佛祖歷代通載 12.65

12.65

（二十九）　是歲詔嵩嶽惠安禪師。入禁中問道。與神秀禪師同被欽重。則天甞問安甲子幾何。對曰不記。曰何以不記。安曰。生死之身有若循環。環無起盡焉用記為。況識心流注無有間斷。見漚起者乃妄想耳。從初識至動相滅時。亦只如此。何年月而可記乎。則天嘆美久之。時安春秋百餘。而天下之人稱為老安國師。

(29) In this year, an imperial edict summoned Chan Master Huian of Mount Song to enter the inner palace to be questioned about the Way; he was revered equally with Chan Master Shenxiu. Zetian once asked An how many years he had lived. He replied, "I do not remember." She asked, "Why do you not remember?" An said, "The body of birth and death is like a rotating circle; a circle has no beginning or end, so what use is there in keeping record? Furthermore, the streaming of the conscious mind continues without interruption; seeing bubbles arise is merely delusional thought. From the initial consciousness until the phase of motion ceases, it is just like this. What years or months could there be to remember?" Zetian praised him for a long time. At that time, An was over a hundred years of age, and the people of the realm called him the National Preceptor Old An.