高僧傳 7.82

7.82

及明帝末年，頗多忌諱，故涅槃滅度之翻，於此暫息。凡諸死亡、凶禍、衰白等語，皆不得以對。因之犯忤而致戮者，十有七八。瑾每以匡諫，恩禮遂薄。時汝南周顒入侍帷幄，瑾嘗謂顒曰：「陛下比日所行，殊非人君舉動。俗事諷諫，無所復益，妙理深談，彌為奢緩。唯三世苦報，最切近情。檀越儻因機候，正當陳此而已。」帝後風疾，數加針灸，痛惱無聊，輒召顒及殷洪等，說鬼神雜事，以散胸懷。顒迺習讀《法句》、《賢愚》二經，每見談說，輒為言先。帝往往驚曰：「報應真當如此，亦寧可不畏？」因此犯忤之徒，屢被全宥。蓋瑾之所因，為得人也。瑾以宋元徽中卒，春秋七十有九。

Toward the end of Emperor Ming's reign, the emperor became excessively superstitious and full of taboos, so that translations of terms like nirvāṇa and extinction temporarily ceased here. Any words such as dying, misfortune, calamity, or greying hair were strictly forbidden in his presence. Those who offended him on this account and were executed numbered seven or eight out of ten. Jin repeatedly offered remonstrances to correct him, and consequently imperial favors and courtesies grew thin. At that time, Zhou Yong of Runan served in the imperial chambers. Jin once said to Yong: "His Majesty's conduct these days is by no means the behavior of a lord of men. Remonstrating through worldly matters is of no further benefit, and discussing profound truths in deep talks is even more distant and ineffective. Only the painful retributions of the three time periods are most immediate to human feelings. If you should find a suitable opportunity, Dānapati, you should simply present this." Later, the Emperor suffered from a wind ailment and frequently underwent acupuncture and moxibustion. Tormented by pain and restlessness, he would regularly summon Yong, Yin Hong, and others to talk about miscellaneous matters of ghosts and spirits to distract his mind. Yong then studied and read the two sūtras of *Dharmapada* and *Damamūkanidāna-sūtra*, and whenever he spoke with the Emperor, he would bring these up first. The Emperor was often startled and said: "Is retribution truly like this? How can one not fear it!" Because of this, those who had offended the Emperor were repeatedly spared and pardoned. This was because Jin's reliance [on Yong] found the right person. Jin died during the Yuanhui era of the Song dynasty at the age of seventy-nine.