集神州三寶感通錄 2.18

2.18

Fourteenth, concerning the image emerging from the cleft mountain in Liangzhou under the Northern Wei: in the first year of the Dayan reign era of Emperor Taiwu, there was the monk Liu Sahe of Lishi, whose account is fully preserved in the *Biographies of Monks*. He traveled extensively throughout the regions south of the Yangzi, worshipping the stūpa in Mao County, and arriving in Jinling to open the King Aśoka śarīra. When his deeds were nearing completion, he traveled westward, arriving one hundred and seventy li west of Liangzhou, in the northeastern border of Fanhe Commandery. Looking toward Mount Yugu, he bowed from afar; people could not fathom why. Sahe said, "From the cliff of this mountain, an image will surely emerge. If its numinous features are complete, then the world will be joyful and the times peaceful; if there are any defects, then the world will be in chaos and the people will suffer." After eighty-seven years, in the first year of the Zhengguang reign era, due to a great storm of rain and thunder shaking the mountain cliff, a stone image emerged standing eighteen feet tall, its appearance dignified and solemn, but lacking a head. They immediately selected stone and ordered craftsmen to fit one on, but it fell off again. The way of the Wei declined; his words were indeed verified! In the first year of the Northern Zhou, seven li east of the city of Liangzhou, a ravine stone suddenly emitted light illuminating both the unseen and visible realms. Onlookers thought it extraordinary; it was indeed the head of the image. When presented and placed upon the body of the image, it fit together perfectly. Its divine form had been damaged and missing for over forty years, the body and head in different places more than two hundred li apart; the marks and signs formerly deficient were restored all at once. At that time, lamp lights flowed and shone, and bell chimes resonated through the air, without anyone knowing whence they came. In the first year of the Baoding reign era of the Zhou, it was established as Ruixiang Temple. When Buddhism was about to be suppressed in the Jiande reign era, the head fell off again on its own. Emperor Wu ordered the Prince of Qi to go and verify it, whereupon he fitted the head onto the neck of the image and guarded it with soldiers, but by morning it had fallen off again as before. This was an omen of the abolition of the Dharma and the destruction of the state, which followed upon it fully in the Zhou. According to the stele by the monk Dao'an of the Zhou, although the Zhou destroyed the teaching, it did not reach this image. When the Dharma was reopened in the Kaihuang reign era, the temple was reestablished as before. In the fifth year of the Daye reign era, Emperor Yang went on a western campaign, personally going to pay homage, and changed its name to Gantong Bodhimaṇḍa. It still exists today. Those who tried to replicate it according to drawings were not few, but when completed, the dimensions could never be determined, and so forth.