佛祖統紀 52.9

52.9

唐太宗。威禪師前身是陳徐陵。聽智者講經立五願。後生縉雲朱氏。投章安為師○栽松道者。託生周氏女。遇四祖出家。是為五祖忍○玄宗。房琯與道士邢和璞過夏。入廢寺使人掘地。得甕中所藏婁師德與永禪師書。悅然悟前身為永○沙門法秀有異僧引入終南山。見朱門榜曰回向。老宿指宮房曰。此唐天子舊室。命侍者取玉簫曰。向居此好聲樂。謫為人間主。

Emperor Taizong of the Tang. The previous life of Chan Master Wei was Xu Ling of the Chen, who listened to Zhiyi expound the scriptures and made five vows; later, he was born into the Zhu family of Jinyun and went to Zhāng'ān to become his master. The pine-planting practitioner was reborn through a daughter of the Zhou family; he met the Fourth Patriarch, left home, and became Ren, the Fifth Patriarch. Under Xuanzong, Fang Guan spent the summer retreat with the Daoist Xing Hepu; entering an abandoned monastery, he had someone dig up the ground and found a letter hidden in an urn sent from Lou Shide to Chan Master Yong. Delighted, he realized his previous life was Yong. Śramaṇa Faxiu was guided by an extraordinary monk into the Zhongnan Mountains; he saw a crimson gate inscribed "Dedication of Merit." An elder pointed to a palace room and said, "This was the former chamber of the Tang Son of Heaven." He ordered an attendant to fetch a jade flute, saying, "Formerly when he resided here, he loved music, so he was demoted to become the ruler of the human realm."