法苑珠林 97.53

97.53

漢令支縣有孤竹城。古孤竹之國也。靈帝光和元年。遼西人見遼水中有浮棺。欲斫破之。棺中人語曰。我是伯夷之弟孤竹君也。海水壞我棺槨。是以漂流。汝斫我何為。人懼不敢斫。因為立廟祠祀。吏民有欲發視者。皆無何而死。

In the Han dynasty, Lingzhi county had the city of Guzhu, the ancient state of Guzhu. In the first year of the Guanghe reign period of Emperor Ling, a person from Liaoxi saw a floating coffin in the Liao River and wanted to hack it open. A person inside the coffin spoke, saying: 'I am the Lord of Guzhu, the younger brother of Boyi. The seawater damaged my coffin, and so I have drifted here. Why would you hack at me?' Terrified, the people dared not hack it. Consequently, they built a shrine to sacrifice to him. When officials or commoners wished to open and look upon it, they all died without apparent cause.