佛祖歷代通載 6.124

6.124

(27) Śramaṇa Dao'an was surnamed Wei, a native of Fuliu in Changshan, and a disciple of Fotudeng. His family had been eminent scholars for generations. Having lost his parents at an early age, he was raised by a maternal cousin. In his early years he read books and never forgot what he saw once. At eleven he left home (pravrajyā) and was able to memorize ten thousand words a day. Ultimately he became an extraordinary paragon in the sangha. At the beginning of Ningkang, Dao'an built a stūpa and cast a bronze image at Tanxi Temple in Xiangyang. The image was able to stand and walk on its own, stopping only when it reached Fangshan. Its light illuminated the sky, and the entire capital turned out to pay homage, their cheers shaking the mountains and valleys. Fu Jian, the ruler of Qin, sent foreign gold-decorated seated images, pearl-woven gold-thread Maitreya images, and other items. Whenever Dao'an lectured, he set them up as verification. One evening the light of an image shone upon the room, and looking closely, there was a relic on its crown. Xi Zuochi, a gentleman of noble character in Xiangyang, first established friendly ties by letter and then went to visit Dao'an, introducing himself: "Xi Zuochi [whose wisdom reaches] the four seas." Dao'an said: "Śramaṇa Dao'an [whose renown covers] the heavens." They were exceedingly pleased with one another. Thereupon Xi sent a letter to Xie Dongshan, praising Dao'an as an extraordinary and superior master, regretting only that Xie could not meet him in person. When Emperor Xiaowu heard of Dao'an's reputation, he issued an imperial decree stating: "The Dharma Master illuminates gods and humans with virtue, spreading the Great Dharma and serving as a refuge for the common people. He should receive the daily stipend of a prince or duke, provided in season by the relevant authorities." Dao'an firmly declined and would not accept it. Before long, Fu Jian attacked and captured Xiangyang; delighted at obtaining Dao'an, he said to his attendants: "With an army of a hundred thousand I took Xiangyang, yet I gained only one person and a half." The attendants asked who they were, and he said: "Master Dao'an is one person, and Xi Zuochi is half a person." When Dao'an entered the Pass, tens of thousands of śramaṇas all took the surnames of their respective teachers for their names. Dao'an said: "No master compares to the Buddha of our world; śramaṇas should appropriately take 'Śākya' (Shi) as their clan name." Later, when the Ekottarika-āgama arrived, it indeed said: "When the four rivers enter the ocean, they no longer retain their different names; when the four castes leave home, they are collectively called sons of Śākya." It thus coincided with his proposal, and the world respected him all the more. Moreover, an ancient tripod was unearthed in Lantian, with a capacity of twenty-seven hu and seal-script inscriptions on its belly, which no one in the court could decipher. Someone asked Dao'an, and Dao'an said: "It was cast by Duke Xiang of Lu." Because of this, Fu Jian ordered that all scholars of the Three Institutes consult Dao'an as their teacher whenever they had doubts. The people of the realm had a saying: "If your learning does not take Dao'an as master, your arguments cannot withstand challenges." At that time, the Fu clan's territory reached the vast sea in the east, annexed Kucha in the west, encompassed Xiangyang in the south, and extended to the desert in the north; only Jiankang had not submitted. Jian held a longstanding ambition to conquer and annex it. His ministers remonstrated, but he would not listen. Fu Rong, the Grand Defender, kowtowed and begged Dao'an to say a word for the sake of the people. Dao'an agreed. When Jian went to the Eastern Park, he ordered Dao'an to mount the imperial carriage and ride with him. Quan Yi, the Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, came forward and said: "I have heard that on the Son of Heaven's ceremonial carriage only the Palace Attendant rides as an escort; how could Dao'an, with his shaved head and monastic robe, participate in this?" Jian said angrily: "Master Dao'an's virtue is worthy of honor. Even if I were to exchange the whole realm for the honor of sharing my carriage, it would not equal his virtue!" He immediately ordered Yi to assist Dao'an into the carriage. Thereupon Yi knelt and helped him up by the arms. Jian looked back and said to Dao'an: "I shall travel south to Wu and Yue with you, marshaling the six armies on an imperial tour of inspection, ascending Kuaiji to view the vast ocean—would that not be delightful?" Dao'an replied: "Your Majesty accords with Heaven and rules the world, amply possessing the eight provinces, dwelling in the center to govern the four seas. You should rest your spirit in non-action (asaṃskṛta) and equal the splendor of Yao and Shun. Now you wish to use an army of a million to seek lands of the lowest quality. The terrain of the southeast is low-lying and its climate pestilential. In ancient times, Shun and Yu journeyed there and did not return; the First Emperor traveled there and did not come back. In this poor monk's view, I do not see that it is permissible. The Duke of Pingyang is your close kin, and Shi Yue is an important minister; both care deeply for the state, and their words are worth heeding." Jian said: "It is not that our territory is not broad; I merely wish to discern the Mandate of Heaven and clarify where the Great Cycle lies. Touring in accordance with the seasons has canonical precedent; if it were as your lofty argument states, would monarchs have no provisions for inspecting the regions?" Dao'an said: "If you must go, you should station your carriage in Luoyang, rest your weapons, accumulate strength, and send a dispatch south of the Yangtze. If they do not submit, it will not be too late to attack them." Jian did not heed him. In the seventh year of Taiyuan, Jian personally led an infantry and cavalry force of a million to halt at Shouchun, but was defeated by Xie Xuan, the Inspector of Xuzhou for the Jin dynasty, and fled back on a single horse. Whenever Dao'an commented on the meaning of a sūtra, he would always seek holy verification. One day, moved by his sincerity, an elder with white, bushy eyebrows descended. Dao'an showed him his compositions, and the elder admired and praised them, considering them to be in complete accord with the Buddha's intent; he further promised to assist him secretly in propagating the teaching. Dao'an recognized him as Piṇḍola. Thereupon he set up daily offerings to sacrifice to him. Today's offerings to Piṇḍola began with Dao'an. Several tens of his disciples mastered his teachings. Among those renowned in the world was Fahuo, who propagated the teachings in Changsha with several hundred followers. When someone drank alcohol secretly, Huo overlooked it and did not bring it to light. Dao'an heard of this and sealed a birch rod to send to him. Huo held the rod, wept, and said: "I failed to govern the assembly properly and caused anxiety to my master from afar." Thereupon he prostrated himself and personally received the reprimand. On the last day of the first month in the fourteenth year of Taiyuan, Dao'an ordered his disciples to prepare a bath. Suddenly an extraordinary monk was seen entering and exiting through a crevice. Dao'an asked him about his future place of rebirth. The monk pointed to the northwest, whereupon the clouds parted to reveal pavilions appearing as if in an instant, and said: "That is Tuṣita Heaven." That evening, several hundred young boys all went to take a bath and then departed; discerning people considered them companions of an arhat. On the eighth day of the second month, he sat in full lotus posture and passed away. Dao'an was plain in appearance and dark-skinned, but deeply learned and skilled in literary composition. The proverb said: "The lacquered monk astounds the four quarters." On his left arm, there was a raised piece of flesh about a square inch in size like a seal; people of the time called him the "Seal-Hand Bodhisattva." He authored the Regulations for Monks and Nuns and the Pure Models of the Dharma Gate in twenty-four articles, which were followed by the world.