Master Zhicong: Four Tigers Cross with Him; He Passes Away Seated
Person：Zhicong
Period：Sui–Tang transition (533–631?)
Died at ninety-nine in the Zhenguan era; the birth year is our arithmetic, not the source's.
Reading preferences
事見《法華經顯應錄》「高僧」門「揚州聰法師」條，並見《法華經持驗記》唐朝「唐攝山棲霞寺釋智聰」條。《顯應錄》本多「以身飼虎」一節，尤見精神。以下白話譯註以《顯應錄》為主。
故事
僧人智聰，住揚州白馬寺，專研三論之學。後來渡江，住安樂寺。
隋朝崩亡之際，他思歸故里而無計可施，只好隱藏在江邊的蘆荻之中，日日誦《法華經》。七日不食，也不覺飢餓。身邊常有四隻老虎馴伏地圍繞守衛。
（據《顯應錄》）智聰對虎說：「我已經十天沒有吃東西了，性命只在呼吸之間。你們若是飢餓，就把我吃了吧。」四虎垂淚守護如故，不肯離去。
忽然有位老翁撐著一葉小艇前來，說：「請法師渡江。」智聰登艇，四虎蹲伏在岸，不肯離開。智聰問：「你們也要渡江嗎？」四虎隨即起身，一同安穩渡水，抵達南岸。回頭再看，小艇與老翁忽然都不見了。
此後智聰攜四虎住在攝山棲霞寺西。貞觀年間，他九十九歲，端坐而逝；四虎哀吼而去。
編者省思
本則最動人的情節，是《顯應錄》獨有的「以身飼虎」：絕食七日的法師，主動把身體布施給守護他的飢虎。這一筆把「誦經免難」的常見結構整個翻轉——受護者反過來成為施與者，護法者反而成了受施者。四虎垂淚不去，是全篇最有分量的八個字。
「艇及老人忽不見」的收束，則交代了擺渡者的身份：亂世江面上恰好的「一葉小艇」，本身就是答案。編者以為，這則故事裡的感應，不在虎、不在艇，而在一個人亂世之中依然「七日不飢」的定力。
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