法苑珠林 18.31

18.31

唐釋道裕者。不測所住。游行醴泉山原誦法華為業。乃數千遍。至貞觀年因疾將終。告友人慧廓禪師曰。比雖誦經意望有驗。若生善道舌根不朽可為埋之十年發出。若舌朽滅知誦無功。若舌如初為起一塔生俗信敬。言訖而終。至十一年依言發之。身肉都盡唯舌不朽。一縣士女咸共戴仰。乃函盛舌本起塔於甘谷岸上。

During the Tang, Shi Daoyu—whose residence was unknown—wandered the mountain plains of Liquan, making the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra his practice, having recited it several thousand times. In the Zhenguan era, due to illness he was about to die. He told his friend Dhyāna Master Huikuo, "Lately, although I have recited the sūtra, I hope for verification: if I am reborn in a good destiny, the root of my tongue will not decay, and you may bury me and unearth me after ten years; if the tongue is decayed and destroyed, know that my recitation was without merit; if the tongue is as before, build a pagoda for me to generate faith and reverence in the laity." Having finished speaking, he died. In the eleventh year, they unearthed him according to his words: the flesh of his body was completely gone, and only the tongue was undecayed. The gentlemen and ladies of the whole county all revered him. Thereupon, encasing the root of the tongue in a box, they built a pagoda on the bank of the Gangu.