三寶感應要略錄 2.104

2.104

釋靈運。天竺名般若提波。本襄陽人也。追尋聖跡。越南濱達西國。於那蘭陀寺。畫彌勒真容菩提樹像。至伊爛拏鉢代多國有孤山。既為勝地。靈廟寔繁感應多種。最中有精舍。以刻檀觀自在像為尊。若有人七日二七日。祈諸願望者。從像中出妙身。慰喻其心。滿其心願。傍有鐵塔。收大般若二十萬偈。五天競興。供養像及經。靈運一七日絕食。請祈所願有三。一令身必離惡趣。二必歸本國廣興佛事。三修佛法速得佛果。即從檀像中。出具相莊嚴光明照耀妙身。慰喻運曰。汝三願皆成就。汝當入鐵塔將讀大般若經。踏經所在地。必免三惡趣。若人發心。將赴此地。步步滅罪。增進佛道。我昔行般若。得不退地。若持此經。書寫經卷者。必令滿足其人所求。說此語已。化身不現。即三七日。籠居鐵塔。禮拜經夾。方讀其文。經歷半年。以歸唐國。廣興佛事。翻譯聖教。實有堪能。是觀音加力。大般若威德也矣。

The monk Lingyun, named Prajñādeva in India, was originally a man from Xiangyang. Pursuing the sacred traces, he crossed the southern shores and reached the Western Lands. At Nālandā Monastery, he painted an authentic likeness of Maitreya and an image of the Bodhi tree. Arriving at the kingdom of Īrāṇaparvata, there was an isolated mountain. As it was an extraordinary place, its spiritual shrines were truly numerous, and its sympathetic responses of many kinds. In the center was a vihāra enshrining a carved sandalwood image of Avalokiteśvara as the venerable deity. If someone prayed for their various wishes for seven days or fourteen days, a wondrous body would emerge from the image, comforting their mind and fulfilling their wishes. Nearby was an iron stupa housing twenty thousand verses of the Mahāprajñā[pāramitā]. The Five Indias vied in making offerings to the image and the scripture. Lingyun fasted for seven days and made three requests in his prayer: first, that his body surely be free from the wretched realms; second, that he surely return to his home country to broadly promote Buddhist affairs; and third, that by cultivating the Buddha's Dharma he quickly attain the fruit of buddhahood. Thereupon, from the sandalwood image emerged a wondrous body, fully adorned with marks and radiant with light, comforting Yun and saying: "Your three wishes are all fulfilled. You should enter the iron stupa and read the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra. Treading on the place where the scripture is located, you will surely escape the three wretched realms. If a person generates the aspiration and approaches this place, with every step their sins will be eliminated, and they will advance on the Buddha Path. Formerly, I practiced Prajñā and attained the stage of non-retrogression. If one upholds this scripture and copies its scrolls, I will surely cause that person's requests to be fulfilled." Having spoken these words, the transformed body vanished. For twenty-one days, he stayed secluded within the iron stupa, revering the scripture cases, and only then read its text. After half a year had passed, he returned to the Tang realm, broadly promoting Buddhist affairs and translating the sacred teachings, possessing true capability. This was the assisting power of Avalokiteśvara and the majestic virtue of the Mahāprajñā[pāramitā]!