高僧傳 2.12

2.12

In the first year of the Tai'an era, in the first month, a great wind blew in Guzang. Kumārajīva said, "This inauspicious wind portends that there will be treachery and rebellion; however, without labor it will settle of itself." Shortly afterwards, Liang Qian and Peng Huang rebelled in succession, and were soon both eliminated. In the second year of Lü Guang's Longfei era, Juqu Nancheng, a Lushui Hu of Linsong in Zhangye, and his cousin Mengxun rebelled, promoting Duan Ye, Administrator of Jiankang, as their leader. Lü Guang dispatched his concubine's son Lü Zuan, Regional Inspector of Qinzhou and Duke of Taiyuan, leading a force of fifty thousand to punish them. Public opinion at the time held that Ye and the others were a motley mob and that Zuan had great prestige, so that his total victory was certain. Lü Guang consulted Kumārajīva about this, and Kumārajīva said, "Observing this expedition, I see no benefit in it." Soon after, Zuan suffered defeat at Heli. Shortly, Guo Xin also staged a rebellion; Zuan abandoned the main army and returned lightly accompanied, only to be defeated again by Xin, barely escaping with his life. Lü Guang's Director of the Palace Secretariat, Zhang Zi, was refined and elegant in literature, and Lü Guang held him in great esteem. When Zi fell ill, Lü Guang sought treatments far and wide. A foreign monk named Luozha said, "I can cure Zi's illness." Lü Guang was delighted and gave him lavish rewards. Kumārajīva knew that Luozha was deceiving him and told Zi, "Luozha cannot do it; it is merely wasted trouble and expense. Although the workings of destiny are hidden, they can be tested by an event." He then tied five-colored threads into knots, burned them to ash, and cast the ash into water: if the ash came out of the water and returned to the form of thread, the illness could not be cured. In a moment, the ashes gathered, floated up, and regained their original shape as thread. Later, treatments were indeed of no avail, and after a few days Zi died. Soon after, Lü Guang also died, and his son Lü Shao inherited the throne. A few days later, Lü Guang's concubine's son Zuan murdered Shao and set himself up, styling his reign era Xianning.