高僧傳 1.10

1.10

高遊化中國宣經事畢，值靈帝之末，關雒擾亂，乃振錫江南，云：「我當過廬山度昔同學。」行達䢼亭湖廟，此廟舊有靈威，商旅祈禱，乃分風上下，各無留滯。嘗有乞神竹者，未許輒取，舫即覆沒，竹還本處。自是舟人敬憚，莫不懾影。高同旅三十餘船，奉牲請福，神乃降祝曰：「船有沙門可便呼上。」客咸驚愕，請高入廟。神告高曰：「吾昔外國與子俱出家學道，好行布施，而性多瞋怒，今為䢼亭廟神，周迴千里，並吾所治。以布施故，珍玩甚豐，以瞋恚故，墮此神報。今見同學，悲欣可言。壽盡旦夕，而醜形長大，若於此捨命，穢污江湖，當度山西澤中。此身滅後，恐墮地獄，吾有絹千疋并雜寶物，可為立法營塔，使生善處也。」高曰：「故來相度，何不出形。」神曰：「形甚醜異，眾人必懼。」高曰：「但出，眾人不怪也。」神從床後出頭，乃是大蟒，不知尾之長短，至高膝邊，高向之梵語數番，讚唄數契，蟒悲淚如雨，須臾還隱。高即取絹物，辭別而去，舟侶颺帆，蟒復出身，登山而望，眾人舉手，然後乃滅。倏忽之頃，便達豫章，即以廟物，造東寺，高去後，神即命過。暮有一少年上船，長跪高前，受其呪願，忽然不見，高謂船人曰：「向之少年，即䢼亭廟神，得離惡形矣。」於是廟神歇，末無復靈驗。後人於山西澤中，見一死蟒，頭尾數里，今潯陽郡蛇村是也。

After Shigao had completed his work of traveling, converting, and proclaiming the sūtras in China, it was the end of Emperor Ling's reign and the Guan-Luo region was in chaos; thereupon, he shook his staff toward the south of the Yangtze River, saying: 'I shall pass Mount Lu to deliver my former fellow student.' Traveling on, he reached the shrine at Lake Gongting. This shrine had long possessed divine power; when merchants prayed, it divided the wind for going upstream and downstream so that none were delayed. Once, someone asked for sacred bamboo, and took it without permission; the boat immediately capsized, and the bamboo returned to its original place. From then on, boatmen stood in awe and dread, everyone cowering in fear. Shigao and his traveling companions in more than thirty boats offered animal sacrifices to pray for blessings. The spirit then descended and spoke through a medium, saying: 'There is a śramaṇa on the boat; you may call him up.' The guests were all astonished and invited Shigao into the shrine. The spirit told Shigao: 'In the past, in a foreign land, I left home with you to study the Path. I was fond of practicing dāna, yet by nature was given to anger. Now I am the spirit of the Gongting shrine; a circuit of a thousand li is all my domain. Because of dāna, my precious treasures are exceedingly plentiful; because of anger, I fell into this divine retribution. Now, seeing my fellow student, my sorrow and joy can hardly be expressed. My lifespan will end morning or evening, yet my ugly form is huge and long; if I cast off my life here, it would foul the rivers and lakes, so I must cross to the marshes west of the mountain. After this body perishes, I fear falling into naraka. I have a thousand bolts of silk together with various treasures; you may establish Dharma activities and construct a stūpa on my behalf, so that I may be born in a good realm.' Shigao said: 'I have deliberately come to deliver you; why do you not reveal your form?' The spirit said: 'My form is extremely hideous and strange; the crowd will certainly be terrified.' Shigao said: 'Just come out; the crowd will not think it strange.' The spirit protruded its head from behind the couch—it was a great python, the length of whose tail was unknown. When it reached beside Shigao's knees, Shigao spoke to it in Sanskrit several times and chanted several verses of stotra; the python wept tears of sorrow like rain, and after a moment retreated into hiding. Shigao then took the silk and treasures, took his leave, and departed. When the boat travelers set sail, the python emerged again, ascending the mountain to gaze after them; only after the crowd waved their hands did it disappear. In the twinkling of an eye, he arrived at Yuzhang, where he used the shrine's goods to build the Eastern Monastery. After Shigao left, the spirit immediately passed away. In the evening, a youth came aboard the boat, knelt before Shigao, received his praṇidhāna, and suddenly vanished. Shigao said to the boatmen: 'The youth just now was the spirit of the Gongting shrine; he has gained release from the evil form.' Thereupon, the shrine's spirit faded, and ultimately had no further efficacy. Later, people saw a dead python in the marshes west of the mountain, several li from head to tail; this is the present-day Snake Village of Xunyang Commandery.