續高僧傳 26.81

26.81

Śramaṇa Mingyu was a native of Yingzhou. He initially studied the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra and later trained in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, tracing the source of its principles and resolving doubts and impasses. Later he travelled to Ye to inquire into what he had not yet heard, perusing all the hidden meanings and profound mysteries. In the eighth year of the Kaihuang era, he arrived in the imperial capital and studied further under Master Qian, questioning him on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. His breadth of mind was grand and vast, and his bearing refined and elegant. When someone was seized with sudden anger, his expression did not change in the least, and the assembly admired his power of forbearance. Residing at Wulou Temple, he took lecturing and recitation as his vocation. In the middle of the Renshou era, an imperial decree requested him to escort relics to Chongfan Temple in Jizhou. The foundations of the temple bordered perilous peaks, abundant in rare trees; mountain springs meandered through it, and tall bamboos veiled the sky—it was truly an exquisite site. When the appointed day for the enshrinement arrived, an auspicious statue of King Aśoka in the temple emitted three beams of divine light across its entire body, their colour like golden pomegranate, brilliantly bright and dazzling the spirit; after the space of a single meal, they gradually ceased. Furthermore, the chime of a stone chime was heard lingering far and wide, and upon the crag east of the temple came the sound chanting 'Sādhu!' (Excellent!), clear, resonant, and piercing to the heart, yet when they searched for its source, nothing could be found. Moreover, above the relic casket, a radiance rose three feet high, shaped like a flowering tree. The relics originally sent were divided into two grains; emerging from the lapis lazuli bottle, they turned around together, both emitting bright light. Yellow and white clouds came from the southwest, sounding like rain, while flowing music drifted forth; right over the stupa, the clouds congealed motionless. Two flowers were seen emerging from the clouds, now rising, now descending, and large birds flew in flocks, wheeling above the stupa. In the clouds there also appeared the heads of immortals, boundless in number. At that time, the people in the walled city of Shenzhou saw immortals coming through the sky from the east toward Weizhou. Yu, meeting with this destiny, rejoiced at these auspicious portents, which were too numerous to recount. The common people abandoned their possessions, piling them up like mountains to construct the stupa. Five śramaṇas, having encountered such extraordinary portents in their lifetimes, renounced the precepts to become temple slaves to make offerings to the Triratna. An inscription was consequently carved to record these events, as detailed in a separate biography. When Empress Xian passed away, the Zhending Temple was built; he was summoned to reside there, and there he ended his days.