高僧傳 12.58

12.58

釋僧侯，姓龔，西涼州人。年十八，便蔬食禮懺。及具戒之後，遊方觀化。宋孝建初，來至京師。誦《法華》、《維摩》、《金光明》。常二日一遍，如此六十餘年。蕭惠開入蜀，請共同遊。後惠開協同義嘉負罪歸闕，侯乃還都。於後崗創立石室，以為安禪之所。自息慈以來，至于捨命，魚肉葷辛，未嘗近齒。脚影小蹉，輒虛齋而過。齊永明二年，微覺不悆，至中不能食，迺索水漱口，合掌而卒，春秋八十有九。

Śramaṇa Senghou, surnamed Gong, was a native of Xiliangzhou. At the age of eighteen, he began eating vegetarian food and performing rites of repentance. After receiving full ordination, he traveled about observing how the teachings transformed people. At the beginning of the Xiaojian era of the Song, he came to the capital. He recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, and the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra, constantly reciting them once every two days, continuing in this manner for more than sixty years. When Xiao Huikai entered Shu, he invited Senghou to travel with him. Later, Huikai was implicated in Yijia's offense and returned to the court under accusation, whereupon Senghou also returned to the capital. On the rear ridge, he founded a stone chamber to serve as a place for calm dhyāna. From the time he undertook the vows of compassion (pravrajyā) until he gave up his life, fish, meat, and pungent roots never touched his teeth. If the shadow of his foot shifted even slightly past noon, he would let the fast pass empty. In the second year of the Yongming era of the Qi, he felt slightly unwell. When noon came, he was unable to eat; he then asked for water to rinse his mouth, pressed his palms together, and died at the age of eighty-nine.