神僧傳 2.24

2.24

釋僧朗。未詳其氏族。京兆人也。少而遊方。問道長安還關中。專當講說嘗與數人。同共赴請。行至中途忽告同輩。曰君等寺中衣物似有竊者。如言即返。果有盜焉。後於金輿谷崑崙山中別立精舍。創築房室。內外屋宇數十餘區。聞風而造者百有餘人。朗孜孜訓誘勞不告倦。秦王符堅欽其德素遣。使䞋遺。堅後沙汰眾僧。乃別詔曰。朗法師戒德氷霜學徒清秀。崑崙一山不在杖例。谷中舊有虎災。人常執杖結群而行。及朗居之猛獸歸伏。晨行夜往道俗無滯。百姓咨嗟稱善無極。故至今呼為朗公谷。凡有來詣朗者人數多少。未至一日輒已逆知。使弟子為具飲食。必如言果至。咸歎有預見之明矣。後卒於山中。春秋八十有五。

Shi Senglang: his clan and ancestry are unknown; he was a person of Jingzhao. In his youth, he traveled abroad, inquiring into the Way in Chang'an, and then returned to Guanzhong, devoting himself solely to lecturing and expounding. Once, when traveling with several companions to attend an invitation, on reaching midway he suddenly told his fellows, saying, "The clothing and articles in your temples seem to be being stolen." When they returned according to his words, there were indeed thieves. Later, he established a separate vihāra in Jinyu Valley on Mount Kunlun, founding and constructing chambers and rooms, with dozens of inner and outer dwellings. Over one hundred people who heard of his repute came to him. Lang untiringly instructed and guided them, never complaining of weariness. Fu Jian, King of Qin, revering his pristine virtue, sent an envoy to make offerings to him. Later, when Jian purged the monastic assembly, he issued a special edict, stating: "Dharma Master Lang's precept virtue is pure as frost and ice, and his disciples are pure and eminent. The entire mountain of Kunlun is exempt from the reckoning of dismissal." In the valley there had formerly been the scourge of tigers, so that people would always carry staves and travel in groups; but when Lang came to dwell there, the fierce beasts submitted, so that whether traveling at dawn or going by night, both monastics and laity were unimpeded. The common folk marveled and praised his goodness boundlessly, and therefore to this day it is called Master Lang's Valley. Whenever people came to visit Lang, no matter how many or few, he always foresaw it a day before they arrived, and would order his disciples to prepare food and drink for them; and they inevitably arrived just as he had said. All marveled at his perspicacity of foresight. Later, he passed away on the mountain at eighty-five years of age.