佛祖歷代通載 9.82

9.82

（三十八）　承聖二年。北齊高帝。詔僧稠禪師。稠將啟行。而峯巒振響飛走悲鳴。如是者三日而止。稠至京師降蹕迎候。命入宮授菩薩戒。盡停五坊鷹犬及傷生之具。禁境內屠殺。稠留禁中四十日。出居外寺。尋有旨罷講席。俾沙門盡習禪觀。稠入諫帝。以為弘通教理漸誘童蒙正賴講授。願勿禁也。從之。及宣帝即位。甞謁稠。稠床坐不迎。其徒有勸迎者。稠曰。昔賓頭盧尊者迎阿育王起行七步。致王失國七年。貧道雖寡德。冀帝獲福耳。俄以此被譖。帝銜之。將復入寺按其不敬誅之。稠已知之。及帝入寺預出十里許候之。帝怪問。稠曰。恐身血污伽藍。故遠來就刃耳。帝懼然悔謝。謂其臣楊遵曰。朕不明幾妄黷聖師。即奉之如故。因從容啟帝曰。陛下前身羅剎也。今好殺蓋餘習耳。帝問。何以知之。稠請以盆貯水自呪之命帝臨觀。果自形正羅剎之狀。仍有群羅剎隨之。帝大驚。自是絕葷終日坐禪禮佛行道如旋風焉。

(Thirty-eight) In the second year of Chengsheng, Emperor Gao of Northern Qi summoned Dhyāna Master Sengchou. When Sengchou was about to set out, the mountain peaks shook and birds and beasts cried out mournfully, continuing like this for three days before stopping. When Sengchou reached the capital, the Emperor dismounted from his imperial carriage to welcome him, invited him into the palace, and received the bodhisattva precepts from him. He completely halted the falcons and hounds of the Five Parks and all implements for harming life, and prohibited slaughter throughout the realm. Sengchou stayed within the palace for forty days and then moved out to reside in an external monastery. Soon after, an edict was issued to suspend lecture platforms and have all śramaṇas practice dhyāna contemplation. Sengchou entered to admonish the Emperor, arguing that propagating doctrinal teachings and guiding the unenlightened depended precisely on lectures and instructions, and requested that they not be forbidden. The Emperor complied. When Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, he once went to visit Sengchou. Sengchou sat on his bed and did not rise to welcome him. Some of his disciples urged him to welcome the Emperor, but Sengchou said, 'In the past, the Venerable Piṇḍola rose and took seven steps to welcome King Aśoka, which caused the King to lose his kingdom for seven years. Although this poor monk lacks virtue, I only hope the Emperor will obtain blessings.' Shortly afterward, Sengchou was slandered on account of this. Harboring resentment, the Emperor intended to enter the monastery again, prosecute him for disrespect, and execute him. Sengchou already knew this; when the Emperor approached the monastery, he went out about ten li in advance to await him. The Emperor asked in astonishment, and Sengchou said, 'Fearing that my blood would defile the saṅghārāma, I have come from afar to face the blade.' The Emperor, terrified and remorseful, apologized and said to his minister Yang Zun, 'Lacking insight, I recklessly profaned the holy master.' He then honored him as before. Sengchou then said to the Emperor leisurely, 'Your Majesty's previous life was that of a rākṣasa; your current fondness for killing is merely residual habit.' The Emperor asked, 'How do you know this?' Sengchou asked to fill a basin with water, consecrated it with a mantra himself, and told the Emperor to look into it. He indeed saw his own reflection in the exact form of a rākṣasa, with a host of rākṣasas following behind him. The Emperor was greatly frightened. From then on, he gave up meat and wine, spent all day sitting in dhyāna, paying homage to the Buddha, and practicing walking meditation like a whirlwind.