高僧傳 1.38

1.38

Seeing warlords clashing and warfare just beginning, Bo Yuan intended to withdraw to Longyou to preserve his refined integrity. It happened that Zhang Fu was appointed Regional Inspector of Qinzhou, garrisoned on Longshang, and Bo Yuan travelled together with him. Seeing Bo Yuan's eminent virtue and renown and the respect in which the multitude held him, Fu wished him to return to lay life and serve as his subordinate. Bo Yuan was steadfast in his resolve and would not change, which caused resentment to form. Previously, a man of the province named Guan Fan had debated with Bo Yuan and had repeatedly been bested by him; harbouring deep shame and enmity, Fan constantly slandered him. When Bo Yuan reached Qian County, he suddenly said to the religious and his disciples: 'In a few days, my retributive reckoning will arrive.' He then bid them farewell, wrote letters on plain silk, and distributed the sūtras, images, and material goods completely. The next morning he went to Fu to converse, and unexpectedly offended Fu's intention; Fu had him seized and punished. The crowd was all astonished and aggrieved, but Bo Yuan said: 'I came here to settle my reckoning; this was bound long ago in a former life, not of today's doing.' He then invoked the Buddhas of the ten directions: 'I, Yuan, face the karmic guilt of a former body and joyfully settle this reckoning; may I henceforth become a good spiritual friend to Fu, that he may not incur the sin of killing a man.' He was then given fifty lashes and died instantly. When Fu later heard the whole truth, he was filled with profound sorrow and regret. Formerly, the fame of Bo Yuan's transformation had spread across Guanlong, and east of Xiaohan he was revered like a deity; both barbarians and Chinese wailed in grief, and travellers on the roads wept. The Qiang and Hu people on Longshang led five thousand elite cavalry, intending to welcome Bo Yuan back to the west; hearing halfway that he had been slain, they were overwhelmed with grief that they had come too late. Enraged, the multitude wished to avenge Bo Yuan. Fu dispatched troops up Mount Long, and the Qiang and Hu led light cavalry into battle; at that time Fu Zheng, a former subordinate commander from Tianshui, seized the anger to behead Fu. Having cleansed their resentment and shame, the Hu shouted in approval and returned, dividing Bo Yuan's remains among themselves and each erecting a stūpa and shrine.