法苑珠林 5.101

5.101

西國志云。中印度在瞻波國。西南山石㵎中。有修羅窟。有人因游山修道遇逢此窟。人遂入中見有修羅宮殿處。妙精華乍類天宮。園池林菓不可述盡。阿修羅眾既見斯人希來到此。語云。汝能久住以不。答云。欲還本處。修羅既見不住。遂施一桃與食訖。修羅語言。汝宜急出。恐汝身大窟不得容。言訖走出。身遂增長形貌麁大。人頭纔出。身大孔塞。遂不出盡。自爾已來年向數百。唯有大頭如三碩甕。人見共語具說此緣。人愍語云。我等鑿石令汝身出。其事云何。答云。恩澤。人奏國王。具述此意。君臣共議。此非凡人力敵千人。若鑿令出。儻有不測之意。誰能抗之。因此依舊。時人號為大頭仙人。唐國使人王玄策。已三度至彼。以手摩頭共語。了了分明。近有山內野火燒頭焦黑。命猶不死。西國志六十卷。國家修撰。奉。

The Records of the Western Countries says: In Central India, in the kingdom of Campā, amidst the rocky gullies of the southwestern mountains, there is an asura cave. A man roaming the mountains to practice the Way happened upon this cave. He then entered it and saw an asura palace, its wondrous splendours suddenly seeming like a heavenly palace, with gardens, ponds, groves, and fruits beyond description. When the asura host saw this man, who had rarely come there, they said: "Are you able to dwell here long or not?" He replied: "I wish to return to my original place." Seeing that he would not stay, the asura gave him a peach to eat, and said to him: "You should leave quickly; I fear your body will grow large and the cave will not be able to contain it." Having spoken, the man ran out; his body thereupon grew in size and his appearance became rough and huge. Just as the man's head emerged, his body was so large that the aperture was blocked, and he could not come all the way out. From then on, several hundred years have passed; there is only his large head, like a three-dan jar. People see him and converse with him, and he recounts these circumstances in full. People pity him and say: "What if we chisel away the rock to let your body out?" He replies: "That would be a grace." People reported this to the king of the country, recounting this intention in detail. The lord and ministers discussed it together: "This is no ordinary man; his strength rivals a thousand men. If we chisel him out, and should he harbour unpredictable intentions, who would be able to withstand him?" For this reason, he was left as before. People of the time called him the Big-Headed Immortal. The Tang envoy Wang Xuance has been there three times; stroking his head with his hand, he spoke with him, clearly and distinctly. Recently, a wild fire in the mountains scorched his head black, but his life is still not extinguished. The Records of the Western Countries in sixty fascicles was compiled by the state in accordance with [an imperial decree].