法苑珠林 42.78

42.78

Guṇavarman of the Song (rendered in the Qi language as "Seed of Merit") was a prince of Jibin (Kashmir). He left home at an early age and was designated a Tripiṭaka Dharma Master. In the early Song dynasty, he traveled to the central kingdom, preaching and translating a great number of supreme scriptures. His observance of the Vinaya was refined and lofty, without equal. The śramaṇa Huiguan admired his character and virtue, and invited him to come to the capital, where he resided at Jetavana Temple (Zhihuan si). Those who came to visit him at that time suspected he was no ordinary man, yet his spiritual profundity was so deep and arcane that none could fathom it. Once, he accepted an invitation to the Dinglin Temple on Mount Zhong. At that time, many monastics and laity gathered various flowers and spread them under the monks' seats to test and seek out a true person. The flowers beneath the seats of all the other monks withered, whereas the flowers under Guṇavarman's seat were as fresh and blooming as at first. Thereupon, the capital unanimously increased their reverence and awe toward him. On the eighteenth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of the Yuanjia reign, he passed away. He had suffered from no illness whatsoever; he simply sat in the lotus posture, smoothed his robes, and clasped his hands. Over the course of two nights, his facial expression did not change. At the time, some thought he was in deep meditation. Shortly thereafter, a testament left under his mat was found, stating that he had attained the second fruit of a śramaṇa (sakṛdāgāmin); only then did they know he had passed away. When his disciples stood by his side, they all smelled fragrant incense. Over two hundred people from the capital went to attend the assembly. That night, while reciting sūtras, the crowds gathered outside the doorway listening filled the steps. Approaching dawn, in the southwest, clouds surged vigorously. Soon, a creature nearly a bolt of fabric in length circled the corpse and departed. All gathered together witnessed it. Before Guṇavarman died, he composed thirty gāthās and handed them to his disciples, saying that they should be sent and shown to the monks of India. (The above five verifications are taken from the Mingxiang ji.)