釋氏稽古略 3.262

3.262

Yangshan belonged to Yuanzhou Circuit in Jiangxi (the region of Yangzhou). The Chan master's name was Huiji. He was a native of Huaihua in Shaozhou, with the family name of Ye. At the age of nine, he went to Chan Master Tong at He'an Monastery in Guangzhou to leave home. At fourteen, he had his head shaved, but before taking full ordination, he traveled about, first visiting Danyuan. Danyuan was Yingzhen, the attendant to National Teacher Zhong. He had already awakened to the profound purport. Danyuan said, "At that time, the National Teacher transmitted ninety-seven circular figures, which were left behind by the six generations of patriarchs. Conferring them on this old monk, he gave a prophecy saying: 'Thirty years after my passing, a novice will arrive from the south and greatly revitalize this teaching, transmitting it successively so as not to allow it to be cut off.' Now that you have arrived, I ought to bestow them upon you; do not allow them to be cut off." Having grasped the profound purport, the master later visited Guishan and immediately entered the inner sanctum. While lying down, the master dreamed of entering the heavenly palace, into Maitreya's inner courtyard, occupying the second seat. A venerable struck the gavel and said, "Today the second seat should preach the Dharma." The master arose, struck the gavel, and said, "The Mahāyāna Dharma is free from the four propositions and cuts off the hundred negations. Listen attentively! Listen attentively!" The entire assembly dispersed. One day, a foreign monk suddenly arrived out of the sky. The master asked him, "From where have you recently departed?" He answered, "India." The master asked, "When did you depart from there?" The foreign monk said, "This morning." The master said, "Why so late?" He answered, "I was roaming the mountains and enjoying the waters." The master said, "As for roaming in spiritual powers, the ācārya indeed possesses that." The foreign monk said, "I came specially to the Eastern Land to pay homage to Mañjuśrī, but instead I have met the Little Śākya." Thereupon he produced several tens of palm leaves of Indic text and gave them to the master, made obeisance, and departed into the sky. From this, the master was called "Little Śākya." In the bingzi year, the second year of Zhenming of the Liang, the master moved again to Dongping. He spoke a verse: "My years have reached seventy-seven; / Impermanence falls on this very day. / The sun wheel stands squarely at noon; / With both hands I fold my knees." Having finished speaking, he embraced his knees with both hands and expired. Passing into the next year, his dharma-heir disciple, Chan Master Guangyong of the South Stupa, transferred the sacred relics back to Mount Yang, enshrining them in a stupa below Jiyun Peak. By imperial edict, he was posthumously titled Chan Master Zhitong ("Wisdom-Penetrating"), with the Stupa of Miaoguang ("Wondrous Light"). The master was a dharma heir of Chan Master You of Guishan. The way of the Dharma flourished and transformed widely; everyone revered it as the Guiyang school. Ji initially resided on Mount Wangmang. In the sixth year of Qianfu of Emperor Xizong, the mountain deity requested, saying: "To the southeast lies Mount Dayang, which is a blessed land." The master thereupon moved there.