神僧傳 5.48

5.48

Śramaṇa Zhizao, secular surname Zhang, was a man of Qinghe. When he was twenty, both of his parents passed away. No sooner had he taken off his mourning clothes than he fell ill. Years passed, yet medicines had no effect. Thereupon, on a quiet night, leaning on a cane and dragging his sick body, he went out into the courtyard, lay down facing the moon, and with a sincere heart single-mindedly concentrated on Candraprabha Bodhisattva, [praying:] 'May your great compassion only rescue me from this lingering illness!' Focusing his thoughts in this way, a whole month passed. In the middle of the night, he suddenly saw in a dream a person of extraordinary form and color coming from the east, who said to Zhizao: 'I have now come specially to treat your illness.' He immediately put his mouth to Zhizao's body and sucked [at the ailments] in succession. It was like this for three nights. Because of this, he gradually recovered. Thereupon, he sought to renounce household life and went to Dharma Master Huiping of Anjing Monastery to become his disciple. Hearing that the Zhiyi's conduct was pre-eminent and served as a fine guide for the world, he sailed a boat down the abundant streams straight for the peaks of Mount Tiantai. Submitting his mind, he received the teaching. [Zhiyi] then sent him to practice the Lotus Repentance. At the beginning of the night on the fourteenth day, having finished the repentance, he returned to his meditation platform as if to sit peacefully, when he saw a nine-headed dragon gush forth from the earth and ascend into empty space. The next morning, when he consulted and reported to [Zhiyi], [Zhiyi] said: 'This represents that the sentient beings of the nine paths, upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra, will in future ages break through the ground of ignorance and enter the emptiness of the Dharma nature.' In the fourth year of the Sade era of the Chen dynasty, Bozhi, the Prince of Yongyang, became the governor of Xiandu. He invited Zhiyi to come to his garrison. Zhizao accompanied his master upon accepting the invitation and went together to Mount Kuaiji. When the ninety-day retreat concluded, he took leave of the prince and stayed at the Baolinshan Monastery to practice the Lotus Samādhi. On the initial night of the first day, it seemed as though someone came and rattled the door leaves. Zhizao asked: 'Who are you, coming at night to rattle the door?' A voice replied at length: 'I have only come to look at the lamp.' This happened repeatedly several times, with the questions and answers just as before. Previously in the monastery there had been a venerable elder, Chan Master Huicheng, who heard it all at night. He said to his disciples: 'Inside that hall there has always been a great evil ghost. Now hearing this sound, it must be the ghost coming to take someone.' As dawn was about to break, Master Cheng knocked on the door and called for Zhizao. Before [Zhizao] had time to answer, [Cheng] went around the hall chanting: 'How bitter! How bitter! That man is finished!' Zhizao immediately opened the door and asked what he meant. [Cheng] replied: 'Are you still here? I thought that the ghost had already killed you last night; that is why I lamented!' On the second night, the ghost entered the hall, striking the walls and beating the pillars all around, east and west. There were six lamps inside the hall; Zhizao extinguished five of them, leaving one for circumambulation. Sitting in meditation and reciting sūtras, he remained calm and without fear. Throughout the three weeks [of practice], things were constantly like this. As the practice of the ritual was about to conclude, he saw a green-robed youth praising him: 'Excellent! Excellent!' Having spoken, he disappeared. Later, because of monastery business, Zhizao set out on the road to Kuaiji, passing through Xiaoxing Village in Shan County to beg for food. The host mistakenly cooked poisonous mushrooms to offer to Zhizao. After eating, Zhizao proceeded on his way. The host later ate the leftovers, and all [who ate them] suffered vomiting and diarrhea to the brink of death. A neighbour, seeing this, took medicine and chased after Zhizao, catching up only after ten li. Seeing Zhizao walking swiftly and without harm, he was asked: 'Why are you seeking me?' [The neighbour] related the whole matter described above. [Zhizao] then smiled and answered: 'There is nothing wrong with this poor monk. You may throw away the medicine and turn back; there is no need to pursue me.' In the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, he died at the monastery, aged eighty-three.