佛祖統紀 52.62

52.62

When Emperor Taizu of the Song was born in Luoyang, divine light filled the room and a golden color suffused his body. He once passed by Changshou Temple and slept with his head on the stone foundation of the hall; the monk Shouyan saw a red snake coming in and out of the Emperor's nose. In Songcheng an extraordinary monk pointed to the prefecture's land and said: 'In less than twenty years an emperor will arise, and from here establish his dynastic title.' In the fourth year of the Taiping [Xingguo] era of Emperor Taizong, commoners of Jiajiang County in Jiazhou found two dark stones, both bearing red markings; one said, 'May the ruler live ten thousand years,' and the other said, 'Twenty-one Zhao emperors.' They sealed the stones and offered them up (*Comprehensive Mirror of Our Dynasty*). In the seventh year of the Taiping era, Shuzhou submitted as tribute an inkstone stone engraved with a record by Master Zhi of the Liang, saying: 'I observe that after four or five dynasties, in the next bingzi year, the Zhao will adopt the title Taiping with twenty-one emperors.' Suddenly one day Master Zhi descended into the palace; the Emperor personally heard his admonitions and thereupon dispatched an envoy to Mount Zhong to offer a vegetarian feast, conferring on him the title Bodhisattva Daolin Zhenjue. Emperor Zhenzong took the auspicious stone and Master Zhi's record to show his close ministers; Prime Minister Wang Dan said: 'The rise of our dynasty's fortune follows the Liang, Chen, Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties; when Emperor Taizong ascended the throne the year was bingzi. Now the Heavenly Worthy has descended, and all events tally; thus we know that Heaven's mandate for our Song has long been prepared.' The Emperor was delighted. Japan presented tribute, stating: 'To the east of our realm an auspicious light appeared, portending that the Son of Heaven in the Central Realm is sagacious and enlightened, thus responding to this omen.' An edict ordered the construction of Shenguang Temple in Japan. The Kingdom of Chola came with tribute, saying: 'For forty years the sea has had no wind or waves; we suspected that in the Central Realm a sage must have emerged.'