釋鑑稽古略續集 3.34

3.34

Chan Master Xuexuan: his taboo name was Daocheng, his style name was Jiufeng, and he was a native of Jibei. He studied under Qiujiang Jie Gong and grasped the essential import upon his words. [Jie] instructed him, saying: 'This is something originally inherent in you; protect and uphold it well.' He appeared in the world [as abbot] at Zhizang Monastery in Laizhou. Whenever he expounded the Dharma, tens of thousands gathered, and butchers and vintners changed their occupations because of him. During the Hongwu era, an imperial decree appointed him Buddhist Superior of Qingzhou. Later, Taizu heard of his virtue and summoned him to serve as Right Expositor of the Sūtras in the Central Buddhist Registry, bestowing upon him a gold-brocade robe, and made him abbot of Tianjie Monastery. In the Yongle era, the emperor ordered the master to go to Japan to propagate Buddhist transformation. Upon his return, he was promoted to Left Exalter of the World, and imperial poetic compositions were bestowed upon him. His three sessions on the seat of awakening and four recorded sayings of assemblies circulate in the world.