歷代三寶紀 7.211

7.211

先是中土未有泥洹常住之說但言壽命長遠而已。遠乃歎曰。佛是至極。至極則無變。無變之理豈有窮耶。因著法性論曰。至極以不變為性。得性以體極為宗。什見論而歎曰。邊國人未見有經。便與理合。豈不妙哉。秦主姚興欽遠德風歎其才思。致書慇懃信餉連接。時釋論新出。興送論并遺書令作論序。以貽後學。遠名重隣國聲價若是。以智度論文句繁廣初學難尋。刪略要綱為二十卷。序致淵雅。使夫學者有過半功。時桓玄西征殷仲堪。要遠出山欲共相見。遠辭以疾。玄自入山左右謂曰。昔殷仲堪入山禮遠願公勿敬。玄曰。何有此理。仲堪本死人耳。玄入見遠。不覺致敬。玄問。不敢毀傷何以剪削。遠答立身行道。玄稱善。所懷不敢復言。乃說征討之意。遠不答。玄又問。何以見願。遠云。願檀越安隱使彼亦無他。玄出山謂左右曰。實乃生來未見斯人。玄後欲沙汰眾僧。又使沙門行敬。遺書於遠以決所疑遠答略云。袈裟非朝宗之服。鉢盂豈廊廟之器。因著沙門不敬王者論有五篇。文備在傳集。自是沙門得全方外之迹矣。及玄西奔安帝東反。詔勞慇至。陳郡謝靈運負才傲俗少所推崇。及一見遠肅然心服。遠內通佛理外善群書。夫預學徒莫不依擬。遠住廬阜三十餘年。影不出山迹不入俗所著論序佛影銘讚并詩書等。集為十卷。五十餘篇。見重於世。更不復委。

Prior to this, the doctrine of the eternal permanence of nirvāṇa had not existed in the Central Plains; it was only said that the Buddha's lifespan was vast and long. Huiyuan then sighed and said: "The Buddha is the ultimate limit. The ultimate limit is changeless. How could the principle of changelessness have an end?" He therefore authored the *Faxing lun* (Treatise on Dharmatā), which stated: "The ultimate limit takes changelessness as its nature; realizing nature takes embodying the ultimate as its source." When Kumārajīva saw the treatise, he sighed and said: "A person of a borderland, having not yet seen the scriptures, already accords with the principle! Is this not wonderful?" Yao Xing, the ruler of Qin, admired Huiyuan's virtuous influence and praised his talent and thought. He sent letters of cordial respect, and gifts and envoys followed in succession. At that time, the *Dazhidu lun* was newly translated. Yao Xing sent the treatise along with a letter asking him to compose a preface to it for the benefit of future students. Huiyuan's reputation was so heavy in neighboring states and his renown was valued like this. Because the phrases of the *Dazhidu lun* were voluminous and extensive, making it difficult for beginners to navigate, he abridged its essential outlines into twenty fascicles; the preface was profound and refined, allowing scholars to achieve more than half the effect with less effort. When Huan Xuan campaigned westward against Yin Zhongkan, he invited Huiyuan to leave the mountain so they could meet. Huiyuan declined on grounds of illness. Huan Xuan entered the mountain himself, and his attendants said to him: "In the past Yin Zhongkan entered the mountain and paid homage to Huiyuan; we hope your lordship will not revere him." Xuan said: "How could there be any reason for that? Zhongkan was fundamentally an ordinary mortal." Xuan entered and saw Huiyuan, and unconsciously paid homage to him. Xuan asked: "'Not daring to injure [one's body]'—why do you shave your hair?" Huiyuan replied: "'To establish oneself and practice the Way.'" Xuan praised this. The thoughts he had harbored he dared not speak of again, but only talked about the purpose of his military campaign. Huiyuan did not respond. Xuan asked again: "What is your wish for me?" Huiyuan said: "I wish that the dānapati remain at ease and secure, and that the other party also suffer no harm." When Xuan left the mountain, he said to his attendants: "Truly, in all my life I have never seen such a man." Later, when Xuan wished to purge the saṅgha and also make the śramaṇas pay homage [to rulers], he sent a letter to Huiyuan to resolve his doubts. Huiyuan's brief reply stated: "The kāṣāya is not court attire; how could the alms bowl be an implement of the imperial halls?" He consequently wrote the *Shamen bujing wangzhe lun* (Treatise on Śramaṇas Not Paying Homage to Kings) in five chapters. The text is fully preserved in his biographies and collected works. From then on, śramaṇas were able to preserve completely their way of life outside the secular world. When Xuan fled westward and Emperor An returned eastward, imperial decrees conveyed earnest solicitations. Xie Lingyun of Chen commandery, who took pride in his talent and was arrogant toward worldly conventions, rarely praised anyone; yet as soon as he saw Huiyuan, he reverently submitted in his heart. Huiyuan internally penetrated Buddhist principles and externally mastered the diverse secular writings; none among the scholars who associated with him failed to emulate him. Huiyuan lived on Mount Lu for over thirty years; his shadow never left the mountain and his footsteps never entered worldly realms. His authored treatises, prefaces, eulogies and inscriptions on the Buddha's shadow, as well as poems and letters, were gathered into ten fascicles and more than fifty pieces. They were venerated by the world, so no further details are given.