集沙門不應拜俗等事 3.29

3.29

Under the Wei house of the Central Plains, through ten or more rulers over one hundred fifty-five years, the Buddha-Dharma flourished widely, as fully documented in the fine history by Wei Shou. Only in the seventh year of the Taiping Zhenjun era of Emperor Taiwu did he heed slander and destroy the Dharma; after five years he was stricken with leprosy and died, whereupon the Buddha-Dharma was revived again, lasting down to Emperor Jing. Since the Jin lost control of the Central Plains and the regions south of the Yangtze, emperors declared themselves across sixteen kingdoms (namely, the Five Liang, Four Yan, Three Qin, Two Zhao, Xia, and Shu); none of these illegitimate regimes fell short in their faith in the Dharma. Only Helian Bobo, who occupied Xia Prefecture, was ferociously cruel and insatiable, taking delight in killing: he wore an image on his back and ordered monks to bow to it. Later he was struck dead by thunder, and his realm was soon swallowed up by the Northern Dai. The carving and mutilation of his wife and children are fully described in Xiao Zixian's Book of Qi.