法苑珠林 17.15

17.15

晉郭宣之。太原人也。義熙四年為楊思平梁州府司馬。楊以輒害范元之等彼法宣亦同執在獄。唯一心歸向觀世音菩薩。後夕將眠之際。忽親覩菩薩光明照獄。宣瞻覿禮拜祈請誓願。久之乃沒。俄而宣之獨被恩放。既釋依所見形製造圖像。又立精舍焉。後為零陵衡陽卒官。

Guo Xuanzhi of the Jin was a native of Taiyuan. In the fourth year of Yixi, he served as Marshal in the Liangzhou Administration under Yang Siping. When Yang arbitrarily executed Fan Yuanzhi and others against the law, Xuan was also arrested and imprisoned with him. He single-mindedly turned his refuge to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. On a later night, just as he was about to sleep, he suddenly saw with his own eyes the radiance of the Bodhisattva illuminating the prison. Xuan looked upon it, bowed in worship, prayed, and made vows. After a long while, it vanished. Shortly thereafter, Xuanzhi alone received a gracious pardon. After being freed, he fashioned an image based on the form he had seen, and also erected a vihāra. Later, he died in office in Lingling and Hengyang.