36 



BUDDHIST TRADITIONS. Chap. 11. 



Ningpo, commonly called Yuh-wong. About tlie 

 time of the Three Kingdoms (a.d. 230) a priest 

 named Hwuy came to Nanking, where he built a 

 shed. The people thought him a strange being, 

 and brought him to Sun-keuen, the ruler of the 

 country, who asked him for the proofs of his 

 religion. Hwuy replied that Buddha left a number 

 of relics, over which Ayuka had built 84,000 

 pagodas. Sun-keuen thought it was all nonsense, 

 and told him that if he could find a relic he might 

 build a pagoda over it. Hwuy then filled a bottle 

 with water, and offered up incense before it for 

 twenty-one days ; at the expiration of that period 

 he heard a sound proceeding from the bottle re- 

 sembling that of a bell. Hwuy then went to look 

 at it, and perceived that the relic was formed. 

 The next day he presented it to Sun-keuen ; the 

 whole of the courtiers examined it, and saw the 

 bottle illuminated with all sorts of brilliant colours. 

 Keuen took the bottle, and poured out its contents 

 into a dish ; when the relic came in contact with 

 the dish it broke the vessel to pieces. Keuen was 

 astonished and said, ' That is very curious.' Hwuy 

 then addressed him, saying, ' This relic is not only 

 capable of emitting light, but no fire will burn, 

 nor diamond-headed hammer bruise it.' He then 

 placed the relic on an anvil, and caused a strong 

 man to strike it with all his might, when the 

 hammer and anvil were both broken, and the 

 relic remained uninjured. Keuen then assented to 

 the construction of the pagoda. The Chinese say 



