佛祖歷代通載 22.193

22.193

京城大普慶寺實相圓明光教律師入寂。師諱法聞。嚴氏。陝西人。按姓氏略。嚴與莊皆芈姓。楚莊王之裔。以諡為氏。避漢明諱改氏為嚴。公年七歲從禪德輝公學。十有五薙染為僧。年二十受具戒。於是游汴汝河洛。歷諸講肆研究教乘。從大德溫公學法華般若唯識因明及四分律。溫以公任重道遠克振吾宗。託以弘傳之寄。嘗對佛像灼肌然指。庸表克誠。刺血書經。以彰重法。遂隱於臺山不踰閫者六載。讀藏教五千卷者三番。是以業進行修。身藏名著。帝師亦憐。命公講說般若。指授因明之要。因顧謂其徒曰。孰謂漢地乃有此僧耶。三輔之人勸輝致書。勗以兼善毋忘鄉梓。請歸長安。公以弟子於師義猶君父。父師之命敢不敬承。況父母之邦。鄉里之義。可遂忘乎。迺抗策而西。既至耆老皆驩呼而言曰。吾鄉之人。得所師而承教矣。尋以安西王命。居城南之義善寺。唐初神僧杜順示迹之地也。邠岐涇渭四序講筵不絕。從而學者蓋千數焉。天子聞之。徵至闕庭。詔居大原教寺。授榮祿大夫大司徒。未幾詔居大普慶寺。加開府儀同三司大司徒銀章一品。賜遼世金書戒本。求戒者皆從公而師受焉。王公大臣皆仰止高風。猶景星鳳凰之瑞於明時也。延祐四年三月廿四日跏趺而逝。以聞。上惻然久之。賜幣數萬緡以葬。詔大臣護喪有司備儀衛旌蓋送之。世壽五十八。戒臘四十三。弟子奉遺骨舍利建塔焉。

Vinaya Master Shixiang Yuanming Guangjiao of the Great Puqing Temple in the capital entered quiescent extinction. His taboo name was Fawen, of the Yan clan, a native of Shaanxi. According to the *Summary of Surnames*, Yan and Zhuang both derive from the Mi clan, descendants of King Zhuang of Chu, who took his posthumous name as their surname; to avoid the taboo name of Emperor Ming of Han, they changed the surname to Yan. At the age of seven, the Master studied under the Chan master of virtue Master Hui. At fifteen, he shaved his head and became a monk. At the age of twenty, he received the full precepts. Thereupon he traveled through Bian, Ru, the Yellow River, and Luoyang, visiting various lecture halls to investigate the doctrinal teachings. He studied the *Lotus Sūtra*, *Prajñā*, *Vijñapti-mātra*, *Hetuvidyā*, and the *Four-Part Vinaya* under the Venerable Master Wen. Wen believed that the Master, bearing heavy responsibilities and facing a long road, would be able to revitalize our tradition, and entrusted him with the mission of propagation. He once burned his skin and scorched his fingers before a Buddha image to express his sincerity, and pricked his flesh to write sūtras in blood to show reverence for the Dharma. He then retired to Mount Wutai, not crossing the threshold for six years, and read the five thousand fascicles of the Tripiṭaka three times. Thus his practice advanced, his conduct was cultivated, and though his person remained hidden, his fame became illustrious. The Imperial Preceptor also favored him, ordering him to lecture on the Prajñā and instruct on the essentials of Hetuvidyā. Turning to his disciples, the Preceptor said: 'Who would have said that such a monk could be found in the land of Han?' People of the Three Auxiliary Regions urged Master Hui to write a letter, encouraging him to benefit others broadly and not forget his native soil, requesting him to return to Chang'an. The Master held that for a disciple toward his teacher, the righteousness was like that toward a sovereign and father; how could he dare not respectfully comply with the command of his father-teacher? Furthermore, regarding the land of one's father and mother and the duty to one's hometown, could they simply be forgotten? So, raising his staff, he traveled west. When he arrived, the elders all cheered and shouted: 'The people of our hometown have found someone to take as master and receive teachings from!' Soon after, by order of the Prince of Anxi, he resided at Yishan Temple south of the city, the site where the divine monk Dushun had manifested his presence in the early Tang. In Bin, Qi, Jing, and Wei, lecture sessions continued unbroken through all four seasons, and those who followed him to study numbered in the thousands. The Son of Heaven, hearing of this, summoned him to the imperial court. By decree, he resided at the Great Yuanjiao Temple and was granted the rank of Grand Master of Glorious Happiness and Grand Minister of Works. Shortly after, by decree, he resided at the Great Puqing Temple, was promoted to Opening the Office Equal in Rank to the Three Excellencies, Grand Minister of Works with the silver seal and first-rank status, and was bestowed the golden-lettered prātimokṣa text from the Liao dynasty. Those seeking ordination all took the Master as their teacher and received them from him. Princes, dukes, and high officials all looked up to his lofty manner, like the auspicious omen of the Jing star or the phoenix in an enlightened age. On the twenty-fourth day of the third month of the fourth year of the Yanyou era, he sat cross-legged and passed away. When this was reported to the throne, the Emperor grieved for a long time. He bestowed several tens of thousands of strings of cash for the funeral, and decreed that high ministers supervise the mourning and the authorities provide an honor guard, banners, and canopies to send him off. His worldly age was fifty-eight, with forty-three precept years. His disciples enshrined his remaining bones and relics to erect a stūpa.