神僧傳 6.2

6.2

Śramaṇa Fashun, surname Du, was a man of Wannian County in Yongzhou. By nature gentle and harmonious, at the age of eighteen he abandoned the worldly life and renounced household life, serving Chan Master Zhen of Yinsheng Monastery to receive and uphold the practice of meditation. Once, while proselytizing in Qingzhou, he urged the people to establish an offering assembly limited to five hundred people. When it came time for the midday meal, twice as many people arrived. The host of the offering became terrified. Shun said: 'There is nothing to fear; just distribute it all around without asking where the offerings come from.' All one thousand people were satisfied. There was a man named Zhang Hongchang of Hejiang who kept cattle and horses at home that were vicious by nature. Everyone suffered from them, and when he tried to sell them, no one would take them. Shun gave them gentle and compassionate words, and it was as if they listened and obeyed; thereafter they never butted or bit again. Once, leading a assembly to dwell quietly for the summer on Mount Li, the ground had many insects and ants, so there was no way to plant vegetables. Shun, fearing that they would be harmed, approached the ground and gestured to them, ordering the insects to relocate. Soon after, when they went to look, just within his designated boundary there were no insects at all. At that time, Shun suffered from a swelling that ulcerated and discharged pus. There were those who out of reverence licked it, and those who wiped it with silk; both immediately recovered [from their ailments]. The remaining pus emitted a fragrance whose diffused scent was beyond compare, and the wiping silk still retained the fragrance without dispersing. Tian Satuo, a commoner of Sanyuan, had been deaf from birth, and Zhang Su had also been mute from birth. Shun, hearing of them, summoned them and spoke and conversed with them, whereupon they were completely cured forever, just like ordinary people. A monk of Wugong County was bewitched by a venomous dragon; the community brought him to Shun. Shun sat facing him with hands folded upright. The dragon then possessed the sick monk and said: 'Since the Chan master has arrived, principle dictates that I cannot remain long; I have troubled you greatly.' Immediately [the monk] was relieved. Thus, whenever those near and far were afflicted by pestilential vapors or perverse afflictions, none failed to come to him. Shun did not use any other arts; he merely sat facing them, and none failed to recover. Once, traveling through the southern wilderness, he was about to cross the Huang Canal. The water had overflowed, and wading across was treacherous, as the banks were steep and slippery. Though they climbed, they fell back down. Suddenly, the water ceased flowing, and they crossed along dry land. As soon as Shun reached the bank, the water resumed flowing. His disciples, witnessing this, could not fathom how it was so. In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era, without any sickness or suffering, he gave parting instructions to his disciples, transmitting the Dharma he had practiced throughout his life for them to receive and apply. Having spoken, he entered meditative stability while sitting upright as usual, and passed away at the Yishan Monastery in the southern suburbs.