佛祖統紀 52.27

52.27

Emperor Taizu of the Song visited Xiangguo Monastery to pray for rain and offered a vegetarian feast for a thousand monks. His Majesty visited Xiangguo Monastery to pray for rain, took vegetarian food, and rain brought great relief. When about to sacrifice at the suburban altar, rain did not stop; envoys were sent to pray at the true-body pagoda of Śubhakarasiṃha, and it cleared at the appointed time. Under Zhenzong, during a severe drought, an Indian monk erected an altar at Jinming Lake and recited incantations to the dragons; momentarily rain arrived. Under Shenzong, there was a summer drought; His Majesty fasted and prayed in the imperial palace, and dreamt of a divine monk spitting mist in the air; upon awakening, heavy rain fell. An imperial order sought his image, and found it as the thirteenth arhat in the pavilion of Xiangguo Monastery. Under Zhezong, Dharma Master Sheng resided at Xingfu; Lord Zhao Qingxian governed Yue during a severe drought and great pestilence, welcomed the Great Being (Avalokiteśvara) and fervently prayed; in one evening, torrential rain poured and the pestilence ceased; therefore, he memorialized to name the residence Yuantong. Under Gaozong, when Empress Meng left the capital and went south, she revered an image of Mārīcī for personal protection. Li Jue, fleeing the Jurchen barbarians, met a person in a chariot who taught him to uphold the honourable name of Mārīcī, thereby escaping the perils of warfare. When the Jin barbarians entered Hangzhou, His Majesty went in person to the Hall of the Great Being at Upper Tianzhu to pray reverently, and conducted a Water and Land Offering for those who died in battle; some dreamt that the war dead congratulated one another on being reborn in wholesome destinies. During a great drought, Dharma Master Dao was ordered to pray for rain; the Master recited incantations over four live crucian carps and threw them into the river, and rain fell abundantly. When excessive rain did not stop, palace attendants were sent to pray to the Great Being at Upper Tianzhu, offering jade vessels and a seven-jewel crown.