三寶感應要略錄 1.93

1.93

沙門安世高者。安息國王太子也。至孝遊化。往預章至官亭湖廟入。神告世高曰。吾昔在外國。出家作道人。好行布施。不持戒。今日在此。為宮亭湖神。周圓千里。並吾所統。百姓貢獻珍玩無數。是我先身。損己之報答。能持戒福應生天。以毀戒故墮此神中。師卿是吾同學。今得相見。悲欣可言。壽盡旦夕。而醜形長大。不欲於此捨命穢污潮水。當度山西空澤之中此身滅。恐墮地獄。吾有絹一千匹。在石函中。并諸雜物。可為我立塔。營建三寶。使我過世得生善處。深以相詫。世高聞此。涕泣流連。便語神云。何不見形面共言對。神云。毀戒之罪。形甚醜陋。見必驚怖。世高曰。但暫見吾身不懼也。神從床後出頭。乃是大蟒蛇。至世高膝邊。淚如雨下。不知其尾長短所在。俄而入於床後。世高於是收取絹物。悉內船中。辭別而退。宗侶一時颺航進。路神復出蛇身。登山頂遙登去。眾人取手。然後起乃滅。倏忽之間。便達預章。即於彼境。以起蕭寺。神即移度山西遇命頭尾相去四十餘里。今尋陽郡蛇村是。世高還郡。以廟中餘物。於瓦官寺。起塔二重。世高後夢。神來云。蒙師作福。已脫蟒身矣。

The śramaṇa An Shigao was the crown prince of the King of Parthia. With supreme filial piety, he traveled to convert others. He went to Yuzhang and entered the shrine at Lake Gongting. The deity said to Shigao: "Formerly, in a foreign land, I left the household to become a practitioner of the Way; I loved practicing generosity, but did not maintain the precepts. Today I am here as the deity of Lake Gongting, governing a circumference of a thousand li. The precious curiosities offered by the common people are countless; this is the recompense for diminishing myself in my past life. Had I been able to maintain the precepts, my merit would have caused me to be born in heaven; because I broke the precepts, I fell into this deity's status. Master, you were my fellow student; meeting each other today, what grief and joy can express! My lifespan will end morning or evening, yet my ugly form is huge and long; I do not wish to cast off my life here and pollute the tidal waters. I should cross to the empty marsh west of the mountain, and when this body perishes, I fear falling into hell. I have a thousand bolts of silk in a stone casket, along with various goods; please erect a stupa for me and establish the Three Jewels, so that after passing away I may be born in a good realm. I deeply entrust this to you." Hearing this, Shigao wept profusely, and said to the deity: "Why not reveal your form and face so we may converse directly?" The deity said: "Due to the sin of breaking the precepts, my form is extremely ugly; seeing it, you will surely be terrified." Shigao said: "Just reveal it for a moment; my body will not be afraid." The deity poked its head out from behind the couch—it was indeed a great python! It reached beside Shigao's knees, its tears falling like rain; neither the length of its tail nor where it lay could be known. Shortly thereafter it withdrew behind the couch. Thereupon Shigao took the silk and goods, put them all into his boat, took his leave, and withdrew. The fellow companions immediately raised sail and set out. The deity again revealed its serpent body, climbed to the mountain summit, and watched them depart from afar. The crowd waved their hands, and only after did it rise and vanish. In an instant, they arrived at Yuzhang, and there in that region erected a Buddhist temple. The deity then moved west of the mountain where its life came to an end; its head and tail were more than forty li apart. Today's Snake Village in Xunyang Commandery is the place. Shigao returned to the commandery, and using the remaining goods from the shrine, built a two-story stupa at Waguan Monastery. Later, Shigao dreamed that the deity came and said: "Relying on the master's creation of merit, I have already cast off the python body."