宋高僧傳 27.4

27.4

Shi Sengjie, whose origins are unknown, was born into the Buddhist family, and his converting influence spread through the divine precinct. He guarded his precepts like guarding a precious jewel, and stilled his mind like motionless water. Constantly lamenting over stingy men who did not follow the measure of dāna, during the Jianzhong era he built a Mañjuśrī Hall, intending to model it after the sacred images of Mount Wutai. It was proposed to raise the terrace right to the water's edge; fearing that living creatures would be harmed, Jie had a three-day bodhimaṇḍa established, praying over those with many feet down to those with none, so that they might move away and avoid harm, not creating obstacles to his pure conduct. One could see that the resonance of his utmost sincerity was an unfailing proof: when earth was dug down to the spring, there were no squirming creatures at all. He always used double-layered silk as a straining bag; whenever insects were caught in drawing water, he cast them into a well pit, which was called the "Life-Preserving Well" at that time, and was constantly full without drying up. Furthermore, observing that flying moths and gnats mistook the brightness of fire for a traversable path and thus flew into it, he cast a bronze toad to serve as a device to extinguish smoke. Its design was passed down throughout the realm. At his Mañjuśrī Courtyard scriptures were constantly chanted, and an imperial decree repeatedly bestowed incense. This temple was originally the Qibaotai Temple, within which was a terrace built by the Heavenly Empress, and Jie resided within it.