高僧傳 10.41

10.41

至太平之末，始知燾化時將及，以元會之日，忽杖錫到宮門。有司奏云：「有一道人足白於面，從門而入。」燾令依軍法，屢斬不傷。遽以白燾，燾大怒，自以所佩劍斫之，體無餘異，唯劍所著處有痕如布線焉。時北園養虎于檻，燾令以始餧之。虎皆潛伏，終不敢近。試以天師近檻，虎輒鳴吼。燾始知佛化尊高，黃老所不能及，即延始上殿，頂禮足下，悔其𮘧失。始為說法，明辯因果。燾大生愧懼，遂感癘疾。崔、寇二人次發惡病，燾以過由於彼，於是誅剪二家，門族都盡。宣下國中，興復正教。俄而燾卒，孫𤀹襲位，方大弘佛法，盛迄于今。始後不知所終。

Toward the end of the Taiping era, Shi knew that the time for Tao's conversion was drawing near, and on the day of the New Year's court assembly, he suddenly arrived at the palace gates leaning on his staff. An official memorialized, "There is a Daoist monk whose feet are whiter than his face, who entered through the gate." Tao ordered that he be dealt with according to military law, but repeated executions failed to injure him. When this was hastily reported to Tao, Tao was furious; taking his own sword, he struck him himself, but the body suffered no harm at all, only showing a mark like a cloth thread where the sword had touched. At that time, tigers were kept in cages in the Northern Garden, and Tao ordered that Shi be fed to them. The tigers all crouched down and never dared approach him. When they tried bringing the Heavenly Master near the cage, the tigers roared each time. Tao then realized that the Buddha's transformation was exalted and lofty, beyond the reach of the teachings of Huang-Lao. He at once invited Shi up to the palace hall, bowed his head at his feet, and repented his faults and errors. Shi preached the Dharma for him, clearly expounding cause and effect. Tao felt great shame and dread, and subsequently contracted a virulent pestilence. The two men, Cui and Kou, next fell ill with foul diseases. Tao held them responsible for the offense, whereupon he executed both their families, completely exterminating their lineages. He issued an edict throughout the realm to revive the correct teaching. Shortly thereafter Tao died, and his grandson Jun succeeded to the throne, whereupon he began to greatly propagate the Buddhadharma, which has flourished down to the present day. Where Shi ended his days is unknown.