釋氏稽古略 2.140

2.140

The Mahāsattva Master Bao: his personal name was Baozhi. The world called him Master Bao to revere him. His hands and feet had eagle claws. Originally, the wife of a commoner named Zhu from Dongyang in Jiankang heard an infant crying inside an eagle's nest. Scaling the tree, she retrieved him and raised him as her son. At the age of seven, he went forth under the monk Sengjian of Mount Zhong, focusing solely on the practice of Chan contemplation. By this time his miraculous traces became apparent: he hung a pair of scissors, a ruler, a duster, and a fan on the tip of his cane, carrying them on his shoulder as he walked through villages and hamlets. Once he met someone eating sliced raw fish and begged for food from him. The eater gave him some with contempt. Zhi then spat into the water, and they all became living fish; these are the hui-fish found in the river today. He had many divine miracles. On the sixth day of the twelfth month in the thirteenth year of the Tianjian reign era of Emperor Wu of Liang, he entered cessation at the age of ninety-three. Emperor Wu of Liang bought Dulonggang on Mount Zhong in Jiankang for two hundred thousand pieces of gold to bury him. Above it, he erected a five-tiered stūpa and imperial order commissioned Wang Yun to carve an inscription on a stele. On the day of his burial, the imperial carriage visited in person to make offerings. Monastics and laity paid homage to him; in wondrous omens and manifested responses, he was foremost in the realm. All the verses composed by the Mahāsattva are mostly recorded in the History of the Southern Dynasties. For learners, he composed the Ten Hymns on the Great Vehicle, the Fourteen Verses of Classifications, and the Song of the Twelve Hours, which circulated widely in the world. In the seventh year of the Taiping Xingguo reign era of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, the emperor dispatched an envoy to present vegetarian offerings at Mount Zhong and personally sprinkled ink to compose a text of praise and respect. The imperial edict stated: "From now on, his exalted and extraordinary nature should be made manifest; let him be granted the title Bodhisattva Zhenjue of Daolin" (From the stele inscription). When Dharma Master Tancong entered cessation: on New Year's Day of the second year of the Daming reign era of Emperor Wu of Song, the emperor said to Cong, "What fault does We have that requires you to repent on Our behalf?" Cong said, "Shun said, 'If I go astray, you must assist me.' Yu said, 'If the ten thousand realms have faults, they lie with me alone.' Could Your Majesty be any different?" The emperor was greatly pleased (Tongji).