佛祖統紀 14.49

14.49

Dharma Master Zhongmin was a native of Sanqu. He received his training at Xiangfu, and came to rely on Master Wen of Nanping; through his mighty eloquence, he was praised as the Tiger of Doctrine. In the early Zhenghe era, he returned to his home region to preside over Fushi, and students flocked to him. He once spoke boldly, saying: "Unless there are five hundred people in my assembly, I will not lecture on the great scriptural divisions; thus, throughout my life, I have lectured only on the Suvarṇaprabhāsa and Guanyin [sūtras]." On the day of his peaceful decease, he gathered the assembly and mounted the hall, ascending the lion throne and sitting cross-legged. Suddenly, he saw a silver dais arrive from the west. The Master said: "Throughout my life I have understood the ultimate truth, and I vowed to attain a golden dais; how has it come to this now?" He then closed his eyes and transformed. He authored the Xianzhang ji (Collection of Models) in five scrolls, in the preface of which he wrote: "Whenever a disciple of Śākya composes a work, he invariably seeks out high officials to preface its beginning and postface its end, promoting his doctrines so that they may circulate in the world. Yet how can gentlemen of cap and gown know what in my work is right, or recognize what is wrong? If it is right without a preface, can Heaven destroy it? Or if it is wrong with a preface, can men promote it?"