隋天台智者大師別傳 1.2.5

1.2.5

然居靈耀過為褊隘。 更求閑靜立眾安禪。 忽夢一人翼從嚴整。 稱名冠達請住三橋。 師云冠達梁武法名。 三橋豈非光宅遂移居之。 其年四月陳主幸寺捨身大施。 又講仁王般若。 敘經纔訖。 陳主於大眾內起禮三拜。 俯仰殷勤以彰敬重。 太子已下並託舟航咸宗戒範。 以崇津導先師。 虛己亡受能安寵辱故澹無驚喜。 皇太子請戒文云。 淵和南。 仰惟化導無方隨機濟物。 衛護國土汲引人天。 照燭光耀託迹師友。 比丘入夢符契之像。 久彰和尚來儀高座之德。 斯秉是以翹心。 十地渴仰四依大小。 二乘內外兩教尊師。 重道由來尚矣。 伏希俯提從其所請世世結緣。 遂其本願日夜增長。 今二月五日於崇正殿設千僧法會。 奉請為菩薩戒師。 謹遣主書劉璿奉迎（云云）于時傳香在手而臉下垂淚。 既字為善萠反言成晚後。 大隋吞陳方悟前旨。 金陵既敗策杖荊湘。 路次盆城忽夢老僧曰。 陶侃瑞像敬屈守護。 於是往憩匡山見惠遠圖像。 驗雁門法師之靈也。 俄而潯陽反叛寺宇焚燒。 獨有茲山全無侵擾。 護像之功其在此矣。 秦孝王聞風延屈。 先師對使而言。 雖欲相見終恐緣差。 既而王人催促迫不得止。 將欲解纜忽值大風累旬之間。 妖賊卒起水陸壅隔遂不成行。 至尊昔管淮海萬里。 廓清慕義崇賢歸身。 如舍遣使招引束鉢赴期師云。 我與大王深有因緣順水背風不日而至。 菩薩律儀即從稟受。 先師初陳寡德。 次讓名僧後舉同學三辭不免。 仍求四願一雖好學禪行不稱法。 年既西夕遠守繩床。 撫臆論心假名而已。 吹噓在彼惡聞過實。 願勿以禪法見欺。 二生在邊表。 長逢離亂。 身闇庠序。 口拙暄涼方外虛玄。 久非其分域間。 撙節一無可取。 雖欲自慎終恐樸直忤人。 願不責其規矩。 三微欲傳燈以報法恩。 若身當戒範應重去就去就。 若重傳燈則闕去就。 若輕則來嫌誚避嫌安身未。 若通法願許為法勿嫌輕重。 四三十餘年水石之間因以成性。 今王塗既一佛法再興。 謬承人汎沐此恩化。 內竭朽力仰酧外護。 若丘壑念起願放其飲啄以卒殘生。 許此四心乃赴優旨。 大王方希淨戒故妙願唯諾。 請戒文曰。 弟子基承積善生在皇家。 庭訓早趨彛教夙漸。 福履攸臻妙機須悟。 恥崎嶇於小徑。 希優游於大乘。 笑止息於化城。 誓舟航於彼岸。 開士萬行戒善為先。 菩薩十受專持最上。 喻造宮室必先基址。 徒架虛空終不能成。 孔老釋門咸資鎔鑄。 不有軌儀孰將安仰。 誠復能仁本為和尚。 文殊冥作闍黎。 而必藉人師顯傳聖授自近之。 遠感而遂通。 波崙罄髓於無竭。 善財忘身於法界。 經有明文非從臆說。 深信佛語。 幸遵明導禪師。 佛法龍象戒珠圓淨。 定水淵澄因靜發慧。 安無礙辯先物後己謙挹成風。 名稱遠聞眾所知識。 弟子所以虔誠遙注。 命楫遠延每畏緣差值諸留難。 亦既至止心路豁然。 及披雲霧即消煩惱。 以今開皇十一年十一月二十三日。 於總管金城殿設千僧會。 敬屈授菩薩戒。 戒名為孝。 亦名制止。 方便智度歸宗奉極。 以此勝福奉資至尊皇后作大莊嚴。 同如來慈普諸佛愛等。 視四生猶如一子。 師云。 大王紆遵聖禁。 名曰。 總持。 王曰大師傳佛法燈稱為智者。 所獲檀嚫各六十種。 一時迴施悲敬兩田使福德增多。 以資家國香火事訖汎舸衡峽。 大王麾駕貴州臨江。 奉送供給隆重轉倍於前。 既值便風朝發夕還。 而渚宮道俗延頸候望。 扶老携幼相趨戒場。 垂黑戴白雲屯。 講座聽眾五十餘人旋鄉答地荊襄未聞。 既慧日已明福庭將建。 於當陽縣玉泉山而立精舍。 蒙勅賜額號為一音。 重改為玉泉。 其地本來荒險神獸蛇暴。 諺云。 三毒之藪踐者寒心。 創寺其間決無憂慮。 是春夏旱。 百姓咸謂神怒。 故智者躬至泉源滅此邪見。

However, living at Lingyao was exceedingly cramped and narrow. Seeking further for a tranquil place to establish an assembly and practise dhyāna in peace, he suddenly dreamt of a person whose entourage was orderly and solemn, who declared his name to be Guanda and invited him to dwell at Sanqiao. The Master said, "Guanda was the Dharma name of Emperor Wu of the Liang. Does 'Sanqiao' not refer to Guangzhai [Temple]?" He thereupon moved there. In the fourth month of that year, the ruler of Chen visited the temple, renounced his person, and made great donations. The Master also gave lectures on the Benevolent King's Prajñā[-pāramitā Sūtra]. Just as his explanation of the sūtra concluded, the ruler of Chen rose from the assembly and made three prostrations, bowing and rising with earnest devotion to manifest his veneration. From the Crown Prince on down, all placed their reliance upon his ferryboat, and all revered his moral standards. Regarding him as an exalted guide, the late Master emptied himself, had no thought of gain, and was able to remain at peace through favour and disgrace, being completely tranquil without shock or joy. The Crown Prince's petition requesting the precepts read: "Yuan makes obeisance. With deep respect, I reflect that your transformation and guidance are boundless, saving beings according to their capacities; you protect the realm, guide humans and devas, shine with radiant brilliance, and entrust your traces to teachers and friends. The image of an ordained monk entering a dream to serve as a tally has long made manifest the Upādhyāya's virtue in gracing the high seat; holding firmly to this, I look forward with yearning to the ten stages and long for the four reliances. For the two vehicles, Great and Small, and the two teachings, inner and outer, venerating teachers and honouring the Dao has long been esteemed. I humbly hope that you will condescend to grant this petition and forge a karmic bond across life after life, fulfilling my original vow so that it may increase day and night. Today, on the fifth day of the second month, a Dharma assembly for one thousand monks has been established in the Chongzheng Hall, reverently inviting you to be the preceptor of the bodhisattva precepts. I respectfully dispatch Liu Xuan, Master of Documents, to welcome you (and so forth)." At that time, holding the incense in his hand, tears fell down his cheeks. He had the style name Shanmeng; yet taking the phonetic reversal of the characters, it meant "late". Only after the Great Sui annexed Chen was the former import understood. Once Jinling fell, he leaned on his staff and made his way through Jing and Xiang. Halting along the way at Bencheng, he suddenly dreamt of an old monk who said, "I respectfully entreat you to guard and protect Tao Kan's auspicious image." Thereupon he went to rest at Mount Kuang and saw the portrait of Huiyuan; this proved to be the spiritual numen of the Dharma Master of Yanmen. Shortly afterwards, Xunyang rebelled and the temples were incinerated; this mountain alone was entirely unmolested. The merit of protecting the image surely lay herein! King Xiao of Qin heard of his renown and invited him. The late Master told the emissary, "Though we wish to meet, I fear our conditions will ultimately diverge." Yet the prince's emissaries urged him on relentlessly, leaving him no way to decline. Just as he was about to cast off the moorings, he encountered fierce winds lasting for several decades of days; rebellious bandits suddenly arose, cutting off both land and water routes, so the journey was not made. In the past, when His Sovereign Majesty governed the Huai and the sea across ten thousand li, having pacified the region, he admired righteousness, venerated worthies, and took refuge in him as if in a shelter. He dispatched messengers to invite him, and he packed his bowl to keep the appointment. The Master said, "I have a profound karmic affinity with the Great King. Going with the current and having the wind at our backs, we shall arrive in no time." Thereupon he received from him the bodhisattva vinaya. The late Master first pleaded his lack of virtue, then deferred to renowned monks, and next recommended fellow practitioners, but three refusals failed to excuse him. He then made four requests: "First, although I am fond of learning dhyāna, my practice does not accord with the Dharma. Having reached the evening of my years, keeping from afar to the rope bed, I examine my heart and find it merely a nominal designation. Praising and exalting belongs to others, but I abhor hearing of virtue exceeding reality. I ask that you do not deceive yourself regarding my dhyāna teachings. Second, I was born in the frontier regions and grew up amidst chaos and war. My person is untutored in etiquette, my speech clumsy at greetings and small talk. Matters of the transcendental and abstruse have long been beyond my capacity, and my restraint in worldly affairs has nothing commendable. Although I wish to conduct myself with care, I fear my straightforward nature will ultimately offend others. I ask that you do not demand conformity to regulations. Third, I have a slight wish to transmit the lamp in order to repay the kindness of the Dharma. If my person is to serve as a model for the precepts, taking office and departing should be weighed heavily; if taking office and departing are weighed heavily, then transmitting the lamp will be neglected. If they are taken lightly, criticism and reproach will arise. To avoid blame and keep one's person safe is not as good as propagating the Dharma; I ask that you permit me to act for the Dharma, without faulting me for matters being taken lightly or heavily. Fourth, for more than thirty years I have lived among water and rocks, so that it has become my nature. Now that the royal realm is unified and the Buddha's Dharma is revived once more, having inappropriately benefited from people's hospitality and bathed in this gracious transformation, I shall exhaust my failing strength within to repay the external protection from above. If thoughts of hills and valleys arise, I ask to be released to drink and peck so as to live out the remainder of my days." Only after these four desires were granted did he accede to the gracious decree. As the Great King then yearned for the pure precepts, he readily consented to these splendid wishes. The petition requesting the precepts read: "This disciple's foundation inherits accumulated goodness; I was born into the imperial house. Early on, I was instructed in the domestic courtyard, and early was I steeped in the regular teachings. When good fortune arrives, the wondrous opportunity must be realized. Ashamed to tread unevenly upon the lesser path, I long to wander freely in the Great Vehicle. Laughing at resting in the Conjured City, I vow to sail a boat to the other shore. Among the myriad practices of the great beings, pure precepts come first; among the ten receipts of a bodhisattva, dedicated observance is supreme. As with building palaces and halls, one must first lay the foundations; to build vainly in the empty sky can never succeed. Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists alike draw upon their mouldings; without rules and models, upon whom could one rely? Truly, though the Benevolent One was originally the Upādhyāya and Mañjuśrī secretly acted as the Ācārya, one must still rely upon a human teacher to visibly transmit the sacred bestowal, moving from near to far, and through resonance achieve penetration. Sadāprarudita gave his very marrow to Dharmodgata; Sudhana forgot his person for the Dharmadhātu. These are explicitly recorded in the scriptures, not spoken from personal whim. With deep faith in the Buddha's words, I am fortunate to follow a luminous guide. The dhyāna master is a dragon and elephant of the Buddha's Dharma; the jewel of his precepts is round and pure, the water of his samādhi deep and limpid. Arising from tranquility, he brings forth wisdom and dwells securely in unobstructed eloquence, placing others before himself, his modesty and restraint forming a standard. His name is heard afar, renowned to all as a good friend. Therefore, this disciple pours out his devotion from afar, sending boats over great distances to invite you, always fearing that conditions might diverge and meet with hindrances. Yet now that you have arrived, the path of my heart is open and clear; parting the clouds and mist, my afflictions are dispelled at once. On this twenty-third day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of Kaihuang, in the Jincheng Hall of the governor-general, I have established a thousand-monk assembly, reverently entreating you to confer the bodhisattva precepts. The precept is called Filial Piety; it is also called Restraint. It takes expedient means and wisdom as its fundamental guide, revering the ultimate. With this supreme blessing, I offer support to His Sovereign Majesty and the Empress to create great ornamentation, sharing the Tathāgata's compassion and extending the universal love of all Buddhas, regarding the four kinds of born beings equally, just as an only son." The Master said: "The Great King condescends to follow the sacred prohibitions; let your name be called Zongchi (Dhāraṇī)." The King said: "The Great Master transmits the lamp of the Buddha's Dharma; let him be called Zhizhe (Wise One)." The sixty kinds of alms received were all redistributed at once to both the field of compassion and the field of reverence, causing merit and virtue to increase and multiply, so as to support the incense and lamps of the state and realm. With matters completed, he sailed his boat toward Heng and the Gorges. The Great King rode in procession to Guizhou, overlooking the river, to see him off; the provisions supplied were twice as lavish as before. Encountering a favourable wind, he departed in the morning and returned in the evening, while the monastics and laity of Zhugong craned their necks in longing expectation, supporting the aged and leading the young as they hurried toward the precept platform. Dark hair and white hair gathered like clouds; over fifty people attended the lectures. Returning to one's native place to repay the land was unprecedented in Jing and Xiang. Since the sun of wisdom was already bright, the field of blessings was to be established. He founded a vihāra at Mount Yuquan in Dangyang County; he received an imperial bestowed plaque naming it Yiyin, which was later changed to Yuquan. That place had originally been wild and perilous, with violent spirit-beasts and serpents; the proverb said, "It is a swamp of the three poisons; those who tread here freeze with fear." Yet when he founded the temple there, he was entirely free of anxiety. In the spring and summer of that year there was a drought, and the common folk all said the spirits were angered. Therefore Zhizhe went in person to the spring's source to eradicate this false view.