高僧傳 8.71

8.71

釋慧球，本姓馬氏，扶風郡人，世為冠族，年十六出家，住荊州竹林寺，事道馨為師，稟承戒訓，履行清潔。後入湘州麓山寺，專業禪道。頃之，與同學慧度俱適京師，諮訪經典。後又之彭城，從僧淵受《成實論》。至年三十二，方還荊土，專當法匠。講集相繼，學侶成群，荊、楚之間，終古稱最。使西夏義僧，得與京邑抗衡者，球之力也。中興元年勅為荊土僧主。訓勗之功，有譽當世。天鑒三年卒，春秋七十有四。遺命露骸松下，弟子不忍行也。

Shi Huiqiu, originally of the Ma clan, was a native of Fufeng Commandery. His family had been an illustrious clan for generations. At the age of sixteen he went forth from household life and dwelt at Zhulin Temple in Jingzhou, serving Daoxin as his master, receiving his monastic discipline and instruction, and conducting himself with purity. Later he entered Lushan Temple in Xiangzhou to concentrate exclusively on the practice of dhyāna. Soon afterward, together with his fellow student Huidu, he went to the capital to inquire into and study the scriptures. Later he went to Pengcheng and studied the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra under Sengyuan. Not until he was thirty-two did he return to Jingzhou, where he served solely as an authoritative Dharma master. His lecture assemblies were held continuously, and student companions gathered in crowds; throughout the regions of Jing and Chu, he was acknowledged as foremost from past to present. That the doctrinal monks of the Western Xia were able to stand as equals with those of the capital was due to Huiqiu's efforts. In the first year of the Zhongxing reign period, he was appointed by imperial order as the Head of the Saṅgha for Jingzhou. His achievements in instructing and encouraging others were renowned in his time. He passed away in the third year of the Tianjian reign period at the age of seventy-four. In his final instructions he ordered that his corpse be left exposed beneath the pines, but his disciples could not bear to carry this out.