佛祖歷代通載 12.76

12.76

(Thirty-two) In this year, an imperial edict summoned Dharma Master Xianshou Fazang to lecture on the new Avataṃsaka Sūtra at the Foshouji Monastery in the Eastern Capital. When he reached the Treasury of Flowers World, it moved the great earth to tremble, ceasing only after a considerable time. That very day, he was summoned to an audience at Changsheng Hall to be questioned on the meaning of the Indra's net ten profound gates, the ocean-seal samādhi, and the six aspects of totality, distinction, sameness, difference, integration, and disintegration. Fazang expounded with clear order, fully connecting the profound principles. Hearing this for the first time, Wu Zetian was bewildered and amazed, and repeatedly made inquiries. Fazang pointed to a golden lion in the corner of the hall to explain it by analogy, using the expression 'a lion on a single hair-tip, and lions on hundreds of millions of hair-tips.' Wu Zetian had an open awakening and understood. Thereupon, his words were compiled and titled the *Treatise on the Golden Lion*. Earlier, Venerable Yan of Yunhua Monastery had transmitted the Avataṃsaka essentials of Dushun; Fazang attended upon Yan and fully received his teaching. After Yan passed away, Fazang expounded the Dharma wearing a layman's cap. At that, the venerable elders of the capital jointly signed a memorial petitioning that he be ordained as a monk. Fazang's tonsure and full ordination were both by special imperial edict of Wu Zetian. He also once set up ten round mirrors for Wu Zetian in the eight corners, above and below, all facing one another, with a Buddha image placed in the center and a candle lit to illuminate it. Thereupon, image upon image appeared in every mirror, interpenetrating one another, and to the observer, they appeared interwoven all at once, to illustrate the principle of the inexhaustible, universal containment of the ten realms of oceans of lands. After Fazang died, National Preceptor Qingliang Chengguan took his teaching as his tradition, and scholars throughout the realm took it as their tradition, designating it the One-Thought Perfect Fusion and Complete Virtue School, calling it the Xianshou Teaching.