高僧傳 8.20

8.20

元嘉十五年還梁州，因進成都，後東適建鄴，依道場慧觀為師。篤志大乘，傍尋數論。外典墳素，頗亦披覽。後入廬山，守靜味禪，澄思五門，遊心三觀。頃之，刺史庾登之請出山講說。後文帝訪覓述生公頓悟義者，迺勅下都，使頓悟之旨，重申宋代。何尚之聞而歎曰：「常謂生公歿後，微言永絕。今日復聞象外之談，可謂天未喪其文也。」帝勅為南平穆王鑠五戒師。及孝武即位，勅為西陽王子尚友。辭疾不堪，久之獲免。因廬于方山，注《勝鬘》及《微密持經》。論議之隙時談《孝經》、《喪服》。後天保改構，請瑗居之，因辭山出邑，綱維寺網。刺史王景文往候，正值講《喪服》，問論數番，稱善而退。及明帝造湘宮新成，大開講肆，妙選英僧，勅請瑗充當法主。帝乃降蹕法筵，公卿會座，一時之盛，觀者榮之。後齊文惠又請居靈根，因移彼寺。太尉王儉，門無雜交，唯待瑗若師，書語盡敬。以齊永明七年卒，春秋八十一矣。

In the fifteenth year of the Yuanjia era, he returned to Liangzhou, then proceeded to Chengdu, and later travelled east to Jianye, relying on Huiguan of Daochang as his teacher. Devoted to the Mahāyāna, he also studied the Abhidharma treatises. He also perused the external classical canons. Later, he entered Mount Lu, maintaining stillness and savoring dhyāna, purifying his thoughts through the five gates, and roaming his mind in the three contemplations. After a while, Governor Yu Dengzhi invited him to emerge from the mountain to give lectures. Later, Emperor Wen sought someone who could expound Master Daosheng's doctrine of sudden awakening, and issued an imperial decree calling him down to the capital, so that the purport of sudden awakening was proclaimed anew in the Song era. When He Shangzhi heard it, he sighed and said: "I had always thought that after Master Daosheng died, the subtle words were forever lost. Today hearing again discourse that goes beyond the forms, one can say that Heaven has not let this culture perish!" The Emperor decreed that he become the preceptor of the five precepts for Prince Mu of Nanping, Shuo. When Emperor Xiaowu ascended the throne, he ordered him to become a friend to Prince of Xiyang, Zishang. Yuan pleaded illness, and after a long time was excused. He then built a hut on Fangshan and wrote commentaries on the *Śrīmālādevī-sūtra* and the *Weimi chi jing*. In the intervals of philosophical debate, he would occasionally discuss the *Classic of Filial Piety* and *Mourning Rites*. Later, when Tianbao Temple was rebuilt, they invited Yuan to reside there, whereupon he left the mountain, went into the city, and maintained the governance of the temple. When Governor Wang Jingwen visited him, Yuan happened to be lecturing on the *Mourning Rites*; Jingwen raised several rounds of questions and debates, praised him as excellent, and withdrew. When Emperor Ming newly completed Xianggong Temple, he set up a great lecture hall, selected outstanding monks, and issued a decree asking Yuan to act as the presiding master of the Dharma. The Emperor personally graced the Dharma assembly, and the high ministers gathered at their seats; it was a magnificent event of the time, and observers thought it glorious. Later, Crown Prince Wenhui of Qi also invited him to reside at Linggen Temple, so he moved to that temple. Wang Jian, the Grand Defender, had no indiscriminate social acquaintances, but treated Yuan as his master, showing utmost respect in all letters and conversations. Yuan died in the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Qi dynasty at the age of eighty-one.