法苑珠林 61.15

61.15

"This poor monk has dwelt in Jingzhou for many years. Declining in age and burdened with accumulated ailments, I loathe the clamor of the world; this is why I entrusted myself from afar to the borders of the Min and divined a dwelling on this mound. It lies to the east of Guangyang, a thousand paces from the town. Winding and stretching endlessly, its ridges are layered and its peaks piled high. The ridges open into four ravines; five peaks stand ranged in a row. It embraces the outer ramparts and cradles the town, commanding a view in three directions; backing onto peaks and leaning against mountains, it looks out across the nine river streams. On the twenty-third day of the fourth month of last year, we began the work and laid the first basketful of earth. Arriving here before the winter solstice to inquire, I learned that that very day was the morning when His Majesty ascended the throne like a dragon. Indeed, I have heard that for one whose Dao matches the Supreme Ultimate, auspicious omens manifest of themselves; for one whose virtue equals Heaven and Earth, divine resonance must be made plain. Thus the Yellow River and the Luo River illuminated the portents of the Zhou dynasty, and the spirit stone displayed the omens of the Great Jin. I humbly submit that the verification of this mountain's portents is surely nothing other than the divine resonance of the Emperor of the Qi. The Dānapati's devotion to the state runs deep, so much so that its fortunes coincided with the signs of the times; unable to put this from my mind, how could I neglect the matter? I have ventured to compose a mountain hymn to disclose my humble sentiments. The hymn reads: