集神州三寶感通錄 1.42

1.42

Under the tyrannical rule of Sun Hao, he intended to eradicate the Buddha-Dharma, burn the scriptures, and raze the stūpas. Someone remonstrated with him, saying, 'Grant a brief respite for now. If it is verified that there is no numinous manifestation, it will not be too late to execute and destroy them.' Sun Hao consented. He summoned [Kang Seng]hui and said, 'If you can manifest proof before my very eyes, I will assist you in promoting it; if you cannot, the religion shall be abolished and you people shall be executed.' Sengui said, 'The Way responds according to conditions; where there is sympathetic resonance, there is unfailing connection. If we are granted a respite, we hope the numinous effect will descend.' Sun Hao set a deadline of three days. Over a hundred monks gathered together at the monastery. Sun Hao lined up troops and surrounded the monastery; blades and saws were brought out together, and they were to be executed on the set date. Some, fearing there would be no numinous manifestation, hanged themselves beforehand. Senghui said to the congregation, 'The Buddha left his śarīra precisely for this moment. There has been proof before; how could it deceive us today?' Precisely on the appointed day, they obtained it. He then presented it to Sun Hao, saying, 'This is the vajra-bone of the Tathāgata. Even if an athlete of tremendous strength strikes it with a pestle of a hundred jun, it can never be destroyed.' Sun Hao said, 'Metal and stone can be ground down; how could a dry bone endure? You monk deceive me to my face, merely hastening your own death.' He then placed it on an iron anvil and struck it with an iron hammer; the hammer and anvil were both dented, but the śarīra was as before. They also placed it in clear water to float it; the śarīra emitted light, dispersing radiance that illumined the entire palace hall. Sun Hao then joyfully submitted, changed his heart, and responded to transformation.
It is said that in the early Jin dynasty, Zhu Changshu previously had a śarīra and revered it greatly. His son was a monk named Fayan, who often wished to return to lay life and said with a laugh, 'This is merely sand and stone; why is it worth valuing?' His father threw it into water, whereupon five-colored light circled three times and rose several feet high; [the son] thereupon did not return to lay life. After Changshu died, [Fayan] again gave rise to worldly thoughts; he immediately became sick and debilitated, and in the end remained a monk, enshrining the śarīra in a stūpa in Jiangxia.
During the Daxing era of the Jin dynasty, Dong Wang of Yuqian had faith in and revered a wooden image. At night, it emitted light. Later, beside the image, there was a sound of something falling to the ground; upon inspection, it was a śarīra floating and sinking in water, its five colors dazzling, circling three times to the left and right. Later, the monk Faheng looked at it; it rose from afar four or five times and flew into Faheng's bosom. Heng said, 'If I am to establish a monastery, let your majestic spiritual power be seen once more.' It shone again before him. Thereupon Heng built a monastery and stūpa in Yuqian, and those entering the Dharma numbered in the tens each day.
During the Daxing era of the Jin, people from the north fled and dispersed to Guangling by the thousands each day. There was someone who brought a śarīra, established a small monastery, and erected a spire; the śarīra emitted light reaching the top of the spire, thereby moving the faith of those near and far.
During the Xianhe era of the Jin, the northern monk An Fakai came to Yuhang wishing to establish a monastery, but lacked land and money. He personally sought strings of coins and traded them over the years, obtaining thirty thousand coins. He bought land and built rooms, always relying on strings of coins for support. Wishing to erect a spire, he had no śarīra. There was a man named Luo You who already possessed one. Kai asked for it, but he would not grant it. When Kai went to the monastery to pay homage to the Buddha, he saw that You's pouch of śarīra was already in front of the seat. He immediately informed You. You came with him, saw it with delight, and together with Kai built a monastery in Yuhang.
During the Xiankang era of the Jin, Meng Jing, Grand Administrator of Jian'an, wished to build a spire at Meng Temple. At night, he heard a clinking sound at the head of his bed; upon inspection, he obtained three śarīra. Jing erected the spire. In the sixteenth year of the Yuanjia era [of the Liu Song], in the sixth month, the śarīra emitted light shining all through above and below, ceasing only on the seventh night; all beheld it.