集神州三寶感通錄 1.40

1.40

The Inner Tradition of the Han Dharma Foundation states: When Emperor Ming propagated the Buddha Dharma, establishing temples and ordaining monks, the Daoists of the Five Peaks' abbeys and elsewhere requested a trial of skills, taking the burning of scriptures and divine transformations as proof. When their scriptures were transformed by fire and vanished without showing anything, Fei Cai felt self-remorse before the assembly, and Zhang Yan awakened those of worldly ways. At that time, the śarīra brought from the Western Regions emitted five-coloured radiance ascending straight into the air, wheeling around like a parasol and obscuring the sun's light. The arhat Kāśyapa Mātaṅga leapt into the air and flew high, displaying divine transformations at will. The heavens rained down precious blossoms, scattering over the Buddha and monks, and heavenly music was heard playing densely, so that the people felt faith in their hearts. In the city of Luoyang during the reign of Emperor Ming of Wei, there were originally three temples, one of which lay to the west of the palace. Whenever banners were hung atop its spire, they looked straight into the inner palace. The emperor was troubled by this and was about to demolish it. At that time, a foreign śramaṇa living at the temple brought a golden plate filled with water to hold the śarīra. Five-coloured radiance flared forth incessantly. The emperor sighed: "Were it not for divine efficacy, how could it be so?" He then built a precinct of a hundred bays east of the road, named the Official Buddha-Stūpa Monastery.