佛祖歷代通載 19.8

19.8

(5) Dharma Master Huibian, courtesy name Ne'ong, of the Fu clan of Huating, was styled Haiyue. He studied under Puzhao. When he first traveled to study at Tianzhu, Mingzhi was amazed by him at first sight, and he immediately devoted his mind to studying the doctrinal teachings and contemplation. When Zhi grew old, he ordered him to take the first seat to lecture on his behalf. Eight years later, Mingzhi and Master Shao had him succeed to the abbot's seat. Shen Gou, Hanlin Academician, governed Hangzhou relying on sheer awe and sternness; those who saw him mostly panicked and lost their composure, but Bian was relaxed and self-possessed as always. Gou marveled at him and appointed him Metropolitan Buddhist Controller (Du sengzheng). At that time, Dongpo was the vice-prefect and composed a preface to present to him, saying: 'The flourishing of Buddhist monks in Qiantang is indeed the foremost under heaven. Men of virtue, talent, and wisdom dwell mingled with the foolish, mediocre, cunning, and deceitful, and it is known to be difficult to bring order among them. Therefore, beyond the rector and vice-rector, an additional Metropolitan Controller has been appointed. The labor of running about, receiving and seeing off visitors, and handling registers and dossiers is placed solely upon the vice-controllers and below, while the Metropolitan Master exercises overall supervision of the essential matters, using understanding and practice to set an example for the assembly. Once the master took office, whenever a seat was vacant in the monasteries under his jurisdiction, he selected a date, gathered the prominent talents from all the monasteries and his own seat, and opened an examination ground for inquiring into doctrinal meanings. He set up thorn fences, sealed names, and tested them. Those who answered five out of ten questions correctly passed the selection; those with fewer than three correct were demoted. Then, according to the ranks of the monasteries, their names were filled in order. From this, all the mountains looked up to him and took him as their model.' He lectured for twenty-five years, and his students must have reached a thousand. In his late years, weary of strenuous labor, he retired to the Caotang [Hermitage]. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the sixth year of Xining, he rose at dawn, washed, announced his farewell to the assembly, joined his palms, and passed away while sitting cross-legged. At first, Bian had left word that the niche should only be closed once Dongpo arrived. On the fourth day, Dongpo arrived and saw him sitting cross-legged as if alive, the crown of his head still warm. Dongpo paid his deepest respects and departed.