高僧傳 1.59

1.59

曇摩耶舍，此云法明，罽賓人。少而好學，年十四為弗若多羅所知。長而氣幹高爽，雅有神慧，該覽經律，明悟出群。陶思八禪，遊心七覺，時人方之浮頭婆馱。孤行山澤，不避豺虎，獨處思念，動移宵日。甞於樹下每自剋責：年將三十，尚未得果，何其懈哉！於是累日不寢不食，專精苦到，以悔先罪。乃夢見博叉天王語之曰：「沙門當觀方弘化，曠濟為懷，何守小節獨善而已。道假眾緣，復須時熟，非分強求，死而無證。」覺自思惟，欲遊方授道，既而踰歷名邦，履踐郡國。以晉隆安中，初達廣州，住白沙寺。

Dharmayaśas, translated as Fameng (Dharma-brightness), was a native of Kashmir. In his youth he was fond of learning, and at the age of fourteen he came to the notice of Puṇyatāra. When he grew up, his character and bearing were lofty and brilliant, and he had extraordinary spiritual wisdom. He was widely versed in the sūtras and vinaya, and his insight and understanding surpassed the crowd. He steeped his mind in the eight dhyānas and roved his spirit in the seven factors of awakening; people of the day compared him to Buddhabhadra. He traversed mountains and marshes alone, not turning aside from jackals or tigers; dwelling alone in contemplation, days and nights flew by without his noticing. He often reproached himself beneath a tree: "I am approaching thirty and have still not attained the fruit [of arhatship]—how indolent I am!" Thereupon, for days on end, he neither slept nor ate, applying himself with intense austerity to repent of his past misdeeds. He then dreamt that King Virūpākṣa spoke to him, saying: "A śramaṇa should survey all directions to propagate transforming teachings and take wide deliverance as his aim. Why hold to petty disciplines, seeking only personal perfection? The Way depends on myriad conditions and furthermore requires the ripening of time; if you force it beyond your measure, you will die without realization." Awakening, he reflected on this and wished to wander abroad to transmit the Way. He then traversed celebrated states and crossed through commanderies and kingdoms. During the Long'an era of the Jin, he first arrived in Guangzhou and stayed at Baisha Temple.