佛祖歷代通載 8

English (machine translation) 8

Language: English

8.1

Compiled by Nianchang, Abbot of the Dazhong Xiangfu Chan Monastery in Jiaxing Circuit, native of Huating

(Year 1: Gengshen) [Liu] Song (surnamed Liu, capital at Jiankang). Master Lei said: "Gao, Shao, Wen, Wu, the Former Ming, and the Later Shun—the Song dynasty had eight sovereigns, spanning a total of sixty years." Emperor Gaozu Wu (Yu) changed the era to Yongchu. (His courtesy name was Deyu, childhood name Jinu. He was a native of Suiyu Lane, Pengcheng County. He was a twentieth-generation descendant of Jiao, King Yuan of Chu and younger brother of Han Gaozu. Pengcheng was the capital of Chu, hence his descendants settled there. The Emperor served the Jin as Grand Commandant; he had heroic talent and grand strategy, while remaining plain, frugal, and of few desires. When the Jin moved east, the Liu clan relocated to Jinling. He accepted the abdication of the Jin house and graced the palace in Jiankang. At the age of sixty-seven he passed away in the Western Palace, and was buried in the Chuning Mausoleum on Mount Jiang in Jiankang County. He reigned for three years.)

8.3

Western Qin changed the era to Jianhong.

8.4

Champion [General] Xun of Western Liang changed the era to Yongjian.

8.5

(Renxu) In the fourth month, the Sovereign passed away.

8.6

(Guihai) Yifu, King of Yingyang, changed the era to Jingping. (Childhood name Chebing. He was the eldest son of Emperor Wu. Much of what he did was reckless and flawed. The Empress Dowager ordered him demoted to King of Yingyang. He died at the age of nineteen. He reigned for one year.)

8.7

(Jiazi, 51) Emperor Wen (Yilong) changed the era to Yuanjia. (Childhood name Che'er. He was the third son of Emperor Wu. He was seven feet five inches tall, intelligent, benevolent, and generous, attending to government affairs in person; such governance had never been seen south of the Yangtze. He lived to the age of forty-seven, was assassinated by Zhang Chaozhi in the Unified Hall, and was buried in the Changning Mausoleum. He reigned for thirty years.)

8.8

Emperor Shizu Taiwu of Wei (Tao) changed the era to Shiguang. (Eldest son of Emperor Mingyuan. He died at the age of forty-five in the Yong'an Palace. He reigned for twenty-nine years.)

8.9

(Yichou) Helian Chang of Xia changed the era to Chengguang.

8.10

In Northern Yan, a woman turned into a man. ○ In Wei, Cui Hao compared himself to Zhang Liang.

8.11

(Year 2: Bingyin) In the third year of Yuanjia, the wondrous monk Beidu (Cup Crosser) first appeared in Ji Province. He seemed like an eccentric madman. Carrying ten wooden cups, whenever he crossed water he had to ride them, hence his moniker. Once, he rode a cup from Mengjin across the river to Jinling. At that time he was around forty years old, looked impoverished, and was unpredictable in joy and anger. In the bitter cold he would cut a hole in the ice to bathe; sometimes he wore wooden clogs to climb mountains, or walked barefoot in the marketplace, shouldering a reed hoop. At times he visited the Yanxian Monastery, where the monk Fayi treated him with particular diligence. Suddenly he left and walked to Guabu, wanting to board a boat. The boatman did not respond immediately, so he rode a cup across to the northern bank.
In a village in Guangling there was a Li clan that was feeding monks. Beidu went straight in, placed his reed hoop on a mat in the courtyard, and sat down. The crowd stared at him, but Beidu remained composed. Someone in the seats grew angry, saw the reed hoop blocking the path, and tried to move it, but even with great strength could not budge it. After Beidu finished eating, he picked it up and walked away, laughing and saying, "The Four Heavenly Kings!" At that time a boy peeked inside the hoop and saw four little children, all a few inches tall, with features painted like a picture. When they pursued him, they lost track of where he was. From this his traces were revealed; and after he died, people still saw him from time to time.

8.12

(Wuchen) Mumo of Western Qin changed the era to Yonghong. In the second year, Xia destroyed it.

8.13

Helian Ding of Xia ascended the throne; in his second year he changed the era to Shengguang. The following year Wei destroyed it. (He was Chang's younger brother.) Northern Liang changed the era to Chengxuan. ○ Wei changed the era to Shenjia.

8.14

(Year 3: Jisi) Guṇabhadra of Tianzhu arrived in Jinling. Emperor Wen dispatched an envoy to welcome him in the suburbs. Bhadra's demeanor was crisp and extraordinary; when the Emperor saw him he was greatly pleased, and ordered him to reside in the Jetavana Monastery, repeatedly inviting him into the palace to make offerings. The Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs He Shangzhi, King Yikang of Pengcheng, and King Yixuan of Nanjiao all served him as their teacher. They requested him to lecture on the Avataṃsaka, but because Bhadra was not yet fluent in Chinese, he prayed to Avalokiteśvara to increase his wisdom. That night he dreamed that a divine warrior exchanged his head; when he awoke at dawn, he still felt severe pain. Thereupon he became fully proficient in Chinese and immediately lectured on it for the assembly. At that time, because Bhadra had an exquisite grasp of the fundamental tenets of the Great Vehicle, he was dubbed Mahāyāna.

8.15

(Xinwei) Northern Liang changed the era to Yihe.

8.16

Feng Hong of Northern Yan changed the era to Daxing. (He was Ba's younger brother. He killed Ba's son Yi, established himself, and reigned for seven years.)

8.17

(Renshen) Wei changed the era to Yanhe.

8.18

(Year 4) In the ninth year, Emperor Wen visited Dazhuangyan Monastery and held a great assembly, sitting on the ground together with the fourfold assembly. When it came to the midday meal, the assembly suspected the sun had passed noon and did not dare put down their chopsticks. The Emperor said, "The sun is just at noon." Dharma Master Daosheng was seated among them and immediately said, "The bright sun adorns the sky; now Heaven's Son says it is just at its zenith, how could it have passed?" He raised his bowl and ate, and the entire assembly followed him. The Emperor was greatly pleased, and issued an edict retaining Daosheng to stay in the capital. The preeminent figures of the era—Wang Hong, Fan Tai, Yan Yanzhi, and others—all came to his gate to forge friendships.
Because the texts of the sūtras had not yet fully conveyed the intent of the Buddhas and scholars were mostly mired in what they heard and saw, Daosheng composed the *Treatise on Good Having No Karmic Retribution*, the *Treatise on Sudden Awakening to Buddhahood*, the *Treatise on the Two Truths*, the *Treatise on the Permanence of Buddha-Nature*, the *Treatise on the Dharma-Body Having No Form*, the *Treatise on the Buddha Having No Pure Land*, and the *Treatise on Response to Conditions*. All embraced old doctrines while drawing forth their profound mysteries, as clear as the sun and stars. In the first month of the following year, on the gengzi day, he ascended the Dharma seat; his voice was melodious and clear, and his listeners were awakened and delighted. Presently, his deer-tail flywhisk dropped to the ground, and leaning against the armrest, he passed away.

8.19

(Guiyou) Muqian of Northern Liang (son of Mengxun; reigned for six years and changed the era to Yonghe).

8.20

(Year 5) In this year, Xie Lingyun was executed in the marketplace for plotting rebellion. Earlier, Lingyun was equally famous with Yan Yanzhi; his writing was sweeping, swift, and superior to Yanzhi's, but was inferior in profundity. He inherited the enfeoffment of Marquis of Kangle, lived in Kuaiji, and indulged in pleasures with the recluses Wang Hongzhi and Kong Chunzhi. The commandery governor Meng Yi served the Buddha with meticulous devotion, but was slighted by Lingyun. Lingyun once told Yi: "Attaining the Way requires wise karma. A scholar-literatus will be born in heaven before Lingyun, but will achieve Buddhahood only after Lingyun." Yi deeply resented these words. When Yi entered the court, he repeatedly curtailed and suppressed Lingyun so that he was not summoned for employment.
Later, Lingyun became the Administrator of Linchuan; in the commandery he was wanton and lawless, and was impeached by the authorities. The Minister of Works sent Zheng Wangsheng, Attendant of Suizhou, to arrest him. Lingyun immediately raised troops, rebelled, and fled, thus having treasonous intentions. Wangsheng pursued and captured him, sending him to the Court of Judicial Review. The Emperor pitied his talent, commuted the death penalty, and exiled him to Guangzhou. Soon after, he rebelled again; an edict ordered his execution in the marketplace. He was forty-nine years old.

8.21

(Year 6: Jiaxu) In the eleventh year, Tripiṭaka Master Guṇavarman of Tianzhu initially relinquished his kingdom to enter the monastic order. He understood the four Āgamas, thoroughly mastered the Tripiṭaka, and could recite millions of words. The kings of the subordinate states all received the refuges and precepts from him. He often told the kings, "The Way lies in thorough penetration; when meeting conditions, one simply responds. Merely rely on loving-kindness and compassion, and do not deliberately give rise to murderous intentions—that is enough."
He traveled to the kingdom of Shepo (Java), whose king wished to leave home to serve Varman. The court ministers firmly pleaded against it, so the king proclaimed in the state: "If the entire land upholds the Great Upādhyāya's refuges and precepts, refrains from killing, and gives relief to the poor and destitute, I shall grant your request." Thereupon the ministers, gentry, and commoners bowed their heads and complied with the order.
The imperial court had long heard of his renown. Monk Huiguan and others informed Emperor Wen, requesting that an envoy be dispatched to invite him. An edict instructed the Regional Inspector of Jiaozhou to send him, and monk Daochong and others sailed the sea to invite him. When Chong arrived, Varman gladly boarded the ship and reached Guangzhou. An edict permitted him to use the postal relay to come to the capital. His route passed through Shixing; loving that its mountains resembled Vulture Peak, he stayed there for a full year. The monastery had a Precious Moon Hall; on the eastern wall Varman playfully painted an image of the young Brahmin Sumati spreading his hair before Dīpaṅkara, which was extraordinarily exquisite and emitted light at night. He once remained in samādhi for several days without emerging. A monastery monk sent a novice to look in on him, who saw a white lion stepping upward against a pillar at play, while blue lotus flowers filled the sky. The novice was terrified, ran, and shouted loudly. The monks of the monastery rushed there, but suddenly nothing was there.
When he arrived in Jiankang, he was granted an audience. The Emperor welcomed and comforted him with great diligence, and leisurely asked him: "I constantly wish to keep the vegetarian fast, but fulfilling my secular duties I cannot attain my wish. The Dharma Master has come from afar to the good fortune of my humble state; how will you instruct me?" He replied: "The Way lies in the mind, not in outer acts; the Dharma comes from oneself, not from others. Moreover, what emperors and kings cultivate differs from that of commoners. A commoner's person is humble and their name is slight; their speech carries no authority. If they do not conquer themselves with austere discipline, what can they achieve? An emperor takes the four seas as his home and the myriad people as his children. Uttering a single fine word, the gentry and common people all rejoice; implementing a single good policy, the officials live in harmony. If punishments do not cut short lives and corvée labor does not exhaust physical strength, then the wind and rain will be timely and cold and heat will correspond to the seasons, the hundred grains will flourish, and the mulberry trees will grow lush. Regarding this as keeping the fast, the non-killing is also great indeed! How could it depend on merely skipping half a day's meal or sparing the life of a single fowl before it is considered broad salvation?"
The Emperor patted his armrest and sighed, saying: "Worldly people are blind to distant principles, while monks are mired in immediate teachings. Words such as the Dharma Master's can truly discuss the boundary between Heaven and man!" He ordered him to reside in the Jetavana Monastery, and lecture on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka and the "Ten Grounds" chapter. The Emperor led the dukes and ministers to assemble daily below his seat; such splendor of a Dharma assembly had never been heard of before. In that monastery, Varman translated eighteen fascicles of scriptures including the *Bodhisattva-kuśala-śīla-sūtra*.

8.22

(Yihai) Wei changed the era to Taiyan.

8.23

(7) In the twelfth year, the Capital Prefect Xiao Mozhi petitioned that regulations be established concerning the construction of monasteries and the casting of statues. The Emperor asked the Attendant Gentleman He Shangzhi and [Minister of] the Ministry of Personnel Yang Xuanbao about this, saying: “In my youth I did not read many scriptures, and lately I have had even less free time, so I remain benighted and have not fully investigated the matter of cause and effect. The reason I have not dared to adopt an eccentric stance is simply that the outstanding figures of your generation without exception believe and revere it. Fan Tai and Xie Lingyun have both said: ‘The laws and models of the Six Classics are originally meant to save the world; but if one must seek the wondrous Way, one should take the Buddhist scriptures as one’s compass.’ Lately I have seen Yan Yanzhi’s Analysis of the Discourse on Penetrating the Nature and Zong Bing’s Refutation of the Discourse on the White and the Black; their expositions are vast and clearly illuminate the ultimate truth. If all the people throughout the land were made to cultivate this transformation, I would simply sit back and achieve great peace! What further business would there be? Yesterday Xiao Mozhi petitioned for regulations; I am now showing it to you, entrusting you to make additions or deletions. There must certainly be means to check and curb frivolous extravagance without harming expansive encouragement; formulate it in a fitting manner.” Shangzhi replied: “The common folk of horizontal gaze are known not to show reverent faith; yet through my mediocre vulgarity alone I have a foolish devotion. I truly fear my shortcomings and superficiality might defile the great Dharma above, and being further honored with your praise makes me feel doubly ashamed. However, the host of outstanding figures of former ages certainly did not disappoint the enlightened edict. Since the crossing of the Yangtze River, Wang Dao, Zhou Yi, Yu Liang, Wang Meng, Xie An, Xi Chao, Wang Tanzhi, Wang Gong, Wang Mi, Guo Wen, Xie Shang, Dai Kui, Xu Xun, as well as my late grandfather and his brother, Wang Yuanlin and his brethren, Fan Wang, Sun Chuo, Zhang Xuan, and Yin Kai—some were prime ministers and chief ministers, others were paragons and models of human relations, some set their minds on the boundary between Heaven and man, while others raised their traces beyond the clouds and mists—none of them failed to bow their hearts and take refuge. Among them, [monks] compared with them, such as Lan, Hu, Kai, Qian, Yuan, Dun, Chong, and Sui, all equaled those whose virtue was centered within, or were men whose depths could not be fathomed. Such was the critical assessment of monastics and laity in recent times. If one were to enumerate them all, the remarkable heroes who emerged in succession across barbarian and Chinese lands during the Han and Wei dynasties could not be counted. Huiyuan said: ‘The transformation wrought by Śākya is applicable to all situations; fitting with the Way certainly stems from the source of the teachings, while equalizing all things is likewise an essential task.’ Tasting these words in private, they accord with the ultimate truth. For why is this? In a village of a hundred families, if ten people uphold the five precepts, then ten will be pure and prudent; in a township of a thousand households, if a hundred people cultivate the ten wholesome deeds, then a hundred will be harmonious. If this moral influence is spread to encompass the whole realm, then among billions of registered households there will be millions of benevolent people. For if one can perform one good deed, one eliminates one evil deed; eliminating one evil deed brings an end to one penal punishment. One punishment ceasing in a home leads to myriad punishments ceasing in the state. This is precisely what the enlightened edict referred to as ‘sitting back and achieving great peace.’ Therefore, Fotudeng went to Zhao and the two Shi rulers moderated their cruelty; the numinous stūpa emitted light and Fu Jian reduced his brutality. The divine way aids moral transformation, as is clearly evident. Mozhi’s request for regulations is not completely wrong; yet the injury and harm to both monastics and laity originally lie in monks and nuns of unworthy conduct. However, genuine and counterfeit are difficult to distinguish, and choosing what to keep or discard is not easy. As for the labor of earth and wood, although it may seem wasteful, planting merit and requiting kindness should not be abruptly severed. Lately I have weighed the pros and cons and felt uneasy; today, personally receiving your virtuous words, I am truly filled with joy.” Yang Xuanbao stepped forward and said: “This discussion concerns the learning of Heaven and man; it is not fitting for an ignorant minister like me to take part. I privately fear that if Qin and Chu were discussing the methods of strengthening armies, or Sun Wu was exhausting strategies of annexation, there would be nothing to adopt from this.” The Emperor said: “This is not a tool for the Warring States period; it is truly as you say.” Shangzhi said: “When ritual honors recluses, warriors rest; when benevolence and virtue are valued, the martial aura dissipates. If one still takes Sun Wu as one’s ambition and acts solely expecting annexation, then one would have no use even for the Way of Yao and Shun, let alone only the teachings of Śākya!” The Emperor was pleased and said to Shangzhi: “That the Buddhist gate has you is just as Confucius had Jilu.” From this point on, the Emperor paid close attention to the Buddhist scriptures and increasingly valued mysterious transformation. Later, when Yan Yanzhi composed the Discourse on Detachment from Consciousness and its Examination, [the Emperor] decreed that Dharma Master Huiyan discern their agreements and differences, engaging in dialogue all day long. The Emperor smiled and said: “You gentlemen are indeed not ashamed before Zhi Dun and Xu Xun!”

8.24

(8. Bingzi) Emperor Wen visited the Winding Waters, where the ministers and high officials gathered together. The Emperor ordered them to compose poems. The śramaṇa Huiguan’s poem was completed first and presented; its lines possessed an extraordinary and sublime resonance. The Emperor was delighted and showed it to the civil and military officials, who all marveled at and admired his talent. Huiguan, together with Huiyan, Xie Lingyun, and others, carefully revised and established the text of the Great Parinirvāṇa Sūtra, considerably adding to and pruning its wording. Because of this, he dreamed that a divine being rebuked him, saying: “How dare you presumptuously use worldly sentiments to lightly profane the sacred scripture?” Huiguan and the others were terrified and stopped.

8.25

(9) At that time, there was a monk named Huilin who, by virtue of his talent and learning, found favor with the Emperor and took part in deciding governmental affairs; he was then referred to as the “Black-Robed Chancellor.” As a result, carriages and canopies before his gate frequently left no room to set foot. Huilin was presumptuously arrogant; upon meeting dukes and ministers, he merely exchanged perfunctory pleasantries. He authored the Discourse on the White and the Black, slandering the Buddha and betraying the teaching, and consequently suffered visible retribution: his skin and flesh festered and rotted, and he died after lingering for years.

8.26

The commentary states: Worldly wisdom and eloquent cleverness are what human feelings admire and take to be spiritual brilliance; yet the Buddha, the Bhagavān, regarded them as one of the eight difficulties. Why is this? Lingyun relied on his talent and looked down on the world, and was executed for treason. Huilin altered his appearance, wore the saṃghāṭī, and surreptitiously meddled in court affairs; having already betrayed the teaching, he further proceeded to slander the Buddha, and consequently suffered an evil retribution unto death. Alas, that worldly wisdom is indeed a difficulty is evident! The two men, Huiguan and Huiyan, presumptuously applied worldly sentiments to lightly criticize the sacred scriptures; had they not encountered the divine being's rebuke, they too would scarcely have escaped the calamity of worldly wisdom. How great were the replies to the throne given by Guṇavarman and He Shangzhi! It can be said that their purport fully plumbed the general principles and their understanding exhausted the refined subtleties; they are truly universally valid discourses under Heaven.

8.27

In this year, Emperor Wen issued an edict seeking a śramaṇa capable of expounding Dharma Master Daosheng's doctrine of sudden enlightenment. The Regional Inspector Yu Dengzhi recommended the monk Fayuan to the Emperor. He was summoned for an audience and questioned, and Fayuan presented his arguments with detail and clarity. He Shangzhi sighed and said: “I thought that with the passing of Master Daosheng, the subtle words had ceased forever; now I hear once again discourse beyond worldly forms. This is truly what is called ‘Heaven has not yet destroyed this culture.’” Shortly thereafter, Tianbao Monastery was completed, and an edict appointed Fayuan to preside over it. When Wang Jingwen arrived and happened to attend his lecture, he sighed and said: “All that you cite has never been heard before; all that you point to exceeds expectations. You are truly a dragon among the Dharma!” When Xianggong Monastery was completed, Fayuan was again moved to reside there. The Emperor visited in person to listen to the Dharma, which was regarded as an honor at the time.

8.28

(Gengchen) Emperor Taiwu Tuoba Tao of the Northern Wei took the throne and changed the reign title to Taipingzhenjun.

8.29

(Renwu) In the third year of Zhenjun, the Emperor visited the Daoist altar and received the registers.

8.30

(10. Jiashen) In this year, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei pacified the Central Plains in the wuyin year, and all lands north of the Yangtze submitted as vassals. Furthermore, because of Kou Qianzhi, he relied on Cui Hao as Heavenly Master; hence he adopted the reign title Zhenjun. Up to now five years have passed. Cui believed in Kou’s arts and hated the Buddhists all the more. Crown Prince Huang served Dharma Master Xuan’gao as his master. Cui Hao, jealous of Huang, slandered him to Taiwu; harboring suspicion, Taiwu ordered that he be imprisoned to death. Huang pleaded for mercy from Gao, who performed the Golden Light Repentance on his behalf. Taiwu dreamed that his ancestral predecessor rebuked him, saying: “You must not doubt the Crown Prince because of slander.” After awakening, he related his dream to his ministers. The ministers all declared that the Crown Prince was blameless, and he treated him as before. His minister Cui Hao feared that the Crown Prince would bring harm to him, and said to Taiwu: “The Crown Prince truly plotted previously; he aligned with Xuan’gao to summon the late Emperor with arts, in order to terrify Your Majesty. If he is not executed early, he will surely become a great danger.” Taiwu was furious; he arrested Xuan’gao and Huichong and executed them. Gao’s disciple Xuanchang was living in Yunzhong. Hearing that Gao had been killed, he galloped six hundred li a day. Arriving at the Wei palace, he wept and said: “May the Upādhyāya’s spiritual power arise for my sake!” Thereupon Gao opened his eyes and said: “The adaptive transformation of the great Dharma waxes and wanes according to conditions. Waxing and waning reside in outward traces; the Principle remains ever constant. I only regret that you all practice like me, or perhaps fear you will exceed me. Only Xuanchang will cross to the south. After you all die, the Dharma will flourish again. Cultivate your minds well, and do not let regret arise midway.” Having spoken these words, he passed away. The śramaṇa Fajin wailed and said: “Now that the holy man has departed the world, why should I live?” As his voice resonated, he saw Gao in the midst of the clouds. Jin prostrated and begged for salvation. Gao said: “I do not forget anyone; would I abandon only you?” Jin asked: “Where have the Upādhyāya and Master Chong been reborn?” Gao said: “I have gone to evil realms to rescue and protect sentient beings; Chong has already returned to Anyang.” Having spoken, he became invisible.

8.31

(11) In the time of Shizu, there was the Daoist Kou Qianzhi, courtesy name Fuzhen, a man of Yongzhou. From an early age he was fond of the Dao of the immortals and cultivated the arts of Zhang Lu. He ingested medicinal drugs for years without result. There was an immortal, Cheng Gongxing, who asked Qianzhi to take him as a disciple; together they entered Mount Hua and dwelt in a stone chamber. Xing gathered herbs and gave them to Qianzhi to ingest, enabling him to feel no hunger. They also entered a stone chamber on Mount Song together. Soon an extraordinary man appeared and gave medicine to Qianzhi, but it consisted entirely of poisonous insects and foul-smelling items; Qianzhi ran away in fear. Xing sighed and said: “Sir, you have not attained immortality; you are only fit to be a teacher to emperors and kings.” Shortly thereafter, Xing ascended as an immortal. Qianzhi kept his resolution on Mount Song. Suddenly he encountered a great deity, riding clouds and driving dragons, accompanied by a retinue of a hundred spirits, who assembled at the mountain summit, calling himself Taishang Laojun. He said to Qianzhi: “Since Heavenly Master Zhang Ling departed the world, the post on earth has been vacant. You possess refined culture and an upright character; therefore I confer upon you the position of Heavenly Master, and bestow upon you the New Code of the Clouds in twenty fascicles, which since the creation of the world has not been transmitted to mortals. You shall proclaim my New Code to purify and rectify the Daoist religion, eliminating the false methods of the three Zhangs, grain rents, money taxes, and the sexual arts of harmonizing qi among men and women. The Great Way is pure and void; how could it contain such matters? Take ritual regulations as primary, supplemented by ingestion and breath-holding practices.” He caused twelve jade maidens from Jiuyi to transmit the oral formulas of gymnastics to Qianzhi. He thus achieved avoidance of grains, abundant qi, and a fresh and radiant complexion.

8.32

(13. Bingxu) This year was the twenty-third year of the Yuanjia era. In the third month, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei campaigned westward against Chang'an. Both he and Cui Hao placed great faith in and revered Kou Qianzhi, and observed his teachings. Hao especially disliked the Buddha; he repeatedly spoke to the Wei ruler, claiming that the Buddhist teaching was vacuous and absurd, causing expense and harm to the world, and ought to be entirely eradicated. When the Wei ruler was subjugating Gai Wu, he arrived in Chang'an and entered a Buddhist monastery. A śramaṇa served wine to the attending officials; when they entered his room, they saw a large quantity of weapons, and came out to report this to Emperor Taiwu. Emperor Taiwu angrily said: “These are not things used by śramaṇas; they must surely be conspiring with Gai Wu to initiate rebellion!” He ordered the authorities to examine and execute all the monks in the monastery. Upon inspecting their property, they found vast amounts of brewing equipment, as well as goods entrusted by provincial and commandery governors and wealthy people numbering in the tens of thousands. Furthermore, underground chambers had been constructed to conceal women. Hao thereupon persuaded the Emperor to execute all the śramaṇas throughout the world and destroy all scriptures and statues; the Emperor followed his advice. Kou Qianzhi earnestly remonstrated that this must not be done, but Hao would not listen. They first thoroughly executed the śramaṇas of Chang'an and burned the scriptures and statues. Returning to the palace, an edict was issued to the ministries and the four quarters ordering that everything be done according to the Chang'an method. The edict stated: “In antiquity, the reckless ruler of the Later Han believed in and was deluded by the heterodox and false, thereby disrupting the constant order of Heaven. From ancient times within the Nine Provinces, there had never been such a thing. With exaggerated, absurd, and grandiose talk, it does not accord with human sentiments; yet during the decadent later ages, none failed to be dazzled by it. Because of this, government and moral transformation have failed to operate, ritual and propriety have been utterly ruined, and within the Nine Domains all has been reduced to rubble. Inheriting the lineage of Heaven, We wish to eradicate the false and establish the true, restoring the governance of Fuxi and Shennong. All the rest shall be completely swept away and their traces obliterated. From this day forward, whoever dares to worship the foreign deity or fashion statues of mud or bronze shall have their entire clan executed. From princes and dukes on down, whoever privately harbors śramaṇas must hand them over by the fifteenth day of the third month of this year; those who exceed this deadline without confessing will be executed by the authorities. Announce to the expeditionary and garrison generals and regional inspectors: all stūpas, statues, and scriptures are to be smashed and burned. Regardless of age, śramaṇas are all to be buried alive.” The Crown Prince was naturally fond of the Buddhist teaching; having remonstrated repeatedly without being heard, he delayed promulgating the imperial edict, enabling those far and near to hear of it in advance and make their own plans. Most śramaṇas fled into hiding and were spared, concealing scriptures and statues. Only the stūpas and shrines within the Wei borders were left with not a single one remaining.

8.33

In the ninth year of the Zhenjun era of the Wei, Celestial Master Kou urged the emperor to build the Celestial Palace of Jinglun to the southeast of the capital. He memorialised: "Your Majesty governs the world as a True Sovereign, opening an era unprecedented in antiquity; you ought to receive the talismanic mandate." The emperor agreed. He then received the talismans and registers, and built the Celestial Palace of Jinglun, ordering that it be made exceedingly high and grand so that the sounds of cocks and dogs could not be heard, in order to commune with the celestial spirits. The labourers numbered in the tens of thousands, but after years it remained unfinished. Then Kou Qianzhi died of a malignant disease, and the work was discontinued.

8.34

(15. Gengyin) In the eleventh year of the Zhenjun era, Cui Hao once saw his wife, Lady Guo, reading the Diamond Sūtra; he snatched it, burned it with fire, and cast it into a privy. Earlier, when Cui Hao served as Minister over the Masses for the Wei, he relied on his own talents and strategy, and on being favoured and trusted by the Wei ruler, monopolising court power. Taiwu ordered Hao to oversee the Secretarial Archives. A partisan of his, Min Zhan, advised Hao to carve the national history he had compiled onto stone to display his upright brush. Hao agreed. Thereupon the stones were carved and erected at the suburban altar; the records of the Wei's ancestral deeds were all detailed and factual. Those who came and went saw it and all spoke of it; the northern peoples were all enraged. They joined together to slander Hao to the emperor, claiming that he had exposed the state's faults to the light. The emperor was greatly enraged and ordered the officials to investigate Hao's crimes. Hao was terrified and confused, unable to reply. Hao was seized, placed in a cage-cart, and set by the roadside south of the city; guards and passers-by were made to urinate on his face. His shrieks and wails resounded along the road, saying: "This is my retribution for throwing sūtras into privies and urinating on images!" He was put to death by slow slicing; he was seventy years of age at the time. The five clans of both the Cui and Kou families were entirely wiped out. Officials and subordinates implicated numbered one hundred and twenty persons in all. After Hao had urged the ruler of Wei to wipe out the Śākya clan and the scriptures and images were destroyed and discarded, whenever Hao walked the roads and saw an abandoned image, he would certainly stop his carriage and urinate on it. When his clan was executed, no one gathered his corpse; moreover, deep resentment had accumulated among the people, so they vied to urinate upon Hao's corpse until it decomposed and dissolved, and only then did they stop. (The above appears in the History of the Northern Dynasties.)

8.35

Appraisal: Cui Hao's lack of wisdom has been discussed in detail by Duke Sima Wen. Generally speaking, the Tuoba clan arose from the sandy wastes before moving their capital; their nature was cruel, and they killed people as if eating delicious food and drink, for such was their custom. Earlier, when Crown Prince Huang was slandered, several monks including Xuan'gao were executed, which clearly showed they were innocent. And when it came to abolishing the Śākya clan, how could one ever count the monks who were executed or buried alive! Although this was due to the fierce nature of the barbarians, it was also because Cui Hao held power and administered the laws in this manner. Soon after, Hao was slandered; tracing what he was condemned for, it was merely the fault of compiling a history. In the Tang period, it would have been nothing more than dismissal from official rank and banishment to a remote wilderness. Even if he were executed, it would not have extended beyond his own person. Why, then, were his five clans wiped out? It is because when one inflicts [harm] upon the innocent, the deeper it goes, the heavier the retribution that must fall upon oneself. This is the constant and unalterable principle of the Way of Heaven. As for the scriptures and images of our Śākya, what harm did they ever do to Hao? Yet whenever Hao saw them, he would stop his carriage and urinate on them. And before Hao could turn on his heels, his corpse was likewise urinated on by others until it decomposed and dissolved before they stopped. Alas! Hao did not fear the words of the sages, and his deceit of Heaven was like this. Therefore Heaven returned him a swift retribution to alarm and stir the human world. How can one not take warning? How can one not take warning?

8.36

(Xinmao) The Wei changed [the era name] to Zhengping.

8.37

It has been one thousand four hundred years since the Bhagavān manifested extinction.

8.38

(16) At the New Year assembly of the Wei court, the monk Tanshi shook his mendicant staff and arrived at the palace gate. An officer reported to Taiwu, who said, "Hasten to behead him!" Under the blade, he suffered no injury. The officer reported again, "He has arrived before the palace steps!" Taiwu drew his own sword to behead him, but likewise could not harm him; the sword bore only a faint mark like a thread. He ordered him captured and thrown into a tiger cage; the tigers all cowered in fear and did not dare even blink. Those around requested to test the Celestial Master in the same way; the tigers immediately roared. Taiwu was greatly alarmed; he invited Tanshi up into the hall, bowed twice, and repented with apologies. The "Treatise on Buddhism and Daoism" in the Book of Wei states: The monk Huishi was a son of the Zhang clan of Qinghe. When he first heard that Kumārajīva was translating sūtras, he went to Chang'an to see him. He practiced meditative absorption north of the Bai Canal; by day he entered the city to listen to lectures, and in the evening he returned to dwell in quietude. Discerning people of the Sanfu region esteemed him. When Emperor Wu destroyed the Yao clan, he left his son Yizhen to garrison Chang'an. When Yizhen was defeated by Helian Qugai, Shi was struck with blades on his body but suffered no injury. Qugai was enraged, summoned Shi before him, and struck him with his own sword, yet again could not harm him; he was frightened and apologised. Later he arrived in Wei and did much teaching and converting. From his first practice of meditation until his death, over fifty years, he never lay down to sleep. He walked barefoot without his feet touching mud, and they grew ever more fresh and white; the world called him the White-Footed Araṇyaka. Taiwu showed him profound reverence. Shi knew his end beforehand; after fasting and purifying himself, he sat upright. With monks filling the space beside him, he passed away peacefully and quietly. His corpse lay for ten days with its countenance unchanged; after more than ten years, when he was reburied, his appearance was still as if alive. The entire world marvelled at it. On the day of his burial, more than ten thousand mourners wailed with longing and wept bitterly. Gao Yun, Director of the Palace Secretariat, composed a biography praising his virtue.

8.39

Wei Taiwu died on the fifth day of the second month from an outbreak of virulent sores.

8.40

(Renren) Emperor Wencheng, Jun, of the Wei changed [the era name] to Xing'an. (Eldest son of Emperor Jingmu. Earlier, Crown Prince Huang had been killed; the Prince of Wu was enthroned and changed the era to Zhengping. On the first day of the tenth month the Prince of Wu also passed away, and the Imperial Grandson was enthroned. Jun was the son of Huang. Once enthroned, he possessed the bearing of a ruler; observing the previous dark errors, he restored and propagated the sage's way. He was on the throne for twelve years and passed away in the Taihua Hall at the age of twenty-six.)

8.41

(17) In the twenty-ninth year, Emperor Taiwu of the Wei passed away. The Prince of Wu was enthroned, but died shortly after.

8.42

Gaozong, Emperor Wencheng, ascended the throne; he was the grandson of Taiwu. The assembled ministers urged and petitioned him to revive the Buddhist teaching. He issued an edict stating: "He who is an emperor or king must reverently honour the luminous spirits and make manifest the humane Way. When one's beneficence is manifest to the living people and aids the myriad creatures, even in ancient times their heroic legacy was commemorated. For this reason, the Spring and Autumn Annals rejoiced in rites that exalted brilliance, and the sacrificial canons recorded clans that conferred merits. How much more so the Śākya teaching of the Tathāgata, whose merit aids the great trichiliocosm and whose beneficence flows into the dusty realm! Those who investigate life and death admire its thorough insight; those who examine its texts and meanings prize its wondrous gate. It assists the prohibitory laws of royal governance and augments the virtuous nature of benevolence and wisdom; it repels the myriad heterodoxies and opens and expounds right awakening. Thus, down from past dynasties, none have failed to revere it; it is also that which our state has constantly honoured. Emperor Shizu Taiwu opened and expanded the remote frontiers, his virtuous moisture reaching afar. Monks and Daoists of pure and sincere good conduct, of the sort of Huishi, arrived from afar without exception, their inspiring righteousness moving each other, often thick as forests. Yet in the depths of mountains and seas, how can treacherous and licentious folk be prevented from finding shelter? Within lecture monasteries, violent gangs came to exist. Thus the late court, investigating the false and deceitful, executed those who were guilty; but the officials lost the imperial intention and prohibited everything completely. Emperor Jingmu was constantly grieved by this; but encountering many affairs of military and state, he had no leisure to repair and restore it. We have inherited the grand lineage and rule over the myriad states; we contemplate recounting our predecessor's will to promote this Way. Now we decree that in the various prefectures and commanderies, in places where communities dwell, each is permitted to establish one Buddhist stūpa. Those who take delight in the Dharma and wish to become monks, whose nature and conduct are habitually sincere and known to their localities, are permitted to undergo pravrajyā." Thereupon the world received the influence, each fearing to be late; the stūpas, monasteries, sūtras, and images that had previously been destroyed were all restored. There was a monk of the royal line of Jibin named Shixian, who travelled east to Liangcheng. Arriving in Wei, he encountered the abolition of the teaching; he temporarily adopted medical arts and guarded the Way without wavering. On the day the teaching was restored, he at once became a monk. With five peers, Gaozong personally tonsured him and appointed Shixian as Controller of Monks. In the following year, an imperial decree ordered that five Śākyamuni images be cast for the five emperors from Taizu downward at the Five-Storey Great Monastery, each sixteen feet tall, using two hundred and fifty thousand catties of red gold. (Drawn from the "Treatise on Buddhism and Daoism" in the Book of Wei.)

8.43

(18. Jiawu) Emperor Wu, Jun, changed [the era name] to Xiaojian. (Courtesy name Xiulong; childhood name Daoren. First son of Emperor Wen. Intelligent and perceptive, fully endowed in cultural and military attainments. He passed away in the Yuzhu Hall at the age of thirty-five, having reigned for ten years.)

8.44

The Wei changed [the era name] to Xingguang.

8.45

(19) The twenty-seventh patriarch, Prajñātāra, was a man of Eastern India. After obtaining the Dharma, he travelled and taught in Southern India. The king there was named Sugandha; he revered the Buddha Vehicle, honouring and making offerings that surpassed all others, and also bestowed a priceless precious jewel. At that time the king had three sons, the youngest of whom was a Bodhisattva (mahāsattva). The Venerable One, wishing to test his attainment, asked the three princes with the bestowed jewel: "This jewel is round and bright; can anything equal this?" The first son, Candrapuṇyatāra, and the second son, Puṇyatāra, both said: "This jewel is supreme among the seven treasures; truly none can surpass it. Were it not for the Venerable One's power of the Way, who could receive it?" The third son, Bodhitāra, said: "This is a worldly treasure, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all treasures, the Dharma treasure is supreme. This is worldly light, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is worldly brightness, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all brightness, the brightness of the mind is supreme. This jewel's radiance cannot illuminate itself; it must depend on the light of wisdom to discern this. Once this is discerned, one knows it is a jewel; once one knows it is a jewel, one understands its treasure. If one understands its treasure, the treasure is not a treasure of itself; if one discerns its jewel, the jewel is not a jewel of itself. One must depend on the jewel of wisdom to discern the worldly jewel; that a treasure is not a treasure of itself means one must depend on the treasure of wisdom to understand the Dharma treasure. Thus, if a master has the Way, his treasure appears; if sentient beings have the Way, the mind-jewel is likewise so." The Venerable One marvelled at his discerning wisdom and further asked: "Among all things, what thing is formless?" He replied: "Among all things, unarising is formless." He asked again: "Among all things, what thing is highest?" He replied: "Among all things, the self is highest." He asked again: "Among all things, what thing is greatest?" He replied: "Among all things, the Dharma-nature is greatest." The Venerable One knew he was the Dharma heir; but because the time had not yet come, he remained silent and mingled with him. When King Sugandha passed away, the multitude all wailed in grief, but the third son, Bodhitāra, entered into samādhi before the coffin, emerging after seven days, and then sought pravrajyā. Having received the upasampadā precepts, the Venerable One told him: "The Tathāgata entrusted the Right Dharma Eye to Mahākāśyapa; thus it was passed on in turn down to me. I now entrust it to you. Listen to my verse: / The mind-ground gives birth to the various seeds; / Because of phenomena, principle is again produced. / When the fruit is complete, bodhi is perfected; / When the flower blooms, the worlds arise." After the Venerable One entrusted the Dharma, he stood up from his seat, stretched out his left and right hands, and each emitted twenty-seven rays of five-coloured light. He leaped into the air to the height of seven tāla trees and transformed into fire, incinerating himself. Śarīra fell from the sky like rain; they were collected to erect a stūpa. This was in the jiawu year, the first year of the Xiaojian era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song. (The Zhengzong ji states: "It was the era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song." A note says: "Calculating by Bodhidharma's sixty-seven years, it should be the first year of Xiaojian of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song. The Chuandeng lu gives dingyou, which is incorrect.")

8.46

(20) In the first year of the Xiaojian era, Emperor Xiaowu of the Song raised troops to execute the original culprit [Liu Shao], and Guṇabhadra fled among the common people. Later, Wang Xuanmo encamped his army at Liangshan. Emperor Xiaowu ordered throughout the army that whoever found Guṇabhadra should send him by express courier to the capital. Soon he was found and sent to Jinling for an imperial audience. The emperor said: "I have long looked up to your virtue, and only now do we meet. Having returned through such hardships, do you harbor any resentment?" Guṇabhadra said: "I have no resentment; I only consider that past conditions met here and have now borne fruit." The emperor consoled him and teased him, saying: "Do you still remember the Prince of Qiao?" He replied: "The ancients did not forget a single meal. The Prince fed me for ten years; how could I dare forget him so suddenly? I only think of begging Your Majesty to allow me to cultivate unseen blessings for the Prince forever." The emperor grew sorrowful and his countenance changed. When the Zhongxing Temple was completed, an imperial decree commanded him to serve as its abbot. The emperor held a banquet in the Eastern Headquarters, where all the ministers and lords assembled, and summoned Guṇabhadra. White-haired, clear, and lean, Emperor Xiaowu saw him from afar and said to Xie Zhuang: "Mahāyāna has swift wit; let us tease him, and it will surely bring understanding to human feelings." Guṇabhadra hastened up the steps. The emperor said: "Mahāyāna has not failed his long journey; only one thing remains!" He responded immediately: "This poor monk has eaten the food of the sagely court for thirty years, and its grace is profound. All that I lack is a single death." The emperor was greatly delighted, moved his mat closer, and the entire assembly bowed in admiration.

8.47

(The yiwei year [455 CE]) The Wei changed its era to Da'an.

8.48

(21) Emperor Xiaowu decreed the monk Daoyou to be the protector dharma master of Xin'an Temple. Formerly, Emperor Wen had asked Huiguan who was most refined in the doctrine of sudden enlightenment, and Huiguan replied with You. An imperial decree summoned him into the imperial palace, where famous figures assembled in crowds. You expounded in an orderly manner, the meanings of the Dharma brilliant, and listeners were awakened. If anyone posed difficult objections, You invariably refuted them and resolved the questions. The emperor slapped his thigh in praise. By this time, he had become the dharma master of the entire realm, fully living up to contemporary expectations.

8.49

(22. The bingshen year [456 CE]) Dharma Master Baoliang resided at Zhongxing Temple. Yuan Can of the Secretariat saw him and marveled at him, sending a letter to his master Daoming, which said in brief: "Recently I met Master Liang; he is no ordinary man. Daily I hear what I had never heard before, oblivious to the year drawing to a close. Now, pearls are born in Hepu, and the people of Wei took them to illuminate a carriage; jade was in Handan, and the people of Qin requested it to glorify their state. The treasures of the world must not be kept for oneself alone; they should be shared with all." From then on, Liang's renown grew all the greater. In his later years he resided at Lingwei Temple, his lecture assemblies foremost in the capital, with more than three thousand disciples. Liang's noble energy pressed forcefully upon others, his eloquence incisive and free. If disputants were obscured regarding the principles, Liang resolved them and all became crystal clear.

8.50

(The dingyou year [457 CE]) The era was changed to Daming.

8.51

(23) In this year, the Qiang man Gao She rebelled, and the trouble implicated the monk Tanbiao. An imperial edict was issued handing the matter to the officials to strictly purge [the saṅgha], establishing various articles ordering that all who were not of rigorous ascetic conduct and discipline be made to return to lay life. Although the edict was stern, in the end it was not carried out.

8.52

(The gengzi year [460 CE]) The Wei changed its era to Heping.

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