續高僧傳 26.60

26.60

Śramaṇa Daogui was a native of Bingzhou. Taking the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as his vocation, he was capable in words and principles, and broad and elegant in temperament. Moreover, regarding the profound meaning of the sūtra, he frequently brought forth brilliance, earning renown at that time. In addition, living in seclusion, he gave free rein to his aspirations without becoming involved in worldly vexations; he never cast his eyes upon marketplaces or actors. As for fame, profit, rank, and lowliness, he naturally cut off speech concerning them; he was a pure and genuine gentleman who maintained simplicity with refined integrity. In his later years, he was in the capital, residing at Suifa Monastery, embracing his virtue and quietly guarding his body and mind.

At the beginning of the construction of the pagodas, an imperial decree was issued inquiring [after monks] and commanded him to escort relics to Huitong Monastery in Dezhou. On the day he reached the administrative seat, a red light was emitted, of the size of a large jar; after a long while it finally ceased. There was a woman who had suffered from lameness for many years; hearing that the relics had arrived, she was carried to the pagoda site and made a painful, sincere vow, begging to be granted the ability to walk with a staff. In accordance with her words, she was immediately cured and ran swiftly home. When the pagoda was about to be enclosed, suddenly twelve large birds appeared, whose shapes and appearances were rare in the world, their names unknown; flying in orderly ranks, they circled in the sky directly above the pagoda, leaving only after the pagoda had been sealed. Gui later maintained his vocation in the capital; his end is unknown.