集神州三寶感通錄 2.18

2.18

十四元魏涼州山開出像者。太武大延元年。有離石沙門劉薩訶者。備在僧傳。歷遊江表禮鄮縣塔。至金陵開育王舍利。能事將訖西行。至涼州西一百七十里。番禾郡界東北。望御谷山遙禮。人莫測其然也。訶曰。此山崖當有像出。靈相具者則世樂時平。如其有缺則世亂人苦。經八十七載。至正光元年。因大風雨雷震山巖。挺出石像高一丈八尺。形相端嚴唯無有首。登即選石命工安訖還落。魏道陵遲其言驗矣。至周元年。涼州城東七里。㵎石忽出光照燭幽顯。觀者異之。乃像首也。奉安像身宛然符合。神儀彫缺四十餘年。身首異處二百餘里。相好昔虧一時還備。時有燈光流照鍾聲飛響。皆莫委其來也。周保定元年。立為瑞像寺。建德將廢首又自落。武帝令齊王往驗。乃安首像項以兵守之。及明還落如故。遂有廢法國滅之徵。接焉備于周。釋道安碑周雖毀教不及此像。開皇通法依前置寺。大業五年煬帝西征。躬往禮覲。改為感通道場。今仍存焉。依圖擬者非一。及成長短終不得定。云云。

Fourteenth, concerning the image emerging from the cleft mountain in Liangzhou under the Northern Wei: in the first year of the Dayan reign era of Emperor Taiwu, there was the monk Liu Sahe of Lishi, whose account is fully preserved in the *Biographies of Monks*. He traveled extensively throughout the regions south of the Yangzi, worshipping the stūpa in Mao County, and arriving in Jinling to open the King Aśoka śarīra. When his deeds were nearing completion, he traveled westward, arriving one hundred and seventy li west of Liangzhou, in the northeastern border of Fanhe Commandery. Looking toward Mount Yugu, he bowed from afar; people could not fathom why. Sahe said, "From the cliff of this mountain, an image will surely emerge. If its numinous features are complete, then the world will be joyful and the times peaceful; if there are any defects, then the world will be in chaos and the people will suffer." After eighty-seven years, in the first year of the Zhengguang reign era, due to a great storm of rain and thunder shaking the mountain cliff, a stone image emerged standing eighteen feet tall, its appearance dignified and solemn, but lacking a head. They immediately selected stone and ordered craftsmen to fit one on, but it fell off again. The way of the Wei declined; his words were indeed verified! In the first year of the Northern Zhou, seven li east of the city of Liangzhou, a ravine stone suddenly emitted light illuminating both the unseen and visible realms. Onlookers thought it extraordinary; it was indeed the head of the image. When presented and placed upon the body of the image, it fit together perfectly. Its divine form had been damaged and missing for over forty years, the body and head in different places more than two hundred li apart; the marks and signs formerly deficient were restored all at once. At that time, lamp lights flowed and shone, and bell chimes resonated through the air, without anyone knowing whence they came. In the first year of the Baoding reign era of the Zhou, it was established as Ruixiang Temple. When Buddhism was about to be suppressed in the Jiande reign era, the head fell off again on its own. Emperor Wu ordered the Prince of Qi to go and verify it, whereupon he fitted the head onto the neck of the image and guarded it with soldiers, but by morning it had fallen off again as before. This was an omen of the abolition of the Dharma and the destruction of the state, which followed upon it fully in the Zhou. According to the stele by the monk Dao'an of the Zhou, although the Zhou destroyed the teaching, it did not reach this image. When the Dharma was reopened in the Kaihuang reign era, the temple was reestablished as before. In the fifth year of the Daye reign era, Emperor Yang went on a western campaign, personally going to pay homage, and changed its name to Gantong Bodhimaṇḍa. It still exists today. Those who tried to replicate it according to drawings were not few, but when completed, the dimensions could never be determined, and so forth.