法苑珠林 47.40

47.40

宋京師祇桓寺有釋僧苞。本是京兆人。少在關受學什公。宋永初中游北徐入黃山精舍。復造靜定二師進業。仍於彼建三七普賢齋懺。至第十七日有白鶴飛來集普賢座前。至中行香畢乃去。至二十一日將暮。又有黃衣四人繞塔數匝忽然不見。苞少有志節加復祥感。故匪懈之情因之彌勵。日誦萬餘言經。常禮數百拜佛。後東下京師正值祇桓寺發講。法徒雲聚士庶駢席。苞既初至人未有識者。乃乘驢往看。衣服垢弊貌有風塵。堂內既窄。坐驢韀於戶外。高座釋題適竟。苞始欲厝言。法師便問。客僧何名。答云名苞。又問。盡何所苞。答曰。高座之人亦可苞耳。乃致問數番。皆是先達思力所不逮。高座無以抗其詞。遂遜退而止。時王弘范泰聞苞論義。歎其才思請與交言。仍屈住祇桓寺。開講眾經法化相續。陳郡謝靈運聞風而造焉。及見苞神氣彌深歎伏。或問曰。謝公何如。苞曰。靈運才有餘而識不足。抑不免其身矣。苞甞於路行見六劫被錄。苞為說法勸念觀世音。群劫以臨危之際念念懇切。俄而送吏飲酒共醉。劫解枷得免焉宋元嘉中卒（右此一驗出梁高僧傳）。

In the capital of the Song, at Jetavana Temple, there was the Śramaṇa Shi Sengbao. He was originally a native of Jingzhao. In his youth in the Guanzhong region, he received instruction from the Venerable [Kumāra]jīva. During the Yongchu reign period of the Song, he travelled through northern Xu and entered the Mount Huang Vihāra, where he further visited the two masters Jing and Ding to advance his practice. Thereupon he established at that place a three-seven-day (twenty-one-day) Samantabhadra fasting deśanā. On the seventeenth day, a white crane flew down and settled before the seat of Samantabhadra; it departed only when the mid-day circumambulation with incense was completed. Toward dusk on the twenty-first day, four men in yellow robes circled the stupa several times and suddenly vanished. From his youth Bao possessed resolve and high integrity, which was further reinforced by auspicious omens; hence his unflagging spirit was further stimulated. Daily he recited over ten thousand words of sūtras and regularly performed several hundred prostrations to the Buddha. Later, he went east down to the capital just as lectures were being launched at Jetavana Temple; Dharma followers gathered like clouds, and scholar-officials and commoners sat shoulder to shoulder. Since Bao had just arrived and no one knew him yet, he rode a donkey to go observe. His clothes were soiled and tattered, his appearance weather-beaten by wind and dust. The hall being cramped inside, he sat on his donkey pack-saddle outside the entrance. Just as the lecturer on the high seat finished explaining the title, Bao was about to interject a remark. The Dharma Master immediately asked, “What is the name of this guest monk?” He replied, “My name is Bao (Enfolding).” The master asked again, “What, to the utmost, do you enfold?” He replied, “Even the person on the high seat can be enfolded!” He then posed several questions, all of which surpassed what the mental power of previous masters could reach. The one on the high seat could not counter his statements, and so yielded and withdrew. At that time, Wang Hong and Fan Tai, hearing Bao’s dialectics, praised his talent and intellect and requested to converse with him. They then prevailed upon him to reside at Jetavana Temple, where he lectured on various sūtras and his Dharma transformation continued unbroken. Xie Lingyun of Chen Commandery heard of his reputation and came to visit him; upon seeing Bao’s demeanor, his admiration and respect deepened all the more. Someone asked him, “How is Master Xie?” Bao said, “Lingyun has an excess of talent but a deficiency of discernment; alas, he will not escape disaster in his person!” Once, while travelling along a road, Bao saw six bandits who had been captured. Bao preached the Dharma for them and urged them to be mindful of Avalokiteśvara. Facing a mortal crisis, the bandits were earnest and sincere from thought to thought. Shortly afterwards, the escorting guards drank wine and grew intoxicated together; the bandits freed themselves from the cangues and escaped. He passed away during the Yuanjia reign period of the Song. (This one verification comes from the Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks.)