法苑珠林 55.39

55.39

The History of Wu says: In the fourth year of the Chiwu reign of Sun Quan, there was a śramaṇa from Kangju named Senghui, whose surname was Kang. He came to the state of Wu, and subsequently elicited relics. Their five-coloured light illuminated heaven and earth; struck with a hammer, they grew only harder; burned in fire, they would not ignite. From the radiant light emerged fire that formed a great lotus flower illuminating the palace halls. Ruler and ministers marveled in astonishment, praising the rare and auspicious sign. For him they established a stūpa and monastery, and ordained people into the monastic life. Moreover, because the teaching was first arising, it was named Jianchu Temple. An imperial decree was issued asking the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Kan Ze, 'How many years has it been since Emperor Ming of the Han? Buddhism entered the Han long ago; for what reason has it only now reached Jiangdong?' Ze said, 'From the initial arrival of the Buddha-Dharma in the tenth year of Yongping under Emperor Ming of the Han until the present fourth year of Chiwu, it has been 170 years. Earlier, in the fourteenth year of Yongping, when the Daoists of the Five Marchmounts contested their powers with Mātaṅga, the Daoists were inferior. The Southern Marchmount Daoists Chu Shanxin, Fei Shucai, and others died of remorse at the assembly. Their disciples returned to bury them at the Southern Marchmount and did not take part in leaving the household life. With no one to disseminate it, and later meeting with the decline of the Han governance and ceaseless warfare, it has taken many years until now for it to begin to flourish and spread.'