隋天台智者大師別傳 1.13

1.13

智者弘法三十餘年。不畜章疏安無礙辯契理符文。挺生天智世間所伏。有大機感乃為著文。奉勅撰淨名經疏。至佛道品為二十八卷。覺意三昧一卷。六妙門一卷。法界次第章門三百科。始著六十科為三卷。小止觀一卷。法華三昧行法一卷。又常在高座云。若說次第禪門一年一遍。若著章疏可五十卷。若說法華玄義并圓頓止觀半年各一遍。若著章疏各三十卷。此三法門皆無文疏。講授而已。大莊嚴寺法慎私記禪門。初分得三十卷。尚未刪定而法慎終國清寺。灌頂私記法華玄初分得十卷。止觀初分得十卷。方希再聽畢。其首尾會。智者涅槃。鑽仰無所髣髴。龍章未經要妙。深識者自尋得其門也。學士法喜凡事十七禪師。年登耳順方逢智者。陳尚書毛喜。嘲之曰尊師猶少。弟子何老。答云。所事者德豈在於年。又問曰。何者為德。答云。善巧說法即後代富樓那。破魔除障即是優波毱多。毛喜自善其辭。談之朝野常為口實。又常行方等懺。雉來索命神王遮曰。法喜當往西方。次生得道豈償汝命耶。仍於瓦官寺端坐入滅。建業咸覩天地共知。又有慧瑫因聽法而發定。道勢因領語。而觀開淨辯強記有瀉瓶之德。於佛隴燒身慧普修懺象王便現。法慎學禪微發持力。此二三子不幸早亡。門人行解兼善堪為後進師者多矣。皆內祕珍寶不令人識。今略書見聞如上。梁晉安王中兵參軍陳鍼即智者之長兄也。年在知命張果相之死在晦朔。師令行方等懺。鍼見天堂牌門。此是陳鍼之堂。過十五年當生此地。遂延十五年壽。果後見鍼驚問君服何藥。答但修懺耳。果云若非道力安能超死耶。梁方茂從師習坐。忽發身通微能輕舉。智者呵云。汝帶妻子何須學。此宜急去之。大中大夫蔣添玫儀同公吳明徹。皆稟息法脚氣獲除法雲遠覃例皆如此。灌頂多幸謬逢嘉運。濫齒輪下十有三年。戴天履地不測高深。以開皇二十一年遇見。開府柳顧言賜訪智者。俗家桑梓入道緣由皆不能識。克心自責微知醒悟。仍問遠祖於故老。即詢受業於先達瓦官前事。或親承音旨。天台後瑞隨分憶持。然深禪博慧妙本靈迹。皆非淺短能知。但戀慕玄風無所宗仰。輒編聞見若奉慈顏。披尋首軸涕泗俱下謹狀。

Zhizhe propagated the Dharma for more than thirty years. He kept no written commentaries, relying on unhindered eloquence that tallied with the principle and accorded with the texts. Endowed by nature with heavenly wisdom, he subdued the worldly. Only when there was a great karmic receptivity did he compose writings. In accordance with an imperial decree, he compiled a commentary on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, reaching twenty-eight fascicles up to the 'Buddha Path' chapter. The Bodhy-aṅga Samādhi was in one fascicle; the Six Subtle Dharma-Gates in one fascicle; and of the Gradual Sequence of the Dharmadhātu, out of three hundred headings, he initially composed sixty headings in three fascicles; the Lesser Calming and Contemplation in one fascicle; and the Ritual for Practicing the Lotus Samādhi in one fascicle. Moreover, he often said from the high seat, 'If I explain the Gradual Gate of Dhyāna, it takes one year for a single cycle, and if written as a commentary it would be around fifty fascicles. If I explain the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra together with the Perfect and Sudden Calming and Contemplation, each takes half a year for a single cycle, and if written as commentaries they would be thirty fascicles each.' These three Dharma-gates had no written commentaries; they were merely taught orally. Fashen of Dazhuangyan Temple privately recorded the Gate of Dhyāna, obtaining thirty fascicles for the first section, but before it was edited and finalized, Fashen passed away at Guoqing Temple. Guanding privately recorded the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, obtaining ten fascicles for the first section, and for Calming and Contemplation obtained ten fascicles for the first section. Just as I was hoping to hear it again to complete it from beginning to end, Zhizhe entered nirvāṇa. Although I strive to look up to him, nothing can be approximated; the dragon-like writings have not been fully refined to their essential subtleties, yet those of deep understanding will naturally find the gate themselves. The scholar Faxi served seventeen dhyāna masters in all; only when his age reached sixty did he meet Zhizhe. The Chen Minister of Personnel Mao Xi teased him, saying, 'Your venerable master is still young; why is his disciple so old?' He replied, 'That which one serves is virtue; how could it depend on age?' Mao Xi also asked, 'What is his virtue?' He replied, 'His skillful preaching of the Dharma makes him a Pūrṇa of later generations; his breaking of Māra and eliminating obstacles makes him an Upagupta.' Mao Xi himself approved of his words and spoke of them at court and among the public, where they often became a common topic of conversation. Faxi also constantly practiced the vaipulya confession. When a pheasant came demanding his life, a spirit king blocked it, saying, 'Faxi shall go to the Western Pure Land and attain the Way in his next life; how could he repay you with his life?' He then sat upright and passed away at Waguan Temple, witnessed by everyone in Jianye and known to heaven and earth alike. There was also Huitao, who entered samādhi upon hearing the Dharma; Daoshi, who had his contemplation opened upon grasping the words; Jingbian, whose strong memory had the virtue of water poured from one vase into another; at Folong, Huipu burned his own body; while practicing confession, the Elephant King appeared to him; and Fashen, studying dhyāna, slightly developed the power of dhāraṇī. Unhappily, these two or three gentlemen died early. Among his disciples, there were many whose practice and understanding were both excellent and who were worthy of being masters to later students. All of them kept their jewels secretly within and did not let people know them. Now I have briefly recorded what was seen and heard as above. Chen Zhen, Adjutant for Military Affairs to Prince Jin'an of the Liang, was the elder brother of Zhizhe. When his age was fifty, the physiognomist Zhang Guo predicted his death at the dark of the moon. The master had him practice the vaipulya confession. Zhen saw a gateway in the heavenly palace [inscribed], 'This is the palace of Chen Zhen; after fifteen years he shall be born here.' Thereupon his life was extended by fifteen years. When Guo later saw Zhen, he asked in astonishment, 'What medicine did you take, sir?' Zhen answered, 'I only practiced confession.' Guo said, 'If not for the power of the Way, how could you have overcome death?' Liang Fangmao studied meditation under the master; he suddenly developed bodily supernormal powers and could lightly levitate a little. Zhizhe reprimanded him, saying, 'You are burdened with a wife and children; why should you study this? You should discard it immediately.' Grand Master of the Palace Jiang Tianmei and Wu Mingche, Specially Advanced and Equal to the Three Excellencies, both received methods of breath regulation and were cured of their beriberi. The far-reaching spread of the Dharma cloud was in all cases like this. Guanding has been most fortunate to encounter this auspicious time by mistake, unworthily spending thirteen years beneath his chariot wheels. Carrying heaven and treading the earth, I could not measure his height and depth. In the twenty-first year of Kaihuang, I met the Supreme Pillar of State Liu Guyan, who condescended to inquire about Zhizhe. Being completely ignorant of his secular home and native place as well as the causes and conditions of his entering the Way, I reproached myself and slightly came to my senses. Thereupon I asked old acquaintances about his distant ancestors and inquired of senior elders about his studies. Regarding the earlier events at Waguan, some I received directly from his spoken teachings; regarding the later portents at Tiantai, I have remembered and preserved them according to my capacity. However, his profound dhyāna, broad wisdom, subtle foundation, and spiritual traces cannot be known by the shallow and short-sighted. Merely longing for his profound style with no one else to look up to, I have ventured to compile what I have heard and seen as if attending his compassionate face. Opening and examining the initial scroll, tears and snivel fall together. Respectfully submitted.