法苑珠林 65.77

65.77

During the Tang dynasty, the monk Zhicong of Qixia Temple on Mount She in Runzhou—it is not known where he was from. Formerly he resided at Baima Temple in Yangzhou, and later crossed the river to reside at Anle Temple in Yangzhou. After the Daye era collapsed, he had no means of returning, so he hid among the river reeds and recited the Lotus Sūtra. For seven days he felt no hunger. There were always tigers circling him, yet they did not eat him for several days. Cong said, 'My life is momentary; you should eat me.' A tiger suddenly spoke: 'In the making of heaven and the setting up of earth, there has never been such a principle.' Suddenly there was an old man, about eighty years of age, carrying a boat under his arm. The old man said, 'If the master wishes to cross the river to dwell at Qixia, you may board the boat at once.' Tears streamed from the eyes of the four tigers all at once. Cong said, 'Rescuing the imperiled and supporting those in difficulty is precisely for today. We may receive the four tigers.' Thereupon they made a auspicious crossing and arrived at the southern bank; the boat and the old man were nowhere to be seen. Cong led the four tigers to the west of the Śarīra Stūpa at Qixia, where he practiced walking and seated meditation, vowing never to lie down to sleep. His eighty disciples none left the compound. If there was any untoward event, one tiger would enter the temple and roar loudly to alert the assembly; by this they were awakened, and it was always the standard practice. On the eighth day of the fourth month in the twenty-third year of Zhenguan, after finishing his morning meal, he went to Zhiguan Temple to take leave of the assembly, returned to his room, and passed away seated peacefully. An extraordinary fragrance filled the entire walled town of Danyang. He was ninety-nine years old. (These four miracles are from the Tang Gaosengzhuan.)