高僧傳 13
English (machine translation) 13
- Language
- English
13.1
Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Huijiao of Jiaxiang Temple in Kuaiji under the Liang
13.2
Chapter Eight: Promoters of Blessing (fourteen people)
13.3
Śramaṇa Huida (one)
Śramaṇa Huiyuan (two)
Śramaṇa Huili (three)
Śramaṇa Huishou (four)
Śramaṇa Senghui (five)
Śramaṇa Tanyi (six)
Śramaṇa Senghong (seven)
Śramaṇa Sengliang (eight)
Śramaṇa Fayi (nine)
Śramaṇa Huijing (ten)
Śramaṇa Faxian (eleven)
Śramaṇa Faxian (twelve)
Śramaṇa Senghu (thirteen)
Śramaṇa Fayue (fourteen)
13.4
Śramaṇa Huida, surnamed Liu, was originally named Sahe, a native of Lishi in Xihe of Bingzhou. In his youth he was fond of hunting. At the age of thirty-one, he suddenly seemed to die briefly, reviving after a day had passed. Having seen all the painful retributions of the narakas, he encountered a monk who said he was his teacher from a past life. The monk expounded the Dharma to instruct and admonish him, bidding him to go forth from the household and proceed to Danyang, Kuaiji, and Wujun to seek out the stūpas and images of King Aśoka, to worship them, repent of his errors, and atone for his prior transgressions. After awakening, he forthwith went forth to study the Way, changing his name to Huida. Diligently cultivating meritorious deeds, he made rites of repentance his sole priority.
13.5
During the Ningkang era of the Jin, he arrived at the capital. Prior to this, Emperor Jianwen had erected a three-story stūpa at Changgan Temple; after the stūpa was completed, it emitted light every evening. Da climbed Yuecheng and looked over in contemplation; seeing an extraordinary color solely at the tip of this spire, he went to worship with the utmost sincerity morning and evening. At night, seeing light frequently emanate from beneath the spire, he informed others and excavated together with them. Digging down about a zhang, they obtained three stone slabs. Beneath the central slab was an iron casket; inside the casket was a silver casket; inside the silver casket was a gold casket; and inside the gold casket were three relics (śarīra). There were also a fingernail and a strand of hair; when extended, the hair was several feet long, and when coiled, it formed a spiral, dazzling with light. This was one of the eighty-four thousand stūpas erected by King Aśoka during the reign of King Jing of Zhou. Monks and laypeople having marveled at it, they erected another spire west of the old stūpa to enshrine the relics. In the sixteenth year of the Taiyuan era of the Jin, Emperor Xiaowu further enlarged it to three stories.
13.6
Furthermore, formerly during the Xianhe era of the Jin, Gao Kui, the Governor of Danyang, excavated a golden image at the creek of Zhanghou Bridge. It lacked a halo and pedestal, but its craftsmanship was exceptionally exquisite. Sanskrit writing on its front said that it was made by the fourth daughter of King Aśoka. When Kui loaded the image and returned to the entrance of Changgan Lane, the oxen would walk no further and could not be controlled by human strength. Thereupon, he let the oxen go where they would, and they went straight toward Changgan Temple. About a year later, Zhang Xishi, a fisherman of Linhai, found a bronze lotus pedestal floating upon the water at the mouth of the sea, and he immediately took it and delivered it to the county office. The county presented a memorial to the Imperial Court, and an imperial decree ordered that it be placed beneath the feet of the image; they matched together seamlessly. Later, five monks from the Western Regions visited Kui, saying: "Formerly, in Tianzhu, we obtained an image of King Aśoka. When we reached Ye, we encountered turmoil and hid it by the riverbank. Once the king's highway was open again, we searched for it but lost its location. Recently, we received a dream saying that the image had already appeared east of the Yangtze and had been acquired by Gao Kui. Therefore, we traveled across distant mountains and seas merely wishing to see and revere it." Kui thereupon led them to Changgan. When the five men saw the image, they sobbed and wept, and the image immediately emitted light that illuminated the inside of the hall. The five men said: "Originally it possessed a circular halo; now it is far away, but it too should arrive in due course." In the first year of the Xian'an era of the Jin, Dong Zongzhi, a pearl diver of Hepu County in Jiaozhou, obtained a Buddha halo on the seabed. The regional inspector presented it to the court, and Emperor Jianwen of the Jin decreed that it be bestowed on this image. The apertures aligned exactly, and the lustrous color was of the same kind. After more than forty years, with auspicious responses from east and west, the halo and pedestal were finally complete. Because the stupa and image were miraculous, Huida redoubled his devotion and effort. Later, he traveled east to Wu County to pay homage to stone images. The images, toward the close of the Western Jin, in the guiyou year, the first year of the Jianxing era, had floated to the mouth of the Hudu River on the Wusong River. Fishermen suspected they were sea spirits and invited shamans and priests to welcome them, whereupon the wind and waves both surged, so they returned in terror. At that time, there were followers of the Huang-Lao tradition who claimed they were the spirits of the Celestial Masters and went together to receive them, but the surging waves were as before. Later, there was a Buddhist lay devotee, Zhu Ying, a man of Wu County, who heard of it and sighed, saying: "Could these not be the descending response of the Great Awakened One!" He then purified himself by observing a fast and, together with the nun Shi of Dongyun Temple and several believers, went to the mouth of the Hudu River. Bowing their heads in utmost devotion and singing hymns to the supreme virtue, the wind and tide immediately became calm and quiet. From afar, they saw two figures floating down the river; they were stone images. On their backs were inscriptions: one named "Vipaśyin" and the other named "Kāśyapa." They immediately received them back and installed them in Tongxuan Temple. The gentry and commoners of Wu marveled at their miraculous power, and those who took refuge in their hearts were numerous.
13.7
Huida stayed at Tongxuan Temple for three years from start to finish, day and night reverently worshipping without ever ceasing for an instant. Shortly afterward, he proceeded to Kuaiji to pay homage to the Mao Stupa. This stupa was also built by King Aśoka; over long years it had fallen into neglect and ruin, and only its foundations remained. Huida focused his mind and restrained his thoughts, whereupon he saw a divine light blaze forth. Thereupon, he repaired and built the niche and masonry, and flocks of birds dared not roost or gather there. Anyone hunting or fishing near the vicinity of the temple invariably caught nothing; monastics and laypeople passed on the response, and none failed to be moved to faith. Later, the commandery governor Meng Yi further expanded it. Huida paid homage in the east and west, repeatedly revealing miraculous verifications, and his energetic diligence and earnest devotion remained unchanged to the end of his years. Later, it is not known where he went.
13.8
Shi Huiyuan was a man of Hebei. By nature he was benevolent; neither joy nor anger showed in his countenance. He constantly practiced dhyāna, recited sūtras, and exhorted others to perform meritorious deeds, taking these as his regular vocation. At the beginning of the Taiyuan era of the Jin, he founded a temple on Mount Ping in Wuling, where there were more than twenty monks who ate vegetables, lived in secluded retirement, and permanently cut off the paths of worldly men. He died in the fourteenth year of the Taiyuan era. After his death, someone entered the foot of Mount Wudang and saw him with a very serene and joyful demeanor; he sent word to the temple monks not to let the monastic duties fall into neglect. From then on, inside the temple, the sound of a stone chime was constantly heard from the sky at the appropriate times; following it, they assembled the community without ever missing the hour. The śramaṇa Zhu Huizhi resided there. Huizhi was austere and observed strict precepts; later, he abstained from grains, consumed only pine and cypress, and thereupon climbed the mountain and underwent liberation like a cicada shedding its shell.
13.9
Shi Huili: it is not known who he was. During the Yonghe era of the Jin, he came to visit the capital. He constantly begged for food, endured the austerities of a dhūta, and cultivated merit. In the Xingning era of the Jin, he petitioned for a potter's field to make it Waguan Temple. When he first marked the stupa's foundation, it was to the west of the present stupa. Every evening, the markers would move more than ten paces to the east; when he brought them back in the morning, they would move again. Secretly keeping watch together, they saw a person wearing red robes and a martial cap pull up the markers and place them to the east. Consequently, they erected the stupa at that spot, which is the site of the present stupa. Chroniclers said: "Thirty years after the temple is established, it will be burned by heavenly fire." On a night in the seventh month of the twenty-first year of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin, a fire arose spontaneously. The several dozen monks of the temple were completely unaware of it, and the next morning they saw that the stupa had already become a heap of ashes. The emperor said: "This is an ominous sign for the state." He immediately ordered Yang Fashang, Li Xu, and others to have it repaired swiftly. In the ninth month, the emperor passed away. There were five images made by Dai Andao, and a sixteen-foot golden image cast by Dai Yong. Formerly, when the cast image was first completed, its face and head were extraordinarily thin, and the artisans did not know what to do about it; so they invited Yong to view it. Yong said: "It is not that the face is thin, but that the arms and shoulders are fat." After filing down the arms and shoulders, the facial features naturally became full and rounded, and none of the artisans failed to sigh in admiration. There was also a jade image of four feet two inches from the Lion Country (Siṃhala), and all were present there. Formerly, the King of the Lion Country heard that Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin was dedicated to venerating the Dharma, and therefore dispatched the śramaṇa Dharmoddhāra to travel from afar and offer this Buddha. It was on the road for more than ten years, and only reached the Jin in the Yixi era. Wang Mi, the Minister over the Masses, once entered the palace and saw palace attendants casting wooden dice at the East Wing Gate. Wherever the dice landed, light would burst forth. Wondering at this, he ordered an excavation and obtained a golden image; together with its halo and pedestal, it was seven feet two inches tall. Mi immediately reported it to the throne, and Emperor Gaozu of the Song welcomed it into the court for offerings. At the end of the Jingping era of the Song, it was sent out to Waguan Temple, and has now been moved to Longguang Temple.
13.10
Shi Huishou was a man of Anle. During the Xingning era of the Jin, he came to travel to the capital. Eating vegetables and practicing austerities, he constantly cultivated meritorious deeds. Once, passing by Wang Tanzhi's garden, he would repeatedly dream at night of founding a temple within the garden; this happened several times. Huishou wished to beg Wang for enough ground for a single room, but dared not speak out, and first spoke of it to Songqi, the garden caretaker. Songqi said: "As for the garden of the Wang family, I fear it is not something you can aim for." Huishou said: "If sincerity brings a response, why worry about not obtaining it?" He immediately went to Wang and explained it. Wang was overjoyed and promptly granted it to him. At first, he erected a small room; every night he dreamed again of a blue dragon coming from the south and transforming into a stupa pole. Huishou took a novice to the Xinting River to search by way of trial, and indeed saw a long log floating down with the current. Huishou said: "This must be what I saw." Thereupon, he hired men to tow it up, erected it as a stupa pole, and framed it with one tier. Monastics and laypeople gathered in competition, all sighing at the divine marvel. Tanzhi then renounced the garden to make a temple, and named it "Anle Temple" after Huishou's native region. To the east was the residence of Wang Ya, the Governor of Danyang; to the west, the residence of Liu Dou, the Grand Protector of Dongyan; and to the south, the residence of Fan Ning, the Grand Protector of Yuzhang: all of them donated their residences to complete the temple. Later, the śramaṇas Daojing, Daojing, and others further repaired and embellished it, and to this day it remains lofty and magnificent.
13.11
Shi Senghui: it is not known who he was. From his youth, he loved to cultivate meritorious deeds. During the Yixi era of the Jin, together with Changsheng, a practitioner from Chang'an, he established a temple in Powu Village in the capital. When they first enclosed the site and erected several thatch huts, they gathered monks and held a vegetarian feast. At midnight, two lamps inside the hall suddenly moved forward several dozen paces of their own accord, while the oil and wicks remained as before, without spilling. The great assembly marvelled in astonishment, and upon inquiring of the elders, all said that the place where the lamps moved was the site where a foreign monk in former times had erected the foundation of a stupa. Thereupon, they joined together to build it. Because the moving of the lamps manifested an auspicious sign, they accordingly named it Chongming Temple.
13.12
Shi Sengyi was originally a man of Yuhang in Wuxing. From youth he possessed faithful understanding, and early on had aspirations that transcended the dust of the world. When he first left household life, he stayed at Lushan Temple, relying on Huiyuan for his study and practice. Observing ascetic restraint on a vegetarian diet, he was held in high esteem by the disciples. Later, he went to Guanzhong and also studied under Kumārajīva, consulting and studying the sūtras, vinaya, and various treatises, and he also recited the entire Lotus Sūtra. In the thirteenth year of the Yixi era of the Jin, together with his fellow companion, the śramaṇa Tanxue, he traveled to Kuaiji, exploring its mountains and rivers. Northwest of Qinwang, seeing five peaks joined together in a row with the likeness of Gṛdhrakūṭa, he bound thatch to make a hermitage and called it the "Fahua Hermitage." The Grand Protector Meng Yi and the wealthy man Chen Zai both gave their hearts in admiration of his virtue and assisted in bringing it to completion. Sengyi ate vegetables and drank from mountain torrents for over thirty years, and died in the twenty-seventh year of the Yuanjia era of the Song at the age of seventy. A stele was erected at the mountain temple to commemorate his enduring virtue, and Kong Huan of Kuaiji composed the text. Sengyi's traveling companion, the śramaṇa Tanxue, later chose a site north of Qinwang, calling it the "Lelin Hermitage." Shaoxiang and Guanqian, both prominent monks of the Eastern Marchmount, all rested and resided there.
13.13
At that time, there was Shi Daojing, who was originally of the noble lineage of Langye, a great-grandson of Wang Xizhi, General of the Right in the Jin. Shunner of worldly life, he left the household, his heart cherishing hills and valleys. Dwelling in Mount Ruoye, he founded the Xuanliu Hermitage. Later, in order to make offerings to the monastic assembly, Daojing relinquished the full precepts and concentrated solely on the ten precepts.
13.14
Shi Senghong was a man of Yuzhou who resided at Waguan Temple in the capital. From youth he cultivated his conduct with pure discipline. Later, he led and converted those with karmic affinity to cast a sixteen-foot golden image; the smelting and casting had just finished, and the mold had not yet been opened. At that time, toward the end of the Jin, the prohibition on bronze was extremely strict, and violators faced certain death. Song Wu was then the Chancellor of State, and Hong was implicated in the crime and imprisoned in the Chancellor's office. He only recited the Guanyin Sūtra, single-mindedly taking refuge in the Buddha image. At night, he dreamed that the image he had cast came, rubbed Hong's head with its hand, and asked: "Are you afraid or not?" Hong replied that in his own thoughts he was certain to die. The image said: "Have no fear." He saw that the image's chest, about a square foot in size, was scorched and boiling in bronze colour. When the execution was due to take place, the adjutant of the headquarters supervised the killing, but the ox bolted and the carriage broke, so another day was set. Subsequently, an order arrived from Pengcheng, saying: "Do not execute; Senghong may be pardoned." Thus, he gained release. Returning, he opened the mold, and indeed found that the chest of the image was scorched and boiled. Later, Hong died through ascetic practices.
13.15
Śramaṇa Sengliang, whose origins are unknown, was famous from his youth for his observance of the precepts. He wished to make a sixteen-foot metal image, but the copper required was considerable and could not be accomplished by small alms. Hearing that the temple of Wu Zixu by the Tongxi River within the borders of Xiangzhou had abundant bronze vessels, and that the shrine was exceedingly awe-inspiring and no one dared approach it, Liang heard of this and went there. He informed the regional inspector Zhang Shao, asking to borrow a hundred robust men and ten large boats. Shao said, "The shrine is full of spiritual efficacy, and violators are sure to perish. Moreover, indigenous tribesmen guard it; how could it be obtained?" Liang replied, "If merit and virtue are indeed attained, I shall share them with the dānapati. If there should be any blame, I shall bear it myself." Shao thereupon provided him with the men and boats. After three days and three nights, they reached the site of the shrine. Liang advanced together with the laborers all at once. Before they were some twenty paces from the shrine building, there were two bronze cauldrons holding more than a hundred hu each; inside them was a giant serpent more than a hundred feet long, which came out and blocked the path. Liang composed his deportment, held his monk's staff, and uttered several tens of words of praṇidhāna, whereupon the serpent vanished in an instant. Presently, a person was seen holding a bamboo tablet and coming out, saying, "I hear that the master's practice of the Way is extraordinary, and your undertaking of meritorious deeds is weighty; today I especially rejoice in your endeavor." Thereupon he had the men carry the vessels away. Since the bronze in the shrine was so abundant, not one in ten was taken, yet the barges were already full. Only at the head of the deity's couch was a spittoon, inside of which was a gecko some two feet long, emerging and returning by turns. All who discussed it said that the deity was fondest of this object, so Liang did not take it and thereupon departed, meeting with very favorable wind and waters. By the time the tribal groups gave word to one another, they pursued him but could no longer catch up. Returning to the capital, the casting of the image was completed, lacking only the halo of radiant flames. Emperor Wen of Song had a round aureole of gold leaf made for it, and it was installed at Pengcheng Temple. In the Taishi era of the Song, Emperor Ming moved the image to Xianggong Temple, where it still remains today.
13.16
Śramaṇa Fayi was a man of Jiangzuo. He was fond of undertaking meritorious deeds and founded fifty-three temples. During the Yixi era of the Jin, the libationer Zhu Yingzi of Mount Zhong—formerly a partisan of Sun En's uprising—hid and dwelt on this mountain, and allotted a small portion of his outer land to Yi to establish a temple, which was called Yanxian Temple. Later, Beidu came and went at this temple, saying, "Here there will soon be various changes, and afterwards it will become fine. The land faces the heavenly realm, making it easy to perform meritorious deeds." Soon after, it was burnt down by a wild fire. Later, Qi Xie, Zhang Yin, and others, relying on Beidu's instructions—the account is in the biography of Beidu—walked the mountain lands together with Yi, wishing to rebuild it; however, there was no water, so they could not dwell there. Yi recalled Beidu's words, and with utmost sincerity performed repentance and worship, praying for the water of the Western pond. After three days, his earnest sincerity reached its utmost. Suddenly, a sound was heard in the sky, falling with a crash upon the ground. Yi feared it might be gold or silk; he tested it by having someone dig down about two feet, and a clear stream welled forth, becoming a never-ending mountain brook. Thereupon the temple was established. It is not known where Yi finally ended his days.
13.17
Śramaṇa Huijing was a man of Nanhai. In his youth, he traveled to study in Jing and Chu, and was also broadly versed in the sūtras and treatises; yet he constantly took meritorious deeds as his chief endeavor, so that his doctrinal studies did not reach full completion. Wherever he went, he raised stūpas and images, helping to accomplish various communal tasks. Later he returned to his home region, and again repaired various temples such as Yunfeng and Yong'an. Since Jing was meticulous in his monastic restraints and his resolve and conduct were strict and clear, monks and nuns beyond the Nanling Mountains all turned to him for consultation and instruction. Later, he was appointed monastic director by imperial decree, and his guidance and leadership were effective. Jing had a male servant and a śrāmaṇera who were suddenly beaten by ghosts; afterwards, the mountain spirits manifested in visible form and visited Jing, fully apologizing for their offense, saying, "Our subordinates were ignorant and rashly harassed the master's retinue." Before long, all recovered. Whenever he undertook meritorious deeds, he always dedicated the merit toward the Western realm. On the day of his death, an extraordinary fragrance filled his chamber, only ceasing after a long time.
13.18
Śramaṇa Faxian was a man of Guangzhou. At first he resided at the Northern Temple, which had grown dilapidated over many years; Xian led and converted those with karmic ties to repair and renovate it, renaming it Yanxiang Temple. Later, he entered Mount Cangwei and founded a temple. After the temple was completed, two youths came hand in hand and sang: "Cangwei possesses virtue and the Way; / Joy and happiness are only just beginning." When the words ended, they vanished in an instant. The entire monastery was astonished and sighed in admiration, all marveling at the spiritual wonder. Later, while Xian was engaged in dhyāna, he suddenly saw a person come and say, "The cord of the chime stone is about to break; why not mend it?" Startled, Xian got up and went to look; it was just about to fall to the ground, but because he caught it with his hand, it was not broken or damaged. From the time he left home, he constantly encouraged and converted others to perform meritorious deeds, yet his mind was devoted to dhyāna and the precepts, never falling short in his discipline. It is not known where he finally ended his days.
13.19
Śramaṇa Faxian, whose lay surname was Xu, was a man of Yanshui in Xihai. He first accompanied his maternal uncle to Liangzhou, where he left home. In the sixteenth year of Yuanjia, he traveled down to the capital and stayed at the Upper Dinglin Temple. He was broadly versed in the sūtras and the vinaya; his resolve and endeavors were firm and vigorous, and he was skilled at aiding and rescuing. He devised many plans to repair and rebuild temple buildings. Having previously heard that the venerable Meng had traveled west and witnessed divine marvels fully, he vowed to risk his life to go and view the sacred traces. In the third year of Yuanhui of the Song, he set out from Jinling, traveled west through Ba and Shu, took the road through Henan, and passed through the Rouran. Arriving in Khotan, he wished to cross the Congling Mountains, but encountering the collapse of the plank roads, he turned back from Khotan. He obtained a tooth relic of the Buddha, fifteen relics, the Dhāraṇī of Guanyin for Eradicating Sin, the "Devadatta Chapter", and also acquired a hammered metal plate image of Kucha; with these he returned. His journey through perilous obstacles is recorded in his separate account.
13.20
The Buddha's tooth relic was originally in the kingdom of Udyāna; from Udyāna it came to the Rouran, and from the Rouran it came to the land of Liang. Xian brought the tooth back to the capital for fifty-five years, secretly worshipping and serving it himself, with no one else knowing of it. Only when Prince Wenxuan had an evocative dream was it made known to both monastics and laity. Xian's vinaya practice was pure and meticulous, and his virtue served as a model for beings. Wang Su and Wang Rong of Langye, Zhang Rong and Zhang Juan of Wu, and the śramaṇas Huiling and Zhicang, among others, all prostrated themselves, touched his feet, and revered his admonitions and teachings. In the Yongming era, Xian was appointed monastic director by imperial decree together with Xuanchang of Changgan Temple, separately overseeing the northern and southern banks.
13.21
Chang was originally a man of Qinzhou, whose observance of the vinaya restraints was likewise clean and pure; Crown Prince Wenhui honored him as his preceptor. Later, Xian was ordered by imperial decree to the Sanwu region to select carefully between the two assemblies, and Chang also traveled east to reaffirm the rites for receiving the precepts. At that time, both Chang and Xian had studied vinaya regulations since youth and did not vie for worldly favor; when conversing with Emperor Wu, they always referred to themselves by name and did not sit. Later, the monk Zhong of Zhongxing Temple had an audience with the emperor in the Qianhe Hall; when the emperor asked Zhong how he was doing, Zhong replied, "This poor monk has recently suffered from a cold humor." The emperor disliked this and asked the Minister Wang Jian, "When senior śramaṇas conversed with emperors in the past, how did they address themselves? Did they sit in the main palace hall?" Jian replied, "In the Han and Wei, the Buddhadharma had not yet flourished, and no such records or biographies are seen. Ever since the illegitimate regimes became somewhat prominent, they all referred to themselves as 'the poor monk' and were also granted a seat; and in the early Jin it was likewise. In the middle era, there were Yu Bing, Huan Xuan, and others, who all wished to make the śramaṇas render full homage, but the court debates were contentious, and the matter was always dropped. During the middle of the Song, they were also somewhat ordered to offer reverence, but in the end it was never implemented. From then until now, they have mostly been granted a seat and referred to themselves as 'the poor monk'." The emperor said, "If two monks like Chang and Xian, with such practice of the Way, still refer to themselves by name, how much more so should others? To bow and prostrate is indeed excessive, but to refer to oneself by name carries no fault." From that time on, śramaṇas all referred to themselves by name before emperors, which began with Chang and Xian. Chang died in the early Jianwu era at the age of seventy-five. Xian died in the late Jianwu era and was buried together with Chang on the south side of Mount Zhong. Xian's disciple Sengyou erected a stele beside his tomb, with the inscription composed by Shen Yue of Wuxing, Governor of Danyang. The Buddha's tooth and image obtained by Xian in the Western Regions are both at the Upper Dinglin Temple.
13.22
In the first month of the third year of Putong, several men suddenly appeared carrying weapons; knocking on the gate at early night, they claimed that a slave of His Highness the Prince of Linchuan had rebelled, and someone had reported he was in the pavilion of the Buddha's tooth, asking to open the pavilion to inspect it. The temple administrators complied with their words and opened the pavilion. The leader went before the seat of the Buddha's tooth, opened the box, took the tooth, made three prostrations, wrapped the tooth in a brocade kerchief, and departed winding east around the mountain. To this day, its whereabouts are unknown.
13.23
Śramaṇa Senghu was originally a man of Shan in Kuaiji. He left home in his youth and resolved always to maintain austere discipline, his precepts and conduct being strict and pure. Later he resided at Yinyue Temple on Mount Shicheng. To the north of the temple there was a blue cliff rising straight up several tens of zhang, and right in the middle it had a shape like the flame halo of a Buddha. Above were clusters of trees, their bent trunks casting shade. Whenever Hu walked in contemplation to the cliff, he would see bright light radiating brilliantly, and hear the sounds of stringed instruments, pipes, and songs of praise. Thereupon he lifted an incense burner and made a vow to carve out of the mountain a hundred-foot stone Buddha, reverently modeled after the thousand-foot form of Maitreya, so that all who had karmic ties might together behold the three assemblies. During the Jianwu era of the Northern Qi, he gathered monastics and laity and initially began carving. Quarrying and chiseling for over a year, he had only completed the rough form of the face. Soon after, Hu fell ill and died. On his deathbed he vowed: "What I have undertaken was never expected to be accomplished in a single lifetime. In my second life, this vow will certainly be fulfilled." Later, the śramaṇa Sengshu took up and continued his legacy, but lacking the necessary funds and resources, he could not bring it to completion.
13.24
In the sixth year of Tianjian of the Liang, Lu Xian of Wu commandery, magistrate of Shifeng, was relieved of his post and returning to the capital. Spending the night at Shan Stream, he encountered dark wind and rain; anxious and fearful, Xian was dozing, when he suddenly dreamed of three Daoists who came and told him, "Your discernment and faith are steadfast and correct; you will naturally be safe and at peace. His Highness the Prince of Jian'an is suffering an illness that has not healed; if you can repair and complete the stone image made by Senghu of Shan county, he will certainly recover. The principle of the unseen world is not empty; you should make this known to him." After Xian returned to the capital, a year passed, and he gradually forgot his previous dream. Later, going out the gate, he saw a monk who said he had come to listen to lectures and lodging overnight, and thereupon asked, "Do you still remember the matter of the Prince of Jian'an entrusted to you last year at Shan Stream?" Startled at the moment, Xian replied, "I do not remember." The Daoist smiled and said, "You should think about it again," and immediately took his leave. Xian realized he was extraordinary, and hurriedly put on his shoes backwards to inquire after him; catching up to him within a hundred paces, the monk suddenly vanished. Xian's understanding cleared at once, fully recalling his former dream: he was the third monk seen at Shan Stream. Xian immediately hurried to inform the Prince of Jian'an, who then reported it to the throne. An imperial order was issued dispatching Vinaya Master Sengyou to take sole charge of the image. The prince's deep faith increased all the more, filled with exultation; he donated gold and treasures, vowing to see it completed. Before Sengyou had arrived, one day the temple monk Huicheng dreamed of a great black-robed deity, with a majestic retinue, standing at the niche calculating the proportions; the next morning Vinaya Master Sengyou arrived. Such was the divine resonance.
13.25
At first, what Senghu had begun chiseled the niche too shallowly, so they excavated inward by fifty feet, added the uṣṇīṣa, and when the physical marks were successfully accomplished and polishing was about to finish, in the middle of the night, right at the svastika mark, the color turned red and raised. Today, at the svastika on the image's chest, gold leaf is still not applied, and the red color remains there. Work on the image began in the spring of the twelfth year of Tianjian and was completed in the spring of the fifteenth year. The seated figure is fifty feet tall, and the standing form is a hundred feet tall. In front of the niche, a three-story platform was erected, and gates, pavilions, and halls were built, along with communal endowments to provide offerings. Scholars and commoners from all directions carried incense and flowers, gathering from ten thousand li away. The coming and going of offerings and donations crowded the carriage ruts. After the image was completed, the ailment suffered by the Prince of Jian'an gradually diminished, and his chronic illness was healed. The prince was later enfeoffed under another title; he is the present Prince of Nanping.
13.26
Shi Fayue was a śramaṇa of strict moral discipline. At the end of the Qi dynasty, he was appointed head of the saṃgha by imperial decree and resided at Zhengjue Temple in the capital. He devoted himself to cultivating karmic merit, and the fourfold assembly turned to him. Yue had once heard that the Songwang Temple in Pengcheng possessed an eighteen-foot bronze-gilt image made by the Song General of Chariots and Cavalry and Regional Inspector of Xuzhou, Wang Zhongde, whose radiance and physical marks were praised as the finest in the Jiangzuo region. Whenever a calamity or ominous omen was about to occur within the region, or when monks and nuns were unjustly drawn into transgressions, the image would stream with perspiration. The amount of sweat indicated the severity of the disaster. At the beginning of the Taishi era of the Song, when Pengcheng fell under northern rule, the hordes of northern invaders collectively tried to move the image. Even after bringing up ten thousand men, they could not move it in the end. At the beginning of the Qi, several commanderies of Yanzhou wished to rise in righteousness and align with the south, and they also forced many monks to help guard their encampments and trenches. At that time, the northern general, the Duke of Lanling, attacked and captured this camp, taking the śramaṇas prisoner. Thereupon, he seized all the monks of the two provinces and imprisoned them within an encirclement. He submitted a memorial to the puppet court, falsely accusing them of aiding the rebellion. At that time, the image streamed with perspiration so abundantly that the entire hall was damp. At that time, the illegitimate King of Liang, Liang, who was stationed in Pengcheng, also had some slight faith; he personally went to the site of the image and ordered people to wipe it, but as soon as it was wiped it came forth again, and in the end could not be stopped. The king then burned incense, prostrated himself, and vowed with a sincere heart: 'The monks are guiltless; I, your disciple, shall myself protect them and not let them incur disaster. If my hidden sincerity is felt, may the sweat cease as soon as it is wiped.' Thereupon, he wiped it with his own hands, and as soon as it was wiped, it dried. The king fully memorialized the matter, and the monks were all pardoned. Having rejoiced at seeing such spiritual marvels, Yue vowed to behold and pay reverence to it; yet because the border barriers were blocked, he had no means of fulfilling his wish.
13.27
Furthermore, in the past, Emperor Ming of the Song had once cast an eighteen-foot bronze-gilt image, but four castings were unsuccessful, so it was changed to fourteen feet. Yue, together with the śramaṇa Zhijing of Baima Temple, united their shared affinity, wishing to recast an eighteen-foot image of Amitāyus to express their aspiration. When they first began gathering bronze, it coincided with the end of the Qi dynasty; the affairs of the world were in decline, and the project was repeatedly cast aside and rejected. Only at the beginning of the Liang was the matter reported to the throne; an imperial decree was issued granting permission and providing assistance to craft the halo and pedestal. Skilled artisans and craftsmen from the Ministry of Works were supplied as needed. On the third day of the fifth month in the eighth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang, they undertook the casting at the Xiaozhuangyan Temple. The craftsmen originally measured out forty thousand catties of bronze for the Buddha's body; when the molten metal was exhausted, it had not yet reached the chest. The common people brought countless amounts of bronze and cast them into the smelters as they poured, yet the mold remained unfilled, just as before. They again swiftly reported this to the throne, and an imperial decree allocated three thousand catties of merit-bronze. The imperial storehouses had just begun measuring and sending it, when at the site of the image a sheep-drawn carriage was already seen conveying the edict and unloading bronze beside the furnace. Thereupon the bellows blew swiftly, melting it down, and a single pour filled it completely. Just a moment later, both the man and the carriage were gone. Only when the bronze from the palace storehouses arrived did they realize that what had just been delivered was truly a spiritual response. The craftsmen leaped with joy, and both religious and lay people praised it. When they opened the mold and took measurements, it had miraculously grown to nineteen feet, while its marks and radiance were flawless. Moreover, there were two large coins still visible in the folds of the robe that had never melted away, and none could fathom why this was so. In considering the past, the forty thousand catties of bronze originally measured should have been more than enough. When three thousand catties were later added, it was calculated that it would still be insufficient. Yet the miraculous omens were profound and hidden, arising from the designs of the mind. Thus one knows that the spiritual principle communicates invisibly, and it was hardly a human affair.
13.28
When the clay core of the image was first completed, the bhikṣu Daozhao would often perform repentance rites in the middle of the night. Suddenly, he saw the place of the clay core shining brightly with brilliant light. Looking closely for a long time, he realized it was an extraordinary spiritual light. Three days after the casting, before the mold could be opened, there was the dhyāna master Daodu, a monk of pure and lofty conduct, who gave up his seven-strip kāṣāya to help cover the expense of opening the uṣṇīṣa. Soon, he saw two monks from afar kneeling to open the topknot of the image; when he approached to look closely, they vanished abruptly. At that time, the two monks Yue and Jing passed away one after the other. By imperial decree, the affairs of the image were entrusted to Sengyou of Dinglin Temple. On the twenty-sixth day of the ninth month of that year, the image was moved to Guangzhai Temple. It had not rained that month, and there was considerable dust. When it was about to be moved at dawn, light clouds covered the sky in the night, and a fine drizzle moistened the earth. Sengyou was walking mindfully near the image, contemplating the weather, when he saw flames of light rising and falling beside the image from afar, like lamps and candles, and also heard the sounds of the striking chime and prostrations of repentance. Entering the hall to look closely, everything suddenly vanished; Jiang Xiaosun, who guarded the temple, also saw this together with him. That night, merchants along the Huai River all heard under the great boat bridge the urgent directing of bridge repairs, with the sound as if of hundreds of people. From this one knows that such an important spiritual vessel could hardly have been brought about by human power alone.
13.29
Afterward, when casting the halo and pedestal again, there were auspicious omens of fragrant breezes. To the east of the Pamirs, this was the unsurpassed bronze-gilt image.
13.30
The appraisal says: In the past, when Udayana first carved sandalwood and Prasenajit first cast metal, both depicted the true countenance and skillfully rendered the wondrous marks. Therefore, they could radiate light, stir auspicious omens, and cause people to leave their seats and offer reverent devotion. Coming down to the two stūpas for hair and nails, and the two terraces for robes and shadows, all were established models already seen while the Tathāgata was in the world. From the time he withdrew his traces beside the river and was cremated outside the forest, the eight kings requested to divide his relics and returned to their kingdoms to erect stūpas. Together with the two places for the urn and ashes, ten sanctuaries thus arose. His place of birth, attainment of the Way, preaching the Dharma, and parinirvāṇa; the uṣṇīṣa, cranial bone, four canine teeth, pair of footprints, alms bowl, staff, spittoon, and nīvāsana robe—stūpas were erected and inscriptions carved for all of them, setting forth and displaying their divine marvels.
13.31
More than a hundred years later, King Aśoka dispatched emissaries across the sea to dismantle the various stūpas and divide the relics. Returning, they encountered wind and tides, and quite a few were lost. Thus among the marine creatures today, they are occasionally encountered. Thereafter, the eighty-four thousand stūpas were erected because of this. King Aśoka's daughters also successively brought forth pure faith; they carved stone and cast metal, depicting his divine appearance. They could even float along rivers and drift across seas, manifesting their shadows to transform the eastern lands. Although the spiritual traces secretly communicated, they were not yet made evident to sight and hearing. When Cai Yin and Qin Jing returned from the Western Regions, they first transmitted a painting of Śākyamuni on fine cloth. Thereupon, the Liangtai Terrace and the Shouling Tomb both depicted his image. From then on, images, stūpas, and temples arose in competition with the times. Reaching the Great Liang, the transmitted light flourished all the more. Now, the Dharmakāya has no form; it takes form due to resonance. Because resonance and perception differ, the manifesting forms have distinctions. If the mind's path is indistinct and vague, the true form remains separate from transformation; but if feelings and aspirations are sincere and earnest, even wood and stone open their hearts. Thus, because Liu Yin's supreme filial piety resonated with sincerity, pots and grain measures bore inscriptions for him; because Ding Lan was utterly sincere in morning and evening care, the wooden mother changed color on account of it. Luyang whirled his spear and the sun turned back; the wife of Qi wept and the city wall collapsed. In all these cases, deep grief permeated their nature and emotions, thereby causing auspicious signs to shine before ears and eyes. As for Huida invoking light at the top of a stūpa pillar, Huili sensing an omen at a stūpa foundation, Huidhou demonstrating sincerity with floating timber, Senghui manifesting proof through the moving lamp, Hong and Liang both forgetting their bodies in casting images, and Yi and Xian both exhausting their lives for the sake of saṃghārāmas; Faxian devoted his will to the tooth relic and the Prince of Jingling was spiritually moved by it; Senghu harbored aspirations at Shicheng and the Prince of Nanping obtained a response through it. Recently, there was the nineteen-foot image of Guangzhai Temple illuminating the capital; the Song emperor smelted four times without success, but the Liang ruler had it fully formed in a single casting. The wondrous marks sprang forth without blemish; the auspicious bronze was scarce, yet proved more than sufficient. Thus one knows that the Way is broadened through humans, and the spiritual responds through things—how could this be false? Therefore, when one sacrifices to the spirits as if the spirits were present, the spiritual way intersects with them; when one reveres a Buddha image as the Buddha's body, the Dharmakāya responds. Hence entering the Way must take wisdom as its root, and wisdom must take karmic merit as its foundation. It is like a bird possessing two wings, swiftly soaring a thousand fathoms; or a chariot with two wheels, covering a thousand leagues in a single drive. How could one not be diligent, how could one not exert oneself?
13.32
The eulogy says: The true form has concealed its radiance; metal and stone transmit its brilliance. Here are stūpas and images, which those who cherish and yearn rely upon. Manifesting marvels to display the ultimate, showing auspicious signs to reveal authority. Hidden in cliffs or springing from the earth, floating on water or flying through the air. Sincere indeed is the mind's path: it will surely harmonize without failing.
13.33
Sūtra Cantors: Section Nine
13.34
1. Bo Faqiao
2. Zhi Tanyue
3. Shi Faping
4. Shi Sengrao
5. Shi Daohui
6. Shi Zhisong
7. Shi Tanqian
8. Shi Tanzhi
9. Shi Sengbian
10. Shi Tanping
11. Shi Huiren
13.35
Bo Faqiao was a man from Zhongshan. In his youth, he took delight in cantillating sūtras but lacked vocal strength, and he always lamented this inadequacy. Thereupon, he gave up grain and repented for seven days and seven nights, prostrating before Avalokiteśvara to pray for a present retribution. His fellow students earnestly remonstrated with him, but he vowed not to change. On the seventh day, he felt an openness in his throat, and immediately asked for water to wash and rinse his mouth, saying, 'I have had a response.' Thereupon, he performed three cantillation sections, and his chanting voice carried for about a li; those near and far were amazed and sighing in admiration, and all came to watch and listen. Thereafter, he recited several hundred thousand words of sūtras, chanting day and night, sorrowful, graceful, and communicating with the divine. Even when he reached ninety years of age, his voice had not changed. During the Yonghe era of Emperor Mu of the Jin, he passed away north of the Yellow River. This was at the end of Shi Hu's reign. He had a disciple named Sengfu, whose monastic discipline and conduct were also pure and lofty.
13.36
Zhi Tanyue was originally a Yuezhi person who resided in Jianye. He left home in his youth, living an austere life on a vegetarian diet, and rested at Mount Huqiu in Wu. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin, he was invited to the capital by imperial decree and resided at Jianchu Temple. Xiaowu received the five precepts from him and respected him with the rites accorded to a master. Tanyue was uniquely endowed with a wondrous voice and was skilled in cantillation. He once dreamed that a heavenly deity transmitted to him vocal methods, and upon waking he fashioned new melodies based on them. The Sanskrit chant was clear and delicate, soaring in all four directions and turning back upon itself. Reversing, bending, returning to the throat with layered trills—even though King of Dong'e first innovated and Kang Senghui later composed, in circulating from beginning to end, none matched the wonder of Tanyue. Later generations passed down and transcribed his art, and all took him as their model. The six-syllable Sanskrit chanting (fanbai) that he composed still echoes today. He later passed away at his dwelling at the age of eighty-one.
13.37
Shi Faping, surnamed Kang, was a man of Kangju. He resided in Jianye. Together with his younger brother Fadeng, he left home and resided at Baima Temple. As disciples of Tanyue, they together transmitted their master's art. His resonant tone was pure and elegant, its modulations limitless. Later, the two brothers moved together to Jetavana Temple. The younger brother was rather plain in appearance, but his voice surpassed that of his elder brother. When the Song Senior General held a vegetarian feast at the Eastern Headquarters, he at first looked down on him because of his appearance. But upon hearing him open the scroll and sing three sections, he wrung his wrists in heartfelt submission and sighed, saying, 'In taking a man by his looks, I have misjudged Ziyu—how true this is!' Later, when the venerable Yan of Dong'an began giving a lecture, after Deng finished chanting three sections of the sūtra, Yan slowly waved his chowry and said, 'Reading the sūtra like this is in no way inferior to delivering a lecture.' With that, he dismissed the assembly. The next day he reopened the topic; commentators considered this to be the way of mutual fulfillment. Both brothers passed away at the end of the Yuanjia era.
13.38
Shi Sengrao was a man from Jiankang. He left home and resided at Baima Temple. He was skilled in letter writing and various arts, but was especially renowned for his chanting voice, being widely celebrated during the reigns of Emperors Wu and Wen of the Song. His resonant melodies were relaxed and leisurely, harmonious, elegant, mournful, and clear, standing shoulder to shoulder with Daozong. Zong was skilled in the three Benqi and the Danuo. Whenever he raised a pure Sanskrit chant, both monastics and laity were captivated. The temple had a Prajñā Terrace, and Rao often circumambulated it while chanting in Sanskrit as an offering. When passersby heard it, none failed to stop their carriages, linger, snap their fingers, and praise the Buddha. He died in the second year of the Daming era of the Song at the age of eighty-six.
13.39
At that time, in the same temple, there were also Chaoming and Minghui; both practiced Sanskrit chanting from their youth and cantillated during the long fasts, also gaining fame in their day.
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Linked texts (1)
- 高僧傳 — 慧皎, Classical Chinese