南嶽總勝集 3.8

3.8

唐則天朝。徐敬業楊州相亂。則天命討之軍敗而遁。敬業素養一人。貌類於已而寵遇。及敬業敗。擒得所養者斬其元以為敬業。而敬業實隱大孤山。與同伴數十人結庵耕鑿。不通人事。乃削髮為僧。其侶亦多削髮。天寶初。有老僧法名住括。年九十餘。與弟子至南嶽衡嶽寺。訪諸僧而居之月餘。忽請集僧徒。懺悔殺人罪咎。僧徒異之。老僧曰。汝頗聞有徐敬業乎。則吾身也。吾兵敗入於大孤山精懃修道。今將命終。故來此寺。令世人知吾已證第四果矣。因自言死期。果如期而卒。遂葬於衡山。

During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang, Xu Jingye raised a rebellion in Yangzhou. Wu Zetian ordered an army to suppress him, and he was defeated and fled. Jingye had previously raised a man whose appearance resembled his own and treated him with favor. When Jingye was defeated, the man he had kept was captured and beheaded, his head taken to be Jingye's. In reality, Jingye hid on Mount Dagu, building a hermitage to farm and dig wells with several dozen companions, cutting off all human affairs; he then shaved his head to become a monk, and many of his companions shaved their heads as well. In the beginning of the Tianbao era, an old monk named Zhukuo, over ninety years of age, went with his disciples to Hengyue Monastery on Nanyue. He visited the monks and lived there for over a month. Suddenly he requested the assembly of monks to gather so he could repent of his sins of killing. The assembly of monks found it strange. The old monk said, “Have you ever heard of Xu Jingye? That is indeed myself. After my army was defeated, I entered Mount Dagu to cultivate the Dao with diligence. Now that my life is about to end, I have come to this monastery to let the world know that I have already realized the fourth fruit.” He then foretold the date of his death, and indeed passed away as scheduled. He was then buried on Mount Heng.