佛祖統紀 18.40

18.40

Dharma Master Jinghui, styled Minzhong and called Yue'an, was from the Lu family of Yin. His parents prayed to the Buddha, and he was born. In his youth, he dreamed of ascending a jeweled pavilion where he saw an extraordinary person rubbing the crown of his head; when he awoke, an unusual fragrance filled the room. He spoke of this to Master Jun of Yinxue, who encouraged him to study Buddhism; he subsequently went to Zhengjue in Dinghai to leave household life. After receiving full ordination, he went to see Yuetang. Entering the repentance ritual during the spring period, he had a sudden awakening to the perfect doctrine upon hearing words of guidance; Yuetang prized him on this account. Vinaya Master Du used Dazhi's new commentary to lecture on the Contemplation Sūtra at Huxin; Yuetang sent the master to debate with him. When it came to discussing the purport of contemplating the mind and contemplating the Buddha, he raised objections several times until Du finally yielded. When Zhe of Ze'an presided over Nanhu and first opened his lecture seat, the master closed his book, sat upright, and upon withdrawing pointed out its blemishes; Zhe respected and feared him all the more. When Rong of Yindang resided at Yinxue, he had the master share the seat, and the style of lecturing became widely renowned. He first presided over Fahua in the prefectural city; some considered it minor, but the master said, 'This is the place where Master Fazhi lectured on the scriptures; how could it be looked down upon?' He moved to Zhiping. Whenever he lectured and saw that the commentaries cited Confucian classics, he would stop and not read them, saying to his disciples, 'These are secular books; you should read them on your own.' As the summer was drawing to a close, he proudly said to the assembly, 'This summer’s lectures are unlike any across all quarters. Even if other places touch upon such topics, they merely mix them with secular books.' In his spare time from teaching, he also engaged in stonework, renewing what had been dilapidated for years. Whenever he took part in public elections of abbots, if the candidate was not suitable, he would immediately rebuke the other monasteries to their faces, saying, 'What is called a lecture monastery exists solely for transmitting lectures. Can this person shoulder this responsibility now?' In the end, he would not consent. When living in leisure at Gongxiu Hermitage at the Quankou mouth, scholars brought their provisions and came to follow him. Upon his transfer to Baoyan, his path of transformation flourished day by day. After eight years, a heavenly wind suddenly blew blossoms, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the courtyard; those of discernment knew this to be an auspicious omen. Before long, as anticipated, the appointment to Nanhu was issued; it was the sixth year of the Jiading era. Since Boting's prolific nurturing of talents, the younger generation had become fond of ornate literary style and novel arguments; if a superior failed slightly to satisfy the assembly's wishes, the crowd would rise up in an uproar and expel him. When the master arrived, he governed all with quiet resolve and established strict regulations; people, struck by his presence, did not dare violate them. Those formerly fond of causing an uproar transformed their habits. While residing in his abbot's room, he never locked the door; even if those seeking instruction came at night, he did not turn them away. Walking along the two corridors, whenever he heard the sound of recitation, he would joyfully approach them and provide pointers based on their practice. During the Lotus repentance period, he would preach once a day, thoroughly penetrating from beginning to end; everyone delighted in listening, deeply moved in their hearts. On the twenty-ninth day of the ninth month in the ninth year of the Jiading era, he assembled the great multitude to recite the Contemplation Sūtra; sitting cross-legged on his bed, he suddenly passed away like a cicada casting off its shell. His whole-body stūpa was erected at Zuguang. His disciples requested an inscription from the Prefectural Commander, Lou Fu. Jing Wuzhu saw it and sighed in admiration, saying, 'Yue'an disliked secular books, yet Meilu [Lou Fu] composed the inscription using entirely phrases from the Wonderful Sūtra; how could this not be secretly guided by an unseen force?' Those who received his Dharma included Chanyue, Liaobin, Dapeng, and Liaoyin, some six or seven people.