釋氏稽古略 3.102

3.102

嵩嶽安國師　諱慧安。荊州枝江衛氏子。幼年出家披剃。隋文帝開皇十七年遁居山谷。煬帝大業中開濟渠丁夫之餓殍也。師為乞食以活之。煬帝聞而徵師。不赴潛入太和山。登衡嶽行頭陀行。太宗貞觀間至蘄州黃梅謁五祖。遂得心要。高宗麟德元年。遊終南山石壁因止焉。高宗詔之不起復至嵩少。乃云是吾終焉之地也。禪者輻輳。太后遣使召師入見。偕北秀禪師同膺欽禮。太后尊師為國師。至中宗神龍二年賜紫袈裟。為度弟子二七人。延入禁中供養。是時中宗遣內侍薛簡詔六祖。祖不赴詔逾三年。中宗又賜師磨衲僧衣。辭歸嵩嶽。景龍三年三月三日。囑門人曰。吾死矣將屍向林中。待野火焚之。至八日偃身而寂。春秋一百二十八。門人遵旨。果野火自然闍維。得舍利八十粒。內五粒大而紫色。進留宮禁。睿宗先天元年門人建塔焉。世稱老安國師。嗣法弟子仁儉破竈墮嵩嶽圭（傳燈錄）。

National Preceptor An of Mount Song: His taboo name was Hui'an. He was a son of the Wei family of Zhijiang in Jingzhou. In his youth he left home and was tonsured. In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang reign era of Emperor Wen of the Sui, he hid away and resided in mountain valleys. During the Daye reign era of Emperor Yang, when laborers digging the Jiqu canal were starving to death, the master begged food to keep them alive. Emperor Yang heard of it and summoned the master, but he did not go; he secretly entered Mount Taihe and ascended Mount Heng to practice dhūta austerities. During the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong, he went to Huangmei in Qizhou to visit the Fifth Patriarch, whereupon he attained the essentials of mind. In the first year of the Linde reign era of Emperor Gaozong, he traveled to the Stone Wall of Mount Zhongnan and settled there. Gaozong summoned him, but he did not arise; he went again to the Song and Shaoshi mountains, saying, 'This is where I shall end my days.' Chan practitioners converged like spokes on a hub. The Empress Dowager sent an envoy to summon the master for an audience; together with Chan Master Xiu of the North, he received her deep reverence. The Empress Dowager honored the master as a National Preceptor. In the second year of the Shenlong reign era of Emperor Zhongzong, he was bestowed a purple kaṣāya. For his sake, twenty-eight disciples were ordained, and he was invited into the palace to receive offerings. At this time, Emperor Zhongzong sent the palace attendant Xue Jian to summon the Sixth Patriarch, but the Patriarch did not respond to the summons; after more than three years, Emperor Zhongzong again presented the master with a patch-robed monastic garment. Taking his leave, he returned to Mount Song. On the third day of the third month of the third year of the Jinglong reign era, he instructed his disciples, saying, 'When I am dead, take my corpse into the forest and wait for wild fire to cremate it.' On the eighth day, he reclined his body and passed into silence. His years were one hundred and twenty-eight. His disciples obeyed his instructions, and indeed wild fire naturally cremated him. They obtained eighty relics, five of which were large and purple, which were presented and kept in the imperial palace. In the first year of the Xiantian reign era of Emperor Ruizong, his disciples built a pagoda. The world called him Old National Preceptor An. His dharma-inheriting disciples were Renjian, Pozhaoduo, and Gui of Mount Song (Chuandeng lu).