[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [隋天台智者大師別傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050) › 1.2.2 # 隋天台智者大師別傳 1.2.2 隋天台智者大師別傳 1.2.2 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2.2) 時有慧邈禪師。 行矯常倫辯迷時聽。 自謂門人曰。 我所敷弘真師子吼。 他之所說是野干鳴。 心眼未開誰不惑者。 先師正引經文傍宗擊節研覈考問。 邈則失徵揚簸慧風則糠粃可識。 淘汰定水故砂礫易明。 於是迷徒知反問津識濟。 仍於是夜夢見三層樓閣。 邈立其下己坐其上。 又有一人攘臂怒目曰。 何忽邈耶。 何疑法耶。 宜當問我。 先師設難數關賓主往復。 怒人辭窮理喪結舌亡言。 因誡之曰。 除諸法實相餘皆魔事。 誡已不復見邈及與怒人。 夕有聞者。 謂為\[譋-月+曶\]寱。 旦詣思所具陳是相。 師曰。 汝觀般若不退品。 凡幾種行類相貌九十六道。 經云人若說法神助怖之。 汝既晝折慢幢。 夜驅惡黨邪不干正法應爾也。 思師造金字大品經竟。 自開玄義命令代講。 是以智方日月。 辯類懸河。 卷舒稱會有理存焉。 唯有三三昧及三觀智。 用以諮審餘悉自裁。 思師手持如意臨席。 讚曰。 可謂法付法臣。 法王無事者也。 慧曠律師亦來會坐。 思謂曰。 老僧嘗聽賢子法耳。 答云。 禪師所生非曠之子。 又曰。 思亦無功法華力耳代講竟。 思師誡曰。 吾久羨南衡。 恨法無所委。 汝粗得其門甚適我願。 吾解不謝汝緣當相揖。 今以付屬汝。 汝可秉法逗緣傳燈化物。 莫作最後斷種人也。 既奉嚴訓不得扈從衡嶽。 素聞金陵仁義淵藪試往觀之。 若法弘其地則不孤付囑。 仍共法喜等二十七人同至陳都。 然上德不德又知音者。 寡有一老僧。 厥名法濟。 即何凱之從叔也。 自矜禪學倚臥。 問言。 有人入定聞攝山地動。 知僧詮練無常此何禪也。 答曰。 邊定不深邪乘闇入。 若取若說定壞無疑。 濟驚起謝曰。 老僧身嘗得此定。 向靈耀則公說之則所不解說已永失。 今聞所未聞。 非直善知法相。 亦乃懸見他心。 濟以告凱。 凱告朝野由是聲馳道俗請益成蹊。 大忍法師梁陳擅德養道。 開善不交當世。 時有義集來會蔣山雖有折角重席忍無所容。 與先師觀慧縱橫聽者傾耳。 眾咸彈指合掌皆言聞所未聞。 忍歎曰。 此非文疏所出。 乃是觀機縱辯般若非鈍非利。 利鈍由緣豐富適時。 是其利相。 池深華大鈍可意得慶餘暉之。 有幸使老疾而忘疲。 先達稱詠故頌聲溢道。 于時長干慧辯。 延入定熙天宮僧晃請居佛窟。 皆欲捨講習禪緣差永恨。 面而誓曰。 今身障隔不遂。 稟承後世弘通。 必希汲引僕射徐陵德優名重。 夢其先門曰。 禪師是吾宿世宗範。 汝宜一心事之。 既奉冥訓資敬盡節參不失時序。 拜不避泥水。 若蒙書疏則洗手燒香冠帶三禮。 屏氣開封對文伏讀句句稱諾。 若非微妙至德。 豈使當世文雄屈意如此耶。 儀同沈君理。 請住瓦官開法華經題。 勅一日停朝。 事群公畢集金紫光祿王固侍中孔煥尚書毛喜僕射周弘正等朱輪動於路。 玉珮喧於席俱服戒香。 同飡法味。 小莊嚴寺慧榮負水輕誕。 其日揚眉舞扇。 扇便墮地。 雙構巨難難不稱捷。 合掌歎曰。 非禪不智今之法座乎。 法歲法師爾日並坐撫榮背而嘲曰。 從來義龍今成伏鹿。 扇既墮地以何遮羞。 榮答云。 輕敵失勢。 猶未可欺也。 興皇法朗盛弘龍樹。 更遣高足構難累旬。 磨鏡轉明揩金足色。 虛往既實而忘反也。 好勝者懷愧不議而革新斯之謂歟。 建初寶瓊相逢讓路曰。 少欲學禪不值名匠。 長雖有信阻以講說方秋遇賢年又老矣。 庶因渴仰累世提携白馬驚韶定林法歲禪眾智令奉誠法安等。 皆金陵上匠德居僧首。 捨指南之位遵北面之禮。 其四方衿袖萬里來者。 不惜無貲之軀。 以希一句之益。 伏膺至教飡和妙道。 唯禪唯慧忘寢忘飡。 先師善於將眾調御得所。 停瓦官八載講大智度論。 說次第禪門。 蒙語默之益者略難稱紀。 雖動靜合道而能露疵藏寶恩被一切。 > At that time there was Dhyāna Master Huimiao. His conduct was bizarre and contrary to normal standards, and his eloquence bewildered the listeners of the day. He said to his disciples, “What I expound is the true lion's roar; what others speak is the yelping of jackals.” Whose eyes of the mind are not yet opened that would not be deluded? The former master directly cited scriptural passages, referenced tenets, marked the rhythm, investigated, and cross-examined him. Miao then lost his evidence: when the wind of wisdom winnows, the chaff can be recognized; when the water of concentration clarifies, the gravel and sand are easily made clear. Thereupon the deluded disciples knew to turn back, sought the ferry, and recognized the crossing. > Still, that very night, \[the former master\] dreamed that he saw a three-storied pavilion: Miao was standing beneath it, while he himself sat above. There was also a man who rolled up his sleeves, glared angrily, and said, “Why do you disregard Miao? Why do you doubt his teachings? You ought to question me!” The former master posed difficulties through several rounds of back-and-forth exchange between host and guest. The angry man ran out of words, his reasoning collapsed, and his tongue tied, he fell silent. Thereupon \[the master\] admonished him, saying, “Apart from the true reality of all dharmas, all else is the deed of Māra.” After he admonished him, he no longer saw Miao or the angry man. Those who heard it that night thought he had been talking in his sleep. In the morning, he went to Huisi's place and recounted these signs in full. > His master said, “When you contemplate the ‘Non-retrogression Chapter’ of the Prajñā\[-pāramitā\], how many kinds of behavioral categories and appearances are there among the ninety-six paths? The sūtra says that if someone preaches the Dharma, spirits will assist and terrify him. Since you shattered the banner of pride by day and drove off the wicked faction by night, it is only natural that falsehood does not obstruct the true Dharma.” > Master Huisi finished producing a gold-lettered copy of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. He himself opened the profound meaning and ordered \[the master\] to lecture in his stead. Thus his wisdom was likened to the sun and moon, and his eloquence was like a hanging river; his contraction and unfolding suited the occasion, with \[profound\] principle residing within. Only concerning the three samādhis and the three contemplation-wisdoms did he consult and verify; all the rest he decided himself. Master Huisi held a ruyi in his hand, approached the assembly, and praised him, saying, “It may indeed be said that the Dharma has been entrusted to a dharma minister, and the dharmarāja has nothing to worry about!” Vinaya Master Huikuang also came to join the assembly. Huisi said to him, “This old monk has been listening to your worthy disciple's Dharma!” \[Huikuang\] replied, “He was born of the Dhyāna Master; he is no disciple of mine.” \[Huisi\] also said, “Huisi has no merit either; it is only the power of the Lotus!” > When the substitute lecturing was finished, Master Huisi admonished him, saying, “I have long longed for the southern Heng\[yue\], but regretted having no one to whom I could entrust the Dharma. You have roughly attained its gateway, which greatly fulfills my wish. My understanding does not surpass yours, but our karmic affinities must part. Now I entrust it to you. You may uphold the Dharma, adapt to conditions, transmit the lamp, and transform beings. Do not be the person who cuts off the lineage at the end!” > Having received this strict instruction, he could not accompany \[his master\] to Hengyue. Having long heard that Jinling was a reservoir of benevolence and righteousness, he went to observe it as a test: if the Dharma could be propagated in that land, he would not fail the entrustment. Thereupon, together with Faxi and others—twenty-seven people in all—he went to the capital of the Chen dynasty. > Yet “the highest virtue does not consider itself virtue,” and those who truly appreciate it were few. There was an old monk named Faji, who was the uncle of He Kai. Proud of his own dhyāna learning, he leaned back reclining and asked, “If a person enters samādhi and hears the ground of Mount She shaking, knowing that Sengquan’s training is impermanent, what kind of dhyāna is this?” > \[The master\] answered, “This peripheral concentration is not deep; falsehood enters through the darkness. If one grasps it or speaks of it, the concentration will be ruined without doubt.” > Ji arose in astonishment, apologized, and said, “This old monk once attained this concentration himself. I spoke of it to Master Gong of Lingyao, but he did not understand it, and after I spoke of it, it was lost forever. Today I have heard what I had never heard before! Not only do you know the marks of dharmas well, but you also perceive others’ minds from afar!” > Ji told Kai about it, and Kai told the court and the commoners. From this, his renown spread among the ordained and the lay, and those seeking instruction formed a beaten path. > Dharma Master Daren was eminent in virtue and nurtured the Way under the Liang and Chen dynasties, dwelling at Kaishan without mingling with the contemporary world. At that time, when an assembly on doctrinal meaning met at Mount Jiang, though there were sharp disputants and double seats, Ren had no place for anyone. When he engaged with the former master, whose contemplative wisdom flowed unhindered, the listeners tilted their ears. The assembly all snapped their fingers, joined their palms, and all said they had heard what they had never heard before. Ren sighed and said, “This does not come from written commentaries; it is an unhindered eloquence based on discerning capacities! Prajñā is neither dull nor sharp; sharpness and dullness depend on conditions. That it is abundantly suited to the time is its sharp aspect. When the pond is deep, the flower is large; how could a dull \[mind\] fathom this? I rejoice in having the good fortune to receive his lingering radiance, making me, in my old age and illness, forget my fatigue!” Because he was praised by earlier luminaries, eulogies filled the avenues. > At that time, Huibian of Changgan invited him to Dingxi, and Sengkuang of Tiangong invited him to dwell in the Buddha-cave. Both wished to abandon lecturing and practice dhyāna, but their karmic conditions fell short, leaving them with eternal regret. Facing him, they vowed: “In this life obstacles have separated us so that it could not be fulfilled. Receiving your teachings in a future life to propagate them, we certainly hope you will draw us forward!” > Xu Ling, the Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, of superior virtue and weighty renown, dreamed that his deceased father said to him, “The Dhyāna Master is my ancestral model from past lives. You should serve him whole-heartedly.” Having received this nocturnal instruction, his respect was consummate: he never missed the seasonal occasions to pay visits, and he did not avoid mud or water when bowing. If he received a letter, he would wash his hands, burn incense, don his cap and belt, and make three prostrations; holding his breath, he would open the seal, and facing the text, he would bow and read, assenting to every sentence. Were it not for subtle and supreme virtue, how could a literary giant of the era have humbled his mind to such a degree? > Shen Junli, Specially Advanced with the Equivalence of the Three Excellencies, invited him to reside at Waguan to lecture on the title of the Lotus Sūtra. An imperial decree suspended court affairs for a day, and the gathered lords all assembled: Wang Gu, Grand Master of the Imperial Fall with Gold and Purple, Kong Huan, Palace Attendant, Mao Xi, Minister of the Department of State Affairs, Zhou Hongzheng, Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and others. Red-wheeled carriages stirred the roads, and jade pendants clattered in the assembly. Together they donned the fragrance of the precepts, and together they partook of the flavor of the Dharma. > Huirong of Xiaozhuangyan Temple, puffed up and haughty, raised his eyebrows and waved his fan on that day. The fan then fell to the ground. He formulated two great difficulties, but his difficulties were not sharp. Joining his palms, he sighed and said, “Without dhyāna there is no wisdom—is this not \[exemplified by\] today’s Dharma throne?” Dharma Master Fasui, who was sitting beside him that day, patted Rong’s back and mocked him, saying, “The doctrinal dragon of former days has now become a crouched deer! Since the fan has already fallen to the ground, what will you use to cover your shame?” Rong replied, “Underestimating the foe led to losing momentum, but I cannot yet be bullied!” > Falang of Xinghuang Temple extensively propagated Nāgārjuna. He sent senior disciples to formulate difficulties for successive decades of days. Polishing a mirror only makes it brighter; rubbing gold only makes its color pure. Going empty, they were filled, and forgot to return! Is this not what is meant by ‘Those fond of winning harbor shame, and change their ways without dispute’? > Baoqiong of Jianchu, meeting him, yielded the road and said, “In my youth I wished to study dhyāna but did not meet a renowned master. When grown, although I had faith, I was hindered by lecturing. Just when autumn has come, I meet a worthy one, but my years are already advanced! I hope that through this thirst and longing, we will guide each other through successive lives.” > Jingshao of Baima, Fasui of Dinglin, Zhiling of Chanzhong, and Fengcheng and Fa'an, were all supreme masters of Jinling whose virtues placed them at the head of the sangha. They relinquished the position of facing south and observed the etiquette of facing north. Those from the four quarters who folded their sleeves and came from ten thousand li did not spare their priceless bodies, hoping to gain the benefit of a single sentence. Bowing their minds to the supreme teaching, they partook in harmony of the wondrous Way; intent only on dhyāna and wisdom, they forgot sleep and meals. > The former master was good at leading the assembly, guiding and disciplining them appropriately. He stayed at Waguan for eight years, lecturing on the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and preaching the Gradual Gate of Dhyāna. The benefits received through his speech and silence are difficult to record in brief. Though his movement and stillness were in accord with the Way, he was able to expose flaws while concealing treasures, and his grace extended to all. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2.1) - [Next: 1.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2.3) - [Up: 1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050~en-mt.1.2.2) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2050.1.2.2) · Pramāṇa