律相感通傳 1.70

1.70

He replied, "At the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a mountain god surnamed Luo and named Ziming, a man of Shu. Formerly, he had been a precept-upholding monk who harboured hatred toward those who broke the precepts. He made evil vows: 'Let me, after death, become a great evil ghost to devour precept-breakers!' Receiving rebirth according to his vow, he became this mountain god, possessing a vast retinue. The land he governed extended over five thousand li east to west and over two thousand li north to south, and he devoured upwards of ten thousand people each year. This god had formerly been the elder brother of Kāśyapa Buddha and later became his disciple. That Buddha pitied him, and so came to teach and transform him with various supernormal transformations. Only then was he subdued, received the five precepts, immediately recognised his past lives, and accordingly ceased eating humans. Fearing that his mind might change later, the Buddha left traces of his footprints. King Aśoka erected a stūpa upon them, atop the mountain peak, and the god then hid within the rock. The stūpa was made of white jade, and that god is present even now. The monastery and stūpa below the city walls were erected by King Aśoka (the account appears in the Protocols of Entrustment). At Lingkan Monastery on the border of Xingning County on North Mountain in Xun Prefecture in the South Sea, there are many miraculous traces. This was a disciple of the Holy One Mañjuśrī who became this mountain god and created much evil karma; Mañjuśrī pitied him, came to teach and transform him, and he thereupon recognized his past lives and requested that [Mañjuśrī] leave traces so that he might constantly worship and serve them and thereby be freed from all evils. Mañjuśrī manifested them for him, which are those present today. In the third year of Zhenguan, the mountain god passed away and was reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven. Another god came to dwell in this place—an in-law of the former god—who committed great evils. The former god who had been reborn in heaven pitied him and descended to request Mañjuśrī to manifest smaller traces to transform this later god, who also followed the True Dharma. Thus, none of the large and small traces manifested on this mountain today are without cause." (The account appears in the Protocols of Entrustment.)