法華傳記 2.30

2.30

Shi Tandi's surname was Kang, and his ancestors were people of Sogdiana (Kangju). During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han dynasty, they moved and affiliated themselves with the Central Kingdom. During the disturbances at the end of Emperor Xian's reign, they moved to reside in Wuxing. His mother, Lady Huang, was taking a midday nap and dreamed of a monk who called Lady Huang 'Mother' and entrusted to her a deer-tail chowry and two carved iron paperweights. Upon waking from sleep, she saw both objects completely present, and thereupon became pregnant and gave birth to Tandi. At the age of ten, Tandi went forth into the monastic life; his learning was not from a teacher, for his awakening arose from Heaven. Later, when lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra for Yao Chang, this poor monk served as the chief interlocutor (dujiang). Later in life, he entered Huqiu Monastery in Wu, lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra fifteen times. He passed away at the end of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, at the age of sixty-odd years. (Extracted from the Liang Gaoseng zhuan, fascicle seven.)