Xing Qun 邢群

In the second year Dazhong (848 CE) Counsellor to the Board of Punishments Xing Qun was residing in Luozhong, having previously served as the provincial governor of Shezhou. He fell seriously ill. Qun had long been friendly with the Imperial Censor Zhu Guan. At that time Guan had left office in the Huai-Hai area to reside in Yiluo, but had then fallen ill and died. Qun was not aware of this, however. Lying down one day, he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door, so ordered it be answered. Seeing Guan arriving on horseback, Qun invited him to enter and sit. Prior to this Qun had heard that Guan had been unwell, and was delighted to see him visit. He said: “Having been informed the gentleman was ill, we express our humble concern.” Guan said: “Your servant was unwell, but has now recovered, but for the gentleman’s illness we express our humble concern. It shouldn’t be more than a day or two before you hear of me.” They talked and laughed together before he departed. When Guan called on Qun, Guan must already have been dead.

From Xuanshizhi.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), viii, 351.2777:

邢群

刑部員外邢群。大中二年。以前歙州刺史居洛中。疾甚。群素與御史朱琯善。時琯自淮海從事罷居伊洛。病卒。而群未知。嘗晝臥。忽聞扣門者。令視之。見琯騎而來。群即延入坐。先是群聞琯病。及見來。甚喜。曰。向聞君疾。亦無足憂。琯曰。某嘗病。今則愈矣。然君之疾。亦無足憂。不一二日。當聞耳。言笑久之。方去。琯訪群之時。乃琯卒也。出宣室志

The Monk Da An 大安和尚

During the reign of Tang Zetian (i.e., Wu Zetian, r. 690-705 CE), there was a woman who called herself Saint Bodhisattva. Wherever a person’s mind went, this woman would always know. The Empress Dowager summoned her to court, and everything she said before and after were verified, so she was served with great respect in the palace. After several months, she came to be called the True Bodhisattva. After that the monk Da An entered the palace. The Empress Dowager asked him whether or not he had met the female Bodhisattva. An replied: “Where is the Bodhisattva? I would like to see her.” It was decreed that they should meet. The monk took on a lofty and distant demeanour. After a long pause, Dan An asked: “If you have skill in mental contemplation, try and see. Where is my mind?” The answer came: “The master’s mind is among the bells by the nine rings at the top of the pagoda.” After a little while, he asked again. She said: “Listening to the Dharma in the Tushita Maitreya Temple.” When he asked for a third time, he was beyond thinking or not-thinking. All were as she said. The Empress Dowager was delighted. Da An therefore placed his mind among the land of the four Arhat saints, and so she was not able to find it. Da An scolded the woman: “My mind was placed in the place of the Arhats, and you were no longer able to find it. If you were among the Bodhisattvas, how could this be the case?” The woman said she submitted, but then transformed into a female fox, descended the stairs and departed; nobody knows where she went.

From Guangyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 447.3660:

大安和尚

唐則天在位，有女人自稱聖菩薩。人心所在，女必知之。太后召入宮，前後所言皆驗，宮中敬事之。數月，謂為真菩薩。其後大安和尚入宮，太后問見女菩薩未？安曰：「菩薩何在？願一見之。」敕令與之相見。和尚風神邈然。久之，大安曰：「汝善觀心，試觀我心安在？」答曰：「師心在塔頭相輪邊鈴中。」尋復問之。曰：「在兜率天彌勒宮中聽法。」第三問之，在非非想天。「皆如其言。太后忻悅。大安因且置心於四果阿羅漢地，則不能知。大安呵曰：「我心始置阿羅漢之地，汝已不知。若置于菩薩諸佛之地，何由可料！」女詞屈，變作牝狐，下階而走，不知所適。出廣異記

*Translation edited after feedback from Ofer Waldman – thanks Ofer!*

Zhang Jian 張簡

Teaching Assistant to the Tang Imperial Academy Zhang Jian was from Koushi in Henan. He once gave a lecture at a provincial school on ‘Selected Literature’. A fox sprite took on Jian’s form, delivered a lecture on a book, and then departed. When Jian arrived soon after, his pupils were bewildered and asked him about it. Jian was surprised and said: “The former must have been a fox sprite.” He cancelled the lecture and returned to his rooms. He saw his younger sister sitting winding silk, and she spoke to Jian: “The food I have just cooked is cold; why has elder brother come so late?” Jian seated himself but after waiting for a long time his food still didn’t arrive. He reproached his sister, but she said: “I didn’t see you arrive in the first place; it must have been that fox sprite. If we see it again, kill it!” He came back the next day. He saw his younger sister sitting winding silk, and she spoke to Jian: “The demon has just gone behind the rooms.” Jian took up a cudgel. He saw his real younger sister emerging from the toilet, and attacked her. His sister screamed “It’s me!” Jian did not believe her, and he beat her to death. When he went to ask the silk-winder, she immediately turned into a fox and departed.

From Chaoye qianzai.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 447.3658:

張簡

唐國子監助教張簡，河南緱氏人也。曾為鄉學講《文選》。有野狐假簡形，講一紙書而去。須臾簡至，弟子怪問之。簡異曰：「前來者必野狐也。」講罷歸舍，見妹坐絡絲，謂簡曰：「適煮菜冷，兄來何遲？」簡坐，久待不至，乃責其妹。妹曰：「元不見兄來，此必是野狐也。更見即殺之！」明日又來。見妹坐絡絲，謂簡曰：「鬼魅適向舍後。」簡遂持棒。見真妹從廁上出來，遂擊之。妹號叫曰：「是兒。」簡不信，因擊殺之。問絡絲者，化為野狐而走。出朝野僉載

Fox Deities 狐神

Since the early Tang, many among the common folk have served fox spirits, making offerings inside their homes to request benevolence. Their food and drink is the same as that of humans. Those who served them did not share a single master. At the time there was an adage that said: ‘No successful village lacks a fox demon.’

From Chaoye qianzai.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 447.3658:

狐神

唐初已來，百姓多事狐神。房中祭祀以乞恩。食飲與人同之。事者非一主。當時有諺曰：「無狐魅，不成村。」出朝野僉載