法苑珠林 51.68

51.68

Shi Chaoda of Xingyang in the Wei: His lineage is not known. He was a monk of active practice during the Yuan-Wei dynasty. He possessed much knowledge and understanding and was skilled in incantations. The emperor was especially strict in banning apocryphal texts and prophecies, conducting searches everywhere. Someone falsely accused Chaoda, and he was arrested and consigned to the Xingyang prison. At that time, the Duke of Boling of the Wei investigated and thoroughly interrogated him; Chaoda answered truthfully. The Duke became furious, bound a cart wheel to his neck, and guarded him strictly. Knowing he would not survive, he single-mindedly concentrated on Avalokiteśvara. At the fourth watch of the night, the wheel suddenly vanished, and he saw only that the guards were all in a deep slumber. He therefore ran outside intending to escape far away. But having been bound in prison for a long time, his legs were cramped and stiff, and he could not walk far. At dawn, northern cavalry rode out in all directions in pursuit. Chaoda hurriedly lay prone in the grass. The soldiers and cavalry trampled the grass flat everywhere. Although right beside him, they did not see him; looking up at the northern soldiers' faces, they all had their eyes shielded by leather. Chaoda single-mindedly resigned himself to death and only called on [Avalokiteśvara's] name with devoted sincerity. In the middle of the night the northern soldiers left, and he immediately managed to escape. Furthermore, there was the cleric Sengming, who was the abbot of the Beitai Shiku Temple. When the Wei clan ruled the world, they often suspected śramaṇas of being rebels. The authorities arrested several hundred monks and bound them with fivefold bonds. Sengming, regarded as the leader, was bound tightly with ropes from head to foot, and a time was set at dawn for his execution. Sengming was terrified and single-mindedly contemplated Avalokiteśvara. At midnight, he felt the ropes loosen slightly; secretly rejoicing, his dedication became even more earnest. When dawn came, the ropes had all broken. Having thus escaped, he fled into the mountains. The next morning, the prison warden came looking for him and did not find him, seeing only the severed ropes on the ground. Knowing this was due to spiritual power and not human action, he reported it to the throne. The emperor believed that the cleric had not rebelled and released all of them.