集神州三寶感通錄 1.48

1.48

In the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, Xu Chun of Gaoping was reading scriptures, and at mealtime obtained two śarīra. He placed them in a silver bottle; looking at them later, they gradually multiplied, reaching up to twenty. Later, they were entrusted to Jin Fu of Guangling, who secretly opened it and found the vessel empty. When Chun was in the capital, he suddenly found them again. Later, when his faith retrogressed, they were completely lost.
The sympathetic manifestations of śarīra encountered by people are exceedingly numerous; all are obtained through reverence and lost through disrespect. The transmission of śarīra to the east has spanned many imperial reigns; what the records cover barely presents one out of ten thousand. Because events overlap and recur, their frequent appearance is no marvel; yet that the Buddha appears or conceals himself is truly due to sympathetic resonance. However, in any state, the erection of stūpas has never surpassed the Sui dynasty: in the course of its single transformation, there were more than a hundred places. The unfolding of their numinous portents is presented in various separate biographies; they are briefly set forth here to illustrate the ruler's abundant virtue.
When Emperor Gaozu of the Sui was still in hiding before his accession, there was a numinous nun named Zhixian who arrived unexpectedly and said, 'The Buddha-Dharma is about to be destroyed; all the spiritual deities have already gone west. You, child, shall become the compassionate father of the entire realm, re-establishing the Buddha-Dharma, and the spiritual deities will return.' Later, the Zhou dynasty indeed eradicated the Buddha-Dharma. When the Sui received the mandate, he frequently spoke of this. Furthermore, in the past a Brahmin monk visited his residence, brought out a bundle of śarīra, and said, 'The dānapati has a good heart, therefore I leave these for you to make offerings.' Soon afterwards, his whereabouts were unknown. The Emperor said, 'My rise was due to the Buddha; therefore I shall erect stūpas throughout the realm and install images of the numinous nun.' He also built a multi-stūpa complex with connected bases at Fajie Temple in the capital, enshrining śarīra underneath. In the autumn of the fifteenth year of the Kaihuang era, at night a numinous light circled up from the base, and the dew basin blazed like a smelted flame; within ten days it happened four times.
When the Emperor was at the Renshou Palace, on the thirteenth day of the sixth month of the first year of the Renshou era, in the Renshou Hall of the palace—the day of his birth—the Emperor on this day recalled those who had passed away to repay the kindness of his parents, inviting monastics to discuss the ultimate Way with them. Wishing to construct stūpas in thirty pure and quiet places within the realm, he issued an edict saying:
'We reverently reflect that the Truly Enlightened One possesses great kindness and great compassion, rescuing and protecting all living beings, serving as a bridge and ford for the myriad classes. We take refuge in the Three Jewels and re-establish the sacred teachings, wishing to cultivate blessed karma together with the four seas, so that both the present and the future may reap benefit. It is fitting to invite thirty monks who understand the marks of phenomena and are capable of propagation, each taking attendants and civil officials along separate routes to convey the śarīra to the various prefectures and raise stūpas. The existing monks of each prefecture shall, on behalf of Us, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the various princes, officials, and the common people, both the living and the spirits of the unseen and visible realms, practice the Way, repent, and strike the spire for seven days. Donations shall be limited to ten coins to supply the needs of the stūpa; laborers shall not be conscripted, nor shall standard treasury goods be used. From regional inspectors on down, regular duties shall be suspended for seven days to attend solely to stūpa affairs. Concurrently, at noon on the fifteenth day of the tenth month, the śarīra shall be placed in the caskets, and the stūpas raised at the same hour.'
On the morning when the stūpas were raised, the Emperor stood in the Daxing Hall of the capital holding a jade tablet, welcoming the Buddha image. Three hundred and sixty monks ascended the hall. When attendants secretly counted them three times, there was always one extra person. The Emperor saw an unusual monk wearing a brown shoulder-covering cloth and said to the attendants, 'Do not be alarmed; leave him be.' When the practice of the Way dispersed, he was seen no more. The Emperor said, 'Now that the Buddha-Dharma is re-established, the erection of śarīra stūpas will surely have sympathetic responses.' It turned out indeed as he said.