佛祖統紀 10.26

10.26

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.