法苑珠林 65.74

65.74

During the Zhou dynasty, at the Great Zhuiyuan Temple in the capital, there was the monk Shi Sengshi, whose secular surname was Cheng, a native of Lingwu in Qiaoyang. From youth he possessed an elegant, broad mind, standing clear and pre-eminent above the crowd. At the end of the Taihe era of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei, he went from the capital to Luoyang. There he met the Tripiṭaka Master Lezhu, who imparted meditation methods to him. Although he was thoroughly versed in the three trainings, he especially regulated his mind through the nine sequential [absorptions]. Therefore, the water of his concentration was limpid and clear, and the grove of his meditation was lush and luxuriant. His transformation of the capital region grew ever more flourishing over time. Suddenly one day at high noon, while the monks were asleep, he personally climbed the tower and rang the bell urgently. The assembled monks came out of their rooms, astonished, and asked the reason. Shi told the monks: 'Let each person quickly prepare incense and fire and hasten to assemble in the hall.' Once the monks had assembled, he further told them: 'Let each person focus the mind on cultivating Buddhist rites, reciting Avalokiteśvara in unison to rescue the south. In the state of Liang, the lecture hall of a certain temple is about to collapse; fearing harm to both monastics and laity, we should together rescue them from peril.' At that time, in the lecture hall of the capital of Yang, a Dharma assembly of doctrinal debate was taking place, and nearly a thousand monastics and laity packed the interior. Suddenly, from the northwest, an extraordinary incense smoke and the sounds of scriptures and instrumental music in the air gathered like clouds, entered through the northern gate of the hall, and went straight out the southern gate. The entire hall rushed out in alarm, forgetting to put on their boots, and pursued the sound together to listen. Once everyone had left, the hall abruptly collapsed, and the great assembly was completely spared, escaping this mortal danger. This was reported to the sovereign of Liang, who dispatched envoys to make inquiries in the Zhou, and indeed it had been as Shi's rescue. The Liang ruler respectfully invited him three times, but the Zhou ruler would not let him go. The Liang ruler bowed from afar, paying the utmost respect, and sent vast gifts of precious gems, three robes made of tree bark, a small desk, whisks, and other utensils. The meditation master distributed all the other items as gifts, keeping only the patchwork robe, desk, and a few items, which are now kept in Chanlin Temple, passed among the monks for safekeeping. On the eighteenth day of the seventh month in the third year of Baoding, he passed away at the Great Zhuiyuan Temple at the age of eighty-eight. The court and the commoners were shocked and grieved; humans and devas changed countenance, and both states mourned. His tomb remains inside the imperial park.