釋氏稽古略 1.504

1.504

The Twenty-first Patriarch, the Great Being Vasubandhu: A native of Rājagṛha, surnamed Vaiśākha. His father was Guanggaigai; his mother was Yanyi. At age eleven, he made offerings to the Arhat Guangdu, left home, and received the precepts. Soon he met the Great Being Jayata, who stimulated his great wisdom, and he thus received the transmission of the Dharma. He traveled converting beings and reached the country of Nadī. The king of that country was named Dang Zizai. The king had a second son named Manora; the king renounced him to let him leave home. The Patriarch said: "Excellent, Great King, that you can renounce your son!" He immediately conferred the full ordination upon him and transmitted the Dharma with the verse: / Foam and illusions are equally unobstructed; / How could one fail to comprehend this? / Penetrating the Dharma within them, / It is neither present nor past. / After the Patriarch transmitted the Dharma, he leapt into the air half a yojana high and stood firm. The fourfold assembly gazed up in reverence, devoutly imploring him to return to his seat, where he sat cross-legged and passed away. Relics were obtained through cremation and a stupa was built. This corresponded to the era of Emperor An of the Later Han (Zhengzong ji).