佛祖統紀 52.9

52.9

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."