高僧傳 7.61

7.61

Shi Famin was a northerner. From his youth, he aspired to the Way and applied his mind earnestly to the scriptures. He took monastic vows at eighteen and then traveled through provinces and principalities, observing customs and tasting the Way. In the Prajñāpāramitā, the Abhidharma, and the various sūtras and vinayas, he handled everything with consummate skill. Later, he stayed at Wuceng Temple in Jiangxia Commandery. At that time, the śramaṇa Sengchang had built a stūpa within the city of Jiangling. The regional inspector Xie Hui wished to demolish it. Hearing this, Famin deliberately went to remonstrate with him. Xie Hui's intention did not waver, so Famin hid his traces on Mount Lu in Changsha and did not come out for the rest of his life. Xie Hui then led his retinue to the temple, lavishly bestowed wine and meat, beat the drums strictly to assert his might, and hacked down the sacred images. Shortly thereafter, clouds and fog darkened the sky, and wind and dust arose everywhere. Terrified, Xie Hui fled, and he was later executed for treason. Members of his troop, Ding Facheng and Shi Sengshuang, contracted leprosy in this very lifetime, and many of the others died from breaking the law. Famin then composed the Treatise on Demonstrating Manifest Responses to clarify cause and effect, and annotated the Great Yogācārabhūmi-sūtra. He later died in the mountains at the age of eighty-three. His disciple Sengdao erected a stele in praise of his virtue.