神僧傳 4.33

4.33

釋法聰。姓梅氏。南陽新野人。八歲出家卓然神秀。正性貞潔身形如玉。蔬藿是甘無求滋饌。因至襄陽傘蓋山白馬泉。築室方丈。以為栖止之宅。入谷兩所置蘭若舍。今巡山者尚識故基焉。初梁晉安王來都襄雍。承風來問將至禪室。馬騎將從無故却退。王慚而返。夜感惡夢。後更再往馬退如故。王乃潔齋。躬盡虔敬方得進見。初至寺側但覩一谷猛火洞然。良久竚望忽變為水。經停傾仰水滅堂現。以事相詢。乃知爾時入水火定也。堂內所坐繩床兩邊各有一虎。王不敢進。聰乃以手按頭著地。閉其兩目。召王令前。方得展禮。因告境內多被虎災請求救援。聰即入定。須臾有十七大虎來至。便與受三歸戒。勅勿犯暴百姓。又命弟子以布故衣繫諸虎頸。滿七日已當來於此。王至期日設齋眾集。諸虎亦至。便與食解布。遂爾無害。其日將王臨白馬泉。內有白龜就聰手中取食。謂王曰。此是雄龍。又臨靈泉有五色鯉。亦就手食。云此雌龍。王與群吏嗟賞其事。大施而旋。有凶黨左右數十人。夜來劫所施之物。遇虎哮吼遮遏其道。又見大人倚立禪室。傍有松樹。止至其膝。執金剛杵將有守護。竟夜迴遑日午方返。王怪其來晚。方以事首。遂表奏聞。下勅為造禪居寺。聰不往住。度人安之。聰住禪堂每有白鹿白雀馴伏栖止。行往所及慈救為先。忽遇屠者驅猪百餘頭。聰三告曰解脫首楞嚴。猪遂繩解散去。諸屠大怒將事加手。並屹然不動。便歸過悔罪因斷殺業。又於漢水漁人牽網所。如前三告。引網不得。方復歸心空網而返。又荊州苦旱。長沙寺遣僧至聰所請雨。使還大降。陂池皆滿。湘東王承聞馳駕山門伸師襄之禮。頻請下都固辭不許。乃捨宮造天宮寺邀延。永住巴峽空晉鴻上。湘東王柏木為寢殿。及感放光旬日不歇。王於傍造浮圖僧房講堂。并王服玩作露盤。立為寶光寺。請聰居之。王述般若義。每明日將竪義。殿則夜放光明。照數里不假燈燭。議者以般若大慧智光幽燭所致。以梁大定五年九月無疾而化。端坐如生形柔頂煖。手屈二指異香不歇。年九十二。

Śramaṇa Facong was of the Mei family and a native of Xinye in Nanyang. He renounced household life at the age of eight, possessing an extraordinary and divine elegance. Pure and chaste in his upright nature, his body was like jade. He was content with greens and legumes, seeking no rich delicacies. He eventually arrived at Mount Sangai in Xiangyang, near White Horse Spring, where he built a room a rod square to serve as his dwelling. Entering two valleys, he established hermitage quarters; those who patrol the mountain today can still identify the old foundations. Formerly, when King Jin'an of the Liang came to govern Xiang and Yong, he heard of Facong's renown and came to inquire of him. When he was about to reach the meditation cell, his cavalry escort retreated without reason. The king, ashamed, turned back and had nightmares that night. Later he went again, and the horses retreated as before. The king then purified himself with a fast and went in person with utmost reverence before gaining admittance. When he first arrived beside the monastery, he saw only a valley ablaze with fierce flames. After watching for a long time, the fire suddenly turned to water. After a short while, the water vanished and the hall appeared. Upon inquiring about these events, he learned that Facong had entered the water and fire samādhis at those times. Inside the hall, on either side of the rope bed on which he sat, was a tiger. The king did not dare advance. Facong then pressed their heads to the ground with his hands and closed their eyes, calling the king to come forward, after which the king was able to pay his respects. The king then reported that his territory suffered greatly from tiger afflictions and begged for rescue. Facong at once entered samādhi. Shortly, seventeen large tigers arrived; he administered the Three Refuges to them and admonished them not to harm or plunder the common people. He also ordered his disciples to tie strips of old cloth around the tigers' necks, saying, 'After seven full days are completed, you must come here.' On the appointed day, the king held a vegetarian feast, and the multitude gathered. The tigers arrived as well, whereupon they were given food, the cloth strips were removed, and from then on they did no harm. On that day, Facong took the king to White Horse Spring, where a white turtle took food from Facong's hand. He said to the king, 'This is a male dragon.' He then took him to a spiritual spring with five-colored carp that also took food from his hand, saying, 'This is a female dragon.' The king and his officials marvelled at and praised these events, made grand donations, and returned. Several tens of ruthless followers attempted to plunder the donated goods by night, but tigers roared and blocked their way. They also saw an enormous man leaning against the meditation cell, with a pine tree beside him reaching only to his knees, holding a vajra pestle to guard it. Wandering about in panic all night, they did not return until midday. The king questioned their late arrival, and only then did they confess. He then presented a memorial to the throne, and an edict ordered the construction of Chanju Monastery. Facong did not go to reside there, but ordained people to manage it. While Facong lived in the meditation hall, white deer and white sparrows would constantly nest there tamely. Wherever he went, compassionate rescue came first. Once he encountered a butcher driving more than a hundred pigs. Facong proclaimed three times, 'Śūraṅgama of Liberation!' The pigs' ropes came undone, and they scattered. The butchers were furious and tried to attack him, but all were frozen motionless. They then admitted their fault and repented their transgressions, cutting off the business of slaughter. Again, at the Han River where fishermen were drawing their nets, he proclaimed as before three times, and they could not haul in the nets; only then did they convert, returning with empty nets. Furthermore, when Jingzhou suffered a drought, Changsha Monastery sent a monk to Facong to pray for rain; by the time the messenger returned, a torrential rain fell and all the reservoirs were filled. When the King of Xiangdong heard of this, he rode his chariot to the mountain gate to pay respect as a disciple. He repeatedly invited Facong to the capital, but Facong firmly declined. The king then donated his palace to build Tiangong Monastery to invite him. Facong stayed forever in the Ba Gorges, at Kongjin Mountain above Hong. The King of Xiangdong had used cypress wood for his bedchamber, and upon this it emitted light for ten days without ceasing. Beside it, the king built a stūpa, monks' quarters, and a lecture hall, and melted down his own robes and ornaments to make the dew-catching basins, establishing it as Baoguang Monastery and inviting Facong to reside there. The king composed an exposition on the meaning of Prajñā; whenever he was about to present the doctrine the next morning, the hall emitted bright light by night, illuminating several li without the need for lamps or candles. Commentators considered this brought about by the profound illumination of the great wisdom-light of Prajñā. In the fifth year of the Dading era of the Liang, in the ninth month, he passed away without illness. Sitting upright as if alive, his body was supple and the crown of his head warm. Two fingers of his hand were curled, and an extraordinary fragrance did not cease. He was ninety-two years of age.