法苑珠林 65.63

65.63

秦沙門釋道冏。鄉里氏族已載前記。姚秦弘始十八年師道懿。遣至河南霍山採鍾乳。與同學道朗等四人共行。持炬探究入且三里。遇一深流橫木而過。冏最先濟後輩墜木而死。時火又滅冥然昏闇。冏生念已盡慟哭而已。猶故一心呼觀世音誓願。若蒙出路供百人會表報威神。經一宿而見小光烱然。狀若熒火。倏忽之間穴中盡明。於是見路得出巖下。由此信寤彌深。屢覩靈異。元嘉十九年。臨川康王作鎮廣陵。請冏供養。其年九月於西齋中作十日觀世音齋已。得九日夜四更盡眾僧皆眠。冏起禮拜。還欲坐禪。忽見四壁有無數沙門。悉半身出。見一佛蠡髻分明了了。有一長人著平上幘。箋布袴褶毛把長刀。貌極雄異。捻香授道冏。時不肯受。壁中沙門語云。冏公可為受香以覆護主人。俄而霍然無所復見。當爾之時都不見眾會諸僧唯覩所置釋迦文行像而已。

The Qin śramaṇa Shi Daojiong: His native place and lineage are already recorded in a previous account. In the eighteenth year of the Hongshi era of the Yao Qin, his master, Daoyi, dispatched him to Mount Huo in Henan to gather stalactites. He travelled together with four people, including his fellow student Daolang. Holding torches, they explored and entered about three li. They encountered a deep stream and crossed via a fallen log. Daojiong was the first to cross; those behind fell from the log and died. At that time, the torches also went out, leaving total darkness. Daojiong, thinking his life was over, could only weep bitterly. Still, with single-minded devotion he called upon Avalokiteśvara, vowing: 'If I am granted a way out, I will hold an offering feast for a hundred people to manifest and repay your divine spiritual power.' After one night, he saw a small, bright light, resembling a firefly. In an instant, the cave was fully illuminated. Thereupon he saw the path and was able to emerge from beneath the crag. From this, his faith and awakening grew ever deeper, and he repeatedly witnessed spiritual anomalies. In the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era, Prince Kang of Linchuan was stationed at Guangling and invited Daojiong to receive offerings. In the ninth month of that year, in the western fasting hall, after he had conducted a ten-day Avalokiteśvara retreat, at the end of the fourth watch on the ninth night, while all the monks were asleep, Daojiong arose to pay homage. As he was about to return to sit in meditation, he suddenly saw on the four walls countless śramaṇas, all emerging halfway out. He saw a Buddha with snail-shell curls, clear and distinct. There was a tall man wearing a flat-topped cap, a padded cloth tunic, and trousers, carrying a long sword, of exceedingly magnificent and unusual appearance; rolling incense, he handed it to Daojiong. At that time Daojiong was unwilling to accept it. A śramaṇa in the wall spoke, saying: 'Venerable Jiong may accept the incense on behalf [of the host] to protect the master of the house.' Soon, it suddenly vanished, and nothing more was seen. At that moment, he saw none of the assembled monks at all; he beheld only the processional image of Śākyamuni that had been installed.