釋氏稽古略 4.262

4.262

Under the Song, an imperial edict appointed Chan Master Daokai of the Shifang Jingyin Chan Cloister on the Left Street to reside at Tianning Monastery. Li Xiaoshou, the Prefect of Kaifeng, memorialized to bestow upon him the purple robe and the title Chan Master Dingzhao. After offering thanks for the imperial favor, Kai submitted a memorial declining them, not daring to improperly assume such honor and grace. The Emperor again sent Xiaoshou with an imperial letter to convey his intention, but Kai was steadfast and would not yield. The Emperor was angered, arrested Kai, and handed him over to the authorities. The officials asked, "Does the elder have an illness? If ill, you may be exempted from punishment." Kai said, "In my entire life I have never spoken falsely; how could I dare to seek good fortune by claiming illness?" He then underwent punishment, was dressed in scholar's robes, and was placed under registered surveillance in Zizhou. In the following year he was released; he then set up a hermitage on Furong Lake, and students drew even closer to him. The Emperor bestowed a plaque on his dwelling reading "Huayan Chan Monastery." The Master was born to the Cui clan of Yizhou. At first he traveled to the capital, registered his name at Shutai Monastery, was tested on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, was ordained, and attained the Dharma under Chan Master Touzi Shanqing, becoming his heir. On the fourteenth day of the fifth month in the first year of Chonghe, he entered quiescence. Danxia Zichun of Dengzhou and others were his heirs. Chun had two disciples: Qingliao (namely Zhenxie) and Zhengjue (namely Tiantong Hongzhi). On the twentieth day of the ninth month in the twenty-seventh year of Shaoxing under Emperor Gaozong, Hongzhi went out to take leave of the prefectural governors of Mingzhou and Yuezhou. On the tenth day of the tenth month he returned to the monastery. On the eleventh day, he wrote a letter by hand requesting Chan Master Dahui Zonggao, abbot of Ayuwang Monastery, to manage his affairs after his death, threw down his brush, and passed away. His teeth, hair, and monastic implements flowed with clustered relics. His whole body was buried in the Eastern Valley (Master's inscription from Xizhou).