[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [佛祖統紀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035) › 16.41 # 佛祖統紀 16.41 佛祖統紀 16.41 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [16.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16.41) 法師本空。四明奉化人。自號虛堂。父姓徐為農。每高僧過門。必欵接加禮。母夜見神光遶室因而有娠。為兒異倫等。蔬食誦經志在出家。年十四。依尊勝法存剃髮。初從智涌受教觀。自白蓮首眾。出主明之永明遷治平。淳熙初。皇子魏王牧四明。尊其道製疏請主資教。夏中首座將開妙玄。師止之曰。自有講席以來。諸老立法。謂首座之職未出世者止講小部。若已出世。已講小部者。方可開發大部事存謙遜此舊章也。若維那則點讀四教儀類集耳。以次而進無自逞也。後遷白蓮大揚宗教。久之歸間受業。日以往生為正念。紹興三年三月三日別眾就座書偈而化。東掖學徒來迎全身。奉化緇素投牒止之。乃剪鬚髮分塔東山。而葬全身於尊勝。師行不回顧。坐不倚物。盛暑不持箑。祈寒不附火。高座講唱辨析精微。使利鈍皆有所入。人以是尊慕之。 > Dharma Master Benkong was a native of Fenghua in Siming, styling himself Xutang. His father, surnamed Xu, was a farmer. Whenever an eminent monk passed by his gate, he would warmly receive him with extra courtesy. His mother saw a divine light encircling the room at night and thereupon became pregnant. As a child, he was extraordinary compared to his peers; eating vegetarian food and reciting sūtras, his ambition was to leave the household life. At the age of fourteen, he shaved his head under Facun of Zunsheng. He initially received the doctrinal teachings and contemplation from Zhiyong. From Bailian, where he had been head monk, he stepped forward to preside over Yongming in Mingzhou, and later moved to Zhiping. At the beginning of the Chunxi era, the Imperial Prince, King of Wei, governed Siming; revering his Way, he composed an invitation requesting him to preside over Zijiao. In the middle of summer, the head seat monk was about to expound the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra. The master stopped him, saying, “Since lectures began, the old masters established the rule that the duty of a head seat monk who has not yet appeared in the world \[as an abbot\] is only to lecture on minor texts. Only if one has appeared in the world and already lectured on minor texts may one expound major texts; this practice preserves modesty and is the old standard. As for the karmadāna, he only punctuates and reads works like the Categorized Collection of the Four Teachings. One advances by degrees without vaunting oneself.” Later he moved to Bailian, where he greatly propagated the school and teachings. After a long while, he returned to spend his leisure at his home monastery, daily taking rebirth \[in the Pure Land\] as his right mindfulness. On the third day of the third month of the third year of the Shaoxing era, he bid farewell to the assembly, took his seat, wrote a verse, and passed away. Disciples from Dongye came to welcome his whole body; the monastics and laity of Fenghua submitted petitions to stop them. They thereupon cut his beard and hair to share in a pagoda on the East Mountain, and buried his whole body at Zunsheng. In walking, the master did not look back; in sitting, he did not lean against objects; in the height of summer, he held no fan; in bitter winter, he did not approach a fire. Chanting and lecturing from the high seat, his analysis was subtle and precise, enabling both the sharp and the dull to find entrance. People revered and admired him for this. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 16.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16.40) - [Next: 16.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16.42) - [Up: 16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035~en-mt.16.41) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.16.41) · Pramāṇa