佛祖統紀 10.26

10.26

禪師吉藏。金陵人。七歲依興皇朗法師出家。咨決大義。後遊會稽止嘉祥寺。講演法華自著章疏。智者再歸天台。師與禪眾百餘人奉疏請講法華不赴。暨章安弘法稱心。因求法華玄義。發卷一覽。即便感悟。乃焚棄舊疏深悔前作。來投章安咨受觀法。煬帝時勅住京師日嚴寺。開演妙經四部雲擁。唐高祖詔居延興寺。一日晨起沐浴焚香。稱佛名安坐而化。平時寫造妙經二千部。講法華三百遍。大品華嚴維摩大論。各數十遍。並著章疏行世。臨終之日製死不怖論。投筆而化。

Chan Master Jizang was a native of Jinling. At the age of seven, he went forth from the household under Dharma Master Lang of Xinghuang Temple and inquired into the essential meanings. Later, he traveled to Guiji and resided at Jiaxiang Temple, lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra and writing commentaries himself. When Zhiyi returned to Tiantai for the second time, the Master, together with a community of over one hundred Chan monks, presented a letter requesting him to preach the Lotus Sūtra, but Zhiyi did not come. When Zhāng'ān was propagating the Dharma at Chengxin, [Jizang] sought the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra. Opening the scroll and glancing through it once, he immediately had an awakening. He thereupon burned and discarded his old commentaries, deeply regretting his earlier works. He came to Zhāng'ān to consult and receive the methods of contemplation. During the reign of Emperor Yang [of Sui], an imperial decree ordered him to reside at Riyan Temple in the capital, where he expounded the sublime sūtra, and followers of the four assemblies gathered like clouds. Emperor Gaozu of Tang issued an imperial edict for him to reside at Yanxing Temple. One morning, he rose, bathed, burned incense, recited the Buddha's name, sat peacefully, and passed away. In his lifetime, he had two thousand copies of the sublime sūtra made, lectured on the Lotus Sūtra three hundred times, and lectured on the Great Prajñāpāramitā, Avataṃsaka, Vimalakīrti, and the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa several dozen times each, all of which had commentaries composed by him circulated in the world. On the day of his death, he composed the Treatise on Not Fearing Death, dropped his brush, and passed away.