神僧傳 7.21

7.21

釋跋日羅菩提。華言金剛智。南印度摩賴耶國人也。生數歲日誦萬言。目覽心傳終身不忘。年十六開悟佛理。乃削染出家。從師歷遊諸國。至開元中達于廣府。後隨駕洛陽。其年自正月不雨迨于五月。嶽瀆靈祠禱之無應。乃詔智結壇祈請。於是用不空鉤依菩薩法。在所住處起壇。深四肘。躬繪七俱胝菩薩像。立期以開光明日定隨雨焉　帝使一行禪師謹密候之。至第七日炎氣爞爞（徒冬切）天無浮翳。午後方開眉眼即時西北風生。飛瓦拔樹崩雲泄雨。遠近驚駭。而結壇之地。穿穴其屋洪注道場。質明京師一庶皆云。智獲一龍穿屋飛去。求觀其處日千萬人。初帝之第二十五公主甚鍾其愛。久疾不救移臥於咸宜外館。閉目不語已經旬朔。有勅令智授之戒法。此乃料其必終故有是命。智詣彼擇取宮中七歲二女子。以緋繒纏其面目臥於地。使牛仙童寫勅一紙焚於他所。智以密語呪之。二女冥然誦得不遺一字。智入三摩地。以不思議力令二女持勅詣琰摩王。食頃間王令公主亡保母劉氏護送公主魂。隨二女至。於是公主起坐開目言語如常。帝聞之不俟仗衛馳騎往于外館。公主奏曰。冥數難移。今王遣回略覲聖顏而已。可半日間然後長逝。自爾帝方加歸仰焉。武貴妃寵異六宮荐施寶玩。智勸貴妃急造金剛壽命菩薩。又勸河東郡王於毘盧遮那塔中繪像。謂門人曰。此二人者壽命非久矣。經數月皆如其言。至二十年壬申八月既望。於洛陽廣福寺命門人曰。白月圓時吾當去矣。遂禮毘盧遮那佛旋繞七匝。退歸本院焚香發願。頂戴梵夾并新譯教法。付囑訖寂然而化。

The monk Vajrabodhi, translated into Chinese as Jin'gangzhi, was a native of the Malaya kingdom in South India. When only several years old, he could recite ten thousand words a day; what his eyes glanced upon, his mind retained, never forgetting it for the rest of his life. At sixteen, he awakened to the Buddhist principles, whereupon he shaved his head, dyed his robes, and renounced household life. Following his master, he traveled through various countries, arriving in Guangzhou during the Kaiyuan era. Later, he accompanied the imperial retinue to Luoyang. In that year, there was no rain from the first month until the fifth month. Prayers at sacred peaks, rivers, and spirit shrines went without response. An imperial edict was therefore issued ordering Jin'gangzhi to construct a maṇḍala altar and pray. Thereupon, relying on the Amoghapāśa Bodhisattva rite, he raised an altar at his dwelling four cubits deep. With his own hands, he painted an image of the Seven-Koṭi Bodhisattva, fixing a date and declaring that on the day of the eye-opening [consecration], rain would certainly fall. The Emperor sent Chan Master Yixing to observe closely and discreetly. When the seventh day arrived, the sweltering heat was blazing, and the sky was free of floating clouds. In the afternoon, just as [Jin'gangzhi] painted open the eyebrows and eyes, a northwest wind suddenly arose. Tiles flew and trees were uprooted; clouds burst open and poured down rain. Those far and near were astonished and terrified. At the site where the altar had been built, a hole was pierced through the roof, and [rain] flooded into the bodhimaṇḍa. At daybreak, all the common folk of the capital said, 'Jin'gangzhi caught a dragon, which breached the roof and flew away.' Tens of thousands of people came daily wishing to see the place. Earlier, the Emperor’s twenty-fifth princess was deeply beloved by him. Having been ill for a long time without cure, she was moved to lie in the outer lodge of Xianyi. With eyes closed and unable to speak, a month had already passed. An edict was issued ordering Jin'gangzhi to confer the precepts upon her; this order was given only because they anticipated her death. Jin'gangzhi went there, selected two seven-year-old girls from the palace, wrapped their faces and eyes with crimson silk, and had them lie on the ground. He had Niu Xiantong write a copy of the edict on a slip of paper and burn it elsewhere. Jin'gangzhi recited esoteric mantras over them, and the two girls in their trance could recite it without missing a single word. Jin'gangzhi entered samādhi, and by his inconceivable power caused the two girls to carry the edict to King Yama. Within the space of a meal, the King ordered the princess's deceased wet-nurse, Lady Liu, to escort the princess's soul back, following the two girls. Thereupon, the princess sat up, opened her eyes, and spoke as usual. When the Emperor heard of it, without waiting for his imperial guard, he galloped on horseback to the outer lodge. The princess reported to him: 'The decrees of the underworld cannot be altered. The King has only sent me back to briefly behold Your Majesty's face. After about half a day, I will depart forever.' From then on, the Emperor's devotion deepened even further. Consort Wu, who enjoyed extraordinary favor among the six imperial palaces, repeatedly offered precious curios. Jin'gangzhi urged the Consort to quickly make an image of the Bodhisattva Vajrāyus. He also urged the Prince of Hedong Commandery to paint an image inside the Vairocana Stūpa, saying to his disciples: 'The lifespans of these two will not last long.' After several months, it was entirely as he said. In the eighth month, just after the full moon, of the twentieth year, the renzhen year [732 CE], at Guangfu Monastery in Luoyang, he said to his disciples: 'When the bright moon is full, I shall depart.' He then bowed to Vairocana Buddha and circumambulated him seven times. Returning to his own quarters, he burned incense, made vows, placed the Sanskrit manuscripts together with the newly translated teachings atop his head, and entrusted them. Once this was completed, he peacefully passed away.