高僧傳 11.52

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.