佛祖統紀 10.39

10.39

禪師元宗。永嘉吳氏。遊學至江陵。謁左溪稟受禪要。後於紫金山專修禪觀。初是山中多虎自師卜居。絕不見跡。一日學徒盛集。忽一老人趨拜座前。自言弟子乃虎。在此噬人多矣。因師開化得脫業軀。今將生天上特來報謝。言訖不見。大歷二年。端坐示滅。

Chan Master Yuanzong was of the Wu clan of Yongjia. Traveling for study, he reached Jiangling, visited Zuoxi, and received the essentials of Chan. Later, he devoted himself to cultivating Chan contemplation at Mount Zijin. Originally, there were many tigers in this mountain, but from the time the Master selected his dwelling, their traces were completely unseen. One day, when his students had gathered in great numbers, an old man suddenly hurried to bow before his seat and said of himself, 'Your disciple is a tiger. Here I have eaten many people. Because the Master enlightened and transformed me, I have gained release from this body of karma; now I am about to be born in heaven and have come especially to express my gratitude.' Having spoken, he disappeared. In the second year of the Dali era, [the Master] sat upright and manifested extinction.