高僧傳 3.33

3.33

Earlier, in the first year of the Jingping reign-era, the magistrate of Pinglu, Xu Sang, relinquished his residence to establish a monastery, which was named Pinglu Temple accordingly. Later, Dawo Huiguan, considering Varman’s practice of the Way to be pure and complete, invited him to reside at this temple and enhanced his offerings to manifest his virtue. Varman and Guan added three stories to the pagoda; this is the present-day Fengcheng [Temple]. Varman practiced the Way and chanted day and night without cessation; the assembly of monks gathered around him, and his religious transformation spread widely. Formerly, the Tripiṭaka Dharma Master [Guṇavarman] was clear on the grades of precepts and had been about to confer the full precepts again upon the nun Huiguo and others of Yingfu Temple; at that time, the twofold assembly was not yet complete, and the Tripiṭaka Master passed away. Soon after, the bhikṣuṇī Tessarā and others from Siṃhala arrived at the capital; the assembly then collectively invited Varman to be their master, continuing in the footsteps of the Tripiṭaka Master. Huiyi of Qihuan [Temple], who was renowned throughout the capital, considered this an improper anomaly; holding a different view, he engaged Varman in back-and-forth debate in person. Varman indicated the fundamental teachings and clarified the Dharma, his reasoning proven clear and fitting. Virtue having found its proper home, Yi thereupon relented his firmness, yielding in complete submission, and had his disciples Huiji and others accept his instructions and serve him. Several hundred monks and nuns received [the precepts]. Liu Yikang, the Prince of Pengcheng of the Song, honored his preceptive model and broadly laid out vegetarian feasts and offerings; the fourfold assembly flourished abundantly, winning over the entire capital. Huiguan and others, considering that Varman had a marvelous understanding of the Samyuktābhidharmahṛdaya and recited it fluently—though the previous Tripiṭaka Master had translated it, he had not yet had it transcribed—thereupon gathered scholars at Changgan Temple in the ninth month of that year and requested him to translate it again. Baoyun translated the spoken words, and Guan took them down with his own brush, examining and collating them, completing it after one full year. Successively he translated the Mātṛkā, the Karmavibhaṅga, the Abridged Verses of Essential Exhortations to Kings, and the Text for Inviting Holy Monks to Bathe.