CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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how far he was still from the perfection attained by this holy monk.
Henceforth, he renounced all external relations with the world, and
led a solitary life, seeking only to acquire the perfection of his state.
Later on, disciples becoming very numerous, the Prefect Hwan-i
f§ ffi built the "Monastery of the Eastern Forest", Tung-lin-sze jh^
$t ^p, for the purpose of accomodating them. In the province of
Kwang-chow Jf ^r|, some fishermen perceived on the coast a lumin-
ous vapour, which seemed to arise out of the sea. This prodigy
lasted for 10 days, and increased so much in brightness, that the
phenomenon was brought to the notice of the local magistrate,
named T'ao-k'an ^ fjj£ (!).
Meanwhile a statue of King Asoka, O-yuh-wang J5pJ ^ 3E (2),
was fished up from the river. The local official went out to receive
it, and brought it processionally to the Han-k'i monastery, Han-
li'i-s:e £$L yj| Jj~ ? at Wu-ch'ang ^ ||. The Superior
of the monas-
tery was then absent at Hsia-^ow J| p. During the night, he
dreamt that his monastery was on fire, and that he saw a dragon
coiling round the shrine where the statue of King Asoka, 0-j/i//i-
wang (JpJ ^ JJT£, was placed, in order to preserve it from the flames.
Returning early to the monastery, he beheld it destroyed by fire,
and all in ruins, except the shrine where the statue of Asoka,
O-yuk-wang ppj ^ 2. had Deen recently placed. The official T'aok'an
C^J $j£, upon hearing of the prodigy, sent a squad of 10 men
to remove the statue. They brought it out from the shrine, but
(1) T'ao-k'an f^J %. Began life as a clerk in a magistrate's Yamen.
Later on, he took his degree, and became governor of Wu-ch'ang j^ §. He
was an able and energetic official, and opposed strenuously drinking, gam-
bling and idling among his subordinates, 'With equal severity, he prohibited
the study and practice of Taoist philosophy. Mayers. Chinese Reader's
Manual, p. 215-216. — Giles. Chinese Biographical Dictionaiy. p. 720.
(2) King Asoka, O-yuh-wang M W 3z. King of Mogadha Bahar), and
one of the first princelv converts to Buddhism, which he protected throughout
Northern India. He made himself famous by the number of monasteries and
stupas he erected. Eitel. Sanscrit-Chinese Dictionarj-. p. 16. — Monier Will-
iams. Buddhism, p. 66. — Edkins. Chinese Buddhism, p. 107.