續高僧傳 25.44

25.44

Śramaṇa Huijian: it is not known where he was from. In the early Liang he was in the monastic Way; his keeping of the precepts was lofty and strict, and his courage was extraordinary. To the east of the administrative hall of Jingzhou, there had previously been a separate three-room study where ghosts and monsters had long appeared frequently. When Wang Jianwu was in charge of the administration, there was still no one who could dwell there. Only Jian, who was Lord Wang's household master, was entrusted to reside there alone. He lived in one room himself, and placed scriptures and statues in the remainder. Soon, he saw a person dressed in black clothing without eyes emerge from the wall and lean against Jian's door. At the time, Jian's eyes were open and his mind was clear, but his mouth could not speak; in his mind he recollected Guanshiyin. After a good while, the ghost said: 'Hearing of your vigorous cultivation, I came to test you. Now that your spirit and countenance are unmoved, how could I press upon you further?' Suddenly, he vanished back into the wall. Jian slowly arose, washed, rinsed his mouth, and completed his devotions and recitation, then returned to sleep as usual. In a dream, the figure said to him: 'Having dwelt here since the end of the Han for several hundred years, my nature is unbending and upright, and there is much I cannot tolerate. You are truly a person of pure conduct and goodness, so I make a special allowance for you.' With this, the disturbances ceased entirely. Jian dwelt there for many years, peaceful and secure as in the beginning. Whenever he traveled elsewhere, there was still no one who could live there.