法苑珠林 26.34

26.34

晉王練。字玄明。琅耶人也。宋侍中。父珉字季琰。晉中書令。相識有一梵僧。每瞻珉風彩甚敬悅之。輒語同學云。若我後生得為此人作子。於近願亦足矣。珉聞而戲之曰。法師才行正可為弟子子耳。頃之沙門病亡。亡後歲餘而練生焉。始生能言。便解外國語。及絕國奇珍銅器珠貝。生所不見未聞其名。即而名之識其產出。又自然親愛諸梵過於漢人。咸謂沙門審其先身。故珉字之曰阿練。遂為大名云。

Wang Lian of the Jin, whose courtesy name was Xuanming, was a man of Langye. Under the Song, he was Palace Attendant. His father Min, whose courtesy name was Jiyan, was Director of the Secretariat under the Jin. An Indian monk known to him was always deeply respectful and pleased whenever he observed Min's style and demeanor; he would always say to his fellow students, "If in a future life I can become this man's son, it will suffice for my immediate wish." Min heard of this and teased him, saying, "The Master's talent and conduct would indeed be suitable to be my disciple's son." Shortly after, the śramaṇa fell ill and died. More than a year after his death, Lian was born. From the moment he could speak as a newborn, he understood foreign languages, and when shown rare treasures, bronze vessels, and cowrie pearls from distant lands that he had never seen in this life and whose names he had never heard, he immediately named them and knew their places of origin. Furthermore, he was naturally fond of Indians more than Chinese people. Everyone said that the śramaṇa had truly been his former life; therefore, Min gave him the style name Alian, which eventually became his primary name.