釋氏稽古略 2.258

2.258

Chan Master Sengshi: The Zhou Emperor, princes, and ministers showed utmost ritual respect [to him]. One day he said to the assembly of monks: "Quickly perform Dharma rituals and recite Avalokiteśvara to avert the disaster of the collapse of the lecture hall south of the Yangtze River." At that time, a great multitude had assembled to hear the Dharma in the lecture hall of the Yang capital, fully crowded with monastics and laypeople. Suddenly they heard extraordinary fragrance from the northwest and instrumental music in the air. The entire hall rushed out in astonishment to look, and the hall abruptly collapsed, yet the multitude was unharmed. This was reported to the Liang sovereign, who sent word to the Zhou, and thus they knew it was the Chan master's divine assistance. On the eighteenth day of the seventh month of this year, the Chan master entered quiescence at the age of eighty-eight. The Emperor wept for him in bitter grief, and decreed that his portrait be painted and worshipped at Dafutian Monastery (Ganying zhuan).