佛祖統紀 39.127

39.127

二年十月。勅法藏法師。於佛授記寺講新譯華嚴經。至華藏世界品。講堂及地皆為震動。即日引對長生殿敷宣玄義。指殿隅金師子為譬。后豁然領解。封師為賢首菩薩戒師。集其言曰金師子章。學者尊稱為賢首教云○華陰鄧元英有親故暴亡。七日復蘇報元英。驚見冥道官吏將追君父。宜急修功德以禳之。元英驚問。修何功德可免此事。曰急寫華嚴經一部。元英遽買紙。向隣寺多召經生。未逾旬日經已寫畢。竟免斯厄。復於母墳地產一華於冬月枯莖中。后異之。勅賜立孝門。以加旌表。

In the tenth month of the second year, Dharma Master Fazang was commanded by imperial decree to lecture on the newly translated Avataṃsaka-sūtra at the Foshouji Monastery. When he reached the 'Flower Treasury World Chapter', the lecture hall and the earth all shook. On the same day he was ushered into the Hall of Longevity for an audience to expound the profound meaning. Pointing to the golden lion in the corner of the hall as an analogy, the Empress suddenly attained understanding. She enfeoffed the master as the Bodhisattva-precept Preceptor Xianshou. His words were compiled as the Jin shizi zhang (Essay on the Golden Lion). Scholars venerate it, calling it the Xianshou teaching. Deng Yuanying of Huayin had a relative and old acquaintance who died suddenly. Reviving after seven days, he reported to Yuanying: 'In terror I saw the underworld officials and clerks about to arrest your father. You should quickly cultivate merit to avert this disaster.' Yuanying asked in alarm, 'What merit can I cultivate to avoid this matter?' He replied, 'Quickly copy a set of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra.' Yuanying immediately purchased paper, recruited many copyists from neighboring monasteries, and before ten days had passed the scripture was already completely copied. In the end he avoided this calamity. Furthermore, at his mother's grave a flower blossomed amidst dry stems in the winter months. The Empress considered this extraordinary and decreed that a gate of filial piety be erected to bestow honors upon him.