佛祖統紀 41

English (machine translation) 41

Language: English

41.1

Compiled by the Monk Zhipan of Donghu in Siming under the Song dynasty during the Xianchun era.

41.2

Treatise on the Prosperity and Decline of the Dharma, Section 17, Part 8.

In the ninth month of the first year of Yongtai, a cast bronze-gilt Buddha image was completed. At the Guangshun Gate, [the Emperor] led the hundred officials in making prostrations. In the tenth month, Tibetan invaders pressed close to the capital. [The Emperor] ordered two carriages of the Humane Kings Sūtra to be brought out from the palace and sent to Ximing and other monasteries. An imperial decree instructed Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra to set up one hundred high seats to lecture on the sūtra. The Emperor went in person to offer incense and pay reverent homage. Soon after, the invaders were subdued. An imperial decree stated: 'The precious Humane Kings Sūtra honors the protection of the state in its meaning. The translations made in earlier eras were not completely coherent in their principle.' Thereupon he ordered Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra and the śramaṇas Feixi, Liangbi, and others to retranslate it in the South Peach Garden of the Daming Palace. The Emperor read it in person, stating: 'Although the principle of the two texts—the new and the old—accords, the literary meaning translated in the new text is exceedingly comprehensive.' He then personally composed a preface and granted Amoghavajra the honorary title of Specially Advanced Chief of the Court of State Ceremonial. An imperial decree [also] stated: 'Renunciant śramaṇas venerably dwell among the Three Jewels. Let all governmental offices throughout the realm be forbidden from beating or humiliating monks and nuns.' An imperial order directed Daxingshan Monastery to construct an Equal Platform of the Precepts and appointed ten Great Virtues to oversee the platform. The Emperor dreamed that the Sixth Patriarch asked to return his robe and bowl to his mountain. He then ordered Liu Chongjing to respectfully bear them on his head and take them back, decreeing that Yang Jian, the prefect of Shaozhou, enshrine them with proper ritual. An imperial decree instructed one hundred śramaṇas to perform recitation practices within the forbidden palace, termed the Palace Bodhimaṇḍa; they rode horses when entering and leaving, and were supplied with grain by the revenue office. Śramaṇa Chonghui of Zhangjing competed in magical arts with a Daoist and claimed victory; he was imperially granted the purple robe. An imperial order directed that in the various abhiṣeka bodhimaṇḍas of Vajrabodhi, fourteen śramaṇas be chosen to recite the Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī continuously for the sake of the state. Tripiṭaka Master Cunda, Defender of the State, died at the age of six hundred.

41.5

In the first year of Dali, an imperial order directed Śramaṇa Liangbi to compose a commentary on the Humane Kings Sūtra at the Peach Garden and present it to the throne. Śramaṇa Daozun of Zhixing Mountain in Gusu (a disciple of Zuoxi) established a Lotus Sūtra cloister, selecting fourteen men of eminent conduct to constantly uphold the Lotus [Sūtra], carrying on from day into night by candlelight to proclaim the merciful voice of the Great Hero. The regional inspector Wei Yuanfu and Minister Liu Yan memorialized to grant it the name 'Lotus Bodhimaṇḍa.' From that time on, seventeen scriptural cloisters were established east of the Yangtze River, all taking their model from the Master. Zhou Boda, an assistant magistrate of Weizhou, constantly recited the Diamond Sūtra. Suddenly he saw an Indian monk in a light who claimed to be Subhūti, saying: 'You have recited the sūtra for several years; why have you not given up eating meat?' Boda was terrified, immediately turned to a vegetarian diet, and redoubled his diligence in recitation, experiencing numerous auspicious responses.

41.6

In the second year, an imperial decree instructed the grand councilors and high ministers to begin building Halls of Merit. When Du Hongjian first pacified Bashu, he dispatched an envoy to Baiya to invite Chan Master Wuzhu to enter the city and enquire about the Way. The Master said: 'Whatever meets the eye is Suchness.' From this, Hongjian set his heart on the joy of Chan. In his later years he entered the grand council, but retired due to illness. Facing death, he bathed, ordered his court robes to be placed beneath a saṅghāṭī, shaved his beard and hair, bid farewell to the assembly, and passed away. His body was cremated according to the monastic regulations. Dharma Master Fazhao saw five-colored clouds inside his alms bowl at Yunfeng Monastery on Mount Nanyue, and saw a monastery in a mountain ravine by a stone gate with a sign reading 'Monastery of the Great Sage Bamboo Grove.' He then set out with companions of like mind to visit Mount Wutai, where he saw golden gates and towers exactly as he had seen in his bowl. Entering the monastery and reaching the lecture hall, he saw Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra seated separately preaching the Dharma to tens of thousands of bodhisattvas. The Master stepped forward and made obeisance, asking: 'In the end times, what is the most essential cultivation?' Mañjuśrī said: 'Among all gates of cultivation, none equals the recollection of the Buddha.' The Master took his leave and bowed; when he raised his head, everything had vanished. He then built a monastery at the place of the vision, calling it Bamboo Grove.

41.7

In the third year, an imperial decree summoned National Preceptor Huizhong to the palace and brought a hermit from Mount Taibai to see him. The Master said: 'What abilities do you possess?' The hermit said: 'I recognize mountains, recognize lands, recognize characters, and am skilled in calculation.' The Master said: 'Is the mountain where you live a male mountain or a female mountain?' He was bewildered and did not know how to answer. The Master said: 'What land is this within the hall?' He replied: 'Allow your disciple to calculate.' The Master drew a horizontal line on the ground and asked: 'What character is this?' He replied: 'It is the character "one" (一).' The Master said: 'A stroke above the character "earth" (土)—is that not the character "king" (王)?' The Master said: 'How much is three sevens?' He replied: 'Twenty-one.' The Master said: 'Is three and seven not the character "ten" (十)?' The Master said to the Emperor: 'Asked about mountains, he does not recognize mountains; asked about lands, he does not recognize lands; asked about characters, he does not recognize characters; asked about calculation, he does not know how to calculate. Why does Your Majesty retain this foolish man?' The Emperor looked at the hermit and said: 'The Master is indeed a treasure of the state!' The Emperor, while in an informal hall, pointed to the eunuch Yu Chao'en and said to the Master: 'Chao'en also understands the Buddha Dharma.' Chao'en came forward and asked the Master: 'What is called ignorance, and from where does it arise?' The Master said: 'With the signs of decline manifesting before you, even a slave understands how to ask about the Buddha Dharma!' Chao'en was furious. The Master said: 'This very thing is ignorance; ignorance arises from this.' Later, when the court made decisions without his participation, Chao'en ceased his work in anger, saying: 'Can anything in the world happen without me?' The Emperor was displeased upon hearing this, blamed him for treasonous plots, and had him strangled to death. An imperial decree summoned Chan Master Faqin of Mount Jing for an audience; the Emperor treated him with the etiquette of a teacher. Once, when he saw the Emperor arriving in the inner court, he stood up. The Emperor said: 'Why does the Master rise?' The Master said: 'How could the dānapati expect to see this poor monk abandon the four postures?' The Emperor was delighted. He did not accept any of the gifts offered to him; wearing cotton robes and carrying an earthenware bowl, he only begged for food each day with his disciples. Prime Minister Yang Guan sighed, saying: 'He is truly a gentleman beyond worldly bounds!' Chief Minister Cui Huan asked: 'May this disciple leave home?' The Master said: 'Leaving home is the business of a great man; how could generals and ministers accomplish it?' More than thirty people, including Pei Du, the Duke of Jin, enquired about the Way and observed the rituals of disciples. Later he begged to return to the mountains, and was granted the title Chan Master Guoyi. An imperial decree directed the defending officials of Hangzhou to rebuild a monastery in the mountains, with magistrates visiting monthly to pay their respects. The Master had initially relied on Chan Master Su, who instructed him: 'Follow the stream, and when you encounter a path (jing), stop.' The Master thereupon went south to Lin'an, saw a mountain in the northeast, and met a woodcutter whom he asked about the place; the woodcutter replied, 'Mount Jing.' He then planted his staff there (seventh generation under the Fourth Patriarch). In the seventh month, an imperial decree ordered the establishment of the Ullambana Assembly, setting up spirit seats for the seven ancestral temples down from Gaozu. They were welcomed from the Imperial Ancestral Temple into the Palace Bodhimaṇḍa, accompanied along the avenues with banners, flowers, drums, and flutes, while the hundred officials bowed to greet them; this was made an annual custom. The next day, lingzhi mushrooms grew in two chambers of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. An imperial decree appointed Śramaṇa Fazhao of Mount Nanyue as National Preceptor. The Master stated that his teacher, Chengyuan of Mount Nanyue, possessed extraordinary virtue; the Emperor faced south and bowed to him, and realizing that his spiritual presence could not be summoned, named his residence the Pratyutpanna Bodhimaṇḍa to honor his rank (recorded in Liu Zongyuan's writings). Chan Master Jingxi expounded the gate of calming and contemplation (śamatha-vipaśyanā) to Dharma Master Daosui at Folong on Mount Tiantai. An imperial decree permitted the Uyghurs who adhered to Manichaeism to build the Dayun Guangming Monastery.

41.8

In the fourth year, the Emperor established a bodhimaṇḍa in the Daming Palace, which induced the manifestation of a Buddha light. The princes, princesses, attendants, and ministers all beheld the luminous sign, which lasted from midnight until cockcrow. Prime Minister Pei Mian submitted a memorial of congratulation. In the fifth year, a comet appeared in the east. An imperial decree instructed Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra to perform rituals, after which the comet fell. At that time, it did not rain throughout spring and summer; an imperial decree ordered the erection of an altar to pray [for rain], and after two days, a heavy downpour thoroughly soaked the ground. Earlier, Śramaṇa Zijue resided on Mount Ping, preaching sūtras to ghosts and spirits. Zhang Zhao, the military commissioner of Dangyang, personally entered the mountain to extend an invitation, saying: 'Zhao lacks governing skill, resulting in three years of severe drought; taking the blame upon myself brings no relief. I have heard that the dragon spirits stay by the Master to hear the Dharma and forget to make rain; I pray you give rise to great compassion.' The Master burned incense, looked toward the deep pool and cave from afar, and offered prayers; instantly clouds arose, sweet moisture poured down, and the year yielded an autumn harvest.

41.9

In the sixth year, Li Youqing, the prefect of Chuzhou, memorialized that Śramaṇa Fachen had built a Buddhist monastery on Mount Langya and presented a painted illustration. On the preceding night, the Emperor had dreamed of wandering to a mountain monastery, and upon viewing the illustration, it was entirely identical to the place he had visited in his dream; he therefore bestowed the name Bao'ying Monastery. The Uyghurs requested to establish Dayun Guangming Monasteries in prefectures such as Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Hongzhou, and Yuezhou; their followers wore white robes and white caps.

41.10

In the eighth year, an imperial decree ordered that postulants throughout the realm be tested in the three subjects of sūtra, vinaya, and śāstra, and be issued ordination certificates and granted ordination.

41.11

In the ninth year, the Emperor dreamed that a pratyekabuddha of Mount Niutou in Jiankang came to see him. He decreed that Gu Shen, the Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince, build a seven-tiered stupa in the mountain. In the sixth month, Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra reported his illness. An imperial decree conferred upon him the title of Opening the Office with Equal Rank to the Three Excellencies and enfeoffed him as Duke of the State of Su, with an estate of three thousand households. When he manifested quiescence, the Emperor suspended court for three days, bestowed sacrificial offerings, posthumously appointed him Minister of Works, and gave him the posthumous title 'Tripiṭaka Master of Great Eloquence, Rectitude, and Vast Wisdom.'

41.12

In the tenth year, an imperial decree directed Daxingshan Monastery to construct a pagoda for Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra.

41.13

In the eleventh year, an imperial order enquired of the three directors and elder monks of Chongsheng Monastery (the abbot, administrator, and rector make up the three): 'We have heard that Vinaya Master Wengang personally received the Śākyamuni Buddha tooth relic from his late teacher, Vinaya Master Daoxuan. It should be brought to the Right Yintai Gate and presented to the throne, so as to fulfill Our desire for reverent veneration.'

41.14

In the twelfth year, Li Chongqian, the commissioner of horse and foot for Huaixi, gave up his residence to become a Buddhist scripture workshop, and it was granted the name Bao'ying Workshop for All Sūtras.

41.15

In the thirteenth year, an imperial decree instructed fourteen Great Virtues who presided over the platform from the two streets, including Yuanzhao, to assemble at Anguo Monastery to collate the new and old commentaries on the Four-Part Vinaya and finalize a unified edition.

41.16

In the fourteenth year, Great Master Sengqie of Sizhou suddenly manifested his form in the forbidden palace and said to the Emperor: 'The prefect has ordered Puguangwang Monastery to provide wealth to supply the riders of the ten postal stations; may this corvée labor be exempted.' The Emperor immediately sent an envoy to transmit an edict granting colorful silks, gold, and a water pitcher, ordering that his true likeness be painted and brought into the palace for offerings. In the fifth month, the Emperor passed away and the Crown Prince ascended the throne. An imperial decree ordered that from then on, no one was permitted to establish monasteries or shrines or request the ordination of monks and nuns.

41.17

Dezong (son of Daizong)

41.18

In the first year of Jianzhong, Śramaṇa Yuanzhao presented the newly finalized commentary on the Four-Part Vinaya. An imperial decree granted him the purple robe, appointed him Court Offerings Attendant and Acting Director of the Court of State Ceremonial, with an estate of three hundred households.

41.19

In the second year, Tibet sent an envoy requesting that the imperial court bestow śramaṇas skilled in explaining Buddhist principles; the Emperor ordered Liangxiu and Wensu to go forth to preach the Dharma and transform the people, alternating once every year. Layman Hu Youzhen, known as Wusheng of Siming, compiled the Record of Responses to the Avataṃsaka in one volume, recording in full the traces of those who propagated the sūtra through successive generations. It stated that of the shorter version of one hundred thousand verses transmitted by Nāgārjuna from the dragon palace, the version translated into eighty fascicles in this Eastern Land contains only forty-five thousand verses, with the remainder still kept secret in Tianzhu; therefore he now made a vow, entreating that the verses of the shorter version of the sūtra circulate in full in this land. Chan Master Caoyi of Nan'yan in Xinzhou sat in meditation for thirty years, his feet never stepping on the ground and his mouth never tasting flavors. While the myriad things bustled noisily, this body remained motionless. Vice Minister Quan Deyu wrote an account of him, stating: 'Of those who in ancient times were said to abandon worldly things, detach from people, and stand alone—who knows whether his sitting in meditation in this place is not also preaching the Dharma in other worlds?'

41.20

In the third year, an imperial decree directed that when monks or nuns met with incidents [such as death or laicization], the three directors must report to the prefecture, submit the ordination certificates to be noted and cancelled, and those in the capital must submit the certificates to the Bureau of Sacrifices (in the Tang, the ordination certificate was called fugaoshen, matching the certificates of ranked officials; nowadays it is simply called dudie).

41.21

In the first year of Xingyuan, an imperial decree stated: 'The property of deceased monks and nuns originally belonged to the monastery; after collecting what was needed for funeral expenses, the remainder was distributed among the whole assembly. Lately, officials have seized it on various pretexts, causing disruption and harm. Now let this confiscation be completely halted, and let the three directors be instructed to follow entirely the methods for dividing property in the vinaya texts (the chapter on robe regulations in the Nanshan Shichao and the Protocol on the Relative Significance of the Five Deceased Assemblies record the rules for dividing property in detail).' Dharma Master Fazhao practiced the Five Assemblies in Bingzhou to teach people to recite the Buddha's name. In the central palace, the Emperor often heard the sound of Buddha-recitation from the northeast; he sent an envoy to trace it to Taiyuan, where he indeed witnessed the flourishing of the Master's proselytization. He then invited him into the forbidden palace to teach the palace ladies to recite the Buddha's name, also using the Five Assemblies.

41.22

In the third year, Liang Su, a Hanlin Academician, studied the Tiantai teachings under Chan Master Jingxi and deeply grasped their essential core. Considering that the text and meaning of the Great Calming and Contemplation were so vast and extensive that readers spent whole days on them, he edited and condensed them into six rolls to circulate in the world. Li Hua, Director in the Bureau of Personnel, had once studied calming and contemplation under Jingxi. Jingxi wrote an essay for him titled 'The General Import of Calming and Contemplation,' which encompassed the great work as plainly as pointing to the palm of one's hand. Among the scholar-officials who studied together at that time, Cui Gong, Sanqi Changshi, and Tian Dun, Remonstrator, all studied calming and contemplation under Jingxi. Liang Su's record says: In Jinling, two daughters of the Huang family heard someone chanting the Lotus Sūtra when they were young. Listening to it, they said, 'We understand this meaning!' When put to the test to explain it, they were able to expound deeply on the purport of the true nature of reality. Later, they entered Anguo Temple in the capital as nuns. The elder was named Chifa, and the younger was named Huiren. Together they cultivated the Lotus Samādhi. Suddenly, a nun known as Aunt Kong, whose demeanor and appearance were very extraordinary, came to stay with them. Every midnight her body shone with radiant light. After three years of this, she departed. When someone asked the two nuns about it, they both smiled and did not answer. People said she was Samantabhadra.

41.23

In the first year of Zhenyuan, Wei Gao became Military Commissioner of Xichuan. Earlier, when Gao was one month old, an Indian monk saw him and asked, 'Having been parted for so long, have you been well?' The child smiled at him. When the assembly asked the reason, the monk said, 'He is the later embodiment of Marquis Wu of Zhuge. His governance will later be in Shu.' This proved true at this time. Gao remained in Shu for twenty-one years, his meritorious achievements being the greatest in the southwest.

41.24

In the third year, Yuwen Xuan, Mayor of Jingzhao, presented a memorial requesting to use the materials of abandoned village temples to build school buildings. An edict declared: 'Transforming halls for venerating the Buddha into Confucian academies is the beginning of encroaching upon and destroying the Three Jewels. The offense is unforgivable.' Xuan felt ashamed and fearful, and on the same day resigned and returned home. Li Mi was appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Earlier, Chan Master Mingzan lived on Mount Shangfeng in Nanyue, and people called him Lazy Zan. When Mi went to pay respects to him, he heard the sound of chanting sūtras; it was mournful at first and joyful afterward. Knowing he was a recluse, Mi waited for him for a long time. Zan poked the fire, pulled out a taro, ate it, and said, 'Take this, you will be prime minister for ten years.' Coming to this point, Mi, now in power, spoke to the emperor of Zan's lofty conduct. An imperial edict summoned him. When the envoy arrived at the stone grotto to proclaim the imperial appointment, Zan had cold snot hanging down to his chin, sitting unmoved without taking heed of it. The envoy returned and reported this, and the emperor sighed in even greater respect.

41.25

In the fourth year, Chan Master Mazu Daoyi of Jiangxi passed away. The Master attained the Dharma from Chan Master Rang of Nanyue. Five generations later, his lineage divided into two houses: one called Weiyang and the other Linji (pronounced zǐ lǐ; one of the Four Rivers; worldly people mistakenly pronounce it in the falling tone).

41.26

In the fifth year, an edict declared: 'The two teachings of Buddhism and Daoism bring blessing and benefit to all living beings. The halls for their residences and walking meditation must rely on solemnity and purity. From now on, Buddhist monasteries and Daoist abbeys shall not allow external guests to reside there. Damaged places shall be repaired as appropriate.'

41.27

In the first month of the sixth year, an edict ordered the welcoming of the Śākyamuni Buddha's relic bone from Famen Temple in Fengxiang into the palace for offerings, and it was circulated among various temples for viewing and veneration. In the second month, the Buddha bone was escorted back to the temple. Chan Master Shitou Xiqian of Mount Heng passed away. The Master attained the Dharma from Chan Master Si of Qingyuan. Later, his lineage divided into three houses: in the fifth generation it became Dongshan, in the seventh generation Yunmen, and in the ninth generation Fayan.

41.28

In the tenth year, an edict ordered Yu Di, Prefect of Huzhou, to present the collection of Zhushan poetry by Śramaṇa Jiaoran to be stored in the Imperial Library. Master Sui expounded the Dharma gate of calming and contemplation for Master Guangxiu at Guoqing Temple.

41.29

In the eleventh month of the eleventh year, King Siṃha of the Kingdom of Uḍra in South India presented the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as tribute and submitted a memorial stating [...]. King Siṃha personally wrote the chapter on 'The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra' to present to the Son of Heaven of Great Auspiciousness of the Great Tang of Mahācīna, praying to quickly behold and pay respects [to the Buddha] in the Dragon Flower Assembly of the Tathāgata Maitreya, to attain the knowledge of past lives so as to recognize Him upon seeing Him, and together to receive the Buddha's prophecy. In the fourth month, on the imperial birthday, Master Chengguan was summoned by edict into the inner palace to lecture on the sūtras. Refreshing the emperor's mind with the marvelous Dharma, he was granted the title Master Qingliang, Teacher and Upādhyāya.

41.30

In the first month of the twelfth year, an edict ordered the Crown Prince to assemble the various Chan masters in the inner palace to examine and determine the primary and collateral lines of Dharma transmission. In the fourth month, on the imperial birthday, the emperor attended the Linde Hall. An edict ordered Imperial Attendant Xu Dai and others to debate the three teachings together with Śramaṇa Tanyan and Daoist Ge Sancheng. An edict ordered Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā of Jibin and others to translate the Avataṃsaka Sūtra presented by Uḍra at Chongfu Temple in Chang'an. Yuanzhao, Jianxu, Lingsui, and Chengguan polished the phrasing and verified the meaning. The emperor personally attended the translation bureau to examine the text and make corrections, and ordered Huo Xianming and Dou Wenchang, Commissioners of Good Works of the Left and Right Streets, to exclusively supervise and protect the work.

41.31

In the thirteenth year, Śramaṇa Duanfu was ordered by edict to enter the inner palace to debate with Confucians and Daoists. He was granted a purple square robe and ordered to attend the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace. Emperor Shunzong revered him like an elder brother. Dou Wenchang, Commissioner of Good Works of the Left Street, memorialized: 'At the beginning of Tianbao, my late master Chujin erected a stupa and established a Lotus bodhimaṇḍa for the state, keeping the chanting of sūtras by the assembly continuous for over sixty years. I beg for an imperial commendation.' An edict bestowed on him the posthumous title Master Dayuan.

41.32

In the second month of the fourteenth year, Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā, Master Chengguan, and others presented the newly translated Avataṃsaka Sūtra in forty rolls (this sūtra had three translations: sixty rolls in the Jin translation, eighty rolls under Empress Wu of the Tang, and now forty rolls under Emperor Dezong, together with one roll of 'The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra').

41.33

In the seventh month of the fifteenth year, the emperor visited Anguo Temple and established an Ullambana offering; the chief ministers all followed.

41.34

In the twentieth year, the state of Japan sent an embassy to court; its scholar Tachibana no Hayanari and the śramaṇa Kūkai entered China and studied the esoteric teachings under Huiguo, a disciple of Amoghavajra.

41.35

On the third day of the tenth month of the twenty-first year, Śramaṇa Shaokang of Xinding radiated light and passed away. Earlier, when the Master arrived at Baima Temple in Luoyang, he saw writings inside the hall emitting light. Upon inspecting them, they were the Western Liturgy texts of Upādhyāya Shandao. Thereupon, he went to the Portrait Hall of Guangming Temple in Chang'an and laid out grand offerings. Suddenly, he saw the legacy portrait of the Teacher ascend into mid-air and say, 'You uphold my teachings to benefit living beings; through your merit, you will surely be born in the Land of Peaceful Nurturance.' When he went south to Jiangling, he met a monk on the road who said, 'If you wish to convert people, you should go to Xinding (now Yanzhou).' Having spoken, he disappeared. The Master then went into the commandery to beg for money and entice young children to recite the Buddha's name. After more than a month, many children recited the Buddha's name to seek money. After one year like this, young or old, noble or base, anyone who saw the Master would utter 'Amitābha Buddha.' He then established a bodhimaṇḍa, gathered the assembly, ascended the seat, and chanted the Buddha's name once in a loud voice. The assembly saw a Buddha emerge from his mouth; when he chanted ten times, there were ten Buddhas, like strung pearls.

41.36

Shunzong (named Song, eldest son of Dezong).

41.37

In the first year of Yongzhen, an edict summoned Chan Master Shili into the inner palace to inquire about Chan principles. The emperor asked, 'How can the living beings of the great earth see their nature and become Buddhas?' Li said, 'The Buddha-Dharma is like the moon in the water: the moon can be seen, but cannot be grasped.' The emperor was pleased (the Master had attained the Dharma from Master Qian of Shitou). Śramaṇa Saichō of the state of Japan came to study the teachings under Master Sui of Tiantai, copied all the treatises and commentaries of the tradition to return home, which was the beginning of the transmission of the teachings to Japan.

41.38

Xianzong (named Chun, eldest son of Shunzong).

41.39

In the first year of Yuanhe, an edict appointed Śramaṇa Duanfu to oversee the clerical affairs of the Left Street and manage the Buddhist rituals in the inner palace, and Śramaṇa Lingsui to oversee the clerical affairs of the Right Street (the Buddhist registry began with Master Faqin of the Yao Qin). Śramaṇa Zhixuan was summoned by edict to enter the palace to discuss the Way, and was bestowed the title National Preceptor Wuda. Xuan was able to compose poetry at the age of five, left home to become a novice, and at fourteen lectured on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Li Shangyin presented him with a poem that read: 'At fourteen, the novice can lecture on the sūtra; / Others of the master's age only carry the water-bottle. / When the novice expounds the Dharma, the śramaṇas listen; / It lies not in advanced age, but in spiritual nature.' The Uyghurs sent an envoy, who came to court together with deceptive Manichaeans.

41.40

In the second year, Tutu Chengcui was appointed Commissioner of Good Works of the Left and Right Streets, and Buddhist monks and Daoist priests were subordinated to him (surname Tutu, given name Cui, a palace official; Cui is pronounced qī zuì). In the third month, an edict declared: 'Men's labor and women's weaving are the foundation of plowing and weaving. If any commoners illicitly evade corvée labor by pretending to be monks or Daoists without truly performing the works of the renunciant life, the local officials shall investigate and report them.' Chan Master Dayi of Ehu was summoned by edict to an audience in the Linde Hall to debate with the various Dharma masters. A Dharma master asked, 'What are the Four Truths?' The Master said, 'His Sagely Majesty is one sovereign; how could there be three other sovereigns?' He was asked, 'What is the Way of Chan?' The Master pointed into the empty air with his finger; the Dharma master was at a loss. The emperor said, 'The Dharma master cannot even handle a single point!' The emperor asked, 'What is meant by Buddha-nature?' The Master said, 'It is not separate from what Your Majesty asked.' The emperor silently understood. Minister of the Ministry Li Xiang asked, 'What does the Great Compassionate One use a thousand hands and eyes for?' The Master said, 'What does the present Emperor use you for?' (The Master attained the Dharma from Mazu). Śramaṇa Huilin of Hezhong Prefecture compiled 'The Sounds and Meanings of All the Sūtras' in one hundred and three rolls, went to the palace, and presented it. By edict it was admitted into the Great Canon, and he was bestowed a purple robe, silk, tea, and medicine.

41.41

In the third year, an edict summoned Chan Master Huaiyun of Zhangjing to the capital for an audience in the inner palace to inquire about the Chan teachings.

41.42

In the fourth year, an edict summoned Chan Master Weikuan for an audience to ask about the essentials of Chan, and ordered him to reside at Anguo Temple. Bai Juyi asked the Master, 'Since you are called a Chan master, why do you expound the Dharma?' The Master said, 'Unsurpassed Bodhi—when worn on the body, it is the Vinaya; when spoken by the mouth, it is the Dharma; when practiced in the mind, it is Chan. The Vinaya is just the Dharma, and the Dharma is not separate from Chan.' The Wife of Mr. Ma appeared in Shaanxi. Formerly, the customs of this place were practicing riding and archery, and the name of the Three Jewels had never been heard. Suddenly, a young woman arrived and said to the people, 'If someone can master the "Universal Gate Chapter" overnight, I will become his wife.' The next morning, twenty people had memorized it thoroughly. She then gave them the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra; by morning, ten people had mastered it. She then gave them the Lotus Sūtra, setting a limit of three days to master it thoroughly. Only the son of the Ma family was able to master it. Thereupon, he prepared the rituals to welcome her. When the woman arrived, she asked to stay in another room due to illness. Before the guests had dispersed, the woman died. In a moment she decayed and decomposed, so they buried her. A few days later, an old monk in a purple robe came to the burial place, poked her corpse with his staff, and lifted out a golden locked bone, saying to the assembly, 'This is the Holy One Samantabhadra, who manifested expedient means out of pity for the heavy hindrances of you people.' Then he flew into the sky and departed. Qi Junzuo of Wu Commandery, poor and destitute despite his diligent study, went to Tianzhu Temple seeking food; starving, he could not advance. An Indian monk looked at him and smiled, saying, 'Dharma Master, do you not remember lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra at Tongde Temple?' Zuo said, 'I do not remember.' The monk took a date from his bag and gave it to him to eat. Zuo immediately awakened to his previous life as a sūtra-lecturing monk. The monk said, 'Of the five people at that time, only I attained deliverance. Because you expounded deviant heresies from the lion seat, causing students to doubt, your precepts were deficient and your disposition degraded; this retribution is natural.' Having spoken, he disappeared. Zuo immediately went to Lingyin Temple to become a monk, changed his name to Jiankong, and established lofty practice.

41.43

In the fifth year, the Emperor asked National Preceptor Chengguan, "What is meant by the Avataṃsaka Dharma-realm?" The Preceptor said, "The Dharma-realm is the nature and essence of sentient beings. The Bhagavat, according with the nature of the Dharma-realm, preached the Avataṃsaka Sūtra; phenomena and principle mutually interpenetrate, with nothing not universally pervasive." The Emperor had a sudden awakening and ordered the competent officials to cast a gold seal, conferring on him the title "National Preceptor of Great Unity, Qingliang." / The Hanlin Academician Bai Juyi inquired about the essentials of mind from Chan Master Ning and obtained eight words, which he expanded into eight verses, namely: awakening, contemplation, concentration, wisdom, clarity, penetration, rescue, and renunciation. The verse on contemplation says: / "With the eye within the mind, / Contemplate the marks outside the mind. / From where do they arise? / From where do they perish? / Contemplating it again and again, / One distinguishes the true from the false." / (The eight verses are found in the Changqing Collection.) Bai Juyi went to Bota Temple and relied on Master Ruru to receive the eightfold purification precepts nine times. / Chan Master Zhichang of Guizong obtained the Dharma from Mazu. Li Bo, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, asked the Master, "I shall not ask about Sumeru containing a mustard seed, but what is a mustard seed containing Sumeru?" The Master said, "People say that your Excellency has read ten thousand volumes of books; is that so?" Bo said, "It is." The Master said, "From the top of your head to your heels, you are only as big as a coconut; where do you put those ten thousand volumes of books?" Because the Master had double pupils in his eyes, he rubbed them with medicinal hands, so his eye corners were completely red; the world called him "Red-Eyed Guizong." / The lay practitioner Pang Yun visited Mazu and asked, "Who is the person that does not keep company with the ten thousand dharmas?" The Patriarch said, "Wait until you swallow all the water of the West River in a single gulp, then I will tell you." At these words, the lay practitioner immediately grasped the profound essential. During the Yuanhe era, he traveled north to Xianghan and dwelt in a small cottage west of the city wall. His daughter, Lingzhao, regularly made bamboo filters and sold them to provide for their morning and evening meals. When he was about to pass away, he ordered Lingzhao to go outside to look at the time of day and report when it was noon. The daughter hastily said, "The sun has already reached the zenith, but there is an eclipse!" The lay practitioner stepped out the door to look at it; his daughter immediately mounted her father's seat, joined her palms, and passed away sitting. The lay practitioner laughed and said, "My daughter is sharp and swift!" Thereupon he stayed for another seven days. The Prefect Yu Di inquired about his illness. The lay practitioner said to him, "I only wish to empty all that exists, and take care never to substantiate all that does not exist." Having spoken, he rested his head on the Duke's knee and passed away. / An imperial decree ordered Imperial Advisor Meng Jian and Exhorter Xiao Mian to supervise the translation of scriptures and polish the style at Liquan Temple. / Chan Master Wuzhe entered Mount Wutai seeking to see Mañjuśrī. Coming to the Diamond Cave, he saw an old mountain man leading an ox beside a stream. Wuzhe said, "I wish to see the Mahāsattva." The old man led the ox home, and Wuzhe followed him into a monastery. The old man called for Juntī, and a boy came out to welcome them. The old man led Wuzhe up to the hall to sit; the boy offered a tortoiseshell cup and they drank fermented milk together, whereupon Wuzhe felt his mind suddenly clear and luminous. The old man asked, "Where have you come from recently?" He replied, "From the south." The old man said, "How is the Buddha-Dharma maintained in the south?" He replied, "The monks of this degenerate age seldom uphold the precepts." The old man said, "How large are the assemblies?" He replied, "Some three hundred, some five hundred." Wuzhe asked, "How is the Buddha-Dharma maintained here?" The old man said, "Dragons and snakes mingle; ordinary mortals and sages dwell together." He asked, "How many are in the assembly?" The old man said, "The former three-three and the latter three-three." When evening came, he called the boy to lead Wuzhe out. Wuzhe asked the boy, "What monastery is this?" He replied, "It is the Prajñā Monastery." Wuzhe sorrowfully realized that this old man was indeed Mañjuśrī. He immediately bowed down at the boy's feet and asked for a word. The boy concealed his body and sang: / "When the face has no anger, it is a true offering; / When the mouth has no anger, it exhales wondrous fragrance; / When the mind has no anger, it is a precious jewel; / Freedom from defilement and stain is the truly eternal." / Wuzhe thereupon stayed at Mount Wutai, and later had frequent meetings with Mañjuśrī. (Another text records the old man preaching a gāthā: / "A single thought of pure mind is bodhi, / Surpassing the building of seven-jeweled stūpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; / The jeweled stūpas ultimately turn to dust, / But a single thought of pure mind attains sambodhi.")

41.44

In the sixth year, Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā translated the Jātaka-cittabhūmi Sūtra. Grand Master of Remonstrance Meng Jian polished the text, and the Emperor composed an imperial preface.

41.45

In the ninth year, Chan Master Baizhang Huaihai passed away. The Master obtained the Dharma from Mazu. Since Shaolin, [Chan masters] mostly dwelt in Vinaya monasteries to preach the Dharma; the Master first established Chan dwellings, named them, had the senior monk ascend the hall and take the high seat, and host and guest engaged in questions and answers to stimulate and elucidate the essentials of the school. Students entered the Saṃgha hall according to their ordination seniority; he set up continuous platforms, provided clothes racks for hanging requisites, and established offices for the ten administrative duties to manage community affairs. Later generations followed and expanded them, calling them the Pure Regulations of the Chan Monastery. / Dharma Master Zhibian wrote many works, but his audience was extremely sparse. Consequently, he gave up lecturing and dwelt at Hengyue Temple. One day, a senior elder arrived, examined the Master's writings, and said, "What you have written accords well with the Buddha's intent, but you lack affinities with people. You should prepare food to give to birds and beasts; (the character bian is seen in the Rites of Zhou, ban in popular usage) twenty years from now, an assembly will naturally gather." Zhibian thereupon sold his robes to buy rice, and daily cooked rice and scattered it in the outskirts, drawing flocks of crows to gather. Zhibian prayed over them, saying, "May those who eat my food become my companions in the Dharma!" Twenty years later, he went to Yecheng to give lectures, and the thousand people beneath his seat were all youths.

41.46

In the tenth year, Ma Zong, Military Commissioner of Nanhai, submitted a memorial requesting a posthumous title for the Sixth Patriarch of Caoxi. An imperial decree conferred the posthumous title "Chan Master Dajian" and named his stūpa "Lingzhao." Liu Zongyuan composed the inscription.

41.47

In the eleventh year, Chan Master Yinfeng arrived in Huaiyou, where Wu Yuanji had gathered troops in rebellion. The imperial army and the rebels engaged in battle, neither yet victorious. The Master brandished his staff and flew through the air; both armies looked up in awe and marvel. Shortly afterward, the imperial army achieved victory.

41.48

In the fourteenth year, in the first month, an imperial decree ordered that the Buddha's bone from Famen Temple in Fengxiang be welcomed into the forbidden palace and revered for three days, before being conveyed through ten monasteries in the capital. Popular tradition held that it was opened once every thirty years, and that when opened, the year would be abundant and the people peaceful. Princes, dukes, scholar-officials, and commoners paid reverence and made donations, and the populace burned their crowns and scorched their skin as an offering. Han Yu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, submitted a memorial, stating: "In high antiquity there was no Buddha, yet it was well governed; the Buddha-Dharma arrived under Emperor Ming of the Han, after which there was disorder and ruin. From the Jin and Wei downward, dynasties were especially short-lived. Emperor Wu of the Liang served it, yet was pressed by Hou Jing and starved to death in Taicheng. Serving the Buddha to seek blessings, he instead brought upon himself disaster. (In high antiquity, customs were substantial, hence there was good government; in later ages, customs grew shallow, hence there was disorder. The Duke of Zhou and Confucius used benevolence and righteousness as the vanguard, while the Buddha used the true Way to save the world; both served to reform shallow customs. The length of a dynasty's destiny is bound to fixed fate, and is not something for which the Buddha-Dharma can be blamed. Emperor Wu of the Liang was a sage of the four fruits living in the world; at the verge of death he was still cultivating purification precepts. The historians of that time lacked the understanding to know this, and so claimed that he asked for honey and died groaning. Tuizhi originated the claim of starving to death in Taicheng, which is extremely profane. Gentlemen of later ages should not adopt this argument.) The Buddha was originally a man of the barbarians; his mouth did not speak the lawful words of the ancient kings, and his body did not wear the lawful garments of the ancient kings; he did not know the righteousness between ruler and minister, nor the affection between father and son. (The Buddha was a great sage who descended in the Central Country of Tianzhu; his birthplace was on the eastern borderlands of Tianzhu. How could one regard the Central Country as barbarian? The entire canon contains the Way of the ancient Buddhas—how could it not be lawful words? The ruined-color kāṣāya is the hallmark of world-transcendence—how could it not be lawful clothing? He practiced the Dharma of the Dharma King, hence a ruler could not treat him as a minister; he became a renunciant, hence a father could not treat him as a son. Yet in the way of loyalty and filiality, that by which he repaid ruler and parents cannot be compared to the petty conventions of the secular world.) Moreover, his death was long ago; how could the dried and rotten bones, the ill-omened remnants of pollution, be suitable to enter the palace precincts? I beg that this bone be consigned to fire and water, cutting off the root forever. If the Buddha possesses numinous power to bring misfortune or blessings, let any calamity or blame fall upon my own person." When the memorial was submitted, the Emperor was furious and intended to put him to death, but relying on the intercession of Pei Du and others, he was demoted to Prefect of Chaozhou. (The Buddha manifested birth and death, but never truly perished. Leaving behind relics to create blessings for the world, wherever they reside is a bodhimaṇḍa—how could there be any reluctance concerning the palace precincts? Firm as a diamond, nothing can destroy them—how could fire and water destroy them? The Buddha's Way is merciful and forgiving; though disparaged, he does not retaliate, yet the protective heavenly spirits can naturally inflict punishment. Now that the Emperor's rage intended his execution, he certainly would have received his retribution, but relying on great ministers to save and intercede for him, this too was the Buddha's merciful power saving him from punishment so that he did not meet death.) / Earlier, when the relic entered the inner palace, it emitted light at night. At the morning court, the ministers all congratulated the Emperor, saying, "This was moved by Your Majesty's sagely virtue!" Han Yu alone spoke not a word. The Emperor asked Yu, and Yu replied, "Your humble servant has seen Buddhist sūtras; the Buddha's light has no appearances of blue, yellow, red, or white. This is the light of dragons and deities guarding and protecting it." The Emperor said, "What is the Buddha's light?" Yu had no reply. (Xuedou spoke in his place: "Your Majesty suspends high the heavenly mirror." An ancient master of virtue said, "We grant that Yu recognized the Buddha's light.") / In the second month, an imperial decree ordered Hanlin Academician Zhang Zhongsu to compose an inscription for the Buddha's bone. Its summary states that at Mount Mingluan of Famen Temple in Qiyang, there is a stūpa built by King Aśoka that encloses a finger knuckle of the Buddha's body. Emperor Taizong specially built the monastery buildings and added a multi-tiered stūpa; Emperor Gaozong moved it to Luoyi; the Heavenly Empress presented a precious reliquary box; Emperor Zhongzong recorded it in the national history; Emperor Suzong revered it in the inner palace; Emperor Dezong venerated it in the ritual palace. According to the original biography, it must be opened once every thirty years, and then the jade candle will be harmonious, the golden mirror luminous, ominous vapors eliminated, and the crops abundant, and so forth. On the twenty-fourth day, the Buddha's bone was reverently returned to the old stūpa in Qiyang. / When Han Yu arrived in Chaozhou, he heard of the fame of Master Dadian, invited him into the prefecture to inquire about the Way, and detained him for ten days. Later, having sacrificed to the spirits by the sea, he climbed Mount Ling and visited his dwelling. (Dadian obtained the Dharma from Master Shitou Xiqian.) He asked the Master, "What is the Way?" The Master remained silent for a long time. Yu was at a loss. At that time, Sanping Yizhong was serving as attendant; he struck the Chan seat three times. The Master said, "What are you doing?" Sanping said, "First move him with concentration, then extract him with wisdom." Yu was overjoyed and said, "The Venerable's style is high and lofty; I have found an entryway through the attendant." One day he asked the Master, "How many springs and autumns have you lived?" The Master held up his rosary beads and said, "Do you understand?" He answered, "I do not understand." The Master said, "One hundred and eight, day and night." Yu was at a loss. The next day, he arrived at the gate again and met the head monk, recounting the previous conversation. The head monk said, "How did the Vice Minister understand it?" Yu said, "What was the meaning of 'One hundred and eight, day and night'?" The head monk clicked his teeth three times. When Yu reached the Abbot's quarters, he presented the previous words: "What was the meaning of 'One hundred and eight, day and night'?" The Master clicked his teeth three times. Yu said, "Truly I know the Buddha-Dharma is uniform!" The Master said, "What principle did you see?" Yu said, "Just now the head monk also acted like this." The Master summoned the head monk and asked, "Was your reply to the Vice Minister just now the Buddha-Dharma?" The head monk said, "It was." The Master then beat him and drove him out of the monastery. (Baoqing said, "The head monk knew the before but not the after; Master Dadian's orders are not carried out in isolation.") In the eighth month, [Han Yu] was transferred to Prefect of Yuanzhou. He visited Dadian's dwelling again, giving two suits of robes as a parting gift. Minister Meng Jian learned that Yu associated with Dadian and sent a letter commending him. Yu replied in a letter, stating: "Dadian is quite intelligent and understands principle; in this remote region there was no one with whom to converse, so I summoned him from the mountain to the prefectural city and detained him for several tens of days. He is truly capable of disregarding physical form and remaining undisturbed by external things. For this reason I interacted with him. When sacrificing to the spirits by the sea, I visited his dwelling; and upon departing for Yuanzhou, I left clothes as a farewell gift—this was merely human sentiment, not out of veneration of his teachings or seeking the benefit of a field of merit. Accumulating good or accumulating evil brings calamity or blessing according to its own kind; why should one abandon the Way of the sages and discard the laws of the ancient kings to follow the barbarian teachings in pursuit of blessings and profit?" and so forth. Meng Jian further convinced him, saying: "Those writings of Yang Zhu, Mozi, and Laozi are one-sided and empty in principle, lacking the critical essence of the Middle Way. The teachings of the Śākya clan are not so; they illuminate with great clarity the divergent paths of good and evil, and scrutinize the subtleties of spiritual retribution across all under heaven. In propagating their Way, it is not to seek gruel, rice, and offerings as a livelihood to benefit wives and children. Why should Lord Han view them with the sentiments of foolish men and base village folk? Moreover, when their teachings are practiced in the world, causing everyone to dread evil and cultivate good of their own accord, does this not greatly aid the bulwarks of moral transformation?" and so forth.

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佛祖統紀 — 志磐, Classical Chinese