佛祖統紀 26.25

26.25

法師道生。魏氏。鉅鹿人。幼從竺法汰出家。披對經誥一覽能誦。年在志學便登講座。吐納明辯雖宿望莫敢酬抗。初依廬山常以入道之要慧解為本。乃與僧叡慧嚴慧觀等遊學長安。從羅什受業。關中僧徒咸仰神悟。嘗喟然歎曰。自經典東流。譯人重阻多滯權文。鮮通圓義。若亡筌得魚始可以言道矣。於是校閱真俗精練空有研思因果。乃立善不受報及頓悟成佛義。又著二諦論佛性常有論佛無淨土論應有緣論。並籠罩舊說妙有淵旨。守文之徒嫌嫉競起。師又以法顯三藏所翻泥洹經本先至（六卷成文）經云除一闡提皆有佛性。師云。夫稟質二儀皆有涅槃正因。闡提含生之類何得獨無佛性。蓋是經來未盡耳。乃唱闡提之人皆得成佛。時大本未傳。孤明先發。舊學僧黨以為背經。遂顯大眾擯而遣之。師正容誓曰。若我所說背經當見身癘疾。若與實相不背。願舍壽之日。踞師子座遂拂衣而行。及後大經至。聖行品云。一闡提人雖復斷善猶有佛性。於是諸師皆為媿服。師被擯南還入虎丘山。聚石為徒講涅槃經。至闡提處則說有佛性。且曰。如我所說契佛心否。群石皆為點頭。旬日學眾雲集。忽雷震青園佛殿。有龍升天。因改寺曰龍光。師於寺請罽賓律師譯彌沙塞律傳於世。既而辭眾復投廬山預蓮社。久之還都止青霞寺。宋文帝大會沙門親御地筵。食至良久眾疑過中。帝曰。始可中耳。生乃曰。白日麗天。天言始中。何得非中。遂舉箸而食。一眾從之。莫不歎其機辯。時王弘范泰顏延之。並挹敬風猷。相從問道。元嘉十一年十一月庚子於廬山升座說法。將畢眾見麈尾紛然墜地。隱几而化。宛若入定。諸師聞益信前誓有證。翌日葬於廬山之西阜。初關中僧肇始注維摩詰經。世咸翫味。師乃更發深旨。人服其妙。所述維摩詰法華泥洹小品諸經皆有義疏。時以師能推闡提得佛之義。於是顯其頓悟不受報等論。

Dharma Master Daosheng was surnamed Wei and came from Julu. In his youth, he renounced the householder's life under Zhu Fatai. Upon reading the scriptures and teachings, he was able to recite them at a single glance. At the age of fifteen, he already ascended the lecture seat; his eloquence in discussion was so clear that even those of venerable renown dared not confront him. At first, he relied on Mount Lu, always maintaining that intellectual understanding was the foundation for entering the Way. He then traveled to study in Chang'an together with Sengrui, Huiyan, Huiguan, and others, receiving instruction from Kumārajīva. The monastic community of Guanzhong all looked up to his spiritual awakening. He once sighed deeply and said: “Since the eastward flow of the scriptures, the translators have faced barriers and mostly clung to expedient texts, rarely penetrating the perfect meaning. Only when the fish trap is forgotten and the fish is caught can one begin to speak of the Way.” Thereupon, collating the ultimate and the conventional, refining his grasp of emptiness and existence, and scrutinizing cause and effect, he established the doctrines that good deeds do not incur retribution and that Buddhahood is achieved through sudden enlightenment. He also composed the *Treatise on the Two Truths*, the *Treatise on the Constant Presence of Buddha-nature*, the *Treatise on the Buddha Having No Pure Land*, and the *Treatise on Responding [to Sentient Beings] by Relying on Conditions*. All of these encompassed the old views and plumbed the profound purport. Those who clung to the literal text competed with one another in harboring resentment and jealousy. Furthermore, when the translation of the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* translated by Tripiṭaka Master Faxian first arrived (in six fascicles), the text stated that all beings except for the *icchantika* have Buddha-nature. The Master said: “Endowed with the nature of the two principles [of yin and yang], all beings possess the direct cause for nirvāṇa. As one of the sentient beings, how could the *icchantika* alone lack Buddha-nature? It must simply be that this scripture is not yet complete in its transmission.” Thereupon, he proclaimed that even *icchantika*s can all attain Buddhahood. At that time, the great text had not yet been transmitted, and his solitary insight came forth ahead of it. The faction of traditionalist monks regarded him as opposing the scriptures, and they gathered the assembly to banish and expel him. The Master assumed a solemn expression and made an oath, saying: “If what I have said opposes the scriptures, let me be stricken with leprosy in this very life. If it does not oppose the true nature of reality, I vow that on the day I relinquish my life, I shall sit upon the lion's seat.” He then shook his sleeves and departed. Later, when the larger scripture arrived, the Chapter on Sagely Practices stated: “Although *icchantika*s have severed their roots of goodness, they still possess Buddha-nature.” Thereupon, all the masters felt ashamed and conceded. After being banished, the Master traveled south to Mount Huqiu. Gathering stones as his disciples, he lectured on the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*. When he came to the section on the *icchantika*, he explained that they possessed Buddha-nature, and asked: “Does what I have said accord with the Buddha's mind?” The assembly of stones all nodded in approval. Within ten days, students gathered like clouds. Suddenly, thunder struck the Buddha hall of the Qingyuan Monastery, and a dragon ascended to heaven; the monastery was consequently renamed Longguang. At this monastery, the Master invited a Vinaya Master from Jibin to translate the *Mahīśāsaka Vinaya* for dissemination in the world. Soon thereafter, taking leave of the community, he returned to Mount Lu and joined the Lotus Society. After a long while, he returned to the capital and stayed at the Qingxia Monastery. Emperor Wen of Song held a great feast for the monks and presided over the meal spread on the ground in person. The food was served after a considerable delay, and the assembly suspected that midday had passed. The emperor said: “It has only just reached midday.” Daosheng remarked: “The white sun shines brightly in the sky, and since Heaven says it is just midday, how could it not be midday?” He then raised his chopsticks and ate. The whole assembly followed him, and all admired his witty discernment. At that time, Wang Hong, Fan Tai, and Yan Yanzhi all revered his virtuous demeanor and followed him to inquire about the Way. On the *gengzi* day of the eleventh month in the eleventh year of the Yuanjia reign era, he ascended the seat to preach the Dharma on Mount Lu. As he was about to conclude, the assembly saw his chowry brush scatter and fall to the ground; he leaned against his armrest and transformed, as though entering meditative absorption. Hearing of this, the various masters placed even greater faith in the verification of his earlier oath. On the following day, he was buried on the western knoll of Mount Lu. Formerly, when Sengzhao of Guanzhong first annotated the *Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa Sūtra*, everyone in the world savored it. The Master then revealed even deeper purports, and people submitted to his subtlety. He composed commentaries on various scriptures such as the *Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa*, the *Lotus Sūtra*, the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, and the *Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā*. Because the Master was able to deduce the doctrine that *icchantika*s can attain Buddhahood, his treatises on sudden enlightenment and not receiving retribution were thereby made prominent.