冥報記 1.9

1.9

Shi Zhiyuan was a śramaṇa of Youzhou, disciplined, experienced, and knowledgeable. During the Daye reign era of the Sui, he resolved to make a storehouse of stone sūtras to prepare for the extinction of the Dharma. Thereupon, in the northern mountains of Youzhou, he quarried the crags to make stone chambers, polished their four walls, and inscribed sūtras upon them. He also took square blocks of stone, polished and inscribed them separately, and stored them inside the chambers. As each chamber became full, he plugged the entrance with stones and sealed it with molten iron. At that time Emperor Yang of the Sui visited Zhuo Commandery. The Vice Director of the Imperial Chancellery, Xiao Yu, was the younger brother of the empress by the same mother; by nature he deeply believed in the Buddha-Dharma, and he informed the empress of this enterprise. The empress donated a thousand bolts of silk along with other money and goods to help complete it. Xiao Yu also donated five hundred bolts of silk. When court and country heard of it, they vied with one another to make donations, so Zhiyuan was able to bring his work to fruition. Zhiyuan, observing that the hired artisans were numerous and that clergy and laity were thronging to the place, once wished to build a wooden Buddha hall as well as a dining hall and sleeping quarters in front of the cliffs; but considering that timber and roof tiles were difficult to obtain, and fearing to misappropriate and consume funds intended for the sūtras, he was not yet able to begin construction. One night a sudden storm of rain and thunder shook the mountain. When it cleared the next morning, several thousand large pine and cypress trees were seen at the foot of the mountain, washed down by the water and piled by the wayside. East of the mountains timber was scarce, and pine and cypress were particularly rare. Clergy and laity were astonished, not knowing where they had come from. Tracing their tracks, they found they had come from the Western Mountains, where collapsing cliffs had uprooted the trees and floated them here. Thereupon everyone far and near sighed in admiration, deeming it divine assistance. Zhiyuan then had the artisans select the timber they needed, and divided the rest among the local communities. The people of the communities rejoiced, and joined together to assist in building the halls; in a short time all was completed, entirely according to his wishes. The stones Zhiyuan crafted filled seven chambers. He died in the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan reign era. His disciples continued his work. (Xianli Xuanzang, Chancellor of the Palace Administration, and Cai Xuanming, Assistant in the Court of Judicial Review, both related this to me, [Tang] Lin. In the nineteenth year, when I accompanied the imperial chariot to Youzhou, I inquired of the locals, who also said the same, but because of military matters I could not [visit].)