法苑珠林 39.21

39.21

白馬寺。在建康中。黃里。太興二年。晉中宗元皇帝起造。昔外國王欲滅佛法。宣令四遠毀壞塔寺。次招提寺忽有一白馬從西方來。繞塔悲鳴。騰躍空中。或復下地。一日一夜鳴聲不絕。以事白王。王潛下淚深自愧責。即勅普停。已毀之塔並更修復。由此白馬大法更興。因改招提為白馬。此寺之號亦取是名焉。

Baima Temple is in Huang Ward in Jiankang. In the second year of the Taixing era, Emperor Yuan, Temple Name Zhongzong, of the Jin founded it. Formerly, a foreign king wished to destroy the Buddha-Dharma and proclaimed orders far and wide to demolish stupas and temples. When they reached Zhaoti Temple, a white horse suddenly came from the west, circumambulated the stupa whinnying mournfully, leaped into the air, and then descended to the ground, its cries not ceasing for a day and a night. When the matter was reported to the king, the king secretly shed tears and deeply reproached himself with shame; he immediately decreed an absolute cessation and ordered that the stupas that had already been destroyed all be repaired. Because of this white horse, the Great Dharma flourished once more; thus Zhaoti was changed to Baima, and the name of this temple was also derived from this.