釋氏稽古略 2.88

2.88

Setting Up Stones to Listen to the Lecture. Daosheng was a disciple of Dharma Master Kumārajīva. Early on, before the later chapters of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra had arrived, Daosheng read it thoroughly and for a long time, saying: "Icchantikas will naturally attain Buddhahood; this scripture has merely not arrived in its entirety." At that time, masters of textual literalism attacked him in concert, falsely accusing his teaching of being heretical and asserting that under the Vinaya he should be expelled. Daosheng folded his hands in his sleeves, traveled to Jin, and entered Tiger Hill Mountain in Pingjiang. He set up stones as his audience and lectured on the Nirvāṇa-sūtra. Coming to the section on icchantikas possessing Buddha-nature, he said: "Does what I have said accord with the Buddha's mind?" The assembly of stones all nodded their heads. Later, he traveled to Mount Kuang and resided at the Cliff of Expelling Shadows. Hearing that Dharmakṣema in Northern Liang had retranslated the later chapters of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, he arrived in Nanjing. It indeed stated that all icchantikas possess Buddha-nature; Daosheng was overjoyed beyond measure (from his biography).