宋高僧傳 23.62

23.62

將知四輪出世，十善行時，有道則堯下足淳民，奉孝則曾家生令子。我聖上踐祚之四載，兩浙進阿育王盛釋迦佛舍利塔，初於滋福殿供養，後迎入內道場，屢現奇瑞。八年二月望，詔於開寶寺樹木浮圖，僅登千尺。先藏是塔于深甃中，此日放神光，亘爥天壤。時黑白眾中有煉頂、指者，有然香炷者，宣賜物有差。苟非大權菩薩、大福天王，安能激勸下民而捐身寶者乎？直令此地螺髻見而珍寶成，還覺其時鷲峯淨而土田變。范雲綴史，紀數色之徵祥；王劭編文，書幾州之葬塔。隋分舍利，唐瘞真身。比乎我朝，田隴與鐵圍爭其疆畔耳。此篇所載，成傳開宗，令能忍難忍之人，既亡若在；使捨身受身之者，雖死猶生。圖五芝於草木之前，列四瑞於鱗毛之表。《詩》曰：「儀刑文王，萬邦作式。」者也。

One should know that when the four wheels appear in the world and the ten virtues are practiced, where the Way prevails, even under Yao there are plenty of pure folk; and where filiality is revered, an excellent son is born to the house of Zeng. In the fourth year after our Holy Sovereign ascended the throne, the Liangzhe region presented the King Aśoka Stūpa containing the śarīra of Śākyamuni Buddha. It was first venerated in the Zifu Hall, and later welcomed into the Inner Daoist Sanctuary, repeatedly displaying extraordinary omens. On the full moon of the second month of the eighth year, an imperial decree ordered the erection of a timber stūpa at Kaibao Temple, reaching nearly a thousand feet. First, this stūpa was enshrined deep within a brick vault; on that day, a divine light blazed forth, illuminating heaven and earth. At that time, among the clergy and laity, there were those who seared their crowns and fingers, and those who burned incense tapers; the bestowed imperial gifts varied accordingly. Were it not for a great expedient bodhisattva and a heavenly king of great fortune, how could ordinary people be so moved and exhorted to renounce their precious bodies? It made the snail-like topknots appear here and precious gems form, and one felt that the Vulture Peak of that time was purified and the lands transformed. Fan Yun composed history, recording the auspicious signs of various colors; Wang Shao compiled writings, describing the burial of stūpas in many prefectures. The Sui divided the relics, and the Tang buried the true body. In comparison to our dynasty, their lands and Iron Encircling Mountains contend with its borders! What is recorded in this chapter constitutes biographies and establishes principles, so that those who could endure what is difficult to endure remain as if present though deceased; and those who shed bodies and received bodies remain as if alive though dead. It depicts the five lingzhi fungi ahead of the plants and trees, and lists the four auspicious creatures beyond the scaled and furred beasts. As the Book of Songs says: "Making King Wen their pattern, the myriad realms took him as their model."'