廣弘明集 11.32

11.32

案周書異記云。周昭王即位二十四年甲寅歲四月八日。江河泉池忽然泛漲。井水皆溢出。宮殿人舍山川大地。咸悉震動。其夜五色光氣入貫太微。遍於西方盡作青紅色。周昭王問太史蘇由。是何祥也。由對曰。有大聖人。生於西方。故現此瑞。昭王曰。於天下何如。由曰。即時無他。一千年外聲教被及此土。昭王即遣鐫石記之。埋在南郊天祠前。當此之時。佛初生王宮也。穆王即位三十二年。見西方數有光氣。先聞蘇由所記。知西方有聖人處世。穆王不達其理。恐非周道所宜。即與相國呂侯。西入會諸侯於塗山。以禳光變。當此之時。佛久已處世。至穆王五十二年壬申歲二月十五日平旦。暴風忽起。發損人舍。傷折樹木。山川大地。皆悉震動。午後天陰雲黑。西方有白虹十二道。南北通過連夜不滅。穆王問太史扈多曰。是何徵也。對曰。西方有大聖人滅度。衰相現耳。穆王大悅曰。朕常懼於彼。今已滅度朕何憂也。當此之時。佛入涅槃。

According to the Account of Anomalies from the Book of Zhou: On the eighth day of the fourth month in the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao of Zhou's accession, the jiayin year, the rivers, springs, and pools suddenly flooded, and well waters all overflowed. Palaces, dwellings, mountains, rivers, and the great earth all shook. That night, an atmosphere of five-colored light pierced through into the Taiwei enclosure, and all across the western region became completely bluish-red. King Zhao of Zhou asked the Grand Astrologer Su You, 'What omen is this?' You replied, 'A great sage has been born in the western regions; therefore this auspicious sign has appeared.' King Zhao said, 'How will it affect All Under Heaven?' You said, 'At present there is no effect. Beyond a thousand years, the sound of his teaching will reach this land.' King Zhao thereupon sent men to engrave a stone to record it, burying it in front of the celestial shrine in the southern suburbs. At this time, the Buddha was first born in the royal palace. In the thirty-second year of King Mu's accession, he repeatedly saw an atmosphere of light in the west. Having previously heard of Su You's record, he knew that a sage was abiding in the world in the west. King Mu did not comprehend its principle, and fearing it was unsuited to the way of Zhou, he thereupon went west with State Chancellor Marquis Lü to assemble the feudal lords at Mount Tu in order to ward off the anomalous light. At this time, the Buddha had already long been abiding in the world. When it reached the fifty-second year of King Mu, the renshen year, at dawn on the fifteenth day of the second month, a violent wind suddenly arose, tearing off and damaging houses, and snapping and breaking trees. The mountains, rivers, and the great earth all shook. After noon, the sky grew overcast and clouds turned black; in the west were twelve streaks of white rainbow running through from south to north, persisting through the night without extinguishing. King Mu asked the Grand Astrologer Hu Duo, 'What sign is this?' He replied, 'A great sage in the west has entered extinction; signs of decline are merely appearing.' King Mu was greatly pleased and said, 'We have always feared him; now that he has already entered extinction, what sorrow have We?' At this time, the Buddha entered nirvāṇa.