神僧傳 2.34

2.34

僧登師者。止匡廬大林寺。通誦法華晝夜不息。一日忽見空中有一銀殿漸下於房忽變成金殿。師遂入殿坐起經行。如是三載。遠邇四眾嚴持香華從師乞戒。登曰。白日喧雜心多散亂。當於清夜受之。至夜正說戒相三歸依。時師之口吻放光明遍照大眾。眾見光明競拜喧鬨。師即不語。光便收斂。師云。本欲受戒那得見光喧鬨。光現但是受戒祥瑞。未是得戒正緣。今更從初。大眾默然。師又說法還復放光。眾又喧鬨因而且止。明日再來。師即辭別歸山。所現金殿還復如故。一日忽謂門人曰。今登金殿不復回也。即於是日倏然超化。

Master Sangdeng resided at Dalin Monastery on Mount Lu. He recited the Lotus Sūtra day and night without ceasing. One day, he suddenly saw in the sky a silver palace gradually descending into his chamber, which suddenly transformed into a gold palace. The Master then entered the palace, sitting, rising, and practicing walking meditation there. Thus it went for three years. The fourfold assembly from near and far, solemnly bearing incense and flowers, sought precepts from the Master. Deng said, “The daytime is noisy and crowded, causing the mind to be mostly scattered; they should be received on a clear night.” When night came and he was expounding the marks of the precepts and the Three Refuges, the Master’s mouth emitted a brilliant light that illuminated the entire assembly. Seeing the light, the multitude scrambled to bow down in noisy commotion. The Master immediately fell silent, and the light withdrew. The Master said, “You originally came to receive the precepts; how can you cause a commotion upon seeing light? The appearance of the light is merely an auspicious sign of receiving the precepts, not the primary cause for obtaining them. Now let us begin again from the start.” The great assembly fell silent. As the Master preached the Dharma again, light was emitted once more. The assembly again fell into a commotion, and on that account he stopped. When they returned the following day, the Master took his leave and returned into the mountains. The manifested golden palace returned to its previous state. One day, he suddenly said to his disciples, “Today I ascend to the golden palace and will not return.” That very day, he abruptly passed away into transcendence.