高僧傳 12.50

12.50

釋弘明，本姓嬴，會稽山陰人。少出家，貞苦有戒節，止山陰雲門寺。誦《法華》，習禪定，精勤禮懺，六時不輟。每旦則水瓶自滿，實諸天童子以為給使也。明嘗於雲門坐禪，虎來入明室內，伏于床前，見明端然不動，久久乃去。又時見一小兒來，聽明誦經。明曰：「汝是何人？」答云：「昔是此寺沙彌，盜帳下食，今墮圊中。聞上人道業，故來聽誦經，願助方便，使免斯累也。」明即說法勸化，領解方隱。後於永興石姥巖入定，又有山精來惱明。明捉得以腰繩繫之，鬼遜謝求脫，云：「後不敢復來。」及解放。於是絕迹。

Shi Hongming, whose original lay surname was Ying, was a native of Shanyin in Kuaiji. He left household life in his youth, was resolute, austere, and disciplined in his precepts, and stayed at Yunmen Temple in Shanyin. He recited the Lotus, practiced dhyāna meditation, and diligently performed prostrations and repentances, never ceasing throughout the six periods of the day. Every morning his water bottle would be full of itself; it was indeed heavenly youths who acted as his attendants. Hongming once sat in dhyāna at Yunmen, and a tiger entered Hongming's room and crouched before his bed; seeing Hongming upright and motionless, it left after a long while. At other times he also saw a young boy come to listen to Hongming recite sūtras. Hongming asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "In the past I was a śrāmaṇera in this temple and stole food from under the curtains; now I have fallen into the latrine. Hearing of your religious practice, Venerable, I have come to listen to your sūtra recitation, wishing that you would help me with skillful means to free me from this burden." Hongming immediately expounded the Dharma to convert him, and he vanished only after comprehending it. Later, while in samādhi at Stone Granny Crag in Yongxing, a mountain sprite again came to harass Hongming. Hongming grabbed it and tied it up with his waist cord; the ghost apologized humbly, pleading for release, saying, "I will never dare return." Upon being untied, it vanished without a trace.