止觀輔行傳弘決 1.42

1.42

「故經云」去，引證大師五品功多。〈隨喜品〉云「施四百萬億阿僧祇世界六趣四生眾生，一一皆與七寶，見其衰老乃至將死，化令得果起六神通，不如初隨喜人百千萬倍。」彼第六經初舉第五經末五品文中初隨喜品，復以第五十人校量最初隨喜人，故今文中初述小乘化他之福比於初品，具如經文。復以初品況出後品，故云「況五品耶」。舉小乘之最多，況大乘之極少，初品最小其功尚多，況第五品耶。此證大師居第五品，其德深也。次引〈法師品〉者，為世所依，頒傳佛旨，故名為使，使即所使。宣佛因果，名如來事。次引《大經》者，亦證大師位也。經云「若復有人具煩惱性，能知如來祕密之藏，是名初依。」若准圓位，五品六根並名初依。未斷無明名具煩惱，亦得名為觀行相似知祕密藏。次「智者」去，明智者所承，即南岳也。「南岳德行」去，彰南岳行證也。《博物誌》云「嵩高為中岳，屬豫州。華山為西岳，屬同州。泰山為東岳，屬兗州。恒山為北岳，屬冀州。衡山為南岳，屬荊州，後開衡州，從山為名。」以此五山上應天象，配於五帝。又山之高者名岳。大師俗姓李氏，項城武津人也。兒童時因夢梵僧勸令入道，又數夢僧訓以齋戒。時見朋類讀《法華經》，情深樂重。先未曾誦，因從他借，於空塚中獨自看之，無人教授日夜悲泣。復恐塚是非人所居，移託古城鑿穴居止，晝則乞食、夜不眠寢，對經流淚頂禮不休。其夏多雨土穴濕烝，舉身腫滿行止不能，而忍心對經心力彌壯，忽覺消滅平復如故。又夢普賢乘白象來摩頂而去，昔未識文自然解了，所摩之處自然隱起有如肉髻。因茲所誦《法華》等經三十餘卷，十年之中誦聲不輟。因讀諸經見讚禪定，復更發心求善知識。值慧文禪師稟受禪法，晝則驅馳僧事，夜則坐禪達曉，精勤動障，乃反觀心源求不可得，遂動八觸發根本禪，因見三生行道之處，得此相已精進彌甚。夏竟受歲將欲上堂，乃感歎曰：「昔佛在世九旬究滿證道者多，我今空過法歲虛受。」內愧深重放身倚壁，背未至壁朗然復悟法華三昧，大乘法門境界明了，通明、背捨並皆成就。從此以後辯悟既多，所未聞經不疑自解。故今文云「大小法門朗然洞發」。傳中不云七載方等，應是著傳者所聞不同。

From "Therefore the sūtra says" onward, it cites evidence that the Great Master's merit in the five stages was great. The "Chapter on the Merits of Rejoicing along with Others" states: "If one were to give the seven treasures to beings of the six destinies and four modes of birth across four hundred myriads of koṭis of asaṃkhyeya worlds, giving to each and every one, and seeing them grow frail, old, and near death, transform them so that they attain the fruits [of arhatship] and develop the six supernormal powers, this would not match even a hundred-thousandth of the merit of the first person who rejoices along with others." At the beginning of the sixth fascicle of that [sūtra], it first adduces the first stage of rejoicing from the passage on the five stages at the end of the fifth fascicle, and then compares the fiftieth person with the very first person who rejoiced; hence the present text first describes the merit of transforming others in the Hīnayāna in comparison to the first stage, fully matching the sūtra text. It then uses the first stage to infer the later stages; hence it says, "how much more so the five stages!" Adducing the maximum of the Hīnayāna to illustrate the minimum of the Mahāyāna: if the merit of the first and lowest stage is already so great, how much more so the fifth stage! This proves that the Great Master's dwelling in the fifth stage possessed profound virtue. Next, citing the "Chapter on the Dharma Master": being a refuge for the world and proclaiming the Buddha's intent, one is therefore called an "emissary"—the emissary being the one who is sent. Proclaiming the Buddha's causes and fruits is called "the Tathāgata's business." Next, citing the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra also proves the Great Master's stage. The sūtra says: "If there is someone who possesses the nature of afflictions yet can know the secret storehouse of the Tathāgata, this is called the first refuge." According to the stages of the perfect teaching, both the five stages and [the stage of purifying] the six faculties are called the first refuge. Not yet having severed ignorance is called "possessing afflictions"; one may also be called knowing the secret storehouse through contemplative practice or through resemblance. Next, from "Zhizhe" onward, it clarifies whom Zhizhe inherited [the teaching] from, which is Nanyue. From "Nanyue's virtuous practice" onward, it reveals Nanyue's practice and realization. The Bowuzhi states: "Songgao is the Central Peak, belonging to Yuzhou. Mount Hua is the Western Peak, belonging to Tongzhou. Mount Tai is the Eastern Peak, belonging to Yanzhou. Mount Heng is the Northern Peak, belonging to Jizhou. Mount Heng is the Southern Peak, belonging to Jingzhou; later Hengzhou was established, taking its name from the mountain." These five mountains correspond above to celestial phenomena and are matched with the Five Emperors. Moreover, the highest of mountains are called "peaks" (yue). The Great Master's secular surname was Li; he was a native of Wujin in Xiangcheng. In his childhood, he dreamed of an Indian monk who encouraged him to enter the path, and repeatedly dreamed of a monk instructing him in fasting and precepts. Seeing his peers reading the Lotus Sūtra, he felt deep joy and veneration. Not having previously chanted it, he borrowed it from another and read it alone among empty graves; lacking a teacher, he wept day and night. Fearing that the graves were inhabited by non-human beings, he moved to an ancient wall, dug a pit, and dwelt there; begging for food by day and not sleeping by night, he shed tears before the sūtra and bowed in worship without rest. That summer was rainy and the earthen pit was damp and steamy; his whole body became swollen and he could not walk, yet enduring it, he faced the sūtra with his mental strength growing ever more vigorous, when suddenly he felt [the illness] vanish and returned to health as before. He also dreamed that Samantabhadra rode a white elephant, came, and stroked his head, then departed; texts he had previously not recognized became naturally understood, and the place that had been stroked naturally swelled up like a fleshy protuberance (uṣṇīṣa). Because of this, he chanted more than thirty fascicles of the Lotus and other sūtras, his chanting voice never ceasing for ten years. Reading various sūtras and seeing the praise of dhyāna meditation, he further aroused the aspiration to seek a good friend. Meeting Dhyāna Master Huiwen, he received the methods of dhyāna; running about with monastic duties by day and sitting in dhyāna until dawn by night, his energetic diligence aroused obstacles. Thereupon he introspected the source of the mind and sought it without finding it, whereupon the eight sensations were stimulated and the fundamental dhyāna arose; he then saw the places where he had practiced the path across three lifetimes. Having obtained these signs, his vigor became all the greater. When the summer retreat ended and the years [of monastic seniority] were received, as he was about to enter the hall, he lamented with a sigh: "When the Buddha was in the world, many were those who completed the ninety days and realized the path; I have now passed the Dharma year in vain and received it fruitlessly." Bearing deep inner shame, he let his body fall back against the wall; before his back reached the wall, he brightly awakened to the Lotus samādhi, the realms of Mahāyāna teachings became clear, and the penetrating clarity (tōngmíng) and the eight liberations (bèishě) were all accomplished. From this time onward, his eloquence and awakening were abundant, and sūtras he had never heard before were understood without doubt. Therefore the present text says, "The great and small Dharma gates brightly and completely burst forth." That the biography does not mention the seven years of Vaipulya is likely because what the biographers heard differed.