法苑珠林 13.29

13.29

東晉周玘。字宣佩。義興陽羨人。晉平西將軍處之第二子也。位至吳興太守。家世奉佛。其女尤甚精到。家僮捕魚。忽見金光溢川映流而上。當即下網得一金像。高三尺許。形相嚴明浮水而住。牽排不動。馳往白玘。玘告女。乃以人船送女往迎。遙見喜心禮而手挽。即得上船。在家供養。女夕夢佛左膝痛。覺看像膝果有穿處。便截金釵以補之。玘後以女適吳郡張澄。將像自隨。言歸張氏。後病卒。乃見女在城牆上姿飾逾於平日。內外咸覩。俄而紫雲下迎。遂上昇空。極目乃沒。澄曾孫事接戎旅平討孫恩之亂。久廢齋戒。不覺失像。而光尚在。舉家懺悔祈求備至。有一老嫗齎詣賣之。索價極少。識是前像方欲雇直。失嫗所在。此像遂亡。光在張家云。

In the Eastern Jin, Zhou Qi, courtesy name Xuanpei, was a native of Yangxian in Yixing. He was the second son of Zhou Chu, General Who Pacifies the West in the Jin. His rank reached governor of Wuxing. For generations his family had venerated the Buddha. His daughter was especially devout and sincere. A household servant was catching fish when he suddenly saw golden light filling the river, shining against the current as it moved upstream. Immediately casting his net, he obtained a golden image about three feet tall. Its features were majestic and bright, floating and staying upon the water, neither pulled nor pushed away. He galloped off to report this to Qi. Qi told his daughter, who was sent with men and a boat to welcome it. Seeing it from afar with a joyful heart, she bowed and pulled it with her hands, whereupon it was brought aboard the boat. She made offerings to it at home. In the night, the daughter dreamed that the Buddha's left knee was in pain. Waking up to look at the image's knee, there indeed was a puncture. She then cut a golden hairpin to repair it. Qi later gave his daughter in marriage to Zhang Cheng of Wu Commandery. She took the image with her when she married into the Zhang clan. Later she fell ill and died. People then saw the daughter on the city wall, her attire and appearance far exceeding ordinary days, seen by all inside and out. Soon a purple cloud descended to welcome her, and she ascended into the sky, disappearing beyond the reach of sight. Cheng's great-grandson was involved in military affairs during the pacification of the rebellion of Sun En, and had long abandoned the vegetarian fasts and precepts. Without his realizing it, the image was lost, but the light remained. The entire family repented and made entreaties to the utmost. An old woman arrived carrying it for sale, asking for an extremely low price. Recognizing it as the former image, just as they were about to pay the price, they lost sight of where the old woman was. This image was thereupon lost, though the light is said to have remained in the Zhang family.