釋鑑稽古略續集 1.96

1.96

Chan Master Gaofeng: His taboo name was Yuanmiao. He was a native of Wujiang in Suzhou, surnamed Xu. He received his training at Miyin Monastery in Wuxu, and obtained the Dharma under Chan Master Xueyan Qin. He was born in the wuxu year of the Jiaxi era of the Song. At fifteen he left home; at seventeen he received the full precepts; at eighteen he studied Tiantai teachings; and at twenty he changed his robes and entered Jingci Monastery, setting a deadline of death [to achieve awakening]. After three years, when he was twenty-one, he sought instruction from Duanqiao, visited Xueyan at Beijian, and attained awakening while residing at Shuangjing. Later he secluded himself at Longxu and moved to Shuangji. In the ji-mao year of the Zhiyuan era he went up to the West Peak of Mount Tianmu, entered Zhanggong Cave, and inscribed it the 'Death Gate,' not crossing the threshold for fifteen years. Disciples visited and sought instruction without a single idle day; the monks and laypeople who received precepts numbered several tens of thousands. He founded two monasteries: Shizi and Dajue. On the first day of the twelfth month of this yiwei year, he burned incense, spoke a gāthā, addressed the assembly, and passed away while sitting. His worldly age was fifty-seven, and his monastic age was forty-three. He ordained several hundred disciples. His entire shrine was stupaed within the Death Gate, in accordance with his dying wish. Zuyong recorded the master's discourse records, which circulate widely in the world. (Chan Master Duanqiao…)