佛祖歷代通載 17.10

17.10

（七）　是歲五月。帝幸安國寺。賜國師知玄寶座。高二丈。材用沈香塗髤。縷龍鳳葩蒍金鈿之。上施復座陳經几其前。四隅立瑞鳥神人。高數赤。磴道以陞。前被繡囊錦襜。珍麗絕甚。時宮中日齋萬僧。帝自為贊唄。宰相蕭倣諫以為天竺法割愛取滅非帝王躬踐。今筆梵言口梵音。不若徵謬賞濫罰振殃祈福。況佛者可以悟取。不可以相求。懿宗雖不納然嘉美其言。玄姓陳氏。世號陳菩薩。三學洞貫名蓋一時。異跡尤多。及僖宗避巢賊幸城都。遣御史郭遵齎璽書徵赴行在。帝素重其名。引對大悅。賜號悟達國師。留行宮久之。辭歸九隴。忽定中見菩薩降其室。摩玄頂演深妙音而慰安之。言訖即隱。俄一珠入玄左股。隆起楚甚。上有晃錯二字。玄知夙債也。即右脇安臥而逝。著述凡二十餘萬言。行於世。弟子僧徹。徹弟子覺暉。俱有重名。三世為僧統。或謂玄前身蓋漢川三學山知鉉法師。鉉在世嘗講十地品。感地變金色。及終感病。與玄絕類。

(7) In May of this year, the Emperor visited Anguo Monastery and bestowed upon National Preceptor Zhixuan a precious seat twenty feet high. The material used was aloeswood coated with lacquer, carved with dragons, phoenixes, and flowers, and inlaid with gold ornamentation. Upon it was set a double seat, with a sutra table arranged in front. At the four corners stood auspicious birds and spirit-men, several feet in height, with a stepped walkway to ascend. The front was covered with an embroidered valance and brocade apron, exceedingly rare and magnificent. At that time, the palace daily offered vegetarian feasts to ten thousand monks, and the Emperor composed eulogies and hymns himself. Prime Minister Xiao Fang admonished him, considering that the Indian Dharma severs love and seeks extinction, which is not something a sovereign should personally practice; and that now writing Sanskrit words and chanting Sanskrit sounds is not as good as rectifying erroneous rewards and indiscriminate punishments to avert disaster and pray for blessings; moreover, the Buddha can be attained through awakening, not sought through external characteristics. Although Yizong did not accept [the advice], he praised his words. Zhixuan was of the Chen family, and was known in the world as 'Bodhisattva Chen'. Thoroughly mastering the three trainings, his fame overshadowed his era, and extraordinary traces of him were particularly numerous. When Xizong fled from the rebel Chao and visited Chengdu, he dispatched Censor Guo Zun bearing an imperial decree sealed with the jade seal to summon Zhixuan to the imperial traveling lodge. The Emperor had long esteemed his reputation, and granted him an audience with great pleasure, conferring upon him the title National Preceptor Wuda and retaining him at the traveling palace for a long time. Zhixuan took leave to return to Jiulong. Suddenly, while in samādhi, he saw a bodhisattva descend to his room, rub Zhixuan's crown, and expound profound and wondrous sounds to comfort and console him; having finished speaking, [the bodhisattva] vanished. Soon, a pearl entered Zhixuan's left thigh, swelling up with excruciating pain, upon which appeared the two characters 'Huang Cuo'. Zhixuan knew it was a past debt, and thereupon lay peacefully on his right side and passed away. His writings numbered over two hundred thousand words in all, and circulated in the world. His disciple Sengche, and Che's disciple Juehui, both had great reputations; for three generations they served as Buddhist Recorders. Some said that Zhixuan's previous life was Dharma Master Zhixuan of Mount Sanxue in Hanchuan; while alive, this Xuan had once lectured on the Chapter on the Ten Grounds, moving the earth to turn golden, and at his end he contracted an illness exceedingly similar to Zhixuan's.