釋氏稽古略 2.134

2.134

The Twenty-Seventh Patriarch, the Venerable Prajñātāra: A native of Eastern India. After receiving the Dharma, he traveled to propagate it, arriving in Southern India. The king was named Sugandha; he revered the Buddha Vehicle, welcomed the Patriarch with deep respect and offerings, and presented him with a precious gem. The king had three sons: Candradhara, Puṇyadhara, and Bodhidhara. The Patriarch used the donated gem to ask the three princes: 'This gem is perfectly round and luminous; can anything equal it?' The first and second princes both said: 'This gem is the most exalted among the seven treasures; truly nothing can surpass it.' The third prince, Bodhidhara, said: 'This is a worldly treasure, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all treasures, the Dharma treasure is supreme. This is a worldly light, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is a worldly clarity, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all clarities, the clarity of mind is supreme. The radiance of this gem cannot illuminate itself; it must rely on the light of wisdom to discern it. Having discerned it, one then knows it is a gem; knowing it is a gem, one then knows its preciousness. If one clarifies its preciousness, the preciousness does not make itself precious; if one discerns its being a gem, the gem does not make itself a gem. That the gem does not make itself a gem requires the gem of wisdom to discern the worldly gem; that the treasure does not make itself a treasure requires the treasure of wisdom to clarify the Dharma treasure. Thus, when the Master possesses the Way, its treasure becomes apparent; when sentient beings possess it, the treasure of the mind is likewise so.' The Patriarch praised his eloquence and wisdom, and then asked again: 'Among all things, what is formless?' He replied: 'Among all things, non-arising is formless.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what is the highest?' He replied: 'Among all things, self-pride is the highest.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what is the greatest?' He replied: 'Among all things, the Dharma-nature is the greatest.' Just then, the royal father Sugandha departed this world, and the multitude wailed in despair. Only Bodhidhara sat in meditation before the coffin for seven days before emerging. He then sought to renounce household life. After he received the full precepts, the Patriarch said to him: 'The Tathāgata entrusted the Eye of the True Dharma to Mahākāśyapa; thus it was transmitted successively until reaching me. The precepts are now entrusted to you. Listen to my verse: / The mind-ground produces various seeds; / Following events, principle arises again. / When fruits are complete, Bodhi is perfected; / As flowers blossom, worlds arise.' Having transmitted the Dharma, the Patriarch stood up from his seat, extended his left and right hands, and each emitted twenty-seven rays of light radiating in three colors. He leapt into the air to the height of seven tala trees, manifested fire, and cremated himself. Relics fell like rain from the sky, which were collected to build a stupa. This took place during the era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song (Zhengzong ji). The Venerable One was once invited to a vegetarian meal by the king of Eastern India. The king asked: 'Everyone is reciting the scriptures; why does the Master not recite the scriptures?' The Venerable One said: 'My outgoing breath does not follow myriad conditions; my incoming breath does not abide in the aggregates or realms. I constantly recite hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of scrolls of such a scripture, not merely one or two scrolls.'