續高僧傳 26.83

26.83

Śramaṇa Faxing was a native of Yanzhou. In his youth he practiced meditation, rigorously pursuing the practice of the Way. A dhūta practitioner of few desires, he wandered alone along the sea coasts, only occasionally entering the lay world for the bodily provisions he required, taking it as his task to remain concealed in the forests and hills. In the fourteenth year of the Kaihuang era, Emperor Wen made an eastern tour and sought out hermits in mountain caves; Faxing was consequently summoned into the capital to reside at Shengguang Temple. In the Renshou era, an imperial decree summoned him to escort relics to Pule Temple in his native prefecture. When first preparing the outer casket, they obtained a piece of green-blue stone; just as the cutting and polishing were finished and they were about to polish and ornament it, it transformed into agate, its five colours intermingling and its patterns distinctly clear. Inside the casket, motley streaks interspersed with white jade; its glossy sheen was pure and bright both inside and outside the casket, clear as a water mirror and shining through without obstruction. When the relics were being placed into the casket, right above the foundation a pair of white birds soared in slow flight, circling around the stupa. The branches and leaves of the jambu tree west of the stupa all transformed into the colour of genuine gold. After Emperor Wen passed away, the Great Zhending Temple was established and Faxing was invited to reside there and receive offerings; he finally died at the temple at the age of over eighty.