續高僧傳 26.57

26.57

Śramaṇa Mingfen was a native of Xiangzhou, the gifted disciple of the Northern Qi Tripiṭaka master Yaśas. He thoroughly understood local customs and had a refined grasp of the Indic language; in conveying the profound meaning, he was an indispensable spokesperson. During the translations of the Kaihuang era, an imperial decree summoned him, ordering him to transmit scriptural texts together with Indian monks. However, his mind was devoted to examining errors and he preferred living in quiet seclusion. Reciting and relishing the Daśabhūmika, he always cited evidence in his speech; his queries and discussions were clear and ingenious, his resolution of obscurities rarely rivalled. During the Renshou era, an imperial decree ordered him to erect a stūpa at Shiku Monastery in Cizhou, which had been founded by Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi. Behind the statue in the great grotto was Emperor Wenxuan's tomb, whose carvings astounded both humans and spirits. As Mingfen led the procession with the relics about thirty li from the prefecture, white clouds rose thickly, extending continuously from the monastery to the carriage. Brightly spanning the sky, celestial immortals flew back and forth within them, dispersing only at the end of the day. The next morning toward dawn, white clouds again extended long to welcome them, with celestial immortals within the clouds just as the day before. The multitudes witnessed this together, gazing up in indescribable wonder. Those who understood thought: 'Does Shiku Monastery adjoin Mount Gushan so closely that the immortals and sages of the Bamboo Grove resonate in response?' When they arrived at the mountain stūpa, there was a spring on the eastern side; all sentient beings who drank from it were cured of disease. Mingfen later died at Daxingshan Monastery. The various sūtras he worked on are recorded in Fei's catalogue.