佛祖歷代通載 3.56

3.56

(Year 21, jichou) The Fifth Patriarch was Dhītika, a native of the kingdom of Magadha. At the time of his birth, his father dreamed that a golden sun came out of the house and illuminated heaven and earth. In front of it was a great mountain adorned with various gems, and from the mountain summit a spring gushed forth, overflowing and streaming in all four directions. Later, encountering the venerable Gupta, [the master] interpreted it for him, saying: "The jeweled mountain is my body. The gushing spring is the inexhaustible Dharma. The sun emerging from the house is the sign of your now entering the Way. Illuminating heaven and earth is your transcendent wisdom." The venerable one's original name was Gandhahastin; the master changed it to his present name on this account. In Sanskrit it is Dhītika; here it means "penetrating the authentic measure." Having heard the master's explanation, Dhītika leaped with joy and chanted a verse: "The lofty mountain of seven treasures / constantly produces the spring of wisdom; / turning it into the flavor of the true Dharma, / it can liberate all who have affinity." The venerable Gupta also spoke a verse: "My Dharma is transmitted to you; / you will manifest great wisdom. / The golden sun comes out of the house, / illuminating heaven and earth." Hearing his master's marvelous verse, Dhītika made prostrations and upheld it. Later he went to Central India. In that kingdom there were eight thousand great ṛṣis, with Miccaka as their leader. Hearing that the venerable one had arrived, he led the assembly to pay homage and said to the venerable one: "In the past I was born together with you, Master, in the Brahmā heaven. I encountered the ṛṣi Asita, who taught me the methods of the ṛṣis; you met a disciple of the Daśabala and practiced dhyāna. From that point on, our karmic retributions took different paths, and six kalpas have already passed." The venerable one said, "Wandering dispersed through accumulated kalpas—this is indeed true and not false. Now you may abandon the heterodox, return to the correct, and enter the Buddha vehicle." Miccaka said, "Formerly the ṛṣi Asita gave me a prophecy, saying: 'After six kalpas, you will meet a fellow student and obtain the taintless fruit.' Meeting now—is this not past karmic connection? May you, Master, have compassion and liberate me now." The venerable one then ordained him and commanded the holy ones to confer the precepts. The other ṛṣis at first gave rise to pride, but the venerable one displayed great supernatural powers; thereupon they all generated the bodhicitta and went forth together at once. He then told Miccaka: "Formerly the Tathāgata secretly transmitted the Great Dharma Eye Treasury to Kāśyapa, and it was sequentially handed down until it reached me. I now transmit it to you; you must protect and keep it in mind." He then spoke a verse: "Penetrating the original Dharma-mind, / there is neither Dharma nor non-Dharma. / Having awakened, it is identical to not having awakened; / there is neither mind nor Dharma." Having spoken the verse, he leaped into the air, performed eighteen transformations, and consumed his body in the fire-radiance samādhi. Miccaka, together with the eight thousand bhikṣus, collected the relics and erected a stūpa in Mount Pañca to make offerings. This was the fifth year of King Zhuang, the jichou year.