宋高僧傳 18.11

18.11

釋法喜，南海人也，形容寢陋，短弱迂疎，可年四十許。嶺表耆老咸言：「兒童時見識之，顏貌如今無異。」蠻蜒間相傳云已三百歲矣。亦自言舊識廬山慧遠法師，說晉、宋朝事，歷歷如信宿前耳。平素時悄然，見人必語，語必含深意，吉凶之徵，有如影響。人亦不欲與喜相見，懼直言災惡忤逆意也。陳朝馬靜為廣州刺史，方上任，喜直入州上廳事，畫地作馬頭形，以示其子而去。靜本扶風名族，雄勇多武略，不閑事體。及臨州也，每出行，部從甲士數萬，旌旗劍戟，若虹霓映乎霜雪，言以此可用威邊徼。其奢僣過度，王者之不若，被人誣告謀反。靜懼，即遣妻子百餘人入朝，示無圖變。陳主猶惑，遣臨汝侯觀其形勢曰：「必有反狀，便可行戮。實無逆謀，直往代之。」臨汝利其財產，至州不驗是非。靜恃心無異，束手詣臨汝，便叱左右擒而斬之。此畫地之明効矣。喜之先見，皆同此類。煬帝聞之，追來揚州。未久，宮內樹一堂新成。喜怱怱升堂觀覽，俄驚走下階，唱言「幾壓殺」！其日夜闌，大雨堂崩，斃者數人，其後又於宮內環走，言索羊頭。帝聞惡之，責以狂言，勅鎖著一室。數日，三衛於市見喜坦率遊行。還奏，勅所司覆驗禁閉之處，門鎖如故。守當者云：「喜見在室內。」於是開戶，見袈裟覆一聚白骨，其鎖貫項骨不脫。帝甚驚怪，勅遣長史王恒疾往驗之，袈裟覆白骨，骨皆鉤鎖相連，鐵鎖縻其項骨。帝聞，愕然稱歎，尤增信重。勅令勿輕搖蕩，曰：「聖者神變無方。」至暮，喜還在室，或言或笑，守門復奏。帝令脫鎖，縱其所適。有於一日赴數家齋食，或時飲酒啖肉，都無拘忌。俄而有疾，常所臥床自撤薦席，櫬簀而欹寢。令人於下鋪炭甚熾，數日而終，半身焦爛。葬于香山寺側。後，四年，南海郡奏喜見還在郡。勅遣開棺，空無所有矣。

Shi Faxi was a native of Nanhai. In appearance he was ugly and wretched, short, frail, and clumsy, appearing to be about forty years of age. Elders of the Lingnan region all said: 'When we were children we knew him, and his countenance was no different from what it is now.' Among the southern barbarians, it was said that he was already three hundred years old. He also said of himself that he had long known Dharma Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu, and spoke of events of the Jin and Song dynasties as distinctly as if they had occurred just a couple of nights before. Usually he remained quiet; but whenever he saw people he was sure to speak, and his words always contained profound meanings, portending good and bad fortune like shadows and echoes. People also did not wish to meet Faxi, fearing his frank speech about disasters and evils would run counter to their wishes. During the Chen dynasty, Ma Jing served as the Regional Inspector of Guangzhou. Just as he took up his post, Faxi walked straight into the prefectural administrative hall, drew the shape of a horse's head on the ground, showed it to Jing's son, and left. Jing originally belonged to a prominent clan of Fufeng; he was brave, possessed military stratagems, but lacked familiarity with the proper order of affairs. Upon arriving at the prefecture, whenever he traveled abroad, he was accompanied by tens of thousands of armored soldiers, with flags, banners, swords, and halberds gleaming like a rainbow upon frost and snow, saying this could be used to overawe the frontiers. His extravagance and arrogance exceeded all bounds, outdoing even rulers, and he was falsely accused of treason. In fear, Jing sent more than a hundred of his wives and children to court to show that he intended no rebellion. The Chen ruler was still suspicious and dispatched the Marquis of Linru to observe his situation, saying: 'If there are certain signs of rebellion, execute him immediately. If there is truly no plot of revolt, simply replace him.' Linru coveted Jing's wealth and property, and upon reaching the prefecture did not investigate right and wrong. Trusting that his heart was free from treason, Jing came with bound hands to Linru, who immediately shouted to his attendants to seize and behead him. This was the clear fulfillment of drawing on the ground. Faxi's foreknowledge was always of this sort. Emperor Yang [of the Sui] heard of him and summoned him to Yangzhou. Not long after, a newly completed hall was erected in the palace. Faxi hurriedly climbed up to the hall to look around, and suddenly fled down the steps in fright, shouting out: 'It nearly crushed [me] to death!' Late that night, heavy rain caused the hall to collapse, killing several people. Later he also ran around inside the palace, saying that he was searching for a sheep's head. The Emperor was disgusted on hearing this, reproached him for his mad ravings, and ordered him locked up in a room. A few days later, the Three Imperial Guards saw Faxi roaming freely in the marketplace. They returned and reported this to the throne. An imperial decree ordered the officials in charge to re-examine the place of confinement; the door was locked as before. The guards on duty said: 'Faxi is currently inside the room.' Thereupon they opened the door and saw a kāṣāya covering a pile of white bones, with the lock running through the neck-bone without slipping off. The Emperor was extremely amazed and astonished, and sent Chief Clerk Wang Heng in haste to inspect it. The kāṣāya covered white bones, and the bones were all linked together like chain-links, with an iron lock binding his neck-bone. The Emperor heard this, marveled with praise, and held him in even greater faith and reverence. He issued an edict not to disturb him lightly, saying: 'The holy man's spiritual transformations are limitless.' By evening, Faxi was back in the room, talking and laughing at times; the doorkeepers reported this again. The Emperor ordered the lock removed, giving him free rein to go where he pleased. On a single day he would attend vegetarian feasts at several households, and at times drank wine and ate meat, completely without restraint. Soon he fell ill; he removed the mats and bedding from the bed he normally slept on and reclined on the bare frame and slats. He had people spread burning coals underneath; after several days he died, half his body scorched and putrefied. He was buried beside Xiangshan Temple. Four years later, Nanhai Commandery reported that Faxi was seen back in the commandery. An imperial order was issued to open the coffin, and it was completely empty.