集神州三寶感通錄 1.6

1.6

First: The Mao stūpa in Kuaiji under the Western Jin. It is presently within the boundaries of Mao County, three hundred and seventy li east of Yue Prefecture; forty li east to the sea; seventy li southeast of the county [seat]; and twenty-five li south to Wu Village. According to earlier biographies, in the second year of the Taikang reign era of the Jin, there was a man named Liu Sahe from Lishi in Bing Prefecture. Born into a family of hunters, he made hunting his occupation. Falling ill, he died. Upon reviving, he saw an Indian monk who said to Sahe: "Your sins are heavy; you should enter hell. Pitying your ignorance, I release you for now. Presently, in Luoxia, the city of Qi, Danyang, and Kuaiji, there are ancient stūpas and stone images that floated down the river, all made by King Aśoka. You must diligently seek them out, pay homage, and repent, to be spared this suffering." After awakening, he reformed his former habits, went forth from household life to study the Path, and changed his name to Huida. As told, he traveled south to the seashore of Kuaiji. He sought everywhere among the mountains and marshes, but could discern no foundations or traces. Filled with grief and sorrow, Huida had nowhere to turn for help. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, he heard the sound of a bell beneath the earth. He immediately marked the place by carving wood to make a spire. Within three days, a precious stūpa and relics suddenly welled forth from the earth. The numinous stūpa's appearance was blue-green, resembling stone yet not stone, one foot and four inches high and seven inches square, with a five-tiered dew basin. It seemed to have been made in Khotan of the Western Regions. Its sides opened into windows, with heavenly bells all around. Inside was suspended a bronze chiming stone; whenever there was the sound of a bell, one suspected it came from this chiming stone. Encircling the stūpa's body were various images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, vajra-holders, holy monks, and diverse beings, their forms extremely minute. When one gazed intently without blinking, hundreds of thousands of images appeared, their faces, eyes, hands, and feet all complete. This can truly be called a divine work and sacred trace, beyond the reach of human wisdom. Now it is kept inside a large wooden stūpa. On the eight royal days, it is carried in procession through the cities and villages, and none who see it fail to bow down and recite the Buddha's name. The relics are at the base of the wooden stūpa. To the left side of the stūpa there are many ancient traces. Beside the stūpa is Zhuji County, the site of the old capital of Yue, which was composed of the four counties of Gouzhang, Mao, Shan, and so forth. One hundred and seven li northeast of Zhuji, in Dabu Township, is the ancient city of Yue, three li in circumference. The geographical gazetteers say that during the mid-period of Yue, its capital was located here. The remaining foundations of its detached palaces and separate lodges still exist, all overgrown with camphor trees, mostly beside the gates and stairs, standing in ranks in dense and charming array. During wind, rain, and the dark of the moon, the sounds of bells and chimes can still be heard. To this day, the common people mostly regard it with awe and reverence. Its traces are manifold. One hundred li northwest of Zhuji, in Xinyi Township, is Master Xu's Cliff. The regional gazetteers say that in the Jin period, Xu Xun of Gaoyang, whose courtesy name was Xuandu, was a friend of the śramaṇa Zhi Daolin. They often accompanied each other in touring mountains and waters, and upon arriving here, he settled down. The Jin summoned [Xu] Xun to be an aide to the Minister of Education, but he declined the summons. Later he went to Jianye, and all the city flocked to see him. Liu Hui, who served as Governor of Danyang and was famous in his time, visited him several times a day, sighing: "Seeing Master Xu now makes me feel frivolous." The metropolitan governor established a retreat within the commandery for him to reside in, and by the Liang dynasty, this building was still standing. After Assistant Xu returned, Governor Liu once visited his retreat and said: "Under the clear wind and bright moon, when do I not constantly think of Xuandu?" One hundred and thirty li southwest of Gouzhang County, in Ming Township, are mountains such as Siming, Tiantai, Chicheng, and Baobu, praised as the finest under heaven. One hundred and forty li northeast, there is the Shatang Road, several zhang wide, entering the sea for over a hundred li. The geographical gazetteers say this was where the First Emperor of Qin pursued Master Anqi to Penglai, stopping when the waters grew deep. Thus this causeway remains clearly intact to this day. The ancient city of Mao County is more than three hundred li east of Gouzhang, former capital of Minyue. The numinous stūpa is located in Xiaoyi Township within the county boundaries. The regional gazetteers state that King Aśoka built eighty-four thousand stūpas, and this is one of them. Under the Song, Meng Yi, Internal Historian of Kuaiji, repaired it. On the mountain is a stone hollow, approximately three feet square, whose water is pure and mellow, warm in winter and cold in summer. The gazetteer Yudi zhi states: "King Aśoka, a disciple of Śākya, was able to employ ghosts and spirits. In a single day and night, he built eighty-four thousand precious stūpas for the Buddha's bones throughout the world, all welling forth from the earth." According to the Jin śramaṇa Zhu Huiyuan, there are two stūpas in the east: one is here and one is in Pengcheng. Now, Changgan in Moling is another one, so there are three. Calculating at one stūpa per hundred million households according to experience, there is little reason to doubt that there are many in this eastern land. Moreover, seeing that there are two stūpas in Yangyue alone, they surely exist across the vast expanse of the nine regions. The Kuaiji ji states: "Wang Dao, Chancellor of the Eastern Jin, said: 'When I first crossed the Yangzi River, there was a man of the Path with an extraordinary bearing who said he had come from the sea to visit. Formerly, he had traveled with King Aśoka to Mao County, deposited genuine relics, and erected a stūpa to anchor the place. King Aśoka and various realized beings held up the stūpa, flew through the air, and entered the sea. The disciples pulled and clung to it, and all fell at once, transforming into black stones. The stones still have human forms. That stūpa is on Mount Cakravāḍa.'" Prefect Lord Chu said: "A sea voyager reported that on an island there are gathered black stones shaped like men of the Path, with some clothing. Chu ordered them to be chiseled and brought for inspection; the patterns of the stone all resembled monastic robes." Not far in the Eastern Sea, an island is the place where King Yan of Xu took refuge; the ancient foundations of his palace and city walls remain clearly intact. In the past, when King Mu of Zhou journeyed west and ascended the Kunlun Mountains, King Yan came to rule [over those domains]. Hearing of this, King Mu raced back, covering ten thousand li in a single day, and King Yan took refuge from him here. When Sun En revolted under the Jin, he relied on demonic arts to bewitch the masses and built a walled stronghold for self-defense, which still remains there. In the third year of the Putong reign era of the founding emperor of the Liang, revering its ancient traces, he built a wooden stūpa, fully surrounding it with halls, shrines, rooms, and corridors, and named it King Aśoka Temple. It is surrounded on all four sides by mountains, with bamboo groves verdant and lush, flowers blossoming in between, and birds and beasts delighting one another. It is truly a delightful place for those who seek seclusion and freedom. There is a stele commemorating it, composed by Gu Yinzu, Gentleman of the Editorial Service. Thirty-five li southeast of the temple, on a mountain, there is the Buddha's right footprint. Two li northeast of the temple, on a mountain peak, there is the Buddha's left footprint. Both appear on stone, and their origins cannot be fathomed. Two li north of the temple, there is a sacred well, which is actually a deep pond with an eel, popularly called the Fish Bodhisattva. When people come to the well to pay homage, the fish comes out following the sound. A bandit came and feigned paying homage; when the fish came out, the bandit struck it with a sword, severing its tail. Since then it has concealed itself, not coming out regularly. When those of utmost sincerity invite and pay homage to it, it merely spouts water. Initially, a monk heard of the stūpa and came to pay homage. The place was desolate, and relying on it for food was difficult. An old woman with an ailment in her legs came to prepare food for him and then left. Wondering at this, he quietly followed her after she left, and saw that she entered into the pond; judging by this, it was a transformation of the fish. The numinous wonders of this stūpa were varied and frequent. In general, they mostly manifested as auspicious signs: holy monks circumambulating the stūpa and practicing the Path, lighting lamps every evening, and appearing as figures circling and walking on the walls within the radiant shadows. I will set down just a few items, as too many would be a waste of words.