法苑珠林 31.19

31.19

宋偽魏長安有釋曇始。關中人。自出家以後多有異迹。晉孝武太元之末。齎經律數十部往遼東。宣化顯授三乘立以歸戒。蓋高句驪聞道之始也。義熙初復還關中開導三輔。始足白於面。雖跣涉泥水未甞沾泥。天下咸稱白足和上。時長安人王胡。其叔死數年忽見形還。將胡遍遊地獄示諸果報。胡辭還叔謂胡曰。既已知因果。但當奉事白足阿練。胡遍訪眾僧唯見始足白於面。因事之。晉末朔方凶奴赫連勃勃嗟之。並放沙門悉皆不殺。始於是潛遁山澤修頭陀之行。後拓跋燾復剋長安擅威關洛。時有博陵崔皓少習左道猜嫉釋教。既位居偽輔燾所伏信。乃與天師寇氏說燾。以佛化無益有傷民利。勸令廢之。燾既感其言。以偽太平七年。遂毀滅佛法。分遣軍兵燒掠寺舍。統內僧尼悉令罷道。其有竄匿者。皆遣人追捕。得必梟斬。一境之內無復沙門。始閑絕幽深軍兵所不能至。至太平之末。始知燾化時將及。以元會之日。忽杖錫到宮門。有司奏云。有一道人足白於面。從門而入。燾令依軍法。屢斬不傷。遽以白燾。燾大怒自以所佩劍斫之體無餘異。唯劍所著處有痕如布線焉。時北園養虎于檻。燾令以始餧之。虎皆潛伏終不敢近。試以天師近檻虎輒鳴吼。燾始知佛化尊高黃老所不能及。即延始上殿頂禮足下。悔其信失。始為說法明辯因果。燾大生愧懼遂感癘疾。崔寇二人次發惡病。燾以過由於彼。於是誅剪二家。門族都盡。宣下國中興復正教。俄而燾卒。孫濬襲位。方大弘佛法盛迄于今。始後不知所終。

In Chang'an during the pseudo-Wei of the Song period, there was Shi Tanshi, a man from Guanzhong. From the time he left the household life, he had many anomalous traces. At the end of the Taiyuan reign-era of Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, he took several tens of texts of sūtras and vinaya to Liaodong, where he propagated the teachings, explicitly transmitted the Three Vehicles, and established the refuges and precepts. This was indeed the beginning of Gaogouli hearing the Path. In the beginning of the Yixi reign-era, he returned to Guanzhong to guide and instruct the Sanfu region. Tanshi's feet were whiter than his face; although he walked barefoot through mud and water, he was never stained with mud. Everyone under heaven called him the "White-Footed Upādhyāya." At that time, there was a man of Chang'an named Wang Hu. Several years after his uncle died, the uncle suddenly manifested his form and returned, taking Hu on a tour throughout the hells to show him the various karmic retributions. When Hu took his leave to return, his uncle said to him: “Now that you understand cause and effect, you must only serve the White-Footed Aranyaka.” Hu visited all the monks, and saw only Tanshi whose feet were whiter than his face; he thereupon served him. At the end of the Jin, Helian Bobo of the Xiongnu of Shuofang sighed in admiration of him, and released all the śramaṇas without killing any of them. Tanshi thereupon concealed himself in the mountains and marshes, practicing the dhūta austerities. Later, Tuoba Tao recaptured Chang'an, asserting his might over the Guan-Luo region. At that time, there was Cui Hao of Boling, who had practiced heterodox arts from his youth and was envious and hostile toward the Buddhist teaching. Occupying a post as a pseudo-minister, he was trusted and obeyed by Tao. He and Celestial Master Kou told Tao that the Buddhist transformation was of no benefit and harmed the people's welfare, urging him to abolish it. Tao, swayed by their words, wiped out the Buddha-Dharma in the seventh year of the pseudo-Taiping reign-era. He dispatched soldiers in various directions to burn and pillage monasteries, and ordered all monks and nuns within his domain to return to lay life. For those who went into hiding, he sent men to pursue and capture them; whenever caught, they were invariably beheaded. Within the entire realm, there were no longer any śramaṇas. Tanshi resided in seclusion in a deep, secluded place where soldiers could not reach. Toward the end of the Taiping era, Tanshi knew that the time for Tao's transformation was at hand. On the day of the New Year’s Court Assembly, he suddenly arrived at the palace gates leaning on his khakkhara. An official reported: “There is a Daoist whose feet are whiter than his face entering through the gates.” Tao ordered him to be dealt with according to military law, but repeated attempts to behead him caused no harm. They hastily reported this to Tao. Tao was greatly enraged and struck him himself with his personal sword, but his body suffered no injury whatsoever; only where the sword struck was there a trace like a cloth thread. At that time, tigers were kept in cages in the northern garden; Tao ordered Tanshi to be fed to them. The tigers all crouched down and never dared to approach. When the Celestial Master was tested by being brought near the cage, the tigers immediately roared. Tao then realized that the Buddhist transformation was exalted and sublime, beyond what Huang-Lao could equal. He immediately invited Tanshi up into the palace hall, prostrated at his feet, and repented of his misguided trust. Tanshi expounded the Dharma for him, clearly explaining cause and effect. Tao felt great shame and fear, and contracted a virulent pestilence. Next, Cui and Kou both developed foul diseases. Tao held that the fault lay with them, whereupon he wiped out both their families, extinguishing their entire clans. He issued a decree throughout the state to revive the true teaching. Shortly thereafter, Tao died. His grandson Tuoba Jun succeeded to the throne, and only then did he greatly promote the Buddha-Dharma, which has flourished down to the present day. Where Tanshi went afterwards is unknown.