法苑珠林 28.27

28.27

The Jin śramaṇa Fotiao was of unknown homeland. He came and went from Changshan for many years. In his conduct he was pure and simple, unaffected by rhetorical ornament, and the people of the time all esteemed him for this. In Changshan there were two brothers who were devotees of the Dharma. They lived a hundred li from the temple. The elder brother's wife fell gravely ill, and they brought her in a cart to stay beside the temple so she would be close to medicine and doctors. As the elder brother revered Fotiao as his master, he spent morning and afternoon in the temple, asking counsel and practicing the Way. One day, Fotiao suddenly went to their home. The younger brother asked in detail about his sister-in-law's suffering and also enquired after his elder brother's well-being. Fotiao said, 'The invalid is somewhat better, and your brother is as usual.' After Fotiao left, the younger brother also mounted a horse and followed on to the temple. When he mentioned that Fotiao had visited that morning, the elder brother was shocked and said, 'The Master has not left the temple at all this morning. How could you have seen each other?' The brothers both questioned Fotiao, but Fotiao smiled and did not answer, so they all marveled at it. Fotiao would sometimes go alone into the deep mountains for over half a year, carrying only several pecks of dried provisions, and when he returned there was always food left over. A man once accompanied Fotiao on a journey through the mountains. After several tens of li, night fell and it snowed heavily. Fotiao entered a stone grotto, which was a tiger's den, to spend the night. The tiger returned and lay across the front of the cave. Fotiao addressed it, saying, 'I have taken your dwelling, and feel ashamed—what shall we do?' The tiger drooped its ears and walked down the mountain. The man who had followed him was terrified. Fotiao foresaw the time of his own death, and people from near and far all arrived. He then pronounced his farewell: 'Heaven and earth, long as they endure, still face decay and ruin; how much more so people and things—how could they remain forever? If one can purge the three taints and focus one's mind upon true purity, though bodily appearances may differ, their spiritual meeting will surely be the same.' The assembly all shed tears. Fotiao returned to his cell, sat upright, covered his head with his robes, and passed away quietly. Several years after his death, eight of Fotiao's lay disciples went into the western mountains to gather timber. Suddenly they saw Fotiao upon a high cliff, his clothes bright and clean, his countenance joyous and relaxed. In joyful surprise they made prostrations and asked, 'Master, are you still here?' He answered, 'I am always at ease.' He questioned them in detail about news of old acquaintances, and after a good while he departed. The eight men abandoned their task, returned home, and told their fellow practitioners. As the assembly had no way to verify this, they dug up the grave together and opened the coffin, but did not find his corpse.