集神州三寶感通錄 1.6

1.6

初西晉會稽鄮塔者。今在越州東三百七十里鄮縣界。東去海四十里在縣東南七十里。南去吳村二十五里案前傳云。晉大康二年。有并州離石人劉薩何者。生在畋家弋獵為業。得病死。蘇見一梵僧語何曰。汝罪重。應入地獄。吾閔汝無識且放。今洛下齊城丹陽會稽。並有古塔及浮江石像。悉阿育王所造。可勤求禮懺。得免此苦。既醒之後。改革前習出家學道。更名慧達。如言南行至會稽海畔。山澤處處求覓。莫識基緒。達悲塞煩惋投告無地。忽於中夜聞土下鍾聲。即迂記其處剡木為剎。三日間忽有寶塔及舍利從地踊出。靈塔相狀青色似石而非石。高一尺四寸。方七寸。五層露盤。似西域于闐所造。面開窓子四周天鈴。中懸銅磬每有鍾聲。疑此磬也。繞塔身上並是諸佛菩薩金剛聖僧雜類等像。狀極微細。瞬目注睛乃有百千像現。面目手足咸具備焉。斯可謂神功聖迹。非人智所及也。今在大木塔內。於八王日舁巡邑里。見者莫不下拜念佛。其舍利者在木塔底。其塔左側多有古迹。塔側諸暨縣。越舊都之地。以句章對鄮剡等四縣為之。諸暨東北一百七里。大部鄉有古越城。周迴三里。地記云。越之中葉在此為都。離宮別舘遺基尚在。悉生豫章。多在門階之側。行伍相當森竦可愛。風雨晦朔猶聞鍾磬之聲。百姓至今多懷肅敬。其迹繁矣。諸暨西北百里。新義鄉有許公巖。地志云。晉時高陽許詢字玄度。與沙門支道林為友。每相從歷覽山水。至此乃栖焉。晉辟度為司徒掾。徵不就。後詣建鄴。見者傾都。劉恢為丹陽尹。有名當世。日數造之。歎曰。今見許公。使我遂為輕薄。京尹於郡立齊以處之。至于梁代此屋猶在。許掾既反。劉尹甞至其齊曰。清風朗月何甞不恒思玄度矣。句章縣西南一百三十里。明鄉有四明天台赤城瀑布等山。天下稱最。東北百四十里。有沙塘道。廣數丈入海百餘里。地記云。是秦皇追安期先生於蓬萊。至深而息。故此塘道至今宛然。鄮縣古城在句章東三百餘里。昔閩越所都。其靈塔即縣界孝義鄉也。地志云。阿育王造八萬四千塔。此其一也。宋會稽內史孟顗修理之。山有石坎。方可三尺。水味清淳冬溫夏冷。輿地志云。阿育王釋迦弟子。能役鬼神。一日夜於天下造佛骨寶塔八萬四千。皆從地出。案晉沙門竺慧遠云。東方兩塔。一在於此一在彭城。今秣陵長干。又是其一。則有三矣。今以經驗億家一塔。計此東夏理多不疑。且見揚越即有二塔。廣袤九域故有之焉。會稽記云。東晉丞相王導云。初過江時。有道人神彩不凡。言從海來相造。昔與育王共遊鄮縣下真舍利起塔鎮之。育王與諸真人捧塔飛行虛空入海。諸弟子攀引。一時俱墮化為烏石。石猶人形。其塔在鐵圍山也。太守褚府君云。海行者述。島上有聚烏石作道人形。頗有衣服。褚令鑿取將視之。石文悉如袈裟之狀。東海不遠。島上是徐偃王避地之處。宮郭古基宛然。昔周穆西巡。登崑崙山。偃王乃有統焉。穆王聞之馳還。日行萬里。偃王避之於此。晉孫恩作逆。寄仙妖以惑眾。築城自衛。其處猶存。梁祖普通三年。重其古迹建木浮圖。堂殿房廊周環備滿。號阿育王寺。四面山繞林竹葱翠。花卉間發走飛相娛。實閑放者之佳地也。有碑頌之。著作郎顧胤祖文。寺東南三十五里。山上有佛右足跡。寺東北二里。山頭有佛左足跡。二所現于石上莫測其先。寺北二里有聖井。其實深池鰻魚。俗號為魚菩薩也。人至井所禮拜。魚隨聲出來。賊過偽禮。魚出。賊便以刀斫之。因斷魚尾。自爾潛隱魚不時出。有至心邀請禮拜者。但濆水而已。初有一僧聞塔來禮。處所荒涼恃食為難。有一老姥患脚。來為造食便去如是怪之。去後私尋乃入池內據量。即魚所化也。其塔靈異往往不一。大略為瑞多現。聖僧遶塔行道每夕然燈。於光影中現形在壁旋轉而行。且列數條多則詞費。

First: The Mao stūpa in Kuaiji under the Western Jin. It is presently within the boundaries of Mao County, three hundred and seventy li east of Yue Prefecture; forty li east to the sea; seventy li southeast of the county [seat]; and twenty-five li south to Wu Village. According to earlier biographies, in the second year of the Taikang reign era of the Jin, there was a man named Liu Sahe from Lishi in Bing Prefecture. Born into a family of hunters, he made hunting his occupation. Falling ill, he died. Upon reviving, he saw an Indian monk who said to Sahe: "Your sins are heavy; you should enter hell. Pitying your ignorance, I release you for now. Presently, in Luoxia, the city of Qi, Danyang, and Kuaiji, there are ancient stūpas and stone images that floated down the river, all made by King Aśoka. You must diligently seek them out, pay homage, and repent, to be spared this suffering." After awakening, he reformed his former habits, went forth from household life to study the Path, and changed his name to Huida. As told, he traveled south to the seashore of Kuaiji. He sought everywhere among the mountains and marshes, but could discern no foundations or traces. Filled with grief and sorrow, Huida had nowhere to turn for help. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, he heard the sound of a bell beneath the earth. He immediately marked the place by carving wood to make a spire. Within three days, a precious stūpa and relics suddenly welled forth from the earth. The numinous stūpa's appearance was blue-green, resembling stone yet not stone, one foot and four inches high and seven inches square, with a five-tiered dew basin. It seemed to have been made in Khotan of the Western Regions. Its sides opened into windows, with heavenly bells all around. Inside was suspended a bronze chiming stone; whenever there was the sound of a bell, one suspected it came from this chiming stone. Encircling the stūpa's body were various images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, vajra-holders, holy monks, and diverse beings, their forms extremely minute. When one gazed intently without blinking, hundreds of thousands of images appeared, their faces, eyes, hands, and feet all complete. This can truly be called a divine work and sacred trace, beyond the reach of human wisdom. Now it is kept inside a large wooden stūpa. On the eight royal days, it is carried in procession through the cities and villages, and none who see it fail to bow down and recite the Buddha's name. The relics are at the base of the wooden stūpa. To the left side of the stūpa there are many ancient traces. Beside the stūpa is Zhuji County, the site of the old capital of Yue, which was composed of the four counties of Gouzhang, Mao, Shan, and so forth. One hundred and seven li northeast of Zhuji, in Dabu Township, is the ancient city of Yue, three li in circumference. The geographical gazetteers say that during the mid-period of Yue, its capital was located here. The remaining foundations of its detached palaces and separate lodges still exist, all overgrown with camphor trees, mostly beside the gates and stairs, standing in ranks in dense and charming array. During wind, rain, and the dark of the moon, the sounds of bells and chimes can still be heard. To this day, the common people mostly regard it with awe and reverence. Its traces are manifold. One hundred li northwest of Zhuji, in Xinyi Township, is Master Xu's Cliff. The regional gazetteers say that in the Jin period, Xu Xun of Gaoyang, whose courtesy name was Xuandu, was a friend of the śramaṇa Zhi Daolin. They often accompanied each other in touring mountains and waters, and upon arriving here, he settled down. The Jin summoned [Xu] Xun to be an aide to the Minister of Education, but he declined the summons. Later he went to Jianye, and all the city flocked to see him. Liu Hui, who served as Governor of Danyang and was famous in his time, visited him several times a day, sighing: "Seeing Master Xu now makes me feel frivolous." The metropolitan governor established a retreat within the commandery for him to reside in, and by the Liang dynasty, this building was still standing. After Assistant Xu returned, Governor Liu once visited his retreat and said: "Under the clear wind and bright moon, when do I not constantly think of Xuandu?" One hundred and thirty li southwest of Gouzhang County, in Ming Township, are mountains such as Siming, Tiantai, Chicheng, and Baobu, praised as the finest under heaven. One hundred and forty li northeast, there is the Shatang Road, several zhang wide, entering the sea for over a hundred li. The geographical gazetteers say this was where the First Emperor of Qin pursued Master Anqi to Penglai, stopping when the waters grew deep. Thus this causeway remains clearly intact to this day. The ancient city of Mao County is more than three hundred li east of Gouzhang, former capital of Minyue. The numinous stūpa is located in Xiaoyi Township within the county boundaries. The regional gazetteers state that King Aśoka built eighty-four thousand stūpas, and this is one of them. Under the Song, Meng Yi, Internal Historian of Kuaiji, repaired it. On the mountain is a stone hollow, approximately three feet square, whose water is pure and mellow, warm in winter and cold in summer. The gazetteer Yudi zhi states: "King Aśoka, a disciple of Śākya, was able to employ ghosts and spirits. In a single day and night, he built eighty-four thousand precious stūpas for the Buddha's bones throughout the world, all welling forth from the earth." According to the Jin śramaṇa Zhu Huiyuan, there are two stūpas in the east: one is here and one is in Pengcheng. Now, Changgan in Moling is another one, so there are three. Calculating at one stūpa per hundred million households according to experience, there is little reason to doubt that there are many in this eastern land. Moreover, seeing that there are two stūpas in Yangyue alone, they surely exist across the vast expanse of the nine regions. The Kuaiji ji states: "Wang Dao, Chancellor of the Eastern Jin, said: 'When I first crossed the Yangzi River, there was a man of the Path with an extraordinary bearing who said he had come from the sea to visit. Formerly, he had traveled with King Aśoka to Mao County, deposited genuine relics, and erected a stūpa to anchor the place. King Aśoka and various realized beings held up the stūpa, flew through the air, and entered the sea. The disciples pulled and clung to it, and all fell at once, transforming into black stones. The stones still have human forms. That stūpa is on Mount Cakravāḍa.'" Prefect Lord Chu said: "A sea voyager reported that on an island there are gathered black stones shaped like men of the Path, with some clothing. Chu ordered them to be chiseled and brought for inspection; the patterns of the stone all resembled monastic robes." Not far in the Eastern Sea, an island is the place where King Yan of Xu took refuge; the ancient foundations of his palace and city walls remain clearly intact. In the past, when King Mu of Zhou journeyed west and ascended the Kunlun Mountains, King Yan came to rule [over those domains]. Hearing of this, King Mu raced back, covering ten thousand li in a single day, and King Yan took refuge from him here. When Sun En revolted under the Jin, he relied on demonic arts to bewitch the masses and built a walled stronghold for self-defense, which still remains there. In the third year of the Putong reign era of the founding emperor of the Liang, revering its ancient traces, he built a wooden stūpa, fully surrounding it with halls, shrines, rooms, and corridors, and named it King Aśoka Temple. It is surrounded on all four sides by mountains, with bamboo groves verdant and lush, flowers blossoming in between, and birds and beasts delighting one another. It is truly a delightful place for those who seek seclusion and freedom. There is a stele commemorating it, composed by Gu Yinzu, Gentleman of the Editorial Service. Thirty-five li southeast of the temple, on a mountain, there is the Buddha's right footprint. Two li northeast of the temple, on a mountain peak, there is the Buddha's left footprint. Both appear on stone, and their origins cannot be fathomed. Two li north of the temple, there is a sacred well, which is actually a deep pond with an eel, popularly called the Fish Bodhisattva. When people come to the well to pay homage, the fish comes out following the sound. A bandit came and feigned paying homage; when the fish came out, the bandit struck it with a sword, severing its tail. Since then it has concealed itself, not coming out regularly. When those of utmost sincerity invite and pay homage to it, it merely spouts water. Initially, a monk heard of the stūpa and came to pay homage. The place was desolate, and relying on it for food was difficult. An old woman with an ailment in her legs came to prepare food for him and then left. Wondering at this, he quietly followed her after she left, and saw that she entered into the pond; judging by this, it was a transformation of the fish. The numinous wonders of this stūpa were varied and frequent. In general, they mostly manifested as auspicious signs: holy monks circumambulating the stūpa and practicing the Path, lighting lamps every evening, and appearing as figures circling and walking on the walls within the radiant shadows. I will set down just a few items, as too many would be a waste of words.