佛祖統紀 47.15

47.15

四年。偽齊劉豫同金虜入寇。上下詔親征。九月上親詣天竺大士殿。焚香恭禱蚤平北虜。既而淮東宣撫使韓世忠。敗金人齊人於承州。世忠獻俘行在。因陳戰沒之人乞加贈恤。上蹙然曰。死於鋒鏑誠為可閔。即勅直學士院胡松年具詞。建水陸大齋以為濟度。是夕也有見鬼神來會甚眾。有夢戰死者咸忻然相慶。以為自此得生善趣者。上聞之大說。五年。彌月大旱。詔道法師入內祈雨。結壇作法。以四金瓶各盛鮮鯽噀水默祝。遣四急足投諸江。使未回而雨已洽。上大說。特賜金鉢○九月上幸天竺大士殿炷香。住山應如奏對如流。上說。賜萬歲香山以供大士及度牒銀幣之類。

In the fourth year, Liu Yu of the puppet Qi invaded together with the Jin barbarians. The Emperor issued an edict to lead the campaign in person. In the ninth month, the Emperor personally went to the Great Being Hall at Tianzhu, burning incense and reverently praying for an early pacification of the northern barbarians. Soon afterward, Pacification Commissioner of Huaidong Han Shizhong defeated the Jin and Qi forces at Chengzhou. Shizhong presented the captives at the temporary capital, and in doing so set forth the case of those who had fallen in battle, begging for supplementary posthumous relief. The Emperor said with distress, "Those who died by blade and arrow are truly pitiable!" He immediately ordered Academician of the Hanlin Academy Hu Songnian to draft the text and establish a Great Water-Land Feast to provide salvation. On that evening, some saw ghosts and spirits gathering in great numbers, and some dreamt of the fallen soldiers all rejoicing and congratulating one another, considering that from then on they would attain rebirth in good destinies. When the Emperor heard this, he was greatly pleased. In the fifth year, there was a great drought lasting a full month. An imperial decree summoned Master Dao into the palace to pray for rain. He erected an altar and performed the ritual, placing fresh crucian carp into each of four golden vases, spurting water upon them, and silently praying. He dispatched four swift runners to cast them into the river; before the messengers had returned, the rain was already falling abundantly. The Emperor was greatly pleased and specially bestowed a golden alms bowl upon him. In the ninth month, the Emperor visited the Great Being Hall at Tianzhu to burn incense. The abbot Yingru answered his inquiries fluently. The Emperor was pleased, and bestowed Mount Wanshuixiang to provide for the Great Being, along with ordination certificates, silver, coins, and the like.