續高僧傳 16.34

16.34

釋法聰。姓梅。南陽新野人。八歲出家。卓然神秀。正性貞潔身形如玉蔬藿是甘無求滋饌。及長成立風操逾厲。淨施厚利相從歸給。並迴造經藏三千餘卷。備窮記論。有助弘贊者無不繕集。年二十五。東遊嵩岳西涉武當。所在通道惟居宴默。因至襄陽傘蓋山白馬泉。築室方丈以為栖心之宅。入谷兩所置蘭若舍。今巡山者。尚識故基焉。初梁晉安王來部襄雍。承風來問將至禪室。馬騎將從無故却退。王慚而返。夜感惡夢。後更再往。馬退如故。王乃潔齋躬盡虔敬方得進見。初至寺側。但覩一谷猛火洞燃。良久竚望。忽變為水經停傾仰水滅堂現。以事相詢。乃知爾時入水火定也。堂內所坐繩床兩邊各有一虎。王不敢進。聰乃以手按頭著地。閉其兩目召王令前。方得展禮。因告境內。多弊虎災請求救援。聰即入定。須臾有十七大虎來至。便與受三歸戒。勅勿犯暴百姓。又命弟子以布繫諸虎頸。滿七日已當來於此。王至期日設齋。眾集諸虎亦至。便與食解布。遂爾無害。其日將王臨白馬泉。內有白龜。就聰手中取食。謂王曰。此是雄龍。又臨靈泉。有五色鯉亦就手食。云此雌龍。王與群吏嗟賞其事大施而旋。有兇黨左右數十人。夜來劫所施之物。遇虎哮吼遮遏其道。又見大人倚立禪室。傍有松樹止至其膝。執金剛杵將有守護。竟夜迴遑日午方返。王怪其來方以事首。遂表奏聞。下勅為造禪居寺。聰不往住度人安之。又勅徐摛。就所住處造靈泉寺。周朝改為靜林。隋又改為景空。大唐仍於隋號。初聰住禪堂。每有白鹿白雀。馴伏栖止。行往所及慈救為先。因見屠者驅猪百餘頭。聰三告曰。解脫首楞嚴。猪遂繩解散去。諸屠大怒將事加手。並仡然不動。便歸過悔罪。因斷殺業。又於漢水漁人牽網。如前三告。引網不得。方復歸心。空網而返。又荊州苦旱。長沙寺遣僧至聰所請雨。使還大降陂池皆滿。高祖遣廬陵王迎出都。有事不遂。及湘東王作牧荊峽於江陵造天宮寺迎以處之。遂終此寺即梁太清年也。其寺見有碑記。廣敘徵異景空。今寺猶有禪堂存焉。

Shi Facong was surnamed Mei and was a native of Xinye in Nanyang. He left household life at the age of eight. He had exceptional and divine grace; his upright nature was pure and immaculate, and his physical form was like jade. He was content with wild greens and beans, seeking no rich delicacies. When he grew to adulthood, his noble deportment became even more rigorous. Pure donations and generous benefits flowed in, all of which he redirected toward producing more than three thousand fascicles of scriptural canons, thoroughly exhausting treatises and commentaries, compiling and repairing without exception whatever aided in propagating [the Dharma]. At twenty-five, he traveled east to Mount Song and west across Wudang; wherever he opened the Way, he dwelt solely in meditative silence. Thereupon he came to White Horse Spring on Mount Sangai in Xiangyang, where he built a square zhang chamber as an abode for resting his mind. Entering the valley in two places, he established araṇya hermitages; those who now patrol the mountain can still recognize their ancient foundations. Earlier, when Prince Jin'an of the Liang came to govern Xiang and Yong, he heard of his renown and came to visit. As he was about to reach the meditation chamber, the horses and mounted retinue retreated for no apparent reason. Ashamed, the prince returned and that night was troubled by bad dreams. Later he went again, and the horses retreated as before. Only after the prince purified himself with fasting and approached with the utmost personal piety was he able to enter and see him. Upon first arriving near the temple, he saw only a valley ablaze with roaring fire. After standing and watching for a long time, it suddenly turned into water. After waiting a short while with rapt attention, the water vanished and the hall appeared. Inquiring into the matter, he realized that he had entered the fire and water samādhis at that time. Beside the rope-woven couch where he sat in the hall, there was a tiger on each side; the prince dared not advance. Facong pressed their heads to the ground with his hands, closed their eyes, and bade the prince come forward, after which he was able to pay his respects. He then told him that the area was plagued by tigers and requested relief and rescue. Facong immediately entered samādhi. In a moment, seventeen great tigers arrived. He gave them the three refuges and precepts and commanded them not to harm the common people. He also instructed a disciple to tie cloth around the neck of each tiger, [saying], "When seven days are fulfilled, you must come here." On the designated day, the prince provided a vegetarian feast. As the assembly gathered, the tigers also arrived; he gave them food and untied the cloth, and from then on they did no harm. On that day, he took the prince to White Horse Spring, where there was a white turtle that took food directly from Facong's hand. He told the prince, "This is a male dragon." He also went to the Numinous Spring, where there was a five-colored carp that also took food from his hand, and said, "This is a female dragon." The prince and his officials marveled at these occurrences, made great donations, and returned. Several tens of wicked men among their retinue came at night to rob the donated goods. They encountered roaring tigers that blocked their way, and also saw a giant standing by the meditation chamber, beside whom pine trees reached only to his knees, wielding a vajra cudgel as if guarding it. Wandering back and forth all night, they returned only at noon. The prince wondered at their arrival, and only then did they confess the matter. He then presented a memorial to the throne, and an imperial decree ordered the construction of Chanju Temple. Facong did not go to live there, but ordained people to occupy it. Another decree ordered Xu Chi to build Lingquan Temple at the place where he dwelt. In the Zhou dynasty, it was renamed Jinglin, and in the Sui it was again renamed Jingkong. The Great Tang retained the Sui name. Earlier, when Facong dwelt in the meditation hall, white deer and white sparrows would constantly tame themselves and roost there. Wherever he traveled, compassionate rescue came first. Once he saw a butcher driving more than a hundred pigs; Facong proclaimed three times, "Liberation, Śūraṅgama!" The pigs' ropes came undone and they scattered. The butchers were furious and were about to strike him, but they froze and could not move. They then admitted their transgression and repented of their sins, abandoning the livelihood of slaughter. Furthermore, when fishermen on the Han River were hauling their nets, he proclaimed as before three times; they could not pull the nets, and only then did they turn their hearts and return with empty nets. Moreover, when Jingzhou suffered from drought, Changsha Temple sent a monk to Facong to pray for rain; when the envoy returned, heavy rain fell and the reservoirs and ponds were all filled. Emperor Gaozu dispatched Prince Luling to welcome him to the capital, but due to circumstances this was not accomplished. Later, when the Prince of Xiangdong was prefect of Jing and Xia, he built Tiangong Temple in Jiangling and welcomed him to dwell there. He finally passed away at this temple during the Taiqing era of the Liang. In that temple, there is currently an inscription recording these marvelous signs in detail; at Jingkong Temple today, a meditation hall still remains.