佛祖統紀 42.121

42.121

述曰。自昔佛法遭毀有四時焉。魏太武因司徒崔浩。焚毀經像阬戮沙門。既而崔浩要斬。太武身感癘疾。竟為常侍宗愛所弑。文成嗣位。復大興佛法（其一）周武因衛元嵩。毀經像塔寺敺沙門反俗。厥後杜祈入冥。見周武地獄受苦求救之事。宣帝嗣興佛法復盛（其二）唐武宗因趙歸真。毀像廢寺僧尼還俗。帝後疽發背而殂。時穆陵尉稱。天符以李炎毀佛。有奪壽去位之報。歸真等皆被誅戮。宣宗即位佛法大興（其三）周世宗毀像鑄錢廢拆寺院。疽發胸而殂。人見在獄受苦。有周通錢盡方得脫罪之語（其四）越五年。我太祖皇帝飛龍在天。首詔天下復寺立像。遣沙門求法西天。館梵僧翻傳貝葉。建精藍濟戰士之魄。造經版壽大藏之傳。當國家多事。而於弘贊佛道無所不舉。及。

The Commentary states: Since antiquity, the Buddha Dharma has suffered destruction in four eras. Emperor Taiwu of Wei, on account of Director of Education Cui Hao, burned and destroyed scriptures and statues and slaughtered śramaṇas. Soon after, Cui Hao was executed by waist-cutting, Taiwu himself contracted a virulent pestilence and was ultimately assassinated by the Regular Attendant Zong Ai; when Wencheng succeeded to the throne, he revived the Buddha Dharma on a grand scale (the first). Emperor Wu of Zhou, on account of Wei Yuansong, destroyed scriptures, statues, stupas, and monasteries, and drove śramaṇas to return to secular life. Later, Du Qi entered the netherworld and saw Emperor Wu of Zhou suffering torment in hell and pleading for salvation; when Emperor Xuan succeeded to the throne, the Buddha Dharma flourished again (the second). Emperor Wuzong of Tang, on account of Zhao Guizhen, destroyed statues, dismantled monasteries, and forced monks and nuns to return to secular life; later, the emperor died when an ulcer broke out on his back. At that time, the defender of Muling stated that according to the heavenly mandate, because Li Yan destroyed Buddhism, he received the retribution of having his lifespan shortened and his throne stripped; Guizhen and others were all executed; when Xuanzong ascended the throne, the Buddha Dharma flourished greatly (the third). Emperor Shizong of Zhou destroyed statues, minted coins, and dismantled monasteries; he died when an ulcer broke out on his chest; people saw him suffering torment in hell, where it was said that only when the Zhou Tong coins were exhausted would he be released from guilt (the fourth). Five years later, our Emperor Taizu ascended the throne like a dragon soaring in heaven. He first issued an edict to the empire to restore monasteries and erect statues, dispatched śramaṇas to seek the Dharma in the Western Heavens, lodged Indian monks to translate and transmit palm-leaf scriptures, built pure abbeys to succour the souls of fallen warriors, and carved scriptural blocks to ensure the perpetual transmission of the Tripiṭaka. Even when the state faced many affairs, in propagating and praising the Buddhist path there was nothing left undone. And when