集神州三寶感通錄 1.29

1.29

Fourteenth: The Jinyuan stūpa in Yizhou is more than one hundred li southwest of the prefecture; today it is called Dengzhong Temple. Originally named Dashi (Great Stone), the general circumstances of its foundation were also the same as the previous one. When examining various ancient stūpas, their appearances are not identical; is this not because the spirits and deities in charge of those places had their own preferences? According to records, the three stūpas of Shu share the same stone, whereas the rest have no fixed standard. As for the Luoxian stūpa one hundred li north of Yizhou, it is located in Baoxing Temple outside the northern suburbs of the county seat. Originally named Dashi, the appearance of its foundation is the same as the previous one. At the beginning of the Sui, there was an Indian monk named Dharmakṣa who came from afar to the Eastern Xia to pay homage to the Aśoka stūpas. Having heard of the three stūpas of Shu, he also went to venerate them. When he arrived at the stūpa site of Dashi Temple in Luo County, after finishing his veneration, he wished to go to Chengdu and lodged at Liangnü Station. Just before dawn, he heard sounds of movement all around him. Kṣa said, "Who is there, frightening and disturbing me without cause?" A voice answered in midair, "There are twelve spirit kings who have come from your native country, offering protection wherever you go. Tomorrow you will see the Chengdu stūpa; today we wish to return west and are merely bidding the master farewell." Kṣa said, "Since you were able to escort me from afar, why not manifest your forms?" The spirits immediately manifested their forms. Kṣa was skilled at painting, so he depicted them one by one. Once he finished, their forms vanished. After arriving in Chengdu and paying homage to the Dashi stūpa, Vinaya Master Shen carved wooden images of the twelve spirits based on the sketches and decorated them beneath the stūpa. They are still present today, and so forth.