法苑珠林 83.39

83.39

晉始豐赤城山有曇猷。或云法猷。燉煌人。少居苦行習禪定。後游江左止剡之石城山。乞食坐禪。甞行到一行蠱家乞食。猷祝願竟。忽見蜈蚣從食中跳出。猷快食無他。後移始豐赤城山石室坐禪。有猛虎數十蹲在猷前。猷誦經如故。一虎獨睡。猷以如意扣虎頭訶。何不聽經。俄而群虎皆去。有頃蟒蛇競出。大者十餘圍。循環往復舉頭向猷。經半日復去。後一日神現形。詣猷曰。法師威德既重。來止此山。弟子輒推室以相奉。猷曰。貧道尋山願得相值。何不共住。神曰。弟子無為不爾。但部屬未狎法化。卒難制語。遠人來往。或相侵觸。人神道異。是以去耳。猷曰。本是何神。居之久近。欲移何處去耶。神曰。弟子夏帝之子。居于此山二千餘年。寒石山是家舅所治。當往彼住。尋還山陰廟。臨別執手贈猷香三奩。於是鳴鞞吹角陵雲而去。赤城山有孤巖。獨立秀出干雲。猷搏石作梯昇巖宴坐。接竹傳水以供常用。禪學造者十有餘人。王羲之聞而故往仰。峯高挹致。敬而返赤。城巖與天台瀑布靈溪四明。並相連屬。而天台懸崖峻峙峯嶺切天古老相傳云。上有往精舍。得道者居之。雖有石橋跨㵎而橫石斷人。且莓苔青滑。自終古已來無得至者。猷行至橋所。聞室中聲曰。知君誠篤。今未得度。却後十年自當來也。猷心悵然夕留中宿。聞行道唱薩聲。旦復欲前。見一人鬚眉皓白。問猷所之。猷具答意。公曰。君生死身。何可得去。吾是山神故相告耳。猷乃退還。道經一石室。過中憩息。俄而雲霧晦合室中盡明。猷神色無擾。明旦見人著單衣恰來。曰此乃僕之所居。昨行不在。家中遂致搔動。大深愧怍。猷曰。若是君室。請以相還。神曰。僕家室已移。請留今住。猷停少時。猷恨不得度石橋。後潔齋累日復欲更往。見橫石洞開。度橋少許。覩精舍神僧。果如所說。因燒香中食。食畢神僧謂猷曰。却後十年自當來此。今未得住。於是而返。顧看橫石還合如初。晉太元中有妖星。帝並下勅諸國有德沙門令齋懺悔禳災。猷乃祈誠冥感。至六日旦見青衣小兒來。悔過云。橫勞法師。是夕星退。別說云。禳星是帛僧光。未詳孰是。猷以大元之末卒於山室。屍猶平坐而舉體綠色。晉義熙末。隱士神世標入山登巖。故見猷屍不朽。其後欲往觀者。輒雲霧所惑無得窺也（右此二驗梁高僧傳）。

Under the Jin, at Mount Chicheng in Shifeng, there was Tanyou, also called Fayou, a native of Dunhuang. From youth he lived in ascetic practices and cultivated dhyāna concentration. Later he traveled to the region east of the Yangtze and stayed at Mount Shicheng in Shan, begging for food and sitting in dhyāna. Once, he went to beg for food at the home of someone who practiced witchcraft (gu); after Tanyou finished his dedication of merit, he suddenly saw a centipede leap out of the food. Tanyou ate heartily with no ill effect. Later he moved to a stone chamber on Mount Chicheng in Shifeng to sit in dhyāna. Several tens of ferocious tigers crouched before Tanyou; Tanyou recited the scriptures as before. One tiger alone fell asleep, so Tanyou tapped the tiger's head with his ruyi sceptre and scolded it: “Why do you not listen to the scripture?” Soon all the tigers left. Moments later, pythons and serpents vied to come forth, the largest being more than ten spans around; coiling around and circling back, they raised their heads toward Tanyou. After half a day, they also departed. The next day, a spirit appeared in form, came to Tanyou, and said: “Since the Dharma Master's majesty and virtue are weighty, and you have come to stay on this mountain, this disciple promptly yields his chamber to offer it to you.” Tanyou said: “This poor monk searched the mountains hoping to meet with you; why not dwell together?” The spirit said: “It is not that this disciple is unwilling, but my subordinates are not yet accustomed to the transformation of the Dharma, and it is difficult to restrain them at once. When people come and go from afar, they might infringe upon or offend each other; the paths of humans and spirits are different, which is why I am leaving.” Tanyou said: “What spirit were you originally? How long have you lived here, and where do you wish to move?” The spirit said: “This disciple is a son of the Xia Emperor. I have lived on this mountain for more than two thousand years. Mount Hanshi is ruled by my maternal uncle; I shall go there to dwell, and soon return to the Shanyin Shrine.” When parting, he took Tanyou's hand and presented him with three caskets of incense. Thereupon, beating drums and blowing horns, he soared through the clouds and departed. On Mount Chicheng there was an isolated crag, standing alone and exceptionally steep, brushing the clouds. Tanyou chipped the rocks to make a ladder, ascended the crag to sit in ease, and connected bamboos to convey water for his daily use. More than ten practitioners of dhyāna came to study under him. Wang Xizhi heard of this and purposely went to look up to him; gazing from afar at the height of the peak, he paid his respects and returned. The crags of Chicheng are connected to the Tiantai Waterfall, Lingxi, and Siming; and the hanging cliffs of Tiantai are steep and towering, its peaks cutting into the sky. The elders handed down the tradition that above there was an ancient monastery where those who had attained the Way resided. Although there was a stone bridge spanning the ravine, a horizontal stone blocked people, and the moss was green and slippery, so from antiquity onwards no one had been able to reach it. When Tanyou reached the bridge, he heard a voice from within a chamber say: “We know your sincerity, but now you cannot cross; ten years hence you shall naturally come.” Tanyou felt disappointed at heart and stayed overnight. He heard the sound of circumambulation and chanting of sādhu. At dawn, wanting to proceed again, he saw a man with snow-white beard and eyebrows, who asked Tanyou where he was going. Tanyou answered with his intentions in detail. The elder said: “You possess a body of birth and death; how could you go there? I am the mountain spirit, which is why I inform you.” Tanyou then withdrew and returned. On the road, passing a stone chamber, he stopped inside to rest. Soon, clouds and mist merged in darkness, yet inside the chamber it was completely bright. Tanyou's expression remained undisturbed. The next morning, he saw a person wearing an unlined robe and a qia cap arrive, saying: “This is my dwelling. Yesterday I went out and was not present, which caused a disturbance in my household, for which I feel deeply ashamed.” Tanyou said: “If this is your chamber, please let me return it to you.” The spirit said: “My family has already moved; please remain and dwell here now.” Tanyou stayed for a short while. Tanyou regretted not being able to cross the stone bridge. Later, having purified himself and fasted for many days, he wished to go once more. He saw the horizontal stone opened wide; crossing a little beyond the bridge, he beheld the monastery and divine monks, just as had been said. Thereupon he burned incense and took his midday meal. When the meal was finished, a divine monk said to Tanyou: “Ten years hence you shall naturally come here; now you cannot yet dwell.” Thereupon he returned; looking back, the horizontal stone had closed again as before. During the Taiyuan era of the Jin, an ominous star appeared. The Emperor issued an imperial edict to virtuous śramaṇas in all states, ordering them to fast, perform deśanā, and avert the calamity. Tanyou prayed with sincerity and had a hidden resonance: on the morning of the sixth day, he saw a boy in blue clothes come and repent his fault, saying: “I have troubled the Dharma Master in vain.” That evening, the star retreated. Another account says that the one who averted the star was Bai Sengguang; it is not clear which is correct. At the end of the Taiyuan era, Tanyou passed away in his mountain chamber; his corpse remained sitting upright, and his whole body turned green. At the end of the Yixi era of the Jin, the hermit Shen Shibiao entered the mountain and climbed the crag, still seeing Tanyou's corpse undecayed. Thereafter, whenever people wished to go and view it, they were bewildered by clouds and mist, and none could catch a glimpse. (The above two proofs are from the Liang Gaoseng zhuan.)