法苑珠林 98.55

98.55

The commentary says: Since the eastward transmission of the Buddhadharma, in Cīnasthāna there have already been three occasions on which wicked rulers abolished and harmed the Buddhadharma. The first was Helian Bobo, who claimed the dynastic title of Xia; having sacked Chang'an, whenever he encountered monks he killed them all. The second was Emperor Taiwu of the Wei, who followed the advice of Cui Hao and eradicated the Three Jewels; later he regretted it and subjected Hao to the five punishments. The third was Emperor Wu of the Zhou, who merely ordered [monks and nuns] to return to lay life. Because these three rulers destroyed the Buddhadharma, none survived for long: their bodies suffered from leprosy, and upon dying they fell into hell. A person who died suddenly witnessed them having fallen into hell, suffering extreme torment, as fully recorded in a separate biography, recounted in Tang Lin's Mingbao ji.