釋氏稽古略 1.8

1.8

My late master, the Venerable Gujin, inherited the legacy of the patriarchal seat and presided over Haichao Monastery for twenty-four years. He restored what had fallen into ruin and promoted the tradition of the school. Those from the four directions who came to take refuge arrived heel to toe. In the renzi year of Xianfeng [1852], my late master resigned from his duties and retired, transmitting [the monastery] to me, Qingdao. Yet because my roots and karmic capacity are shallow, I was unable to bear the weight of the entrusted transmission. Furthermore, encountering the calamities of the geng-xin years [the Taiping Rebellion], the monastery was destroyed by fire. In the jiazi year, the third year of Tongzhi [1864], I, Qingdao, went to the old site, built a thatched hut, and solicited funds, seeking to rebuild inch by inch. Graced by donors across the realm competing to give alms, the Buddhist halls were restored in succession and a Chan hall was added, providing a resting place for wandering monks and laity. I, Qingdao, dare not boast of any merit; it was truly the late master's compassionate protection that secretly aided me. I further considered that the monastery's assembly gathers to cultivate and burn incense morning and night; without scriptures, it is like walking at night with an extinguished lamp—how could they fathom the ancestral purport? Yet among the bodhimaṇḍas of the Five Mountains and Ten Monasteries in Zhejiang, all of which had been graced with the Dragon Canon bestowed by successive imperial sages, every single one had been reduced to ashes during the kalpa of destruction, leaving not one preserved. In the xinye year of Guangxu [1881], with determined intent I traveled north and submitted a memorial. The government conveyed it to the imperial ear, and an edict was issued bestowing a complete set of the Dragon Canon, accompanied by an imperial escort. Respectfully and cautiously I carried it back, building a pavilion to enshrine and store it as a treasure of the mountain gate. At that time, my worldly age had reached seventy. Decrepit and dull as ever, I retired to a separate cloister to carry out my late master's legacy. I reflected again that the true words and secret truths of the ancient sages are in fact the classics and commentaries of the Confucians; the Jingde Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde chuandeng lu), the Biographies of Eminent Monks, Biographies of Sagely Monks, the Comprehensive Record of the Buddhas and Patriarchs (Fozu tongzai), and other works are in fact the historical mirrors of the Confucians; the recorded sayings and commentaries of eminent sages are in fact the philosophical and literary collections of the Confucians; the gradual and sudden approaches of the Chan school are precisely the substance and function of the Confucians; and the Forty-Two Sections Sūtra and the Doctrine of the Mean share the same efficacy in penetrating from top to bottom. If one does not immerse one's mind in searching them out, how can one transcend into the Great Vehicle? In the early Zhizheng era of the Yuan dynasty, Chan Master Jue'an compiled the Brief Historical Survey of the Śākya Lineage (Shishi jigu lüe) in four fascicles. It is truly an indispensable compilation among the Indian scriptures and a precious raft for us. It was cataloged in the Siku quanshu, but few copies circulated in the world, leaving later students without means to consult it. My Dharma-disciples treasured this book, which was appended with the three fascicles of the Continued Brief Survey by the Ming monk Dawen; sadly, it was badly damaged. Borrowing the copy held in the Eight Thousand Fascicles Tower of the Ding family of Qiantang, it was meticulously collated. Following the convention of recarving ancient books without altering the calligraphy style, the original book was recommitted to the carvers. We respectfully set forth the imperially authorized abstract at the beginning of the volume to disseminate imperial benevolence and instruct future students. That an unlearned person such as myself, Qingdao, should have my name appended at the end of the volume is truly a great fortune.