釋鑑稽古略續集 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Compiled by the monk Dawen of Qu'an, Xingxi, Gui'an,

2.3

Revised and published by the lay devotee Qu'an, Yan Ergui.

2.4

(At the beginning of the August Ming, the capital was first established at Yingtian Prefecture as Nanjing; later the capital was moved to Shuntian Prefecture as Beijing.)

2.5

Taizu
Emperor Jianwen
Chengzu
Renzong
Xuanzong
Yingzong
Emperor Jingtai
Xianzong
Xiaozong
Wuzong
Shizong
Muzong
Shenzong
Guangzong
Xizong
The Present Emperor

The Emperor was born in Haozhou. A draconic luminescence flared so brightly that everyone was astounded. In the third month of the renshen year under Emperor Shun of the Yuan, he raised troops. Later, replacing Guo Zixing, he led the army across the Yangtze River and took Taiping and Jiqing, which served as the foundation of his royal ascent. Next, he extinguished Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng, and others, becoming King of Wu. Thereafter, he pacified the Central Plains in the north, unified all under heaven, and assumed the imperial throne. He occupied the throne for thirty-one years and passed away in the Western Palace at the age of seventy-one. He was presented with the posthumous title: Emperor Shengshen Wenwu Qinming Qiyun Junde Chenggong Tongtian Daxiao (Holy and Divine, Civil and Martial, Reverently Brilliant, Opener of Fortune, of Great Virtue and Accomplished Feats, Ruler of Heaven and Utterly Filial). His temple name was Gaozu, and he was buried in Xiaoling. With endowments bestowed by Heaven, without relying upon an inch of land or a single person, the Emperor ultimately accomplished this great undertaking. Although it was called the mandate of Heaven and the turning of the people toward him, it was primarily brought about by his divine martiality that refrained from slaughter.

2.8

In the wushen year, the first year of the Hongwu era, in the first month on the fourth day yihai, His Majesty personally composed a liturgy to sacrifice and announce it to Heaven and Earth at the southern suburbs. When the rites were completed, he ascended the imperial throne to the south of the suburban altar, established the dynastic name for possessing all under heaven as Great Ming, and established the reign era as Hongwu. He posthumously honoured the ancestors and fathers of four generations as emperors and empresses, established his primary consort Lady Ma as Empress, and established his eldest son Biao as Crown Prince. On that day, the celestial vault was pure and clear, fragrant mist condensed, and the Central Star alone was visible: truly a sign of Heaven opening an auspicious destiny. He appointed Li Shanchang as the Left Grand Councillor of the Secretariat, Xu Da as the Right Grand Councillor, and Zhang Yi as the Vice Censor-in-Chief. His Majesty appointed officials for the Eastern Palace, saying: 'Promoting the worthy and employing talent is the foundation of establishing the state; revering virtue and esteeming age is the way of honouring the worthy.' He also said: 'Timber of many spans must be entrusted to an expert artisan; a jade disc of ten thousand gold must not be handed to an unskilful worker.' He ordered the establishment of standard sacrifices: the Round Mound, the Square Mound, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Altars of Soil and Grain, to sacrifice to Heaven, Earth, the ancestors, and all the spirits. He promulgated the penal code and administrative ordinances, instructing: 'The penal code and ordinances are the laws for governing all under heaven. The ordinances are to instruct them beforehand; the penal code is to regulate them after.' He instructed the officials of prefectures and counties, saying: 'The feathers of a bird just learning to fly cannot be plucked; the roots of a tree newly planted cannot be shaken.'

2.9

The Seals Office: Its duties lay within the forbidden court. Of imperial seals there were fourteen: the 'Seal for Serving Heaven', used to pacify the myriad states and sacrifice to Heaven and Earth; the 'Emperor's Seal', used for investitures and bestowing commendations; the 'Emperor's Trust Seal', used for summoning the military; the 'Son of Heaven's Seal', used for sacrificing to ghosts and spirits; the 'Son of Heaven's Travel Seal', used for conferring enfeoffments on barbarian tribes; the 'Son of Heaven's Trust Seal', used for mobilizing foreign troops; the 'Seal for Imperial Decrees', used to stamp imperial edicts of appointment; the 'Seal for Imperial Mandates', used to stamp imperial charters; the 'Seal of Broad Fortune', used to stamp palace registers and audited records; the 'Seal for Imperial Presence', used for the imperial throne and accompanying the imperial carriage; the 'Emperor's Seal for Honoring the Worthy', used for responding and giving gifts to clansmen; and the 'Seal for Revering Heaven and Diligently Caring for the People', used for instructing and guiding the administrative offices. For the tallies of the escort and bodyguard guardsmen, there were six designations: shen, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, used to alert night patrols. For gold tallies there were five designations: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, used to maintain strict security. For split-character bronze tallies there were four designations: receiving, east, west, and north; the left half was held by the patroller, and the right half by the guard, acting upon matching the tallies. For bronze badges there was one designation: courage, used to inspect guards on duty. For ivory tablets there were five designations: meritorious ministers, imperial kin, civil officials, military officers, and musicians, used to inspect attendance at court audiences. For sacrificial badges there were three designations: assisting, performing, and executing, used to handle sacrificial rituals attentively. For double-fish bronze badges there were two designations: strictness, used to maintain solemnity among guards on duty; and goodness, used to purify the sacrificial altars. For verification tallies there were five designations: horse, water, express, communication, and trust, used to supply the postal relay and convey imperial commands. The 'Dengwen Drum' was established, supervised by censors; when there were injustices, grievances, or matters of grave secrecy, permission was given to strike the drum and the censor would present the petition. In the third month, Liu Ji was appointed Vice Censor-in-Chief, concurrently serving as Prince's Mentor of the Right. He once discussed military affairs and strategies for conquering enemies with His Majesty. His Majesty said: 'Opening and closing, the unorthodox and orthodox tactics, change in an instant, just like the unpredictable movement of wind and clouds. The essence lies entirely in understanding their transformations.'

2.10

Chan Master Huitang: taboo name Ziyuan, style name Huitang, was a native of Linhai whose family name was Chen. His mother gave birth to him after being moved by a wondrous dream. He became a disciple under Master Guan of Baixue Monastery, shaved his hair, and received the full precepts. He visited Master Rixi Yong of Tianning to inquire into and resolve the essential of the mind. Later, because the roads were arduous and perilous when visiting his parents, he resolved to build a resting place for traveling wayfarers. First he restored Miaoguo Monastery; next he founded the Yuantong Pavilion and the Huayan Precious Pavilion; and he further constructed the Amitābha Pavilion, fashioning the images of the sixteen contemplations to inspire in people the correct cause for the Pure Land. When the matter came to the hearing of the imperial court, the master was conferred a golden brocade Dharma robe and granted the title "Universal Salvation of the Buddha Mind" (Foxin Puji). He further built the Bao'en Chan Cloister, leading the assembly in cultivation, exhorting them that seeing one's nature is of paramount urgency. In the third month of this year, he passed away. His worldly age was fifty-nine, and his monastic age was forty-three. A stupa was built to the northwest of the monastery (inscribed by Zhu).

2.11

Chan Master Yuanpu: taboo name Shizhang, style name Yuanpu, was a son of the Wang family of Haining. At birth, a recumbent-rhino bone pierced to the crown of his head, and his eyes were glittering like dots of lacquer. In his youth, he did not partake of meat or pungent roots, and took joy in reading Buddhist books. His parents surrendered him to enter Chuanfa Monastery, and at nineteen he was shaved and ordained as a monk. At that time, Master Wo'an Wu was the abbot of Upper Tianzhu. The master was about to go pay his respects, and dreamt that he traveled to a precious place and knelt to recite a confession liturgy. When he indeed saw Wo'an, he gained his favor; Wo'an gradually transmitted to the master all the doctrinal and meditative tenets of the Tiantai school. Day and night, he polished and honed his understanding with Yingsu of Tianxin, interrogating and challenging each other to the utmost, so that the assembly called them "the pair of jades." Ordered to assume the abbacy of Qizhen, he was able to question the two masters Dayong Cai and Juezong Ji on the profundities of doctrine and contemplation. He once said: "The ocean of the Buddha's teachings is vast like mist and clouds, not something that can be exhausted by self-cultivation alone. If I limit myself and do not advance, how can I avoid the fault of narrow-minded provincialism?" He moved to head Jingde, lecturing and expounding to the assembly without wearying. When the reign title was changed to Hongwu [first year], the seat at Jiqing became vacant, and the prefect Li invited the master to assume the abbacy. Soon after, the Central Secretariat received an imperial decree ordering the abbots of famous monasteries in the five prefectures of eastern and western Zhe to all assemble at the capital, to jointly brick Tianjie [Monastery] and establish the Shanshi Academy to govern the monastic community. They were to oversee and manage the work together, but the elders of the various quarters did not know what to do. The master alone produced a strategy, completely organized and methodical. At that time, the multitude of one hundred thousand all followed his model. In the sixth month of this year, he knew in advance that his time had arrived, called his disciples, and gave instructions regarding what was to follow. On the seventeenth day, he cast off the mortal coil in seated posture. His age was forty-six, and his monastic age was twenty-eight. A stupa was erected south of Master Biancai's stupa at Longjing. His disciples were Yuanjue, Yiyin, Shengyuan, Keqin, and others.

2.12

The sacrificial robes and caps for the Son of Heaven's offerings were determined. The seasonal ancestral temple offering rituals were determined. Eunuchs were prohibited from commanding troops or meddling in state affairs. Wang Wei submitted a memorial: "The essential for a sovereign to cultivate virtue lies in taking loyalty and generosity as his mind, and leniency and broadness as his governance. These two are the great guidelines of a sovereign's virtue." In the capital of the Yuan, red vapor filled the sky, shining upon people like fire. Two days later, black vapor arose, such that people could not be seen within a hundred paces. The Yuan ruler gathered the empress, concubines, crown prince, and ministers to hold a council in the Duanming Hall. Suddenly, two foxes emerged from the hall. The Yuan ruler said: "This is how Heaven informs We; how can We remain?" At midnight, he opened Jiande Gate and went north, traveling to Shangdu. In the capital, celestial drums sounded; a great amnesty was granted to all under Heaven to start anew with the people, excepting only the ten abominations from pardon. The official positions of the Six Ministries were established to divide and manage all the affairs of the realm. An edict was issued to seek out worthy men.

2.13

Chan Master Tianzhen: taboo name Weize, style name Tianzhen, was surnamed Fei of Gucheng. His mother, Lady Shen, gave birth to him after dreaming of an extraordinary monk. He bowed to Shanshou as his teacher. After receiving the full precepts, he called upon eighteen teachers, including Qianshan Chang of Fori, Wujian, and Wuyong, but could not enter into rapport with any of them. Finally, he went to Master Wuji Yuan of Fufu, where he was relieved and attained sudden awakening. He took a vow not to involve himself with worldly affairs. Yet, in guiding people skillfully according to their capacities, those who attained awakening grew more numerous day by day. In this year, an imperial summons was issued to eminent monks across the realm to proceed to the capital to broadly initiate Buddhist rituals. Master Bai'an Jin first recommended the master. Soon, he excused himself due to a foot ailment and returned. One day at dawn, he suddenly told the assembly: "I am leaving." When the attendant requested a gāthā, he said with a stern voice: "Isn't what I normally speak it?" He then lowered his eyelids and passed away. After cremation, his parietal bone, teeth, and tongue were not destroyed. His age was seventy-one, and his monastic age was fifty-eight. Hu Qiubi of Ganshang painted the master's portrait, which people of Japan purchased to take home for veneration. The *Tianzhen yulu* (*Recorded Sayings of Tianzhen*) circulates in the world. Zhang Zhengchang was appointed Perfected One (Zhenren), removing his title of Celestial Master (Tianshi). The Emperor said to his ministers: "The most venerable is only Heaven; how could it have a master? To use this as a title is utterly profane." The Seal of the Celestial Master was altered to the Seal of the Perfected One. In the *jiyou* year, the second year of Hongwu, in the first month, the City God deities of the capital and throughout the realm were enfeoffed. An order was given to sacrifice to the deities of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Five Strongholds, the Four Waterways, and the Four Seas across the empire. The sacrificial rites for the various deities were determined. The mourning attire regulations for officials and commoners were determined.

2.14

In the second month, the Emperor plowed the imperial field. An edict ordered the compilation of the *History of the Yuan*. An edict ordered the erection of a stele at the Imperial Mausoleum. The title was added to the mausoleum of Emperor Renzu Chun.

2.15

Chan Master Wujin: taboo name Zudeng, style name Wujin, of the Wang lineage, was a native of Siming. His father, Haoqian, once copied the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, and five-colored śarīras appeared at the tip of his brush. When the master was still young, he said: "Has the verification of prajñā reached such a point as this?" He left home at Tianning in his home commandery, relying on the monk Liangwei and serving the abbot Master Dongbai Ming. He received the precepts under Master Kui of Kaiyuan. He called upon Master Rixi Yong, clarifying the great matter. He further visited masters such as Zhongfeng, Fangshan, Wujian, and Douyan, who all sealed what he had realized. Later, he arrived at the scenic spot of Shangyun Peak on Mount Tiantai and planted his staff there, remaining for the rest of his life. The master and his disciples maintained themselves through ascetic practices: one fur coat in winter, one hemp garment in summer; one bowl of meal morning and evening; his shadow never left the mountain. Many people were transformed by him. The land of brambles was turned into a precious monastery; the domain of Shangyun became foremost among the various Chan monasteries. The master was filial and prudent by nature, welcoming his mother, Lady Dong, and providing her with nourishment until her end. In this year, the master manifested illness. On the eighth day of the second month, he exhorted the assembly: "The physical body is impermanent; seek realization early. When the time comes, I shall depart." When the attendant requested a gāthā, he wrote: / "Arising and ceasing, departing and coming, / Are fundamentally the Tathāgatagarbha. / Crushing the five Mount Sumerus, / Vast and open, with neither front nor back." / He sat upright and passed away. His age was seventy-eight, and his monastic age was fifty-seven. Cremation yielded countless śarīras. A stupa was built to the left of Yun Peak.

2.16

The Temple of Meritorious Officials: Xu Da was foremost, followed by Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Deng Yu, Tang He, Mu Ying, Hu Dahai, Feng Guoyong, Zhang Desheng, Wu Liang, Wu Zhen, Cao Liangchen, Kang Maocai, Wu Fu, Mao Cheng, and Sun Xingzu, making twenty-one persons in all. An order was given that statues of the deceased be sculpted and sacrificed to in the temple, while seats for the living remained vacant. It was located on Jiming Mountain. The meritorious officials accompanying the sacrifices in the Grand Ancestral Temple were determined: Liao Yong'an, Yu Tonghai, Zhang Desheng, Sang Shijie, Geng Zaicheng, Hu Dahai, and Zhao De, seven persons already deceased, were sacrificed to in the temple. Later, Yong'an was removed, while the six persons—Xu, Chang, Li, Deng, Tang, and Mu—were all personally decided by the Emperor.

2.17

Chan Master Xutang: taboo name Yongning, style name Yiyuan, was a native of Tongzhou surnamed Zhu. His mother was Lady Li. He cast himself into Guanghui Monastery; an omen showed that he was the rebirth of Chan Master Huaihai of the Song. The Central Buddhist Registry issued his certificate and ordained him. He went to call upon Wuyong of Mount Taihu, who tempered and refined him in diverse ways, turning the master into a fine vessel; he served him as attendant for three years, and Wuyong gave him the instruction: "When you meet a dragon, stop; when you meet a pool, abide." At first, he stayed at Shixiang Monastery in Dadong, Guangde, facing Master Shixi Wuyi Quan from afar; people called them the "Two Gates of Sweet Dew." Later, he moved to Longchi (Dragon Pool) in Yixing, matching the prophetic foretelling. Delighted and fully content, he built several dozen bays of rooms and named it the Yumen Xinghua Hermitage. He administered the Three Refuges and precepts to the dragon deity. The Imperial Preceptor conferred upon him the title "Spreader of the Teaching and Universal Benefactor" (Hongjiao Puji). Later, at Lishan Chan Monastery, an edict gathered one thousand seven hundred śramaṇas to inspect the Great Canon for seven days; the master ascended the seat to expound the teaching, and the auspicious omen of sweet dew descended from heaven. He presided over Tianning Wanshou in Changzhou, renovating it magnificently. Emperor Shun of the Yuan bestowed the title "Chan Monastery of Original Awakening, Wondrous Brightness, and True Purity" (Benjue Miaoming Zhenjing Chan Si). He was ordered to fill vacancies at Jingde Chan Monastery on Mount Tiantong and at Da Huayan Monastery, but he declined all of them due to illness. An imperial decree ordered him to enter for an audience to preach the Dharma in the Longguang Hall; the Emperor was pleased and bestowed a golden brocade Dharma robe along with a jade ring, adding the title "Enlightened to the Buddha Mind" (Foxin Liaowu). The Imperial Preceptor also bestowed a crimson robe and felt hat. Receiving an imperial order to bear incense to Mount Wutai, the Great Being manifested five paths of auspicious light for him. The Prince of Zhennan invited the master into his palace to receive the great precepts, bestowed a silver bowl upon him, and sent guards to escort him back to Longchi. He solicited ten thousand faithful patrons to hold an Assembly of Ten Thousand Virtues Converging in Common, burying countless withered bones left behind by war. At that time, there was a great drought; yielding to the entreaties of the villagers, he erected an altar and chanted verses, whereupon torrential rain poured down, bringing an abundant harvest for the year. In the sixth month of this year, he manifested slight illness, ordered mourning cords and hempen garments to be made, and said: "I am about to pass away." On the seventeenth day, he wrote a gāthā: / "For seventy-eight years I have guarded my simplicity; / Clearly it has been a total collapse. / The mud ox turns over at the bottom of the ocean; / In the blazing heat of the sixth month, snow flies." / Lying on his side, he passed away. When cremated, five colors appeared; his teeth, tongue, and prayer beads were not destroyed, and wherever the smoke reached, śarīras formed. A stupa was built at Ziyun to enshrine them.

2.18

In the seventh month, Chang Yuchun died at the age of forty. He was posthumously enfeoffed with three generations as kings, and his two sons were both made dukes, sharing in the sacrifices of the Grand Ancestral Temple in the second position. In the tenth month, schools were ordered to be established in all prefectures and counties across the empire. Sweet dew descended upon the rear gardens of Qianqing Palace.

2.19

Sweet Dew (ganlu): also called oily dew (gaolu). It is lustrous like wine, congealed like fat, and white like newly formed pearls. Sweet malt-sugar is spread everywhere, and pines and cypresses stand fragrant; its aroma extends to the left and right, burgeoning and overflowing, heavily permeating the Great Harmony. On the thirteenth day of this month, it descended upon the green pines. Li Shanchang and others led the ministers to offer congratulations. Furthermore, during the Yongle reign, it descended upon the pines and cypresses of Xiaoling Mausoleum for four days; it congealed into jade fat and melted into oily liquid, glittering like hanging pearls and linked like strung cowries. It was offered only to the ancestral temple and bestowed upon the hundred officials; its fragrant sweetness reached in all directions, beyond compare. Recently, there is a variety called "sparrow malt-sugar"; its color is turbid white, its taste very sweet, and its odor like pine resin. When chewed, it sticks heavily to the tongue; eating it when hungry causes sickness, and eating too much of it brings death. This is its verification.

2.20

Zhang Yi had talent in both civil and military affairs. Wherever he went in governing, he achieved meritorious results. By nature he was filial and fraternal, pacifying the world and instructing beings entirely out of sincerity. Whenever discussing great matters, his discourse did not avoid the powerful and influential, always finding the proper mean based on principle. He reached the position of Censor-in-Chief. At this point he died, and imperial funeral offerings were decreed for him.

2.21

In the *gengxu* year, the third year of Hongwu, in the first month, the maternal grandfather was posthumously enfeoffed as King of Yang; a temple was erected in the capital, and the Emperor personally sacrificed there. In the second month, Wang Wei taught at the Daben Hall. An edict exempted the grain taxes of this year for sixteen commanderies in three provinces.

2.22

Chan Master Biefeng, whose taboo name was Datong and style name was Yiyun, was a son of the Wang clan of Shangyu. When his mother, Lady Chen, was about to give birth, his father saw an unusual monk with thick eyebrows enter shaking a pewter staff. The father bowed and asked, "Where does the venerable monk come from?" He replied, "From Mount Kunlun," and straightaway pushed open the door and hurried into the inner room. Shortly thereafter, the master was born; therefore it was known that he was a reincarnated person. He renounced household life and entered Chongsheng Monastery. He shaved his head and took the dye, studying the core teachings of Qingliang under Dharma Master Chungu, and mastering the contemplation of the four Dharma realms under the venerable Guyuan Zhao. Meeting the venerable Huiji Xi, he had a profound realization. He met Chan Master Zhongfeng, who entrusted him with propagating the teaching of Xianshou, specifically writing a verse of praise on an image of Qingliang to bestow upon him. The master rejoiced greatly and said, "Now for the first time I know that the ten thousand dharmas are rooted in a single dharma; I know not which is Chan and which is doctrinal teaching!" He still attended Chungu, sharing the seat to lecture on the great Avataṃsaka Sūtra. During the Yanyou era, he repeatedly served as abbot at various monasteries such as Jingtu Monastery, Jingde, Dongta, and Baolin. Baolin, moreover, was the place where National Preceptor Qingliang had pursued his studies. The master resided there, and learners who came were exceedingly numerous. At the beginning of the Zhizheng era, he was granted the title "Buddha-Heart of Compassionate Relief and Wondrous Eloquence" together with gold-brocaded monastic robes. In a year of drought, the master burned arm incense and prayed for rain, bringing a great downpour. In the early years of the Hongwu era, he was summoned to the Martial Tower during the Dharma assembly at Mount Zhong, and was granted a banquet in the forbidden palace and presented with rolls of silk, gold, and precious goods to honor his return. The master upheld the vinaya most strictly, having no surplus possessions beyond a single bowl, having only five thousand-odd fascicles of books and histories. In the winter of the second year of Hongwu he showed signs of illness. On the tenth day of the third month in the spring of the third year, he preached the Dharma, took leave of the assembly, returned to the abbot's quarters, and passed away seated. His age was eighty-two; his monastic seniority was sixty-five. Works authored by him include collections such as Tianzhu gao and Baolin leibian, which circulate in the world.

2.23

Chan Master Baiyun, whose taboo name was Zhidu and sobriquet was Baiyun, was a native of Lishui of the Wu clan. His mother was Lady Ye. At the age of fifteen, he went to the venerable Kongzhong Jia at Chanzhi Monastery, where he shaved his head, donned the robes, and received the full precepts. He practiced chan-meditation deeply, going without sleep until dawn for three years. On Mount Baiyun, he built the Old Fulin Cloister to dwell in. He perused the two sūtras, the Śūraṅgama and the Complete Awakening. He met the venerable Zhi of Lingyan, the venerable Yi of Duanya, and the venerable Du of Wujian, deeply grasping the profound purport of the Chan school. He also met the venerable Pu of Wufang and the venerable Da of Xiaoyin, and his karmic aptitude perfectly coincided with theirs; thereupon he returned to Fulin. He and the venerable Tan of Duzhong and the venerable Qin of Chengshan encouraged each other, fearing only that they might fall short. In the second year of Hongwu, an imperial decree summoned renowned monks across the realm, and the master was among them; he returned to reside at Hupao and then proceeded again to Huading. In the second month of that year, feeling slightly indisposed, he returned to Fulin. On a day in the third month, he bathed, changed his robes, and wrote a verse: "There is no world to take leave of, no assembly to part from; / In the vastness of empty space, why must one drive a stake?" Throwing down his brush, he passed away. His age was sixty-seven; his monastic seniority was fifty-two. The relics after his cremation were of five colors, and his teeth and prayer beads were said not to have been destroyed.

2.24

In the fourth month, the imperial sons were enfeoffed as princes: the second son Shuang was enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin; the third son Gang was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin; the fourth son Di was enfeoffed as the Prince of Yan; the fifth son Su was enfeoffed as the Prince of Zhou; the sixth son Zhi was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu; the seventh son Fu was enfeoffed as the Prince of Qi; the eighth son Zi was enfeoffed as the Prince of Tan; the ninth son Qi was enfeoffed as the Prince of Lu; the tenth son Tan was enfeoffed as the Prince of Shu; and the grand-nephew Shouqian was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jingjiang. All were granted patents and tallies, and chancellor-tutors and subordinate officials were established for them. The standards for the civil service examinations were fixed: the first session consisted of one essay on the meaning of the Classics and one on the meaning of the Four Books; the second session consisted of one treatise, and one institutional paper drawn from imperial edicts, decrees, memorials, or official missives; the third session consisted of one policy essay. Those who passed were tested ten days later in five skills: mounted archery, calligraphy, mathematics, and law.

2.25

Wei Su, whose courtesy name was Dapu, was a native of Jinxi, known for his literary learning. At the end of the Yuan dynasty, he rose in office to academician. When the Yuan fell, he wished to throw himself into a well to die. The monk Dazi pulled him out and said, "None but you knows the national history; if you die, that is the death of the national history." Later, he remained an academician, but was banished to Hezhou.

2.26

During the summer there had been no rain for a long time. The Emperor personally prayed: wearing plain white robes and straw sandals, he walked to the Altar of the Mountains and Rivers. By day he exposed himself to the sun; by night he slept on the ground. The Crown Prince held the flagon and presented farmer's food, mixing hemp, wheat, beans, and millet. This lasted for three days in all, after which there was a great rain, drenching the four suburbs thoroughly.

2.27

Dharma Master Guting, whose taboo name was Shanxue and sobriquet was Guting, was of the Ma clan. At the age of seventeen he became a fully ordained monk. He went to the venerable Jian of Baojue to study the core teachings of the Avataṃsaka. The venerable Jian said, "Superior Man Xue may be said to have his name correspond to reality!" His reputation arose swiftly, and he was esteemed by others. The venerable Jiao of Bietuan, the venerable Zi of Guyou, and the venerable Xuan of Wuyan all invited him to the seat of honor. The master returned to Donglin to dwell in seclusion, exclusively cultivating pure karmic practice, undertaking the Avataṃsaka repentance ritual, and cultivating the various texts of the Pure Land fivefold repentance, relying on these to pray for rebirth in the Land of Peaceful Nurturance. The assembly invited him to serve as abbot of Daci on Mount Yang to greatly propagate the teachings of Xianshou so as to continue the Buddha's wisdom-life. In years of drought, whenever he prayed for rain on behalf of the assembly, it immediately responded. On the twentieth day of the fourth month of that year, because an official tax was past due, he was moved to Chiyang and passed away there at the age of sixty-four—his past karma could not be avoided.

2.28

Chan Master Chushi, whose taboo name was Fanqi and courtesy name was Chushi, was a son of the Zhu clan of Xiangshan in Mingzhou. His mother, Lady Zhang, dreamed that the sun fell into her bosom, and gave birth to him. When the master was an infant in swaddling clothes, a spiritual monk stroked his crown and said, "This is a Buddha sun; at another time he will be able to illuminate the dark pathways." Thus his childhood name was Tanyao. At age seven he read books and straightaway comprehended their great principles, being hailed as a wondrous youth. At age nine he went to Old Na of Yongzuo Monastery to leave home. He shaved his head under the venerable Xun of Chong'en and went to Zhaoging to receive the full precepts. Following Master Xun to reside at Daochang, he had charge of the scriptural depository. Reading the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, he had an awakening. He consulted the venerable Yuansou Duan and asked, "'Words emerging are not sound; facing form, it is not an object.' What does this mean?" Yuansou questioned him with the master's own words, and he had not yet penetrated it. It coincided with the Yuan emperor Yingzong commissioning a gold-lettered Great Canon, and the master was selected to go up to the capital. One day, hearing the sound of the drum on the city tower, he broke into a sweat like rain and said, "The nostrils of Jingshan are in my hands today!" His verse said: "I gave up a speck of snow in the red furnace; / yet it was June ice on the Yellow River." He consulted Yuansou again; upon seeing him once, Yuansou said, "I am delighted that you have obtained the secret meaning of the one who came from the West!" He came into the world at Fuzhen in Haiyan, and rose to become abbot of Yongzuo. He founded the Great Jewel Pavilion, cast holy statues of a thousand buddhas, and built a seven-tiered pagoda twenty-four zhang high. As the work was nearly finished, it leaned and was about to collapse. The master prayed, and that night there was a great storm of wind and rain. Ghostly spirits were heard speaking to one another, saying, "The pagoda of Tianning is leaning; hurry and go rescue it!" By dawn the pagoda was upright as before. He moved to Baoguo in Hangzhou, and transferred to Benjue in Jiaxing, where he constructed the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion, grand and magnificent, as if a heavenly palace had descended to the mortal realm. The Imperial Preceptor praised his practice and conduct, and bestowed upon him the title "Buddha Sun Universally Illuminating and Wise Eloquence," which closely matched the divination of the spiritual monk of former days. Shortly afterward, he answered the invitation to Bao'en, and retired to build the Western Studio to end his days. In the first year of Hongwu, he attended the Dharma assembly at Mount Jiang, ascending the seat to preach the Dharma; in the second year it was likewise. He was granted a banquet beneath the Literary Tower, personally attended imperial queries, and was presented with silk and gold. In the third year, in the seventh month, he showed signs of illness. Having bathed, he wrote a verse: "The true nature is completely luminous, originally without arising or ceasing; / The wooden horse neighs at night; in the west the sun rises." He said to Mengtang, "I am about to depart." Tang asked, "Where will you go?" The master said, "To the West." Tang asked, "Is there a Buddha in the West and no Buddha in the East?" The master gave a stern shout and serenely passed away. It was the twenty-sixth day of that month. Following cremation, his teeth, tongue, and prayer beads were not consumed, and the relics were numerous as pearls. A pagoda was erected for him at Tianning Yongzuo Monastery. His age was seventy-five; his monastic seniority was sixty-three. His writings include the Discourse Records of Six Assemblies, Pure Land Poems, Verses on Rebirth Above, and three collections: Northward Journey, Fengshan, and Western Studio, as well as poems matching those of the Three Sages of Tiantai and works on Yongming Shou, Tao Jingjie, and Lin Hejing. He was said to be the first-rate ancestral master of the beginning of the dynasty.

2.29

In the eleventh month, ranks were distributed and rewards dispensed. There were six who were enfeoffed as dukes: Li Shanchang, Duke of Xuan, was granted the title of Civil Official Who Founded the State, Assisted the Turn of Fortune, Maintained Trust and Guarded Rectitude, and was advanced to Duke of Han; Xu Da, Duke of Xin, was granted the title of Military Official Who Founded the State, Assisted the Turn of Fortune, Maintained Trust and Exerted Effort, and was advanced to Duke of Wei; Chang Yuchun was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Zheng; Feng Sheng was enfeoffed as Duke of Song; Li Wenzhong was enfeoffed as Duke of Cao; and Deng Yu was enfeoffed as Duke of Wei. There were twenty-eight who were enfeoffed as marquises (not recorded). Wang Guangyang was enfeoffed as Earl of Zhongqin, and Liu Bowen was enfeoffed as Earl of Chengyi.

2.30

Iron tallies: their shape was like roof tiles; on the front were carved the patent inscriptions, and on the back were inscribed the amounts of crimes pardoned and death penalties remitted, with characters inlaid in gold. Their height and width varied, graded into seven ranks. They were cast in two halves: one was awarded to the meritorious official, and one was stored in the imperial palace; when an occasion arose, they were retrieved and fitted together as a token of trust. When the Emperor's banquet for the meritorious officials concluded, he said: "The perceptive must shine light on things before they take shape; the benighted are still blind even after things have become manifest. When an affair has not yet taken shape, it can still be planned for; once a calamity has become manifest, it is without remedy. When people reside in wealth and honor, their desires must not be indulged: if desires are indulged, there will be extravagance; their passions must not be let loose: if passions are let loose, there will be licentiousness. When extravagance and licentiousness reach their peak, sorrow and peril take advantage of them. Now I fear that as time goes by, you gentlemen will forget this, and therefore I admonish and urge you."

2.31

Chan Master Jiefeng, whose taboo name was Shiyu and sobriquet was Jiefeng, was a native of Xi'an of the Yu clan. His mother, Lady Mao, gave birth to him after dreaming that Guanyin sent a boy dressed in blue garments. From his youth, the master was fond of venerating Buddha stupas. When grown, he took tonsure under Guyue of the Manifest Teaching, and pricked blood to write out the Diamond Sūtra. He visited the venerable Chun of Guya and the venerable Gang of Shimen, learning the essentials of applying effort, sitting erect like a withered stump. He also saw various good spiritual friends such as the venerable Yong of the Cloth Robe, Duanya, and Zhongfeng. He studied under Chan Master Zhiyan Cheng of Mount Daci, who instructed him to examine vigorously, through which he attained great awakening. His verse contained the lines: "In the middle of the night, suddenly forgetting the finger pointing to the moon, / Out from empty space bursts the red orb of the sun." Zhiyan gave him seal of approval. After toiling in service for three years, he revived the ancient Fuhui Monastery in Xi'an. When the Imperial Preceptor heard of this, he bestowed on him the title "Buddha Wisdom and Vast Eloquence." He transferred to become abbot of Xinglong Chan Monastery at Shixi, and those converted to his teaching were exceedingly numerous. In succession he responded to four monasteries—Guwang, Longyan, Baogai, and Purun—serving as the founding abbot for all of them. In the twelfth month, the winter of the third year of Hongwu, he attended the Great Water-and-Land Feast given by Prefect Huang. When the Buddhist rituals concluded, he showed signs of illness, exhorting the assembly to enter the Way with energetic progress. He wrote a verse: "Arising is originally unarisen; / Ceasing is originally unceasing. / Letting go with the hands, I walk right on; / A sky filled with the bright moon." He threw down his brush and transformed. His age was seventy; his monastic seniority was fifty. A pagoda was erected for him at Ciyun Cloister on Mount Wushi. He had the Discourse Records of Two Assemblies and fifteen disciples.

2.32

In the fourth year of Hongwu, a xinhai year (1371), in the first month, Li Shan retired from office. Liu Bowen retired to his fields and village. The Crown Prince was granted a jade seal, reading: "Record of the Great Root Hall." The seal for palace eunuchs read: "Record of Vast Containment."

2.33

Chan Master Jie'an, whose taboo name was Fuliang, courtesy name was Yongzhen, and sobriquet was Jie'an, was a native of Wuxian, a tenth-generation descendant of Master Fan Wenzheng. His father was Bohe, and his mother was Lady Zheng. From childhood, the master possessed signs of transcendence of the dust. At fifteen, he shaved his head and took the full precepts under Shoumi of Yingfu Cloister. Sighing with deep feeling, he said, "Studying the Buddha is to illuminate the mind; if not through a master, the mind cannot be illuminated. Can one face a wall all day?" He served the venerable Ze of Beichan to study Tiantai doctrinal contemplation. Urged by Shizhan Biao, he saw the venerable Xiaoyin Su to investigate the great purport of the Chan school. Next, he engaged in sharp exchanges back and forth with the venerable Ying of Shishi. He came into the world to preach the Dharma at Zisheng Monastery in Jiaxing, expanding and embellishing its halls and buildings. He moved to Tianzhang and then to Central Tianzhu, and those turning toward him grew daily. Finally, he rebuilt the ancient monastery of Lingyin and concluded his life there. He passed away on the sixteenth day of the first month of that year. His worldly age was fifty-five; his monastic seniority was forty. Following cremation, his teeth were firm and pure, and his tongue root was red and moist, both remaining unconsumed, and the relics filled a sheng measure.

2.34

The Nine Sequences of Ritual Music: Composed by Leng Qian. The first was called "Rooted in the Great Beginning"; the second, "Looking Up to the Great Brightness"; the third, "The People First Born"; the fourth, "All Things Flourishing"; the fifth, "Charioteering the Six Dragons"; the sixth, "The Great Stairs Leveled"; the seventh, "The Ruler's Virtue Perfected"; the eighth, "The Sagely Way Perfected"; and the ninth, "Rejoicing in Purity and Peace." The Emperor said: "Rites serve to guide reverence; music serves to express harmony. Without reverence and harmony, how could one govern?"

2.35

Leng Qian: Courtesy name Qijing. A man of Hangzhou. He was thoroughly versed in music, skilled at playing the se zither, and adept at painting. Toward the end of the Yuan dynasty, wearing a Daoist cap, he lived in seclusion atop Mount Wu, carefree and possessing an inclination for what lies beyond the mundane world. In the early years of the dynasty, he was summoned to serve as Director of Music in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Most of the ritual music for the suburban sacrifices and the ancestral temple was determined by him. He had once encountered an extraordinary person who transmitted immortal arts to him: he could conceal his body inside a bottle, and when called, he would respond; even if the bottle was smashed, each and every fragment would respond.

2.36

In the eighth month, the Emperor personally wrote to Liu Ji inquiring about celestial phenomena. Ji answered point by point, holding that after snow and frost there must come the warmth of spring; now that the dynastic prestige had been established, it was fitting to temper it somewhat with leniency. The Emperor consigned his letter to the Historiography Institute. Someone remarked that the cycle of slaughter had not been removed for thirty years; Ji said: "If I were in charge of the realm to sweep away worldly ills, after one or two years lenient government could be restored." (Note: the cycle of slaughter was removed after the Jingnan Campaign).

2.37

Chan Master Jueyuan: Taboo name Huitan, courtesy name Jueyuan. A man of Tiantai, of the Yang clan. His mother, Lady Jia, gave birth to him after dreaming that she swallowed a bright pearl of the moon. He left home under Dajun at Faguozhi Monastery. At sixteen he received the full precepts. He studied the Vinaya under Master Guo of Zhaoging, trained in the Vinaya under Master Jiao of Goryeo, and listened to Śamatha and Vipaśyanā under Master Cheng of Upper Zhuzhu. At that time, Master Xiaoyin Su was propagating the Chan lineage at Middle Tianzhu; the Master went there and laid bare the earnestness of his search for the Way. Master [Su] said: "Whatever enters from outside is not the family treasure. The Way lies in oneself; why seek it from others?" The Master withdrew, gathered his spirit, and sat alone for a long time. One day, Master [Su] brought up Baizhang's wild fox case. The Master attained great awakening and said: "The Buddhadharma has fallen into my hands! Only because it was so utterly clear did it conversely delay my attaining it." Master [Su] said: "What principle have you seen that you dare make such boastful words?" The Master spread his two hands and said: "It is not worth half a cash." Master [Su] nodded in approval. He followed Master Su at Longxiang Monastery and accompanied him to an audience with Emperor Wenzong of the Yuan at Kuizhang. The Master remained composed and serene in spirit; Master Su said: "He is truly a lion's cub of our house." Later he began his public career at Zushan Hall on Mount Niutou, where the halls and pavilions were completely renovated. He was transferred to Qingliang Guanghui Chan Monastery, reviving it from neglect just as he had done at Niushou. The Imperial Preceptor commended him and bestowed on him the title "Pure Awakening and Wondrous Discernment." When Taizu pacified Jianye, the Master went to see him at the camp gate. At first sight Taizu sighed and said: "This is a monk of blessing and virtue!" He ordered him to take charge of Taiping Xingguo Monastery on Mount Jiang. The following year an imperial decree ordered him to take charge of Great Tianjie Monastery. Whenever an assembly for the Dharma was convened, the Master would expound and propagate it. The imperial carriage visited several times, and imperial gifts were bountiful. The Emperor wrote "Foremost Chan Forest under Heaven" to be hung above the triple gate. In the first year of Hongwu, the Court of the Exalter of the World was inaugurated, ranked at the lower second rank; the Master was appointed Great Chan Master of Propagating Sanskrit, Exalting the World, Benefiting the State, and Submitting to the Teaching, acting as abbot of Tianjie and superintending Buddhist affairs throughout the various mountains. An imperial patent was issued, granting him the purple robe. When some monks committed unlawful acts, someone said they should be severely punished. The Master said: "There is a proverb: 'In a great forest there is useless timber; can it all be cleared away?' It would only increase the disgrace of the Buddhist gate. It is enough not to pardon matters once they are exposed." In the third year of Hongwu, he was dispatched as an envoy to the Western Regions. In the ninth month of the fourth year, falling ill, he summoned his attendants and said: "I cannot report back on my mission." Thereupon he passed away at the age of sixty-eight, with fifty-three years in the monastic order. The king of the foreign land cremated him with a fragrant coffin and fragrant firewood, and interred his spiritual relics beside a pratyekabuddha stūpa in that realm. His Dharma brother Zongle carried back his legacy robes and enshrined them between Mount Jubao and Yuhuatai in Nanjing.

2.38

Chan Master Gu'an: Taboo name Xianshi, styled Gu'an. Surname Lu. His mother, Lady Jin, gave birth to him after dreaming of the Great Being Guanyin appearing within five-colored clouds. At twenty-one he took refuge under Master Yishan Yuan of Wuben Cloister, shaved his head, and received the full precepts. He first called upon Tian'an Zhi and saw Fohai. He thoroughly investigated the Tiantai doctrinal teachings and contemplations; the textual meanings of both the greater and lesser works were completely stored within his breast. When questioned, his explanations flowed like a torrent. He further closely served Huyang Yi and Xiansou Si, whereby his cultivation of the Way progressed even more. He began his public career at Longshou Teaching Monastery, adding splendor to the old establishment. He was transferred to Xianyan Teaching Monastery, renovating what was broken and ruined. He was invited to preside over Chong'en Yanfu Teaching Monastery, guiding newcomers and exhausting what he had stored up throughout his life. Later, residing in the mountains, he dedicated his mind exclusively to the karma of the Western Pure Land. He maintained continuous mindfulness all day long, frequently experiencing miraculous responses. On this year, month, and day, he passed away peacefully.

2.39

Renzi, the fifth year of Hongwu. Because the dynastic transmission seal of previous dynasties had not yet been obtained, the Emperor dispatched generals to search for it. In the third month, ordination certificates were issued to Buddhist and Daoist monastics. Relief was ordered for helpless elderly, young, men, and women. An imperial decree commanded the relevant offices to carry out the community drinking ceremony. In the spring, an assembly for the grand transference of merits was established at Mount Jiang Monastery. Eminent and virtuous śramaṇas from the four quarters were ordered to first collate and correct the Great Canon.

2.40

Imperial Titles for Musical Pieces: Zongle was ordered to compose musical pieces to offer to the Buddha. When they were completed and submitted, the Emperor gave them titles: the first was called "Melody of Exalting the World"; the second, "Melody of Manifesting Sincerity"; the third, "Melody of Extending Compassion"; the fourth, "Melody of Dharma Joy"; the fifth, "Melody of Chan Delight"; the sixth, "Melody of Universal Response"; the seventh, "Melody of Wondrous Aid"; and the eighth, "Melody of Perfecting Goodness." The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was ordered to harmonize them with the cadence of song and dance and perform them, establishing it as a fixed institution.

2.41

The Dharma Assembly for Grand Transference of Merits: At that time, there was no anxiety throughout the realm, and profound peace prevailed. The civil and military officials were at ease, and rain and wind were timely and favorable. The Emperor, in reverent silence, reflected upon the Way and dwelt uprightly. In the august serenity, he reflected again: during the rise of warfare at the end of the Yuan dynasty, heroes contended across the realm; living beings could not meet their natural end, numbering hundreds of billions, and their spirit-vapors swirled and entangled, filling the realms above and below, with no offerings or sacrifices reaching them, solitary and without support. On overcast and wet rainy nights, their weeping could sometimes be heard. The imperial heart was deeply grieved, as though suffering an illness within himself. He considered that to cleanse the dark gloom and ascend into bright yang, only the teaching of the Great Hero could do so, and so on. Song the Civil and Pure Duke wrote a record and a poem, which are fully preserved in the *Record of Protecting the Dharma*. Chan Master Pu'an Laifu had a compilation of drafts from Mount Zhong, which recorded the details from beginning to end, especially the auspicious anomalies, with great thoroughness. The Central Buddhist and Daoist Registries were ordered to create comprehensive registers and promulgate them to monasteries and temples throughout the empire. Wherever Buddhist or Daoist monastics arrived, they were checked against the registers. If their parents' household registrations and the month and day of their application for ordination did not match the register, they were deemed false monastics.

First 41 of 207 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

釋鑑稽古略續集 — Classical Chinese