佛祖統紀 37.37

37.37

In the first year of the Taiqing era, the Emperor visited Tongtai Monastery, held an unhindered great assembly, and performed the great pure renunciation. He ascended the Miaoyan Hall to lecture on the gold-lettered Three Wisdoms Prajñā Sūtra. The ministers ransomed him back to the palace with one hundred million coins. Paramārtha, Tripiṭaka Master of Western India, arrived. An imperial decree ordered him to translate ten works, including the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra, in the Baoyun Hall. At that time, many of the Buddha's disciples were lax and unrestrained, and the leading monks could not regulate them. The Emperor wished to enforce the Vinaya through the office of the Buddhist Rectifier (saṅghapradhāna). When the decree was issued, Dharma Master Fazang adamantly maintained it was impermissible, and the Emperor could not sway him. Fazang said to the assembly: 'Among ten sons of noble families, how could all satisfy their father's wishes? Now, when people from the five directions are mixed together, can one really bind them according to one person's personal preferences?' The Emperor had personally received the full monastic precepts, and his living and sleeping habits roughly resembled those of a śramaṇa; monks were allowed to tour freely even through the imperial palace. One day, Master Fazang went so far as to climb up onto the imperial throne. The attendants scolded him, but Fazang said: 'This poor monk is an heir of the Dīpaṃkara Golden Wheel; why should I feel ashamed of this seat? If you wish to kill me, do not worry that I will lack a place to be reborn.' The Emperor specially ordered that he not be questioned.