集神州三寶感通錄 3.14

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.’