神僧傳 1.13

1.13

Zhu Shixing was a native of Yingchuan. He renounced household life at an early age and devoted himself exclusively to the scriptural texts. Once, when lecturing on the *Daoxing jing*, he perceived that the meaning of the text was obscure and hidden, so he vowed to seek the large version far away. He went west to Khotan, where he obtained the authentic Sanskrit text. As he was about to return to Luoyang, the monastic assembly of that country addressed their king, saying: "The Han śramaṇa wishes to use a brāhmaṇa book to confuse and disrupt the true canon. If you do not prohibit it, we fear it will blind and deafen the land of Han." The king thereupon would not permit him to carry the scripture away. Shixing harbored deep grief, and so requested that the scripture be burned as proof. The king granted it. Thereupon, firewood was piled before the hall to burn it. Facing the fire, he vowed, saying: "If the Great Dharma should spread in the land of Han, the scripture will not burn. If there is no protection, it is my fate!" Having spoken, he cast the scripture into the fire. The fire was immediately extinguished, not harming a single character. The great assembly was awestruck and submitted, all praising his spiritual resonance. Thus he was able to have it conveyed to China. Later, Shixing died in Khotan at the age of eighty. When the firewood for the cremation was consumed and the fire extinguished, his corpse was still whole. The assembly was all astonished and marvelous, and made an incantation, saying: "If you have truly attained the Way, according to the Dharma it should disintegrate." At the sound of the words, it shattered and dispersed. Thereupon they gathered the bones and erected a stupa.