大唐內典錄 10.55

10.55

At that time in the Shu region there was also the monk Baoqiong, a man of Mianzhu. He left the household with pure and upright discipline, and read and recited the Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, completing one repetition every two days. He had no other techniques, solely making the exhortation of faith in the Buddha his priority. His native district bordered Shifang, and the inhabitants were all of the Five Pecks of Rice sect, never having revered the Buddha from the start. Śramaṇas did not enter their region, so among the elderly, women, and wives, many did not know of [the Buddha]. Qiong wished to deliver them, and waiting until they gathered in assembly, he went there, did not bow, and took a seat. The Daoist partisans all said, "Not bowing to the Heavenly Worthy means you are no śramaṇa." Qiong said, "The heterodox and orthodox paths diverge, and what each reveres is different. Even the heavens bow to me; how could I bow to Laozi?" The assembly's debate grew noisy and tangled. Qiong said, "If I were to bow, it would surely bring shame." Thereupon he made one bow, and the Daoist image together with its pedestal shook and became unstable. He made another bow, and the image together with the pedestal tumbled over, strewn upon the ground. Thereupon the whole assembly bowed to Qiong and converted all at once. They then invited eminent monks from Chengdu to come and transform them. In the eighth year of Zhenguan, he passed away at his dwelling place.