，他就上前拥抱少女，那少女也不怎么抗拒，于是二人就像夫妻那样地恩爱了一番。事情完了之后，少女关上屋门出去了，临走嘱咐朱举人不要咳嗽出声。到了夜晚，少女又来了。这样过了两天。

　　女伴们发觉了这件事儿，一起搜寻到了朱举人，对少女开玩笑说：“你肚子里的小孩都已经这么大了，还想披散着头发装大姑娘吗？”于是她们一块儿拿来发簪和耳环，催促她梳成妇人的发髻。少女羞得说不出一句话来。一个女伴说：“姐姐妹妹们，咱们可不要老待在这儿，会惹人家不高兴的。”女伴们就嬉笑着都离开了。朱举人再看那少女，只见她头上梳着高耸如云的发髻，上面插着低垂的凤钗，比披发的时候更加美艳迷人了。他看四下无人，便慢慢地又和少女亲热起来，只觉得一种兰草、麝香般的香气沁入了心脾。二人正在如胶似漆、快乐不已的时候，忽然间听到了急促高亢的皮靴声和铿锵作响的绳索声，接着就是一片人声嘈杂的喧嚷。少女听到声音吃惊地从床上坐了起来，和朱举人一齐偷偷地往外看，只见一个身穿金甲的使者，面色漆黑，提着锁链，拿着大锤，天女们围着他站着。使者问：“人全都到了吗？”天女们回答说：“已经全到了。”使者说：“如果有谁窝藏了下界凡人，大家要马上举报，不要自找麻烦。”天女们又齐声回答说：“没有。”那使者转过身子像老雕一样地四处环顾，好像要搜查似的。少女非常害怕，脸色吓得如同死灰一样，慌慌张张地对朱举人说：“你赶快藏到床下去。”她打开墙上的小门，匆匆忙忙地逃走了。朱举人趴在床下，一口大气也不敢出。过了一会儿，只听得皮靴的声音渐渐到了房里，然后又走了出去。没过多久，外面杂乱喧哗的声音渐渐远去了，朱举人的心里这才稍觉安稳，但是门外总是有来来往往说话的人。朱举人局促不安地躲藏了很久，觉得耳边像是有蝉在鸣叫，眼前直冒金星，那情形实在无法忍受。但他也只好静静地等待那少女回来，竟然再也记不起自己是从哪里来的了。

　　这时，孟龙潭在大殿里，转眼间不见了朱举人，就惊疑地向老和尚询问。老和尚笑着说：“他听讲经说法去了。”孟龙潭问：“在哪里呢？”老和尚回答说：“就在不远处。”过了一会儿，老和尚用手指弹了弹墙壁，高声叫道：“朱施主，怎么远游了这么长时间还不回来？”这时，就看见壁画上现出了朱举人的画像，正静静地站立着，侧着耳好像听见了什么似的。老和尚又叫了声说：“你的游伴等你已经很久了。”于是，朱举人就从墙壁上飘飘然地飞了下来，灰心丧气，目瞪口呆，手脚发软地立在那里。孟龙潭大吃一惊，慢慢地问他，才知道原来朱举人正趴在床下，忽然听到了一阵惊雷似的敲击声，所以走出房外来刚要看看，就回到了人世。大家一块儿再去看那个壁画上的拈花少女，只见她头上已经高高地盘起了发髻，不再是披发少女了。朱举人惊愕地向老和尚行礼，并向他请教这件事情的原因。老和尚笑着说：“幻觉本是由人的心里产生出来的，我这个和尚怎么能知道。”朱举人这时胸中郁闷，百思不得其解。孟龙潭听后暗自惊叹，惶恐不安。两人于是起身告辞，一级级下了台阶从庙中走了出来。

　　异史氏说：一切幻觉都是由人心自己生出来的，这像是有道之人说的话啊。人有了淫荡的心思，就会生出淫秽的情境；有了轻慢的心思，就会生出恐怖的情境。菩萨为了点化愚昧的人，让他历尽种种的幻境，这些幻境本都是从人自己的心里生出来的。法师心怀慈悲，苦心劝谕，可惜愚昧之人听了法师的话之后却不能大彻大悟，去山林修行。