高僧傳 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Huijiao of Jiaxiang Temple in Kuaiji, Liang

1. Shi Faxian
2. Shi Tanwujie
3. Buddhabhadra [Fo Tuo Shen]
4. Buddhavarman
5. Shi Zhiyan
6. Shi Baoyun
7. Guṇavarman
8. Saṃghavarman
9. Dharmamitra
10. Shi Zhimeng
11. Kālayaśas
12. Guṇabhadra
13. Guṇavṛddhi

3.4

Shi Faxian, whose surname was Gong, was a native of Wuyang in Pingyang. He had three elder brothers who all died in early childhood; fearing that misfortune would reach Faxian, his father had him ordained as a śrāmaṇera at the age of three. He remained at home for several years, but fell gravely ill and was near death; he was thereupon sent back to the monastery, and after staying two nights he recovered. He was unwilling to return home again; his mother wished to see him but could not, so later a small cottage was built outside the monastery gate to accommodate his comings and goings. At the age of ten, he suffered the loss of his father. His uncle, considering that his mother was widowed and could not sustain herself alone, pressured him to return to lay life. Faxian said: "It was not originally because I had a father that I went forth from household life; it was precisely because I wished to depart far from the dust and leave the secular world that I entered the Way." His uncle approved of his words and desisted. Soon after, his mother died; his filial nature surpassed that of ordinary men, and once the funeral rites were completed, he immediately returned to the monastery. Once, together with several tens of fellow students, he was reaping rice in the fields. At that time, starving bandits attempted to seize their grain; all the other śrāmaṇeras fled, and only Faxian remained alone. He said to the bandits: "If you need grain, take as you please. It is only because you gentlemen did not practice dāna in the past that you have incurred starvation and poverty; now taking from others again, I fear that in future lives it will be even worse. I, a poor monk, am merely worried on your behalf in advance." Having finished speaking, he returned, and the bandits abandoned the grain and departed; none among the several hundred monks failed to admire him. When he received the full precepts, his aspiration and conduct were clear and discerning, and his demeanor was upright and solemn. He constantly lamented the discrepancies and deficiencies in the sūtras and vinaya, and vowed to seek them out.

3.5

In the third year of the Long'an era of the Jin, along with his classmates Huijing, Daozheng, Huiying, Huiwei, and others, [Faxian] set out from Chang'an. Crossing the shifting sands westward, there were no flying birds above and no running beasts below. Gazing in all four directions, all was vast and boundless, with no way to tell where they were going; they looked only to the sun to determine east and west, and gazed upon human bones to mark the path. There were frequent scorching winds and evil demons, meeting which meant certain death; Faxian entrusted himself to karma and surrendered his life, passing straight through the perils. After a while, they reached the Congling Mountains. The mountains have accumulated snow in both winter and summer, and there are evil dragons spitting poison, wind, rain, sand, and gravel. The mountain roads were treacherous and perilous, the cliffs rising sheer for a thousand fathoms. In the past, people had chiselled the stone to make a passage and built laddered paths alongside it, crossing more than seven hundred such places in all. They also tread suspended ropes to cross rivers in several tens of places, none of which had been reached by Zhang Qian or Ganfu of the Han dynasty. Next, they crossed the Little Snow Mountains, where a freezing wind suddenly arose. Huijing trembled with cold and could not go forward; he said to Faxian: "I am going to die. You should go on ahead; do not let us both perish!" His words ceased and he passed away. Faxian stroked him and wept, saying: "Our original goal will not be fulfilled; what can be done against fate?" He then strove by his own strength to walk alone, ultimately passing through the mountain perils, traveling through more than thirty kingdoms in all.

3.6

When he was about to reach Tianzhu, more than thirty li from Rājagṛha, there was a monastery, and he spent the night there as dusk drew near. The next morning, Faxian wished to go to Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain. The monastery's monks admonished him, saying: "The path is extremely difficult and blocked, and furthermore there are many black lions that have repeatedly eaten people. How could you reach it?" Faxian said: "I have traveled tens of thousands [of li] from afar, having vowed to reach Gṛdhrakūṭa. My life cannot be counted on, and a breath out cannot be guaranteed. How could I allow the sincerity accumulated over years to be abandoned once I have arrived? Even if there are perils and hardships, I am not afraid." None of the assembly could stop him, so they dispatched two monks to escort him. Once Faxian arrived at the mountain, the sun was about to set, and he wished to stay overnight. The two monks were terrified, so they abandoned him and returned. Faxian remained alone on the mountain, burning incense and making prostrations, stirred with longing for the ancient traces as though beholding the holy presence. When night fell, three black lions came and squatted before Faxian, licking their lips and wagging their tails. Faxian chanted the sūtras without ceasing, single-mindedly mindful of the Buddha. The lions then lowered their heads and dropped their tails, crouching down before Faxian's feet. Faxian stroked them with his hand and recited an incantation, saying: "If you wish to harm me, wait until I have finished chanting; if you have come to test me, you may now retreat." After a good while, the lions departed. The next morning he returned. The path was secluded and blocked, with only a single track passable. When he was still more than a li away, he suddenly encountered a Daoist-monk, about ninety years of age, whose appearance and clothing were coarse and plain, yet his spirit was exceptional and lofty. Although Faxian perceived his noble demeanour, he did not realize that he was a divine person. Later, he encountered a young monk again. Faxian asked, "Who was that elderly person just now?" He answered, "He is a great disciple of the dhūta Kāśyapa." Faxian was then filled with deep lament and regret. He chased after him back to the mountain, but a crosswise stone blocked the entrance to the cave, so that he could not enter. Faxian wept tears and departed. He advanced to the kingdom of Kāśi. In this kingdom there was a white-eared dragon, which constantly made an agreement with the saṃgha to cause the harvest in the country to be abundant, all with reliable efficacy. The śramaṇas built a dragon shrine for it and provided blessed food. Whenever the summer retreat was completed, the dragon would transform into a small snake with both ears entirely white. The community all recognized it as the dragon, filled a bronze bowl with curd, and placed the dragon inside it. They carried it around from the most senior seat to the lowest, and only then would it transform and depart; it came out once every year, and Faxian also personally witnessed this.

3.7

Later, he arrived in Madhyadeśa. In the city of Pāṭaliputra in Magadha, at the Heavenly King Monastery south of King Aśoka's stupa, he obtained the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, and also obtained the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya extracts, the Za apitan xin, the Xian jing, the Fangdeng nihuan jing, and other texts. Faxian stayed for three years, studying the Sanskrit language and Sanskrit script, and then personally copied them out. Thereupon, carrying the sūtras and images, he took passage with merchants and arrived in the Lion Kingdom. Of Faxian's ten or so companions, some had remained behind and some had died; looking at his shadow, he was all alone, constantly harbouring grief and lamentation. Suddenly, before a jade image, he saw a merchant make an offering of a white silk round fan from the Jin lands, and unwittingly wept mournful tears. He stayed for two years and further obtained the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya, the Dīrgha-āgama, the Saṃyukta-āgama, and the text of the Kṣudraka-piṭaka, all of which did not exist in the land of Han.

3.8

Thereafter, he boarded a large merchant ship to return by sea. There were about two hundred people on the ship. When it encountered a violent storm and water rushed in, all were terrified, and immediately took miscellaneous goods and threw them overboard. Faxian feared they would throw his sūtras and images overboard, so he single-mindedly concentrated on Avalokiteśvara and took refuge in the saṃgha of the Han lands. The ship drifted with the wind and avoided damage. After more than ten days, they reached the country of Yavadvīpa, where he stayed for five months. He again followed other merchants, heading east toward Guangzhou. After hoisting sail for more than twenty days, a great wind suddenly arose at night, and the whole ship trembled with fear. The crowd all discussed: "Because we carry this śramaṇa, we have been thrown into dire straits; we cannot let the entire crowd perish on account of a single man!" They all wanted to push him into the sea. Faxian's dānapati shouted sternly at the merchants, saying: "If you put down this śramaṇa, you must also put me down; otherwise, you must kill me! The emperors and kings of the Han land revere the Buddha and respect the saṃgha; when I arrive there and report to the king, he will surely punish you!" The merchants looked at each other and turned pale, and reluctantly desisted. With water exhausted and provisions depleted, they only drifted with the wind and followed the currents. Suddenly they reached the shore. Seeing the goosefoot greens as familiar, they knew it was the Han land, but could not determine what region it was. They then took a small boat into an inlet to seek a village. Seeing two hunters, Faxian asked: "What land is this?" The hunters said: "This is the southern shore of Mount Lao in Changguang Commandery of Qingzhou." The hunters returned and reported this to the Grand Administrator Li Yi. Yi had always been reverent and faithful; suddenly hearing that a śramaṇa had arrived from afar, he personally welcomed and comforted him. Faxian took his sūtras and images and returned with him.

3.9

Shortly afterwards, he wished to return to the south. The Regional Inspector of Qingzhou asked him to stay to spend the winter, but Faxian said: "I threw myself into lands from which none return, with my mind set on propagation; since what I aspired to has not yet been achieved, I cannot stay long." He then traveled south to the capital, and approached the foreign dhyāna master Buddhabhadra at Daochang Temple to translate the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, the Fangdeng nihuan jing, and the Za apitan xin, amounting to nearly one million words. After Faxian produced the Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra, it was circulated and transformed people, enabling all to see and hear it. There was a family whose name is lost, residing near the Zhuque Gate, who had for generations revered the correct teachings. They personally copied a set to chant and worship; having no separate sūtra room, they kept it in the same room with miscellaneous secular books. Later, a wind-driven fire suddenly arose and spread to their home, completely consuming their possessions; only the Nirvāṇa Sūtra remained intact and complete, unaffected by the ashes and embers, with the colour of the scrolls unchanged. This was passed around throughout the capital, and all praised it as miraculous. The remainder of his sūtras and vinaya were not yet translated.

3.10

Later, he arrived in Jingzhou and passed away at Xin Temple at the age of eighty-six. The entire assembly mourned and grieved for him. His travels through various kingdoms are recorded separately in an extensive account.

3.11

Shi Tanwujie, here translated as Fayong, had the surname Li and was a native of Huanglong in Youzhou. When he was young as a novice, he practiced austerities, maintained the precepts, and chanted the sūtras, being held in high regard by his master and the saṃgha. Having heard that Faxian and others had personally trodden the Buddha-lands, he sighed with emotion and made a vow to disregard his own life. Thus, in the first year of the Yongchu era of the Song, he gathered together twenty-five like-minded śramaṇas such as Sengmeng and Tanlang, and together bearing banners, canopies, and offering paraphernalia, they set out from the northern lands and traveled far to the west.

3.12

First arriving in Henan Kingdom, they then exited Haixi Commandery, entered the shifting sands, and arrived at Gaochang Commandery. Passing through Kucha, Kashgar, and other kingdoms, they climbed the Congling Mountains and crossed the Snow Mountains, where pestilential vapours rose in a thousand folds and layered ice stretched for ten thousand li. Below was a great river, flowing as swiftly as an arrow. Along the sides of the two mountains to the east and west, they tied ropes to make a bridge. Ten people would cross at a time; once they arrived at the other bank, they would raise smoke as a signal; only when those behind saw the smoke and knew that the former had crossed were they able to proceed further. If no smoke was seen for a long time, they knew that a violent wind had blown the ropes and the people had fallen into the river. Traveling for three days, they again crossed the Great Snow Mountains. The hanging precipices stood sheer, with no place to set foot. The rock walls all had old peg holes, facing each other in places. Each person held four pegs: first pulling out the lower peg, and clutching the upper peg with their hands, they grasped them turn by turn, only crossing after an entire day. When they arrived on flat ground and waited for each other to take count of their companions, they had lost twelve people. Proceeding to the kingdom of Jibin, they worshipped the Buddha's bowl. Staying for more than a year, he studied the Sanskrit script and Sanskrit language, and sought and obtained one Sanskrit text of the Guanshiyin shouji jing. Traveling westward again to the Sindhu River, in Chinese called Lion's Mouth, they followed the river westward into the Yuezhi country, where they worshipped the Buddha's uṣṇīṣa bone and viewed a self-boiling wooden boat. Later, they arrived at the Shiliu Monastery south of Mount Daṇḍa, where more than three hundred monks dwelt, studying the three vehicles mixed together. Tanwujie stayed at this monastery to receive the full precepts. The Indian dhyāna master Buddhatāra, here translated as Juejiu, of whom people in that land all said he had already attained the fruits [of the path], was invited by Tanwujie to be his upādhyāya, and the Chinese śramaṇa Zhiding was his ācārya. After staying for the three months of the summer retreat, he again traveled toward the borders of Madhyadeśa. The road being desolate and vast, they carried only rock sugar as provisions. There were still thirteen companions; eight of them all died along the way, and the remaining five traveled together. Although Tanwujie repeatedly passed through dangers and thistles, his mindfulness of the Guanshiyin jing that he carried never ceased for a moment. When about to reach the kingdom of Śrāvastī, they met a herd of wild mountain elephants in the wilderness. Tanwujie invoked the name [of Avalokiteśvara] and took refuge; immediately a lion emerged from the forest, and the elephants fled in terror. Later, when crossing the Ganges River, they again encountered a herd of wild buffaloes roaring as they charged, about to harm people. Tanwujie took refuge as before; soon a large vulture flew over, and the wild buffaloes scattered in panic, so they were able to escape. How his sincere mind moved [the divine] and overcame dangers to bring rescue was all of this sort.

3.13

Later, in South Tianzhu, he boarded a ship and sailed the sea to reach Guangzhou. His travels and deeds are separately recorded in a biography. The Guanshiyin shouji jing that he translated is transmitted in the capital today. Where he ended his life is unknown.

3.14

Buddhayasas (Fotuoshe), here translated as Jueshou, was a native of Jibin. In his youth, he received instruction from the monks of the Mahīśāsaka school, specializing in the vinaya sections and also mastering the essentials of dhyāna. In the seventh month of the first year of the Jingping era of the Song, he arrived in Yangzhou. Previously, the śramaṇa Faxian had obtained the Sanskrit text of the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya in the Lion Kingdom, but before it was translated, Faxian passed away. The monks of the capital, hearing that [Buddha]she was well-versed in this study, invited him to produce it. In the eleventh month of the winter of that year, they gathered at Longguang Temple and translated it into thirty-four fascicles, known as the Wufen lü (Five-Part Vinaya). [Buddha]she held the Sanskrit text, the Khotanese śramaṇa Zhisheng translated it, and Daosheng of Longguang and Huiyan of Dong'an jointly took up the brush to review and correct it, with Wang Lian of Langye, the Song Attendant-in-Ordinary, acting as the dānapati; it was completed in the fourth month of the following year. They then extracted the prātimokṣa and karmavācanā texts from the large corpus, which circulated together in the world. Where [Buddha]she ended his life is unknown.

3.15

Buddh转型 (Buddhavarman), here translated as Juekai, was a native of the Western Regions. From his youth, his conduct was upright and straightforward, and his intelligence surpassed the crowd. He studied the Tripiṭaka and was particularly expert in the Vibhāṣā-śāstra, always chanting and upholding this work as the essential core.

3.16

During the Yuanjia era of the Song, [Buddhavarman] reached Western Liang. Previously, there had been the śramaṇa Daotai, whose resolve and practical abilities were robust and determined. In his youth, he had traveled west of the Congling Mountains and traversed various lands, obtaining an Indic manuscript of the *Vibhāṣā* in one hundred thousand verses. Returning to Guzang, he waited eagerly with an open mind for an illustrious master. Hearing that [Buddha]varman had applied his mind to this treatise, he requested him to translate it. At that time Juqu Mengxun had already died, and his son [Juqu] Maoqian had succeeded to the throne. In the fifth year of Qian's Chenghe era, the year *dingchou*, on the eighth day of the fourth month—that is, the fourteenth year of the Song Yuanjia era—in the Xianyu Palace inside the city of Liangzhou, he invited [Buddha]varman to translate it. Daotai served as the scribe, while the śramaṇas Huisong and Daolang, along with over three hundred doctrinal scholars, checked and verified the text and its meaning. After two full years it was completed, totaling one hundred fascicles, and the śramaṇa Daoting composed a preface for it. Shortly thereafter, the Wei caitiff Tuoba Tao led a western campaign against Guzang; the land of Liang fell into turmoil and collapse, and scriptural texts and utensils were all burned and swept away, so that forty fascicles were lost, leaving only sixty surviving today. [Buddha]varman fled the turmoil and returned to the west; it is not known where he ended his life.

3.17

Shi Zhiyan was a man of Western Liangzhou. He went forth from the household upon reaching adulthood (at age twenty), and became renowned for his diligent vigor. Wearing coarse patched robes, he sat in solitary meditation; eating vegetarian food, he passed year after year. Always lamenting that his native region lay in ruins, he resolved to seek out renowned masters widely and broadly search for scriptural teachings. Thereupon he traveled through the western countries and proceeded as far as Jibin (Kashmir), where he entered the Mathendra Monastery and received instruction in methods of dhyāna from the monk (bhikṣu) Buddhasena. Gradually immersed in it for three years, his achievement surpassed that of ten years. Buddhasena, seeing that his dhyāna contemplations were orderly and accomplished, regarded him as an extraordinary vessel. The monastics and laity there heard of it and sighed in admiration, saying: "Even in the land of Qin there are śramaṇas who seek the Way!" Thenceforth they ceased to look down upon the people of Qin, and respectfully welcomed those from afar.

3.18

At that time there was the monk (bhikṣu) Buddhabhadra, who was also a master of dhyāna in that country. Zhiyan invited him to return east, wishing to transmit the Dharma to the central lands. [Buddha]bhadra appreciated his earnest sincerity and traveled east with him. Thereupon, traversing sands and scaling perilous heights, they arrived in Guanzhong. Zhiyan consistently relied upon and followed [Buddha]bhadra, residing at the Great Monastery of Chang'an. Shortly afterward, [Buddha]bhadra was unjustly expelled by the monks of Qin, and Zhiyan's group dispersed as well; he rested at a monastery east of the mountains, practicing dhyāna, reciting sūtras, and applying himself with vigorous diligence to study and practice. In the thirteenth year of the Yixi era of the Jin, Emperor Wu of the Song campaigned west against Chang'an, and upon achieving victory turned his banners back, taking the route east of the mountains. At that time, the Duke of Shixing, Wang Hui, accompanied the imperial entourage to tour the mountains and rivers, and arrived at Zhiyan's monastery. He saw that the three monks residing together were each seated on a rope bed, their dhyāna contemplations serene and still. When Hui arrived, they did not notice him for quite some time; thereupon he snapped his fingers, and the three opened their eyes, but shortly closed them again, answering nothing when questioned. Hui was profoundly impressed by their extraordinary character, and upon inquiring of various elders, they all said: "These three monks live in seclusion to fulfill their aspirations; they are Dharma masters of lofty purity." Hui then reported to Emperor Wu of the Song, inviting them to return to the capital, but none was willing to go. As his repeated requests were so earnestly sincere, the other two urged Zhiyan to go with him. Hui had always possessed a sincere devotion to the Way and treated him with profound courtesy and offerings; upon returning to the capital, Zhiyan took up residence in Shixing Temple. By nature, Zhiyan loved quiet stillness and resolved to avoid the noisy world; Hui therefore built another monastery for him on the border of the eastern suburbs, which is the Zhuyuan Temple.

3.19

The Indic manuscripts of various sūtras that Zhiyan had previously obtained in the Western Regions had not yet been translated. In the fourth year of the Yuanjia era, together with the śramaṇa Baoyun, he translated the *Lalitavistara* (*Puyao jing*), the *Guangbo yanjing jing*, the *Four Heavenly Kings* (*Sitianwang jing*), and other texts. While staying at the monastery, Zhiyan did not accept individual invitations, but always supported himself through piṇḍapāta; the transformation wrought by his practice commanded the respect of both the unseen and the visible realms. Someone who could see ghosts said that he saw ghosts in the western district near the Grand Altar of the Soil saying to one another: "Lord Zhiyan is coming; we must make way!" The man did not understand this. Shortly after, Zhiyan arrived; when casually asked his name, he indeed answered "Zhiyan." The man silently took note of this and showed him secret deference. Lady Liu, the wife of Xiao Sihua, who held the rank of Equal to the Three Excellencies and was from Lanling, fell ill and constantly saw ghosts coming, which was truly terrifying. She invited Zhiyan to preach the Dharma; when Zhiyan had only just arrived at the outer hall, Lady Liu saw the multitude of ghosts scatter in disarray. Once Zhiyan entered and expounded the sūtra for the lady, her illness was cured; she consequently received the five precepts, and the entire household came to revere him. Zhiyan was pure, unadorned, and had few desires; he gave away whatever he received. From his youth he had traveled widely, without clinging or attachment. Endowed with a humble and retiring nature, he never praised himself; thus, although he had many noble deeds, the world has not been able to transmit them all.

3.20

In the past, before he had gone forth from the household, Zhiyan had once received the five precepts and committed a transgression against them; after entering the Way and receiving the full ordination, he constantly doubted whether he had truly received the precepts, and always lived in fear of this. Though he practiced dhyāna contemplation for years, he could not resolve it for himself. Thereupon he sailed across the sea and went again to Tianzhu to consult the wise and realized. He met an arhat monk (bhikṣu) and questioned him about the matter in full detail. The arhat did not dare decide it on his own; he entered samādhi on Zhiyan's behalf, went up to the Tuṣita Palace, and consulted Maitreya. Maitreya answered: "He has received the precepts." Zhiyan was overjoyed and thereupon returned on foot. Reaching Jibin (Kashmir), he passed away without illness at the age of seventy-eight. According to the custom of that country, the ordinary and the holy were cremated in different places; although Zhiyan's moral conduct was lofty and luminous, his actual attainment had not been verified. At first they moved his corpse toward the graveyard for ordinary monks, but the corpse became so heavy it could not be lifted; when they redirected it toward the holy graveyard, it became buoyant and light of its own accord. Zhiyan's disciples Zhiyu and Zhiyuan had come purposefully from the west; after reporting this auspicious sign, they both returned abroad. From this it may be deduced that Zhiyan was truly one who had attained the Way, though the depth of his stage along the path to the fruits [of liberation] remains unknown.

3.21

Shi Baoyun, whose original clan name is unknown, is said in tradition to have been a man of Liangzhou. He went forth from the household in his youth and possessed diligent learning and practice; his character and bearing were unyielding and pure, not compromising with the ways of the world, and thus from his youth he was renowned for his uprightness and unembellished simplicity. In seeking the Dharma he was earnestly devoted, sacrificing his life for the sake of the Way, with the aspiration to witness the sacred traces in person and broadly search for scriptural essentials. Thereupon, at the beginning of the Long'an era of the Jin, he traveled far to the Western Regions, journeying together with or following Faxian and Zhiyan one after the other. Traversing shifting sands and scaling snowy ridges, he did not consider the hardships and perils difficult. He visited various countries such as Khotan and Tianzhu, fully observing their spiritual wonders. He passed through the lands of rākṣasas, heard the sound of heavenly drums, and paid reverent homage to many shadow-relics and traces of Śākyamuni.

3.22

While in foreign lands, Baoyun thoroughly studied Indic writing. He comprehensively understood the phonetics, scripts, glosses, and meanings of the various countries of Tianzhu. Later, returning to Chang'an, he followed the dhyāna master Buddhabhadra in practicing dhyāna and progressing in the Way. Shortly thereafter, the dhyāna master was unjustly expelled by the monks of Qin, and his disciples all shared in the blame; Baoyun also fled and scattered. It happened that Shi Huiyuan of Mount Lu mediated the expulsion affair, and they returned together to the capital, settling at Daochang Temple. Because Baoyun's resolve and strength were steadfast and vigorous, and he had propagated the Way in remote realms, none among the saṃgha failed to open their hearts to consult him, honoring and loving him. Baoyun translated the *New Sūtra of Immeasurable Life* (*Xin Wuliangshou jing*); many of the sūtras translated in later years were revised and finalized by Baoyun. Fluent in both Chinese and foreign languages, his phonetics and semantic glosses were precise and correct, and all trusted and accepted what Baoyun established. Formerly, the śramaṇa Zhu Fonian of Guanzhong was skilled in reciting and translating, brilliantly producing numerous sūtras during the two dynasties of Fu [Jian] and Yao [Xing]. In translating from Indic languages east of the Yangzi, none surpassed Baoyun; thus, when propagating the treasury of the Dharma during the Jin and Song periods, the śramaṇa Huiguan and others all befriended and praised him.

3.23

By nature, Baoyun was fond of secluded dwelling to maintain tranquility and quietude; he thus went to the mountain monastery of Liuhe and translated the *Buddhacarita-kāvya-sūtra* (*Fo benxing zan jing*). The mountains had many displaced folk whose custom favored petty banditry; Baoyun preached the Dharma to instruct and guide them, and many reformed themselves, eight out of ten households practicing rites and making offerings. Shortly afterward, Huiguan of Daochang Temple, on the verge of death, invited Baoyun to return to the capital to take charge of the monastery's affairs, and Baoyun had no choice but to return. After dwelling at Daochang for about a year, he returned again to Liuhe. In the twenty-sixth year of the Yuanjia era, he passed away at the mountain monastery at the age of seventy-four. His travels in foreign countries are recorded in a separate biography.

3.24

Guṇavarman, translated here as "Armor of Merit," was originally of kṣatriya stock; his family had been kings for successive generations, ruling in the country of Jibin (Kashmir). His grandfather Haribhadra, which means "Lion Virtuous," was banished on account of his unbending uprightness. His father Saṃghānanda, which means "Joy of the Saṃgha," consequently lived in retirement among the mountains and marshes. At the age of fourteen, [Guṇa]varman was already quick-witted, perceptive, exceptionally intelligent, and possessed profound, far-reaching vision; he was broadly benevolent and loving, honoring virtue and pursuing goodness. His mother once needed game meat and ordered [Guṇa]varman to procure it. [Guṇa]varman remonstrated: "Among all living creatures, none does not cherish life; to cut short their lives is not the act of a benevolent person." His mother said in anger: "Even if it incurs sin, I will suffer it in your place!" On another day, while boiling oil, [Guṇa]varman accidentally scalded his finger, and thereupon said to his mother: "Please endure the pain on your child's behalf." His mother replied: "The pain is in your body; how could I bear it for you?" [Guṇa]varman said: "If you cannot even bear the pain before your eyes, how much less could you bear the three evil realms!" His mother was then filled with remorse and broke off killing for the rest of her life. When he was eighteen, a physiognomist saw him and said to him: "When you are thirty, you will rule a great country and sit facing south as sovereign. If you take no pleasure in worldly honor, you will attain holy fruits." When he reached the age of twenty, he went forth from the household and received the precepts; he thoroughly illuminated the nine divisions [of scripture], widely mastered the four *Āgama*s, recited over a million words of sūtras, deeply comprehended the vinaya sections, and marvelously entered the essentials of dhyāna, being known at the time as a "Tripiṭaka Master." When he was thirty, the King of Jibin died leaving no heir; the assembly all deliberated, saying: "[Guṇa]varman is a descendant of the royal lineage, and is moreover talented, brilliant, and of weighty virtue; we may ask him to return to the lay life to succeed to the throne of the realm." Several hundred ministers repeatedly and firmly implored him, but [Guṇa]varman would not accept. He then took leave of his master, departed from the multitude, nested in the woods and drank from the valleys, journeying alone through the mountains and wilds, vanishing from human society.

3.25

Later he arrived in Siṃhala, where he observed local customs and propagated the teaching. Those of the assembly who recognized the truth all said that he had already attained the first fruit. His deportment and appearance influenced all beings, and those who saw him gave rise to the aspiration [for awakening]. Later he reached the kingdom of Shepo (Java). The night before he arrived, the mother of the king of Shepo dreamed that a Daoist entered the country flying in a ship. The next morning, it was indeed Guṇavarman who arrived. The king's mother revered him with rites due to a sage and received the five precepts from him. The mother then urged the king, saying: 'Through karmic conditions from past lives we became mother and son. I have already received the precepts, but you do not believe; I fear that the cause of future lives will forever be severed from the fruit of the present.' Constrained by his mother's command, the king immediately obeyed and received the precepts. As he was gradually imbued over time, his dedication grew ever deeper. Soon afterwards, neighboring troops invaded the border. The king said to Guṇavarman: 'Foreign bandits rely on their strength and wish to encroach and insult us. If we fight them, many will surely be wounded and killed. If we do not resist, peril and destruction will be upon us. Now I take refuge solely in the Venerable Master; I do not know what plan to take.' Guṇavarman said: 'When violent bandits attack one another, you ought to defend [against them], but you must only arouse a mind of compassion and not give rise to harmful thoughts.' The king led the troops himself to confront them; as the flags and drums first clashed, the bandits retreated and dispersed. The king was struck by a stray arrow and injured his foot. Guṇavarman chanted incantations over water and washed it, and after two nights he recovered. The king's respectful faith grew even more earnest, and he wished to leave the household life to cultivate the Way. He thus addressed his ministers, saying: 'I wish to devote myself to dwelling within the Dharma gate; you ministers may choose another enlightened ruler.' The ministers all prostrated themselves, entreating him and saying: 'If the Great King abandons the state, his children and people will have none to rely on. Furthermore, the enemy state is fierce and strong, confronting us by relying on precarious terrain; if we lose your gracious protection, where will the common people go? The Great King has heavenly compassion; could he not pity our lives? We dare to entreat you even unto death to express our earnest devotion.' The king could not bear to firmly go against them, so he made three wishes to his ministers, [stating that] if they agreed, he would remain to govern the state: first, that throughout his realm, all would jointly venerate his upādhyāya; second, that within the bounds of his rule, all killing would be severed; third, that all stored wealth would be distributed to relieve the poor and sick. The ministers rejoiced and all reverently agreed, whereupon the entire state received the precepts from him. Later, the king established a vihāra for Guṇavarman. He personally dragged lumber, injuring the king's toe. Guṇavarman again treated it with incantations, and after a short while it was healed. The fame of his conversion spread far and wide, and neighboring states, hearing of his reputation, all dispatched envoys to invite him.

3.26

At that time, eminent and virtuous śramaṇas of the capital, Huiguan, Huicong, and others, admired his lofty character from afar and longed to receive his instruction. In the ninth month of the first year of Yuanjia (424 CE), they personally petitioned Emperor Wen, requesting that Guṇavarman be welcomed and invited. The Emperor immediately issued an edict to the Regional Inspector of Jiaozhou, ordering him to send a ship over the sea to invite and bring him. Huiguan and the others also dispatched the śramaṇas Fachang, Daochong, Daojun, and others thither to pray and invite him, and also delivered a letter to Guṇavarman, King Po-duo-jia of Shepo, and others, earnestly hoping that he would deign to visit the Song territory and circulate the teachings of the Way. Guṇavarman, considering that the sacred transformation should be broadened, did not dread traveling abroad. Earlier, he had already followed the ship of the merchant Zhu Nandi intending to head toward a small country, but happened to encounter favorable winds and reached Guangzhou. Therefore, his testamentary text says: 'Blown by the wind of karmic actions, I then reached the realm of the Song.' This is what it refers to. When Emperor Wen learned that Guṇavarman had reached Nanhai, he issued another edict to the prefectures and commanderies to supply provisions and send him down to the capital. His route passed through Shixing, where he stayed for about a year. In Shixing there was Mount Hushi, whose form towered in solitude, its peaks and ridges exceedingly high. Guṇavarman considered it to resemble Gṛdhrakūṭa, and so renamed it Lingjiu (Vulture Peak). Outside the mountain monastery, he separately established a dhyāna chamber; the chamber was several li from the monastery, and the sound of the stone chime could not be heard there, yet whenever the wooden mallet was struck, Guṇavarman had already arrived. At times, he braved the rain without being wetted, or trod on mud without being soiled; the assembly of both monastic and lay at that time all became solemn and grew in reverence. In the monastery there was a Precious Moon Hall. On the north wall of the hall, Guṇavarman painted with his own hand an image of Rāhula, as well as the form of the youth of Dīpaṅkara spreading his hair. After the image was finished, it emitted light every evening, which only ceased after a long time. Cai Maozhi, the Grand Administrator of Shixing, revered him with deep respect. Later, when Maozhi was about to die, Guṇavarman personally went to visit him and expounded the Dharma to comfort him. Later, his family members dreamed that they saw Maozhi in the monastery explaining the Dharma with the assembly of monks, which was truly due to the power of Guṇavarman's guidance. This mountain originally had many calamities from tigers. From the time Guṇavarman dwelt there, whether traveling by day or going by night, whenever he met a tiger, he would press down on its head with his staff, pet it, and depart. Thereupon, mountain travelers and river guests went and came without hindrance, and seventy to eighty percent of them were moved by his virtue and converted. Guṇavarman once entered dhyāna in a separate room and did not emerge for consecutive days. The monks of the monastery sent a śrāmaṇera to inquire after him, who saw a white lion climbing up a pillar, and blue padma flowers blooming abundantly across the empty sky. The śrāmaṇera cried out in fright and went to chase the lion, but suddenly nothing was seen. His miraculous marvels were inexhaustible, mostly of this kind.

3.27

Later, Emperor Wen again ordered Huiguan and the others to urge and invite him further, whereupon he sailed by boat down to the capital, arriving in Jianye in the first month of the eighth year of Yuanjia (431 CE). Emperor Wen granted him an audience, greeted and questioned him attentively, and then said: 'This disciple has always wished to maintain the fast and refrain from killing, but constrained by sacrificing myself for worldly affairs, I have not been able to fulfill my intention. Since the Dharma Master did not consider ten thousand li too far and has come to transform this country, with what will you instruct me?' Guṇavarman said: 'The Way lies in the mind, not in outer matters; the Dharma comes from oneself, not from others. Moreover, the cultivation of an emperor and king differs from that of a common man. A common man's person is humble and his reputation minor, and his words and commands carry no authority; if he does not overcome himself and exert his body, what can he accomplish? An emperor takes the four seas as his home and the myriad people as his children; when he utters a single good word, men and women all rejoice, and when he issues a single benevolent policy, humans and spirits are harmonized. If punishments do not cut lives short and corvée labor does not exhaust physical strength, then the wind and rain will arrive in due season, cold and warmth will respond to the proper times, the hundred grains will flourish, and mulberry and hemp will grow luxuriant. Maintaining the fast in this way makes the fast great indeed! Refraining from killing in this way makes the virtue abundant indeed! Why must it depend on missing half a day's meal and preserving the life of a single bird before it can be considered vast deliverance?' The Emperor then patted the table and sighed, saying: 'Worldly people are confused by distant principles, while śramaṇas are stuck in near teachings. Those confused by distant principles consider the ultimate Way to be empty talk; those stuck in near teachings cling stubbornly to textual chapters. As for what the Dharma Master has said, it may truly be called enlightening and clear-sighted, worthy of discussing the boundary between heaven and humanity!' He then ordered that he reside at Jetavana Monastery, where provisions were lavishly supplied, and dukes, kings, and outstanding talents all honored and venerated him. Soon after, in the monastery, he began expounding the Lotus [Sūtra] and the Daśabhūmika. On the days of the Dharma assembly, canopied carriages filled the streets, and onlookers coming and going were shoulder to shoulder and heel to toe. Guṇavarman's spiritual capacity was natural, and his subtle eloquence was extraordinarily transcendent; sometimes relying on an interpreter, he nonetheless had profound and spontaneous mutual comprehension.

3.28

Later, Huiyi of Jetavana Monastery invited him to translate the Bodhisattva-bhadra-śīla. He had only completed twenty-eight chapters when a disciple later translated two chapters in his stead, making thirty chapters; before they could be transcribed, the introductory chapter and the precepts chapter were lost, so today there are still two editions, sometimes called the Bodhisattva-śīla-bhūmi. Previously, in the third year of Yuanjia (426 CE), Wang Zhongde, Regional Inspector of Xuzhou, invited the foreigner Īśvara in Pengcheng to translate the Samyuktābhidharmahṛdaya; having reached the chapter on selection (Pravicaya), conditions hindered it, and it was suspended. At this time, Guṇavarman was further requested to translate the subsequent chapters, completing it into thirteen fascicles. Together with the previously translated Dharmaguptaka-karman, Brief Treatise on the Five Precepts for Upāsakas, Twenty-two Precepts for Upāsakas, and others, there were twenty-six fascicles in all, both the text and meaning being thorough and fitting, with no discrepancies between Sanskrit and Chinese.

3.29

At that time, the nuns Huiguo, Jingyin, and others of Yingfu Temple jointly inquired of Guṇavarman, saying: 'Six years ago, eight nuns from the kingdom of Siṃhala arrived at the capital, saying that the land of Song had never previously had nuns, so how could the two assemblies have conferred the precepts? They feared that the quality of the precepts was incomplete.' Guṇavarman said: 'The precept Dharma originally arises from the assembly of great monks (bhikṣus). Even if the original matter was not [strictly followed], it does not obstruct the attainment of the precepts, just as in the case of Mahāprajāpatī.' The nuns also feared that the years and months [since their ordination] were not fulfilled, and earnestly wished to receive them again. Guṇavarman praised them, saying: 'Excellent! If you desire to increase clarity, I rejoice with and assist you greatly.' However, the Western nuns had not yet reached the required monastic age, and they were fewer than ten persons; so he had them learn the Song language for the time being, and separately through laymen of the Western Regions, requested foreign nuns again to complete the number of ten. In the summer of that year, he spent the rains retreat at Lower Dinglin Monastery. At that time, a believer gathered flowers and spread them upon the seats; only the flowers upon which Guṇavarman sat were even fresher in their hues, and the assembly all revered him with rites due to a sage. When the summer ended, he returned to Jetavana Monastery. On the twenty-eighth day of the ninth month of that year, before the midday meal was finished, he first arose and returned to his chamber. When his disciples arrived later, he had suddenly passed away at the age of sixty-five. Before his passing, he had composed in advance a testamentary gāthā text of thirty-six lines, recounting his own conditions and stating that he had already realized the second fruit. Sealing it with his own hand, he entrusted it to his disciple A-sha-luo, saying: 'After my passing, you may take this text back and show it to the monks of Tianzhu, and you may also show it to the monks of this land.' After he passed away, they propped him up to sit on a rope-bed; his countenance was no different [from in life], appearing as if entering samādhi. More than a thousand monastic and lay people arrived, all smelling a fragrant and intense aroma, and all saw an object resembling a dragon or serpent, about one bolt [of cloth] in length, rising from beside the corpse and shooting straight into the sky, which none could name. Right in front of the precept platform of Nanlin, they cremated (jhāpita) him according to foreign methods. The fourfold assembly gathered like fish scales, fragrant firewood formed a pyre, and fragrant oil was poured on it to burn his mortal remains; five-colored flames arose, their vapors hanging beautifully in the sky. At this time, the weather was clear and bright, and monastic and lay lamented; thereupon, a white stūpa was erected on that spot. The nuns who wished to receive the precepts again wept in heartbreak, unable to contain their grief.

3.30

Earlier, when Guṇavarman arrived at the capital, Emperor Wen wished to receive the Bodhisattva precepts from him, but happened to encounter foreign bandits invading the borders; before he could consult and receive them, [Guṇavarman] suddenly passed away. Because his original intention was not fulfilled, [the Emperor's] grief and regret were all the deeper, so he ordered the assembly of monks to translate his testamentary text, which said:

3.31

First I bow my head to the Three Jewels, / and to the senior monks of pure precepts.
In an impure world, much is deceit and crookedness; / false and sham, there is no trustworthiness.
The foolish and confused do not recognize the real; / harboring jealousy, they slight the virtuous.
For this reason, the holy and worthy / conceal their traces in this world.
I, Guṇavarman, / have reached the time when the karmic formations of my life are exhausted.
The good merits I have obtained, / I shall now speak of in accordance with reality.
Not with a deceitful mind, / nor hoping to seek fame or gain,
but to exhort the indolent multitudes, / and to augment the Buddhadharmas.
The power of the Great Dharma is like this; / let the benevolent ones all listen attentively.
Formerly, out in the wilderness, / I first meditated upon a corpse:
swollen, rotting with worms, / foul and filthy, with pus and blood flowing.
Tying the mind to focus on that place: / the nature of this body is just like this.
Constantly seeing this bodily appearance, / the greedy moth fears not the fire.
In this way, through countless methods, / I cultivated the contemplation of the corpse,
casting aside other learning and reflection, / relying on dwelling among the forest trees.
That night, dedicating myself to vigorous effort, / never forgetting right contemplation,
the sphere of cognition was constantly before me, / just as if facing a clear mirror.
As with that [corpse], so too with myself; / from this, the mind grew quiet and still.
With a light body, exceedingly clear and pure, / cool and refreshed, the mind found bliss.
Increasing in great joy, / there arose the unattached mind.
It transformed into the aspect of chained bones; / white bones appeared before me.
Decaying, the limbs and joints fell apart; / the white bones were all pulverized and wiped out.
Immaculate wisdom blazed forth, / subduing [the mind] and contemplating the marks of dharmas.
At that time I obtained such a state: / bodily peace, exceedingly pliant and gentle.
Cultivating through such skillful means, / superior advancement further increased:
subtle atoms perishing moment by moment, / the right mindfulness of the dharma of decaying form.
Such then is the ultimate nature of the body; / on what basis could lustful desire arise?
Knowing it arises dependent on feelings, / like a fish craving the bait on the hook.
Those feelings undergo countless destructions; / moment by moment I contemplated their wiping out,
knowing the place on which they rely / arises from the monkey of the mind.
Karma and the retribution of karma, / relying on conditions, perish moment by moment.
What the mind knows in its various ways / are called dharmas of particular characteristics.
This then is the mindfulness of reflective wisdom, / cultivated and fulfilled in gradual sequence.
Contemplating the characteristics of various dharmas, / the mind became ever clearer.
Within those mental objects, / I clearly perceived the four foundations of mindfulness.
From this, the conduct of discipline was completed; / gathering the mind, it dwelt focused upon the conditions.
Suffering is like a blazing sword; / this turns forth on account of craving and thirst.
When craving is exhausted, parinirvāṇa is attained; / everywhere I beheld those three realms.
Blazed upon by the flames of death, / the physical form grew utterly emaciated.
Through the skillful means of joy, breath, and bliss, / the body gradually became full again.
Superior, sublime marks of living beings, / the peak and forbearance [stages] were also like this.
These arose within my mind / as true and right skillful means.
Gradually abbreviating the spheres of cognition, / the bliss of cessation increased.
Attaining the supreme mundane dharma, / in a single thought focusing on the ultimate truth,
consecutively dharma-forbearance arose; / this is called the outflow-free path.
Delusive thoughts and all spheres of cognition, / names and signs—all were left far behind.
The meaning of the ultimate truth of the spheres: / dispelling afflictions, attaining cooling refreshment;
realizing the fruits of samādhi, / the immaculate, refreshing condition.
Neither rising nor sinking, / pure wisdom was like the bright moon,
calm and serene, rightly abiding, / purely identical with the mark of cessation.
It is not something that I can declare; / only a Buddha can verify and know it.
The Nava-abhidharma / speaks of the five causes, conditions, and fruits.
Knowing cultivation through the true meaning, / those who cling to names cannot see it.
The various treatises have disparate approaches, / but the principle of cultivation is not two.
One-sided attachment brings right and wrong; / those who have reached [the truth] have no disputes.
The many sublime marks of cultivation / I shall not declare now,
fearing people will give rise to delusive thoughts / and delude the worldly.
Regarding the marks of the benefit of that cultivation, / I have already spoken a small part.
If there be someone of clear wisdom, / they will know well this dependent arising.
In the realm of the country of Mālava, / I first attained the initial holy fruit.
In the mountain monastery of the Āraṇyaka, / following the tracks of the Way, I cultivated detachment.
Later, in the country of Siṃhala, / in the village named Kāpālī,
advancing in cultivation, I attained the second fruit; / this is called the sakṛdāgāmin.
From this, many obstacles arose, / hindering cultivation of the path of detachment from desire.
Seeing me cultivating detachment, / knowing this was an empty and quiet place,
all gave rise to a sense of rarity; / offerings and benefits vied to assemble.
I saw them as fire and poison, / and my mind gave rise to great revulsion.
To avoid turmoil, I floated upon the sea, / to Javā and to Lin-yi.
Drifted by the wind of karmic actions, / following conditions, I came to the territory of Song.
Within these various countries, / according to my strength, I promoted the Buddhadharma.
Do not question what ought to be questioned; / contemplate with true and faithful reality.
Now this body is completely extinguished, / serene as the going out of a lamp's flame.

First 31 of 59 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

高僧傳 — 慧皎, Classical Chinese