佛祖歷代通載 20.63

20.63

(Sixteenth [year, 1170]): In this year, Chan Master Heng of Qingshou in the Jin state was entombed in a stūpa on Mt. Song. The inscription read in brief: His taboo name was Jiaoheng, and his style was Xuming; he was a son of the Wang family of Rencheng in Jizhou. Earlier, there was monk Fu'an of the Ciji Monastery in Bianjing, who lived in the mountains of Rencheng for years. While partaking of a meal in Mangshan Village, he passed away leaning against a tree. He appeared in a dream to his younger sister, Feng, descending from the Peng Village stūpa riding a white horse, and saying, "I will be born in the house of Wang Guangdao in West Chen Village." When Feng spoke to her mother and her son, their dreams were identical. The next morning they went to Guangdao's house; the master's mother, Lady Liu, had dreamed that night that Venerable An came asking to lodge. On that day, the master was indeed born. His right thumb was clenched as if unable to extend; he blinked without smiling. His fellow ordinands Fuguang and Fujian heard of this and came to visit, asking directly, "Brother An, are you well?" The master gazed intently at them for a long time, extended his thumb, and smiled. He often slept alone in an empty room. His mother heard someone chanting "Mahāprajñāpāramitā," and looked in alarm at his swaddling clothes, where the master was still murmuring. When he was one year old, they tested him with a sūtra scroll and a wine cup; he hurriedly picked up the sūtra scroll. As he grew, he did not eat meat or blood. Whenever he saw a monk or novice come to the door, he would joyfully follow him. Thus people at that time all called him "Abbot Feng of Mangshan Village," and carved it onto stone. At seven he left home, paying homage to Venerable Yuan of the Chongjue Cloister in his home prefecture as his master. At thirteen he received the full precepts. He met Master Kigua, who read his physiognomy and said, "This child will surely lead ten thousand fingers of monks." At fifteen he went on wandering pilgrimage. Hearing of the excellence of the Dharma assembly of Venerable Bao of Puzhao in Zhengzhou, he set out from Bianliang. That night, Venerable Bao dreamed of auspicious clouds descending abundantly in confusion like golden lotuses; he told others, "I have not dreamed for ten years; what omen is this?" The next day the master arrived, and Venerable Bao privately marvelled at him. The master inquired and engaged in study morning and evening, but had not yet gained entry. Another day, traveling on business to Suiyang, he lodged at Zhao Crossing. Suddenly, on horseback, he recalled the circumstances of striking the sounding board and had an awakening. His concentrated awareness did not disperse, and as he was about to reach the river ferry, his traveling companion Deman said in surprise, "Senior brother, this is the river ferry!" The master dismounted, grief and joy mingled together, even shedding tears. When he returned and told Venerable Bao, Bao said, "This man lying stiff seems about to stir," but still did not grant approval, asking, "Have you examined the kōan of the Sun-faced Buddha?" The master smiled and said, "I could already recite it as a child." Venerable Bao smiled and said, "I only teach people to investigate the Chan cast away by everyone elsewhere. Just investigate further; you will definitely attain a place of self-reliance." One day, while the master was sitting quietly in the Cloud Hall, he suddenly heard the sound of the board and was instantly and personally awakened. He presented a verse: / 'Sun-face, moon-face; / Shooting stars, turning lightning. / If you hesitate any longer, / An arrow hits you right between the eyes! Phat!' / Venerable Bao then bestowed a prediction of enlightenment, saying, "I can no longer deceive you." The various quarters learned that the master had attained the Dharma and earnestly begged him to appear in the world [as an abbot]. The master also knew that his affinity had arrived, and promptly went to answer the call. He occupied the teaching seat five times: at the Precept Platform of Mt. Song, Yunmen of Mt. Shao, Puzhao of Zhengzhou, Dajue of Linxi, and Fawang of Mt. Song. Left Grand Councilor Jiagu Qingchen invited the master to preside over Tanzhe in the Central Capital. Later he retired into seclusion at Quemen, and again stayed at Puzhao in Jichuan. Behind the abbot's quarters, amidst a luxuriant grove of trees, there was a single tree standing tall over ten feet high. Flocks of crows came in succession to build nests in it, stacked in twelve tiers like a stūpa. The assembly congratulated him, saying, "Is the Venerable's Buddhadharma about to flourish greatly?" In less than ten days, he received an imperial decree from Emperor Zhangzong to preside over Qingshou Monastery. After three years, he retired to Quemen. Shimo Zhongwen, the Duke of the State and Prefect of Henan-fu, seeing that the seat of Shaolin was vacant, invited the master to succeed to it. Not long after residing there, the master again took his leave. He strolled between Mt. Song and Mt. Shaoshi for several years. Suddenly feeling the strings of his four great elements slacking, he closed his doors, sat firmly, and turned away all guests. His heir Jiang of Xiangshan invited the master to the Western Hall, and Ciyun Hai again begged to serve him. When it came to the tenth day of the seventh month, in the autumn of the jimao year of the Xingding era [1219], he said to the assembly, "Each of you should apply your efforts." He asked for a brush and wrote a verse, whose final line said: "Yi! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!" He sat firmly, unmoved, and passed away. He enjoyed a lifespan of seventy years, and his monastic summers were fifty-eight. When he was cremated, the flames opened and closed like lotus flowers; his teeth and eyeballs were not reduced to ashes, and the relics were beyond count. From his childhood, the master had had a round pearl on his forehead, which at this point flew away with a sharp crack. His sacred bones were gathered and a stūpa was built for them.