佛祖統紀 16.41

16.41

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.