四明尊者教行錄 6.30

6.30

據本院住持傳天台教沙門（知禮、異聞）著狀稱，先去至道二年七月內，前兩次院主僧（居明顯通）捨此院與（知禮、異聞）永作十方住持，傳演天台智者教法，安僧修道。自此相次主持院事，聚諸學徒，講習天台教法，經今一十六年。昨為舍宇頹毀稍妨安眾，遂請天台山金文藏院僧覺圓，募緣重新修蓋。今已圓就，見管係帳，屋宇一百二十餘間，已蒙頒賜勅額旌顯院門。僧眾五十來人，講習焚修，上酬國澤。切緣此院元捨與（知禮）等永作十方住持，即非徒弟繼續之限，常須名德僧繼代講演不廢，安眾焚修。欲依準江南湖南道山門體式，永作十方住持。（知禮、異聞）或終身後任。在院僧眾并檀越。於本院學眾中，請明解智者教乘、能聚四遠學徒、有德行僧，繼續傳教住持。或本院全無此德人，即於他寺及他郡，請的傳天台教法備解行僧，傳教住持。并常選請到院聽學僧充主事，所冀永遠安僧，焚修講演，祝延聖壽。伏慮將來徒弟，不悉元捨院宇住持因依，妄有干執。并恐將來本院，及外處僧講業不精，但以傳天台教為名，因囑託權勢求覓住持，乞行止絕。代代須得素業天台智者教乘，實有戒行，學眾咸願者，住持此院，繼續講演。所冀常有德人流通妙教，上資國祚，廣福蒸民。遂於大中祥符三年七月內，經使衙陳狀，乞備錄因依，奏聞天聽，乞降勅旨，許永作十方住持長演天台教法。蒙使衙申奏。況本院徒弟僧（立誠、又玄、本慈、本常、尚閑、德才）等，著狀稱伏睹師主（知禮、異聞）經州陳狀，將本院永作十方住持長演天台教法，即非徒弟繼續之限。（立誠）等亦願將此院，永作十方住持，代代請明解智者教乘、能聚四遠學徒有德行僧，傳教住持，常選請到院聽學僧充主事。（立誠）等各有咸願，更無干執。伏慮將來別有徒弟，不知元捨院宇住持因依，妄有執占。乞備錄情狀，一處申奏者，蒙使衙具緣，由體量申奏，當年十月內，準中書剳子，奉聖旨，宜令本院依久例指揮。尋蒙使帖下僧正司，仰詳中書劄子內聖旨，速疾分析，久例具結纜供申。據僧司申稱，勘會本州天童山景德寺、大梅山仙居院兩處，亦是十方住持，即依得上項江南湖南道山門體式。如勘會天童、大梅兩處不是十方住持，甘伏深罪者。蒙使帖下本院，仰依中書劄子內聖旨，并僧司分析到天童、大梅等處，體例施行者。今欲傳寫聖旨并前後使帖，鐫上石碑，永作十方傳教住持程式。申乞下司指揮者，右具如前。今撿昨據延慶院住持傳天台教沙門（知禮、異聞）陳狀，乞依準江南湖南道山門體式，將此院永作十方住持。及據徒弟僧（立誠）等六人著狀，亦乞將此院永作十方住持，代代常須明解天台智者教乘，有德行僧繼續傳教住持。州司尋於大中祥符三年八月十一日。具狀申奏，乞降勅命。指揮至當年十月十八日，準中書劄子，奉聖旨，宜令本州依久例指揮者，遂具錄帖延慶院，仰一準中書劄子內聖旨，指揮去訖，續於大中祥符四年三月內，又據經（知禮）等經州著狀，稱慮將來別有徒弟不悉事由，謂依別院徒弟繼續體例，妄生干執，有妨名行僧傳教住持。乞再錄因依聞奏，明降勅旨下本院，永作十方住持長演天台教法者。州司緣已曾申奏，明準聖旨指揮訖，遂具備狀帖。僧正司仰詳中書劄子內聖旨，疾速分析久例具結纜文狀供申。續據僧司申。今撿本州天童山景德寺、大梅山仙居院兩處，亦是十方住持，即依得上項江南湖南道山門體例。如勘會天童、大梅兩處不是十方住持，即甘深罪者。已於今月二十四日帖本院，仰詳昨來所降聖旨，并此來僧正司分析，到天童、大梅兩處體例施行去訖。今所再據沙門（知禮、異聞）著狀，稱欲備寫聖旨并前後使帖，鐫上石碑永作十方傳教住持程式，乞降指揮等。事事須帖延慶院，仰詳聖旨及前後使帖指揮，備到僧正司分析體例，任便施行，勿至有遺。大中祥符四年七月十七日帖。

Based on the petition submitted by the śramaṇas Zhili and Yiwen, abbots of this cloister transmitting the Tiantai teachings, stating: Formerly, in the seventh month of the second year of Zhidao [996], the former two successive cloister masters, the monks Juming and Xiantong, relinquished this cloister to Zhili and Yiwen to serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions, to transmit and expound the doctrinal teachings of Tiantai Zhizhe, and to settle monks to cultivate the Way. From that time forth, they successively managed the cloister's affairs, gathering students to lecture on and practice the Tiantai doctrinal teachings, now spanning sixteen years. Recently, as the halls and lodgings were dilapidated and somewhat impeded the lodging of the assembly, they invited the monk Jueyuan of Jinwencang Cloister on Mount Tiantai to raise donations and rebuild them from scratch. Now that this has been completely accomplished, according to the current administrative registers there are over one hundred and twenty bays of buildings, and they have already received the bestowed imperial plaque that honors and makes prominent the cloister's gate. The monastic assembly consists of some fifty members, lecturing, practicing, burning incense, and cultivating, so as to repay the imperial beneficence above. As this cloister was originally relinquished to Zhili and the others to serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions, it was never within the limits of hereditary succession by disciples; it must always have monks of renowned virtue succession after succession to lecture and expound without discontinuation, settling the assembly to burn incense and cultivate. They wish to follow the model of the mountain monasteries of Jiangnan and Hunan circuits to serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions. After the demise of Zhili and Yiwen, the monastics residing in the cloister together with the patrons are permitted to select and invite from among the students of this cloister a monk of virtuous conduct who clearly understands Zhizhe's doctrinal vehicle and can gather students from near and far, to succeed to the transmission of the teachings and the abbotship. If this cloister entirely lacks such a person of virtue, they shall invite from other monasteries and other prefectures a monk who genuinely transmits the Tiantai doctrinal teachings and is complete in both understanding and practice, to transmit the teachings and hold the abbotship. Moreover, monks who have been invited to the cloister to listen and study shall regularly be selected and appointed to serve as the chief administrators, in the hope of permanently sheltering monks, burning incense, cultivating, lecturing, expounding, and praying for the emperor's longevity. It is humbly feared that in the future, disciples may not know the background of the original relinquishment of the cloister and grounds and may make illegitimate claims of possession. It is also feared that in the future, monks from this cloister or from outside who are not proficient in the lecturing vocation might merely use the name of transmitting the Tiantai teachings to seek the abbotship through influence and entreaties to those in power; hence they request that such practices be brought to a complete halt. Generation after generation, it is required that only one who has long practiced the doctrinal vehicle of Tiantai Zhizhe, truly possesses disciplined conduct, and has the unanimous approval of the student assembly, shall hold the abbotship of this cloister and continue the lecturing and expounding. It is hoped that there will always be persons of virtue to disseminate the wondrous teachings, so as to support the state's prosperity above and broadly confer blessings on the multitude of people below. Thereupon, in the seventh month of the third year of Dazhong Xiangfu [1010], they submitted a petition through the commissioner's yamen, requesting that the details be recorded and memorialized to the imperial throne, petitioning for an imperial edict granting permission to serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions and continually expound the Tiantai doctrinal teachings. The commissioner's yamen endorsed and forwarded the memorial. Furthermore, the disciple monks of this cloister, Licheng, Youxuan, Benci, Benchang, Shangxian, Decai, and others, submitted a petition stating: We humbly observe that our masters Zhili and Yiwen have submitted a petition through the prefecture to establish this cloister permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions to expound the Tiantai doctrinal teachings continuously, which falls outside the scope of succession by disciples. Licheng and the others also wish that this cloister serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions, and that in every generation a monk of virtuous conduct who clearly understands Zhizhe's doctrinal vehicle and can gather students from near and far be invited to transmit the teachings and hold the abbotship, and that monks who have arrived at the cloister to listen and study be regularly selected and appointed to serve as chief administrators. Licheng and the others each share this unanimous wish and harbor no conflicting claims. It is humbly feared that in the future other disciples, unaware of the background of the original relinquishment of the cloister and grounds, may make illegitimate claims of possession. They request that the circumstances be fully set down and forwarded together in a memorial. The commissioner's yamen, having investigated the circumstances, memorialized the throne. In the tenth month of that year, in accordance with a directive from the Secretariat, the imperial decree was received: 'It is ordered that this cloister be directed in accordance with established precedent.' An official directive was subsequently issued by the commissioner to the Monastic Rectory, instructing them to examine carefully the imperial decree within the Secretariat directive, swiftly analyze the established precedent, and submit a joint guarantee document. According to the submission by the Monastic Rectory, an investigation revealed that both Jingde Monastery on Mount Tiantong and Xianju Cloister on Mount Damei in this prefecture are likewise abbotships of the ten directions, adhering to the aforementioned model of the mountain monasteries of Jiangnan and Hunan circuits; and if an investigation should show that Tiantong and Damei are not abbotships of the ten directions, they submit willingly to severe punishment. An official directive was issued by the commissioner down to this cloister, instructing them to implement this in accordance with the imperial decree in the Secretariat directive and the precedent of Tiantong, Damei, and other places as analyzed by the Monastic Rectory. Wishing now to transcribe the imperial decree and the earlier and later directives of the commissioner, and to carve them upon a stone stele to serve permanently as the regulations for transmitting the teachings and holding the abbotship of the ten directions, they have submitted a petition requesting instructions from our subordinate office; the above matters are as set forth before. We now examine that previously, according to the petition by the śramaṇas Zhili and Yiwen, abbots of Yanqing Cloister transmitting the Tiantai teachings, they requested to follow the model of the mountain monasteries of Jiangnan and Hunan circuits and make this cloister permanently an abbotship of the ten directions; and according to the petition submitted by the disciple monks Licheng and the other five, they likewise requested to make this cloister permanently an abbotship of the ten directions, where every generation must always have a monk of virtuous conduct who clearly understands the doctrinal vehicle of Tiantai Zhizhe to succeed to the transmission of the teachings and the abbotship. The prefectural authorities subsequently, on the eleventh day of the eighth month of the third year of Dazhong Xiangfu, prepared a memorial and submitted it, petitioning for an imperial edict. On the eighteenth day of the tenth month of that year, instructions arrived in accordance with the Secretariat directive, conveying the imperial decree: 'It is ordered that this prefecture be directed in accordance with established precedent.' Thereupon, the full text was transcribed and issued to Yanqing Cloister, instructing them to direct matters in strict accordance with the imperial decree within the Secretariat directive. Subsequently, in the third month of the fourth year of Dazhong Xiangfu [1011], based on another petition submitted to the prefecture by Zhili and the others, stating their fear that other disciples in the future, unaware of the reasons, might presume to follow the precedent of succession by disciples in other cloisters, creating illegitimate claims of possession that would obstruct monks of renowned practice from transmitting the teachings and holding the abbotship; and requesting that the circumstances be memorialized again so that an explicit imperial edict be issued to this cloister to serve permanently as an abbotship of the ten directions and continually expound the Tiantai doctrinal teachings. Because the prefectural authorities had already memorialized the throne and clearly complied with the instructions of the imperial decree, they prepared a directive to the Monastic Rectory instructing them to examine the imperial decree within the Secretariat directive and swiftly analyze the established precedent, submitting a joint guarantee document. Subsequently, according to the submission by the Monastic Rectory: 'An investigation now reveals that both Jingde Monastery on Mount Tiantong and Xianju Cloister on Mount Damei in this prefecture are likewise abbotships of the ten directions, adhering to the aforementioned model of the mountain monasteries of Jiangnan and Hunan circuits; if an investigation should show that Tiantong and Damei are not abbotships of the ten directions, we submit willingly to severe punishment.' On the twenty-fourth day of this month, a directive was issued to this cloister instructing them to examine the imperial decree issued previously together with the precedent of the two places, Tiantong and Damei, as analyzed by the Monastic Rectory, and to proceed with its implementation. Now, according to the petition submitted anew by the śramaṇas Zhili and Yiwen, stating that they wish to transcribe in full the imperial decree and the earlier and later commissioner's directives and carve them upon a stone stele to serve permanently as the regulations for transmitting the teachings and holding the abbotship of the ten directions, and requesting an official directive: It is necessary that an order be issued to Yanqing Cloister, instructing them to examine the instructions of the imperial decree and earlier and later directives of the commissioner, together with the precedent analyzed by the Monastic Rectory, and to proceed with implementation as they deem fit, without anything being overlooked. Directive of the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the fourth year of Dazhong Xiangfu [1011].