神僧傳 3.30

3.30

Shi Atu's native place, surname, and given name are not known. Before the Erzhu clan was destroyed, he was already roaming through various commanderies and towns in Jinyang. He did not live in monastery quarters, but moved among the common people. His enigmatic words were invariably verified by events. Whenever he walked in the markets and streets, crowds surrounded him. He would then shout loudly, pointing to his chest, and say: 'I pity you commoners who know nothing, not knowing Master Atu of Bing Prefecture!' People thus gave him this name. After Emperor Shenwu of Qi moved the capital to Ye, since Jinyang was a strategic place of soldiers and horses and the foundation of his royal enterprise, he often garrisoned Bing Prefecture, occasionally coming to Ye. Whenever there were major affairs of state and military that had not yet emerged from the inner tents, Master Atu would disclose them beforehand among the crowds. In his later years, he was seized and kept within the city, with people dispatched to guard his dwelling, not allowing him to leave casually; if he escaped, the blame would fall upon the gate guards. On that very day, at each of the three gates of the city of Bing Prefecture, there was a Master Atu bursting forth; those who tried to block and seize him could not restrain him. Not long after, someone arrived from the northern prefectures saying: 'On the eighth day of the fourth month, Master Atu gave up his life in the market of Yanmen Commandery. Great families outside the outer city sent him off with incense and flowers and buried him outside the city.' The people of Bing Prefecture laughed at these words, thinking them strange, and said to him: 'On the eighth day of the fourth month, Master Atu crossed the Fen Bridge and went east, with a shoe on one foot and the other foot bare, though we do not know which lane or alley he entered. Everyone saw him. How can you say he died in Yanmen?' This person went back to the northern prefectures and reported this to his hometown; the crowd opened the tomb together to look, and saw only a single shoe. Later, [Atu] returned to Bing Prefecture. Because he would not comply with restrictions and his reckless talk never ceased, Emperor Shenwu of Qi feared he would agitate the common people, and so executed him on charges of sorcery and delusions. As a śramaṇa has no hair, they used a rope to hook his head. On the day he underwent the punishment, the people of the entire prefecture went to the market to watch; Master Atu was smiling and spoke no further words. Six or seven days after the execution, someone came from the tribes of Hexi, saying: 'On the road I met Master Atu, his appearance just as before; only he was carrying a rope basket containing Master Atu's head. When spoken to, he did not reply, but hurried away to the west.'