神僧傳 8.42

8.42

長安興善寺素和尚。院庭有青桐四株。皆素之手植。唐元和中卿相多遊此院。桐至夏有汗污人衣。如輠（音畫）脂不可浣。昭國鄭相甞與丞郎數人避暑。惡其汗污。謂素曰。弟子為和尚伐此樹。各植一松也。及暮素戲祝樹曰。我種汝二十餘年。汝以汗為人所惡。來歲若復有汗。我必薪之。自是無汗矣。素公不出院。轉法華經三萬七千部。夜常有狢子聽經。齋時有烏鵲就掌取食。長慶初有僧玄幽。題此院詩云。三萬蓮經三十春。半生不蹋院門塵。當時以為佳句也。

Upādhyāya Su of Xingshan Monastery in Chang'an had four firmiana trees planted in his courtyard with his own hands. During the Yuanhe reign of the Tang, high ministers often visited this courtyard. When summer came, the firmiana trees secreted a fluid that stained people's clothes, sticking like axle grease that could not be washed out. Minister Zheng of Zhaoguo was once escaping the summer heat with several vice-ministers and directors; disliking the staining fluid, he said to Su: "This disciple will cut down these trees for the upādhyāya, and plant a pine in place of each." When evening came, Su jokingly addressed the trees: "I have planted you for more than twenty years; because of your sap, people dislike you. If you secrete sap again next year, I will certainly turn you into firewood." From then on, there was no more sap. Master Su never left his courtyard; he recited the *Lotus Sūtra* thirty-seven thousand times. At night, raccoon dogs regularly came to listen to the sūtra; at mealtime, crows and magpies came to his palm to take food. Early in the Changqing reign, a monk named Xuanyou inscribed a poem on this courtyard: / "Thirty thousand recitations of the *Lotus Sūtra* across thirty springs; / For half a lifetime not treading the dust outside the courtyard gate." / At the time, this was considered a fine couplet.