佛祖統紀 15.64

15.64

法師如湛。永嘉焦氏。母夢寶塔而生。幼年試經得度。首謁東靈欽師及普慈暉師。所學未就。乃與楊尖淵空相融之車溪依卿師。時眾已多無所容。唯小室如斗不以為隘。劇暑埋大甕實以塞泉。與四友背甕環坐。以挹其爽。如此數載。眾戲目為五瘟堂。後參慧覺於橫山。晝夜潛心盡得教觀之妙。初主車溪壽聖。講餘課法華一部。佛號二萬聲。有求為知事者。以非器不見用。憾之夜懷刃入室。則見官客滿座。次夜復入。則昏暗失路。又一夕往得入室。見十數人皆同師形。其人媿恐而遁。平時少睡。夏月坐草莽中口誦法華。袒身施蚊。門人謂。師年高宜息苦行。師曰。𮋏。飛之類。安得妙乘。所冀啖我血聞我經。以此為緣耳。後人因表其處為餧蚊臺。晚歲謝事。閒居小菴日薰淨業。紹興庚申七月。端坐念佛結印而逝。闍維得五色舍利。著淨業記釋觀經疏。護國記釋光明疏。又述金剛會解假名集。建炎初。述聲聞會異。其末題云匈奴去杭入秀。兵火沿塘。劫掠蜂起。命在不測。聊書此為記時事。人以為與章安當寇盜縱橫而著涅槃玄義。其事相類。

Dharma Master Ruzhan was of the Jiao clan from Yongjia. When his mother dreamed of a precious stupa, she gave birth to him. In his youth, he passed the scriptural examination and was ordained. He first called upon Master Qin of Dongling and Master Hui of Puci, but his studies were not yet complete. He then went with Yangjian, Yuankong, and Xiangrong to Chexi to rely on Master Qing. At that time, the assembly was already numerous and had no room; they had only a small room the size of a peck, yet they did not consider it cramped. In the intense summer heat, they buried a large jar and filled it with cool spring water, and the four friends sat facing away from the jar around it to take in its freshness. After several years like this, the assembly jokingly called it the 'Hall of the Five Plagues'. Later, he consulted Huijue at Hengshan, immersing his mind day and night until he mastered all the subtleties of the teachings and contemplation. He first presided over Shousheng in Chexi. In the intervals of lecturing, his daily practice was reciting one complete *Lotus Sūtra* and twenty thousand recitations of the Buddha's name. There was someone seeking to be a monastery administrator; because he lacked the capacity, he was not employed. Harboring resentment, he entered the room at night concealing a blade, only to see the room filled with official guests. He entered again the next night, but it was pitch black and he lost his way. Going yet another evening, he managed to enter the room, but saw more than ten people all bearing the Master's appearance. The man fled in shame and fear. In ordinary times, the Master slept little. In the summer months, he would sit among the wild grass, reciting the *Lotus Sūtra* by mouth, exposing his body to feed mosquitoes. A disciple said: 'The Master is advanced in years; you should rest from such asceticism.' The Master said: 'How could crawling and flying creatures ever attain the marvelous vehicle? I merely hope that by eating my blood and hearing my scripture, a karmic link may be formed.' Later generations consequently marked the spot as the 'Platform for Feeding Mosquitoes'. In his late years, he resigned from affairs and lived in leisure in a small hermitage, daily perfuming his pure karma. In the seventh month of the *gengshen* year of the Shaoxing reign era, sitting upright reciting the Buddha's name and forming a mudrā, he passed away. Cremation yielded five-colored relics. He authored the *Record of Pure Karma* commenting on the commentary to the *Amitāyurdhyāna-sūtra*, the *Record of Protecting the Country* commenting on the commentary to the *Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra*, and also composed the *Collected Expositions on the Diamond Sūtra* and the *Collection on Conventional Designations*. At the beginning of the Jianyan reign era, he composed *Differences in the Assembly of Śrāvakas*. At the end, he inscribed: 'The Xiongnu have left Hangzhou and entered Xiuzhou. War and fire follow the dikes; looting and plundering arise like bees. Life hangs in the balance; I jot this down merely to record contemporary events.' People considered this similar to Zhang'an composing the *Profound Meaning of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra* while bandits ran rampant.