四明尊者教行錄 7.43

7.43

"Some wrote numerous annotations" refers to works after Jingxi, such as Fengxian's Zhizhi and Gushan's Zhengyi, and their like. Citing two matters serves as an analogy for the various masters each claiming their own excellence. Formerly, when the Marquis of Sui was traveling, he saw a cowherd beat and injure a serpent's head. The Marquis pitied it, applied medicine to treat it, and went away. One night, he happened to see a light illuminating his courtyard; it was a serpent holding a pearl in its mouth on the ground. It spoke for itself: "I was originally a dragon's son; having transformed myself to disport, I was injured by a cowherd. Relying upon your rescue, I have now brought this pearl to thank you." The Marquis obtained the pearl and presented it to the King of Chu. The king placed it in the palace, and it shone as brightly as day. According to the Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks, Dharma Master Dao'an was well versed in the literary style and principles of the scriptures, and his virtue and renown were exalted. At that time, Xi Zuochi's sharp eloquence was famed throughout the land, and he specifically went to visit him. Once seated, he announced: "Throughout the four seas, Xi Zuochi." Dao'an replied: "Spanning the heavens, Shi Dao'an." Contemporaries praised and admired his retort. The Record of Rites, "Tangong," states: "Will Mount Tai crumble? Will the beam-wood break?" The Book of Documents, "Great Declaration," states: "The common people are terrified, as if their horns were broken." These two passages lament the rise and fall of persons; here they are used as an analogy for the decline and ruin of the Dharma.