法苑珠林 12.99

12.99

In the time of Emperor Wenxuan of the Qi, there was the former master Tongsheng. His family had resided in Liangzhou for generations. At the age of thirteen, he made a vow to travel west. In the fifth month of the third year of the Yuanhui era of the Song, he set out from the capital; by the fifth year, he finally reached the state of Rouran, and advanced further to Khotan. On the day of his departure, there was a monk who brought out a copper casket from a secret chamber and handed it with his own hands to the former master, saying: 'This casket contains a Buddha tooth. It is one inch square and three inches long. You may carry it back to the South to broadly generate benefit.' The former master joyfully received it atop his head as if beholding the Buddha's body. This monk also said, 'I obtained this Buddha tooth in the country of Uḍḍiyāna with exceeding difficulty.' He had also obtained a copper seal bearing the likeness of the king's face, with which he sealed this casket. Later, the former master heard various monks discussing together, saying: 'The country of Uḍḍiyāna has lost the Buddha tooth; we do not know what country's monk of blessing and virtue will obtain it to make offerings.' Having heard this, the former master harbored secret joy within himself and redoubled his respect. Thereupon, he carried it back to Mount Zhong. For fifteen years, although they were close to him, none of his disciples knew. He only showed it secretly to Vinaya Master Faying of Linggen Temple, who bore it upon his head with bitter diligence, revealing what had formerly been heard. A monk from Kucha did not know whether it was authentic or false, and was deeply suspicious of its authenticity. At that time, Prince Wenxuan, the King of Jingling and Minister of Works, had embraced superior wisdom from childhood and set his aspirations on lofty pursuits. His sincere resonance and earnest evidence frequently brought forth divine responses. On the eighth day of the second month in the seventh year of the Yongming era, at a Dharma assembly in the inner hall of his Western Residence, he saw a Buddha coming from the east, his majestic appearance radiant and glorious. Wenxuan gazed upon his person and made prostrations, subsequently standing in attendance. He felt his own cap barely reached [the Buddha's] ankles. The Buddha leaned down and smiled, and presently coughed and spat, white as congealed snow; [Wenxuan] received it with his cupped hands, and it transformed into jade rice. Later, when he was transferred to garrison the Eastern Headquarters, on the twenty-ninth day of the sixth month he dreamed again: he went to Dinglin [Temple] and saw the former master lying down, claiming to be ill. He then asked, 'Birth, old age, sickness, and death—even those with the five supernormal knowledges cannot escape them. Beyond your robes and bowl, Dharma Master, would you be willing to cultivate merit?' [The master] answered, 'In my storehouse is a priceless spiritual treasure. Reverently I entrust it to you; you should take it yourself.' Following his words, he went to seek it and saw that there were caskets and chests; opening and inspecting them in succession, they were mostly sūtras and images. Without seeing the small casket, it was suspended in empty space; taking and opening it, its light and colors were inconstant: at first one would say it was an image, yet it was not an image; having said it was not an image, it was again an image. Wenxuan awoke from the dream, knowing in his heart it was an auspicious omen. The next morning, he immediately dispatched his attendant Yang Tanming to secretly verify the dream: 'There must be an extraordinary treasure in the Dharma Master's storehouse; you should bestow and show it to us.' In the rush of the moment, the former master thought he was seeking worldly rarities, never suspecting it was the tooth, so he drafted an ordinary reply to the message. Continuously reflecting further, he realized it only at midnight. Considering the matter difficult to convey through others, he personally went to the headquarters and fully recounted its origins: 'I showed it only to Vinaya Master Ying alone; no one else knew. Now that the dānapati's spiritual resonance and dark response are verified by evidence, it is truly inconceivable! Since its signs have already manifested, how could I dare long dishonor its majesty and spiritual power so as to neglect the Buddhist affairs? I now respectfully present it for you to make offerings.' After three days, he personally brought it to the Eastern Headquarters. When Wenxuan obtained the tooth, after ten-odd days he dreamed again: suspended in the air, its shape was like an ox horn, more than three feet long, with spiritual radiance shining forth, illuminating his right arm. Presently he beheld a pewter image, also three feet high, blinking its eyes and speaking, praising three times, 'Extremely wonderful!' The former master had also obtained fifteen relics in Khotan and distributed them in various places. When the caityas of Zhiyuan and Chanling were erected, each received a share; he sent one piece to Wenxuan. Wenxuan was then at the Eastern Palace; he immediately took pure water to test its authenticity. Floating in the bowl, in an instant it disappeared. Several tens of monastics and laypersons meticulously searched for it, but could never find it. Searching all around inside and out, everyone was exhausted. Only when Wenxuan exhausted his sincerity in repentance, in an instant, it was suddenly seen on the ground at the previous spot, its light over a foot high, its luminescence brilliant and dazzling. The multitude all beheld it together, and none failed to praise it. As for the two remaining pieces of the former master, each was sealed in a silver casket and inscribed within the chests of his quarters. When he inspected them again later, they were lost together with the caskets. Nearly three years later, when he opened [the chest] to take the Buddha tooth, he suddenly found them again in the original chest: where there were originally two pieces, another had grown and been obtained, making three pieces in total, all in the same place; yet the former silver caskets remained lost. Thus divine transformations cannot be fathomed. Wenxuan had long heard that the West had a Buddha tooth and Buddha hair, and rejoiced with extraordinary depth. Reaching the third year of the Jianyuan era, he petitioned Emperor Gao to dispatch the foreign śramaṇa Dharmatara to seek articles for offerings so as to express his devotion. He also constructed a small-sized jeweled canopy, intending to send it to the Western Regions; yet it was kept behind as if something were to be gained. Soon after, the former master arrived at the capital and indeed brought forth the divine portent; this very jeweled canopy was then turned around to be offered to it. The concordance of the dark principle was not the work of a single day! Later, Wenxuan constructed a jeweled terrace to contain the canopy, and crafted a jeweled repository to store the casket. In serving it with respect and veneration, he poured out his heart and strength. (The preceding affairs are extracted from the Han fa neizhuan, miscellaneous histories, the Biographies of Eminent Monks, and other records.)