神僧傳 5.54

5.54

僧智聰。住揚州白馬寺專習三論。尋渡江住安樂寺。值隋國亡思歸無計。隱江荻中誦法華經。七日不飢。恒有四虎馴繞。聰曰。吾已十日不食命在呼吸間。卿可食之。虎作人語曰。造立天地無有此理。忽見一老翁腋下挾一小船。來曰。師欲渡江即上船。其四虎見而淚出。聰曰。持危拔難正在今日。即同四虎利涉南岸。船及老人忽然不見。聰領四虎止棲霞塔西。徑行禪誦誓不寢臥。安眾八十餘人。若有凶事虎來大吼。由此警覺。貞觀中年九十九。於佛生日熏爐遍禮聖像還歸靜室端坐而化。

The monk Zhicong lived at the Baima Monastery in Yangzhou, focusing exclusively on the study of the Three Treatises. Soon he crossed the Yangtze River and stayed at the Anle Monastery. When the Sui dynasty fell, he longed to return home but had no means to do so. He hid among the river reeds and recited the Lotus Sūtra. For seven days he did not starve; there were always four tigers tamely circling him. Zhicong said: 'I have not eaten for ten days and my life is within a breath; you may eat me.' The tigers spoke in human speech, saying: 'Since the creation of heaven and earth, there has never been such a principle.' Suddenly, he saw an old man holding a small boat under his arm, who came and said: 'If the master wishes to cross the river, step aboard the boat at once.' The four tigers saw this and shed tears. Zhicong said: 'To support the endangered and rescue the distressed is for this very day.' He immediately crossed safely to the south bank together with the four tigers. The boat and the old man suddenly disappeared. Zhicong led the four tigers to stay west of the Qixia Pagoda. Walking, sitting in meditation, and chanting, he vowed never to lie down to sleep. He settled a community of more than eighty people. If there was an ominous event, the tigers would come and roar loudly, thereby warning them. In the middle of the Zhenguan era, at the age of ninety-nine, on the Buddha's birthday, carrying an incense burner, he paid homage all around to the sacred images, returned to his quiet room, sat upright, and was transformed.