佛祖歷代通載 5.26

5.26

(4. Jichou) The śramaṇa of the Parthian kingdom, An Qing, whose courtesy name was Shigao, was originally a crown prince who ought to have succeeded to the throne. He ceded it to his uncle, renounced his country, and took ordination (pravrajyā). Having arrived at Luojing, he translated twenty-nine works of scripture in one hundred and seventy-six fascicles, putting down his translation brush in the third year of the Jianning reign of Emperor Ling. Boarding a boat to travel, he once stopped at the Guting Shrine on Mount Lu. He berthed his boat below the shrine; the spirit of the shrine possessed great numinous efficacy, being able to divide the winds to escort incoming and outgoing vessels. There was someone who had begged for the spirit's bamboo, but cut it down before permission was granted; enraged, the spirit capsized his boat and cast the bamboo back to where it had been felled. Those who passed by held their breath and broke into a cold sweat. Shigao's boatmen offered sacrifices to pray for good fortune. The spirit immediately descended and uttered, "There is a śramaṇa on the boat; why has he not come together with you?" When Shigao arrived at the shrine, the spirit descended again and conversed fervently with Shigao. Weeping, the spirit said, "This disciple's home is this lake; a thousand li around are all within my jurisdiction. Because of past-life abundant anger, I have now received the retribution of an extremely repulsive body. Moreover, I will die very soon and must enter hell. I have a thousand bolts of fine silk as well as miscellaneous precious ornaments; please erect a temple and stupa for me to secure unseen blessings." Shigao gave his consent. Then he said slowly, "Can you emerge and reveal your form to be relieved of your toil?" The spirit said, "My form is ugly; what can be done?" Shigao said, "Just emerge." Thereupon it brought out its head from within the curtain: it was a giant python. Shigao incanted over it with Sanskrit mantras. The python shed tears like rain and suddenly vanished. Before Shigao's boat departed, a young man knelt before him; Shigao again incanted over him, and he left. The boatmen asked whose son he was. Shigao said, "The shrine spirit has already shed the python's body, so he came merely to give thanks." Shigao arrived in Yuzhang and built a temple, which is the present-day Da'an Temple. It was named after Shigao, and was indeed the beginning of temples and stupas in the Jiang-Huai region.