景德傳燈錄 2.39

2.39

Having spoken the verse, the Venerable One secretly transmitted the saṃghāṭī robe to Sthita (Baśiasita), ordering him to go to another kingdom and propagate the transformation according to capacity. Baśiasita received the instruction and went straight to Southern India. Considering that the disaster could not be avoided by improper evasion, the Venerable One remained alone in Jibin. At that time, there were two non-Buddhists in that country: one named Mamukta and the other named Tulākṣa. They studied various magical arts and wished to plot rebellion together. They stealthily assumed the guise of disciples of Śākya and slipped into the royal palace, saying, “If it fails, the blame will fall on the Buddha's disciples.” The sorcery being of their own doing, misfortune turned on their heels. When the matter failed, the king was indeed enraged and said, “I have always taken refuge in the Three Jewels; why have they plotted injury to such an extent?” He immediately ordered the destruction of monasteries and the expulsion of the Śākya assembly. He also took a sword himself and went to the Venerable One's place. He asked, “Master, have you attained the emptiness of the aggregates?” The Venerable One said, “I have already attained the emptiness of the aggregates.” The king said, “Are you free from birth and death?” The Venerable One said, “I am already free from birth and death.” The king said, “Since you are free from birth and death, you can give me your head.” The Venerable One said, “The body is not mine; why begrudge the head?” The king immediately brandished the blade and severed the Venerable One's head. White milk surged up several feet high. The king's right arm also immediately fell to the ground, and after seven days he died. The crown prince Guangshou sighed, “Why did my father bring this calamity upon himself?” At that time there was a hermit on White Elephant Mountain who deeply understood cause and effect; he broadly proclaimed the past causes for Guangshou to dissolve his net of doubts (the matter is detailed in the Shengzhou ji and Baolin zhuan). They then built a stūpa for the Venerable Siṃha's retribution body. It was the twentieth year, the yimao year, of King Qi of Wei (it should be the sixth year of the Duke of Gaoguixiang, for King Qi Fang was deposed after fifteen years on the throne. The Zhengzong ji says that the Baolin zhuan mistakenly wrote yimao; it should be the dingmao year of King Qi Fang, which would then be the eighth year). The Venerable Siṃha transmitted the mind-Dharma and the robe of faith to Baśiasita as the legitimate heir; collaterally, from Dharmadatta came four generations and twenty-two masters.