釋氏稽古略 2.297

2.297

Li Shiqian died in the eighth year of Kaihuang. Shiqian's style was Zhiyue. Having lost his father at a young age, he served his mother and was renowned for his filial piety. The elder of his clan, Bo Yang, would often sigh and say, "This boy is the Yanzi of our family." Shiqian distributed medicine and dispensed grain for thirty years. He was especially fond of Buddhism, and his deportment was restrained through precepts and samādhi. When someone said that he was cultivating hidden virtue, Shiqian smiled and said, "Hidden virtue is like ringing in the ears: only oneself knows it, and others have no way of knowing it. Now all the benevolent know what I have done; how can this be hidden virtue?" Shiqian was exceptionally adept at metaphysical discourse. When someone doubted the doctrine of karmic retribution in Buddhism, Shiqian instructed him with an analogy, saying: "Have you not heard the Book of Changes? 'A family that accumulates good deeds will have abundant blessings, while a family that accumulates evil deeds will have abundant calamities.' Are these not signs of good and ill fortune?" The guest also asked about the relative merits of the three teachings. Shiqian said: "The Buddha is the sun, Daoism is the moon, and Confucianism is the five planets." The guest attained awakening at this (Bei shi).