The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection

Author: Master Hongzan

(The upper volume of The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection contains scriptures devoted to the Bodhisattva Guanyin; this article lists only the table of contents.)

Preface to the Photographic Reprint of The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection

If we look to the Buddhist teachings, the Bodhisattva Guanyin attained full Buddhahood eons ago, under the title Tathāgata of the Right Dharma. Driven by a profound vow of compassion, she reversed her course to pilot the vessel of mercy, stepping back to assist Amitābha Buddha of the Lotus Pure Land and Śākyamuni Buddha of this Sahā world, saving sentient beings from the sea of suffering. The sacred traces of her responsive manifestations could indeed fill countless libraries. In the early years of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the monk Master Hongzan of Dinghu Mountain in eastern Guangdong, while practicing Chan meditation there, sought to repay his parents' kindness. He devoutly painted an image [of Guanyin] and performed repentance rituals, evoking a vision of the Bodhisattva holding a lotus and radiating light, witnessed by monastics and laypeople alike. He then delved into the Tripiṭaka, examined biographies, and drew on his own observations and hearsay to compile The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection, which was carved into woodblocks and published—now over three centuries ago. The collection is divided into three volumes. The upper volume contains scriptures: it opens with Master Zhiyi of Tiantai's Profound Meaning of the Universal Gate Chapter, followed by excerpts from the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra, the Sūtra of the Prediction of Guanyin and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī Sūtra, the Universal Gate Chapter of the Bodhisattva Guanyin from the Lotus Sūtra, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Flower Garland Sūtra, the Infinite Life Sūtra, the Heart Dhāraṇī of the Eleven-Faced [Guanyin], the Sūtra of the Precious King of Adornment, the Sūtra of Invoking Guanyin to Subdue Poison and Harm, and others, most of them abridged. The middle and lower volumes cover responsive manifestations. The middle volume records accounts beginning with the great merchant of the Indian kingdom of Jaṅgoda, then Liu Sahe of the Jin and Qin dynasties, the monk Sengbao of the Song Dynasty, Wang Xuanmo of the Wei Dynasty, the monk Falin of the Qi Dynasty, the Great Being Baozhi of the Liang Dynasty, through to the monk Huigong of the Sui Dynasty—seventy-four entries in all. The lower volume records accounts from the monk Tanzang of the Tang Dynasty, the monk Yiji of the Song Dynasty, the monk Mengrun of the Yuan Dynasty, Liu Mingxian of the Ming Dynasty, through to Deng Chengzhao of the Qing Dynasty—eighty-four entries. Together they total 158 entries, six of which are citations of important texts rather than accounts of responsive manifestations.

Elder Sun Shanzhi of Hangzhou preserved a woodblock reprint funded by Qin Chuanji in the wùshēn year of Kangxi, and in the autumn of the wùxū year of the 47th year of the Republic [1958], he graciously lent it to me. Though well past eighty, he passed away shortly after in Taichung. I have treasured this rare volume like a sacred jade disc, long intending to photographically reprint it to promote and illuminate the Buddha Dharma, in memory of the elder. Now, at just the right moment, Layman Le Chonghui of Beiping readily agreed to publish it under the name of the Mahāyāna Vihāra Sūtra Printing Society, listed as the twenty-first entry in the Buddhist Studies section of the Religion category of the Chinese Grand Encyclopedia. The conditions had ripened—truly a most auspicious event! From the late Qing through the early Republican era, many works dedicated solely to recording Guanyin's responsive traces followed Master Hongzan's volume: Zhou Kefu's Record of Verified Experiences of Guanyin, Xu Zhijing's Hymns to Guanyin's Original Deeds and Responsive Manifestations, Nie Yuntai's Record of Miraculous Responses of Guanyin, Wan Shuhao's Record of Extraordinary Occurrences of Guanyin, You Xiyin and Ding Zhongyou's Record of Inspirational Responses of Guanyin, Li Yuanjing's Newly Compiled Record of Inspirational Responses of Guanyin and Recent Records of Inspirational Responses—all widely circulated. Master Yinguang praised Li's compilation as "the definitive collection of Guanyin's inspirational responses, which can serve as a reliable guide for all who believe in and recite [Guanyin's name]." More recently, Layman Mao Lingyun (Tiyuan) renewed a great vow, gathering accounts of contemporary responsive traces into a Sequel to the Record of Inspirational Responses of Guanyin, published by the Taiwan Sutra Printing Office. All these authors, in gathering their material, paid close attention to the provenance of each account, each building on earlier works to make them richer and more refined, complementing one another to greater effect. This is ample proof that the bond between the sacred and the faithful never fails to manifest wherever [Guanyin] is invoked. In these troubled times, the Bodhisattva's compassionate clouds spread ever wider, extending mercy to all sentient beings drowning in suffering. Once this collection circulates, readers can survey and synthesize it, drawing lessons from the past to illuminate the present, and its benefits will be boundless. "All who see or hear of it will together board the precious raft of prajñā; all who turn to it or revere it will together enter the fearless grove of compassion." How could we not offer fragrant petals in dedication? As the printing nears completion, I have briefly set down the circumstances behind this publication at the front of the volume.

June 25, 1977 (the 66th year of the Republic of China), Zhou Bangdao of Ruijin, at the Hall of Half a Pot and One Bowl in Neihu, Taipei.

Volume One of The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection (Table of Contents Only)

Profound Meaning of the Universal Gate Chapter (composed by Master Zhiyi of Tiantai) | Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra | Sūtra of the Prediction of Guanyin and Mahāsthāmaprāpta | Great Compassion Dhāraṇī Sūtra | Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin | Śūraṅgama Sūtra | Flower Garland Sūtra | Infinite Life Sūtra (Sūtra of the Buddha's Discourse on the Contemplation of Infinite Life) | Sūtra of the Eleven-Faced Divine Spell (Heart Dhāraṇī of the Eleven-Faced [Guanyin]) | Sūtra of the Precious King of Adornment (Mahāyāna Sūtra of the Precious King of Adornment) | Sūtra of Invoking Guanyin (Sūtra of Invoking the Bodhisattva Guanyin to Subdue Poison and Harm) | Volume Two of The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection

△ India (Tianzhu)

○ The Great Merchant Long ago, in the kingdom of Jaṅgoda, there was a great merchant who worshipped heavenly deities, offering sacrifices to seek blessings. He looked down on the Buddha Dharma and did not believe in cause and effect. Later, he led a group of merchants on a trading voyage across the South Sea. They were caught in a storm and lost their way, drifting on the waves for three years. Their supplies ran out; they could barely feed themselves. The people aboard couldn't plan for the next day. They all joined forces with one heart, praying to the heavenly deities they worshipped, but their efforts were in vain—no divine aid came. Suddenly they spotted a great mountain with steep cliffs and towering peaks, and two suns shining side by side, flooding everything with brilliant light. The merchants comforted one another: "We're in luck to have found this great mountain. We should land here and live in peace." The merchant leader said, "That's no mountain—it's a makara fish. The steep cliffs and towering peaks are its fins and mane; the two suns are its eyes." Even before he finished speaking, the wind drove their sails into chaos. The merchant leader then told his companions: "I've heard that the Bodhisattva Guanyin can bring peace and safety in the direst perils. We should each call her name with the utmost sincerity." They all called out and took refuge in her name in unison. The great mountain vanished, and the two suns disappeared. Then they saw a monk—serene and composed, holding a khakkhara staff—flying through the air to rescue them. Before long they arrived home. From then on their faith in the Dharma was firm and unwavering. They sought blessings without wavering, built a stūpa, and made offerings.

○ The Miraculous Image on Solitary Mountain In the kingdom of Magadha in central India, two or three li south of the Kāpote monastery, stands Solitary Mountain. The mountain is tall and steep, thickly forested, with rare flowers and clear streams cascading down the cliffs into the ravines. On its summit are many shrines and hermitages, exquisitely carved and adorned. In the central shrine is an image of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Though small in stature, its spiritual presence inspires awe. It holds a lotus in one hand and bears a Buddha image on its crown. There were always people undertaking fasting vows, resolved to see the Bodhisattva. After seven days, fourteen days, or even a month, those with genuine spiritual affinity would see the Bodhisattva Guanyin emerge from the image—sublime in form, radiant with brilliant light—to console and instruct them. Long ago, the king of Siṃhala in the South Sea looked into a mirror at dawn and saw not his own reflection but a small mountain in the Tāla grove of Magadha in Jambudvīpa, upon which stood this very image of the Bodhisattva. Deeply moved, the king commissioned a replica and set out to find the original. When he reached this mountain, the image was indeed exactly as he had seen it, and so he built a shrine there and established regular offerings. Subsequent kings, honoring his legacy, built more shrines and temples alongside the original, where offerings of incense, flowers, and music continued without cease.

○ Master Qingbian In southern India, not far south of the capital of the Āndhra country, there is a great mountain cave. It was here that Master Qingbian dwelled in the Asura palace, awaiting the coming of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Buddhahood. The master possessed a broad, far-reaching spirit and profound virtue. Outwardly he wore the garb of the Sāṃkhya school, but inwardly he upheld the teachings of Nāgārjuna. In quiet contemplation he thought: "If not Maitreya at his Buddhahood, who can resolve my doubts?" Before an image of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, he recited the Dhāraṇī of the Heart's Vow, fasting and drinking only water for three full years. The Bodhisattva Guanyin appeared in a radiant form and asked: "What do you seek, that you are so diligent?" He replied: "I wish to remain in this body until I see Maitreya." The Bodhisattva said: "Human life is fragile, the world illusory. You should cultivate supreme good and vow to be reborn in Tuṣita Heaven, where you may behold and worship him—and see him sooner." The master said: "My resolve cannot be shaken; my mind cannot be divided." The Bodhisattva said: "If that is your wish, go to the southern mountain cave of the Āndhra capital, to the abode of the Vajrapāṇi deity. Recite the Vajrapāṇi Dhāraṇī with utmost sincerity, and your vow will be fulfilled." The master went there and began his recitation. After three years, the deity spoke: "What do you wish for, that you are so tireless?" The master said: "I wish to remain in this body until I see Maitreya. The Bodhisattva Guanyin directed me to you; if my vow is to be fulfilled, it rests with you." The deity gave him instructions: "Within this rock lies the Asura palace. If you make your request in the proper manner, the stone wall will open. Once it does, enter—and there you may await him." The master asked: "If I live in seclusion with no one to see, how will I know when the Buddha appears?" The deity said: "When Maitreya is born into the world, I will inform you." The master accepted these instructions and devoted himself entirely to recitation, passing another three years without a single distracting thought. He empowered mustard seeds and struck the rock wall, which burst open. Crowds gathered by the hundreds of thousands to watch, spellbound. The master stood at the threshold and announced: "I have long prayed to await Maitreya. The sages have blessed me, and my great vow is now fulfilled. You may all enter here and witness the Buddha's arising together." The crowd was terrified—no one dared cross the threshold. They said it must be a den of poisonous snakes and feared for their lives. After repeated urging, only six people followed him in. The master turned to bid farewell to the rest, then calmly entered. Once he was inside, the rock wall closed again. The crowd groaned in dismay, regretting that they had not taken him at his word.

○ King Śīlāditya King Śīlāditya was the king of Kānyakubja in central India. His eldest son was named Wangzeng, his second son Xizeng. Wangzeng inherited the throne and governed virtuously, but was attacked by King Yuezeng of the Golden Ear kingdom. The ministers and people urged Xizeng to avenge his father and brother. The prince said: "The burden of succession has always been heavy; ascending the throne demands careful deliberation. On the banks of the Ganges there is an image of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, renowned for its miraculous responses. I wish to go there and seek guidance." He went before the Bodhisattva's image and fasted in prayer. Moved by his sincerity, the Bodhisattva appeared and asked: "What do you seek, that you are so earnest?" The prince said: "I have known only misfortune. My kind father has passed, my elder brother has been killed—and now, though I lack virtue, the people have urged me to inherit the throne and carry on my father's legacy. I am young and ignorant, and dare to ask for your sacred guidance." The Bodhisattva said: "In a past life you were a forest monk right here in these woods, diligent and tireless in practice. By the merit of that, you were born as this prince. The king of the Golden Ear kingdom has destroyed the Buddha Dharma; when you inherit the throne, you should restore and revive it. Let compassion be your aim; keep pity for all beings in your heart. Soon you will rule all five regions of India. If you wish your kingdom to endure, follow my instruction: you will receive hidden blessings and face no mighty enemies at your borders. Do not ascend the lion throne. Do not take the title of great king." He accepted the teaching, withdrew, and took the throne. He styled himself simply "Prince" and took the title Śīlāditya (in Chinese, "Guardian of Precepts"). He practiced frugality, devoted himself to merit and good works—forgetting sleep and meals—and forbade the eating of meat throughout the five regions of India. Anyone who took a life would be executed without pardon. Along the Ganges he built thousands of stūpas, each over a hundred feet tall. In every city, town, and crossroads of the five regions he established monasteries, stocking them with food and medicine for the hungry and poor, providing for them without fail. At every sacred site of the Buddha he built temples, and every five years he held a grand unrestricted assembly. He emptied the treasury to give to all—only weapons were withheld from donation. Once a year he convened monks from many lands, and for twenty-one days provided for all their needs—food, clothing, shelter, and medicine—asking them to discuss and debate the teachings, evaluating their merits, praising the virtuous, censuring the corrupt, promoting the worthy, and dismissing the unworthy. Those of pure conduct and profound virtue were invited to ascend the lion throne, where the king himself received the Dharma from them. Those who kept pure precepts but lacked deep learning were simply shown honor and respect. Those whose conduct was undisciplined and whose corruption was plain were driven beyond the borders—the king wanted neither to see nor hear of them. Petty kings of neighboring lands, attending ministers, anyone who cultivated merit tirelessly and sought the good—these he invited to sit beside him as good friends. He divided each day into three parts: one for affairs of state, two for cultivating merit and practicing good works, tireless and unflagging, never feeling the day was long enough. When the Tang Dynasty's Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang arrived to receive the full precepts, it was at this king's invitation.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Guṇabhadra Guṇabhadra, meaning "Merit and Wisdom," was a native of central India. He devoted himself to study with single-minded focus and thoroughly mastered the entire Tripiṭaka. In the twelfth year of the Yuanjia reign of the Liu Song, he arrived in Guangzhou. The regional inspector Wei Lang reported his arrival to the court, and Emperor Taizu sent messengers to welcome him. When he reached the capital, he conversed with the emperor, who was as delighted as if they were old friends meeting again. He first stayed at Jetavana Monastery. Later, when Prince of Qiao was posted to Jingzhou, he invited Guṇabhadra to accompany him, and they settled at Xin Monastery. The prince wanted him to translate the Flower Garland Sūtra and other texts, but Guṇabhadra, reflecting that he had not yet mastered the Song language, felt ashamed and sighed. He performed repentance rituals morning and night, invoking Guanyin and praying for an unseen response. He then dreamed that a man in white, holding a sword, approached carrying a severed head. The man asked: "Why are you troubled?" Guṇabhadra told him everything. The man said: "Don't worry." He swapped the head for a new one, fitted it in place, and told him to turn it, asking: "Does it hurt?" "No," came the reply. Guṇabhadra woke suddenly, his mind filled with joy. The next morning, when he expounded the scriptures, he found he had fully grasped the Song language—and so he began to lecture. Toward the end of the Yuanjia reign, the Prince of Qiao plotted rebellion. Guṇabhadra wept and said: "This monk cannot follow you in this." But the prince knew he was trusted by the people and forced him to come along. At the defeat at Liangshan, their great warship was driven into peril, far from shore, with no hope of escape. Guṇabhadra single-mindedly called upon Guanyin. Grasping a bamboo staff, he threw himself into the river. The water only reached his knees, but when he probed with the staff, the current ran deep and fast. A young boy appeared behind him and took his hand. He turned and said: "You're just a child—how can you ferry me across?" In a daze, he felt himself moving, ten paces or more, and then he was on the bank. He took off his monastic robe to reward the boy, but when he looked around, the child was gone. Goosebumps rose over his whole body, and he knew it had been divine power.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Narendrayaśas Tripiṭaka Master Narendrayaśas—"Revered Title" in Chinese—was from Uḍḍiyāna in northern India. At seventeen, he resolved to leave home and soon found an eminent teacher, immersing himself in the true Dharma. He set out to wander, propagating the teaching north of the Snowy Mountains. Reaching a high peak, he found two paths—one for humans, one for ghosts. The human path was wild and treacherous; the ghost path was smooth and easy. Bewildered travelers often took the ghost path, and once they had gone far enough into that territory, they were killed. Long ago, a sage king had placed a stone image of Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King, at the fork, its hand pointing toward the human road. One of Narendrayaśas's companions, a monk, mistakenly took the ghost path. Realizing this, Narendrayaśas recited the Guanyin Divine Dhāraṇī and gave chase, catching up after a hundred paces—but the monk had already been killed. He himself escaped through the power of the dhāraṇī. Pressing on, he encountered mountain bandits. Focusing on the same dhāraṇī, he received invisible protection: when the bandits charged at him, they couldn't see him at all. Following the road east, he eventually made his way to the Northern Qi, reaching the capital in the seventh year of the Tianbao reign.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Dharmagupta Tripiṭaka Master Dharmagupta—"Dharma Secret" in Chinese—was originally from the land of Laṭa in southern India. His heart was set on travel, and six companions joined him. From merchants they heard that the great land of China had a flourishing Triple Jewel. All sharing the same resolve, they set out—drawn not only to observe its customs but to spread the scriptures and benefit beings. They crossed the Snowy Mountains, met with hardship, and detoured to the southwest. The road was pure desert, with neither water nor grass. The companions looked at one another—there was no hope of survival. They set down the scriptures and treatises they'd been carrying and climbed over the mountains to search for water, hoping to stay alive. Their search failed; exhaustion only worsened. Dharmagupta focused entirely on reciting the Guanyin Dhāraṇī. That night, rain suddenly fell, reviving body and spirit. They returned to their original route, but looking around found themselves lost—uncertain whether to press on or turn back. They decided simply to keep going, and eventually reached Guazhou. After years of travel, they arrived at their destination in the tenth month of the tenth year of the Kaihuang reign.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra was originally a Brahmin from northern India. Sailing the South Sea, he reached the waters off the Kalinga kingdom when a great black wind rose up. The merchants were terrified. Each tried the rites of his own land to dispel it, to no avail. They all prostrated themselves, pleading for mercy and protection. Amoghavajra said: "I have a method—don't worry." He took up a five-pronged bodhicitta vajra in his right hand and a copy of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in his left, and recited the Guanyin Great Wish-Fulfilling Dhāraṇī once. Immediately the wind died and the sea grew calm. Then a giant whale surfaced, spraying waves like mountains—worse than before. The merchants resigned themselves to death, but Amoghavajra performed the same rite and ordered Huishi to recite the Sūtra of the Sāgara Nāga King. The perils ceased at once.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Śubhakarasiṃha Tripiṭaka Master Śubhakarasiṃha was originally from central India. During a great drought, he was invited to pray for rain. Before long, Guanyin appeared standing within the disc of the sun, holding a water vessel and pouring water onto the earth. Everyone present rejoiced, having never witnessed such a thing.

△ Jin and Qin Dynasties

○ Liu Sahe of Bingzhou made his living as a hunter. In the second year of the Taikang era, he died suddenly. Two men seized him and led him to the northwest until they reached the underworld. There he saw a golden-hued sage. Those standing nearby said, "This is Guanyin, the Great Bodhisattva." Guanyin said to Sahe: "Your sins warrant entry into the underworld, but I now release you to return to the living. Go to five places — Luoyang, Linzi, Jianye, Maoyin, and Chengdu — where stupas built by King Ashoka stand, and bow in repentance before them."

○ Master Huiqian, whose secular surname was Huangfu, hailed from Beidi in the north. He left home to become a monk while still young, kept the precepts strictly, and had unwavering resolve. He stayed on Mount Lu for over ten years, then at the beginning of the Yixi era of the Jin dynasty, he went to Jiaxiang Temple in Shanyin. He disciplined himself in order to guide others, endured hardship to lead the monastic assembly, and for every new sutra that arrived, he would copy it out, lecture on it, and expound its meaning. After nearly five years, he suddenly fell ill. Bedridden for a short time, he knew his end was near, so he fixed his mind on the Pure Land and prayed earnestly to Guanyin.

At the northern temple in Shanyin there was a bhikkhuni named Jingyan, a senior nun of deep virtue and strict precept observance. One night she dreamed that Guanyin entered through the western city gate, radiant in wondrous form, a light outshining the sun and moon. Banners, streamers, and flower canopies were all adorned with the seven treasures. As soon as she saw the bodhisattva, she bowed and asked, "May I ask where the Great Bodhisattva is going?" Guanyin replied, "I am going to Jiaxiang Temple to welcome Master Qian." Right after this, Huiqian passed away. Though his illness had been severe and lingering, his expression remained as calm as on any ordinary day. Everyone present noticed a remarkable fragrance that lingered for a long while before fading. Since Huiqian himself had known his end was coming, and all had witnessed these auspicious signs, both monastics and laypeople who heard of them were filled with admiration.

○ Zhu Fachun was the abbot of Xianyi Temple in Shanyin. He practiced asceticism, possessed great virtue, and was skilled at reciting the ancient Vimalakirti Sutra. During the Yuanxing era of the Jin dynasty, he went to Lianshang to buy timber for temple repairs. Returning at dusk, he encountered a storm on the lake. The boat was small, so Fachun relied on Guanyin alone with single-minded focus, reciting the sutra without pause. Presently he spotted a large drifting boat, climbed aboard, and was saved. When he reached shore, the boat had no owner and vanished in an instant. Monastics and laypeople alike marveled at this divine response.

○ The monk Faqiao was from Zhongshan. From a young age he loved reciting sutras, but his voice was weak, and he always felt frustrated that his chanting never flowed well. So he fasted and repented for seven days and seven nights, bowing to Guanyin and praying for an immediate response. His fellow students tried hard to dissuade him, but he swore he would not waver. On the seventh day, he felt his throat suddenly open up. He asked for water to wash, and said, "I've received a response." He then chanted three sutra passages to melodies, his voice carrying for over a mile. People near and far were astonished and came to listen. Thereafter he recited hundreds of thousands of words of sutras, chanting day and night, his voice so mournful and beautiful it seemed to reach the divine. He lived to be ninety, and his voice never changed.

○ The monk Daozhou, whose secular surname was Guan, was from Huile in Shuofang. He left home at the Peacock King Courtyard of Longxing Temple, where he obtained the jewel of the precepts and gradually perfected his mind, pure as the moon. He entered Baicao Valley in the Helan Mountains, made a vow to practice recitation, and caused a dry spring to flow again, with a spirit snake swimming in its waters. He then ascended the dharma seat to teach and expound. Using his own blood, he painted a standing image of the Great Compassionate One, the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin. Whenever drought struck, he would fast and sit with closed eyes, vowing not to eat until rain came to relieve the people's suffering.

In the second year of the Zhonghe era, hearing that the Guannei region was in turmoil, he went to the Nianding Courtyard south of the city. Beneath the pagoda, he cut off his left forearm and burned it as an offering to the Great Compassionate One's image, praying that the wars ravaging the Central Plains and northern frontiers would soon end and weapons be laid to rest. The moment he finished speaking, thunder cracked, wind howled, and heavy rain poured down. He once cut off his left ear to pray for rain on the people's behalf. Another time he fasted for seven days to pray for snow, and all his wishes were fulfilled. He lived to seventy-eight. His remains did not decay — as though he had entered deep meditation — so they were coated with lacquer and hemp cloth.

○ Zhu Fayi of Shining Mountain was a monk during the Xingning era of the Jin dynasty. He was well versed in the Buddhist scriptures, especially the Lotus Sutra, and typically had over a hundred disciples studying under him. In the second year of the Xian'an era, he suddenly fell ill with a heart and qi ailment. He constantly kept Guanyin in his thoughts, and one night dreamed of someone cutting open his abdomen and washing his intestines. When he woke, the illness was gone. Fu Liang once said: "My late father associated with Master Yi, and whenever I heard him speak of Guanyin's divine wonders, everyone in the family — young and old alike — would grow hushed with reverence."

○ The monk Kaida (also called Huida). In the second year of the Long'an era, he went up a ridge to gather licorice root and was captured by the Qiang. A great famine had struck, and the Qiang and Hu were eating each other. They put Kaida in a pen, intending to eat him. More than ten people had already been held there before him, and the Qiang had been cooking and butchering them day and night; only Kaida remained. From the moment of his capture, he had been silently reciting the Guanyin Sutra, never letting his devotion falter. When morning came and it was his turn to be eaten, just as dawn broke, a large tiger suddenly charged at the Qiang, roaring fiercely. They all fled in terror. The tiger then bit through the wooden bars of the pen, opening a gap just wide enough for a person to squeeze through, and slowly walked away. Kaida escaped, traveling by night and hiding by day, until he finally reached safety.

○ Guo Xuanzhi was from Taiyuan. In the fourth year of the Yixi era, he served as staff officer under Yang Siping, the governor of Liangzhou. Yang was punished for killing Fan Yuanzhi and others without authorization, and Xuanzhi was imprisoned along with him. Xuanzhi devoted himself entirely to Guanyin Bodhisattva. One evening just as he was about to sleep, he suddenly saw the bodhisattva's light filling the prison. He gazed upon it, bowed, prayed, and made vows, and the vision lingered a long while before fading. Soon after, Xuanzhi alone was granted amnesty. Upon his release, he commissioned an image of Guanyin based on what he had seen and built a meditation hall. He later died in office at Lingling's Hengyang.

○ Pan Daoxiu was from Wudu. In his twenties he joined the army on a northern campaign. After the forces suffered a minor defeat, Daoxiu fled but was captured. He was passed around as a slave in several places, held captive in a foreign land, with no way home. He had faith in the Buddha's teachings from a young age, and always chanted Guanyin's name with sincere devotion. He often saw Guanyin in his dreams. Later, when he fled south, he lost his way. In a remote mountain, he suddenly saw Guanyin's true form, like a processional image, and bowed. The moment he finished bowing, he lost all sense of where he was — but then found the road back and returned to his homeland. Afterward he practiced with even greater diligence, and died at nearly sixty.

○ Luan Gou's origins are unknown. He had faith in the dharma from a young age, performed good deeds whenever he could, and served as magistrate of Fuping. He had earlier joined a military campaign that met with defeat. His boat was about to catch fire, bandits were closing in, and he was stranded mid-river amid terrifying wind and waves. Gou was so frightened he was certain he would die — yet still he chanted Guanyin's name. Presently he saw a figure standing alone in the river, the water reaching only to its waist. Gou knew his prayers had been answered. With fire and bandits nearly upon him, he threw himself into the water toward the figure. His body rose to the surface, and his feet felt solid ground beneath them. Before long, the main army sent boats to rescue the defeated soldiers, and Gou was saved.

○ The monk Fazhi, while still a layman, once walked alone into a vast marsh, where a wildfire suddenly broke out on all sides, cutting off every escape route. He bowed and recited Guanyin's name with all his heart. The fire swept through: every blade of grass in the marsh was reduced to ash, except the spot where Fazhi stood — just large enough for one person — which the flames left untouched. From that moment he revered the dharma. Later he served as a soldier under Yao Xing. When the army retreated, he lost his horse and found himself trapped behind enemy lines. He hid in a thorn bush beside a ditch, barely covering his head. Again he called on Guanyin, his devotion intense and unwavering. People on the far side of the stream shouted to the rear guard, pointing out where to find and kill him. Yet no matter how thoroughly they searched, they couldn't find him, and he escaped. He later left home to become a monk.

○ Zi Ao of Nangong was from Shiping. He was stationed at Xinping City when it fell to the Changle Duke, a barbarian commander. The entire population — several thousand people — was put to death. Zi Ao knew he would certainly die, yet still he chanted Guanyin's name with single-minded devotion. When his turn came, blades rained down from all sides — some high, some low — but the executioners suddenly went slack, their limbs failing them. The Changle Duke, who was personally overseeing the executions, was startled and asked what was happening. Zi Ao offhandedly replied, "I can make horse saddles." The Duke ordered him released. Zi Ao himself had no idea why he said it. He managed to escape, afterward crafting a small image of Guanyin, which he kept in an incense box and carried on his head wherever he went.

○ Sun Daode was from Yizhou. He followed the Taoist Way of the Libationer, and at over fifty years old had no children. He lived near a Buddhist temple, and during the Jingping era a monk told him: "If you truly want a son, recite the Guanyin Sutra and bow with sincere devotion — there is hope in that." Daode gave up his Taoist practice and devoted himself entirely to Guanyin. Within days, his prayer was answered in a dream. His wife became pregnant and bore a son.

○ Liu Duping was from Liaocheng. Over a thousand households in his hometown followed the Great Dharma, commissioned Buddhist images, and made offerings to monks and nuns. When the barbarian ruler Mu Wei came to power, some fugitives fled the county. Mu Wei was furious and intended to wipe out the entire city. The people were terrified, certain they would all perish. Duping purified his heart and led everyone in turning to Guanyin. Soon they saw something descend from the sky and wind around the pillar of his house. They looked in astonishment and found it was the Guanyin Sutra. They had someone read it aloud, and Mu Wei was so pleased he stayed the massacre. The entire city was spared.

○ Dou Chuan was from Henei. During the Yonghe era, Gao Chang, governor of Bingzhou, and Lü Hu, governor of Jizhou, each commanded their own private forces and were at odds. Chuan served under Gao Chang as an officer. Lü Hu dispatched cavalry on a raid, and Chuan was captured along with six or seven companions. They were locked together in a single cell, heavily chained and shackled, scheduled for execution in a matter of days. The monk Zhi Daoshan was in Lü Hu's camp at the time and had known Chuan previously. Hearing of the capture, he went to the prison and spoke with Chuan through the cell door.

Chuan said, "I'm in desperate straits — my life is measured in hours now. Is there any way to save me?" Daoshan replied, "If you can devote yourself wholeheartedly to Guanyin, there will surely be a response." Chuan had heard of Guanyin before. Taking Daoshan's words to heart, he fixed his mind on her day and night for three days, surrendering himself with complete sincerity. Looking at his chains, he noticed they felt looser than usual, somehow different. He gave them a push, and they fell from his body. Chuan then prayed with all his heart: "Through your compassion, my shackles have come undone — but my companions remain. I cannot bring myself to leave them behind. Guanyin's power saves all beings; please let us all escape." With that, he pulled at the others' fetters, and each fell away in turn, as though cut by an invisible blade. They opened the cell door and walked out; none of the guards noticed. They crossed the wall and fled. It was nearly dawn. They walked four or five miles until daybreak, then stopped and hid in a thicket. Before long, the guards discovered the prisoners missing. Riders fanned out in all directions, setting fire to the grass and beating through the woods — yet never came near the acre or so where Chuan and his companions lay hidden. They escaped with their lives. The people of their hometown, their faith deepened by the tale, all turned to the dharma. Later, Daoshan crossed the Yangtze and recounted the entire story to the layman Xie.

○ Zhu Changshu's ancestors were from the Western Regions. His family had been wealthy for generations, and he was a man of great fortune. During the Yuankang era of the Jin dynasty, he moved to Luoyang, practiced the dharma with deep sincerity, and was especially devoted to reciting the Guanyin Sutra. One day a fire broke out among his neighbors' houses. Changshu's own home was built of thatch and sat downwind, the flames already closing in. He did nothing but recite the sutra with single-minded devotion. The fire consumed the neighboring houses — then the wind suddenly shifted, and the flames stopped right at his door. Everyone considered it a miracle.

Four or five reckless young men in the neighborhood mocked him: "The wind just happened to change. What's divine about that? Let's wait for a dry evening and set his roof on fire. If it doesn't burn, then we'll believe." During a severe drought, they secretly bundled torches and hurled them onto his roof — three times thrown, three times extinguished. Terrified, they fled home. The next morning they came to Changshu together, confessed what they had done, and bowed their heads in apology. Changshu replied, "I have no power of my own. I was simply reciting Guanyin's name — it was her compassion that protected me. You need only purify your hearts and turn to her in faith." After that, all his neighbors and fellow villagers held him in awe and reverence.

○ Lü Song, styled Maogao, was from Yanzhou. He lived in Shifeng, where the county's southern stream ran swift between steep banks, twisting like a coiled rope. Boulders littered the course, and even daytime travelers went in fear. Lü Song recounted how his father had once been traveling on the stream, some ten miles from home, when dusk fell and a storm swept in — pitch dark, impossible to tell east from west. Certain he would capsize and drown, he turned his heart entirely to Guanyin, reciting her name as he went. Presently a light appeared on the shore, like someone carrying a torch, illuminating the stream so clearly that he found his way home. The light stayed just ahead of the boat, about ten paces in front, the whole way. Lü Song later told this story to Xi Jiabin.

○ Xu Rong was from Langya. Once he went to Dongyang, and on his return passed through Dingshan. The boatman was unfamiliar with the route and accidentally steered into a whirlpool. The boat spun and tossed on the waves, on the verge of sinking. Rong had no recourse but to call out to Guanyin with all his heart. In an instant, it was as if dozens of hands were hauling the boat upward — it leapt free of the whirlpool and back into calm water. The sun had set; the sky was dark, the wind and rain fierce. He had no idea which way to turn. The waves swelled higher, but Rong never stopped reciting the sutra. Then he saw a blazing light on a mountaintop. He steered toward it and reached the shore, the entire boat safe and sound. Once they landed, the light was gone. His companions thought it strange, and the next morning asked the locals what the fire on the mountain had been. Everyone was astonished: "With wind and rain like last night, how could there have been a fire? None of us saw a thing." They knew then it had been a divine light.

○ Zhang Chong was from Duling in Jingzhao. He had followed the dharma from a young age. During the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, after Fu Jian's defeat, over a thousand households of Chang'an's common people fled south to submit to the Jin. They were detained by the border garrison, accused of being roving bandits. The garrison killed the men and took the women and children captive. Chong and five other men had their hands and feet shackled. A pit was dug and they were buried in it up to their ankles, each man twenty paces from the next. The next day they were to be shot from horseback for sport. Chong saw no way out. He purified his mind and focused solely on chanting Guanyin's name. In the middle of the night, his shackles suddenly broke apart and fell from his body. He ran and escaped.

Chong's feet were injured. Passing a temple on the road, he again called on Guanyin's name and bowed with deep devotion. He placed a stone before her image and made a vow: "I am going to cross the river eastward to appeal to the Jin emperor, to seek justice for these wronged souls and rescue my wife and children. If my prayer is answered, let this stone split in two." As soon as he finished bowing, the stone cracked apart. Chong went on to the capital, presented the full account of the injustice, and the emperor pardoned them all. The monk Zhisheng witnessed this firsthand.

○ The Tripiṭaka master Tan Wujie, having heard how Faxian and others had personally journeyed to the Buddha's homeland, was stirred and vowed to risk his life in the same cause. In the first year of the Yonghe era, he gathered twenty-five like-minded companions — including Tan Lang and Seng Meng — set out from Chang'an, and headed west across the flowing sands. No birds flew overhead, no animals moved below; in every direction, only vast emptiness, no way to know where they were headed. They navigated by the sun and marked their path with human bones.

Reaching the Congling range — buried in snow summer and winter, where venomous dragons spat poison and storms of wind, rain, and sand battered them — they first crossed a snowy mountain. Below it lay a great river, its current swift as an arrow. Ropes were strung between the flanking cliffs on either side to form a bridge, and they crossed ten at a time. Once a group reached the far side, they lit a signal fire. Those behind, seeing the smoke, knew the way was passable and went forward. If no smoke appeared for a long time, it meant a violent wind had snapped the ropes and the crossing party had fallen into the river.

They crossed yet another snowy mountain, its cliffs sheer and smooth, nowhere to set their feet. Old wooden pegs were lodged in the rock face, holes aligned in pairs. Each person gripped four pegs — pulling out the lower one, reaching up to the next — and so worked their way along, hand over hand. It took three full days to reach flat ground. When they counted heads, twelve were gone. Pressing on toward Central India through desolate, empty country, their only food was rock sugar. Of the thirteen who remained, eight more died. Though Wujie passed through one deadly peril after another, he never once let Guanyin slip from his mind.

At Shravasti they encountered a herd of wild elephants. He surrendered himself to Guanyin, and suddenly a lion appeared — the elephants bolted in panic. At the Ganges they met a herd of rhinos. Again he called on Guanyin, and a great vulture swooped down, scattering the rhinos in fear. Later, in Southern India, they boarded a ship that carried them to Guangzhou. After [illegible] sutras, they returned home.

○ The bhikkhuni Minggan, whose secular surname was Zhu, was from Gaoping. Her family had followed the Great Dharma for generations. She was captured by bandits who wanted to make her a wife. They subjected her to every kind of torment, but she swore she would rather die than submit. They exiled her to tend sheep, and there she spent ten years, her longing for home growing only deeper, with no way back. She kept the Three Jewels always in her heart and yearned to leave the household life. Then one day she met a monk. She asked him for the five precepts, and he gave her the Guanyin Sutra to study. She recited it day and night without cease, praying only to return home and build a five-story pagoda.

Overwhelmed with longing, she fled east. She had no idea of the way and walked without rest, day and night, until she wandered into a mountain. There, a few steps ahead, she saw a striped tiger. At first she froze in terror — but then she steadied herself, her resolve only deepening, and followed the tiger. After many days and weeks, she reached Qingzhou. Just as she was about to enter a village, the tiger vanished.

○ The bhikkhuni Lingzong, whose secular surname was Man, was from Jinxiang in Gaoping. From childhood she had pure faith, and her neighbors praised her for it. When war and chaos tore through her family, she was driven off by invaders. She surrendered herself to the Three Jewels with complete sincerity, chanting "Buddha, Dharma, Sangha" and reciting the Universal Gate Chapter, pleading for release — and she was set free. She headed south on the road, but after leaving Jizhou she was pursued by bandits again. She climbed a dead tree and focused entirely on chanting Guanyin's name. The pursuers scanned the ground, never once looking up, and searched without finding her. Before long they gave up and scattered, and Lingzong climbed down and went on.

She reached Mengjin late in the day with no boat to cross the river. Anxious and afraid, she prayed with redoubled sincerity. Suddenly a white deer appeared — she couldn't tell where it came from — wading into the current. Lingzong followed the deer across, her clothes untouched by the water, walking as though on dry ground, and so reached home. She immediately entered the monastic life, studying and practicing with deep diligence. When she read the sutras, she penetrated their deepest meanings and entered profound states of concentration. Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin heard of her and sent a letter to inquire after her. She died at seventy-five.

○ Gai Hu, a native of Shanyang. Imprisoned and sentenced to death, he chanted the name of Guanyin for three days and three nights without a moment's distraction. Before long he saw Guanyin shine a radiant light upon him; his fetters fell away and the cell door swung open. He followed the light and walked twenty li before it faded.

○ Pei Anqi, who had defected from the northern regime and was now returning south, came to a river he could not cross. Behind him he saw the pursuing cavalry closing in — death was only a breath away. He called out the name of Guanyin, and a white wolf appeared. He grabbed hold of it, and with a single bound was carried to the south bank, where the wolf vanished from sight. The riders on the north bank watched, sighing in endless dismay.

○ Xu Yi, a native of Gaolu. Devout from youth, he served as a secretary under Fu Jian of Former Qin. In the final years of Fu Jian's reign, warfare erupted everywhere. Xu Yi was seized by bandits, who meant to kill him. They buried his feet in the ground and wove his hair into the branches of a tree to pin him in place. That night he focused on Guanyin. After a while, he drifted into sleep, and a man appeared in a dream, saying: "Your situation is urgent now — how can you sleep!" Xu Yi jolted awake and saw that all his guards had collapsed in exhaustion. He struggled free of his hands, and once loose, worked his feet free too, then fled. A hundred paces on, he hid in a small thicket of grass and heard the search party thundering all around, torches arrayed like stars, circling the clump again and again — yet none of them caught sight of him. At dawn the bandits dispersed, and Xu Yi made his way back to Ye, thus slipping out of death's reach.

○ Bi Lan, a native of Dongping. A devout Buddhist from youth, he joined Murong Chui's northern expedition and was captured by the enemy. He fled on a lone horse, the pursuing riders nearly upon him, when he called out to Guanyin with all his heart and was delivered. Lost afterward in the deep mountains, with no path to follow, he turned his mind to Guanyin once more. Near midnight a monk appeared before him in Dharma robes, alms bowl in hand, and showed him the way. Bi Lan found the road again and returned home safely.

△ Liu Song

○ Venerable Seng Bao of Jingzhao. He dwelt at Qiyuan Temple, where he expounded the sutras without pause, his teaching unfolding in an unbroken stream. Xie Lingyun of Chen Commandery, hearing of his reputation, paid him a visit. After meeting Seng Bao, he was all the more struck and full of admiration. Someone once asked: "What is Lord Xie like?" Seng Bao replied: "Lingyun has wealth to spare, but insight falls short. I fear he will not escape his fate." Once, walking along a road, Seng Bao came upon six robbers under arrest. He taught them the Dharma and urged them to call on Guanyin. The robbers, facing imminent danger, chanted with desperate sincerity. Before long, the escorts guarding them drank themselves into a stupor, and the prisoners slipped their chains and escaped.

○ Venerable Dao Wang, surname Pan, a native of Changle. As a boy he followed his uncle to the capital, and at thirteen left home under the guidance of Master Daoyuan at Mount Lu. He studied the sutras and vinaya in depth, and was especially accomplished in the Nirvana Sutra. Once, while traveling through Liangzhou, he was surrounded by Qiang bandits who nearly stripped him of his robes and bowl. Dao Wang and several disciples vowed together to call on Guanyin with one mind. After a while, what seemed like a covering of cloud and mist settled over them; the bandits searched everywhere and could not find them, and so they were spared.

○ Seng Hong of Yuzhou. He took up residence at Waguang Temple in the capital; from his youth he had been meticulous in self-discipline and personal purity. Later he led those with whom he had affinity to cast a Buddha image sixteen chi tall in bronze. The casting had only just been completed, the mold not yet opened, when the late Jin's strict ban on bronze came into force — a capital offense. At the time the future Emperor Wu of Song was serving as regent, and Seng Hong was arrested and imprisoned in the regent's manor for violating the ban. All he could do was recite the Guanyin Sutra and keep his heart fixed on the statue he had cast. That night he dreamed the statue came to him, laid its hand on his head, and asked: "Are you afraid?" Seng Hong answered: "I know I am certain to die." The statue said: "Do not worry." He saw that on the statue's chest, in a patch about one chi across, the bronze had been scorched and blistered as if boiled. On the appointed day of execution, the manor's supervising officer was at the scene when an ox bolted and wrecked the execution cart, so the date was postponed. Soon after, a directive arrived from Pengcheng: any prisoner by the name of Seng Hong who had not yet been executed was to be pardoned. He was released and restored to his temple, and when they opened the mold, the chest of the statue was indeed scorched and blistered as if boiled.

○ Dao Gu, secular surname Ma, a native of Fufeng. He first left home as a disciple of Dao Yi. When Dao Yi fell ill, he once sent Dao Gu and three others to Mount Huo in Henan to gather stalactite. After entering the cave for several li, they tried to cross a wooden bridge over water, and three of them drowned. Their torches also went out, and Dao Gu saw no way to survive. He had always recited the Lotus Sutra, and upon that merit he relied, while keeping Guanyin in his heart. After a while, a light like a firefly glimmered ahead; he followed it but could not overtake it, and yet by its guidance found his way out of the cave. After this he deepened his Chan practice, and his conduct grew ever more refined. Later he traveled south to the capital with his fellow students to observe the customs of the times. One night they crossed a frozen river on foot; mid-crossing the ice gave way, and three of them were drowned. Dao Gu turned again to Guanyin with sincere devotion. He felt something solid beneath his feet, and saw a red light ahead — he rode that light to the bank.

○ Shao Xin of Wuxing. A devout practitioner, he once fell ill with typhoid fever, and no one dared visit him. Weeping, he called on Guanyin. Suddenly a monk appeared and said he was a disciple of the monk Beidu. "Do not worry," he said; "my master will come to see you." Shao Xin replied: "Master Beidu has already passed away — how could he possibly come?" The monk said: "Why should coming be hard?" He drew from the folds of his robe and cap about a he of powder, gave it to Shao Xin to take, and the illness vanished at once.

○ Zhang Xing, a native of Xinxin. A Buddhist devotee, he had at one time received the eight precepts from the monks Seng Rong and Tan Yi. Zhang Xing was once implicated in a robbery; he escaped, but his wife was seized, imprisoned, and beaten day after day. When a fire broke out in the county, the prisoners were being held by the roadside. Seng Rong and Tan Yi happened to be passing, and his wife cried out to them: "Venerable sirs, will you not save me?" Seng Rong replied: "My strength is small. There is little I can do. Only call on Guanyin with diligence — perhaps you will be spared." The woman prayed without ceasing, day and night, for about ten days. One night she dreamed a monk pressed his foot against her and said: "Up! Up! Get up!" She woke with a start, and her manacles, fetters and cangue had all come undone of themselves. She ran for the door, but the door was still barred and the guards vigilant — there was no way out. Fearing discovery, she slipped the restraints back on, and soon fell asleep again. Once more the monk appeared and said: "The door is open now." She woke and fled, while the guards slept on undisturbed. The night was very dark. After a few li she suddenly came upon someone; terrified, she collapsed on the ground. When they spoke, it turned out to be her husband. They helped each other up, overjoyed and moved, and that night took refuge with Monk Tan Yi, thus escaping their ordeal. This was in the early years of the Yuanjia era of the Liu Song.

○ Wang Yan. As a child he lived in Jiaozhi (modern northern Vietnam), where a virtuous and noble monk lived. The monk bestowed on him the five precepts and gave him a gold image of Guanyin to keep. The statue's style was unlike those of later times, though it was not extremely ancient. Wang Yan carried it back to the capital, still a child of seven or eight years old. He and his two younger brothers served it with all their care, single-minded and untiring. Later, when he remade his poor cottage, there was no proper hall to enshrine it in, so he lodged the image at Nanjian Temple in the capital. At that time the people were busy casting coins, and some, for the metal, were stealing and melting down Buddhist statues. The image had been at the temple for several months when Wang Yan, napping in the afternoon, dreamed it standing at the corner of his seat. He took this for a strange omen. It was already dusk, so he hurried to fetch it home. That very night, more than ten other images at Nanjian Temple were all stolen and lost. Long afterward, at evening dusk, the Guanyin image emitted a radiant light that illuminated an area about three chi across; its golden glow was brilliant beyond compare, dazzling to behold. Wang Yan, his brothers, and their servants — more than ten in all — witnessed it together. This was in autumn of the seventh year of the Daming era of the Liu Song.

○ Fu Wanshou, a native of Pingchang. In the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era, he was serving as a staff officer in the Wei Office at Guangling. His temporary commission ended, and he set out to return to his commandery. He crossed the river in the fourth watch (around 1–3 a.m.). When he first embarked, the long waves ran calm; but halfway across, a wind rose like an arrow. It was very dark, and no one knew which way to steer. Fu Wanshou, long devout and steady in practice, kept his heart fixed on Guanyin and chanted without pause. Soon he and several others on the boat glimpsed a light on the north bank, like the glow of a village hearth. They rejoiced and said to one another: "That must be the fire at Ouyang." They turned the boat toward it and made landfall before dawn. When they asked the people there, all said no fire had been lit the previous night. Only then did they understand it had been the bodhisattva's power, and they held a vegetarian feast in gratitude.

○ Gu Mai of Wu Commandery, devout and disciplined in his practice. In the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era he was returning from the capital to Guangling, setting out from Stone City. A headwind rose over the lake and would not relent, but the boatmen pressed on regardless. By the time they reached midstream, the waves were running high. Gu Mai was alone in a small boat, in danger, with no recourse. He recited the Guanyin Sutra perhaps ten times; gradually the wind eased and the swell grew smaller. After that, in the middle of the river, a strange fragrance reached him again and again, rich and unceasing. He alone took heart at it, and so he kept reciting without pause — and crossed over safely.

○ Hui He, a monk of Zhongzao Temple in the capital. During the Yijia upheaval of the Liu Song, Hui He was still a layman, serving under Liu Hu. Hu once sent a party of several dozen soldiers east as scouts, with Hui He among them. At Quezhu they met imperial forces moving west, and the scouts scattered, each fleeing into the marshes and tall grass. Hui He tucked up his robe, shouldered a basket, and looked like a farmer. Patrols roaming the area were rounding up the scattered scouts. They looked him over, grew suspicious, and questioned him. His answers were muddled, so he was beaten and interrogated, and the officer meant to put him to death. Hui He fled on his own, reciting the Guanyin Sutra all the while. When execution came, his prayer grew ever more fervent. The soldier raised his blade three times — and three times it slipped and shattered. Astonished, the soldiers released him. Hui He thereupon left home, became a monk, and went on to attain thorough mastery of the teaching.

○ Han Hui, of unknown origin. He lived in Zhijiang. His uncle was arrested, and Han Hui was implicated in turn; both were thrown into the commandery jail. Their bodies were pierced through with iron and wooden pins, their manacles and cangue drawn tight. Han Hui had no recourse, and only waited for death. He had long followed the Buddha and often recited the Guanyin Sutra. He chanted day and night, and after several hundred recitations — just at dusk — his fetters suddenly let out a sound of their own, like stones and tiles bursting in a kiln. He looked, and the lock had fallen away. Afraid the wardens would think he had tampered with it, he called out to report it at once. The officials were startled, but they nailed iron plates back over the lock. Han Hui kept reciting as before. The next day the lock rang out again and came undone as it had before. The officials reported it to their superior, who examined the lock closely, was convinced of the miraculous response, and released the men on the spot. Han Hui is still alive today, and his diligence in practice is truly remarkable.

○ Peng Ziqiao of Yiyang County, a registrar in the local administration. In the first year of the Jianyuan era proclaimed by the rebel Crown Prince Shen Wenlong, a crime was laid at Peng Ziqiao's door; the prince was furious and had him shackled with heavy restraints, determined to have him killed. Peng Ziqiao had no recourse; with all his heart he recited the Guanyin Sutra more than a hundred times. Weary, he fell asleep during the day. Some ten other prisoners were sleeping with him. Among them was Du Daoce, a clerk from Xiangxi County, also jailed there, dozing but not quite asleep. He suddenly saw two white cranes alight on the screen behind Peng Ziqiao's bed. After a while one crane flew down beside him, and at that moment he thought he saw it take on the form of a beautiful woman. By the time Du Daoce had opened his eyes, he saw that Peng Ziqiao's twin foot fetters had slipped off, though the waist restraint still held. Du Daoce stared, astonished; just then Peng Ziqiao also awoke. Together they examined the fetters, sighing in wonder. Du Daoce asked if Peng Ziqiao had dreamed anything. "No dream," said Peng Ziqiao. Du Daoce told him what he had just witnessed. Peng Ziqiao understood, but, fearing the jailers would suspect him of plotting escape, he slipped the waist restraint off and put it back on. Within four or five days he was unexpectedly released. Wang Yan's older cousin Wang Lian, who knew both Peng Ziqiao and Du Daoce personally, heard the two tell the story, and their accounts matched in every detail.

○ Xing Huaiming of Hejian, a staff officer to the Grand General of the Liu Song. He accompanied the Governor of Nan Commandery, Zhu Xunzhi, on a northern campaign, and both were captured. During a lapse in the guards' watch, they slipped away and began heading south, traveling by night and hiding by day. After three days they were still wary of pursuit. They sent a scout ahead to check on the enemy position; several days passed and the scout did not return. One evening, when rain threatened and the sky grew dark, the scout suddenly reappeared and said in alarm: "Earlier I saw a light in the distance, very bright, so I made for it — but now that I am here, it has gone dark." Zhu Xunzhi and the rest were bewildered. Xing Huaiming had long been devout, and from the day the campaign began had kept a copy of the Guanyin Sutra on his person at all times, reciting it without cease. That evening too he had been chanting silently in the dark. They all felt it must be the sutra's miraculous power, and prayed together with one mind, and so were delivered safely.

○ Wang Qiu, courtesy name Shuda, a native of Taiyuan. He served as Governor of Fuling Commandery, and in the ninth year of the Yuanjia era lost his command and was thrown into prison. More than a hundred prisoners were held with him, most of them starving, and Wang Qiu shared every portion of his own food among them. He had been a diligent practitioner before; behind bars his devotion only deepened — he kept a strict fast by day and called on Guanyin with all his heart. One night he dreamed he had ascended a high seat, and a monk handed him a scroll of sutra titled The Chapter on Light and Peaceful Practice, with the Names of the Bodhisattvas. He unrolled it and read; the name of the first bodhisattva he had forgotten, the second was Guanyin, the third Mahasthamaprapta. He then saw a wheel, and the monk said: "This is the wheel of the fivefold realm." When he awoke, his locks and fetters had all come loose of their own accord. Wang Qiu knew it was the work of the bodhisattva's power, and his resolve grew even steadier. Within three days he was pardoned.

○ Bian Yuezhi of Jiyin. He served as a court attendant and lived at Chaogou. By the age of fifty he had no offspring. His wife arranged for him to take a concubine, but even after years she did not conceive. He resolved to pray for an heir, and so recited the Guanyin Sutra one thousand times in rotation. Before he had quite finished, the concubine conceived, and bore him a son. This was in the eighteenth year of the Yuanjia era, the ji-chou year.

○ Zhu Huiqing of Guangling. In the twelfth year of the Yuanjia era, a great flood in the Jing and Yang regions made river and plain one. Huiqing meant to travel to Mount Lu; his small boat was caught by a sudden storm and driven into midstream, wind raging and waves surging. He steadied his mind and recited the Guanyin Sutra. People on the shore saw his boat cleaving the wind and waves as if dozens were hauling it forward. It made straight for the bank, and the whole boat and its people were saved.

○ The nun Seng Duan of Guangling. Her family had revered the Buddha for generations, and she and her sisters were deeply devout, vowing to leave home and never to marry. But her mother and elder brother had already promised her in marriage to a wealthy household. Three days and nights before the wedding, she recited the Guanyin Sutra, her tears falling like rain, her forehead pressed to the ground, day and night without rest. After the third day, in the midst of her prostrations, she saw a Buddha image speak to her: "Your bridegroom's life is at its end. Only strive earnestly — do not grieve." The next day her bridegroom was gored to death by an ox. So she was able to leave home and take the tonsure. She kept the precepts strictly and recited the Great Nirvana Sutra once every five days. In the tenth year of the Yuanjia era she traveled south to the capital and took up residence at Yong'an Temple. She directed the affairs of the community with equal care for all, and both old and young were content, her esteem growing with the years. She passed away in the twenty-fifth year of the Yuanjia era, in her seventy-odd year.

○ The nun Xuanzao, secular surname Lu, of Wu Commandery. She was the daughter of An Xun. When she was a little over ten, she fell seriously ill; the finest medicines were tried, but day by day she only worsened. The Venerable Faji of Tai Xuan Tai Temple said to An Xun: "I fear this illness comes from past karma and cannot be cured by medicine. According to the scriptures, those who, in grave peril, take refuge in the Three Jewels, repent, and make vows, will all be delivered. If you can help your daughter cleanse the defilements of her heart and turn wholly to the Three Jewels, she will be healed." An Xun consented, and at once set up a Guanyin image in the house. He fasted to purify himself, supported his ailing daughter as she bowed to the ground, and she chanted without pause. On the seventh night, in the first watch, a gold image about a chi tall appeared and stroked her from head to foot; at once the long illness dissolved away. Confirmed by her own experience, she asked to leave home and become a nun. She practiced diligently, recited the Lotus Sutra, kept a lifelong vegetarian fast for thirty-seven years, and with all her heart aspired to rebirth in Tushita Heaven. In the sixteenth year of the Yuanjia era of the Liu Song, she went to the capital to commission the copying of the scriptures, and there passed peacefully away.

○ Venerable Faxian, secular surname Gong, of Pingyang Wuyang. Long troubled by the errors and gaps in the Buddhist sutras and vinaya, he resolved to seek them out. In the third year of the Long'an era of the Jin, he set out from Chang'an with his companion Huijing and others, crossed the western desert, braved every danger, and arrived in the land of Tianzhu (India). He obtained many sutras and vinaya texts, and boarded a large merchant vessel to return by sea. The ship carried about two hundred souls when a black storm struck, and water was about to flood the hold. Terrified, the passengers began to cast their belongings overboard. Faxian, fearing they would cast his sutras and images into the sea, fixed his mind on Guanyin and took refuge in the monks of Han China. The ship rode the wind on, and his sutras and statues came through unharmed. After some ten days they reached the kingdom of Yavadvipa (Java). They stayed five months, then followed the merchants east to Guangzhou.

○ Venerable Tan Ying of Kuaiji. He took the tonsure young and kept the precepts with care. He had committed more than a hundred thousand words of sutra and resided at Changgan Temple. He was adept at unfolding the teaching, his gifts innate and unrivaled. For a long while he suffered from ringworm sores that would not heal despite every treatment. He kept a Guanyin image always enshrined in his room, worshipping it morning and evening and praying for a cure. One day a snake was seen to crawl up the wall from behind the image and onto the roof; a little while later, a mouse fell from the roof to the ground, its body covered in the snake's spittle, looking dead. Tan Ying watched, and when it seemed still to be alive, took a sliver of bamboo and wiped the spittle away. He had heard that a mouse swallowed by a snake could be used to treat sores, so he applied the spittle to his ringworm. Once he had applied it everywhere, the mouse came back to life; and by the next day his sores had cleared completely. He realized the snake and the mouse had both appeared in answer to his prayers. Thereafter he was held in esteem by the ruling house, and his fame spread far and wide.

△ Wei

○ Wang Xuanmo In the twenty-seventh year of Emperor Shizu's reign, General Wang Xuanmo suffered defeat in a northern campaign. Xiao Bin wanted to put him to death, but Shen Qingzhi remonstrated: "Buli—Emperor Shizu's childhood name—holds the world in awe. How could Xuanmo possibly stand against him? Executing a battle commander would only weaken our own ranks." The order was stayed. Earlier, when Xuanmo was about to be killed, he dreamed that someone told him: "Recite the Guanyin Sutra a thousand times and you'll be spared." The dream-figure then dictated the sutra to him: "Guanshiyin, Namo Buddha, with the Buddha there is cause, with the Buddha there is condition, the Dharma arises through conditions, eternal, joyful, self, and pure. At dawn I think of Guanshiyin, at dusk I think of Guanshiyin; each thought rises from the heart, each thought never leaves the heart." When he woke, he recited without pause. Suddenly the execution was called off. He later rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief and died at the age of eighty-two.

○ Monk Chao Da Nothing is known of Chao Da's lineage. He was a monk of the Northern Wei, learned and clear-minded, devoted to practice. The emperor had banned prophetic texts most strictly and had them hunted down everywhere. Someone falsely accused Da of possessing one, and he was seized and thrown into prison at Xingyang. The Duke of Boling, who was then in Wei, interrogated him ruthlessly, but Da told the truth. Enraged, the duke chained a cartwheel to his neck and posted strict guards around him. Knowing there was no way out, Da turned his whole heart to invoking Guanshiyin. At the fourth watch of the night, the wheel vanished. His guards had all sunk into a heavy stupor, so he slipped out and tried to flee. But he'd been shackled so long his legs had seized up; he couldn't get far. By daybreak, enemy horsemen fanned out in pursuit. Da knew escape was hopeless, so he hid in the grass. The riders came trampling through, crushing the stalks flat, yet they passed right by the edge of where he lay—he was staring up at them and they didn't see him. Looking into their faces, he saw their eyes were all covered with ox-hide shields. Da gave himself up for dead, calling the name with all his heart. That night the riders withdrew, and he made good his escape.

○ Monk Sengming Sengming the Daoshi was abbot of the North Terrace Stone Cave Temple. A prophecy was circulating—"the one with black shall obtain it"—meaning whoever bore the mark of black would win the realm. The Wei rulers, who had taken the throne by such means, were forever watchful of monks. Several hundred monks were rounded up and bound. Sengming was named the ringleader. Ropes were wound tight around him from head to foot, and his execution was set for the next morning. Sengming held fast to Guanyin in his heart. By midnight, he felt the ropes loosen a little. Quietly glad, he prayed with still greater intensity. By dawn the ropes had fallen away entirely. He slipped free and fled into the mountains. When the jailer came looking for him the next day, he was nowhere to be found—only the severed ropes lay on the ground. Realizing a divine power had been at work, the jailer reported it to the throne. The emperor, convinced that monks were not in rebellion, had them all released at once.

○ Monk Dao Tai Dao Tai lived in the late Northern Wei, at the Tang-heng Hermitage on Chang-shan. He dreamed a man telling him: "When a certain year comes, you will die—at the age of forty-two." The dream troubled him. When the year arrived, he fell gravely ill and was full of dread. He gave away everything he owned as merit-making. A friend said: "I've heard that making offerings to sixty-two billion bodhisattvas is the same as making offerings to a single Guanyin. Why not take refuge with all your heart? Your life could surely be lengthened." Tai was moved to the core. For four days and four nights he practiced without a break. Beneath the curtain where he sat, a sudden light shone in from beyond the door. He saw Guanyin's feet, the ankles radiant with gold. A voice said: "Are you invoking Guanshiyin?" Tai raised the curtain, but in a flash the vision was gone. He wept for joy, sweat pouring down, and felt his body grow light. The illness left him. He was forty-four when he finally told his fellow practitioners what had happened. He later lived out his natural span. There was another monk whose story matched his, so it isn't recorded separately here.

○ Monk Fa Li (Dao Ji, Fa Chan) Nothing is known of Fa Li's origins. He was diligent, austere, and full of aspiration, hoping to build a hermitage in Lu Commandery but lacking the funds. He and the novice Mingchen went up to Shanggu to beg a cartload of hemp. On the way back, crossing an empty marsh, a fierce fire suddenly broke out. Their cart was downwind—there was no way out. Fa Li had dropped off in exhaustion. When Mingchen woke him, the flames were already upon them. Fa Li shouted "Guan—" and before the syllable "shiyin" was out, the wind shifted in answer. The flames died down, and they made it back unharmed.

The monk Dao Ji, traveling through the western hills of Shouyang, was seized by two bandits, tied to a tree, and about to be killed. He thought of nothing but Guanshiyin and was prepared to die. The bandits swung their blades at him again and again, but he wasn't even scratched. Terrified, they fled, and Dao Ji got free. The story was widely told.

The monk Fa Chan and his companions, traveling in the mountains, came upon bandits. They thought only of Guanyin. The bandits drew their bows to shoot, but couldn't loose the arrows. Then the bandits yielded and threw down their bows—but couldn't let go of them either. Knowing they faced someone with the spirit's aid, they fled. Fa Chan and the others escaped, and the story spread everywhere. All these were people of the late Wei. There are other accounts of Guanyin's responsive powers, broader in scope, which we won't go into here.

○ Sun Jingde In the Tianping era, Jingde, a conscript from Dingzhou, was stationed at the northern frontier. He had a gilt Guanyin image cast, and when his term was up and he was heading home, he continued to venerate it as before. Later he was framed by bandits and thrown into a capital prison. Unable to bear the torture, he made a false confession and was sentenced to death, to be carried out the next morning. That night he prostrated himself in penitence, tears streaming like rain, and prayed: "In this life I've been wronged—that must be the fruit of wronging others in the past. May the debt be paid, and I vow never to do such a thing again." He made great vows along these lines. A short while later, half-asleep, he saw a monk who taught him to recite the Guanshiyin Sutra for Deliverance. The sutra contained the Buddha's teaching, and he was told that a thousand recitations would carry him through his ordeal. Jingde sat up and began reciting, flawlessly. By dawn he had done nine hundred. The officials bound him and led him to the market for execution. As he walked, he kept reciting, and just as the blade was about to fall he reached the full thousand. The executioner brought the blade down—and it shattered into three pieces, without so much as scratching him. They brought another blade, then a third; each snapped like the first. The supervising officials were astonished and sent a full report up the chain. Chancellor Gao Huan submitted a memorial on his behalf, and Jingde's life was spared. An edict ordered the sutra copied and circulated—what is now called the Gao Wang Guanshiyin Sutra. When Jingde was released and returned home, he held a vegetarian feast in thanksgiving. He took out the image he'd cast, and three knife-marks could be seen on its neck. His neighbors all saw it and marveled. The account is recorded in the Chronicles of Qi and the Records of Marvels.

○ Monk Seng Lang When the Wei forces attacked Liangzhou, the whole city fell. Seng Lang and several monks were captured and marched east with the army. Lang and a fellow monk longed for home and plotted to escape along the way, but the guards were tight and there was no way out. East and west were sheer walls of cliff whose depths were impossible to gauge. At the top stood a great tree, its branches drooping over the edge. They took the shafts from drums and standards, tied ropes to them, and lowered themselves down. It was the dead of night, and the cliff base was a tangle of thorns with nowhere to set foot. They wanted to climb back up, but feared discovery. In their panic they clung to the ropes, knowing they couldn't hold on much longer. They said to one another: "This is the end." They invoked Guanyin with all their hearts, striking their heads against the rock in single-minded focus. In an instant a light burst from the direction of the sun, flooding heaven and earth. They could see a clear spot among the thorns where they might descend. Following the light they reached the ground, and then it went dark again—they knew this was the power of a sage, not the dawn. A long time later day broke. They heard the army's horns sounding, about to march. Mountains and valleys folded endlessly into one another; they had no idea which way to go. They walked by moonlight, and came upon a great tiger blocking the path. They looked at each other and said: "We've escaped the enemy, but can we escape the tiger's jaws?" Lang said to his companion: "Don't say that. It was precisely because of our devotion that the light appeared. Could this tiger be a sage showing us the way?" The two walked straight toward the tiger, and the tiger moved on ahead. Whenever Lang fell behind, the tiger would pause and wait. By dawn they had made it out, and the tiger was gone.

△ Qi and Liang

○ The Great Bodhisattva Baozhi The Great Bodhisattva Baozhi—popularly called Zhigong—had a square, lustrous face, clear as a mirror, and hands and feet like bird's claws. The story goes that a woman of the Zhu family in Dongyang, near Jinling, heard a baby crying in an eagle's nest. She climbed a ladder, brought the child down, and raised him as her own. At seven he left home to study with the great master Sengjian on Mount Zhong, devoting himself to Chan contemplation—and from then on his strange powers began to show. He would hang scissors, a ruler, and a fly-whisk from the top of his staff and wander along. When he passed through villages, children would cry out and chase after him. Sometimes he'd ask for a little wine, sometimes go days without eating. Once he came upon someone eating sliced raw fish and asked for some. A frivolous bystander mocked him, and Zhigong spat the fish back into the water, where they all became live fish. He often composed verses that at first seemed unintelligible, but later all came true. In the seventh year of Yongming, Emperor Wu of Qi, angered by Zhigong's hold on the people, had him arrested and jailed. That very day people throughout the capital saw the Great Bodhisattva walking in the market streets—but when they checked, he was still in his cell. That evening he told the jailer: "There are two palanquin-bearers with food at the gate, rice in a golden bowl. Go fetch it." It turned out to be Crown Prince Wenhui and the Prince of Jingling, who had come with offerings. The magistrate of Jiankang, Lü Wenxian, reported this to the throne; the emperor repented, and had Zhigong brought to the inner palace. An edict declared: "The Great Bodhisattva Baozhi—though his form moves among the dust, his spirit roams in the depths. Water and fire cannot burn or drench him, snakes and tigers cannot move him to fear. How could ordinary law and common sentiment rightly give rise to doubts? From now on, within or beyond the court, he is free to teach as he will." One day the emperor asked him: "My delusions have not yet been cleared—what should I do?" Zhigong replied: "Twelve." The emperor asked what he meant. Zhigong said: "It's in the written character for the time, in the water-clock's tally." The emperor understood even less. On another day the emperor asked whether the dynasty would face any troubles. Zhigong pointed to his own neck in answer (a prophecy of Hou Jing). The emperor asked: "How long shall I reign?" Zhigong said: "Yuanjia, Yuanjia." Pleased, the emperor took it to mean twice the years of Emperor Wen of Song. The new dynasty was barely established, and the emperor governed with harsh urgency. Zhigong, borrowing the emperor's own spirit, made him see his dead father undergoing terrible torments underground; from then on, the emperor showed mercy in his punishments. The emperor once ordered the painter Zhang Sengyao to capture Zhigong's likeness. Each time Sengyao put brush to paper, he couldn't settle on the form. Zhigong then traced his finger across his own face, splitting it open to reveal the Eleven-Faced Guanyin, beautiful beyond compare—now tender, now fierce. Sengyao couldn't paint it. Another day, as he and the emperor stood watching the river, something drifted upstream against the current. Zhigong drew it over with his staff, and it came floating in—a piece of purple sandalwood. He handed it to the palace attendant Yu Shao to carve a likeness of Zhigong. It was finished in a moment, vivid as life. The emperor was delighted and had it placed in the inner court. At that time the two eminent monks Fayun and Yunguang both had great renown; whenever they taught the Dharma, flowers rained from the sky. The emperor wondered if they had realized sainthood. One night he burned a petition in the rear hall inviting Zhigong, and arranged a vegetarian feast for the three great masters. The next day Zhigong alone appeared; Fayun and Yunguang knew nothing of it. The emperor was even more impressed. He once climbed with the emperor to Dinglin Temple on Mount Zhong. Pointing to the lone ridge of Dulong Hill ahead, he said: "If this becomes your burial site, your line will endure forever." The emperor asked: "Who will obtain it?" Zhigong answered: "The one who goes first will obtain it." In the thirteenth year the Great Bodhisattva passed away. The emperor, recalling his words, bought the land for two hundred thousand in gold and erected a five-tiered stupa crowned with a priceless jewel, commissioning Wang Yun to write the inscription. On the day of the burial the emperor came in person to pay his respects. The Great Bodhisattva suddenly appeared among the clouds, and the assembled crowd cried out in joy, their voices shaking the hills. From then on, monastics and laity alike venerated him, and his marvels were reckoned first in the land. As Zhigong lay dying, the emperor again asked how long the dynasty would stand. Zhigong said: "When this poor monk's stupa falls, Your Majesty's realm will fall with it." The emperor had a wooden stupa built; no sooner was it finished than he thought: "A wooden stupa won't last." He ordered it torn down and a stone one built. The demolition had barely finished when Hou Jing's rebel troops entered the capital. The Great Bodhisattva's secret prophecies and verses are recorded mostly in the History of the Southern Dynasties. He composed for practitioners: ten Praises of the Great Vehicle, fourteen Scripture Verses, and the Song of the Twelve Hours—all revealing the deeper currents of the Way. Their meaning dovetails with the Chan school's, and they are widely circulated today.

○ Monk Dao Rong Dao Rong lived in the early Liang. He was lodging alone at an inn. Snow was falling, and he'd only just fallen asleep in the middle of the night when he saw a host of ghost-soldiers, vast in number. Among them was a ghost general in armor with a blade at his side, of strange and imposing build. The general pulled up a camp stool and sat down squarely in front of Rong, then, with a fierce look and raised voice, declared: "And so—you would say that ghosts and spirits have no power!" He ordered Rong dragged to the ground. The ghosts were about to seize him when Rong silently called out Guanshiyin. Before the sound had ceased, he saw behind his bed a heavenly warrior, over a zhang tall, in a yellow leather coat and armed with a vajra staff, ready to strike. The ghosts scattered in terror, their armor and weapons crumbling to dust.

○ Monk Hui Jian Nothing is known of Hui Jian's origins. In the early Liang, a man of strict observance and remarkable courage, he came to live in three side chambers east of the main hall in Jingzhou, which had long been troubled by ghosts and strange occurrences. Jian took one room for himself and set up sutras and images in the other two. Suddenly he saw a figure dressed in black, eyeless, step out of the wall and lean against his doorframe. Jian's mind stayed clear, though he couldn't speak. Inwardly he called on Guanshiyin. After a long while the figure said: "Hearing of your diligence, I came to test you. Since your face hasn't changed, how could I press the matter?" It withdrew back into the wall. Jian rose unhurriedly, washed and rinsed his mouth, performed his recitations, and went back to sleep as though nothing had happened. In a dream the figure came to him again and said: "I've dwelt here since the end of the Han, for hundreds of years. My nature is stiff and unbending, and I find much intolerable. You, though, are a person of clean conduct and true goodness, so I'll make an exception for you." After that, the disturbances ceased for good. Jian lived there undisturbed for years. Whenever he was away, no one else could stay in those rooms. Also, in the reign of Emperor Wu of Qi, when Liu Ji's mother fell ill, he recited [the name of] Guanyin many tens of thousands of times. He dreamed a monk telling him: "The heavenly beings' count is up, but on account of your devotion her life will be extended sixty days." It came to pass exactly as in the dream.

△ Zhou and Sui

○ Monk Seng Shi Chan Master Seng Shi's lay surname was Cheng; he was from Wuling in Xianyang. He had double pupils, his gaze radiant; in his armpits he bore the mark of a phoenix egg; all seven of his bodily signs were perfectly formed. His appearance was peerless, and his fame filled both capitals—Chang'an and Luoyang. His realization of the Way was innate, and his transformative influence reached throughout the realm. Emperor Wen, Taizu of Zhou, said: "The Master's gifts run deep and his virtue is great; he should shelter clergy and laity alike, that the rites and teachings may flourish." He extended the invitation in person, and appointed Seng Shi Tripitaka Master of the Realm. Seng Shi did not refuse out of false modesty, but accepted in silence. Thus the dynasty found its pillar and its standard-bearer, and Zhou governance leaned upon his quiet wind. With greater honor than in any previous reign, the emperor received the precepts of refuge from him. One morning Seng Shi told the monks: "Quickly prepare incense and lamps, see to the Dharma rites, and recite Guanshiyin—to save a certain temple south of the river from a hall that is about to collapse." At that very moment, in the capital of Yang, the lecture hall was holding a Dharma assembly; several hundred clergy and laity filled it. A strange fragrance was sensed from the northwest, and celestial music sounded in the air. The whole assembly rushed out in amazement, all of them hearing it together. The hall then suddenly collapsed, but the gathering was unharmed. When this was reported to the Liang emperor, he sent word to the Zhou court to ask about it—and it was exactly as Seng Shi had said.

○ Monk Hong Man Hong Man, surname Liang, was a native of Anding. At fifteen, still a layman, he fell ill and lost the use of both feet. He recited the Guanyin Sutra constantly for three years. One day a monk appeared before him, holding a water vessel, silent. Man asked: "Master, where do you come from?" The monk replied: "Because you, the patron, have been calling me, I have come." Man bowed his head and asked: "What karma did I commit in a past life to bring on this crippling?" The monk said: "In a former life you bound and confined living beings; the lingering retribution caused this. Just close your eyes, and I'll heal you." Man did as he was told, closing his eyes, and felt what seemed like six- or seven-inch nails being drawn from each knee. When it was done, he opened his eyes and tried to thank the monk, but the monk had vanished. He stood and walked as before, and knew it had been Guanyin. From then on he was utterly devoted and vowed never to take a wife. Later he spontaneously entered into Chan contemplation, sitting motionless for stretches of three or seven days at a time. In the first year of the Kaihuang era he left lay life and took the tonsure, residing at Jiudu Temple. He died in the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era, at the age of eighty-three.

○ Master Huigong Dharma Master Huigong was from Chengdu in Yizhou; his lay surname was Zhou. In the late Zhou, when Buddhism was proscribed, he and Huizhi of the same monastery became close companions. Zhi went straight to Chang'an to hear lectures; Gong traveled far to the Jing-Yang region to seek the Way. Zhi studied the various sutras and treatises in the capital, mastered them all, and returned to teach in Yizhou. He stood head and shoulders above the rest, esteemed by clergy and laity alike. Gong later came back from the south. The two met with great joy, and spent several nights together talking. After more than thirty years apart, they had much to share. Zhi's words poured out like a spring, but Gong barely said a thing. Zhi asked him: "All these years apart, and now at last we meet—what joy! And yet you have nothing to say. Have you gained nothing at all?" Gong answered: "My nature is dull and poor. I understand nothing." Zhi said: "If you understand nothing, at least you could recite a sutra, couldn't you?" Gong said: "I can only recite the one fascicle of the Guanyin Sutra." Zhi said sharply: "The Guanyin Sutra—even small children can recite it. Why would a grown man like you stop at that? You left home as a boy and made vows with me, hoping to attain the fruit of the Way. After thirty-odd years, you've only recited one fascicle? This isn't dullness—this is laziness. I'm cutting off our friendship. Please go, and don't add to my troubles." Gong said: "The sutra may be small, but it was spoken by the Buddha's own mouth. To honor it brings measureless merit; to slight it brings measureless sin. I beg you to set aside your anger for a moment, and I'll recite it for you just once—then we part for good." Zhi laughed loudly: "The Guanyin Sutra is the Universal Gateway chapter of the Lotus Sutra. I've lectured on it over a hundred times. How can you start to drone in my ear?" Gong said: "A secular text says, 'It's people who spread the Way, not the Way that spreads people.' Just listen with a sincere heart to the Buddha's words—how can you reject the Dharma because of the person?" He set up an altar in the courtyard, placed a high seat in the center, walked around the altar several times, prostrated, and climbed up. Zhi had no choice but to sit on a camp stool under the eaves and listen. When Gong first spoke the title of the sutra, a wondrous fragrance filled the building. As he entered the text, celestial music rang out in the sky, and four kinds of flowers came raining down. The music was bright and resonant, filling the air; the flowers drifted softly, covering the ground. When he finished the sutra, Gong stepped down and performed the closing rites himself—and only then did the music and flowers cease. Zhi prostrated at Gong's feet, tears streaming, and apologized: "Huizhi is a stinking rotting corpse—how dare I walk under the light of heaven? I beg you to stay awhile and teach me." Gong said: "It's nothing of my doing—it's the power of all the Buddhas." That very day he dusted off his robes, made a deep bow, and went his way downstream.

The Guanyin Compassionate Grove Collection, Volume Two

△ Tang (with Five Dynasties appendix)

○ Venerable Master Tan Zang

Tan Zang's secular surname was Yang. A native of Huayin in Hongnong, he came from a prominent gentry family and had cultivated a pure, detached mind from an early age. At fifteen, a fortune-teller predicted he would die young. His grief-stricken parents immediately arranged a marriage for him. Since this was never what he wanted, and fearing he would be forced to go through with it, he fled into the mountains and marshes, wondering only who might deliver him from his plight. Wandering through remote wilderness he had never set foot in before, he had no idea where to turn, and held only Guanyin Bodhisattva in his heart. After a long while he met a dark-skinned man driving two oxen. He asked where the man had come from and whether he could shelter there for the night. The man told him: "There is a monastery to the west — you'll reach it soon enough." Before long he heard a temple bell and, quite suddenly, saw a monastery before him. He asked for tonsure then and there, fulfilling his deepest aspiration. The monks saw him out the door. After walking about a hundred paces, he turned back — the temple had vanished. Only at daybreak did he realize what had happened: he had reached a sacred realm, brought there by the power of the Great Bodhisattva.

○ Venerable Master Fa Chang

Fa Chang's secular surname was Zhang. A native of Baishui in Nanyang, he had delved deeply into the doctrinal gates and was widely admired for his consummate grasp of both teaching and practice. He took the She Dasheng Lun (Summary of the Great Vehicle) as his core refuge and revered the Nirvana Sutra. He devoted himself to practice and recitation, exerting himself through all six periods of the day without the slightest lapse. A great spirit king, robed and crowned entirely in white, would lead his retinue to follow Fa Chang as he circumambulated. Both monastics and laypeople witnessed this from time to time, and quietly revered him all the more for it. Once, late at night in the Buddha hall, the painted celestial musicians on the walls all began to dance at once. On another night, again in the Buddha hall, Guanyin Bodhisattva entered from outside and rose into the air. The figure was extraordinarily majestic, adorned with jeweled necklaces and ornaments, radiating a rare and brilliant light, and remained for a long while before vanishing. Five years later, just before dawn, he beheld Samantabhadra Bodhisattva approaching from the east, hovering five or six zhang above the ground. Such were the signs that answered Fa Chang's single-minded dedication.

○ Venerable Master Pu Ming

Pu Ming's original name was Fa Jing, and his secular surname was Zhu. A native of Kuaiji, from childhood his temperament set him apart from other children — he constantly recited the Buddha's name, never engaged in frivolous talk, and cared only for revering the Dharma. In the fourteenth year of the Taijian era of the Chen dynasty, he came to Mount Tiantai and took Zhiyi (the Great Master Zhizhe) as his teacher. He attended the master day and night, receiving his teachings with unwavering devotion. He sought the Chan method above all, while also practicing the Vaipulya repentance, the Pratyutpanna samadhi, and Guanyin repentance, and reciting the Lotus Sutra. When he followed Zhiyi to Donglin Temple on Mount Lu, Pu Ming practiced the Guanyin repentance rite inside the pavilion housing the miraculous image associated with Tao Kan. It was the eleventh month of winter; he wore no padded clothing, enduring the bitter cold as he persevered in practice. A monk appeared to him and said: "Your name Fa Jing is not an auspicious one. You should change it to Pu Ming — this name is clear and bright, illuminating the three periods of time." After completing the repentance, he reported this to Zhiyi, who replied: "This was revealed from the unseen realm. You should indeed discard the old and take up the new."

○ Venerable Master Jing Zhi

Jing Zhi's secular surname was Zhao, and he was from Gaoling in Yongzhou. His parents were devoted to virtue but had long remained childless. They prayed everywhere and, weary of worldly desires, permanently gave up pungent and meat foods. After Jing Zhi was finally born, he took to the Amitabha contemplation practice at age seven or eight, studying and practicing in accordance with the scriptures, and naturally aspired to leave the household life. In the early Zhenguan era, he lived in seclusion at Guanghua Temple for over a decade, dwelling in a thatched hut rather than the monks' quarters. More than two hundred people gathered around him from all directions. He never neglected his six daily periods of practice — body, speech, and mind — making full use of every passing moment. At one point he suffered from a fleshy growth blocking his nasal passage; nothing he tried worked. A monk told him to recite the Heart Sutra ten thousand times, and the growth fell away.

○ Venerable Master Zhi Qin

Zhi Qin's secular surname was Zhu. From a young age, his heart was set on protecting and helping others. Whenever he was among a group, his words always fostered harmony, and his sincerity and diligence ensured that his undertakings were met with unseen protection. When his mother fell gravely ill, he recited Guanyin's name on her behalf. On every leaf of the trees in their courtyard, images of transformation-body Buddhas appeared — the entire household saw them, and his mother's illness was cured.

○ Venerable Master Fa Tong

Fa Tong's surname was Guan, and he was from Huyin in the capital region. He left home at a young age but was extremely frail, so weak he could be knocked over by a gust of wind, as delicate as someone wrapped in fine silk. His fellow practitioners often looked down on him, and Tong would weep. One day, standing before an image of Guanyin, he declared with passionate resolve: "I have heard that the Bodhisattva's sacred discernment grants all sincere wishes. I beg you to guide and sustain me, so that I may escape this contempt." From then on, he recited the Guanyin Sutra day and night without ceasing. More than a year later, he returned to his hometown to visit his mother. After breakfast he dozed off under a tree in the courtyard. Presently, saliva began pouring from his mouth — as much as three sheng. His mother, thinking something had possessed him, shook him awake in alarm. When she asked what had happened, Tong said: "Just now someone brought me three donkey-loads of sinews. I had only eaten one donkey's worth when you woke me, so I lost the other two." From that point on, he felt his strength surge — heroic, powerful, his skin and flesh tough and resilient. He could privately hoist great timbers and boulders as though they weighed nothing. The temple had a monk named Kan who was公认 the strongest man there. Tong secretly slipped Kan's robe under a pillar. Kan couldn't budge it and assumed spirits were at work. Tong laughed, lifted the beam, and pulled the robe free, leaving Kan dumbfounded and deeply impressed. There was also a massive stone mortar weighing over five hundred jin; Tong carried it on his back from the Southern Mountains for the temple's use. It still sits there today, holding water. Emperor Gaozu of the Sui held him in the highest regard.

○ Venerable Master Zhi Xian

Zhi Xian resided at Huming Temple in Liaozhou. He had left home young and maintained pure, austere precepts, his character upright and uncompromising. He devoted himself solely to seated meditation, and no one knew the true depth of his attainment. Later, while traveling with a party of more than ten monastics and laypeople, they encountered Turkic raiders and were all seized — except Zhi Xian, who vanished from sight. Afterward, when the others found him and pressed him for an explanation, he said simply: "I was reciting Guanyin's name, so the bandits never saw me."

○ Venerable Master Yuan Kang

Yuan Kang's surname is unknown. During the Zhenguan era, he came to the capital to study, having first lived in the mountains and wilderness. He devoted himself constantly to reciting Guanyin's name, praying for wisdom and deeper understanding. In response, a deer appeared before him — its antlers branching into eight points, its form extraordinarily strange. Kang stroked it and it became tame. He kept it, rode it on long journeys, and never showed the least sign of fatigue. His eloquence was unimpeded, and when the emperor heard of him, he was summoned to Anguo Temple to lecture on the Three Treatises of the Madhyamaka school. He composed commentaries elucidating the principle of the Middle Way and separately wrote two volumes titled Xuan Shu (Mysterious Pivot), comprehensively expounding the core tenets of the Madhyamaka and Hundred Verses treatises.

○ Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang

Xuanzang's original name was Hui, and his secular surname was Chen. He traced his lineage to Chen Shi (courtesy name Zhonggong) of Taiqiu in the Han dynasty. His father, Hui Ying, was a man of pure character and refined conduct. When Xuanzang was born, his mother dreamed that he was dressed in white robes, heading west. She asked: "You are my son — where are you going?" He replied: "I go to seek the Dharma." This was a portent of his future travels to distant lands.

At eleven, he followed his elder brother, the monk Changjie, receiving daily instruction in profound doctrines alongside training in the art of debate. He stood upright and resolute, never following the common currents of his time. At thirteen, he ascended the lecture seat, expounding the teachings with complete command of both words and principles, and his reputation spread ever wider.

By twenty-nine, he reflected to himself: "The value of learning lies in its depth and reach; the importance of doctrine lies in its clear and thorough comprehension. To study in only one place cannot fulfill my aspiration. If I do not risk my life and vow to journey to the Western Heavens, how can I see the Buddha's original words for myself, and through them penetrate the sacred meaning?" So he set out directly for Guzang, made his way to Dunhuang, and crossed the Yumen Pass into the vast desert beyond — carrying his provisions, his lone shadow his only company. Before him stretched a featureless expanse of sand, over eight hundred li across: no birds in the sky, no beasts on the ground, no water, no grass. He pressed northwestward, single-mindedly reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva's name and the Heart Sutra. All around was emptiness; both man and horse were at the edge of extinction. By night he lit fires that glimmered like bright stars; by day, fierce winds scoured the sand into stinging curtains like driving rain. After four nights and five days without a single drop of water touching his lips, his mouth and throat were scorched dry, and he lay near death, unable to go another step. He lay down in the sand and silently recited Guanyin's name. Even in extremity, he did not stop. He prayed to the Bodhisattva: "This journey of mine seeks no wealth, no fame — I come only for the unsurpassed bodhicitta, for the true Dharma. I look up to the Bodhisattva, whose compassion embraces all beings, whose very purpose is to relieve suffering. Here is suffering indeed — can you not know it?" As he prayed, his heart never faltered. At midnight on the fifth night, a cool breeze suddenly touched his body, as cold and refreshing as a bath in chilled water. His vision cleared. His horse staggered to its feet. After traveling a few li, they came upon several mu of green grass. He dismounted and let the horse eat its fill. Nearby he found a pool — sweet, clear as a mirror. He drank, and his life was restored; man and horse were both revived. He knew this grass and water had not been there before — they were born of his sincere heart, a compassionate gift from the Bodhisattva. Thus he crossed the shifting sands and reached the Kingdom of Gaochang. Its king received him with great ceremony; when Xuanzang insisted on pressing on, the king arranged for relays of escorts to send him onward to the Western Regions. The Master traveled through all five regions of India, journeying for eighteen years and passing through 135 kingdoms. Every peril and hardship he met, he escaped unharmed. This was owing to his own past vows — and to the Bodhisattva's compassionate protection.

○ Venerable Master Zhi Xuan

Zhi Xuan's courtesy name was Houjue, his secular surname Chen. A native of Hongya in Meizhou, he expounded sutras and treatises to audiences of monastics and laypeople alike, and the shoes piled outside his door grew more numerous by the day. He also studied secular classics and the texts of the hundred schools, mastering them all. He had always been troubled by his non-standard regional accent, so at Elephant Ear Mountain he recited the Great Compassion Mantra. In a dream, a divine monk cut out his tongue and replaced it with a new one. The next morning, he suddenly spoke in the standard tongue of the capital.

○ During the Taihe era of Emperor Wenzong:

Emperor Wenzong once had his imperial kitchen boil chicken eggs. Suddenly, from amid the cluster of eggs, a voice cried out "Guanyin Bodhisattva!" The emperor immediately issued an edict banning the use of eggs. He was also extremely fond of clams and razor clams. Coastal officials had long been required to send them as tribute, and the labor this imposed on the people was considerable. One day, a platter full of them was presented at the imperial table. One clam would not pry open. The emperor, sensing something extraordinary, lit incense and prayed over it. It transformed into the form of a Bodhisattva — complete with the marks and features of a Sanskrit image, dignified and beautiful. He placed it in a sandalwood box inlaid with gold, covered it with jade-fine brocade, and bestowed it on Xingshan Temple, ordering that it be venerated with proper rites. He then asked his assembled ministers: "What is the meaning of this auspicious sign?" Prime Minister Li Deyu replied: "I am hardly qualified to say. I know only that this reflects Your Majesty's luminous virtue. As for the deeper principles of the Buddha — I have heard that Chan Master Hengzheng on Mount Zhongnan has profound understanding of the Dharma, extensive learning, and a prodigious memory." The emperor summoned Hengzheng to the palace for questioning. The master said: "This humble monk has heard that phenomena never respond in vain. This is meant to awaken Your Majesty's faith. As the sutra says: 'To those who should be saved in this form, I appear in this form and speak the Dharma.'" The emperor said: "I have seen the Bodhisattva's form, but I have not heard the Dharma." Hengzheng replied: "Does Your Majesty see this as ordinary or extraordinary? Do you believe, or not?" The emperor said: "This is a wondrous thing — I believe deeply." Hengzheng said: "Then Your Majesty has already heard the Dharma." The emperor was overjoyed, having gained something unprecedented. He decreed that monasteries throughout the empire should each install an image of Guanyin Bodhisattva, in gratitude for this extraordinary blessing.

○ Bodhisattva Sengqie

Sengqie came from the Kingdom of He, north of the Congling Mountains. He arrived in Linhuai with his disciple Huiyan and asked a resident of Xinyi Ward for land, marking the spot and declaring he would build a monastery there. When they dug into the earth, they uncovered an ancient stele — the site of Xiangji Temple of the Qi dynasty. They also found a golden image whose robe petals bore the inscription "Universal Radiance King Buddha." The locals marveled: "His heavenly eye foresaw this — how can we possibly refuse?" Sengqie once stayed overnight at the home of the Heba family. His body suddenly extended over three chi beyond the bed on each side, astonishing everyone. He then manifested the form of Eleven-Faced Guanyin. The entire household rejoiced, their faith and reverence doubled, and they donated their home to serve as the temple. In the second year of the Jinglong era under Emperor Zhongzong, the temple was granted an imperial plaque reading "Universal Radiance King." In the fourth year, gengxu, Sengqie fell ill and passed away seated upright, his radiant countenance seemingly still alive — only his eyes were closed. He was eighty-three years old in worldly age; his years as a monk are unknown. He had spent thirty years in his homeland and fifty-three teaching in the land of Tang, manifesting many miraculous signs. The emperor, grief-stricken and subdued, ordered his ministers to attend the funeral, and the streets filled with commoners. The emperor asked Master Wanhui: "Who is this monk Sengqie?" Wanhui replied: "He is an incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Does not the sutra say: 'For those who should be saved in the form of a bhikshu, one appears in the form of a monastic'?"

During the Xiantong era, Pang Xun, a garrison soldier from Xuzhou, abandoned his post in Guiguan and went on a looting rampage along the road, eventually attacking Sizhou and laying siege to the city. Sengqie appeared atop the pagoda. The enemy forces all fell into a deep sleep, and when the city's troops made a sudden sortie, the invaders were routed in panic. The people of Sizhou reported this to the throne, and Sengqie was posthumously granted the title "Master of Verified Sagehood." Thereafter he frequently appeared atop the pagoda in the form of a small monk, and the whole prefecture would gaze up in reverence. He also gave signs of fortune and misfortune: those who prayed for favorable winds received them, and those who prayed for children were granted them. It is said that those who pay homage in person sometimes do not see Sengqie's form at all. If they see him smiling, it is auspicious; if not, inauspicious. Such is the unfathomable measure of his salvific power. Later, during Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou's campaign in Jiangnan, when his forces first attacked the region north of the Si River, Sengqie appeared in a dream to the people of the prefecture, warning them not to underestimate the enemy. Word reached the prefect, but no one believed it. Then every household had the same dream, and when they reported it, the city surrendered. The entire population of the prefecture owed their lives to Sengqie's protection. Throughout the empire, whenever a new monastery is built, a statue of Sengqie's true likeness is invariably installed, with a plaque reading "Great Sage Sengqie, Venerable Monk," and those who bring their wishes to him are often answered.

○ Chan Master An

Chan Master An was from Bingzhou. He regarded the Pure Land as his true destination, practiced the Vaipulya repentance, and served with tireless diligence. When he fell slightly ill, he continued his meditation practice without interruption and beheld Guanyin and Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattvas appearing in the air, remaining visible for a long time without fading. Master An summoned every painter in the region, but none could capture their forms. Suddenly two men appeared, saying they had come from the capital and were heading to Mount Wutai. They were skilled at painting Bodhisattva images and gladly offered to help. When the work was done, Master An presented them with two pairs of shoes as a gift — and they vanished without a trace. Master An knew his karmic connection with the Pure Land had matured. He told his disciples: "I am going to be reborn in the Pure Land. Who will come with me?" A young boy kowtowed and said: "I wish to follow you, Master." An told him to go bid his parents farewell. His parents thought he was joking — but the boy bathed, put on clean robes, entered the practice hall, recited the Buddha's name, and passed away then and there. Master An chided him: "How could you go ahead of me?" Then he picked up his brush and composed a verse in praise of the two Bodhisattvas:

Guanyin aids from afar to welcome us, Mahāsthāmaprāpta supports from a distance to greet. The precious vase shines atop their crowns, the transformation-buddha glows before their brows. Together they roam the buddha-lands of every direction, holding lotus blossoms to await beings across nine rebirths. May your compassionate hands lift and guide us, drawing us onward to journey west together.

Having recited the verse, he bade farewell to his disciples, entered the practice hall, and asked his students to help him recite the Buddha's name. He passed away seated upright at the age of eighty.

○ Venerable Master Fa Lang

Fa Lang was from Gusu. He recited the Guanyin Mantra, and its miraculous efficacy was demonstrated many times. In the second year of the Longshuo era, Princess Chengyang fell dangerously ill. Someone told the emperor: "Fa Lang can recite secret mantras and has cured many illnesses." The emperor summoned him to the palace, had an altar set up, and Fa Lang recited the mantra. Within two nights, the princess recovered. The princess petitioned to have the temple's plaque changed to "Guanyin Temple," and Fa Lang took up residence there.

○ Venerable Master Seng Xuan

Seng Xuan was from Bingzhou. At the age of ninety-six he met Master Daochuo, who had composed the Anle Ji (Collection on the Peaceful Land) and lectured on the Contemplation Sutra. This turned his heart toward reciting Amitabha Buddha's name. Fearing his life was nearing its end, he prostrated to the Buddha a thousand times each day and recited Amitabha's name eighty thousand times. For five years, he maintained this single-minded practice without slackening. When he was gravely ill, he told his disciples: "Amitabha Buddha has come to bestow fragrant robes upon me. Guanyin and Mahāsthāmaprāpta stand in a row before him, and transformation-buddhas fill the entire sky. From here westward, it is all the Pure Land." With these words, he passed away.

○ Venerable Master Huai Yu

Huai Yu's secular surname was Gao, and he was from Danqiu. He strictly upheld the monastic precepts and was known for his uncompromising integrity. He ate only one meal a day, sat in meditation for long stretches, and allowed lice and fleas to multiply freely on his body. He owned but a single cotton robe and devoted himself to the practice of repentance. His daily regimen included chanting Amitabha Buddha's name fifty thousand times and reciting the complete Amitabha Sutra — a practice he performed three hundred thousand times in all. On the ninth day of the sixth month in the first year of the Tianbao era, he suddenly beheld holy images from the Western Pure Land, as countless as the sands of the Ganges. A man carrying a silver platform entered through the window. Huai Yu said: "I am worthy of a golden platform." The silver platform withdrew. Huai Yu redoubled his devotion, and the Buddha's light filled his room. On the thirteenth day, during the chou hour (1–3 a.m.), the white light between the Buddha's brows appeared again, and the holy assembly filled the chamber. Huai Yu said: "When I smell a wondrous fragrance, my end will have come." After he spoke his verse, fragrance filled the room. The ocean-wide assembly of holy beings appeared — Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, their bodies of purple-gold, coming together astride the Diamond Platform to welcome him. Huai Yu smiled and passed away. His physical body remains preserved to this day.

○ Venerable Master Shen Zhi

Shen Zhi was from Yiwu in Wuzhou. His secular surname was Li. From an early age he possessed pure moral character and an earnest desire to leave the household life. He went to Yunjian Temple and took the monk Weixiao as his teacher, eating only one meal a day. He recited the Great Compassion Mantra and constantly blessed cups of water with the mantra, using them to cure all manner of illnesses. Those who drank the water were mostly healed. The common folk came in droves, receiving countless cups day after day. He became known as the Great Compassion Monk. During the Dazhong era, he traveled to the capital. At that time, the daughter of Prime Minister Pei Xiu was possessed by a ghost or spirit. Shen Zhi recited the mantra for seven days and she recovered. He then submitted a request, and the temple was granted a plaque reading "Dazhong Shengshou" (Sacred Longevity of the Dazhong Era).

○ Dong Xiong

During the Zhenguan era, there was a man named Dong Xiong from Hedong who served as a clerk in the Court of Judicature and Revision. He had been devoted to Buddhism since his youth and had maintained a vegetarian diet for ten years. In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, he was implicated in the case of Li Xiantong. The emperor was furious and sent Wei Cong to interrogate him severely. Dozens of people were imprisoned, including the clerk Li Jingxuan and the official Wang Xin, who were caught up in the same case. Xiong was locked in a cell with them. He devoted himself to reciting the Universal Gate Chapter (from the Lotus Sutra) thirty times a day. One night, while sitting and reciting the sutra, his lock suddenly released and fell to the ground of its own accord. Startled, Xiong told Jingxuan and Xin, who came to look. The lock lay on the ground, perfectly intact — yet the hasp and the body were separated by several feet. They called the guard. That night, the investigating censor Zhang Shouyi, who was on duty, ordered the clerk to relock it, illuminated it with a lamp, and saw that the lock was indeed unopened yet separated. He found it very strange. He relocked it, sealed it with paper, and departed. Xiong continued his recitation as before. During the fifth watch (3–5 a.m.), the lock fell open again with a clatter. Xiong told the others, and at dawn they informed Jingxuan. When they checked, the paper seal was intact — but the lock had separated on its own. Jingxuan had never believed in Buddhism. His wife read sutras, and he used to tell her: "Why do you let yourself be beguiled by this foreign god, reading these books?" After witnessing what happened to Xiong, he realized the error of his disbelief and understood that the Buddha was truly a great sage. Wang Xin had also been reciting the names of the eight Bodhisattvas, completing thirty thousand recitations, and his lock fell open during the day — just as Xiong's had. They all marveled at these events, and shortly after, both were released.

○ Xu Shancai

Xu Shancai was from Liquan County.

He kept the fasting precepts faithfully and recited the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra more than a thousand times. He often carried out merit-making at Yanxing Temple in the capital. In the eleventh month of the second year of Wude (619), while traveling home on family business, he ran into Hu bandits on the road, who seized him and dragged him off. By the southern border of Binzhou, the bandits—fierce and ruthless—had captured several thousand Han people. They bound them hand and foot and drove them toward Hongya, where men were sent to behead them one after another, their heads tumbling off the cliff.

Shancai watched everyone ahead of him die and knew his turn was coming. He thought only of Guanyin, without a moment's pause. When his moment arrived, just as the blade was about to fall, something in him stayed quiet and clear. The execution took place in the shen hour (3–5 p.m.); by the first watch (7–9 p.m.), he found himself sitting on a tree branch deep in a ravine, more than three hundred paces from the cliff edge.

"Why am I here?" he wondered. After a long while, it came to him: he had been killed that very day. Yet here he was, whole, in a tree. He reached up and touched the top of his head—his neck ached faintly, but there was no wound. He knew at once that his unbroken recitation of Guanyin's name had saved his body and his life. It was the fifteenth of the month, and the moon shone bright. He had no clothes, no food. After several cold, hungry days, he climbed down at dawn, followed the stream eastward for two li, and found a sheepskin coat and a pair of boots half-hidden in the ravine. He put them on. Another li on, he came across a box of peaches and dates, green, red, and pale, as if just picked, more than a sheng in all. He ate his fill. Without Guanyin's power, how could fresh peaches and dates appear in the depths of winter? Rested and warmed, he climbed the southern slope, reached the south bank, and looked back. The bandit camp was several li away, still noisy with people and animals not yet settled. He hurried on toward home, walked about fifty li, and once he felt the bandits were far behind, his body and mind eased. He rested beneath a tree, sat cross-legged, and began to recite. Without noticing, he drifted off. At the fourth watch (1–3 a.m.) he woke with a start, opened his eyes, and saw a huge blue wolf crouched before him, its muzzle pressed against his nose. Shancai closed his eyes again and thought: "If you truly are my enemy from a past life, eat me and let the debt be paid. Let us both let go of resentment and give rise to kindness together. But if you are Guanyin, please save your disciple and grant me peace." When he finished, he opened his eyes. The wolf was gone without a trace.

Such things show how the compassionate roots of all the Buddhas reach out in response to circumstances, bringing limitless benefit. When people today recite and feel no effect, it is usually because their minds are scattered and careless, or because evils from past and present lives weigh them down. Back home, Shancai showed the remaining peaches and dates to monks and laypeople alike, and no one doubted the truth of his story.

○ Cizang

Chan Master Cizang bore the surname Jin. His father, Wulin, held the rank of first-grade official. High-ranking and entrusted with all the weightiest policy discussions, he had no heir, and his worry deepened with each passing year. Long devoted to the Buddha's teachings, he sought divine aid by commissioning a thousand copies of the Guanyin sūtra, praying for a single child who, should he grow up, would take the monastic path and work to liberate sentient beings. The answer came in a dream: a star fell into his arms, and his wife conceived. She gave birth on the eighth day of the fourth month, an auspicious day, and monks and laypeople alike rejoiced at such a rare omen. As the boy grew, he grew weary of the world's glitter, and came to see, deeply, the impermanence of all things and how they pass into emptiness. He took the robe during the Zhenguan era. Two bodhisattvas descended from the heavens to confer the precepts upon him in person. He spread the Buddha-dharma far and wide, benefiting humans and devas alike—his father's prayer, it turned out, had not been in vain.

○ Zijue

Zijue was a native of Wangdu in Boling. From childhood he had no taste for the world. He studied the precepts, sūtras, and treatises for nine hard years and reached the heart of each. He settled at a hermitage called Chonglin Shan in the border country of Pingshan, among thick forest and deep ravines where tigers and wolves left their tracks at every turn. He lived on gathered fruit and greens, eating once a day at dawn. Once he had entered the Dharma, he set himself the forty-eight great vows taught by the Buddhas. One was to remain always in the presence of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion. His next vow was to cast a golden statue of that Bodhisattva and build a temple for it. No sooner had he voiced the vow than donors appeared in numbers. He cast the statue from pure red gold, forty-nine chi high, its Buddhist features serene and dignified. Within a year the temple too was finished. One night, reciting before the altar until the third watch, he saw two beams of light, the color of pure gold. Within that radiance appeared Amitābha, with Guanyin and Mahāsthamaprapta flanking him. The Buddha stretched out a golden arm, called Zijue by name, and slowly descended from the clouds. He placed his hand on Zijue's head and said: "Hold to your vow and do not turn back. Do not grow lax or careless. Put the benefit of beings first. Wherever you go, I will follow. Act as your heart moves you." When he finished speaking, the clouds drew back, and not a trace of their fragrance remained.

His vow fulfilled, Zijue returned to the mountain forests and chose the place where he would end his days. On the night of the full moon in the second month of Zhenyuan 11 (795), a divine figure appeared in half-form, in the likeness of Vaiśravaṇa, and said: "Master, you will pass into nirvana this year." Zijue raised his hand toward the figure in thanks and replied: "Coming and going are fixed by fate. I have heard your word." On the fourteenth day of the sixth month of that year, he quietly entered nirvana.

○ Sengren

Sengren, whose lay surname was Shi, came from Chenliu in Pei. He copied sūtras using his own blood as ink. While reading the Great Compassion Sūtra and studying the forty-two arms, he reached the Fearless Hand and found himself uncertain. He set up an altar and prayed for ten full days. The true mudrā appeared to him in the air, both hands vivid and clear, and he had an artist paint it. When some people mocked him for it, he returned to his prayers with even greater devotion. As the painter rinsed his brush in a bronze vessel, a wondrous blossom appeared in the water, its stem, base, petals, and leaves all vivid and bright. Onlookers were amazed. In all, Sengren copied 283 scrolls of sūtra in his own blood. He also painted a Vairocana Hall thirty-five chi tall, with a door one zhang six chi wide, and three scrolls depicting the merit and virtue of the Great Compassion. He wrote six scrolls of his own commentary on the Great Compassion, all kept in boxes and cabinets. He passed away on the tenth day of the seventh month of Xiantong 12 (871). His posthumous name was Guanghui (Broad Wisdom), and his stupa was called Nianding (Contemplation of the Mind).

○ Huiri

Master Huiri, lay surname Xin, was from Donglai. He was ordained during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. Later he met the pilgrim Yijing and resolved to travel to the Western Regions. He set sail and spent three years at sea, passing through nearly every kingdom of the southeastern seas—Kunlun, Buddhaśikhā, Simhaladvīpa—before reaching India. There he paid his respects at the sacred sites, sought out Sanskrit texts, and visited learned teachers, altogether thirteen years. Having received the Dharma, he wished to bring its benefits back to others, took up his staff, and turned for home. Alone, a single shadow, he crossed the snow mountains and the foreign lands of the west. Four more years of travel brought many hardships and a deepening weariness with this world. What country, he wondered, what place, held joy without suffering? What teaching, what practice, could bring a person to the Buddha most quickly? He asked Indian monks and scholars everywhere, and all praised the Pure Land path—confirmed by the Buddha's own words—as the speediest way, a path of a single life: by the end of this body, one is sure of rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss, where one may serve Amitābha in person. He received this with reverence.

He made his way to Gandhāra in northern India, where a great mountain rises northeast of the royal capital, and on it stands a statue of Guanyin. Those who pray there with a sincere heart often see her appear. Huiri bowed his head to the ground for seven days and took a vow of fasting unto death. On the seventh night, before the night was half gone, Guanyin appeared in the air, her body the color of purple gold, more than ten zhang tall, seated on a precious lotus. She lowered her right hand, placed it on his head, and said: "You wish to spread the Dharma, to benefit both yourself and others. The Western Pure Land, the Land of Utmost Bliss, the realm of Amitābha—urge people to recite the Buddha's name, to read the sūtras, and to dedicate their merit toward rebirth there. Once you arrive, you will see the Buddha and me, and gain great benefit. You will come to know for yourself that the Pure Land gate surpasses all other practices." When she finished speaking, she vanished. Huiri was faint from fasting, but her words gave him new strength. He went on through more than seventy countries—eighteen years in all—and in the seventh year of Kaiyuan (719) reached Chang'an, where he presented the Emperor with a true portrait of the Buddha, Sanskrit scrolls, and other sacred items. The Emperor's heart was opened, and he bestowed the title Cimin Sanzang (Compassionate and Pitying Tripiṭaka Master). Throughout his life Huiri practiced the Pure Land path diligently and wrote the Collection on Rebirth in the Pure Land, which circulated widely. His teaching, together with that of Shandao and Shaokang, spread the same Dharma in different ages.

○ A Soldier from Changsha

A man surnamed Wu from Changsha served as a soldier in the campaign against the Man. He made his living by fishing and hunting. Once he caught a white softshell turtle, found it a delicacy, and ate it. Sores broke out over his whole body, festered, and caused him unending pain. His eyebrows, beard, the fingers of his hands and feet, and the backs of his hands all fell off. He did not die at once, and took to begging in the market at Annan. A monk took pity on him and said: "Turn your heart around and recite the Great Compassion Mantra. I will teach it to you by mouth. Practice it diligently, and a good result is sure to come." The soldier did as he was told, received the mantra, and recited it single-mindedly. His sores slowly healed, his fingers grew back, and he made a full recovery. He then shaved his head and became a monk.

○ Ouyang Can

Ouyang Can was a physician from Xuzhou. At home he recited the Great Compassion Mantra regularly. One day he went into the city and was returning late when a heavy rain came on, with thunder and lightning. Halfway home the road passed between mountain and forest—dense woods, deep valleys, many fierce beasts. Can's fear grew, and the rain only worsened. Suddenly a huge creature loomed before him, only ten or so paces off—more than a zhang long, pure white, with no discernible limbs, simply leading the way ahead. Can was seized with terror. He tried to recite the mantra aloud, but his mouth was locked shut. He recited it in his mind without stopping, and soon the creature was gone. As he drew near home, the rain eased and stopped.

○ Xu Yan

In the Linde era (664–665), Xu Yan of Yongxing Ward in the capital made his living catching fish. He fell gravely ill, lay unconscious as though dead, his body flushed red and his pain like being burned by fire. He said: "All I could see was a fiery cart coming to burn me. The officials accused me of taking too many fish and sent me to receive punishment for my sins." For several days he hovered between life and death. His relatives urged him to make merit, so he commissioned two statues of Guanyin and ordered his whole household to abstain from meat and wine. He recovered.

○ Daoyi

Chan Master Daoyi of White Cloud—we do not know where he was from. In the fourth year of Tianfu of the Later Jin (939), he built a grass hermitage on the northwest side of Tianzhu Mountain, wearing coarse hemp and living on wild food, his conduct far above the dust of the world. One evening he saw light streaming up to the sky from the peak before him. He followed it to its source and found a strange piece of wood, one no one could name. He took it and asked the carver Kong Renqian to shape it into a statue of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. That night he dreamed of a figure in white who told him: "The statue will be finished tomorrow. A monk will arrive from Luoyang, carrying an ancient relic of the Buddha. Ask him for it." Soon a monk did appear, just as in the dream. Daoyi asked for the relic and received three grains, which he set into the crown of the statue's head. Afterward the relic often shone from the crown with a clear white light, and the statue's wonders became widely known.

○ Zhijue

Chan Master Yanshou Zhijue was born into the Wang family of Yuhang. In his youth he served as garrison commander at Huating and once used official funds to release captive animals. He was sentenced to death for it, but when the executioner came his color did not change. King Wenmu of Wuyue was astonished and commuted the sentence, allowing him to go forth. He took up residence at Longce Temple, working hard to serve the community, eating once a day, sitting long without lying down. He received the Dharma from Chan Master Zhao of Tiantai, first stayed at Xuedou, then returned to West Lake. In the second year of Jianlong (961), King Zhongyi invited him to become the second patriarch of Yongming Temple. He remained there fifteen years, with a regular assembly of two thousand, and was given the title Zhijue. At night he offered food to hungry spirits; in the morning he released living creatures. He scattered flowers and walked in meditation through all six periods of the day and practiced one hundred and eight observances each day without fail. In his spare time he recited the Lotus Sūtra—thirteen thousand scrolls in all—and bore the alternate name Baoyizi (Embacer of the One). Earlier, in a session of contemplation, he had received sweet dew poured into his mouth by Guanyin and gained great eloquence. He wrote the Records of the Mirror of the Source, 120 scrolls, to reconcile the differences among the Tiantai, Huayan, and Faxiang schools. His poems and verses ran into the millions of words and spread across the seas. The king of Goryeo wrote to him in the manner of a disciple and sent, as offerings, a kāṣāya woven of gold thread, crystal prayer beads, and a golden water vessel. He passed away in the eighth year of Kaibao (975). When his body was cremated, relics fell like rain, and his stupa was built on Jingci Mountain.

○ Huie

Off the coast of Ningbo Prefecture in Zhejiang lies a mountain that resembles South India's Potalaka, where Guanyin often appears. In the Dazhong era (847–860), a monk from the Western Regions came to the Potalaka cave, burned off all ten of his fingers in prayer, and saw the Bodhisattva's wondrous form in person, who taught him the essential Dharma. From this the site's fame began to spread. Later, the Japanese monk Huie, coming from Mount Wutai, brought with him a portrait of the Bodhisattva, hoping to take it back to his own country. When his ship reached the cave, it refused to move on, no matter what was tried. He left the portrait at the foot of the mountain, at the home of a local surnamed Zhang. The Zhang family saw wonders there again and again and gave up their house to become a Guanyin chapel. The local military commander heard of it and sent an aide to bring the portrait into the city to pray for the people's blessing. Later a monk named Jizhong sought out fine wood, locked himself away to carve it, and after a month the statue was done; the monk himself was never seen again. The statue enshrined there today is that very one. In the third year of Yuanfeng (1080), Wang Shunfeng was sent as envoy to the Three Han. When his ship reached the cave, a black wind suddenly rose and a great turtle pushed the boat toward the mountain. Shunfeng prayed, and the Bodhisattva appeared. The boat steadied, and he returned safely. He reported all this to the court, which granted gold and silk and moved the temple to the sunny side of Haicen Mountain, inscribing its plaque Baotuo (Precious Potalaka). Prayers for rain or for fair weather were always answered.

○ Cen Wenben

Cen Wenben recited the Universal Gateway chapter often. Once, while crossing the Wu River by boat, the vessel capsized and he drifted with the waves to shore. Later, when he held a vegetarian feast at home, a monk said: "The realm is about to fall into chaos. You, fortunately, will not be caught in the disaster, and will one day rise to rank and riches." Sure enough, under Emperor Taizong he became Zhongshu Ling (Chief of the Central Secretariat).

△ Song

○ Venerable Yiji, secular surname Hu, courtesy name Changzhao, was a native of Yongjia in Wenzhou. He lectured on all the Buddhist sutras and treatises and composed sub-commentaries for them. While staying at Yuwang Temple in Siming, he dreamed of climbing to a terrace above Guoqing Temple, where a lavishly adorned ceremonial dais bore the inscription "Manjushri Terrace." Railings and barriers surrounded it, with no way in. Shortly after, he saw Guanyin Bodhisattva step slowly from the hall; they greeted one another for a moment, and then he felt his own body had merged entirely with Guanyin's, the two indistinguishable. He woke with a start, and from that day forward his ability to expound the Dharma was inexhaustible. Some have said of him: "To enter the wisdom of the Universal Gate, to ride the compassion that benefits all beings—above, one is in accord with the Buddha's enlightenment, having realized the supreme; below, one is in accord with all sentient beings, sharing one body with both ordinary and holy. One who has attained such a mind can be no other than Guanyin."

○ Venerable Zongyuan, secular surname Gong, was a native of Gaomi. He was aloof, upright, and unyielding, and ordinary folk could not meet him casually. Every day he recited a portion of the Guanyin chapter, for a skilled physiognomist had once warned him his life would be short and urged him to uphold the Universal Gate chapter to extend it. In the tenth month of the fifth year of the Taiping Xingguo era, he foretold the date of his passing and ordered a carpenter to fashion a deer-crown-shaped seat. He kept urging the carpenter to hurry, saying he needed it for the noon meal the next day, and indeed he passed away seated upon it at that hour. He was eighty-three. He left behind a collection titled Writings from West of the Luo and fifty elegiac poems. One of them reads:

"Surely the world holds no centenarians— a hundred years end as dust in a tomb. I, now eighty-three, sing my own lament and ask to be buried in a single paper robe."

Later, when his tomb was opened, his features were still vivid, as if alive. His disciple Danran Fengming interred him in a mountain cave.

○ Venerable Jizhong, secular surname Qiu, was a native of Yongjia. His parents, longing for a child, prayed at a Buddhist shrine, and both dreamed of a monk who offered them a fine son, saying, "Venerable Luoxi entrusts this child to you to raise." From the moment of conception, his mother lost all taste for meat and pungent food. As a boy, he would bow reverently at the sight of any Buddha image. At eight, he entered Kaiyuan Temple and, by imperial grace, received ordination. He then went to Nanhu and studied under Guangzhi. The strain of his studies brought on an illness, so he undertook the practice of the Guanyin Samadhi. Guanyin Bodhisattva shone light upon him and poured water over his crown, and the illness vanished at once. From then on he had a thorough awakening into the Tiantai teachings and contemplations, with no trace of obstruction. Guangzhi valued him highly and often had him take the lectern in his place. When Chan Master Xuedou Xian saw him, he sighed in admiration, "The Way of Siming has found its heir."

○ Wang Gu. In the fourth month of summer in the second year of the Yuanyou era, no rain fell in Yuanzhou. The prefect, Wang Gu, went to pray at the relic stupa on Muping Mountain. Light blazed from the cliff, and he saw the White-Robed Bodhisattva, adorned in golden jewelry, and obtained five-colored relics the size of dates, with tiny pavilions and halls visible within them. That night he went to the stupa on Yangshan, where he saw the Sizhou Bodhisattva, Vimalakirti, and arhats arrayed on either side. Soon after, a soaking rain fell. The prefecture reported the events to court, and imperial decree named the Muping stupa the "Stupa of Hallowed Celebration" and the Yangshan stupa the "Stupa of Auspicious Celebration."

○ Venerable Yanlun, secular surname Zhou of Qiantang, monastic name Qingbian. As a boy he passed the sutra-recitation exam and was ordained; he received the Tiantai teachings and contemplations from Venerable Huixian at Faming. He once fell gravely ill, and no medicine brought relief, so he threw himself into reciting the holy name of Guanyin. He dreamed that a woman came, pried open his chest with a chisel, replaced his heart, and massaged it with her hand—the illness left him on the spot. From then on, nothing he read was forgotten; his pen moved with ease, and everything he wrote was elegant and polished. All said this was the sign of Mañjuśrī's blessing, the bodhisattva of eloquence.

○ Venerable Huicai of Leifeng Temple in Hangzhou. In the third month of the first year of the Yuanfeng era, he conferred the Bodhisattva Precepts on a thousand monastics and laypeople, among them the masters Lingzhi and Yuanzhao. In the midst of the formal ceremony, a Guanyin image radiated light, and the great lecture hall blazed bright. Chan Master Shouyi of Jingci—also known as Fazhen—wrote the Record of the Precept Light. The inscription was calligraphed by Mi Fu and the stone set up at Longjing by Venerable Biancai.

○ Vice Minister Bian Zhibai. In the second year of Yuanfeng, he traveled from the capital to Linchuan and fell ill from the summer heat. He dreamed a figure in white robes sprinkled water over him, and a cool chill ran from the crown of his head to his heels. He woke completely refreshed. He then gathered accounts of Guanyin's miraculous responses from ancient and modern times, and compiled the Collection of Guanyin's Responsive Miracles in four scrolls, which circulated widely.

○ Bodhisattva Oracle Lots. At Tianzhu Temple there are a hundred lots, and at Yuantong Temple a hundred and thirty, used to determine fortune and misfortune. Their answers come as swift as an echo. Tradition has it these lots were composed by an emanation of the Bodhisattva.

○ Scholar Zhang Kang. He had long been devoted to good works and had vowed before the Buddha to recite the Great Compassion Mantra a hundred thousand times, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. Past sixty, he took to his bed with illness, and with single-minded devotion he called on the Buddha's name. He told his family, "The Western Pure Land is right in front of this hall. Amitābha is seated on a lotus blossom, and little Weng'er is bowing to the Buddha on a golden ground." When he had finished speaking, he recited the Buddha's name and passed away. Weng'er was his grandson, who had died at the age of three.

○ The Wang family woman, a native of Ji'an. She recited daily the Amitābha Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Guanyin Sutra, and called on the Buddha's name seeking liberation. She practiced the Pure Land path together with her stepmother. When she fell ill, she had monks come to teach the method of Pure Land contemplation. She suddenly asked for a robe, lay down in a posture of blessing, grasped the banner held in Guanyin's hand, and was still. Her mother sifted ash on the floor to test her rebirth, and saw a few lotus blossoms grow up through it.

○ Chan Master Zunshi, a native of Linhai in Taizhou. His learning and conduct stood lofty and antique, his fame unrivaled throughout the two Zhe regions, and he devoted himself wholly to the Pure Land. He once undertook the Pratyutpanna Samadhi—the constant-walking Buddha-recitation samadhi—for a full ninety days; the hardship was so great he coughed blood. When he entered the practice hall, the skin of his feet split open, and he vowed to die before giving up. Suddenly, as in a dream, he saw Guanyin Bodhisattva lower a finger into his mouth and draw out several worms, then let sweet dew pour from the fingertip into his mouth. He felt his body and mind grow cool and clear, and the illness left him. He authored Resolving Doubts on the Pure Land and the Pure Land Rite of Repentance, both of which circulated widely. In the Tiansheng era, on the day of his passing, he lit incense and bowed to the Buddha, asking all the Buddhas to bear witness to his rebirth as lord of the Pure Land. That evening he passed away seated, and people saw a great star fall from the peak of Lingjiu. He was known as the Master of Compassionate Repentance. When he later built the Hall of Luminous Repentance, every beam he raised and every tile he laid was accompanied by seven recitations of the Great Compassion Mantra. Though the hall passed through wars and fires, it stood alone untouched—the fruit of his vow.

○ Chan Master Gudingming, fifteenth-generation heir of the Linji lineage. As he was about to pass away, he told his disciples, "Guanyin Bodhisattva has come, bearing a lotus." He passed away seated, and when his body was cremated, the root of his tongue, his teeth, and his rosary remained unburned, with countless five-colored relics besides. Mr. Wei, the court historian, composed his stele inscription, and his Recorded Sayings from Four Assemblies circulated in the world.

○ Mingjiao Chan Master Qisong, of the Li clan from Tanjin in Tengzhou. He left home at seven, and after receiving the full monastic precepts, he always wore a small Guanyin image and recited her holy name a hundred thousand times a day. He had a sweeping memory for Buddhist sutras, secular classics, and miscellaneous writings alike. He received the Dharma from Chan Master Cong of Dongshan, and styled himself Qianzi, "the Hidden One." His single room was spare and bare, the door shut as he wrote. He composed the Essay on Assisting the Teachings, over a hundred thousand words long, demonstrating the unity of Confucianism and Buddhism. He also wrote the Chart of the Patriarchs and the Record of the Orthodox Lineage. Carrying his books, he went to the capital, and through the help of the prefect, Censor Wang Su, presented them to Emperor Renzong. The Emperor praised them highly and ordered the Court of Buddhist Affairs to collate and arrange them. Qisong was granted the title Mingjiao—"Luminous Teaching"—and his works were entered into the Buddhist canon. Duke Han of Loyal Service and Duke Ouyang of Literary Virtue both spoke highly of him, and his fame spread throughout the land. When he passed into nirvana and was cremated, three of the six sense organs remained intact—his eyes, his tongue, and his purity of youth—along with the crown of his skull and his rosary, five relics in all. The sharīra that emerged were red and white, clean and bright, shaped like large soybeans. A stupa was built for him to the left of Yong'an Temple, and his disciples gathered his writings into the Tanjin Collection.

○ Zhang Xiaochun. His grandson, at five, could not walk. Someone told him, "Recently, a farmer in the Huaidian region had been crippled in his legs and feet for years, but he never stopped reciting Guanyin's name. Guanyin appeared to him and left a four-line verse:

Great wisdom springs from the mind; within the mind there is nothing to seek. It brings all meaning to completion— no past, no present.

The farmer recited the verse for a hundred full days, and his chronic ailment vanished." So Zhang Xiaochun had his grandson and his wet nurse keep the precepts and recite the verse for two or three months—and the child walked as before. Every child with leg or foot trouble who recited it was healed.

○ Zhai Ji lived in Si'an Town, Huzhou. He had no son at fifty, so he painted an image of Guanyin and prayed with all his heart. His wife, newly pregnant, dreamed a white-robed woman brought a tray carrying a most fair and bright child. Overjoyed, she tried to lift the child, but a cow stepped in the way and she could not reach it. Soon after she gave birth to a son, but the child did not survive its first month. Zhai Ji prayed as earnestly as before, and someone who heard of it told him, "Your son loved beef—was that the cause?" Zhai Ji was struck to the heart, and he and his whole household vowed never to eat beef again. He dreamed once more of the woman bringing the child to him, and this time he was able to take the child in his arms. His wife bore a son, and the boy lived to grow up.

○ Xu Zhike was a native of Piling. He had once passed the prefectural exam and gone up to the capital for the higher examination, but failed and returned home. At night he dreamed a white-robed figure said to him, "You lack the hidden virtue to pass." Xu replied, "My family is poor; I have no means to give." The figure said, "Why not study medicine? I will grant you wisdom." Xu awoke, took the advice, and indeed mastered the skill of the ancient physicians Bian Que and Hua Tuo. Whatever the patient's rank, he would examine, treat, and supply medicine without fee, and the number of those he saved was beyond counting. He later passed the prefectural exam again and went up to the capital. Mooring his boat at Pingwang, he dreamed once more the white-robed figure of his earlier dream, who offered him a verse: "Great is the merit of giving medicine. Between Chen and Lou, on the palace floor, dice are called—six becomes five." He could not fathom it, and wrote it down. In the Renshen year of the Shaoxing era, he passed the palace exam as the sixth-ranked candidate. When the top candidate was disqualified, he rose to fifth. The candidate above him was Chen Zuyan, the one below him was Lou Cai—and only then did he understand the verse.

○ Bao Ping, courtesy name Xinzhi, was a native of Jiaxing. Learned and gifted, he had failed the imperial exams many times and turned his mind to the teachings of the Confucians and the Buddhists. One day, while wandering about Maohu Lake, he came upon a village temple and saw a Guanyin image left standing in the rain, soaked through. He took ten taels of silver from his purse, called the abbot, and gave them to him to repair the buildings. The abbot said the sum was too small for so large a task, and the work could not be finished. Bao Ping returned with four bolts of pine-cloth and seven articles of clothing—among them a newly tailored hemp-lined robe. His servant asked to keep that one for himself. Bao Ping said, "If the sacred image is unharmed, what matter if I go bare?" The abbot wept, saying, "To give silver and cloth is no great feat—it is the very heart of it that cannot be bought." When the work was done, Bao Ping stayed the night at the temple and dreamed the guardian deity telling him, "Your descendants shall enjoy hereditary office for generations." His son Bao Bian and his grandson Bao Dingfang both later passed the highest examinations and rose to high rank.

○ Zhou Shiheng, a former clerk of Poyang, served the Bodhisattva with deep devotion after he had left his post. In the first year of the Qingyuan era, he vowed to copy two hundred sutras by hand, to give to people for recitation. He kept the precepts and copied with care, and when he had finished twenty scrolls, he was just lifting his brush to begin another when dozens of crows began cawing on the roof and would not leave, no matter how he tried to shoo them. He rose and prayed before the Guanyin image, then went outside to chase the crows, and saw that one of them had been struck by an arrow and was bleeding; the others were trying in vain to pull it out, and crying in distress. Zhou at once recited the name of the Tathāgata of Precious Victory and the name of Guanyin Who Saves from Suffering, and pointed his brush at the crow. The arrow drew itself out, and the crow flew up into the sky. Even as Zhou was marveling, the arrow fell through the skylight and landed beside the Buddha shrine. Such was the marvel.

○ Yang Liang, a foot soldier of Jianchang. In the closing years of the Chunxi era, he fell ill and saw two officials bearing summons drag him before the court of the underworld. The King asked him, "What merit did you earn in your lifetime?" He answered, "I served as a runner, and whenever I was assigned a task, I never missed a deadline." The King said, "I am not asking of that—did you have any other hidden good?" Yang Liang, realizing where he was, replied, "I only recite the Guanyin Sutra." The King asked again, "Any other good?" He answered, "How could a man of my station claim any good at all? I simply kept my place and harmed no one." The King ordered the records checked, found them as he said, and allowed him to return to life.

○ Old Man Lin. When South Terrace Temple in Fuzhou cast a new Guanyin image and the carpenters cast off the old wooden one, Lin begged to take it home and care for it. Later, sailing on the sea, his boat broke apart and he fell into the water. In desperation he called out to Guanyin, "Will you not save me?" In a moment his body rose of itself, and he clambered onto a plank. The towering waves seemed to crash down from the sky, but he drifted several hundred li on the current and was carried into a small inlet, where he found a chest of goods that had gone astray, with enough to bring back home. How could this have been anything but the aid of Guanyin Bodhisattva?

○ Praise of the Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Bodhisattva (composed by the Venerable of Siming, drawn from the Great Compassion Sutra)

Homage to the Tathāgata of Righteous Dharma of the past, and to the Guanyin Bodhisattva who stands before us—perfect in merit, vast in compassion, manifesting a thousand hands and eyes within a single body and mind. She beholds the whole realm of reality, she guards and sustains all sentient beings, and causes them to give rise to the vast mind of the way. She teaches them to hold the complete and perfect divine mantra, that they may leave the evil paths forever and be reborn in the Buddha's presence. The gravest transgressions, the chronic ailments that bind the body and yield to no cure—all she sweeps away. Those who seek samādhi and eloquence in this very life, she brings to fulfillment, every wish, without fail. She enables them swiftly to win the Three Vehicles, and early to ascend the Buddha-realm. Her majestic power passes all praise. Therefore, with one mind, I take refuge and bow my head.

○ Liturgy of Homage to Guanyin

Purify the three karmas of body, speech, and mind; with single heart and five limbs prostrate on the ground, I take refuge in the vastly responsive Guanyin Bodhisattva, the compassionate father of the ten directions. I have heard that the Bodhisattva entered samādhi through hearing, reflection, and practice, and gained the two kinds of accord, the four inconceivables, the fourteen fearlessnesses, the nineteen ways of teaching the Dharma, the power to dispel seven calamities and grant the two kinds of seeking, the thirty-two responsive manifestations, and boundless merit. Wielding mighty power, having made mighty vows, she moves through the nine realms, the six paths, the four kinds of birth. In the rounds of birth and death, for hundreds of thousands of millions of eons, countless as the sands of the Ganges, she has practiced the skillful means of goodness, saving and delivering all beings without pause. I now entreat her: grant me surely your aid. I reflect upon myself, so-and-so: blessed in past lives to encounter the Buddha's teaching. Though the body has left the household, the mind is untainted by the Way. Foolish and deluded, holding wrong views, the senses dull and blocked. Though I have studied the inner and outer scriptures, I have not penetrated the mystery of chapter and verse. And I fear my merit is shallow, my life brief—that I have entered the gate of renunciation in vain, lived and died for nothing. Now I wash my heart, weeping tears of blood; I kowtow in utter sincerity; through the day and night I keep the holy face in mind, hold the holy name, and bow before the holy image. May the Bodhisattva, whose heavenly ear hears all sound, whose compassionate heart saves from suffering, take pity on me and grant me her aid: let a great ray of light shine upon my body and mind; pour sweet dew upon my crown; wash away the offenses of many lives, cleanse the grime of a thousand rebirths, so that body and mind are pure, and all demonic hindrances are gone. By day, by night, sitting or lying, may I see the Bodhisattva shine forth her great light. May she awaken my wisdom-nature, so that I, so-and-so, may straightway have my powers unfold, my wisdom grow keen, all scriptures be remembered without effort, all principles understood without effort—winning great eloquence, great wisdom, long life, great peace and joy. In Chan study and the way, may there be no demonic hindrance; may I awaken to the patience of non-arising, and follow the bodhisattva path from life to life. To repay the fourfold kindness in full, to share merit with the three realms, and to bring all beings of the dharma-realm to the perfect seed of wisdom.

○ Emperor Renzong. Personal name Shun, son of Emperor Zhenzong. In the first year of the Tiansheng era, the Emperor often wore a jade crown with a Guanyin image set upon it. His attendants told him the jade was too heavy and asked him to change it. He said, "The three dukes and all the officials bow to me from below—they are the worthiest and most virtuous men in the realm. How could I presume to accept their bows? It is only the form of ruler and minister that requires it. I wear this crown so that I may return the courtesy to the Bodhisattva."

○ Emperor Yingzong. Personal name Zongshi, elder brother of Emperor Renzong. In the second year of the Zhiping era, the prefect of Hangzhou, Shen Wentong, memorialized that the Guanyin Bodhisattva of Tianzhu Temple had, from the days of the Later Jin down to the present Zhiping era, blessed the realm and graced the people, with many famous miracles past and present. Chancellor Zeng Gongliang set out these events in detail, and the Emperor bestowed the plaque inscribed "Hall of the Vastly Responsive Guanyin."

○ Zeng Gongliang, courtesy name Mingzhong, a native of Quanzhou. Once, while in mourning for his mother and on his way home, a monk named Yuanda joined his boat for the journey to Qiantang. Yuanda entered Tianzhu Temple to pay his respects, and as he passed the gate he saw a woman in plain white who said to him, "Gentleman Zeng shall enter the Central Secretariat at fifty-seven, and you, monk of the high seat, shall receive the imperial title that very year." Then she vanished. When Zeng Gongliang reached fifty-seven, he did indeed become chancellor, and Yuanda was granted the title of Great Master through Zeng's patronage.

○ Emperor Xiaozong. Personal name Shen, chosen as heir by Emperor Gaozong and later ascending the throne. In the seventh month of the first year of the Longxing era, the Emperor held a ceremony in the Xuande Hall and composed a praise of the Bodhisattva: "Ah, the Bodhisattva, in essence perfectly awakened, yet shows forth words and teachings to be the world's guide. Her light illumines all without exception; she gazes upon all with equal compassion; she answers wherever called—her marvel passes thought." On another occasion, visiting Tianzhu Temple to pay his respects, he saw a Guanyin image of the walking form, and called the Chan Master Xiangtang to ask, "The Bodhisattva holds a rosary in her hand—what does she recite?" The master answered, "Seeking from others is not as good as seeking from oneself." The Emperor was greatly pleased.

○ Emperor Lizong. Personal name Di, nephew of Emperor Ningzong. In the first year of the Chunyou era, the Emperor dreamed of the Bodhisattva seated among bamboo and rock. Upon waking, he had the scene painted and carved on stone, with this imperial praise: "Her spiritual power is supremely wondrous—now hidden, now revealed, past all reckoning; her merit has no bound—swift as the response to any prayer. Seasonable rains and bountiful harvests—may she bless our people; arms laid down and punishments set aside—may she prosper this kingdom." He also wrote the four characters Vast, Widespread, Responsive, Wondrous, and set them above the Bodhisattva's name. He further transcribed a scroll of the Heart Sutra and bestowed it on Upper Tianzhu Temple to be carved in stone.

○ Zhen Dexiu, courtesy name Xiyuan, originally surnamed Shen, changed his surname to Zhen to avoid the taboo of Emperor Xiaozong's name. He took part in the great affairs of state in the Duanping era; his posthumous title was Wenzhong, and he was known as Master Xishan. He once wrote a colophon to the Universal Gate chapter, in which he said: "In the Tang, the official Li Ao asked Chan Master Yaoshan Yan, 'What is meant by the black wind that drives the ship and casts one into the realm of ghosts?' The master said, 'You little rascal Li Ao, why do you ask such a thing?' Li Ao was startled, and his anger showed on his face. The master smiled and said, 'To give rise to such an angry mind—that is the black wind that blows one into the realm of ghosts.' Ah, Yaoshan was truly a fine guide for people!"

Thus we know that blazing, unbridled desire is a fiery pit; sinking into greed and attachment is a sea of suffering; when the mind is pure, raging flames turn to a cool pool; with one startled moment of awakening, the boat reaches the far shore. Even when bound by disaster and affliction, one is at peace wherever one dwells. I have no fear, as if my fetters have fallen away of their own accord. When cruel people come to oppress me, I let their viciousness pass. I hold no anger or resentment, as if a wild beast has fled of its own accord. Those who read this sutra and embrace this view will know that the Bodhisattva of Potalaka truly acts for the sake of sentient beings, and these words are no idle talk.

△ Yuan Dynasty

○ Venerable Meng Run. Meng Run, whose courtesy name was Yugang, was a native of Jiahe, of the Gu clan. His mother had extraordinary dreams both while carrying him and at the time of his birth. At age 14 he left home to become a monk; due to his intense studies he was struck by a strange illness, so he practiced the Guanyin Repentance Rite for forty-nine days. After receiving a divine response, his illness lifted, and his mind grew twice as clear and sharp. He became a great master, presiding over the Dharma halls at Desang and Tianzhu Temples, with a thousand disciples in his assembly. He once practiced the samadhis of the Lotus Sutra and the Great Compassion Mantra, and the auspicious signs and responses that arose were too numerous to count. For this reason, his hidden virtue and secret awakenings were not easily perceived by those of shallow understanding.

○ Venerable Zhenjing. Zhenjing, whose courtesy name was Ru'an, was a son of the Yao clan of Huating. His mother dreamed a white moon fell into her arms, and then conceived. A strange monk said to her, "This child is the rebirth of Master Haiyue." At age 9 he left home, followed Dharma Master Wuji, and fully absorbed all his teachings. During the Yuan dynasty’s Taiding era, the chancellor Tuohuan recommended him to serve as abbot of Lower Tianzhu Temple. Earlier, Zhenjing had been gravely ill; he dreamed the White-robed Bodhisattva [Guanyin] poured water from a vase into his mouth and said, "You will recover of your own accord." The Yuan emperor held his Way in high regard, granted him the title "Buddha-Heart, Extensive Elucidation," and bestowed on him purple robes embroidered with gold thread. When he passed away and his body was cremated, his tongue root remained unburned, as he had constantly upheld the Lotus Sutra.

○ Venerable Hongji. Hongji, whose courtesy name was Tongzhou and religious name was Tian'an, was a native of Yuyao, of the Yao clan. He left home as a child, and once practiced repentance rites for the Lotus Sutra, the Golden Light Sutra, and other texts, after which auspicious signs arose. In the first year of the Yuan dynasty’s Taiding era, he served as abbot of Wanshou and Yuanjue Temples. The following year, the coast at Yanguan began to collapse, threatening local residents; the tides ran fast and fierce, and people feared the area would become a habitat for fish and turtles. Chancellor Tuohuan was deeply worried, and asked Hongji to pray to the Bodhisattva at Upper Tianzhu Temple. That night he established a Water-Land Dharma Assembly on the coast. Hongji entered the samadhi of benevolent mind, took sand in his hand and chanted the Great Compassion Mantra, then led the assembly to scatter the sand across the affected stretch of coast. Everywhere his feet touched, the bank grew firm again. All who witnessed this revered him as if he were a divine being.

○ Chan Master Nianchang, whose religious name was Haiwu, was a native of Huating, of the Huang clan. His mother, née Yang, prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva, then dreamed an old monk with thick brows stayed the night at their home, after which she conceived. At his birth, auspicious light filled the room, and a faint, strange fragrance hung in the air. He left home at Pingjiang Yuanming Monastery, studied a wide range of texts, and inherited the Dharma from Master Huiji Xi. He was favored by the imperial preceptor, and was selected to join the team of monks who transcribed the Buddhist canon in gold ink. He compiled the 22-volume Comprehensive Record of Buddhas and Patriarchs, which was widely circulated, and was known in his time as the "Ban Gu and Sima Qian of the sangha."

○ Venerable Yuan Zhang, whose courtesy name was Wuming and who was known as Chan Master Qianyuan, was a native of Xiaoshan, of the Dong clan; his mother was née He. When he was young, he fell ill; his mother prayed to Guanyin, vowing that he would leave home to become a monk if he recovered, and only then did he regain his health. He was versed in the nine branches of learning and the hundred schools of thought, studied the Vinaya under Dharma Master Lingzhi, and received the mind seal from Master Zhongfeng. He lived in seclusion at Tianlong Temple, and every day two snakes would come to coil around his Dharma seat. The master taught them the Three Refuges and Five Precepts; the snakes raised and lowered their heads in a bowing dance before slithering away. From then on his fame spread far and wide. The imperial court specially bestowed fine incense, purple robes, and the title "Universal Response, Marvelous Eloquence." People from the Central Plains and foreign lands alike revered and looked up to him.

△ Ming Dynasty

○ Imperial Composition by Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty: Praise of the Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva Guanyin has realized wondrous, perfect, unobstructed awakening; Entering the stream, forgetting the self and the sounds heard: from hearing one enters awareness, and that which is aware is empty. Pure jewel-like awareness forms the perfectly integrated samadhi; Her compassionate power is equal to the Buddha’s. Wondrous power, spontaneous and uncontrived, her merit Adorned with a hundred jewels, a dazzling array of mani gems. On Potalaka Rock appears her full-moon face, Mani-jewel eyes, lotus-pupils. The kalavinka vase’s water melts ocean waves, Willow branches, each leaf born in the spring breeze. Transcending the mundane world, her wonder is infinite; She responds in 32 forms, following wherever sentient beings turn. Four fearlessnesses, her merit exalted; To praise her name is like striking a bell: Responses resonate like sound passing over a wall, No obstructions at all, all reach the ear of awakening. She rescues those sunk in delusion, opens the eyes of the confused; Her great compassionate power is truly worthy of reverence. As numerous as the Ganges’ sands, her protective example extends; Following and adapting to circumstances, each method has its purpose. Pervading the entire dharma realm, her blessings are abundant; Both moving and still, the two marks are gone without a trace. Wondrous brightness, serene stillness, reveals the root of nature; Wisdom light universally illuminates the seven treasures’ crimson glow. Those who can penetrate this truth see the emptiness of the ten directions.

○ Praise of the Fish Basket Guanyin Image, by Duke Wenxian Song Lian I have consulted the Records of Guanyin’s Responsive Powers. In the 12th year of the Tang dynasty’s Yuanhe era, on the Gold Sand Beach west of the Wei River, there was a beautiful young woman carrying a basket selling fish. All the local men competed to take her as a wife. The woman said, "I can teach the sutras. Whoever can recite the Universal Gateway Chapter in one night may have me." By dawn, twenty men had succeeded. The woman declined, saying, "How could one body be matched to so many husbands? Let us change to the Diamond Sutra, with the same terms as before." Only half of them could do so. She declined again, and asked to change to the Lotus Sutra, setting a three-day deadline. Only the son of the Ma family succeeded. The woman had him prepare the wedding rites and marry her; as soon as he brought her into the home, she died, and her body immediately rotted away to nothing. He buried her in haste. A few days later, a monk came with the Ma family son to open the tomb and look inside; only a golden jeweled skeletal frame was left. The monk said, "This is a manifestation of Guanyin, to convert you." After speaking, he flew up into the air and left. From then on, many people in Shaanxi took to reciting sutras. Liu of Wuyang commissioned Wu Fu, a man from Kuai, to paint a depiction of this using gold and bright colors, to be displayed for veneration on the 1st and 15th days of each lunar month. He asked me to record the events, and after I wrote the account, I appended this praise: "O great bodhisattva, compassionate toward all sentient beings, Who cling to the five desires and refuse to seek liberation. You thus manifested as a woman, dignified and lovely, Guiding them into the gate of goodness through the very things they coveted. In an instant, she suddenly decayed: Once like a red lotus, her fragrance and beauty intoxicating to all; Now she is rotten and foul, gnawed by worms and maggots. All forms in the world are originally empty and false; Sentient beings are foolish and deluded, taking the false for the true. Like moths rushing to a lamp, they chase after it without cease; If they do not meet their end, how will they ever stop? This is the true mark, round and identical to the great void: Without ugliness or beauty, who can destroy it? The bodhisattva’s spirit is like the moon in the sky, It does not distinguish between pure and impure, illuminating all equally. All who take refuge gain great benefit; May we all return together to the ocean of supreme wisdom (sarvajna)."

○ Liu Guxian. Guxian was from Huangzhou. He was a member of the Left Guard of the Imperial Household Army, and once accompanied the eunuch Zheng He on a voyage as an envoy to various overseas countries. As they crossed the open ocean, Guxian suddenly slipped and fell overboard. The ship was moving fast under a strong wind, so no one could reach him to pull him out. Zheng He ordered a crew member to climb the mast and keep watch, and from far off they saw a figure bobbing in the waves, appearing and disappearing dozens of li away, and assumed he had surely not survived. A short while later, Guxian reached the side of the ship; the crew was overjoyed, and quickly hauled him aboard with a rope. A large fish, more than ten feet long, was swimming slowly away beside the ship. Everyone present was astonished. Guxian said, "I didn’t drown because of the power of this fish. It carried me here; when I was about to sink, several fish used their fins and gill covers to lift me up, so I didn’t swallow a single drop of water." The crew asked Guxian what good deeds he had done in his life to merit such a miracle. He replied, "I only recite the Guanyin Sutra."

○ Chan Master Xianshi, whose religious name was Gu'an, was of the secular surname Lu; his mother was née Jin. His mother dreamed that Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared in five-colored clouds, and he was born soon after. At the age of 20 (the traditional age of coming of age) he shaved his head and took the precepts, followed the masters Tian'an and Fohai, and mastered all major and minor texts and teachings of the Tiantai school; his eloquence flowed like a spring. He also studied under the elder masters Huayan and Xiansou, and his practice of the Way grew even more renowned. He served as abbot of Longshou, Yanfu, and other temples, attracting and guiding followers from all directions. In his later years, he focused exclusively on rebirth in the Western Pure Land, experienced auspicious signs, and passed away.

○ Chan Master Baojin, whose religious name was Bifeng, was a native of Yongshou, of the Shi clan. His father was known as a local elder; his mother, née Zhang, was constantly diligent in good works and never grew weary. A monk carrying an alms bowl gave a Guanyin statue to Zhang, and told her, "Serve this with care, and you will bear a son of wisdom." Not long after, the master was born, and white light filled the room. At age 6 he became a disciple of Dharma Master Yunque, shaved his head, received the precepts, and was fully ordained. He exhaustively studied the teachings of principle and Buddha-nature, and finally received the special dharma transmission from Master Ruhai of Western Shu. He built Lingjiu Cottage to house his followers, and donors came in great numbers. The Yuan Shundi emperor bestowed robes on him, and the title "Luminous Purity." In the third year of the Ming dynasty’s Hongwu era, he was summoned to the imperial court, and his answers met with the emperor’s approval; he was given extremely generous rewards, and the emperor bestowed a 12-rhyme poem on him, which included the line: "The mystic gate is fully realized; I have already attained perfect enlightenment." Wherever he traveled, he awakened sentient beings, as if a living Buddha had appeared among them.

○ Venerable Yuandeng, whose courtesy name was Dayou, was a native of Gusu. His mother, née Tao, prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva before giving birth to him. From childhood he was exceptionally bright and perceptive, and he took Dharma Master Jingjue of Nanjing as his teacher. He studied widely across all Buddhist and Confucian classics without exception. He served as abbot of Shuixi Temple, and wrote the Inner and Outer Chapters of the Observer of Illusions, a work that unified Confucian and Buddhist thought into a single coherent system. The scholar Song Lian recommended him to Hongwu Emperor Taizu of the Ming, who treated him with the utmost courtesy, and appointed him to a post in the Hanlin Academy by imperial edict.

○ Chan Master Meng [note: original text has a missing character in the name], secular name Zhihuo, was from Shizhou in Japan. His mother prayed to the Bodhisattva of the Universal Gateway (Guanyin), and dreamed she swallowed golden light, after which she conceived; at his birth, auspicious light filled the room. At age 9 he left home, served as a disciple of Vinaya Master Ciguan, and received full ordination at age 20. Later he went to visit Master Yishan Zong. Yishan said to him, "My school has no Dharma to give to others." The master strove in his Chan practice to the point that he never closed his eyes to sleep. He had an awakening under the words of Chan Master Gaofeng. His verse included the line, "Carelessly I shatter the bones of the void," and Gaofeng confirmed his enlightenment. He served as abbot of Nanchan, Shanruiguang, Tusita, Potalaka, and other famous temples, was granted the title "Correct Enlightenment," his teaching flourished through three reigns, his fame spread across the four seas, and the people of his home country considered it a great honor.

○ Nun Chengjing, whose courtesy name was Shixiu, was from Gugang in Guangzhou, of the secular Zhang clan. From childhood she kept vegetarian precepts, conducted herself with purity and integrity, and took the master of the Zhenfan Hermitage in her home region as her teacher. After she took nun's vows [shaved her head], she focused exclusively on reciting Mahayana sutras including the Nirvana Sutra, and was especially diligent in serving her teacher. In middle age she received full ordination, and often came to me for guidance on the Vinaya. She kept her mind fixed on the Pure Land, never ceasing to recite the name of Amitabha in her heart and on her lips. She was kind and generous, her dignified bearing a model for all, and she guided others with gentleness and patience, so she was revered by scholars and commoners alike. I believe she was a being who returned to the human world riding the power of her original vow. She once encouraged the assembly to commission a sandalwood statue of the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, to be enshrined at the Great Compassion Hermitage in Phoenix City. The following year she came down with a minor illness, foreknew the time of her passing, frequently instructed her disciples, and bid farewell to all lay supporters. The next day she said to her disciples, "The Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva has come here to receive me. You must all welcome her with respect. I am leaving." Then she closed her eyes and passed away, at the age of 59.

△ Qing

○ Monk Zhi Song

Zhi Song, courtesy name Lingyue, was a native of Tuoyang who resided at Liangshan in Gaoyao County, Duanzhou. In the dinghai year, soldiers attacked Liangshan and seized Song, forcing him to carry provisions. They then snatched the rosary from his hands. When Song resisted, a soldier drew his blade and struck at him. Song cried out at once to Guanyin Bodhisattva. As the blade descended, it caught on the soldier's sleeve and could not fall upon Song's head — and so he was spared. From this we know that the Bodhisattva's awesome power answers more swiftly than an echo. Song's disciple Shiji was at the time hiding in a thorny grove on the mountain, single-mindedly reciting the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī. The soldiers scoured the hills, rounding up villagers, and jabbed their spears into the thicket. Just as a spear was about to reach Shiji, the soldier tumbled headlong down the mountain. The sutra says: "It rebounds upon the person himself." Truly, it is no empty word.

○ Zhang Mingda

Mingda was a native of Shunde. His father, Yinliang, was a scholar of Nanhai. His mother, née Deng, had suffered several stillbirths and so prayed to the Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, and thereby conceived. He was born on the very morning of the Bodhisattva's day of enlightenment — a day on which the common custom is to prepare pure vegetarian fare in celebration. His mother and her attendants were arranging clean offerings, and after they had presented them, the east had not yet shown light. Intending to rest a little, she lay down, and before she knew it, she had given birth. When the child cried, everyone hurried to look and saw the whole room suffused with radiance. All were astonished. Deng said to her mother-in-law: "This child's birth is unlike that of ordinary infants — could it be an auspicious sign?" Before he was five, his mother passed away. His grandmother, née Yu, raised him as tenderly as if he were her own late-born child. When he was fourteen, his grandmother, on her deathbed, privately left him several ingots of silver. That year was the wuzi year, and many people were going hungry. Mingda gave away the inherited silver, and several wayfarers owed their lives to him. Later a greedy neighbor slandered him to his father, accusing him of secretly squandering the family wealth. Mingda made no attempt to defend himself. On another occasion, someone came begging, but Mingda, his funds exhausted, could not meet the request. The next day, the beggar died of hunger and exhaustion. When Mingda heard of this, he turned it over privately: "I could not relieve that person's peril — could it be that my merit is too thin, and I am to blame?" He thereupon resolved to abandon his body and be reborn in a royal household, so as to practice universal generosity and fulfill the wishes of the multitude. He climbed to the Guanyin Crag in his own locality, paid homage to the Bodhisattva with grief-stricken sincerity, beseeching her witness and blessing, and cast himself down from a cliff hundreds of fathoms high. Without knowing how, he found himself seated on a stone at the foot of the mountain, completely unharmed. He understood that the Bodhisattva's compassionate protection had kept him from being shattered by the great fall, and so, persuaded by those who came searching, he returned home. From then on he kept a vegetarian diet and gave rise to the aspiration to leave the household life. His father alone had no faith in the Buddha, and it was difficult to broach the matter with him. At seventeen, his latent karmic seeds ripened, and he laid his long-cherished resolve before his father. His father flew into a rage and rebuked him. Mingda withdrew and brooded without cease, devoting himself to reciting the Bodhisattva's name alone. He then petitioned his grandfather. His grandfather, seeing that his resolve could not be shaken, instructed his father to consent, though the father still raised difficulties. Some ten days later, in the middle of the night, he dreamed of a white-robed figure who said: "Disciple of the Buddha, go now — do not let this favorable moment pass." Mingda rose suddenly and went out the door. At that hour, the gates and doors of the streets and alleys were all standing wide open. It was raining and pitch dark; he could not make out the road ahead. Only a few fireflies hovered and dipped beside him, and following them he went on. After some ten-odd li, the fireflies faded, and he went to seek ordination from the master at Dinghu, receiving the name Kai Xiong. Not long after, he was suddenly stricken with a grave illness. One day his complexion and spirit utterly changed, and his breath stopped and did not return. All who saw him declared he could not possibly recover. Xiong, with single-minded right mindfulness, eventually revived after a long while and gradually recovered — how could this be anything but the Bodhisattva's unseen protection? He then solemnly commissioned a painting of the Thousand-Handed Holy Image for veneration. During the painting, an altar was set up and dhāraṇīs recited; the artist bathed and changed garments each day. The painter also covered his breath with paper, the pigments contained no ox-hide glue or ink, and each item of paper and brush was consecrated with mantra rites. On the night the image was completed, it radiated great light, illuminating the forest and walls beyond the altar in shimmering gold. All who saw it marveled. Xiong, reflecting that from birth until leaving the household life he had repeatedly received the Bodhisattva's boundless protection — a grace beyond words — earnestly requested his master to record these events in this collection, so that all sentient beings throughout the world might know that the Bodhisattva's wondrous virtue is inconceivable, that she never fails to respond to sincere thought, and that she is truly a vessel and a ferry across the sea of suffering.

○ Pan Guozhang

Guozhang was a native of Shunde, Guangzhou. He had taken refuge in the Three Jewels and was a merchant at Guangli in Duanzhou. In the upheaval of the bingxu year, when wars erupted in every direction, he boarded a boat to return home. At Sanshui, the boat encountered wind and capsized. He single-mindedly recited the Bodhisattva's name. Being unable to swim, he sank straight to the bottom of the sea. Vast and boundless, the waters offered no horizon — yet he held fast to his recitation with all his heart, walking step by step along the seabed. In due course he reached the shore, the travel money he had carried still clutched in his hand. Looking back, he realized he had indeed been submerged in the sea. How extraordinary! Truly the divine power of the Bodhisattva is beyond thought and imagination. It was also because his mind held no second thought, forgetting both self and object entirely, so that he did not even feel the water touching his lips or breath. Is this not a partial accord with "entering the flow and forgetting the object"? Zhang later left home at Riqin Mountain near Shaoshi, and received the courtesy name Xuan □.

○ Huang Keming

Keming was the son of a wealthy family in Dongguan. Early in the Qing, he was sailing toward Wuyang [Guangzhou] when he was set upon by pirates at sea, taken to their lair, and chained to a door panel. The pirates went off on another raid, leaving a woman to guard him. Now, Keming's family had invited monks to recite the Universal Gate Chapter, and that night the pirate woman saw an unusual, auspicious light beside him. When morning came she questioned him, and Keming silently knew it must be divine protection. When the woman stepped out to a neighbor's house, he hoisted the door panel onto his back and fled. Climbing out of the lair and up a ridge, he met a woodcutter and begged him to break the panel and free him from the lock. After traveling several dozen li, he reached open ground.

○ Liu Leishu

Leishu, a native of Shunyi [Shunde] in Guangzhou, was the son of Judicial Commissioner Zhonglei. In the autumn of the dinghai year of Shunzhi, he was traveling to Xiangshan when he was seized by pirates at sea. When their extortion failed, they threw him into the water. Lei had been raised on family instruction to revere and trust in the Three Jewels, and he thought to himself that only the Bodhisattva could be his refuge. He thereupon recited Guanyin's name with all his heart. His hands were bound, and as he was about to sink to the bottom of the sea, in agony on the verge of death, his recitation grew ever more fervent. Suddenly he felt his big toe touch sand. Drifting for a while, he gradually reached shallower water — truly, as the sutra says: "If one is carried away by great waters and calls upon her name, one shall reach a shallow place." This is no falsehood. At that point the pirates spotted him and hauled him back aboard. They kept him for several days, intending to wait for word from his family and ransom him. The pirates went on killing and plundering along the river, yet Lei suffered no harm. After five or six days a violent storm arose, and the pirate ship could find no place to anchor. They had a change of heart and released him, saying: "This must be the result of your family's vegetarian fasting." Moreover, when Lei was just a child, he had once before been abducted — from the chen hour until the wu hour, he was freed, all through the Bodhisattva's power. In times of upheaval, those who met with calamity were too many to count, yet only Lei's family was spared. Was this not the fruit of his deep and abiding faith?

○ Shao Yizhen

Yizhen was a scholar of Guangzhou Prefecture. He had devoted his heart to Buddhism. In the wuzi year, new soldiers stationed in Suicheng [Guangzhou] forcibly extorted goods at the market. When the merchants argued back, the soldiers reported to the newly appointed governor Li, claiming the people were plotting rebellion, with short-collared garments as their signal. Now, the Lingnan custom is that inner garments are mostly short-collared. The city was sealed and people were arrested — anyone seen with a short collar was beheaded, and Governor Li permitted no appeal. By then, dozens had already been beheaded. Yizhen was among those lined up, and he single-mindedly and fervently recited the Bodhisattva's name. When his turn came, the killing stopped. And all those who had been wrongly accused were likewise spared. Yizhen therefore requested that I include this account in the collection.

○ Nun Deng Ling

Deng Ling was a native of Panyu, Guangzhou. Her lay surname was Deng; her mother was née Hong. She left home early in the Qing. Morning and evening she performed devotions and recitations, with her aspirations set firmly on the Pure Land, and the Bodhisattva's great name never ceased from her lips. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month in the gengyin year, while paying homage and reciting past midnight, the walls around her were silent and still, and she was entirely alone. In a trance, it was as though she held something in her palm; without thinking, she brought it to her mouth and swallowed. Having swallowed, she opened her fist to find three pieces still remaining in her hand — bright red in color, shaped like cinnabar. From that time on, she ceased eating entirely, with no hunger or thirst whatsoever. She still performs her devotions and recitations with the same care. To this day she occasionally takes a little seasonal fruit, but grains have not touched her lips. Her body remains as before, her spirit even more robust. She currently resides at Yanjing Nunnery in Guangzhou.

○ Huang Kuosheng

Kuosheng was a scholar of Xinyi, Guangzhou, from a family of great wealth. At fifty, he had not yet produced an heir. In the wuzi year, he received the Five Precepts and stopped eating meat, venerating the Bodhisattva with especial care. Every morning and evening he would bathe, change his garments, and offer a hundred prostrations, reciting the Bodhisattva's name. Even when worldly affairs pressed and time was short, he never omitted his regular practice. Before three years had passed, his wife and concubine, on consecutive days, each bore a son, and as the boys grew, they proved quite intelligent. As the sutra says: "She will give birth to a son of merit and wisdom" — so it was here.

○ He Longjiang

Longjiang was a student of the county school in Panyu, Guangzhou. He had passed the age of knowing his fate [fifty] without producing an heir, and his heart had already given up hope. In the yiwei year, he invited me to his garden to spend the summer, and I gave him the text on the Six Fasting Days along with an image of the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Great Compassion Bodhisattva. He built a separate chamber to enshrine and make offerings, paying devout homage morning and evening. Each morning he would complete his prostrations before taking any tea or broth — such was his sincerity. After several months, he dreamed that the Bodhisattva personally handed him a red-clad child. The next day he joyfully reported to me: "I have received a sign!" The following year he indeed had a son. In three consecutive years, three sons were born.

○ Mai Chuansheng

Chuansheng was a native of Maicun in Shunyi [Shunde], who observed the Six Fasting Days. On the second day of the eighth month in the jiachen year of Kangxi, while passing through a neighboring district, he was seized by bandits on the road and taken to their lair. Four iron chains bound his neck and legs, and he was shut in a dark room while they extorted one hundred taels of silver. Sheng began at once to recite the Bodhisattva's name in silence day and night, with undivided devotion. After four days, the bandits brought him food but no chopsticks, sending him outside to find a bamboo stick. They broke one off and gave it to him, then locked the door and left. The bandits opened the door several times each day to check on him, but on this particular day they had lost the key and could only peer in from outside. Sheng split the bamboo and tried to pick the locks, successfully opening three in succession. Only the lock around his neck would not budge. Knowing that the Bodhisattva had already extended her rescue, he prayed with even greater fervor. On the eighth day he tried again with the bamboo, and the lock suddenly fell away with a snap. He wished to flee but feared the bandits would notice, and so he hesitated. Earlier, when he was captured, he had had a piece of ginger about a finger's length on his person, half of which the bandits had already taken. He used the remaining ginger as divination blocks (jiaobei), petitioning the Bodhisattva: "This disciple has already received your compassionate protection, and his bonds are suddenly released. Now I wish to flee, but I fear that if the guards catch me, there will be no chance of survival. If I am permitted to go now, I beg for five consecutive favorable blocks to dispel my doubt and fear." Just as he prayed, it was so. He climbed up onto the roof to look around, and across the stream he saw his father-in-law's home. He ran swiftly toward it. The bandits outside noticed and shouted. Sheng leapt across the stream, and upon reaching the far bank was intercepted once more by bandit accomplices. Sheng pushed through them with both elbows, like a boar charging through a flock of sheep — none could restrain him. He burst into his father-in-law's house, and the bandits surrounded it, demanding his surrender. His father-in-law told them: "Sheng's family is poor. Grant us ten days' grace, and we shall do our utmost to raise the silver." The very next day, government troops suddenly arrived and attacked. The bandits scattered and fled. Sheng made his way home by the open roads, without spending a single coin. As the sutra says: "By calling upon her name, one immediately obtains liberation" — truly no falsehood! Furthermore, Sheng had an uncle courtesy-named Lianfeng, who had long observed the vegetarian precepts. In the first month of that same year, he was traveling to Yangcheng [Guangzhou] when bandits raided his ferry on the river. Over fifty men and women were captured and dragged back to the bandits' den. While crossing a mountain peak, the bandits used wooden planks as seats to rest briefly. Lianfeng, from behind, pulled away a plank and tumbled into a pit along with it. He immediately ran to an empty hut at the edge of a village, where he covered himself with a broken bamboo silkworm tray. The bandits scoured the surrounding village, issuing a proclamation to the locals: "A bearded man has fled into your village. Hand him over at once, or we will level every household." Lianfeng heard this with his own ears and was terrified. Each time he fervently recited the Bodhisattva's name once, he plucked out a few hairs of his beard, until he had pulled them all out — and felt no pain at all. Suddenly a person came from elsewhere and said: "The bearded man has already gone over the mountain." The bandits dispersed. Lianfeng came out and told his story to the owner of the empty hut, who gave him clothing and a hat, acknowledged him as an old acquaintance, hired a boat, and sent him home. Both Sheng and his uncle deeply felt the Bodhisattva's vast grace, beyond all repayment, and specially besought me to include their accounts.

○ Peng Yicheng

Yicheng was a native of Foshan, Nanhai. He had taken refuge in the Dharma and observed the Six Fasting Days. In the twelfth month of the dingwei year of Kangxi, he was returning home from Wuyang [Guangzhou]. There were six people aboard. Midway, they encountered a violent storm that capsized the vessel. The others, being good swimmers, managed to reach the shore. Only Cheng was trapped inside the boat, unable to get out. He single-mindedly and fervently recited the Bodhisattva's name. In an instant, water filled half his belly; as he swallowed the water, he kept on reciting. Suddenly he felt someone take his hand and pull him up above the water's surface. He then grabbed the boat's awning and drifted with the current until he reached the shore. The people on shore all questioned him: "Just now we saw a white-robed person hurry to the awning and reach the boat. Now we see only you — could that person have drowned?" Cheng replied: "There was no one else — only me." After repeated questioning, they realized that the white-robed figure was the Bodhisattva come to rescue him. Cheng recorded this himself and requested it be appended to the collection.

○ Deng Chengzhao

Chengzhao, courtesy name Shifeng, was a native of Panyu, Guangzhou. He had been devoted to the faith for many years and had received the precepts of refuge. In the fifth month of the wushen year of Kangxi, his eldest daughter-in-law, née Huang, suddenly developed double abscesses on her throat. For half a month she could not eat or drink. Her body wasted away, her mind grew confused, and the swelling and pain were unbearable. A doctor was hired to lance them, and pus and blood flowed out, but soon the swelling and pain returned worse than before. After more than ten days of agony, no medicine proved effective. It happened that I was returning to the mountain by boat and passed by his door. Zhao came out to greet me and said: "My eldest daughter-in-law is now suffering from throat ulcers, in extreme torment. A skilled physician took her pulse and said the poison has entered her heart and kidneys, and medicine can no longer cure her. She may live but another day or two. Though I know her fate is fixed, I cannot help but grieve. I wonder — does the Master have any method that can save even one whose karma is fixed?" I said: "The Great Bodhisattva Guanyin's awesome power is inconceivable, and she can bestow fearlessness upon sentient beings. She often imparts sutras and dhāraṇīs to people in dreams. Those who recite them, whether in illness or peril, are swiftly liberated." Zhao asked: "May I hear this sutra and method?" I then had my attendant write out ten verses of the Guanyin Sutra for Saving Lives and gave them to him. He took it home and had someone teach his daughter-in-law. After two or three readings, she could recite it herself. They also pasted the text in front of her sickbed. At night, the sick woman saw the characters as large as an inch each. The next day her body felt refreshed and her mind settled. After reciting until midnight, the ulcer burst open on its own, and pus and blood poured out. She cried out: "I am cured!" She then asked for water to rinse her mouth, rose to pay homage to the Bodhisattva, and recovered fully as before. The whole household rejoiced, marveling that the Bodhisattva's compassionate power could bring about so swift a response.

○ Record of the Collection of Guanyin's Compassionate Forest

When I was but eighteen years of age, both my parents passed away in close succession. Whenever I recited the Liao E poem ["Lush and Tall the Wormwood Grows," a classical elegy for parents], I felt only shame before the crow that feeds its young. I heard it said that maintaining a vegetarian diet could bring merit to the departed, and so I gave up meat and strong-flavored foods. Within three years I read the Platform Sutra and immediately found it resonated with my deepest nature. Knowing that a person can become a Buddha, I left the household life for the homeless one, hoping to establish myself in the Way and thereby benefit the spirits of my ancestors. Though I offered devotions and prostrations on their behalf morning and evening, and always made offerings during the Ullambana festival, my heart remained uneasy, ashamed that the power of my sincerity was still insufficient. Therefore, in the spring of the dingyou year, I used Western white [canvas] to paint a Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Great Compassion Holy Image, seven chi tall. I dispensed with hide glue and instead mixed pigments with fragrant water, and required the painter to bathe and change garments each day. When the image was completed, I exhausted the funds from my robes and bowl to gather a community of monks. First, I lectured on the meaning and purpose of the Great Compassion Repentance rite, and then for twenty-one days we performed the rites of repentance. As a result, the Bodhisattva's body radiated golden light, and the blue and red lotus flowers in her hands repeatedly emitted white light — witnessed by monastics and laypeople alike, a truly rare occurrence. In my heart I rejoiced and was comforted, certain that through the Bodhisattva's compassionate power, my parents' spirits had been delivered to the higher realms. Thereafter, whenever the rites were performed before the image, white light would continually well up from the lotus flowers, and all who beheld it were inspired to awaken pure faith. I reflected that the Bodhisattva's grace was as vast as the ocean — even if my body were ground to dust, I could not repay it. I therefore searched through the Tripiṭaka and examined various biographies and records, and based on what I had seen and heard, I compiled this collection, hoping to repay but one ten-thousandth of her boundless blessing. May those who see and hear it together board the precious vessel of Prajñā; may those who take refuge and revere her together enter the Compassionate Forest of Fearlessness, forever leaving behind the realms of suffering and heading straight for the Land of Bliss. Let this serve as my record.

— Recompiled in the summer of the wushen year of Kangxi by the monk Hong Zan of Dinghu, with reverent salutation.