釋氏稽古略 1.522

1.522

The beginning of monasteries and stūpas in the Jiang-Huai region. The śramaṇa An Qing, courtesy name Shigao, of the country of Parthia, was originally the crown prince who was to succeed to the throne, but he yielded it to his uncle and left home. In the second year of Jianhe under Emperor Huan, he arrived in Luoyang and translated twenty-nine Buddhist scriptures in a total of one hundred and seventy-six fascicles. Coming to the fourth year of Jianning, he traveled by boat and reached the shrine at Gongting on Mount Lu. The spirit of the shrine had the miraculous power to divide the wind to send traveling boats to and fro; boats would moor there to offer sacrifices and pray for blessings. The spirit descended and spoke, saying: "There is a śramaṇa on the boat; you may come with him." When Shigao arrived, the spirit said: "Long ago, I left home with you to study the Way. I was fond of giving, yet had much anger; as a retribution, my physical form is extremely ugly. I make my home in this lake, and a thousand li around are under my jurisdiction. I will die at any moment and will surely enter hell. I have silk fabrics and various precious objects; you may establish Dharma and construct a stūpa on my behalf, so that I may be born in a good realm." He then wept. Shigao agreed. Shigao gently said: "Can you reveal your form and relieve your distress?" The spirit said: "My form is hideous; what can be done?" Shigao said: "Just come out." Thereupon, it showed its head from within the curtain; it was a giant python, weeping tears like rain. Shigao took the silk goods and went to Yuzhang to build Tai'an Monastery for it. This was the beginning of monasteries and stūpas in the Jiang-Huai region. The spirit later reported to him, saying: "I have already been born in a good realm." Later, people saw in the marsh west of the mountain a dead python several li long from head to tail; today's Giant Snake Village in Xunyang County is the place (Zijing lu). In the first year of Zhongping, the Yellow Turban rebels were exterminated. Originally, Zhang Jiao, a man of Julu—present-day Shunde Route—taught with occult arts under the name of the Way of Great Peace. He incanted talismanic water to heal illnesses, and the multitude regarded him as divine. Jiao's disciples traveled throughout the four quarters for more than ten years, gathering hundreds of thousands of followers; among the people of the eight provinces of Qing, Xu, You, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, and Yu, there was none who did not respond. There were thirty-six fang in all, a fang being equivalent to a general: large fang had over ten thousand men, while small fang had six to seven thousand. Jiao's disciple Tang Zhou submitted a memorial exposing it. An edict ordered the pursuit and capture of Jiao and the others. Jiao commanded all the divisions to rise together, all wearing yellow turbans as their emblem; thus, the people of the time called them the Yellow Turban Rebels. Within a month, the whole realm responded, and the capital was shaken. Elite troops from throughout the realm were dispatched, and General of the Household Lu Zhi was sent to subjugate them. Just as he was about to defeat them, eunuchs falsely accused Zhi. An imperial edict ordered Huangfu Song to subjugate Jiao. Song battled Jiao's younger brother Liang, utterly defeating them and decapitating Liang. Jiao had already died of illness earlier; his coffin was opened, his corpse mutilated, and his head sent to the capital.