道宣律師感通錄 1.15

1.15

I asked again: "Beside the Xiangsi Temple in Fuzhou there are many ancient sites carved with seal inscriptions, but their background is unknown." He replied: "During the era of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a mountain deity whose surname was Luo and given name was Ziming, a man of Shu. Formerly, he was a precept-holding monk who detested those who broke the precepts and made various evil vows: 'Let me, after death, become a powerful ghost and devour precept-breakers!' In accordance with his vow, he took rebirth as this mountain deity, having numerous retinues. The territory he ruled spanned over five thousand li east to west and over two thousand li north to south, and he devoured more than ten thousand people a year. This deity had originally been an elder brother of Kāśyapa Buddha and later became his disciple. That Buddha pitied him and came to teach and transform him through various supernormal transformations, only then subduing him. He begged to receive the five precepts and thereupon recognized his past lives; consequently, he ceased eating people. Fearing that his mind might change later, the Buddha left footprints behind. King Aśoka erected a stupa above them on the mountain summit, and the deity then concealed himself within the rock. The stupa was made by King Aśoka; that deity is still alive today. The temple and stupa below the outer city walls were erected by King Aśoka (these matters appear in the Ritual of Entrustment). At Lingkan Temple within the boundary of Xingning County on the northern mountain of Xunzhou in the Southern Sea, there are many spiritual traces. This was a disciple of the Holy One Mañjuśrī who, having become this mountain deity, committed many evil deeds. Mañjuśrī pitied him and taught him, whereupon he recognized his past lives and requested: 'Please leave traces for me so that I may constantly worship them and become free from all evil.' Mañjuśrī manifested them for him, which are the ones seen today. In the third year of the Zhenguan era, the mountain deity's life ended, and he was reborn in Tuṣita Heaven. Another deity came to reside in this place, who was a relative of the former deity's family by marriage. He committed great evil deeds. The former deity, now born in heaven, pitied him, came down, and requested Mañjuśrī to manifest small traces in order to transform the later deity, who then followed the True Dharma. Therefore, that both large and small traces appear on this mountain today is entirely due to this (these matters appear in the Ritual of Entrustment)."