續高僧傳 26.78

26.78

Śramaṇa Sengfan was a native of Jizhou. Studying both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, he quietly applied himself to the practice of the mind. Pursuing masters of dhyāna mindfulness, he bowed in complete reverence, and his grasp of the essentials of concentration doubled that of his peers. Residing at Shengguang Monastery, he was recommended for his doctrinal understanding. When the Emperor built stupas, an imperial decree summoned him to convey a relic to Jueguan Monastery in his native prefecture. Whenever sunset came, it regularly emitted light, yellow and red flames mingling in varied transformations. The śramaṇa Sengbian had suffered from ear trouble for four years, hearing sounds as if blocked by a wall; upon beholding the relic once, both his ears were opened wide, exceeding normal days. Su Fahui, a commoner of the prefecture, had a crippled and lame left foot for over ten years; leaning on a staff to support himself, he came to bow and make vows, whereupon he was immediately cured, cast aside his staff, and returned home. Fan witnessed such spiritual efficacy and divine ways, truly knowing that the teachings of the scriptures were by no means in vain; it was only because people's sincerity had not been manifest that discrepancies had occurred. Later he returned to his original monastery and followed his former path. The circumstances of his death are unknown.