高僧傳 12.37

12.37

Shi Sengsheng, whose lay surname was Yuan, was a native of Pi in Shu Commandery. He left household life in his youth and gained renown for his austere practices. Song Feng and others of Chengdu invited him to be the abbot of Sanxian Temple. He recited the Lotus Sūtra and practiced dhyāna meditation. While reciting sūtras in the mountains, a tiger came and crouched before him, leaving only when he finished reciting. Later, whenever he chanted, he consistently saw four people standing guard beside him. Though advanced in age, his vigor and diligence grew ever more earnest. Later, slightly ill, he said to his attendant, "I am about to depart; after my death you may cremate my body." His disciples followed his testamentary instructions.