高僧傳 3.37

3.37

常以江左王畿，志欲傳法，以宋元嘉元年展轉至蜀，俄而出峽，止荊州，於長沙寺造立禪閣，翹誠懇惻，祈請舍利。旬有餘日，遂感一枚，衝器出聲，放光滿室，門徒道俗，莫不更增勇猛，人百其心。頃之，沿流東下，至于京師。初止中興寺，晚憩祇洹，密多道聲素著，化洽連邦，至京甫爾，傾都禮訊。自宋文袁皇后及皇太子、公主，莫不設齋桂宮，請戒椒掖，參候之使，旬日相望。即於祇洹寺譯出《禪經》、《禪法要》、《普賢觀》、《虛空藏觀》等。常以禪道教授，或千里諮受，四輩遠近，皆號「大禪師」焉。會稽太守平昌孟顗，深信正法，以三寶為己任，素好禪味，敬心殷重，及臨浙右，請與同遊，乃於鄮縣之山，建立塔寺。東境舊俗，多趣巫祝，及妙化所移，比屋歸正，自西徂東，無思不服。元嘉十年還都，止鍾山定林下寺。密多天性凝靖，雅愛山水，以為鍾山鎮岳，埒美嵩華，常歎下寺基構，臨㵎低側。於是乘高相地，揆卜山勢，以元嘉十二年斬石刊木，營建上寺，士庶欽風，獻奉稠疊，禪房殿宇，欝爾層構，於是息心之眾，萬里來集，諷誦肅邕，望風成化。定林達禪師，即神足弟子，弘其風教，聲震道俗，故能淨化，久而莫渝，勝業崇而弗替，蓋密多之遺烈也。爰自西域，至于南土，凡所遊履，靡不興造檀會，敷陳教法。

Always regarding the royal domain east of the Yangtze River as a place where he aspired to transmit the Dharma, in the first year of the Yuanjia reign-era of the Song he traveled by stages to Shu. Soon he came out through the gorges and stayed in Jingzhou, building a dhyāna pavilion at Changsha Temple; with fervent and sincere earnestness, he prayed for a relic. After ten-odd days, one was miraculously obtained; hitting against the vessel, it made a sound and emitted light filling the room. Disciples, monastics, and laity alike all redoubled their vigor, their enthusiasm increasing a hundredfold. Shortly after, he traveled eastward downstream and arrived at the capital. At first he stayed at Zhongxing Temple, and later rested at Qihuan. Mitra’s reputation for the Way had long been celebrated, and his converting influence had reached neighboring states; no sooner had he arrived in the capital than the entire city came out to pay respects and make inquiries. From Empress Yuan of Emperor Wen of the Song down to the Crown Prince and princesses, all laid out vegetarian feasts in the cassia palaces and requested the precepts in the pepper chambers; emissaries inquiring after his health looked toward one another within ten-day spans. He translated the Dhyāna-sūtra, the Essentials of Dhyāna, the Contemplation of Samantabhadra, the Contemplation of Ākāśagarbha, and others at Qihuan Temple. He constantly instructed through the path of dhyāna; people traveled from a thousand li to consult and receive teachings, and the four groups from near and far all styled him "Great Dhyāna Master." Meng Yi of Pingchang, the grand administrator of Kuaiji, deeply had faith in the correct Dharma, took the Three Jewels as his own responsibility, was long fond of the taste of dhyāna, and his reverence was profound. When he took office west of the Zhe River, he invited [Mitra] to travel with him; thereupon they established a stupa and temple on the mountain of Mao County. The old customs of the eastern region mostly tended toward shamans and diviners; when the marvelous converting influence moved them, house after house turned to the correct, and from west to east, none failed to submit. In the tenth year of the Yuanjia reign-era he returned to the capital, staying at the Lower Dinglin Temple on Mount Zhong. Mitra was by nature calm and tranquil, and he especially loved mountains and waters, considering Mount Zhong to be a guardian peak equal in beauty to Mount Song and Mount Hua; he constantly lamented that the foundation of the Lower Temple leaned low against the ravine. Thereupon he climbed high to survey the land, estimating the mountain's topography, and in the twelfth year of the Yuanjia reign-era cut stones and felled trees to construct the Upper Temple. Scholars and commoners admired his demeanor and heaped offerings upon him; dhyāna chambers and temple halls rose up in dense stories. Thereupon the assembly of those who rested their minds gathered from ten thousand li away; their chanting was solemn and harmonious, and those who beheld their demeanor were transformed. Dhyāna Master Da of Dinglin was his gifted disciple, who propagated his style and teachings, his renown shaking monastics and laity; thus the pure conversion did not diminish over time, and the superior enterprise was exalted without decline—this indeed was the lasting achievement of Mitra. From the Western Regions down to the southern land, wherever he traveled, he invariably established assemblies of generosity and expounded the teachings of the Dharma.