國清百錄 2.34

2.34

Composed by Xu Xiaoke of Donghai, Attendant Gentleman of Cavalcade in Ordinary and Chancellor of the Directorate of Education under the Chen dynasty:

Now, the Great Change has no physical form, and thereby all kinds of beings completely flourish; the Great One has no name, and thereupon the consummate person establishes teachings. Looking up to observe [the heavens] and looking down to take model [from the earth], gathering from afar and seeking from all around, combining the three powers [of Heaven, Earth, and Man], and blowing through myriad things to sustain existence. Establishing the terrace and tripod of ministerial offices, the Five Sacred Peaks then act as guardians; distinguishing the directions of lords and governors, the Four Rivers thereupon divide their flows. Opening the Yi Gorges to survey the eight horizons, cutting through the Dragon Gate to dam the nine marshes. Sowing through familiarity with hazards, he thereby benefited the people; divining the site and assessing the convergence at the Luo River, they established rulers and chiefs—great indeed is the timely application of the Kan hexagram (Water)!

Our August Emperor, sage-like in his achievements, concentrates his spirit as he mounts the charts and wields the imperial talismans. Non-acting and desireless, his Way accords with Mount Fenyang; with hands folded and robes hanging, his virtue elevates utmost governance. The astral portents are correct and bright, and the ash in the pitch-pipes harmonises with the seasons; beyond our borders there are no perils, and within the seas all is well-ordered. Imbuing both Chinese and barbarians with the refined songs and eulogies, he surpasses the flourishing harmony of former eras—so towering and sublime that it is difficult to praise him adequately.

As for gloriously initiating the models of the Dharma and magnificently unfurling the Tree of Enlightenment, his transforming influence makes manifest the ten virtues and broadly delivers the four modes of birth. Dhyāna Master Zhiyi of Xiuchan Monastery on Mount Tiantai, living simply on wild vegetables and coarse robes, has practiced austere self-discipline; upholding and proclaiming the imperial influence, he holds together the semblance age. The Dhyāna Master's secular surname was Chen, and he was a native of Yingchuan, being a descendant of the Gui lineage. As one of the 'four friends' who astonished the assembled company, his fame resounded far and wide with many praises; bearing ministerial nobility like the 'six strange strategies', his clan recorded virtue for generations. His grandfather Quan passed away early. His father, Qi, served the Liang as Commissioner Bearing Credentials, Cavalcade Attendant, and Founding County Marquis of Yiyang.

The Dhyāna Master entered the monastic life in his youth; he was intelligent, sharp, and quick to awaken. He lodged in Jing and the Gorges, and travelled to transform You and Bing. Coming from the north to the south, he practiced both dhyāna and wisdom in tandem. Delving into the supreme sites of Yu's Cave, he divined his dwelling on Mount Tiantai. The Path of White Chickens opened up; the Crag of Green Marrow unfolded. Clambering up cassia branches to tie his thatched hut, he took quiet rest in detachment. In the groves where five willows intertwine, the scent of sandalwood was already fragrant; where a three-tiered pagoda appeared, the hue of crystal finally hung. Celestial music at the cloudy crag sounded of itself without being beaten; the golden countenance in the stone chamber left its shadow without bodily form. Outstanding peaks soar aloft, and surges roll boundlessly; great billowing waves and clam-mist blanket the distance and envelop the void. Lofty pines in deep chasms pierce the clouds and veil the sun; soaring birds and roaming beasts gather in flocks, nurturing rare and miraculous creatures. Jade hidden beneath the earth is readily discerned by observing a bent staff; pearls submerged in the deep are distinguished by sighting circular currents. Bodhisattvas of supernormal powers and wish-fulfilling śramaṇas shake their tin staves to enchant springs, or soar through the sky to dance with their almsbowls; immortals receiving cinnabar elixir drift on rapid torrents, arriving from time to time; perfected ones fleeing officialdom ride whirling winds, circling back as they come. The land is grand and magnificent, and sacred prophecies reside here.

The Dhyāna Master’s foundation of merit and wisdom brought renown, illumination, and benefit. The Fierce and Courageous General and Governor of Linhai, Ji Shang'er—a scion of Zixun, whose lineage was renowned for generations in esoteric arts, having ascended to immortality by selling medicine as heard in former Han times—split the tally of office to serve as governor. In this enlightened time, he requested the turning of the wheel of the Dharma and the preaching of the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra in one set. The former General of the Cloud Cavalry and Governor of Linhai, Chen Sizhan, together with his nephew Chen Yaoqing and others, were natives of this region; wearing the embroidered robes of military nobility, they held privileged status in their home commandery. They respectfully invited the Dhyāna Master to next preach the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. A round fan of white ivory initially opened the gate to the repository of Vinaya; a jade-handled chowrie flanked the elucidation of the stanzas of the king of sūtras. Tying the pearl was first taught so that drunk relatives would sober up; the dream-drum was about to sound so that doubts about Brahmā and Māra were dispelled.

He thereupon elucidated both admonition and encouragement, and broadly distinguished between calamity and blessing. Shang'er subsequently exhorted and encouraged the owners of bamboo fishing-stakes, such as Yan Xuzu and Lord Yang He, along with other worthies. About a hundred gentlemen established their vows of faith; with redoubled sincerity and earnest diligence, white karma was brought into harmony and completion. Lamenting past burdens like the fish caught at the Tang tree, and sighing over future conditions like angling at the Pu River, each of them renounced their bamboo stake businesses, fish weirs, and the like, amounting to sixty-three sites in all. Beneath the trees of dual conditions, cries of 'Sadhu!' resounded from above; upon the seat of fifty days, the snapping of fingers was heard from afar. The boundless great sea was instantly purified and silenced; limitless living beings together enjoyed safety and joy. Holding worlds in the palm of one's hand does not surpass what is inconceivable; grasping empty space in one's fist is not yet termed rare.

His Highness the King of Guiyang, of noble imperial stock, whose thoughts cultivate harmony and balance, venerates both Confucius and Śākya; pouring forth doctrines like a cascading torrent, he beat the rhythm to attest [to the truth], and displaying the form of a half-moon, his deep mind rejoiced accordingly. The five marquises and three heroes offered no dissent, and both the white-haired elderly and blue-collared scholars leapt with joy together. Storing this in seal script upon plain silk, writing it on green tablets with cast-off bamboo slips, they erected this upright stele so that his fragrant reputation would never be severed. Even if mountains should cease and seas should shift, the beauty of this benevolent giving will still be transmitted; though the tortoise indicates good fortune and the milfoil bad, the merit carved in stone will not be destroyed.

I, Xiaoke, am ashamed of having a tenth of the requisite talent, and my learning is deficient even in the three periods of leisure; having long abandoned the spring and autumn hunts, I have discarded ink and cutting. How could writing on a sash or drawing on the ground represent this? Even if Zhang's pond were wholly blackened, how could it match these wondrous words? The stone at Mount Xian was engraved in vain, for it could not truly cause tears to fall. Looking up to the supreme goodness that perfumes the mind, and admiring the pure voice of the mountains and waters, with my humble intention and brief words, I offer this inscription: