宋高僧傳 19.10

19.10

釋惠安，未詳何許人也。神龍中遊于京兆，抑多先見。時唐休璟既立邊功，貴盛無比。安往造焉，曰：「相公，甚美必有甚惡。將有大禍，且不遠數月，然可攘去。」休璟素知安能厭勝，諾而拜之。安曰：「更無他術，但奉一計耳——豈非注擬官品，出乎陶治中？請選一有才幹者用為曹州。」因得張君，本京官，即日升之宮贊，相次作守定陶，委之求二犬，可高數尺而神俊者。張君到任，銳意精求，得二犬如其所求以獻之。休璟大悅，召安視之，曰：「極善。」後旬餘，安却來曰：「事在今夕，願相君嚴為警備。」遂留安宿。是夜休璟坐於堂之前軒，命左右十數輩執弧操矢，立于榻之隅。休璟與安共處一榻，至夜分，安笑之曰：「相君之禍免矣！可以就寢。」休璟喜而謝之，遂撤左右俱寢。迨曉，安呼休璟可起矣。問安曰：「二犬何所用乎？」遂尋其跡，至園中，見一人仆地而卒。視其頸有血焉，蓋為物所嚙者。又見二犬在大木下，仰視之，一人袒而匿身。休璟驚且詰之，其人泣而指死者曰：「某與彼俱賊也，昨夕偕來，欲害相國，蓋遇此二犬環而且吠。彼為所噬，既殞。某藏匿無地，天網所羅，為犬蹲守，今甘萬死。」且命縛之，曰：「此罪固當死，然非某心也，乃受制於人耳。」乃釋之，賊拜泣而去。休璟拜謝安曰：「非吾師，不然死於二夫之手矣。」安曰：「此相國之福，豈所能為哉？」又休璟表弟盧軫在荊門，有術士告之曰：「君將有災，當求善禳厭者，或能免矣。」軫知安奇術清行，為時所重，致書于休璟。安即與一書曰：「事在其中耳！」及書達江陵而軫已卒。其家開其書，徒一幅空紙焉，殊無一字，休璟益重之。後數年遁去，罔知所之。

Śramaṇa Huian was a man of unknown origin. During the Shenlong era (705–707) he traveled in the capital region, possessing great foreknowledge. At that time, Tang Xiujing had already achieved military distinction on the frontiers, and his nobility and power were beyond compare. An went to visit him and said, "My Lord, extreme fortune must be accompanied by extreme misfortune. A great calamity is coming, and it will be in only a few months; yet it can be averted." Xiujing had long known of An's ability in apotropaic arts, so he agreed and bowed to him. An said, "I have no other art, but offer only a single strategy—is it not true that the nominations and selections of official posts proceed from your furnace of appointments? Please select a man of talent and dispatch him to Caozhou." Thereupon they found Lord Zhang, originally a metropolitan official, promoted him that very day to Palace Accompanier, and soon appointed him Governor of Dingtao, charging him to find two dogs, several feet tall and of spirited and extraordinary appearance. Lord Zhang arrived at his post, diligently and earnestly sought them out, and having obtained two dogs matching the requirements, presented them. Xiujing was greatly pleased, summoned An to inspect them, and An said, "Excellently done." After ten days or so, An returned and said, "The matter falls on this very night. May my Lord maintain a strict guard." He then stayed the night with An. That night Xiujing sat in the front porch of his hall and ordered over a dozen attendants to hold bows and arrows, standing at the corners of the couch. Xiujing and An shared the single couch. When midnight arrived, An smiled and said, "My Lord's calamity has been averted! You may retire to sleep." Xiujing joyfully thanked him, dismissed the attendants, and both went to sleep. At daybreak, An called out that Xiujing could arise. Xiujing asked An, "What were the two dogs used for?" They then traced their footprints into the garden, where they saw a man fallen dead on the ground. Inspecting his neck, there was blood, for he had evidently been bitten by something. Furthermore, they saw the two dogs beneath a large tree, looking up at it; up above, a man had stripped to his waist and concealed himself. Xiujing was astonished and interrogated him. The man wept and pointed at the dead man, saying, "He and I were both bandits. Last night we came together, intending to harm the Minister, but we ran into these two dogs, who encircled us and barked. He was bitten by them and died. I had nowhere to hide, was ensnared in Heaven's net, and was kept trapped here by the dogs crouched in vigil. Now I willingly accept ten thousand deaths." Xiujing had him bound, but the man said, "This crime truly deserves death, yet it was not my intention; I was merely under the command of another." So Xiujing released him, and the bandit bowed with tears and left. Xiujing bowed in gratitude to An, saying, "Were it not for you, Master, I would have died at the hands of those two men." An said, "This was the Minister's own good fortune; what could I have done?" Furthermore, Xiujing's maternal cousin Lu Zhen was at Jingmen, and a diviner told him, "You are soon to suffer a disaster; you should seek one skilled in warding it off, and perhaps you can avoid it." Zhen knew of An's marvelous arts and pure conduct, which were esteemed in that age, so he sent a letter to Xiujing. An immediately provided a letter, saying, "The matter lies within!" When the letter reached Jiangling, Zhen had already passed away. His family opened the letter, and it was merely a sheet of blank paper with not a single word. Xiujing esteemed An all the more. Several years later An vanished, and no one knew where he went.