法華傳記 4.32

4.32

Śramaṇa Senghou, whose secular surname was Gong, was a native of West Liangzhou. At the age of eighteen, he began eating vegetarian food and performing repentance rites. After receiving full ordination, he traveled about converting people. In the beginning of the Xiaojian era of the Song, he came to the capital and recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakīrti, and others, regularly completing one recitation every two days, continuing thus for over sixty years. When Xiao Huikai went to Shu, he invited Hou to travel together. Later, when Huikai supported Yijia and returned to the court bearing guilt, Hou thereupon returned to the capital and built a stone chamber at Hougang to serve as a place for calm meditation. From the time he gave up worldly affection until he laid down his life, fish, meat, and pungent roots never touched his teeth. If the shadow of his foot shifted even slightly past noon, he would simply observe a fast without eating. In the first and second years of the Yongming era of the Qi, he felt slightly unwell. When noon came, he was unable to eat; he then asked for water to rinse his mouth, joined his palms, and passed away at the age of eighty-nine. (The above fourteen accounts are from the Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks, fascicle 12, and the Record of Inner Canonical Works, fascicle 10, etc.)