法苑珠林 98.55

98.55

述曰。自佛法東流已來。震旦已三度為諸惡王廢損佛法。第一赫連勃勃號為夏國。被破長安遇僧皆殺。第二魏太武用崔皓言夷滅三寶。後悔皓加五刑。第三周武帝。但令還俗。此之三君為滅佛法。皆不得久。身患癩瘡。死入地獄。有人暴死見入地獄受大極苦。具如別傳。唐臨冥報記述。

The commentary says: Since the eastward transmission of the Buddhadharma, in Cīnasthāna there have already been three occasions on which wicked rulers abolished and harmed the Buddhadharma. The first was Helian Bobo, who claimed the dynastic title of Xia; having sacked Chang'an, whenever he encountered monks he killed them all. The second was Emperor Taiwu of the Wei, who followed the advice of Cui Hao and eradicated the Three Jewels; later he regretted it and subjected Hao to the five punishments. The third was Emperor Wu of the Zhou, who merely ordered [monks and nuns] to return to lay life. Because these three rulers destroyed the Buddhadharma, none survived for long: their bodies suffered from leprosy, and upon dying they fell into hell. A person who died suddenly witnessed them having fallen into hell, suffering extreme torment, as fully recorded in a separate biography, recounted in Tang Lin's Mingbao ji.