高僧傳 11
English (machine translation) 11
- Language
- English
11.1
Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Huijiao of Jiaxiang Temple in Kuaiji, Liang
11.2
Practitioners of Dhyāna (twenty-one persons); Masters of Vinaya (thirteen persons)
11.3
Zhu Sengxian, 1
Bo Sengguang, 2
Zhu Tanyou, 3
Shi Huiwei, 4
Shi Xianhu, 5
Shi Zhi Tanlan, 6
Shi Faxu, 7
Shi Xuan'gao, 8
Shi Sengzhou, 9
Shi Huitong, 10
Shi Jingdu, 11
Shi Sengcong, 12
Shi Facheng, 13
Shi Huilan, 14
Shi Faqi, 15
Shi Daofa, 16
Shi Puheng, 17
Shi Fawu, 18
Shi Sengshen, 19
Shi Tanchao, 20
Shi Huiming, 21
11.4
Zhu Sengxian, 1
11.5
Zhu Sengxian, originally surnamed Fu, was a native of Beidi. Chaste, austere, and upright in monastic discipline, he consumed vegetarian food, chanted sūtras, and made the practice of dhyāna his primary endeavor. He constantly resided alone in mountains and forests, practicing dhūta far from worldly people. At times he entered dhyāna for several days, yet showed no signs of hunger. When Liu Yao invaded and threw the Western Capital into chaos, court and populace collapsed in turmoil. At the end of the Taixing era of the Jin, Sengxian traveled south to the region east of the Yangtze. He again journeyed through famous mountains, cultivating his constant practice. Later he contracted a severe illness that grew grave, whereupon he focused his thoughts on the Western Direction with utmost earnestness and sincerity. He saw Amitāyus Buddha descend in true form, his light illuminating his body, and all his sufferings were completely cured. That evening he arose and bathed, and explained what he had seen to his fellow residents and attendants, also expounding on cause and effect with clear and precise words. At dawn the next morning, he sat upright and transformed. An extraordinary fragrance filled the room, dissipating only after more than ten days.
11.6
Bo Sengguang, 2
11.7
Bo Sengguang, also called Tanguang, was of unknown origin. In his youth he practiced dhyāna. Early in the Yonghe era of Jin, he traveled east of the Yangtze and went to Mount Shicheng in Shan. The mountain folk all said that this place had long suffered calamities from ferocious beasts and the mountain spirit's violent rampages, so human traces had long ceased. Guang showed no fear at all; he hired men to clear the brush and advanced with staff on his back. Traveling several li inward, a violent storm suddenly arose, and a pack of tigers roared. On the southern side of the mountain, Guang saw a stone chamber and settled within it, sitting in dhyāna with palms joined as a place to lodge his spirit. When the rain ceased at dawn the next day, he entered the village to beg for food, returning inside in the evening. After three days, he dreamt of the mountain spirit appearing sometimes as a tiger and sometimes as a serpent, vying to terrify him. Guang was not frightened at all. After another three days, he again dreamt of the mountain spirit, who said he was moving to reside on Mount Hanshi in Zhang'an County, yielding the chamber to offer it to Guang. Thereafter woodcutters traveled freely, and both monastics and laity revered him. Those who delighted in dhyāna and came to study built thatched huts beside the chamber, which gradually became a monastery called Yinyue. Whenever Guang entered samādhi, he would not arise for seven days. He stayed on the mountain for fifty-three years, reaching an age of one hundred and ten. Late in the Taiyuan era of Jin, he covered his head with his robe, sat peacefully, and passed away. The assembly of monks all thought he had entered samādhi as usual. After seven days passed, wondering why he had not arisen, they went together to look: his complexion was normal, but there was no breath in his nose. Although his spirit had departed long ago, his physical body did not decay. In the second year of Xiaojian of the Song, Guo Hong was appointed magistrate of Shan, entered the mountain to pay homage, and experimentally nudged the chest with a ruyi sceptre; a sudden gust of wind arose, the robes dissolved and scattered, and only white bones remained. Hong was filled with great shame and fear; he gathered them into the chamber, piled bricks outside, plastered it over, and painted his portrait, which still exists today.
11.8
Zhu Tanyou, 3
11.9
Zhu Tanyou, also called Fayou, was a native of Dunhuang. In his youth, he practiced austerities and trained in dhyāna meditation. Later, he traveled to the region east of the Yangtze and stayed at Mount Shicheng in Shan, begging for food and sitting in dhyāna. He once went on his begging rounds to the house of a person who practiced witchcraft (gu poison). As soon as Tanyou finished his praṇidhāna, a centipede suddenly leaped out from the food. Tanyou ate it heartily without any harm. Later, he moved to a stone chamber on Mount Chicheng in Shifeng to sit in dhyāna. Several tens of fierce tigers crouched before Tanyou, but he recited the sūtras as before. One tiger alone fell asleep, so Tanyou tapped its head with a ruyi sceptre and asked why it was not listening to the sūtra; shortly thereafter, all the tigers departed. Before long, large snakes competed to emerge, more than ten spans around; coiling back and forth, they raised their heads toward Tanyou, departing only after half a day. The next day, a deity manifested in physical form, came to Tanyou, and said: "The Dharma Master's majestic virtue is so profound that you have come to reside in this mountain; I, your disciple, respectfully yield my chamber to present it to you." Tanyou said: "I wandered into this mountain hoping to encounter someone; why not live together?" The deity said: "It is not that I, your disciple, am unwilling to do so, but my subordinates have not yet been transformed by the Dharma and are difficult to restrain at short notice. When people come and go from afar, they might harass or offend them. Humans and spirits follow different paths, and this is why I am leaving." Tanyou asked: "What spirit were you originally? How long have you lived here, and where do you wish to move?" The spirit replied: "I am the son of an emperor of the Xia, and I have dwelt in this mountain for more than two thousand years. Mount Hanshi is ruled by my maternal uncle; I shall go to live there." Soon he returned to the shrine at Shanyin. Parting, he held Tanyou's hand and presented him with three cases of incense, whereupon, beating drums and blowing horns, he soared through the clouds and left.
11.10
On Mount Chicheng there was a solitary crag standing alone, towering high into the clouds. Tanyou carved stones to make a ladder, climbed the crag to sit in contemplation, and joined bamboo pipes to bring water for his daily use. More than ten students of dhyāna came to study under him. Wang Xizhi heard of this and went intentionally to visit him; looking up at the peak, he bowed with hands clasped, paid his respects, and returned. The crag of Chicheng connects with the waterfalls of Tiantai, Lingxi, and Siming. Tiantai has sheer overhanging precipices with peaks that touch the sky. An ancient tradition says that on top there is a fine monastery inhabited by those who have attained the Way. Although there is a stone bridge spanning a ravine, a horizontal rock blocks human passage, and the moss is green and slippery, so that since antiquity, no one had been able to reach it. When Tanyou walked to the bridge, he heard a voice in the air say: "I know your sincerity, but today you may not cross. Come back in ten years, and you will naturally be able to." Tanyou felt downcast, and stayed overnight at the spot, where he heard the sounds of circumambulation and the chanting of 'bodhisattva'. At dawn, when he was about to proceed again, he saw a man whose beard and eyebrows were snow-white, who asked Tanyou where he was going. Tanyou told him his intention in full. The old gentleman said: "You possess a mortal body of birth and death; how could you go there? I am the mountain spirit, and therefore tell you this." Tanyou then turned back. On the way, he passed a stone chamber and rested inside. Suddenly, clouds and fog closed in darkly, and the entire chamber resounded with noises. Tanyou's expression remained undisturbed. The next morning, he saw a man wearing an unlined lined-robe approach, who said: "This is my dwelling. Yesterday I was away from home, which resulted in the disturbance; I am deeply ashamed." Tanyou said: "If this is your room, please take it back." The spirit said: "My family has already moved; please remain and dwell here." Tanyou stayed there for a short while.
11.11
Tanyou always regretted being unable to cross the stone bridge. Later, having purified himself by fasting for several days, he wished to go again. He saw that the horizontal rock stood wide open, and having crossed the bridge slightly, he beheld a monastery and divine monks, just as had been described before. Together, they burned incense and ate the midday meal. When the meal was finished, a divine monk said to Tanyou: "Ten years from now, you will naturally come here; for now, you may not stay." Thereupon he returned. Looking back at the horizontal rock, it had closed up again as before.
11.12
During the Taiyuan reign of the Jin, an ominous star appeared. The Emperor issued an edict to all provinces: śramaṇas of virtue were ordered to observe a fast, repent, and avert the disaster. Tanyou then prayed with sincerity, moving the unseen realm. At dawn on the sixth day, he saw a small boy dressed in green come to confess, saying: "We have troubled the Dharma Master in vain; this evening the star will retreat." Another account says: "The one who averted the star was Bo Sengguang." It is not clear which is correct.
11.13
At the end of the Taiyuan reign, Tanyou died in the mountain chamber. His corpse remained sitting upright, its entire body having turned green. At the end of the Yixi reign of the Jin, the hermit Shen Shibiao entered the mountain and climbed the crag, and saw that Tanyou's corpse was still undecayed. Thereafter, whenever anyone wished to go and view it, they were invariably misled by clouds and fog, and none could catch a glimpse.
11.14
At that time there were also Huikai, Huizhen, and others, who were likewise skilled in the practice of dhyāna. They entered Mount Lingmi in Yuyao, and each built a one-fathom dhyāna niche, which still exist today.
11.15
Shi Huiwei (4)
11.16
Shi Huiwei was of unknown origin. He stayed at the Great Monastery in Chang'an. His monastic discipline was pure and pristine; he mostly dwelt in mountain valleys, cultivating the practice of dhyāna. A headless ghost came to him, but Huiwei's expression did not change; he simply said to the ghost: "Since you have no head, you have no trouble with headaches—how pleasant that is!" The ghost then vanished, and returned as a belly-less ghost that had only hands and feet. Huiwei said again: "Since you have no belly, you have no worry about the five internal organs—how delightful that is!" In a moment, it changed into other strange shapes again, but Huiwei dismissed them all with words corresponding to their forms.
11.17
Later, on a day of severe cold and snow, a woman came seeking a place to stay the night. Her appearance was fair and proper, her clothes fresh and bright, and her charm gentle and elegant. She claimed to be a heavenly maiden, saying: "Because the venerable master possesses virtue, Heaven has sent me to comfort and encourage you." She spoke words of desire, seeking to stir his mind. Huiwei held firmly to his resolve with absolute integrity, his mind undisturbed. He then said to the woman: "My mind is like dead ashes; do not test me with a bag of skin." The woman then soared into the clouds and departed, looking back and sighing: "The waters of the sea may dry up, / Mount Sumeru may tumble down, / Yet that venerable master / Holds firmly to his resolve." Later, in the third year of the Long'an reign of the Jin, he traveled with Faxian to the Western Regions, and his final end is unknown.
11.18
Shi Xianhu (5)
11.19
Shi Xianhu, whose secular surname was Sun, was a native of Liangzhou. He came to stay at Yanxing Temple in Guanghan, where he constantly practiced dhyāna as his vocation and was also skilled in the discipline of the Vinaya, not violating even the slightest rule. He died in the fifth year of the Long'an reign of the Jin; as he was about to pass away, five-colored brilliant light came out of his mouth and illuminated the whole monastery. His dying instructions were to cremate his body. His disciples carried this out; after all his limbs and joints had burned away, only one finger did not burn, so they buried it beneath a stūpa.
11.20
Zhi Tanlan (6)
11.21
Zhi Tanlan was a native of Qingzhou. He ate vegetarian food, took delight in dhyāna, and recited three hundred thousand words of sūtras. During the Taiyuan reign of the Jin, he traveled to Shan, and later rested at Mount Chicheng in Shifeng; seeing a place where the woods and springs were clear and open, he settled there. After several days, he suddenly saw a man several tens of spans tall, who scolded Tanlan and told him to leave. He also saw various strange beasts and birds repeatedly trying to terrify Tanlan. Seeing that Tanlan remained calm and self-possessed, the man knelt on his knees, bowed, and said: "King Zhuqi is my maternal uncle; I am now going to Mount Weiqing to join him, and I yield this place to present it to you." Three years later, there was suddenly heard the rumbling of carriages and horses, and the mountain peak was covered with attendants. Soon, someone wearing a headcloth announced himself as King Zhuqi; after being announced, he advanced, accompanied by twenty-three family members including his wife and children, all of whom were graceful in appearance, surpassing those of the mortal world. When he arrived at Tanlan's place and exchanged greetings on the weather, Tanlan asked where he lived. He replied: "Mount Weiqing in Le'an County. Having long admired your reputation, I have now come with my family to take refuge with you and ask to receive the refuges and precepts." Tanlan immediately administered them. After receiving the Dharma, he made an offering of ten thousand cash and two vessels of honey, bid farewell, and departed. Thereupon, the sounding of reed pipes and blowing of horns were heard, their sound shaking the valleys. Tanlan's assembly of more than ten dhyāna meditators all heard and saw this together. He died on the mountain during the Yuanxi reign of the Jin at the age of eighty-three.
11.22
Shi Faxu (7)
11.23
Shi Faxu, whose secular surname was Hun, was a native of Gaochang. His virtuous conduct was pure and prudent; he ate vegetarian food and cultivated dhyāna. Later he entered Shu, practicing dhūta among the tombs of Master Liu, where tigers and wild cattle in the mountain valleys did him no harm. He recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakīrti, and the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra. He regularly stayed in a stone chamber, meditating and reciting at the same time. In the height of summer, he gave up his life inside the chamber, yet after seven days there was no foul odor. To the left side of his corpse there was fragrance, which ceased only after ten days; each night it emitted light that illuminated several miles around. The villagers then erected a tomb-stūpa over his corpse.
11.24
Shi Xuan gao (8)
11.25
Shi Xuangao, whose secular surname was Wei and whose original personal name was Lingyu, was a native of Wannian in Fengyi. His mother, née Kou, originally believed in non-Buddhist teachings. When she was first married into the Wei family, she first became pregnant with a daughter, who was Xuangao's elder sister. Born with faith in the Buddha, she prayed for her mother, wishing that their household would hold no divergent views and would be able to venerate the Great Dharma. In the third year of the Hongshi reign of the illegitimate Qin, the mother dreamed of an Indian monk scattering flowers that filled the room, and upon waking found herself pregnant; on the eighth day of the second month in the fourth year, she gave birth to a boy. An extraordinary fragrance suddenly arose in the house, and a brilliant light illuminated the walls, subsiding only at dawn. Because of these auspicious omens at her son's birth, the mother named him Lingyu. People of the time respected him and also called him Shigao.
11.26
At the age of twelve, he took leave of his parents to enter the mountains, but for a long time they did not give permission. On another day, a scholar lodged overnight at Xuangao's home, saying that he wished to enter Mount Zhongchang to live as a recluse. His parents then entrusted Xuangao to him. That evening, all saw the villagers seeing them off together. At dawn the next day, the villagers all came to inquire after Xuangao. The parents said: "You saw him off yesterday; are you looking for him again today?" The villagers said: "None of us even knew he was leaving; how could we have seen him off?" Only then did his parents realize that those who had come to welcome and see him off yesterday were divine spirits.
11.27
When Xuangao first reached the mountain, he wished to receive pravrajyā. The mountain monks did not permit it, saying: "Without parental consent, the Dharma does not allow ordination." Xuangao therefore returned home temporarily and petitioned for permission to enter the Way. After two decades of days had passed, he finally accomplished his former aspiration. Having turned his back on secular ways and departed from the world, he changed his name to Xuangao. Naturally intelligent with innate knowledge, his learning required no labored thought. By the age of fifteen, he was already preaching the Dharma to the mountain monks. After receiving full ordination, he devoted himself exclusively to dhyāna and the Vinaya. Hearing that the Dhyāna Master Buddhabhadra was propagating the Dharma at Shiyang Temple in the Guanzhong region, Xuangao went to study under him. Within ten days, he attained a profound mastery of the methods of dhyāna. Buddhabhadra praised him, saying: "Excellent, son of the Buddha, that you are able to attain such deep awakening!" Thereupon, humbling himself with modesty, he would not accept the etiquette due to a teacher.
11.28
Xuangao then traveled with his staff to Western Qin and lived in seclusion on Mount Maiji. More than a hundred mountain students revered his doctrinal instructions and received his dhyāna teachings. At that time, there was the śramaṇa Shi Tanhong from Chang'an, an eminent monk of the Qin region, who lived in seclusion on this mountain; he met Xuangao and formed a close friendship based on their shared vocation. At that time, Qifu Chipan held sway over Longxi, bordering the Liang lands to the west. There was a foreign dhyāna master named Dharmapriya who came into his country, gathered disciples, established a community, and instructed them in the path of dhyāna. However, his absorption in samādhi was so deep and subtle that few monks in Longyou were able to receive and uphold it. Xuangao then wished to lead the assembly by his own example, and so received the teaching from Dharmapriya. Within ten days, Dharmapriya instead sought his guidance on spiritual aspirations. At that time, in Henan there were two monks who, though śramaṇas in appearance, held power equal to ministers of state in the illegitimate court. Giving free rein to their desires in violation of the Vinaya, they were quite jealous of learned monks. After Dharmapriya returned west to Śāki, the two monks slandered Xuangao to the Henan Heir Apparent, Man, saying that he was amassing followers and would bring disaster to the state. Man believed the slander and wished to harm him, but his father did not permit it, and instead banished Xuangao to Mount Linyangtang in Hebei. Mountain tradition said that this was the dwelling place of immortals. Xuangao, accompanied by three hundred disciples, went to live in the mountain quarters. His composure remained serene, his dhyāna and wisdom became ever fresher, and his sincere devotion moved the unseen realm, giving rise to many spiritual miracles. Chimes sounded without being struck, and incense naturally gave off fragrance. Arhats and immortals often came to visit. Fierce beasts were tamed, and locusts and poisons ceased their harm.
11.29
Among [Xuan]gao's disciples, there were more than a hundred who could skilfully navigate the six gates [of meditation]. There was Xuan Shao, a native of Longxi in Qinzhou, who thoroughly studied the various dhyānas and had mastered supernatural powers. Water would issue from his fingers to supply [Xuan]gao for washing, and this water was fragrant and clean, far surpassing the ordinary. He often obtained unearthly flowers and incense to offer to the Three Jewels. There were eleven others who were as wondrously gifted as Shao. Shao later entered Mount Tangshu, shed his mortal shell, and passed away.
11.30
Formerly, Master Tan Hong of Chang'an had wandered to Min and Shu, and his teaching flourished in Chengdu. Relying on his high reputation, the King of Henan sent an envoy to welcome him. When Hong heard that [Xuan]gao had been banished, he vowed to vindicate his innocence, and paying no heed to the perils of the plank roads, he braved the dangers to comply with the summons. Arriving in Henan, after the host and guest rituals were concluded, he said to the king, "Since you have profound insight and far-reaching discernment, why did you believe slander and cast aside a worthy? The reason this poor monk did not consider several thousand li too far was precisely to present this one truth." The king and the crown prince felt ashamed and remorseful, and immediately sent an envoy to Gao to offer humble apologies and invite Gao back to the capital. Gao, whose mind was set on universal salvation, forgot his resentment and answered the summons. Just as he was about to leave the mountains, the trees and grasses in the mountains broke and collapsed, and falling boulders blocked the road. Gao made a praṇidhāna, saying, "I have vowed to propagate the Dharma; how could I remain confined to one place?" Thereupon the wind ceased, the road opened, and he gradually returned to the kingdom. The king, his ministers, and the common people waited along the nearby road to welcome him. Both inside and outside the court, all reverently served him and honored him as the State Preceptor.
11.31
When his work of conversion in Henan was finished, he traveled onward to the land of Liang. Juqu Mengxun revered and served him deeply, gathering brilliant guests to bring forth Gao's superior understanding. At that time, Fan Sengyin of Xihai also studied under Gao. Narrow in aspiration and shallow in capacity, Sengyin was satisfied with little; he came to claim that he had already attained the status of an arhat and had completely exhausted the gates of dhyāna. Gao then secretly used his supernatural powers to make Yin see in samādhi the boundless worlds of the ten directions, in which the Dharma gates taught by the Buddhas were all different. Yin spent an entire summer retreat investigating what he had seen and could never fathom its end; only then did he realize that the waters of samādhi were bottomless, and he was filled with great shame and dread.
11.32
At that time, the Wei barbarian Tuoba Tao unlawfully occupied Pingcheng and sent troops to invade the borders of Liang. Tao's maternal uncle, She, King of Yangping, invited Gao to return with him to the illegitimate capital. Arriving in Pingcheng, he widely propagated the transformation of dhyāna. The illegitimate crown prince, Tuoba Huang, served Gao as his master. Once, Huang was slandered and suspected by his father, so he said to Gao, "I am falsely entrapped in distress; how can I be freed?" Gao told him to hold a Suvarṇaprabhāsa fast. After seven days of earnest repentance, Tao dreamed that his grandfather and father, both brandishing swords with fierce majesty, asked him, "Why do you believe slanderous words and falsely suspect the crown prince?" Tao woke up in alarm, gathered all his ministers, and recounted his dream. The ministers all said that the crown prince was blameless and that it was truly as the imperial ancestral spirits had declared. Tao no longer doubted the crown prince. This was indeed the power of Gao's sincere resonance. Tao therefore issued an edict, saying: "We have inherited the glorious line of our ancestors and desire to expand the great foundation and make it flourish for ten thousand generations. Although military achievements are manifest, civil teachings are not yet widespread, which is not the way to exalt the governance of Great Peace. Now that the realm is at peace and the common people are prosperous, we should establish institutions to serve as laws for ten thousand generations. The yin and yang alternate, and the four seasons follow in succession. Entrusting the son and appointing the worthy, and handing over the state safely, is the way to rest from toil and firmly secure longevity; this is an unchanging canonical rule of past and present. Our meritorious ministers have laboured long and hard; they should retire from office and return to their estates, leisurely enjoying their high nobility, nurturing their spirits and prolonging their years, merely discussing the Way and offering counsel. They need no longer attend in person to the strenuous duties of official posts. Let the Crown Prince assist in managing the myriad affairs of state, oversee all administrative offices, select more of the worthy and capable to fill the various posts, choose people for office, and oversee their promotions and demotions. Therefore Confucius said, 'The young are to be held in awe. How do we know that those who come after us will not equal us now?'" Thereupon the court officials and commoners all declared themselves subjects to the crown prince. Memorials submitted were like petitions, distinguished by the use of white paper.
11.33
At that time, Cui Hao and Celestial Master Kou [Qianzhi] had previously found favour with Tao. Fearing that when Huang succeeded to the throne their power and authority would be stripped away, they slandered him, saying, "Regarding the crown prince's previous affairs, he truly had treasonous intentions. It was only by joining with Lord Gao's occult arts that the late emperors were caused to appear in your dream. Such rumours and traces of deeds have gradually become apparent; if they are not eradicated, they will surely become a great calamity." Tao accepted their words, flew into a great rage, and immediately ordered Gao to be arrested.
11.34
Earlier, Gao had once secretly said to his disciples, "The Buddhadharma is destined to decline; will Lord Chong and I be the first to meet with this disaster?" At that time, none who heard it could help but sigh with sorrow. There was then a śramaṇa of Liangzhou, Shi Huichong, who was the personal master of Han Wande, Minister of the illegitimate Wei. His virtue was second only to Gao's, and he was also suspected and obstructed. In the ninth month of the fifth year of the illegitimate Taiping era, both Gao and Lord Chong were imprisoned. On the fifteenth day of that month they met their deaths, in the eastern corner of Pingcheng, at the age of forty-three. This was the twenty-first year of the Yuanjia era of the Song.
11.35
On the evening of that day, his disciples knew nothing. At the third watch of the night, light was suddenly seen circling three times around the stūpa where Gao had formerly dwelt, and returning into his meditation cave. Then from within the light a voice was heard, saying, "I have already departed." Only then did the disciples know that he had passed away, and they wailed in overwhelming grief. Thereafter, they received the corpse in the open wilds south of the city, bathed it, and held the funeral. They also arranged the affairs for Lord Chong separately in another place. In the whole capital, among both clergy and laity, there was no one who did not lament in shock.
11.36
His disciple Xuan Chang was at that time in Yunzhong, six hundred li from the Wei capital. At dawn he suddenly saw a person who told him of the disaster and gave him a horse capable of traveling six hundred li [in a day]. He then spurred the horse and rode back, arriving at the capital in the evening. Seeing that his master had already died, he was heartbroken with grief. Weeping together with his fellow students, he said, "Now that the Dharma is destroyed, will it ever rise again? If it is destined to rise again, we pray that the Upādhyāya sit up. The Upādhyāya's virtue is not that of an ordinary man; he will surely illuminate this for us." When he finished speaking, Gao's two eyes gradually opened, and his complexion regained its joyful radiance. Sweat poured forth all over his body, and the sweat was extremely fragrant. In a short while he sat up and said to his disciples, "The Great Dharma manifests in response to conditions, waxing and waning in accordance with circumstances. Waxing and waning belong to external traces; the underlying Principle is ever tranquil. I only lament that you will soon be as I am, and only Xuan Chang will manage to cross to the south. After you have died, the Dharma will surely rise again. Cultivate your minds well, and do not harbour regret along the way." Having spoken, he lay down and expired. The next day, when they moved the coffin and wished to cremate him, the state laws did not permit it, so they prepared a grave and buried him. Clergy and laity mourned in sorrow, weeping until their gaze was exhausted.
11.37
There was a śramaṇa named Fada, who served as the saṃghapradhāna of the illegitimate state. He had long admired Gao, but had not yet received his instruction. Suddenly hearing of his mournful passing, he wept and said, "Now that the sage has departed the world, upon whom can we rely?" For several days he did not eat, constantly crying out, "Lord Gao was an autonomous sage; how could he not manifest himself even once?" In response to his voice, he saw Gao arrive flying through the air. Da prostrated with his head to the ground, begging for mercy and wishing for protection. Gao said, "Your karma is heavy and difficult to save; what can be done? From now on, if you perform earnest repentance according to the Vaipulya [sūtras], you will receive a lighter retribution." Da said, "If I meet with painful retribution, I pray that you will pity and save me." Gao said, "I do not forget all sentient beings; would it be you alone?" Da also asked, "Where were you, Dharma Master, and Lord Chong reborn?" Gao said, "I vowed to be reborn in an evil world to save and protect sentient beings, so I have already returned to Jambudvīpa. Lord Chong always prayed for the Land of Peaceful Nurture, and his wish has already been fulfilled." Da asked again, "I do not know what stage the Dharma Master has already attained?" Gao said, "Among my disciples, there are naturally those who know." Having spoken, he suddenly vanished. Da secretly inquired among Gao's disciples, and they all said he was a bodhisattva who had attained the endurance of dharmas.
11.38
In the seventh year of the illegitimate Taiping era, Tuoba Tao indeed eradicated the Buddhadharma, exactly as Gao had spoken.
11.39
At that time, in the Hexi state of Juqu Maoqian, there was the śramaṇa Tan Yao, who was also renowned for his practice of dhyāna; the illegitimate Grand Tutor Zhang Tan submitted to him and revered him as his master.
11.40
Shi Sengzhou, the ninth.
11.41
Shi Sengzhou—it is not known what sort of person he was. His character was lofty and resolute, and he had extraordinary aspirations and conduct. Yet he concealed his light and hid his traces, so that no one could know him. He constantly practiced dhūta and sat in dhyāna on Mount Songgao. When the Wei barbarians were about to eradicate the Buddhadharma, Zhou said to his disciples, "A great calamity is about to arrive." Thereupon, together with several dozen companions, he entered Mount Hanshan. The mountain was four hundred li southwest of Chang'an, its ravines and valleys treacherous and rugged, beyond the reach of military forces, and so they made their dwelling there. Soon after, the Wei barbarians gave free rein to violence, and all [monks] who had remained behind were killed. Later, [the Wei emperor] soon repented, exterminated the Cui clan, and revived the Buddhadharma. When the illegitimate Prince of Yongchang garrisoned Chang'an, he received an imperial decree to restore and rebuild, and searched for śramaṇas. At that time, someone said that on Mount Hanshan there was a monk of extraordinary virtue and practice, and the prince immediately sent an envoy to summon him. Zhou declined on account of old age and illness, ordering his disciple Sengliang to answer the summons and leave the mountain. Later, when Zhou was about to pass away, he said to his disciples, "I am about to depart." That evening, fire was seen emerging from behind his rope bed and burning his body; it took three days to burn out completely. The smoke and flames rose to the sky, yet the room was not consumed. The disciples gathered his remaining ashes and built a brick stūpa.
11.42
His disciple Sengliang, surnamed Li, was a native of Chang'an and studied under Sengzhou. When the Prince of Yongchang first invited monks, none dared respond, all saying that since the Buddhadharma had only newly revived, they suspected unforeseen dangers. Liang said, "The transmission of the Semblance Dharma depends upon people, and that time is precisely today. If I am executed, I shall bear it myself; if I am spared, then the Way will have the chance to flourish once more." Moreover, Sengzhou urged him on, so he accompanied the envoy to Chang'an. Before he arrived, the prince and the populace swept and washed the streets and alleys, lining the houses to await and welcome him. The prince personally went out of his way, bowing to his feet to pay respects. Liang set forth admonitions on fortune and misfortune, and instructed him on cause and effect. His words were concise and his reasoning profound, gentle yet incisive. Those who heard him were filled with grief and joy, each unable to contain themselves. Thereupon the old monasteries were restored, and śramaṇas were invited. That the Great Dharma revived once more in the Guanzhong region was through Liang's efforts.
11.43
Shi Huitong, the tenth.
11.44
Shi Huitong was a native of Guanzhong. In his youth he dwelt in Empress Dowager Temple in Chang'an, eating vegetarian food, holding dhāraṇīs, and reciting the Ekottarika-āgama. He first consulted and received dhyāna training under Dhyāna Master Huizhao of Liangzhou; he was highly proficient in the contemplation practices of the Dharma gates. He constantly set his heart upon the Land of Peaceful Nurture and wished to rest his spirit in that realm. Falling slightly ill, he saw in dhyāna a person arrive whose appearance was very upright and dignified, who said to Tong, "The auspicious time has arrived." In an instant, he saw the light and bodily marks of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life shining resplendently. Tong thereupon awoke from dhyāna, related fully to his fellow students what he had seen, and having finished speaking, he passed away. A wondrous fragrance lingered in the room, dissipating only after three days. His age was fifty-nine.
11.45
Shi Jingdu, the eleventh.
11.46
Shi Jingdu was a native of Yuhang in Wuxing. In his youth he was fond of hunting, and once shot a pregnant deer, causing it to miscarry. The mother deer, enduring the pain, still approached the ground to lick its fawn. Du then attained an awakening of heart; he consequently broke his bow, snapped his arrows, entered the monastic order, and ate vegetarian food. He recited over three hundred thousand words of sūtras. He often dwelt alone in mountains and marshes, sitting in dhyāna and practicing recitation. Whenever there was a fast gathering in the district, he would light nine lamps on his body and remain upright until dawn as an offering, doing so for many years. Later, he suddenly told his disciples, "Prepare fragrant water for bathing; I shall expound several thousand sections of Dharma, admonishing you concerning the causes and effects of birth and death." Having finished speaking, he suddenly passed away. The sound of flutes and drums and the smoke of incense arrived from the sky. Several dozen companions at the time all heard and saw this.
11.47
Shi Sengcong, the twelfth.
11.48
Shi Sengcong—it is not clear what sort of person he was. By nature quiet and detached, he lived in seclusion on Mount Pubu in Shifeng. He mastered both internal and external learning, cultivated the five gates [of meditation] with refinement, abstained from the five grains, and fed only on dates and chestnuts. Approaching a hundred years of age, his energy was flourishing and strong, and he paid homage and recited without ceasing. He formed a friendship in the forest with the hermit Chu Boyu. Whenever they discussed the Way and expounded its principles, he would linger for two nights. Later he died in the mountains.
11.49
Shi Facheng, thirteen.
11.50
Shi Facheng was a native of Liangzhou. He underwent pravrajyā at sixteen, and his studies encompassed both the sūtras and the vinaya. He did not partake of the five grains, subsisting only on pine resin, and lived in seclusion in rocky caves, taking the cultivation of dhyāna as his duty. During the Yuanjia reign era, Prince Huaisu of Donghai went out to govern Baxi; hearing of Facheng's reputation, he sent for him, and they met at Fucheng. In the summer retreat he lectured on the vinaya, and after concluding the matter, took leave and returned. He subsequently paused in Guanghan, where he again promoted the methods of dhyāna. Later, upon contracting a minor illness, he addressed the assembly, saying: 'I, Facheng, have constantly recited the Ratnakūṭa-sūtra.' Thereupon he made the effort to recite it himself; but having completed only half a scroll, his energy failed and he could not bear it. He then ordered someone to read it; as soon as it was finished once through, he joined his palms and passed away. More than ten attendants caring for him during his illness all saw in the sky a dark-blue horse bearing a golden coffin on its back, ascending into the void and disappearing.
11.51
Shi Huilan, fourteen.
11.52
Shi Huilan, whose secular surname was Cheng, was a native of Jiuquan. In his youth, he and Xuan'gao were both praised for quiet contemplation. Huilan once traveled to the Western Regions, where he carried the Buddha's bowl atop his head, and in Jibin (Kashmir) he received the essentials of dhyāna under the bhikṣu Dharma. Dharma had once entered samādhi and gone to the Tuṣita Heaven, receiving the bodhisattva precepts from Maitreya; later he transmitted the precepts to Huilan. When Huilan returned to Khotan, he further transmitted the precepts to the various monks of that region. Afterwards he returned [to China], his route passing through Henan. The crown prince Qiong and others of the Tuyuhun ruler Muyan in Henan revered Huilan's virtue and renown, sending envoys along with material funds to establish the Zuojun Temple in Shu, where Huilan then resided. Later he moved to the Luotiangong Temple. Emperor Wen of the Song invited him down to the capital, where he resided at Dinglin Temple on Mount Zhong. When Emperor Xiaowu established Zhongxing Temple, he again ordered by imperial decree that Huilan move to dwell there. The dhyāna monks of the capital all followed in his footsteps to receive instruction. Shen Yan of Wuxing and Meng Yi of Pingchang both admired his virtue and built a dhyāna chamber for him in the temple. He passed away during the Daming reign era, at an age of over sixty years.
11.53
Shi Faqi, fifteen.
11.54
Shi Faqi, whose secular surname was Xiang, was a native of Pi in the commandery of Shu. Having lost both parents early, he served his elder brother as a father. At fourteen he underwent pravrajyā and studied dhyāna practices under Zhimeng, cultivating contemplation alongside Falin of Lingqi Temple. All that Zhimeng understood and knew, Faqi fully realized. Later he met Xuanchang, and further pursued his studies under him.
11.55
When Chang went down to Jiangling, Qi also accompanied him. Of the contemplation gates of the ten abodes, he had already attained nine; only the Lion's Sprint Samādhi (siṃhavikrīḍita-samādhi) remained unexhausted. Chang sighed and said: 'From the west at the flowing sands, to the north treading the dark desert, in the east exploring Yu's cave, and to the south reaching the Heng and Luo rivers, I have seen only this single fellow who possesses such extraordinary aptitude for dhyāna.'
11.56
Later he died at Changsha Temple, at the age of sixty-two. A divine light illuminated his corpse, and his body grew even more fragrant and pure.
11.57
At that time at Longhua Temple, there was also Shi Daoguo, who likewise became prominent through his dhyāna practice.
11.58
Shi Daofa, sixteen.
11.59
Shi Daofa, whose secular surname was Cao, was a native of Dunhuang. Leaving his family to enter the Way, he devoted himself single-mindedly to dhyāna practice, and also occasionally practiced divine dhāraṇīs. Later he traveled to Chengdu. When Wang Xiuzhi and Fei Kengzhi were in office, they invited him to be the abbot of the two temples of Xingle and Xiangji. He trained the assembly according to the rules, constantly practiced piṇḍapāta, and did not accept individual invitations or saṃgha meals. From what he obtained by begging food, he would constantly reduce his portion to give to insects and birds. Every evening he would strip off his clothes and sit exposed to feed mosquitoes and gnats, doing so for many years. Later, entering samādhi, he saw Maitreya emit a light from his navel, illuminating the karmic retributions of the three destinies. Thereupon he redoubled his diligence, constantly sitting and never lying down. In the second year of the Yuanhui reign era, he attained parinirvāṇa while in samādhi. Sitting upright on his rope-bed, his countenance was as serene and joyful as on ordinary days.
11.60
Shi Puheng, seventeen.
11.61
Shi Puheng, whose secular surname was Guo, was a native of Chengdu in the commandery of Shu. When he was a child, he often saw a holy monk expounding the Dharma in the sky amidst the sunlight; when he spoke of it to his family, none of them believed him. Later he earnestly sought pravrajyā, residing at Anle Temple in the seat of government. He dwelt alone in a single room, keeping no retainers or disciples, practicing dhyāna for tranquil attainment, and was skilled in entering, emerging from, and abiding in samādhi. He was of like mind with Vinaya Master Tao of Shu. He himself spoke of entering the fire-light samādhi, where light descended straight from between his eyebrows down to the vajra limit; within the light he saw all forms and images, and his past lives' karmic retributions were quite clear to him. He died in the third year of the Shengming reign era of the Song, at the age of seventy-eight.
11.62
Some days before his death, he suddenly bade farewell to his relatives and acquaintances, showing no sign of sorrow at all, so that people at the time thought it was in jest. On the day he was about to pass away, he showed slight signs of illness; only a secular slave attended to him, and the next morning he died sitting upright. The slave, not understanding, tried to force him to lie down, but the corpse would not stretch out at all. When the assembly of monks came to see him, they placed him in a sitting posture. Three fingers of his hand were curled, while the others were extended. The monks tried to stroke and straighten them, and they straightened along with the hand, but once straightened, they curled again.
11.63
In life his body was dark, but in death it became exceptionally white and pure. Thereupon they cremated him according to the rites for one who had attained the Way. As soon as the firewood was lit, five-colored smoke arose with an extraordinary fragrance. The provincial governor Wang Xuanzai composed a eulogy for him, saying: / 'The Great Awakened One is subtle and formless, / His profound response prizes forgotten tranquility. / In a single thought matching the bodhimaṇḍa, / Transcending in vain myriad kalpas everlasting. / With faithful heart emptying eastern musings, / Encountering the sage cleanses western reflections. / The wondrous realm purifies the three realms, / Conveying the spirit to the spheres of the four dhyānas. / Worldly things are by nature irregular, / But true nature's principle is ever bright. / Cloaking his radiance, he lodged in the floating world; / His lingering virtue now transforms what is far and wide.'
11.64
Shi Fawu, eighteen.
11.65
Shi Fawu was a native of Qi. His family made its living by farming and sericulture, and he had six sons, all of whom grew to adulthood. When Fawu was fifty his wife died, and the whole family felt a profound longing for the Way; the father and his six sons, seven people in all, took pravrajyā together. Traveling south to Wuchang, he wandered among the mountains and waters, and seeing the southern slope of Mount Fan, he found it suitable for a secluded hermitage; it had originally been the dwelling of the hermit Guo Changxiang, and Fawu intended to end his days there. At that time, Ruan Hui of Chenliu, the grand administrator of Wuchang, heard of this and marveled at him; he therefore cleared paths, opened up the mountain, and built rooms and chambers for him. Fawu did not eat non-glutinous rice, constantly subsisting only on barley meal, taking just one meal a day. He recited the larger and smaller Prajñāpāramitā-sūtras and the Lotus Sūtra. He constantly practiced the Way during the six periods of the day, wandering as a dhūta through mountains and marshes without fleeing tigers or wild rhinoceroses. At times he sat in dhyāna under trees, sometimes not rising for days. He died in the mountains in the seventh year of the Yongming reign era of the Qi, at the age of seventy-nine.
11.66
Later there was the śramaṇa Daoji, who followed in his elevated footsteps. Today in Wuchang, his dwelling is called the Dhūta Temple.
11.67
Shi Sengshen, nineteen.
11.68
Shi Sengshen, whose secular surname was Wang, was a native of Qi in Taiyuan. He was a descendant of the Jin senior general of agile cavalry [Wang] Shen; his ancestral family had settled in Qiao Commandery. Shen took pravrajyā in his youth and resided at Shijian Temple in Shouchun, reciting the Lotus Sūtra and the Śūraṅgama-sūtra. He often said that without dhyāna there is no wisdom; thereupon he devoted his mind to dhyāna. Hearing that Dharmamitra was preaching the Way in the capital, he dusted his clothes and crossed the Yangtze River, staying at Lingyao Temple. He diligently inquired and received instruction, fathoming the profound and abstruse. Once, when a band of robbers entered the mountain, Shen sat upright and motionless. The robbers then stripped off their clothes to give to him, and he preached the Dharma to instruct and admonish them. The robbers, ashamed, broke into a sweat, made obeisance, and departed. Huigao of Lingjiu Temple received dhyāna training from him and invited Shen back to his temple, building a separate dhyāna chamber for him. Later, Zhang Zhen of Qinghe invited him to reside at Qixuan Temple. Prince Wenhui and Prince Wenxuan both treated him with great reverence and served him, and Fu Yan and Xiao Chifu both consulted him for precepts and instruction. When Wang Jingze entered the room looking for Shen, he saw him just entering samādhi; snapping his fingers, Wang walked out and said, 'A holy man of the Way!' He then offered one thousand hu of rice and requested to receive the three refuges. He died in the eighth year of the Yongming reign era, at the age of seventy-five.
11.69
At that time there were Sengqian, Chaozhi, Fada, and Huisheng, all of whom practiced dhyāna and each had extraordinary deeds.
11.70
Shi Tanchao, twenty.
11.71
Shi Tanchao, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Qinghe. He was eight chi tall, with an impressive bearing and demeanor. He ate vegetarian food, wore plain cloth robes, and took only one midday meal. At first he resided at Longhua Temple in the capital. At the end of the Yuanjia reign era, he traveled south to Shixing, surveying the mountains and waters everywhere and sleeping alone under trees, unharmed by tigers or wild rhinoceroses. During the Daming reign era he returned to the capital. When Emperor Taizu of the Qi mounted the throne, Tanchao was ordered by imperial decree to go to Liaodong to propagate and praise the way of dhyāna. He stayed there for two years, vastly carrying out the teaching of the Dharma. At the end of the Jianyuan reign era he returned to the capital, and soon afterwards went to Mount Lingyuan in Qiantang.
11.72
Whenever he entered samādhi, he would not rise for several days. Later, he suddenly heard the sound of wind and thunder, and in a moment saw a person holding an official tablet step forward, announcing the arrival of General Zhendong, Yan. In an instant a person arrived, of very handsome appearance, with fluttering feathered escorts, who descended from his seat to pay respects, saying of himself: 'Your disciple lives at Qili, and my jurisdiction encompasses this area. Having learned that the Dharma master has arrived, I have come to pay my respects: Last winter, the people of Fuyang County quarried the base of Mount Lu to make bricks, encroaching upon and damaging the dragon chambers. The dragons were enraged together, and caused three hundred days without rain. It has now been over one hundred days; wells and ponds are dried up, and agricultural planting has completely ceased. Since the Dharma master's virtue and Way penetrate the divine, I wish to humbly entreat you to go forward; you will surely be able to move them to bring moisture to the common people, and the merit will belong to you.' Chao said: 'Raising clouds and bringing rain are fundamentally the power of the dānapati; what can a poor monk do?' The deity said: 'My subordinates can only raise clouds, but cannot bring rain; that is why I have come to entreat you.' Chao then assented, and the deity vanished in an instant. Chao then journeyed south; after five days, he reached Mount Chiting, where he made praṇidhānas and preached the Dharma for the dragons from afar. When night fell, all the dragons transformed into humans, came to Chao, and made obeisance. Chao further expounded the Dharma to them, whereupon they begged to receive the three refuges and declared themselves to be dragons. When Chao asked them to bring rain, they looked at one another without speaking. That night, they appeared to Chao in a dream, saying: 'We originally took an oath out of anger, but since the Dharma master has guided us with goodness, we dare not disobey your command; tomorrow at the late afternoon hour (bushi) rain shall fall.' The next morning Chao immediately went to Linquan Temple and sent someone to inform the county magistrate, telling him to prepare boats on the river to turn the Sāgara-nāgarāja-sūtra. The county magistrate immediately invited monks to float boats at Shishou. Just as the turning of the sūtra was completed, heavy rain poured down. High lands and low lands were all amply watered, and the harvest was secured that year.
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- 高僧傳 — 慧皎, Classical Chinese