集神州三寶感通錄 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.1

Compiled in the first year of the Linde era of the Tang by the Śramaṇa Daoxuan of Mount Zhongnan.

The Preface says: The broad propagation and protection of the True Dharma rests solely upon humans. Therefore, before the Buddha descended his spiritual presence, the Dharma existed yet was not made manifest; before the Sangha first arrived, it was merely heard of, so how could it be transmitted? From this we know that phenomena and principle follow along their causes, and their significance is not concealed. Thus, as for the four reliances and the three ranks, humans relied on them from the very beginning; the twofold manifestation of the abiding Dharma relies entirely on holy power. Consequently, that the three continents heard the Way was ultimately made manifest through the merit of Piṇḍola; that the teaching endured for the vast span of sixty thousand years relied on the virtue of the arhats. Divine monks and holy temples display auspicious portents between the mountains and the seas; fragrant scents and bell chimes manifest their forms between the hidden and the manifest realms. Displayed before sight and hearing, fine books serve as fishing traps that are never exhausted; preserved among all the elders, the spoken accounts are revered and never cut off. Therefore, I have gathered a summary of what has been heard and recorded it as follows.

3.3

First: Clarifying Holy Temples. Next: Clarifying Numinous Teachings. Last: Listing Divine Monks.

3.4

Holy Temple of the Stone Bridge on Mount Tiantai in Linhai
Holy Temple on Mount Penglai in the Eastern Sea
Tangshu Valley Immortal Temple by the River in Baohan
Bamboo Grove Holy Temple on Mount Shigu in Xiangzhou
Lingyin Holy Temple on Mount Linlü in Yanzhou
Holy Temple on Mount Mingji in Jinyang
Taifu Holy Temple on Mount Wutai in Daizhou
Rock Cave Holy Temple on Mount Black Bee in the Western Regions
Nine Emptinesses Immortal Temple on Mount Taiyi in Yongzhou
Bamboo Grove Temple on Mount Daqin in Mount Zhongnan
Solitary Holy Temple South of Ziwu Pass on the Liangzhou Road
Juming Holy Temple in She Valley on Mount Zhongnan (Record of Ku Valley appended)

3.5

As for the temple on Mount Tiantai in the early Eastern Jin: In the past there was the śramaṇa Bo Daoyou, sometimes said to have had the surname Zhu. Keen on traversing mountains and rivers, he explored thoroughly their rare marvels. Having heard that from antiquity none had crossed the stone bridge of Mount Tiantai, he lamented passionately, "What kind of man is that who alone lacks steadfast integrity? Thus the holy temple is kept hidden, though face to face, a thousand li away!" He then lifted his monk's staff and went alone, proceeding straight toward the stone bridge. Looking all around at the cliffs and perils, only after a long time did he find it. On that mountain the stone bridges are more than one, and the holy temples are also many. Wishing to cross straight over, he did not spare his life. Moreover, the rainbow bridge spanned the valley, looking down ten thousand fathoms; along its top it was barely a foot wide, covered in moss and tilted diagonally. The eastern side seemed passable, but the western side was obstructed by a great rock, cutting off any path for climbing. You then conceived a different scheme. Lodging for the night to the east of the bridge, he heard from the western temple the sound of chimes, sutra chanting, and the recitation of bodhisattvas' names; his courage persisted, and he found no rest all night. He also heard a voice say, "Ten years hence you will come to dwell here; why seek it so bitterly?" Even so, he did not cease; morning and evening he lamented with regret. Weaving grass to make a hut, he spent years in Chan contemplation. Later, attempting to approach the bridge, he saw that the transverse rock had opened wide, and the path over the bridge was level and straight. Thereupon he was able to cross over. He then saw grand and imposing halls and extraordinarily magnificent painted stūpas. The divine monks received him with conversation just as if he were an old acquaintance. When the midday meal was finished and he was about to express his desire to stay, a monk said, "Ten years hence you will naturally reach this place; why labor to stay early?" Escorting him back across the bridge, the transverse rock was already blocked. In the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, he passed away at his mountain dwelling. His physical form appeared greenish, sitting upright as if alive. When Wang Xizhi heard of this, he visited the site; looking up toward the cliff, he admired him with veneration. Nowadays, for anyone who goes there, clouds obscure the path.

3.6

In the Song dynasty, Zhu Lingshi was sent on an envoy mission to Liaodong, and on his return he lost his way. Drifting across the sea with the wind for over a month, he reached an island, with both provisions and water exhausted. Entering the island to search for a spring, he went gradually deeper and climbed the mountain, whereupon he saw a temple with magnificent halls unlike anything he had ever seen. The monks asked where he had come from, and he recounted the whole affair. They provided food and water and asked whether he would leave or stay. Shi said, "This is a holy abode, not a place where an ordinary person may dwell." A monk said, "If you wish to stay, follow your heart's desire." Shi earnestly declined and wished to return. The monk told him, "This place is more than two hundred thousand li away from the capital." Shi and his companions heard this and were terrified, saying, "If so, by what means can we ever arrive?" The monk said, "We shall see you off ourselves; do not trouble yourself with worry." He then asked, "Do you know the Daoist monk Beidu?" Shi replied, "I know him." The monk then pointed to an alms-bowl bag on the wall and said, "This is his possession. For a minor infraction, he was punished to be among humans." He then took the bowl bag and gave it to Shi, along with a sealed letter. Characters were written upon it, yet they were illegible. The monk said, "You may give the letter and the bowl to him." He ordered a novice monk to see them off, saying, "Do not go by the path you came; here is a direct road that will swiftly reach your boat." In a moment they reached the sea. The novice monk placed a single bamboo staff on the prow of the boat and said to them, "Just close your eyes and let it go; do not labor with the sails." They then obeyed his words, hearing only the whistling sound of the wind. Someone stole a glance and saw the boat flying through the empty clouds, racing over mountains, trees, and the sea. In the space of a few breaths, they reached Yangdu. At the Great Pontoon Bridge, they saw Beidu straddling the bridge railing, shouting, "Giddy-up, horse! Giddy-up, horse!" When Lingshi arrived, the letter flew up on its own into Du's hand. Du said in surprise, "How did you get the letter from the Daoist of Penglai summoning me to return?" Shi then recounted the whole story and also handed the bowl to him. Holding it in both hands, Du said, "I have not seen this bowl for more than four thousand years!" He tossed it upward into the clouds and caught it as it came back down. In the Taichu era, he died without illness; this matter is recorded in a separate entry.

3.7

As for the Tangshu Valley Temple of the early Jin in Hezhou: It is located fifty li northwest of present-day Hezhou. Crossing the Fenglin Ford and ascending Changyi Ridge, looking south one sees Mount Jishi, which is the ultimate limit reached by the channeling of waters in the Tribute of Yu. Myriad peaks vie in rising up, each having a distinctive shape: some resemble jeweled stūpas, others multi-storied pavilions; pines and cypresses reflect upon the cliffs, while cinnabar and azure adorn the peaks. Were it not for the divine craftsmanship of nature, how could it be so magnificent and lovely? Walking south for twenty li, one reaches its valley. Rooms were hewn into the mountain, spanning beams channeled water, and the temple was surrounded and filled with flowers, medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables. At present monks dwell there. To the south is a stone gate bordering the river, on which is carved an inscription saying that it was established in the Taishi era of the Jin dynasty. In the valley east of the temple is a Heavenly Temple, but thoroughly searching for its location yields no definite spot; the sound of bells is constantly heard, and there are extraordinary monks. Therefore, this valley is called Tangshu, which in the Qiang tongue means 'ghosts and spirits.' Thus, whenever various people in ancient and modern times enter Jishi, they frequently encounter immortals and sages, their traveling paths dim and indistinct, as temples and monks appear before them. On the northeastern ridge a sweet spring gushes forth; it is sweet and white, and those who ingest it do not age.

3.8

At the beginning of the Northern Qi, there was an extraordinary monk who went to a monastery in Ye for the summer retreat. He became close friends with Wangming, a monk who shared his room, and their minds were in harmony. The visiting monk suffered severely from dysentery and was in great distress. Wangming offered him wine. The guest said, "I cannot." Wangming said, "Just drink it. Although it is a preceptual prohibition, when one is afflicted it is permitted." Knitting his brows, the guest drank it on his account, and his illness subsided. When the summer ended, he took his leave to return to his original monastery. As Wangming saw him off outside the capital, the guest said, "Have you ever heard of Zhulin Temple on Mount Gu?" Wangming said, "I have heard of it. From ancient times it has been a hollow rumor, and ultimately no one has ever reached it." The guest said, "If one has no heart to visit it, how could one reach it? Sharing a room for a summer, I troubled and disturbed you greatly. Supplying wine when I suffered from dysentery was truly a fine medicine. Originally it was not what I desired, but I drank it on account of illness. I hope you will not let this reach others. The mountain monastery is solitary and distant, but you may tour it at times. I hope you will make the climb once to fulfill your empty longing." Hearing this, Wangming leapt with joy and said, "If you can indeed guide me there, I would die in the evening without regret. Around the ninth month I definitely hope to seek you out; happily bestow your guidance, for otherwise there will be no way." The guest said, "If you come, you may ascend from the eastern face of Mount Gu. Cross a small valley eastward, and then go up to the northeast, and you will arrive at the mountain monastery." When the appointed time arrived, [Wangming] went directly to Shiku Temple together with five or six curious companions. The mountain monks said, "Why have you come?" He said, "We wish to go to Zhulin; our path lies through here." The monks said, "Worldly people are ridiculous, listening solely to bizarre talk. I have roamed and crossed both east and west on this mountain; where is there any monastery? Ancient sayings have had this; you need not bother going." Wangming said, "That guest's words were by no means rash; how could they be false? I must simply seek it out. If I seek and do not find it, the fault is not mine." A dozen monks of Shiku Temple accompanied them. Following the directions, they ascended eastward, crossed a valley, and sought along the ridge. Suddenly they saw an old man holding a mattock and clearing the ground. They also saw a monk arrive, weeding all around the grain, holding a hoe and dragging a mattock, who said, "Last year the monks from the official monastery let loose their horses and ate all my grain. This year they come again to trample my autumn sprouts!" Raising his mattock, he chased the monks, and they all turned back. Only Wangming alone went up to the northeast. The old man said, "I let you go up the mountain to be eaten up by beasts!" Thereupon he ascended following the east. The forest trees were deep and lush. He heard the sound of chanting upon the southern ridge. Wangming said, "Is that not the former guest?" [The voice] said, "It is indeed." Pushing through the thickets, [the monk] came forth. Taking hands, they recounted their time apart and led each other toward the monastery. In the blink of an eye, he suddenly saw towering peaks reaching toward the sun and tall bamboos piercing the clouds. Tiered gates stood wide open, and compound halls were arrayed on their foundations. Outside the gate to the east and west, the mangers were adorned with gilded fittings; there seemed to be horse tracks, but none were tethered. Arriving at the gate entrance, [the guest] said, "Wait here for a moment. I will go in to announce you to the abbot (upādhyāya)." In a brief moment he came out, led him in, and arrived at the Buddha hall. After paying homage at the front, they went west to the corridor. The abbot was about ninety years of age, with long eyebrows and a high nose, looking like someone from the Western Regions. Beside him were about thirty officials holding registers and passing judgments. Raising his hand, [the abbot] said, "A mountain monastery in the rustic countryside has nothing at all to behold; how could you travel so far?" Wangming then prostrated himself a dozen times. The abbot said, "You are exhausted from traveling; you may rest. Take him to his room." [The guest] then led him to the western room. Turning northeast, he saw a monk leaning on a desk reading a sūtra. Wangming bowed to him, but the monk gave no greeting at all. [The guest] then led him to the far north and turned east, arriving in the guest monk's own room. They laughed and rejoiced throughout the night, [Wangming] repeatedly saying he would stay forever. The guest said, "This is entirely up to the abbot; I dare not obstruct it. Wait until morning and I will consult him." He reported back, "The abbot does not permit it." When it came to the midday meal, it was no different from [that in] Ye. When they were about to part, the abbot said, "I know you wish to stay forever, and I know your feeling of friendship. However, a renunciant cannot register his name in two places. Could you go against the offerings you receive in your original monastery? If you definitely wish to stay forever, you may remove your name there. Farewell." [Wangming] then took his leave. [The host] saw him out, clasping hands with sorrowful regret. Having parted, he walked sorrowfully for about one li, frequently looking back: the monastery, stūpas, forest, and bamboos still filled his gaze. Walking another two li, he looked back and there was nothing at all, only peak cliffs and mixed trees. Walking on and on, he descended westward, following his original path. He saw no field sprouts, nor was there any old farmer, until he reached Shiku, where he related everything in full to the monks.

3.9

At the beginning of the Northern Qi, the śramaṇa Master Song was an eminent recluse of Mount Song. Once, travelling from Linlü toward Mount Bailu, he lost his way due to straying from the path. As the sun approached mid-morning, he suddenly heard the sound of a bell. Following the sound, he advanced, climbing and pressing through layer upon layer of blocking cliffs and peaks. Then he saw a monastery, occupying the deep forest all by itself. Its three gates faced due south, gleaming and resplendent. Advancing to the gate, he looked at the lintel plaque, which read: "Monastery of Lingyin." Outside the gate were five or six dogs, as large as oxen, with white fur and black muzzles, some leaping, some lying down, looking at Song with slanted eyes. Song was frightened and about to turn back. In a moment, an Indian monk came from outside. Song called out to him, but he did not answer, nor did he look back, but went straight inside the gate, and the dogs also followed him in. After a long while, Song saw no one, so he gradually entered the next gate. The buildings were surrounded on all four sides, and all the room doors were closed. Advancing to the lecture hall, he saw only couches and high seats neatly arranged. Song went into the southwest corner and sat on a couch. After a long while, he suddenly heard a sound among the roof beams. Looking up, he saw an opening like a mouth, and many bhikṣus flew down one after another from the opening, amounting to fifty or sixty people. Having sat according to their ranks, they inquired of one another, "Where did you go to eat at today's midday meal?" Some said, "Yuzhang, Chengdu, Chang'an, Longxi, Jibei, and Lingnan." There was no place they had not reached, easily covering ten thousand li or more. The last monk descended from the sky. The others vied to ask, "Why have you come so late?" He answered, "Today at the lecture assembly of Meditation Master Jian at Bi'an Temple east of Xiangzhou city, each presented their theses. There were many clever and handsome young students whose sharp objections rose like spear points, truly a sight to behold! Without realizing it, it became late, and so I have arrived." Song had originally served Jian. Having heard these words, he hoped to join the conversation and wished to present himself to these superior persons. As he straightened his robes and was about to rise, the place suddenly vanished; he was sitting alone under an oak tree on a boulder. Of the former monastery buildings, not a thing was to be seen; there were only abundant cliff valleys where birds soared and gathered. Song came out and asked the Controller of the Monks (shangtong), Master of the Law [Fashang]. The Master of the Law said, "This monastery was built by Fotudeng during the Shi Zhao era. Long ages having passed, worthy and holy beings reside in it; sometimes appearing and sometimes hidden, its movements are without fixed location. Those who walk the mountains today can still hear the sound of its bell, and so forth."

3.10

Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi was in Jinyang. He sent a man riding a white camel, saying, "Go to my monastery and fetch the sūtra case." The emissary asked, "I do not know which monastery." The Emperor said, "Simply let the camel go; it knows where the monastery is on its own." Leaving the city late in the day, the camel traveled with extreme haste; [the rider] was suddenly as if asleep. Suddenly he arrived at a mountain named Mingji. Halfway up the mountain there was a monastery. A crowd of novices said, "Gao Yang's camel has come!" They then led him into the monastery, where he saw an old monk. Having bowed, [the monk] asked, "How is Gao Yang doing as Son of Heaven?" He answered, "Sage and luminous." [The monk] asked, "Why have you come?" He said, "I was ordered to fetch a sūtra case." The monk said, "When Yang was in the monastery, he was lazy about reading sūtras. Now, the eastern end of the northern row is his room; you may take the case and give it to him." He immediately mounted the camel and returned. As if in sleep and as if in a dream, he suddenly arrived in Jinyang, and returned his commission with the case. Not long after, the Emperor traveled to Mujing Temple at Gukou. There was a foolish man who was ready to sacrifice his body and could not speak intelligible words. He suddenly said to the Emperor, "I will go first; you may come later." The Emperor agreed. That night the foolish man died. Not long after, the Emperor fell ill in Jinyang. He had Liu Taozhi carry him as he walked, his nose dripping and streaming blood. That night the Emperor passed away.

3.11

Mount Wutai, southeast of Daizhou, was anciently called the abode of divine immortals. The mountain is three hundred li square, extremely precipitous, lofty, and steep. It has five high terraces, upon which neither grass nor trees grow; dense forests of pines and cypresses stand thick at the valley bottom. The mountain is extremely cold; to the south it is called Mount Qingliang, and Qingliang Prefecture was also established there. The sūtras make clear that Mañjuśrī took five hundred immortals and went to the Qingliang Snow Mountains, which is this very place. For this reason, seekers of the Way from ancient times have mostly traveled to this mountain; its surviving traces and numinous caves suddenly meet the eye, not established in vain. The Central Terrace is the highest, four hundred li from Bingzhou, appearing in view like [the lines in] the palm of one's hand. On it are small stone stūpas, numbering about a thousand, which were erected by Emperor Wen of the Wei, [Tuoba] Hong. On the stones, tracks of humans and horses are distinctly present. There is a great spring named Taihua, clear and limpid as a mirror, flanked by two stūpas, within which is an image of Mañjuśrī. For anyone who arrives, the sound of bells and fragrant scents are present without fail every day; holy monks and auspicious images are frequently encountered. Since the Longshuo era (661–663), an imperial edict ordered the monk Huize of Huichang Temple to go there to repair the monastery and stūpas; he went back and forth twice and also met with numinous resonances. Thirty li down to the southeast of the Central Terrace is Dalingjiu Temple, anciently transmitted to have been built by Emperor Ming of the Han. Currently there are two bodhimaṇḍas, eastern and western, and the image installations are still present. To the south is a flower garden of about three qing, where throughout the four seasons renowned flowers bloom successively in turn. During the Zhenguan era (627–649), Meditation Master Jietuo gathered disciples to practice meditation. He personally said that north of the flower garden he saw Mañjuśrī four times with an entourage filling the sky, accompanied by multitudes of immortals and extraordinary holy beings beyond count. Recently there was Meditation Master Sengming, who lived on the mountain for over thirty years; he also encountered immortals and holy ones and flew away through the sky, leaving behind only his old skin. Within thirty li of the Southern Terrace, there are mostly renowned flowers spread across the peaks and ridges, commonly called Flower Mountain. In it is a holy monastery where the sound of bells rings out at times. An extraordinary person has been seen whose tall and stalwart frame surpassed the world; in the midst of conversation, he soared and leaped far away. That mountain is very near, but those who are attached to the secular world rarely climb it. Those who do climb it are sure to evoke superior conditions; thus I have recorded those who came and went previously.

3.12

According to a separate biography, as for the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna's Monastery on Black Peak Mountain in Tianzhu of the Western Regions, among the twenty-four refuges this great being was the most magnificent and preeminent. His awesome power overwhelmed those of different teachings, and his virtue reached kings and ministers. There were no arts or intellectual disciplines in which he was not thoroughly proficient; he was called the Omniscient One after the Buddha's extinction. The king founded a monastery for him, chiseling stone to make niches, intending them to last until the end of heaven and never be altered or destroyed. In each niche was erected an image together with a superintendent. After years of expending labor, the treasury was exhausted, yet the monastery was not completed. The king came, bowed, and said, "The storehouses are already empty, yet the monastery is not yet established. In vain do I have the aspiration, but my strength does not fulfill my heart's wish; what is to be done?" The Bodhisattva said, "Among those transformed by Your Majesty's virtue, there are none whose thoughts do not submit. Karmic reward follows like a shadow; whatever is done yields merit. Why worry that wealth is exhausted and the monastery will not be completed? You may inspect the labor beside the monastery." How did he do it? The Bodhisattva had beforehand prepared medicine with essential arts; taking a brush, he touched [the rocks], and none failed to turn into gold. Following the size of the stones, the chunks of gold were also accordingly large or small. The king followed his words to search, and indeed seeing the heaps of gold, he was greatly delighted and immediately used them to build the monastery. It is still extant today. Therefore, of the gold produced in the Western Regions, there are many varieties of names; "Nāgārjuna gold" radiates a purple light outward and is regarded by the world as the finest, whereas the light and color of all other golds are slightly inferior. Formerly, the Bodhisattva had a long life of over seven hundred years. He came and went from the mountain monastery, and there was no way to detain him permanently. Since his concealment, nearly a thousand years have passed. The world knows it exists, but the way there is blocked with layer upon layer of obstacles. One arrives at its cliff only after entering through an underground cavern. Recently a monk was invited for the summer retreat; touring all the niches and images, none were not of genuine gold, and sūtra cases filled the cliff caves to overflowing. Only then did he realize that the Three Jewels are maintained in both the unseen and visible realms conjointly. When the summer ended, he wished to take sūtras out, but the monastery people would not permit it, saying, "These were originally intended to preserve the Dharma, and may not suffer any deficiency." Empty-handed, he entered the cavern, walked for several li, and only then was able to emerge.

3.13

Regarding the Xitoushan Temple south of Hu County in Yongzhou: this mountain was originally where boatmen moored their boats alongside it, hence the name. In ancient times, before Mount Taiyi was cleft, the mountain connected Mount Taihang and Mount Wangwu, and the waters of the Bailu River collected in this valley, being called the Lesser Sea. When the Giant Spirit Great Man, Qin Honghai, was troubled by the vast, surging waters, he propped up Mount Taihua with his left palm and trod upon Mount Zhongtiao with his right foot. Because of this, Taiyi split apart; the river flowed through, land emerged, and the mountain then rose lofty and prominent, retaining its original designation. It is as Zhang Heng says in the *Rhapsody on the Western Capital*: ‘With high palm and distant tread, he let flow the river’s bends.’ The elders hand down that south of Xitou there is the Nine Caves Immortal Temple (Jiukong Xian Temple). Formerly, someone entered the mountains to gather firewood. As dusk encroached he did not know the way home, so he lodged near the forest. At night, hearing the sound of a bell nearby, he searched for it and suddenly saw a temple with over a hundred monks. They merely walked and sat without inquiring of him. The man wondered at this. At dawn, the temple had vanished. Since then, it has been nearby, but none have gone and found it. I once went to the mountain, but there were only layered peaks and fair forests, impossible to climb or traverse. It is also said that the mountain has nine caverns where immortals dwell. There was a monk of Guiyi Temple, Hongzang, beside Fuxi City in the Great Valley of Lantian, who was bold and courageous. Hearing of this, he went to search for them. Passing days and accumulating nights he circled the mountain ridges, only finding five caverns that were extremely round and clean, as if fashioned by humans, without flaw or crack, seeming as though someone lived there. Furthermore, Dhyāna Master Liao of Guangming Temple also went searching for them and lodged in a cavern for one summer; this is what is now called the Zhaoyang Cavern. It is quite enough to be a great sight in Huazhou and Wangchuan. Yet the Immortal Temple was never seen after all.

3.14

Regarding the Zhulin Temple (Bamboo Forest Temple) on Mount Daqin south of Ziwu Pass: at the beginning of the Zhenguan era, a honey-gatherer walking in the mountains heard the sound of a bell and, following it, arrived there. There were two temple buildings, places where people resided, and beside them a great bamboo forest of about two qing. The man cut two joints of bamboo to hold the liquid honey, obtaining about five dou. Two men carried it down, followed the path, and arrived at the Daqin garrison, where they told everything to the guardsmen. The bamboo forest was about fifteen li from there. The garrison commander, seeing the advantage in the large bamboo, was about to go cut and take it, so he sent men according to his words to search for it. Passing Xiaozhu Valley (Little Bamboo Valley) they reached the base of a cliff, where there was an iron chain about thirty feet long. When the guardsmen dragged and pulled the chain, it was extremely secure. Above, there were two great tigers perched on the edge of the cliff shouting loudly downward. The men, seized with terror, ran back. Later they took ten men to search again, but encountering a massive deluge, they returned. Monk Guizhen of Wuzhen Temple in Lantian had dwelt in the mountains since youth; hearing of this, he went to Xiaozhu Valley. Looking toward the cliff as he went north, he lost the way and returned. He would often speak of this. Zhen said: ‘This bamboo forest is about fifty li from the pass.’

3.15

South of Ziwu Pass, the first post station is named Sanjiao. East of the post station there is a ravine coming from the southeast; on its southern slope are several tens of qing of chestnut trees. People originally did not know that any monk lived there, though they repeatedly heard the sound of a bell without considering it extraordinary. Once, a woman of the station household went gathering firewood into the ravine and suddenly came upon a monk sitting alone upon a rock sewing a robe, with not a single thing beside him. This woman had faithful devotion and said: ‘I did not know the Master was here. The noon hour is approaching; may I bring food from the station?’ The monk said: ‘This poor monk dwells in the mountains and must not eat the official food of the station household.’ The woman said: ‘I have my own private food, quite enough for an offering.’ The monk said: ‘Even the food of a faithful person cannot be taken.’ The woman, fearing the noon hour would pass, ran swiftly to fetch the food. But when she returned to seek him, no trace of him was to be seen. From this time on, she constantly sent her family members to seek in the vicinity, but they could never meet him, though the sound of the bell was regularly heard. This temple is about five li from the station.

3.16

Furthermore, regarding the Zonglü Temple (Palm Temple) inside Shegu in Mount Zhongnan: recently, a man saw a monk who said he wished to hire him to carry a bundle to a temple. When asked where the temple was, he said it was at the eastern head of Juming in Shegu. The man carried the bundle for him. When they were about to reach the temple, he saw a monk descending from the southern cliff, about five hundred feet tall, calling out to them. The man bade farewell to return, and [the monk] said to him: ‘You enter the mountains daily to gather firewood; you may take the leftover cakes from the noon meal under the firewood and eat them. There is no need to speak of having obtained this connection.’ He complied with the words and received the cakes daily. His wife, puzzled, questioned him closely, and having no choice he told her, whereupon he became mute. After a year, he again saw two monks entering the valley. The man beckoned with his hand and pointed to his mouth; after doing this three times, he was able to speak again. The man died recently. Nowadays, those who enter the mountains and reach the side of the forehead of Juming regularly hear the sound of bells and also often see strange monks. Recently, a monk heard of this, and upon encountering a monk entering the valley, suspected he was of the Zonglü Temple. He asked: ‘Is the Venerable not a monk of the Zonglü Temple?’ He replied: ‘I am.’ [The monk] asked: ‘May I accompany the Venerable?’ He replied: ‘You may follow along.’ But hearing only the whooshing sound of wind beside his ears and advancing with great haste, he thought in his mind: ‘Why must this be a holy one? Perhaps he is leading me into the deep mountains to weary and distress me.’ Just as this thought secretly arose, the monk ahead disappeared. Full of bitter remorse, it took him three days of retracing his steps to reach the mouth of the valley. He then erected a vihāra at the Bishi Stronghold (Refuge-from-the-World Stronghold) to await him. The vihāra still stands today, but it is not known where that monk went in the end.

3.17

Furthermore, in the southwest within the Ku Valley of Mount Zhongnan, also called Hulu Valley (Gourd Valley): formerly, someone felling trees in the mountains came upon a temple with stone chambers and stone gates. Inside the gates were precious vessels, heavy and large beyond measure. Yet he saw no monks, though all the utensils of the saṃgha were fully provided. The man paced back and forth, gazing about to mark the location; taking the gourd he was carrying, he hung it from a tree by the chamber and descended the mountain. He called the villagers to go search for it, but inside the valley, all the trees here and there had gourds upon them, and none could find the trace. Nowadays, mountain-explorers say that the stone gate leaves remain beside a mountain cliff, half sunken into the mountain; though half protrudes, human strength cannot open it. Now this valley is named Ku (Storehouse), and the place is named Tianzang (Heavenly Treasury); hence the government offices and wards at the valley mouth are all named Tianzang. We may surmise that within these mountains, it will only manifest to the worldly realm when Maitreya descends.

3.18

According to another record, the Buddha commanded ninety-nine kotis of great arhats possessing the three knowledges and six supernormal faculties to sustain the true Dharma, comprehensively propagating and protecting it across the three-thousandfold world and the four continents. When human lifespan reaches sixty thousand years, though they encounter the three disasters, the holy ones will temporarily withdraw. When lifespan drops to one hundred years, the holy ones will re-emerge and widely propagate the Buddha's Dharma. In this manner, [lifespans] will gradually increase by thousands and ten-thousands of years, and only at the end of sixty thousand years will they enter nirvāṇa. When lifespans reach seventy thousand years, pratyekabuddhas will appear; when lifespans reach eighty thousand years, the Compassionate Buddha will at last descend.

3.19

Record of Auspicious Scriptures

3.20

The preface says: For the propagation and protection of the Three Jewels, each has its respective domain. The two ranks of Buddha and Saṃgha demonstrate whence master and disciple derive; the single gate of audible teaching is truly the numinous storehouse of transformation and guidance. Thus Buddha and Saṃgha appear and disappear in accordance with the conditions of beings' faculties and consciousness, while the Dharma is constantly present as the means for dispelling afflictions and extinguishing defilements. For this reason, verses spoken upon abandoning the body are forever inscribed on mysterious cliffs, and the textual words of the bequeathed Dharma are gathered together in dragon palaces. Truly, it is through the reverence of the three holy ones relying on the toil of protective nurturing, and through both the unseen and manifest realms bearing their grace, celebrating the excellent method of quieting inversions. Therefore, receiving, holding, reading, and reciting will inevitably call down auspicious portents; practicing as taught will without fail achieve sympathetic resonance. Past events in India are firmly established in common discourse, while observed conditions in the land of China are continually manifold. Shixing cast a scripture into a heap of fire, and the flames were extinguished without burning it; bandits stole birch-bark leaves from a guest hall, and their wrists grew so heavy they could not lift them. In some cases, an entire canon soared to the heavenly mansions; in others, a single volume showed auspicious signs before kings and ministers. In some instances, the seven disasters were averted through it; in others, the two wishes were fulfilled because of it. Such cases are legion; if not related, they would seldom be heard, so I venture to record them by dynasty to present them to later generations. Does not the scripture say? ‘It is given for those of faith; if there is doubt, it is not spoken.’ When a rock opens to let an arrow enter, it is caused by the mind's determination; when water flows yet ice permits passage, doubts of the heart are abruptly resolved. If such things are still commonly handed down among scholars and the vulgar, how much more so for wisdom that breaks through layered emptiness and the Way that transcends all existences! Where the mental compass points, it plumbs the calculations and reaches the infinitesimal; the confluence of causes and conditions is like a shadow following the form, and classes of auspicious signs surpass mere imperial tallies. As its significance should not be kept in obscurity, I have set down and gathered them. Yet when examining past events, most derive from biographies and records: tales of anomalies and unseen omens, displays of marvels and verifiable responses. These are numerous and may be fully examined. Fearing their texts might be difficult to access, I have summarily set forth a few of them, together with what has been examined in present days, to preserve and show that sympathetic resonances indeed have their instances.

3.21

First is an enumeration of the names and circumstances of sympathetic responses:

3.22

Dharmodgata;
Shi Dao'an;
Shi Shengsheng;
Shi Daojiong;
Shi Puming;
Shi Huiguo;
Shi Huijin;
Shi Hongming;
Sun Jingde;
Shi Daolin;
Shi Zhizhan;
Monk of Fanyang and Viewing the Mountain in the East;
Eunuch of the Wei;
Zhou Scripture Ascending to Heaven;
Monk of Yangzhou under the Sui;
Shi Daoji;
Shi Baoqiong;
Shi Kongzang;
Shi Yisu;
Shi Heshi;
District Magistrate Hu Yuangui;
Shi Tanyun;
Shi Sengche;
Nun of Hedong;
Shi Tanyan;
Shi Daoxun;
Shi Zhiyuan;
Yan Gong;
Li Shanlong;
Li Siyi;
Dowager Lady of the Duke of Chen;
Cen Wenben;
Concubine of Su Chang;
Dong Xiong;
Empty Scripture of Yizhou;
Gao Wen;
Cui Yiqi.

3.23

The *Biographies of Eminent Monks* states: During the early Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, there was a novice of Huanglong named Dharmodgata (Tanwujie) who recited the *Avalokiteśvara Sūtra* and cleanly cultivated ascetic practices. Together with twenty-five companions and disciples, he went to seek the Buddha land. Having experienced every desolation and danger, his steadfast resolve grew all the firmer. Once they reached Śrāvastī in India, they encountered a herd of wild mountain elephants along the road. Dharmodgata held the scripture, recited with mindfulness, invoked the name, and took refuge. A lion emerged from the forest, and the elephants fled in panic. Again, a herd of wild oxen came roaring and bellowing, intending to harm them; Dharmodgata took refuge as before, and a great vulture came flying, whereupon the oxen dispersed in alarm. Thus he succeeded in escaping.

3.24

Furthermore, formerly, before the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin, the Śramaṇa Shi Dao'an of Mount Heng, having passed through the turmoil of the Shi-Zhao dynasty, escaped the world in Xiangyang. He wrote commentaries on various scriptures such as the *Prajñā*, *Daoxing*, and *Miji*, resolving doubts and clarifying interpretations across more than twenty fascicles. Fearing they might not accord with reason, he made a vow, saying: ‘If what I have stated does not violate principle, let me behold an auspicious sign.’ He then dreamed of a barbarian man of the Way with white hair and long eyebrows, who spoke to Dao'an, saying: ‘The scriptures you have annotated harmonize exceedingly well with reason. I am not permitted to enter nirvāṇa and dwell in the Western Regions; I shall assist you in widely propagating them. You may set out food [for me] from time to time.’ Later, when the *Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya* arrived, Master Yuan said: ‘The one whom the Upādhyāya dreamed of was indeed Piṇḍola.’ Thereupon, they set up a seat and offered him food, which subsequently became a perpetual rule.

3.25

Furthermore, the Śramaṇa Shi Shengsheng of the Shu Commandery became a monastic with ascetic practices as his primary cause. He served as abbot of Sanxian Temple in Shu, reciting the *Lotus Sūtra* and practicing dhyāna. Once, while reciting the scripture in the mountains, a tiger crouched before him, leaving only when the text was completed. Whenever he chanted and recited, he would constantly see four persons flanking him as attendants. Though advanced in years and frail, he was all the more diligent and zealous, and thus concluded his career, and so on.

3.26

Furthermore, Shi Daojiong of Fufeng went on behalf of his master into Mount Huo in Henan to collect stalactites. Four men entered the cavern; after several li, three men drowned, and their torches also went out. Jiong had always recited the *Lotus Sūtra*, and relying on utmost sincerity, he prayed for deliverance. Before long, he saw a firefly and pursued it, thereby managing to exit the cavern. He frequently performed the Samantabhadra practice of the Way, and on all occasions encountered sympathetic responses: sometimes seeing an Indian monk enter and sit, or seeing a man arrive on horseback, but before words could be exchanged, they would vanish in an instant. Later, he traveled to the Song capital and took the *pratyutpanna-samādhi* as his practice. In the middle of the night, while entering dhyāna, he saw four men driving a carriage who called out for Jiong to board. Without realizing it, he was already on the main highway, where he saw a man sitting on a folding chair with several hundred guards. Seeing Jiong, the man stood up in astonishment and said: ‘I merely sent for you to know the place; why have you wearied yourself by coming?’ The Dharma Master bowed and took leave, and [the man] ordered him escorted back to the temple. Only when knocking on the gate was it opened, and his chamber door was also still closed. The whole assembly revered and submitted to him.

3.27

Furthermore, during the Xiaojian era of the Song dynasty, there was Shi Puming. Having renounced household life at a young age, his disposition was pure and simple; eating vegetarian food, wearing coarse cloth, and taking repentance and recitation as his practice, he recited the *Lotus Sūtra* and the *Vimalakīrti Sūtra*. Whenever he chanted and recited, he had separate robes and a separate seat, never allowing any impurity or contamination. Whenever he reached the ‘Encouragement [of Samantabhadra]’ chapter, he would invariably see Samantabhadra riding an elephant standing before him. When reciting the *Vimalakīrti Sūtra*, he would also hear the sound of music being performed in the sky.

3.28

Furthermore, in the Taishi reign era of the Song dynasty, there was the monk Huiguo of Waguan Temple in Yangzhou. From his youth he disciplined himself with vegetarian food, and recited the Lotus Sūtra and the Daśabhūmika. Once, at a privy, a ghost paid him homage, saying: 'In the past I served as karmadāna for the monastic assembly. Because I acted slightly contrary to the Dharma, I fell among the dung-eating ghosts. May the Dharma master, out of compassion, be willing to help deliver me! Furthermore, in the past I had three thousand cash, buried beneath a persimmon tree. I wish that you take it to create merit.' Thereupon Huiguo told the assembly, dug up the cash, produced copies of the Lotus Sūtra for him, and held a feast. Later, he dreamed that he saw the ghost, who said: 'I have already attained a renewed rebirth, vastly superior to the bitter retribution of former days.'

3.29

Formerly, during the Yongming reign era of the Southern Qi dynasty, there was the monk Huijin of Gaozuo Temple in the capital Yangdu. In his youth he was bold, valiant, and an itinerant knight-errant. At the age of forty, he suddenly realized impermanence; he consequently renounced the household life, ate vegetarian food, and wore cloth robes. He vowed to recite the Lotus Sūtra, applying his mind with bitter toil. Whenever he took up the scrolls, he fell ill. Thereupon he made a vow to produce one hundred copies to repent of his former hindrances. He had just gathered one thousand six hundred coins when bandits came demanding goods. Huijin showed them the sūtra money, and the bandits withdrew in shame. Thereafter he succeeded in completing the hundred copies, his chronic illness also abated, and having recited the sūtra through to the end, his heartfelt wish was fulfilled. Dedicating the karmic merit of this recitation, he vowed to be reborn in Anyang. He heard a voice from the sky telling him: 'Your wish has already been fulfilled; you will surely attain rebirth there.' He consequently died without illness, at the age of over eighty.

3.30

During the Yongming reign era, there was the monk Hongming of Kuaiji, who resided at Yunmen Temple. He made reciting the Lotus Sūtra and performing rites of repentance his regular practice. Every morning his water pitcher would fill itself, for heavenly youths served as his attendants. Moreover, a tiger came into his room and prostrated before his bed, leaving only after a long time. Furthermore, he saw a small boy come to listen to the sūtra, who said: 'Formerly I was a novice at this temple. I stole food from the monastic kitchen, and now I have fallen into the privy. Because I heard the power of the Venerable One reciting the sūtra, I have come to listen. I pray that you will offer an expedient means to free me from this burden.' Ming preached the Dharma for him; only when he comprehended it did he vanish. Later, a mountain spirit came to trouble Ming. Ming seized his waist-cord and tied it up; the ghost apologized, whereupon he released it. Because of this, [trouble] ceased forever.

3.31

Formerly, during the Tianping reign era of the Northern Wei, Sun Jingde, a conscripted soldier of Dingzhou, made an image of Avalokiteśvara while serving at a border post. When his term was completed and he was about to return home to worship and serve it, he was later implicated by bandits. Unable to endure the torture, he falsely confessed to the crime. He was to be executed the next day. That night, weeping tears as he performed rites of repentance, suddenly, as if in a sleep-dream, he saw a śramaṇa teaching him to recite the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra for Saving from Suffering. The sūtra contained the names of various Buddhas, and he was told that reciting it one thousand times would allow him to escape suffering and distress. Jingde suddenly awoke, and everything was completely without error, just as it had appeared in his dream. He then recited it one hundred times. The officials bound him and led him toward the marketplace; he recited as he walked, and as he faced execution he completed the thousand recitations. When the blade struck down, it broke into three pieces; his skin and flesh were unharmed. They changed the blade and struck again, but through three changes of the blade, it broke as before. The supervising official questioned him, and he related the whole affair from beginning to end. They reported the circumstances to Prime Minister Gao Huan, who submitted a memorial requesting his exemption from death. Because of this, it circulated widely in the world; this is the so-called Gao Wang Avalokiteśvara [Sūtra]. When Jingde returned home, he hosted a vegetarian feast and welcomed the image, whereupon he saw three blade marks on the neck of the image. This appears in the Book of Qi.

3.32

At the end of the Tianjian reign era of the Liang dynasty, there was the monk Daolin of Quanlin Temple in Fuyang County. He renounced the household life in his youth and observed strict discipline, reciting the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra. The temple had ghosts and apparitions, but after Lin came to reside there, they ceased. A disciple was crushed by a building, his head sinking down into his chest. Lin prayed on his behalf, and at night he saw two Indian monks pull out the disciple's head; by morning he was completely recovered. Lin also hosted a vegetarian feast for the holy monks, spreading fresh silk upon the beds. When the feast concluded, human footprints were seen upon the silk, all three feet in length. The whole assembly was awed by this miraculous sign of sympathetic resonance.

3.33

Toward the end of the Later Wei, there was the monk Zhizhan of Qizhou, who lived in Xiancao Temple in a deep ravine of Rentou Mountain, north of Mount Tai. He simplified his affairs, spoke little, and birds were not startled when he entered among them. He read and recited the Lotus Sūtra, but people could not fathom his inner practice. When he was about to die, the divine monk Baozhi said to Emperor Wu of the Liang: 'The srotāpanna holy monk of Xiancao Temple in the north will enter extinction today.' When Zhan died, he passed away without distress, each hand extending one finger. An Indian monk said: 'This is the first fruit.' He was subsequently buried on this mountain. Later, when they opened [the grave] to look, only his tongue remained as before. Thereupon they erected a stūpa to mark it. Today the stūpa still stands, and birds and beasts dare not trample upon it.

3.34

Furthermore, there was a monk of Wuhou Temple in Fanyang whose name has been lost. He made reciting the Lotus Sūtra his constant practice. When he first died, he was temporarily interred beneath an embankment. Later, when he was reburied, his skeleton had completely dried out, yet only his tongue remained undecayed.

3.35

Furthermore, in Yongzhou there was a monk who also recited the Lotus Sūtra and lived in seclusion on Mount Bailu, prompting a boy to appear and provide for him through sympathetic resonance. When he died, his corpse was placed beneath a cliff; the rest of the bones dried up, yet only his tongue remained as before. During the time of King Wuling of Qi, people inspecting the mountains east of Bingzhou dug into the earth and saw yellow and white substances; they also saw an object shaped like two lips, within which was a tongue of fresh vermilion red. They reported the matter to the throne. The emperor questioned monastics and laypeople, and the śramaṇa Fashang said: 'This is the incorruptibility of the six sense organs of one who upholds the Lotus Sūtra. Reciting it a full thousand times—is this not its verification?' Thereupon they gathered upholders of the Lotus Sūtra to encircle it and recite the sūtra. As soon as they began to raise their voices, these numinous lips and tongue moved and fluttered at once. All who saw it had their hair stand on end. The matter was reported to the throne, and it was sealed in a stone casket.

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Linked texts (1)

集神州三寶感通錄 — 道宣, Classical Chinese