宋高僧傳 26.4

26.4

釋法成，本姓王，名守慎，官至監察御史。屬天后猜貳，信酷吏羅織，乃避法官，乞出家為僧。苦節勤於化導，聲發響隨，行高質直。長安中，於京兆西市疏鑿大坎，號曰「海池」焉——支分永安渠以注之，以為放生之所。池上佛屋經樓，皆成所造。穿池之際，獲古石，銘云「百年為市，而後為池。」自隋朝置都立市，至于時正一百年矣。儀鳳二年，望氣者云：「此坊有異氣。」勅掘之，得石函，函內貯佛舍利萬餘粒，光色粲爛而堅剛。勅於此處造光宅寺，仍散舍利於京寺及諸州府各四十九粒。武后於此始置七寶臺，遂改寺額，成公居之。行其激勸，多以崇福為己任焉。

Shi Facheng's original surname was Wang, and his personal name was Shoushen; his official post reached that of Investigating Censor. When the Heavenly Empress harbored suspicions and trusted the trumped-up charges of cruel officials, he evaded the judicial office and begged to leave household life as a monk. He was austere and diligent in transforming and guiding others; his voice brought immediate resonance, and his conduct was lofty and upright. During the Chang'an era, he dug a large pit in the West Market of Jingzhao, naming it "Ocean Pool"—channeling branches of the Yong'an Canal to fill it, making it a place for releasing living beings. The Buddha halls and scripture towers beside the pool were all built by Cheng. When excavating the pool, an ancient stone was unearthed with an inscription saying: "For a hundred years a market, and afterwards a pool." From the Sui dynasty establishing the capital and setting up the market until that time was precisely one hundred years. In the second year of Yifeng, an omen-seer said: "There is an extraordinary aura in this ward." An imperial order commanded excavation, and a stone casket was found containing more than ten thousand grains of Buddha relics, radiant and hard. An imperial order was issued to construct Guangzhai Temple on this site, and forty-nine grains of relics each were distributed to capital temples, prefectures, and commanderies. Empress Wu first erected the Seven Treasures Terrace here, subsequently changing the temple placard, and Master Cheng took up residence there. In carrying out his exhortation, he largely made the veneration of blessings his personal duty.