法苑珠林 17.29

17.29

魏末魯郡釋法力。未詳何人。精苦有志勤營塔寺。欲於魯郡立精舍。而材不足。與沙彌明琛往上谷乞麻。一載將還。行空澤中忽遇野火。車在下風恐無得免。法力倦眠。比寤而火勢已及。因舉聲稱觀。未遑稱世音。應聲風轉火焰尋滅。安隱還寺。又有沙門法智。本為白衣獨行大澤。猛火四面一時同至。自知必死。乃合面於地專稱觀音。怪無火燒舉頭看之。一澤之草纖毫並燼。唯智所伏僅容身耳。因此感悟捨俗出家。又沙門道集。於壽陽西山游行為二劫所得。縛繫在樹將欲殺之。唯念觀音守死不輟。引刀屢斫皆無傷損。劫賊怖走集因得脫。又沙門法禪。山行逢賊。危欲害之。唯念觀音。挽弓射之放箭不得。賊遂歸誠投弓於地。知是神人。怖捨逃逝（右三驗出唐高僧傳）頌曰。

At the end of the Wei, Shi Fali of Lu Commandery—it is unknown what sort of person he was—was pure, austere, and determined, diligently building stūpas and temples. Wishing to establish a hermitage in Lu Commandery but lacking timber, he went with the śrāmaṇera Mingchen to Shanggu to solicit hemp. Having loaded a cart and about to return, while travelling through a deserted marsh they suddenly met with a wildfire. The cart was downwind, and it seemed they could not escape. Fali was asleep from exhaustion; by the time he awoke, the fire was already upon them. He raised his voice and called out 'Guanshi—', before he even had time to utter 'yin'. In response to his voice, the wind shifted and the flames immediately died out, allowing them to return safely to the temple. Furthermore, the śramaṇa Fazhi was originally a layman; walking alone in a great marsh, fierce fires closed in from all four sides simultaneously. Knowing he would surely die, he put his face to the ground and exclusively called upon Avalokiteśvara. Marvelling that he was not burned, he raised his head to look: the grass of the entire marsh was reduced to ashes, leaving only the patch where Zhi lay, just enough to hold his body. Through this he was moved to awakening, renounced the world, and went forth. Moreover, the śramaṇa Daoji was walking in the western mountains of Shouyang when he was captured by two bandits, who bound him to a tree and were about to kill him. He only remained mindful of Avalokiteśvara, clinging to death without ceasing. They drew their swords and struck repeatedly, but none caused any wound; terrified, the bandits fled, and Ji thus obtained release. Also, the śramaṇa Fazhan encountered bandits while travelling in the mountains, who were on the verge of killing him. He was only mindful of Avalokiteśvara. They drew their bows to shoot him, but could not release the arrows. The bandits then submitted with sincerity and threw their bows to the ground, realizing he was a divine person, and fled in terror. (The three verifications above are taken from the Tang Gaoseng zhuan.) The verse says: