觀音義疏 1.65

1.65

二、約事證者，《應驗傳》云：「晉太元中，彭城有一人被枉為賊，本供養金像帶在髻中。後伏法，刀下，但聞金聲，刀三斫，頸終無異。解看像有三痕，由是得放。又，蜀有一人，檀函盛像安髻中，值姚萇寇蜀，此人與萇相遇，萇以手斫之，聞頂有聲，退後看像果見有痕，其人悲感：『寧傷我身，反損聖容？』益加精進。晉太元高簡，滎陽京人，犯法臨刑，一心歸命，鉗鎖不復見處，下刀刀折，絞之寸斷，遂賣妻子及自身，起五層塔在京縣。宋太始初，四方兵亂，沈文秀牧青州，為土人明僧駿所攻，秀將杜賀刑妻司馬氏云云。」

Second, regarding phenomenal verification, the Yingyan zhuan states: 'During the Taiyuan era of the Jin, a man in Pengcheng was falsely accused of being a bandit. He had previously made offerings to a golden statue and carried it in his topknot. Later, when facing execution, as the blade descended, only a metallic sound was heard; the blade struck three times, but his neck was completely unharmed. Upon untying and inspecting the statue, there were three cut marks on it, and on this account he was released. Again, there was a man in Shu who kept a statue in a sandalwood box inside his topknot. When Yao Chang invaded Shu, this man encountered Chang, and Chang struck him with his own hand. Hearing a sound on his crown, [Chang] drew back, and inspecting the statue they indeed saw a mark. The man was moved to sorrow: "Better that my body be harmed; why instead damage the sacred countenance?" and he became all the more diligent. During the Taiyuan era of the Jin, Gao Jian, a man of Jing in Xingyang, broke the law and faced execution. With a single mind he took refuge: the fetters and shackles were no longer anywhere to be seen; when the blade descended, the blade broke; when they tried to strangle him, the cord snapped inch by inch. He subsequently sold his wife and children and his own self to erect a five-story stupa in Jing county. Early in the Tashi era of the Song, when soldiers and chaos arose on all sides, Shen Wenxiu governed Qingzhou and was attacked by the local Ming Sengjun. Xiu's general Du He was about to execute his wife, Lady Sima, and so forth.'