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...disappeared. Suddenly, a golden person emerged from the ground and transformed into a woman. She pointed her right hand toward the Patriarch and recited a gatha A Buddhist verse or hymn:

I bow my head to the Venerable Elder,
Who should receive the prophecy of the Tathagata original: 如來 (Rulai) — a title for the Buddha meaning "The One Who Has Thus Come".
Now, upon this very ground,
Proclaim and spread the Ultimate Truth.

After reciting the verse, she vanished in an instant. The Patriarch said, "A demon is coming to test my strength." A moment later, a violent storm arrived, and the sky and earth grew dark. The Patriarch said, "The demon has indeed arrived; I must remove him." He pointed into the air, and a great golden dragon appeared, manifesting such majestic power that it shook the mountains and valleys. The Patriarch remained dignified in his seat, and the demonic disturbance ceased. After seven days, a tiny insect, about the size of a nit or a midge, hid itself beneath his seat. The Patriarch picked it up with his hand and showed it to the assembly, saying: "This is the demon's transformation, intended to eavesdrop on my teaching." He then released it and told it to go. The demon was unable to move. The Patriarch told him: "If you only take refuge in the Three Jewels The Buddha, the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (community), you will obtain spiritual powers." The demon then returned to his original form and bowed in repentance.

The Patriarch asked, "What is your name? How many followers do you have?"
He replied, "My name is Kapimala, and I have three thousand followers."
The Patriarch asked, "To the limit of your spiritual power, what can you transform?"
He replied, "Transforming into a giant ocean is a trivial matter for me."
The Patriarch asked, "Can you transform into the Ocean of Nature?"
He replied, "What is the 'Ocean of Nature'? I have never heard of it."
The Patriarch then explained the Ocean of Nature for him:

The mountains, the rivers, and the great earth are all established upon it;
Samadhi Meditative concentration and the Six Supernatural Powers manifest from this.

Upon hearing these words, Kapimala developed faith and, along with his three thousand followers, requested ordination. The Patriarch then summoned five hundred Arhats Enlightened disciples to grant them the full precepts. He then addressed Kapimala, saying: "The Great Dharma Eye Treasury The essence of the Buddha's realization of the Tathagata is now entrusted to you. Listen to my verse:

Hiding and revealing is the fundamental Dharma;
Light and dark are originally

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Not two. Now I entrust to you the law of enlightenment;
It is neither something to be grasped nor something to be abandoned."

After the entrustment was complete, the Patriarch entered the Dragon-Leaping Samadhi original: 龍奮迅三昧 (Long fenxun sanmei) — a powerful meditative state characterized by vigorous spiritual movement. He ascended into the air, appearing like the disk of the sun, and then passed away into Nirvana. The fourfold assembly Monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen placed his remains in a dragon-shaped shrine. This occurred in the thirty-seventh year of King Xian of Zhou, a year of the Wood Horse approx. 332 BCE.

△ The Thirteenth Patriarch, the Venerable Kapimala

The Patriarch was a native of Pataliputra original: 華氏國 (Huashiguo) — an ancient city in India, modern-day Patna. Initially, he was a teacher of non-Buddhist paths with three thousand disciples and was well-versed in various heterodox theories. Later, he received the Dharma from the Venerable Ashvaghosha and led his followers to Western India. There, a crown prince named Yun Zizai meaning "Cloud Sovereignty" admired the Patriarch's reputation and invited him into the palace to receive offerings.

The Patriarch said: "The Tathagata taught that a Shramana A wandering monk or ascetic must not associate closely with kings, ministers, or those in positions of power."
The Prince said: "To the north of our city, there is a great mountain with a stone cave. Could you practice Zen meditation in stillness there?"
The Patriarch replied, "I shall."

He then entered the mountain. After traveling several miles, he encountered a giant python. The Patriarch walked straight ahead without looking back, and the python coiled itself around his body. The Patriarch then administered the Three Refuges The vow to seek refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha to the python. After hearing them, the python departed. As the Patriarch approached the stone cave, an old man in white clothing came out and joined his palms in greeting.

The Patriarch asked, "Where do you live?"
The man replied, "In the past, I was a monk who took great pleasure in silence. Several student monks used to come to me to ask for instruction, but I grew weary of answering them and gave rise to feelings of resentment and anger. Because of this, after I died, I was reborn as a python dwelling in this cave. A thousand years have passed until now. Having just encountered you, Venerable One, and heard the precepts and the Dharma, I have come to thank you."
The Patriarch asked, "Who else lives on this mountain?"
The man replied, "Ten miles to the north, there is a great tree that provides shade for five...