佛祖統紀 40.55

40.55

六年。李筌至嵩山虎巖。得黃帝陰符經。讀數千遍不曉其義。甞過驪山下逢老母。於路旁見遺火燒樹。因自言曰。火生於木禍發必剋。筌驚問之。母曰。吾受此經三元六周甲子矣。筌具告所得。母曰。少年腦血未減。心影不遍。真吾弟子。乃坐石上為說其義曰。陰符三百字。百言演道。百言演法。百言演術。上有神仙抱一之道。中有富國安民之法。下有強兵戰勝之術。皆內出心機。外合人事。觀其精微。黃庭八景不足以為玄。察其至要。經傳子史不足以為文。任其巧智。孫吳韓白不足以為奇。非有道之士不可使聞之。故至人用之得其道。君子用之得其術。小人用之得其殃。如傳同好。必清齋而授之。本命日誦七遍。益心機加年壽。袖出一瓠令取水。瓠忽重沈於水。及還失母所在。但留麥飯。筌食之。自此絕粒。至開元間為江陵副使。後入名山訪道。不知所終。

In the sixth year, Li Quan went to Tiger Cliff on Mount Song and obtained the Yellow Emperor's Hidden Talisman Scripture (Yinfu jing). He read it thousands of times without understanding its meaning. Once, passing below Mount Li, he met an old woman by the roadside who saw a lingering fire burning a tree, whereupon she said to herself, 'Fire is born of wood; when disaster breaks out it is sure to conquer.' Quan asked her in astonishment. The old woman said, 'I received this scripture three cosmic cycles and six sexagenary cycles ago.' Quan recounted in full what he had obtained. The old woman said, 'Young man, your brain blood has not yet diminished, and your mind's shadows are not omnipresent; you are truly my disciple.' She then sat on a stone and explained its meaning to him, saying: 'The three hundred characters of the Yinfu Scripture: one hundred words expound the Way, one hundred words expound the method, and one hundred words expound the technique. Above, it contains the Way of immortals embracing the One; in the middle, it contains the method for enriching the country and pacifying the people; below, it contains the technique for strengthening the army and winning victories. All spring from inner mental workings and harmonize externally with human affairs. Examining its subtleties, the Yellow Court and the Eight Vistas are not enough to be considered profound; observing its essential points, the classics, commentaries, masters, and histories are not enough to be considered refined writing; giving rein to clever wisdom, Sun, Wu, Han, and Bai are not enough to be considered extraordinary. None but those possessed of the Way should be allowed to hear it. Therefore, the perfect person uses it and attains its Way; the superior man uses it and attains its technique; the petty person uses it and incurs its calamity. If you transmit it to one of like mind, you must observe a pure fast before conferring it. Chanting it seven times on one's natal day enhances mental workings and increases longevity.' Taking a gourd from her sleeve, she told him to fetch water. The gourd suddenly became heavy and sank into the water. When he returned, the woman was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only barley meal. Quan ate it, and from then on abstained from grain. During the Kaiyuan era, he served as Vice Envoy of Jiangling. Later, he entered renowned mountains in search of the Way, and his end is unknown.