三寶感應要略錄 1.41

1.41

The śramaṇa Shi Senggao of Changsha Temple in Jiangling of the Song dynasty was unyielding in his determination and aimed for the Western realm. He vowed to make a sixteen-foot image of Amitāyus. The work and expense being immense, it was not accomplished for years. Hearing that the shrine at Mount Tongxi in Xiangzhou had an abundance of copper vessels, he wished to convert and guide the ghosts and spirits, and take them to complete the task. He therefore went to the provincial administrative assistant Zhang Shao, reported the origin of the matter, and requested several boats and a hundred stalwart men. Zhang said: 'This shrine has spiritual power; those who offend it die at once. Moreover, the southern barbarians guard it, so I fear this will be difficult to achieve.' Gao said: 'If you and I are to die together, then our bodies may remain.' Zhang then provided the men and boats. A night before they arrived, the spirit already had foreknowledge; the wind thundered, the clouds darkened, and birds and beasts shrieked. Soon after, Gao arrived; the fog subsided and the sun became bright. More than twenty paces before reaching the shrine hall, there were two bronze cauldrons, each holding several hundred hu. A large serpent was seen, more than ten zhang in length, leaping out of a cauldron and stretching its body across the path, blocking the way. The hundred followers all retreated and scattered. Gao adjusted his robes, stepped forward and shook his monk's staff, saying to the snake: 'Due to sinful karma from previous lives you have received the body of a serpent; if you do not hear the Three Jewels, by what means will you extricate yourself? I am making a sixteen-foot image of Amitāyus. Hearing that this place is rich in copper, I have come from afar to visit. I hope you might clear the path so that I can proceed.' The serpent then raised its crooked head, looked at Gao, stretched its body, and departed. Gao personally led his followers to quickly take the copper vessels. Only a spittoon at the head of the bed, which could hold about four sheng, had a gecko over a foot long leaping in and out of it, so they left it and did not take it. Of the shrine's vessels, few of the heavy and large ones were left behind, and they took all the small ones, returning with full boats. The keepers of the shrine, who were southern barbarians, dared not resist. Gao returned to the capital and cast the image, completing the work in the ninth year of Yuanshou. Its divine expression was upright and dignified, its awe-inspiring light magnificently brilliant. The reputation of the wondrous marvels of this image-making spread far and wide.