神僧傳 5.36

5.36

Shi Minggong resided at Huishan Temple in Zhengzhou. His strength was like that of a spirit. Once, while walking in the mountains, he saw a tiger and a pig fighting; the pig was gradually succumbing. Gong said to the tiger, "You may release it and let it go." The tiger refused. Gong seized its head with one hand, grabbed its tail with the other, and hurled it down the mountain. Furthermore, he placed a monastic robe under a pillar base-stone. The monks wondered at this; Gong laughed, lifted the pillar for them, and retrieved the robe. Toward the end of the Daye era, bandits arose and engaged in plunder. They ordered the temple to prepare utensils and several tens of large pigs for food. Gong invited the bandits to eat, but the bandits deferred to Gong to eat first. Gong then spread out several tens of flatbreads, placed the pigs inside, and ate them; in an instant, he had consumed them all. The bandit crowd was astonished and awed. Gong summoned them to become dānapatis protecting the temple, and the bandits agreed. Therefore, when the Sui and Tang armies clashed, bandits completely ceased traveling through that area, which was due to Gong's power.