辯正論 7.4.4

7.4.4

常語人云。 佛是小神不足事耳。 每見尊像恒輕誚之。 後因病脚攣。 種種祈福都無効驗。 其友人趙文謂曰。 經道福中灌像福第一。 可試造觀音像俊以病急如言灌像。 像成夢見觀音遂差。 出宣驗冥祥等記）陳範之妻連光曜座（陳玄範妻張氏。 精心奉佛。 恒願自作一金像終身供養。 有願莫從。 專心日久。 忽有觀音金像。 連光五尺高座上。 出宣驗冥祥等記）張導之母吐焰暉盤（張導母王氏。 素篤信。 四月八日齋食感得舍利。 流光出口暉映食盤出宣驗記也）僕射鄭鮮感幽齡續（鮮字道子。 善相法自知命短。 念無以可延。 夢見沙門問之須延命也。 可六齋日放生念善持齋奉戒。 可以延齡得福也鮮因奉法遂獲長年。 出宣驗記也）尚書劉式至念像歸（彭城劉式之。 常供養一像。 無故失去不知所在。 式之夙夜思諐自責。 至念冥通。 經百日後。 其像忽然自見本座。 神光照室。 合家驚喜。 倍復傾心。 出宣驗記）遺民精思懃篤。 珠顏耀彩於眉間（劉遺民彭城人。 少為儒生喪親至孝以聞。 家貧卜室廬山西林中。 多病不以妻子為心。 絕迹往來精思禪業。 半年之中見眉間相。 漸見佛一眼。 及髮際二色。 又見全身。 謂是圖畫。 見一道人奉明珠。 因遂病差。 出宣驗記也）吳王圍寺執僧。 舍利浮光於鉢上（孫皓時有王正辯上事言。 佛法宜滅中國不利胡神。 皓便下詔集諸沙門。 陳兵圍寺欲行誅廢之事。 謂僧會法師曰。 佛若神也。 宜崇之。 若其無靈。 黑衣一日同命。 僧或縊死。 或逃于外。 會乃清齋期七日現神變。 以銅鉢盛水置庭中。 中食畢而曦光暉耀。 忽聞庭鉢鎗然有聲。 忽見舍利。 明照庭宇浮於鉢上。 皓及大眾前看駭愕失措。 離席改容而進。 會曰。 陛下使孟賁之力擊以百鈞之搥。 金剛之質終不毀破。 皓如言。 請先經唄禮拜散花燒香。 高唱丹誠運踔慈氏來津未絕。 則法輪將轉。 徹於靈塗。 威神不少。 宜現今日。 不然則三寶永絕。 言畢壯士渾搥生風。 觀者戰慄而氣竭。 搥碎舍利不損。 光明挺出輝彩充楹。 皓伏投誠勤營齋講。 此塔在建康大市北。 後猶光瑞。 元嘉十九年秋寺剎夜放光明。 鮮紅彩發。 有火光俠四層上從西繞南。 又見一物如雉尾扇。 隨其進止不詳其名。 觀者或值或不值。 二十許日。 都市中咸見剎上有大紫光也。 出吳錄及宣驗記）丁零猖悖射月面而伏誅（宣驗記云。 相州鄴城中有丈六真金立像一軀。 逢丁零單于。 至性兇勃。 無有信心。 乃彎弓射像。 箭中像面血下交流。 雖加瑩飾血痕猶在。 又選五百力士。 挽令仆地。 消鑄為銅擬充器用。 像乃口發大聲嚮烈雷震。 力士亡魂喪膽人皆仆地迷悶宛轉。 怖不能起。 由此賊侶心慚惶懼歸信者眾。 丁零後時著疾被誅而死）赫連兇頑。 被像衣而震死（宣驗記云。 佛佛虜破冀州境內。 道俗咸被殲戮兇虐暴亂殘殺無𢣽。 爰及關中死者過半。 婦女嬰稚積骸成山。 縱其害心以為快樂。 仍自言曰。 佛佛是人中之佛。 堪受禮拜。 便畫作佛像。 背上佩之當殿而坐。 令國內沙門向背禮像。 即為拜我。 後因出遊。 風雨暴至四面暗塞。 不知所歸。 雷電震吼霹靂而死。 既葬之後就[塚-豖+(一/豖)]霹靂。 其棺烈屍出外題背為兇虐無道等字。 國人慶快嫌其死晚。 少時為索頭主沙圭所吞妻子被刑戮。 見簫子顯齊書）拓拔毀寺遍體膿流（魏太武帝。 大毀三寶破壞寺塔。 後數年間通身發瘡膿流遍體。 群臣眾議佛神所為出崔皓傳）宇文廢僧通身瘡潰（周武帝以毀廢三尊。 後於望夷宮發大惡瘡。 經旬不差俄然致逝矣）謝晦破塔瘠病連年（晉錄云。 尚書謝晦未發心之前。 為荊州刺史。 謂寺塔不宜人間。 當移之墎外。 乃自率部下至新寺門。 隊士八十人各持刀斧。

[He] used to say to others, 'The Buddha is but a petty spirit, not worthy of worship.' Whenever he saw a revered image, he constantly mocked and disparaged it. Later, due to illness, his legs became crippled, and various prayers for blessings had no efficacy whatsoever. His friend Zhao Wen said to him, 'In the scriptures on religious paths to merit, casting or bathing an image brings the foremost merit. You might try making an image of Avalokiteśvara.' Because his illness was urgent, Jun followed his words and cast an image. When the image was completed, he saw Avalokiteśvara in a dream, and thereupon he recovered. (From the Xuanyan ji, Mingxiang ji, and other records.) The wife of Chen Fan: continuous radiance illuminated her seat. (The wife of Chen Xuanfan was from the Zhang clan. She devotedly revered the Buddha and constantly wished to make a gold image herself to worship for the rest of her life, but her wish could not be fulfilled. After concentrating her mind for a long time, suddenly a gold image of Avalokiteśvara, five feet high with continuous radiance, appeared upon the high seat. From the Xuanyan ji, Mingxiang ji, and other records.) The mother of Zhang Dao: spouted flames that shone upon the plate. (The mother of Zhang Dao was from the Wang clan and was ordinarily devout. On the eighth day of the fourth month, during a vegetarian meal, her devotion was answered by obtaining a relic: radiant light flowed from her mouth, illuminating the food plate. From the Xuanyan ji.) Vice Director Zheng Xian: moved the unseen realm and had his lifespan extended. (Xian, styled Daozi, was skilled in physiognomy and knew his own life was short. He thought there was no way to prolong it. He dreamed of a śramaṇa who asked him, 'Do you need to prolong your life? You may release living beings on the six fast days, contemplate the good, uphold the fast, and observe the precepts. This can extend your lifespan and bring blessings.' Xian accordingly revered the Dharma and thereby attained long life. From the Xuanyan ji.) Minister Liu Shi: earnest mindfulness caused the image to return. (Liu Shizhi of Pengcheng always worshipped an image. For no reason, it was lost and its whereabouts unknown. Day and night Shizhi reflected on his transgressions and reproached himself. His earnest mindfulness reached the unseen realm. After a hundred days, the image suddenly appeared by itself upon its original seat, its divine light illuminating the room. The entire family was filled with surprise and joy, and redoubled their devotion. From the Xuanyan ji.) Liu Yimin: concentrated contemplation with diligent earnestness; the pearl-like countenance shone with color between his brows. (Liu Yimin was a man of Pengcheng. In his youth he was a Confucian scholar, and after losing his parents he was renowned for his supreme filial piety. His family was poor, so he divined a dwelling in the West Forest of Mount Lu. Suffering many illnesses, he did not concern himself with wife and children; he cut off social intercourse and concentrated his mind on dhyāna practice. Within half a year, he saw the mark between the brows [of the Buddha], and gradually saw one eye of the Buddha, as well as two colors at the hairline. Later he saw the entire body, which he took to be a painting. He then saw a Daoist practitioner presenting a bright pearl, and his illness thereupon recovered. From the Xuanyan ji.) The King of Wu besieged the monastery and seized the monks: relics floated radiant upon the bowl. (In the time of Sun Hao, Wang Zhengbian submitted a memorial saying, 'The Buddhist teaching should be eliminated; the central realm does not benefit from barbarian deities.' Hao immediately issued an edict to assemble all the śramaṇas, arranged soldiers to surround the monastery, and intended to carry out executions and abolition. He said to Dharma Master Senghui, 'If the Buddha is a spirit, he should be venerated. If he has no spiritual efficacy, all those in dark robes shall share the same fate this day.' Some monks hanged themselves, while others fled abroad. Senghui then kept a pure fast, promising a divine transformation within seven days. He filled a bronze bowl with water and placed it in the courtyard. When the midday meal was finished, sunlight shone brightly. Suddenly, a clanging sound was heard from the bowl in the courtyard, and relics were seen shining brightly throughout the courtyard and hall, floating upon the bowl. Hao and the great assembly stepped forward to look, terrified and bewildered. Leaving his seat and changing his expression, he approached. Senghui said, 'Even if Your Majesty employs the strength of Meng Ben to strike it with a hammer of a hundred jun, its adamantine nature will ultimately not be broken.' Hao did as he said. [Senghui] requested to first recite the scriptures, chant praises, pay obeisance, scatter flowers, and burn incense, proclaiming his sincere devotion at the top of his voice and conveying the aspiration that the ferry of Maitreya's compassion would not cease, so that the wheel of Dharma would turn, reaching into the realm of the spirits; if the majestic spiritual power is not small, it should manifest today, otherwise the Three Jewels will be cut off forever. When he finished speaking, the strong man swung the hammer, raising the wind; the onlookers trembled and lost their breath. The hammer was shattered, but the relic was unharmed, its bright light bursting forth and illuminating the pillars with dazzling radiance. Hao bowed down, submitted with sincerity, and diligently organized vegetarian feasts and lectures. This pagoda is located north of the Great Market in Jiankang. Later it still displayed auspicious lights. In the autumn of the nineteenth year of Yuanjia, the monastery pinnacle emitted bright light at night, shining with fresh red colors; flames flanked the four tiers, circling from west to south. A thing like a pheasant-tail fan was also seen, moving along with it, its name unknown. Some onlookers met it while others did not. For about twenty days, all in the capital city saw a great purple light upon the pinnacle. From the Wu lu and Xuanyan ji.) Dingling's reckless insolence: shot at the moon-like face and was put to death. (The Xuanyan ji states: In the city of Ye in Xiangzhou, there was a sixteen-foot true gold standing image. It was encountered by the Chanyu of Dingling, whose nature was utterly ferocious and violent, lacking any faith. He bent his bow and shot the image; the arrow hit the face of the image, and blood flowed down across it. Although it was polished and adorned, the blood traces remained. Furthermore, he selected five hundred strong men to pull it down to the ground, intending to melt and cast it into copper to serve as utensils. The image's mouth emitted a great voice, roaring like thunder. The strong men lost their souls and courage; all collapsed to the ground, unconscious and writhing in agony, terrified and unable to rise. Because of this, the gang of rebels felt ashamed and frightened, and many converted and believed. Later, the Dingling leader fell ill, was executed, and died.) Helian's ferocious obstinacy: wore the image's robes and was struck dead by lightning. (The Xuanyan ji states: When the Bobo barbarians conquered the borders of Jizhou, clergy and laity alike were slaughtered; their ferocious cruelty and violence slaughtered without mercy. Even in Guanzhong, more than half of the people died, and the bones of women and infants piled up into mountains. Giving free rein to his harmful heart, he took it as pleasure. He then declared of himself, 'Bobo is the Buddha among men, worthy of receiving obeisance.' He then had a Buddha image painted and hung on his back; sitting in the hall, he ordered the śramaṇas of the state to bow toward his back to revere the image, which amounted to bowing to him. Later, while out on an excursion, a violent wind and rain suddenly arrived, darkening the four quarters; he knew not where to return. Thunder and lightning roared, and he was struck dead by a thunderbolt. After he was buried, lightning struck his tomb; his coffin split open, his corpse was thrown outside, and upon his back was written 'Ferocious, cruel, and devoid of the Dao,' among other words. The people of the state rejoiced, regretting only that he had died too late. Shortly thereafter, he was annexed by Sha Gui, lord of the Suotou, and his wife and children were executed. Seen in Xiao Zixian's Qi shu.) Tuoba destroyed monasteries: pus flowed over his entire body. (Emperor Taiwu of the Wei extensively destroyed the Three Jewels and demolished monasteries and pagodas. A few years later, sores broke out over his entire body, and pus flowed everywhere. The ministers and masses discussed that this was caused by the spirits of the Buddha. From the Cui Hao zhuan.) Yuwen abolished the saṅgha: sores ulcerated across his whole body. (Because Emperor Wu of the Zhou destroyed and abolished the Three Honored Ones, he later broke out in terrible virulent sores at Wangyi Palace. After ten days without recovering, he suddenly passed away.) Xie Hui demolished a pagoda: emaciation and illness continued for years. (The Jin lu states: Before Minister Xie Hui generated faith, he was the Inspector of Jingzhou. He thought that monasteries and pagodas were not suitable for the human realm and should be moved outside the city wall. He personally led his subordinates to the gate of the New Monastery, accompanied by eighty soldiers each holding knives and axes.)