法苑珠林 31.15

31.15

西晉慈州郭下安仁寺西。劉薩何師廟者。昔西晉之末。此鄉本名文成郡。即晉文公避地之所也。州東南不遠。高平原上有人名薩何。姓劉氏。其廟壯麗備盡諸飾。初何在俗不異於凡。常懷殺害全不奉法。何因患死却蘇曰。在冥道中見觀世音。曰。汝罪重應受苦。念汝無知且放令活。雒下齊城丹陽會稽。並有育王塔。可往禮拜得免先罪。何得活已。改革前習土俗無佛。承郭下有之便具問已。方便開喻通展仁風。稽胡專直信用其語。每年四月八日大會平原。各將酒餅及以淨供。從旦至中酣飲戲樂。即行淨供。至中便止。過午已後。共相讚佛。歌詠三寶。乃至于曉。何遂出家。法名慧達。百姓仰之敬如佛想。然表異迹生信逾隆。晝在高塔為眾說法。夜入繭中以自沈隱。旦從繭出初不寧舍。故俗名為蘇何聖。蘇何者稽胡名繭也。以從繭宿故以名焉。故今彼俗村村佛堂。無不立像名胡師佛也。今安仁寺廟立像極嚴。土俗乞願華香不一。每年正月輿巡村落。去住自在不惟人功。欲往彼村兩人可舉。額文則開顏色和悅。其村一歲死衰則少。不欲去者十人不移。額文則合色貌憂慘。其村一歲必有災障。故俗至今常以為候。俗亦以為觀世音者。假形化俗故名慧達。有經一卷。俗中行之。純是胡語。讀者自解。故黃河左右磁隰嵐石丹延綏銀。八州之地無不奉敬。皆有行事如彼說之。然今諸原皆立土塔。上施栢剎繫以蠶繭。擬達之栖止也。何於本鄉既開佛法。東造丹陽諸塔禮事已訖。西趣涼州番禾御谷禮山出像。行出肅州酒泉郭西沙磧而卒。形骨小細狀如葵子。中皆有孔可以繩連。故今彼俗有災障者。就磧覓之。得以凶亡不得吉喪。有人覓既不得。就左側觀音像上取之。至夜便失。明旦尋之。還在像手。故土俗以此尚之。

To the west of Anren Temple in the suburbs of Cizhou from the Western Jin stands the shrine of Master Liu Sahe. Formerly, at the end of the Western Jin, this township was originally named Wencheng Commandery, which was the place where Duke Wen of Jin took refuge. Not far southeast of the prefecture, upon a high plain, there was a man named Sahe, surnamed Liu. His shrine is magnificent and complete with all adornments. At first, when Sahe lived as a householder, he did not differ from ordinary mortals: he constantly harboured thoughts of killing and utterly failed to uphold the Dharma. Sahe subsequently died of an illness, but after reviving he said: “In the nether realms, I saw Avalokiteśvara, who said: ‘Your sins are heavy, and you ought to suffer torment. Taking pity on your ignorance, I shall temporarily release you and let you live. In Luoxia, the city of Qi, Danyang, and Kuaiji, there are King Aśoka stupas in all these places. You may go worship them, and you will be able to escape your previous sins.’” After Sahe was restored to life, he reformed his former habits. The local customs were devoid of the Buddha; hearing that there was one in the suburbs, he promptly inquired fully. He skilfully explained and instructed, broadly displaying the benevolent breeze [of the teachings]. The Jihu barbarians were straightforward and upright, and they trusted and believed his words. Every year on the eighth day of the fourth month, a great assembly was held on the plain. Each brought wine, cakes, and pure offerings. From dawn until noon they drank heartily and revelled in music, and then presented the pure offerings; upon reaching noon, they stopped. After midday, they praised the Buddha together, singing hymns to the Three Jewels until dawn. Sahe then left the household life, receiving the Dharma name Huida. The common folk looked up to him, revering him as though he were the Buddha. Moreover, as he manifested anomalous traces, their arising faith grew ever deeper. By day, he expounded the Dharma to the multitude atop a high stupa; by night, he entered inside a silkworm cocoon to sink into seclusion. In the morning, he emerged from the cocoon, never resting in a lodging. Thus the folk called him "Suhe the Saint." “Suhe” is the Jihu name for a cocoon; because he lodged inside a cocoon, they named him after it. Therefore, at present, among their local customs, there is not a single village Buddhist hall that does not erect an image named the “Barbarian Master Buddha.” At present, the image erected in the shrine of Anren Temple is exceedingly majestic; the prayers, flowers, and incense of the local populace are manifold. Every year in the first month, it is carried in a palanquin to tour the villages, its departure and staying occurring at will and not depending on human effort. When it wishes to go to a certain village, two men can lift it; the creases on its forehead open, and its facial expression becomes mild and pleased. In that village, deaths and misfortunes will be few for the year. If it does not wish to go, ten men cannot move it; the creases on its forehead close, and its countenance looks sorrowful and grim. In that village, there will certainly be calamities and obstacles for the year. Thus the folk to this day constantly take this as an omen. The folk also consider him to be Avalokiteśvara, who adopted a guise to transform the world, hence named Huida. There is a scripture in one fascicle circulating among the populace, entirely in the barbarian tongue; those who read it comprehend it naturally. Therefore, along both banks of the Yellow River, across the territories of the eight prefectures of Ci, Xi, Lan, Shi, Dan, Yan, Sui, and Yin, none fail to revere it; all observe practices as expounded therein. Moreover, at present, earthen stupas are erected on all the plains, atop which cypress masts are placed and tied with silkworm cocoons, imitating Huida’s dwelling place. After opening up the Buddha-Dharma in his native land, Sahe travelled east to make offerings and pay homage at the various stupas of Danyang. That completed, he headed west to Liangzhou, where he paid homage to the mountain that produced the image at Yugu in Fanhe. Passing west of the desert suburbs of Jiuquan in Suzhou, he died. His bodily bones were minute and slender, shaped like mallow seeds, and all had holes through the center so that they could be strung together with cord. Therefore, at present, whenever the locals suffer calamities and obstacles, they go to the desert to search for them: finding one means an inauspicious death [for the afflicted], while failing to find one means an auspicious outcome. Once, a person who could not find one took one from the hand of the Avalokiteśvara image on the left. By nightfall, it was lost; when he looked for it the next morning, it had returned to the image’s hand. The local populace respects it all the more because of this.