江西孟龍潭與朱孝廉客都中，偶涉一蘭若，殿宇禪舍，俱不甚弘敞，惟一老僧掛褡其中。見客入，肅衣出迓，導與隨喜。殿中塑誌公像，兩壁圖繪精妙，人物如生，東壁畫散花天女，內一垂髫者拈花微笑，櫻唇欲動，眼波將流。朱注目久，不覺神搖意奪，恍然凝想，身忽飄飄如駕雲霧，已到壁上。見殿閣重重，非復人世，一老僧說法座上，偏袒繞視者甚眾，朱亦雜立其中。
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。
Meng Longtan of Jiangxi and a provincial graduate named Zhu were staying in the capital. They happened to wander into a temple. Its halls and the monks’ quarters were none of them very large or grand, and only one old monk was lodging there. Seeing visitors come in, he straightened his robe, came out to greet them and showed them round. In the main hall stood a statue of Master Zhi. The two side walls were painted with marvellous skill, the figures as if alive. On the east wall were the heavenly maidens who scatter flowers, and among them was one whose hair still hung loose, a girl holding a flower and faintly smiling. Her cherry lips seemed about to move, her glance about to flow. Zhu gazed at her a long time, and before he knew it his spirit was shaken and his mind carried away. Lost in a daze, he stared and dreamed — and suddenly his body was floating, as if riding on clouds and mist, and he was already up in the wall. He saw halls and pavilions rising one behind another: this was no longer the world of men. An old monk sat on a high seat preaching the Law, and a great crowd of monks, one shoulder bared, stood all around him looking on. Zhu stood mixed in among them.
少間，似有人暗牽其裾，回視則垂髫兒囅然，竟去履即從之，過曲欄入一小舍，次且不敢前。女回首舉手中花，遙遙作招狀，乃趨之，舍內寂無人。遽擁之，亦不甚拒，遂與狎好。既而閉戶去，囑朱「勿欬」，夜乃復至，如此二日。女伴覺之，共搜得生。戲謂女曰：「腹內小郎已許大，尚髮蓬蓬學處子耶？」共捧簪珥，促令上鬟，女含羞不語。一女曰：「妹妹姊姊，吾等勿久住，恐人不歡。」群笑而去。
少间，似有人暗牵其裾，回视则垂髫儿冁然，竟去履即从之，过曲栏入一小舍，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，嘱朱「勿欬」，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。
A little later he seemed to feel someone tug secretly at the hem of his robe. He looked round: it was the girl with the loose hair. She smiled at him and walked off, and he followed at once. She passed along a winding balustrade into a small room, and there he hung back, not daring to go further. The girl turned her head, raised the flower in her hand and beckoned to him from a distance, so he hurried after her. Inside, the room was silent; there was no one there. At once he took her in his arms. She did not resist much, and they made love. Afterwards she shut the door and left, telling Zhu, “Don’t cough.” At night she came again. So it went for two days. Then her companions found out, and together they searched and found Zhu. Teasing the girl, they said, “The little one in your belly is this big already, and you still wear your hair all loose and play the maiden?” Together they held out hairpins and earrings and made her put her hair up. The girl blushed and said nothing. One of them said, “Sisters, little and big, let’s not stay long, or someone won’t be pleased.” They all laughed and went away.
朱視女髻雲高簇，鬟鳳低垂，比垂髫時尤艷絕也。四顧無人，漸入猥褻，蘭麝熏心。樂方未艾，忽聞吉莫靴鏗鏗甚厲，縲鎖鏘然，旋有紛囂騰辨之聲。女驚起，與朱竊窺，則見金甲使者，黑面如漆，綰鎖挈槌，眾女環繞之。使者曰：「全未？」答言：「已全。」使者曰：「如有藏匿下界人，即共出首，勿貽伊戚。」又同聲言「無。」使者反身愕顧，似將搜匿，女大懼，面如死灰，張皇謂朱曰：「可急匿榻下！」乃啟壁上小扉猝遁去。朱伏不敢少息。俄聞靴聲至房內，復出，未幾，煩喧漸遠，心稍安，然戶外輒有往來語論者。朱跼蹐既久，覺耳際蟬鳴，目中火出，景狀殆不可忍，惟靜聽以待女歸，竟不復憶身之何自來也。
朱视女髻云高簇，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，与朱窃窥，则见金甲使者，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。」使者反身愕顾，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。
Zhu looked at the girl: her hair was piled high like clouds, with phoenix pins hanging low among the coils, and she was lovelier even than when it had hung loose. Seeing no one about, little by little they grew wanton again, the scent of orchid and musk filling his heart. Their pleasure was not yet spent when suddenly they heard the harsh clank of leather boots and the rattle of chains, and then a din of voices, clamouring and arguing. The girl sprang up in alarm, and she and Zhu peeped out. They saw an envoy in golden armour, his face black as lacquer, a coil of chain in one hand and a mallet in the other, with all the girls standing round him. “Are you all here?” said the envoy. “We are all here,” they answered. “If any of you is hiding someone from the world below,” said the envoy, “come out with it now, all of you. Don’t bring grief on yourselves.” Again they said with one voice, “No one.” The envoy turned and glared about him, as if about to search. The girl was terrified, her face the colour of dead ashes. In a panic she said to Zhu, “Quick, hide under the bed!” Then she opened a little door in the wall and fled. Zhu lay flat and dared not draw breath. In a moment he heard the boots come into the room and go out again. Before long the uproar faded into the distance and his heart grew a little easier, but outside the door there were still people coming and going and talking. Zhu had been huddled there so long that his ears were ringing like cicadas and sparks were flying before his eyes. It was almost more than he could bear. He could only listen in silence and wait for the girl to come back. He no longer remembered at all where he had come from.
時孟龍潭在殿中，轉瞬不見朱，疑以問僧，僧笑曰：「往聽說法去矣。」問：「何處？」曰：「不遠。」少時，以指彈壁而呼曰：「朱檀越何久遊不歸？」旋見壁間畫有朱像，傾耳佇立，若有聽察。僧又呼曰：「游侶久待矣。」遂飄忽自壁而下，灰心木立，目瞪足耎。孟大駭，從容問之，蓋方伏榻下，聞叩聲如雷，故出房窺聽也。共視拈花人，螺髻翹然，不復垂髫矣。朱驚拜老僧，而問其故，僧笑曰：「幻由人生，老僧何能解？」朱氣結而不揚，孟心駭而無主，即起歷階而出。
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，老僧何能解？」朱气结而不扬，孟心骇而无主，即起历阶而出。
Meanwhile, in the hall, Meng Longtan had looked away for an instant and Zhu was gone. Puzzled, he asked the monk. The monk laughed. “He has gone to hear the Law preached.” “Where?” “Not far.” Presently the monk tapped on the wall with his finger and called, “Patron Zhu, why are you so long away on your travels?” At once a picture of Zhu appeared on the wall, standing with his head cocked, as if listening. The monk called again: “Your companion has been waiting a long time.” Then Zhu came drifting down out of the wall. He stood there like a block of wood, his heart turned to ashes, his eyes staring and his legs weak. Meng was badly frightened. Gently he asked what had happened. It turned out that Zhu had been lying under the bed when he heard a knocking like thunder, and so had come out of the room to peep and listen. Together they looked at the girl holding the flower: her hair was coiled up high like a conch shell, no longer hanging loose. Astonished, Zhu bowed to the old monk and asked him the reason. The monk laughed. “Illusions arise from the man himself. How could an old monk explain them?” Zhu was choked and downcast, Meng shaken and at a loss. They got up at once, went down the steps and left.
異史氏曰：幻由人生，此言類有道者。人有淫心，是生褻境；人有褻心，是生怖境。菩薩點化愚蒙，千幻並作，皆人心所自動耳。老僧婆心切，惜不聞其言下大悟，披髮入山也。
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。老僧婆心切，惜不闻其言下大悟，披发入山也。
The Historian of the Strange says: ‘Illusions arise from the man himself’ — these sound like the words of one who has found the Way. When a man has lust in his heart, scenes of lewdness are born; when he has lewdness in his heart, scenes of terror are born. When a bodhisattva enlightens the foolish and ignorant, a thousand illusions spring up at once, and all of them are only the stirrings of the man’s own heart. The old monk spoke with a grandmother’s kindness. What a pity we are not told that at his words Zhu suddenly saw the truth, let down his hair and went off into the mountains.