宋高僧傳 19.52

19.52

系曰：教法興替，得非數乎？數算已定，晷刻弗移。如其會昌之前，舍利預飛，棗樹先瘁，是知當替數之彊，興數必弱，興不勝其替矣。大中之興，替不勝其興矣。若不為四相之遷，非繫興替之數也。教法是有為之法，詎免遷流者乎，吁！

The appraisal states: Is the rising and falling of the doctrinal teaching not a matter of destiny? When the tally of destiny is fixed, it does not shift by an instant. Just as before the Huichang era, the śarīra flew away in advance and the date tree withered beforehand, we know that when the destiny of decline is strong, the destiny of prosperity must be weak, and prosperity cannot overcome decline. With the resurgence of the Dazhong era, decline could not overcome prosperity. If it were not for the shifting of the four characteristics, it would not be tied to the numbers of rising and falling. The doctrinal teaching is a conditioned phenomenon; how could it avoid the flowing stream of change? Alas!