高僧傳 4
English (machine translation) 4
- Language
- English
4.1
Composed by the Śramaṇa Shi Huijiao of Jiaxiang Temple in Kuaiji under the Liang
4.2
1. Zhu Shixing
2. Zhi Xiaolong
3. Kang Sengyuan
4. Zhu Faya
5. Kang Falang
6. Zhu Facheng
7. Zhu Qianshen
8. Zhi Daolin
9. Yu Falan
10. Yu Fakai
11. Yu Daosui
12. Zhu Fachong
13. Zhu Fayi
14. Zhu Sengdu
4.3
Zhu Shixing was a man of Yingchuan. His resolve and conduct were upright and unyielding; encouragement or discouragement could not sway his integrity. In his youth he cherished far-reaching insight, casting off the dust of the mundane world. After going forth from household life, he dedicated himself exclusively to the classical scriptures.
4.4
Formerly, during the time of Emperor Ling of the Han, Zhu Foshuo translated the Daoxing jing, which was the older version of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra; its sentences were brief and its meaning incomplete. Shixing once lectured on the Daoxing jing in Luoyang; feeling that the writing was obscure and plain and not entirely satisfactory, he would often sigh and say: 'This sūtra is the pivot of the Mahāyāna, yet its translated principles are incomplete.' Pledging his resolve to forfeit his own body, he sought the great original from afar. Thereupon, in the fifth year of the Ganlu era of the Wei, he set out from Yongzhou and crossed the flowing sands to the west. Having arrived in Khotan, he indeed obtained ninety chapters of the true Sanskrit text. He dispatched his disciple Punyadhana—which here means Farao ('abundance of Dharma')—to escort the Sanskrit original of the sūtra back to Luoyang. Just before he set out, the assembly of Hīnayāna scholars in Khotan spoke to the king, saying: 'The śramaṇa of the Han land wishes to use a brāhmaṇa text to bewilder and confuse the correct scriptures. Your Majesty is lord of the soil; if you do not forbid it, it will sever the great Dharma and blind and deafen the Han land, which will be Your Majesty's fault.' The king immediately forbade the carrying of the sūtra. Deeply grieved at heart, Shixing asked to burn the sūtra as proof, and the king consented. Thereupon firewood was piled before the palace, and it was set ablaze. Shixing stepped toward the fire and vowed: 'If the great Dharma is destined to flow into the Han land, the sūtra should not burn; if it has no protection, what can be done about fate!' Having spoken, he cast the sūtra into the fire; the fire was immediately extinguished, not a single character was harmed, and the birch-bark slips remained as before. The great assembly was awestruck and yielded, all praising its miraculous resonance. Thus he was able to have it sent to Canghengshuinan Temple in Chenliu.
4.5
At that time there was the lay practitioner Zhu Shulan of Henan, originally a native of Tianzhu. His family had fled turmoil for generations and settled in Henan. In his youth, Lan was fond of hunting; later, after experiencing a temporary death, he fully beheld the retribution of karma. He thereupon reformed, exerted himself with devotion, deeply revered the True Dharma, broadly investigated various languages, and was skilled in both Sanskrit and Chinese. There was also the bhikṣu Mokṣala, a religious master of the Western Regions, who was erudite and well-versed in antiquity; he held the Sanskrit original in hand, and Shulan translated it into the Jin language, calling it the Fangguang bore. The original birch-bark manuscript is now in Yuzhang. In the second year of the Tai'an era, Zhi Xiaolong obtained it from Shulan, transcribed five copies at one time, and collated them into a definitive text. At the time there were no chapter titles; the old text was written on fourteen bolts of fine silk, and he ordered it transcribed into twenty fascicles.
4.6
Shixing eventually died in Khotan at the age of eighty. In accordance with the Western method, he was cremated; when the firewood was exhausted and the fire extinguished, his corpse was still completely intact. The assembly was astonished and marveled, whereupon someone chanted an incantation, saying: 'If he truly attained the Way, according to the Dharma it should disintegrate.' In response to the words, it shattered and dispersed, whereupon they gathered the bones and erected a stūpa for them. Later, his disciple Fayi came from that country and personally related this matter; therefore Sun Chuo's 'Treatise on the True and Image [Dharma]' states: 'Shixing dissolved his form in Khotan.' It refers to this.
4.7
Zhi Xiaolong was a man of Huaiyang. In his youth he was esteemed for his graceful manner, and furthermore his spiritual brilliance was preeminent, his lofty discourses matching the times. He constantly perused and savored the Xiaopin (Aṣṭasāhasrikā), regarding it as the core essential. Ruan Zhan of Chenliu and Yu Ai of Yingchuan both formed friendships of intimate understanding with him, and people of the time referred to them as the 'Eight Free Spirits'. Someone once mocked him, saying: 'The great Jin has arisen like a dragon, taking all under heaven as its family. Why does a śramaṇa not keep his hair and skin intact, cast off the kāṣāya, remove barbarian clothing, and wear damask and silk?' Long said: 'Embracing the One to wander freely, only through tranquility can sincerity be attained. Shaving the hair and disfiguring the countenance, altering garments and transforming form—they call this my disgrace, but I discard their glory. Thus, having no mind for nobility, one becomes all the more noble; having no mind for sufficiency, one becomes all the more sufficient.' His timely wit and eloquence were all of this kind.
4.8
At that time, Zhu Shulan had newly translated the Fangguang jing. Long, who had always delighted in the signless, perused it as soon as he obtained it; after some ten-odd days, he proceeded to deliver lectures on it. Later, his end was not known. Sun Chuo composed a eulogy for him, saying: / A small square is easy to draft, / But a great vessel is hard to depict. / Martial and vast was Xiaolong, / Able to surpass in height and breadth. / Living beings vied to turn to him, / People thought to emulate and look up to him. / Cloud-filled springs spread wide, / The fragrance of thoroughwort resounds afar.
4.9
Kang Sengyuan was originally a native of the Western Regions, born in Chang'an. Though his appearance was that of an Indian, his speech was truly that of the central state. His deportment was dignified and upright, and his resolve and vocation were vast and profound. He recited the two Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, the Fangguang and the Daoxing—that is, the Larger and Smaller texts. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Jin, he crossed the Yangtze together with Kang Fachang, Zhi Mindu, and others.
4.10
Fachang also possessed talent and intellectual brilliance, and was skilled in dialogue, having authored the Renwu shiyi lun (Treatise on the Fundamental Meanings of Persons and Things) and other works. Fachang constantly held a deer-tail chowry; whenever he encountered famous guests on his travels, he would engage in pure conversation all day long. Yu Yuangui said to Fachang, "Why is this chowry always in your possession?" Fachang replied, "The honest do not take it, and to the greedy I do not give it; therefore it remains ever in my possession." Mindu was likewise intelligent, discerning, and renowned; he authored the Yijing lu (Catalogue of Translated Scriptures), which circulates in the world today. Although Sengyuan's virtue surpassed that of Fachang and Mindu, he uniquely conducted himself with austere simplicity, always sustaining himself by begging for food, so that people did not yet recognize his worth. Later, while on his alms round (piṇḍapāta), he met Yin Hao of Chen Commandery. Hao first questioned him on the profound and far-reaching principles of Buddhist scriptures, and then debated the meaning of human nature and emotions in mundane books. From daytime until dusk, Hao was unable to overcome him, and on account of this changed his view of him. Wang Maohong of Langye teased him on account of his high nose and deep-set eyes, but Sengyuan said, "The nose is the mountain of the face; the eyes are the pools of the face. If a mountain is not high, it is not spiritual; if a pool is not deep, it is not clear." People of the time considered this an exquisite reply.
4.11
Later he founded a monastery on Mount Yuzhang, several tens of li distant from the town. Girded by the river and bordering the mountain ridges, its bamboo and forests were lush and verdant; famous monks and superior scholars flocked to him like echoes in crowds. Because the subtle principles of emptiness in the Paramārthasaṃvṛtisatyanirdeśa-sūtra were profound and abstruse, he particularly expounded it, and students who esteemed learning came and went in dense throngs. Later he died at the monastery.
4.12
Faya was a native of Hejian. Poised, upright, and possessed of great capacity, in his youth he excelled in non-Buddhist learning, and as he matured he became thoroughly versed in Buddhist doctrine; scholars and officials of the gentry all attached themselves to him to seek instruction. At that time, the disciples who relied on him were all proficient in worldly texts, but not yet adept in Buddhist principles. Thereupon Faya, together with Kang Falang and others, took the numerical lists of categories in the sūtras and matched them with non-Buddhist books to establish precedents for generating understanding, calling this "matching the meaning" (geyi). Later, Pifu, Xiangtan, and others also debated and employed matching the meaning to instruct their disciples.
4.13
Faya's demeanor was unconstrained, and he was skilled at the crucial mechanisms [of teaching]. He expounded non-Buddhist texts and Buddhist scriptures alternately. Whenever he, Dao'an, and Fatai opened and analyzed points of doubt, they fully brought out the essentials of the scriptures together. Later he founded a monastery in Gaoyi with over a hundred monks, instructing and guiding them without weariness. Faya's disciple Tanxi followed and expounded the teachings of his former master, and was skilled in debate. It is said that he was revered by Shi Xuan, Crown Prince of the illegitimate Zhao dynasty.
4.14
Kang Falang was a native of Zhongshan. He underwent pravrajyā in his youth and was adept in observing the precepts. Once, reading a scripture, he came upon the places of the Twin Trees and the Deer Park; melancholy, he sighed, saying, "I was already not to meet the Sage; could I bear never to behold the sacred places?" Thereupon he made a vow to go to Kapilavastu and gaze up at the remaining traces. Accompanied by four fellow students, he set out from Zhangye and crossed the drifting sands to the west. Having traveled for three days, all traces of humans along the road ceased. Suddenly, by the roadside, they saw an old monastery overgrown with weeds and trees that concealed human height, inside of which were two dilapidated rooms. In each room there was a person: one was reciting a scripture, and the other was suffering from dysentery. The two occupied adjoining rooms but did not look after each other; feces and urine ran rampant, and the whole room was foul and reeking. Lang said to his companions, "As fellow travelers who have undergone pravrajyā, we take the Dharma as our kin. Had we not seen this, so be it; how could we see it and abandon him?" Lang thereupon stayed for six days to wash him and make offerings. On the seventh day, he saw that this room was filled with fragrant flowers, and then realized that the man was a divine person. The man then said to Lang, "In the adjoining room is my upādhyāya, who has already attained the state of no-further-learning (aśaikha); you may go and pay your respects." Lang went to pay his respects, whereupon [the master] said to Lang, "The sincere aspirations of you gentlemen will all lead to your entering the Way; there is no need to travel far to foreign lands, for it will be of no benefit to the matter. You must only strive by your own efforts to practice the Way and not let time be lost. However, Lang's accomplishments are still minor and not yet pure; not having attained what he aspired to, he must return to the land of Cīnasthāna to serve as a great Dharma master." Thereupon the four men no longer traveled westward, but remained there to apply themselves single-mindedly to the practice of the Way. Only Lang traveled further through various countries, researching and investigating sūtras and treatises. Later he returned to Zhongshan, where his disciples numbered in the hundreds, and his expositions of the Dharma succeeded one another continuously. Later it is not known how he ended his days. Sun Chuo composed a eulogy for him, saying: / "People indeed have a saying, / 'Neither jade nor flaw is concealed.' / The venerable Lang was brilliant and luminous, / Yet able to sheath his light. / Reverent to the end and cautious at the start, / Investigating the subtle and distinguishing the patterns, / By what did he attain verification? / Treading on hoarfrost, [knowing] firm ice [is near]."
4.15
Lang's disciple Lingshao had ancestors from Yanmen and was surnamed Lü. In his youth he roamed about hunting, but later set his heart on undergoing pravrajyā, serving Lang as his teacher. His reflections and study were fruitful, and he was especially skilled in dhyāna and numerical analysis; whenever he entered meditative absorption, he would sometimes not rise for several days. Later he moved to Mount Liuquan, where he hollowed out a cave to sit in quiet meditation. After Lang passed away, he carved an image of wood and paid homage to it morning and evening. Sun Chuo's Zhengxiang lun (Treatise on the True Image) says: "Lü Shao concentrated his spirit in Zhongshan"—it was this very man.
4.16
Zhu Facheng: it is not known where he was from. From childhood his spiritual discernment was extraordinary, and his clear insight surpassed ordinary men. Relying on Zhu Fahu, he became a śrāmaṇera; he was pure, genuine, and had lofty aspirations, and Fahu commended him greatly. Since Fahu's spiritual influence covered the Guanzhong region and he was wealthy in property and resources, at that time a prominent family in Chang'an, wishing to venerate the Great Dharma and test Fahu's moral power, falsely came to report an urgent need and begged for two hundred thousand coins. Before Fahu could reply, Facheng, aged thirteen and attending at his master's side, immediately said, "The upādhyāya's mind has already granted it to you." After the guest withdrew, Facheng said, "Observing this person's expression, he does not truly seek money; he was merely trying to observe what the upādhyāya's virtue is like." Fahu said, "I too thought so." The next day, this guest led more than a hundred members of his clan to visit Fahu to request full ordination and apologize for his intention in seeking money. Thereupon the fame of the master and disciple spread near and far.
4.17
Facheng later went west to Dunhuang, founded a monastery, invited students, forgot his own body for the sake of the Way, and taught without growing weary. Causing those ferocious as wolves to reform their hearts and the barbarian tribes to understand propriety, the great transformation moving westward was indeed the achievement of Facheng. Later he died at his dwelling place. Sun Chuo's Daoxian lun (Treatise on Monks and Worthies) compared Facheng to Wang Junchong, the treatise stating: "Facheng and [Wang Rong of] Anfeng in their youth possessed insight into subtle opportunities; although the religious and secular follow different courses, their paths may be measured against each other." The lofty scholar Ji Yong composed a eulogy and biography for him.
4.18
Facheng's fellow students, Zhu Faxing and Zhu Facun, both dwelt in the mountains and practiced moral conduct, and were well known in their generation.
4.19
Zhu Qian, whose courtesy name was Fashen, was surnamed Wang and was a native of Langye; he was the younger brother of Dun, Duke of Wuchang Commandery and Chancellor of the Jin dynasty. At the age of eighteen he underwent pravrajyā, serving Liu Yuanzhen of the Central Region as his teacher. Yuanzhen early on enjoyed a reputation for talent and understanding; therefore Sun Chuo's eulogy says: / "Aloof with an empty bosom, / Placid, untroubled, and profound, / Who has embodied this? / It is our Lord Liu! / His discourse was capable of elegant ornamentation, / His illumination sufficient to open the ignorant; / Within his embrace, / All was always vast and harmonious." / After Qian submitted to him, he pruned away superficialities, venerated the root, and applied himself to learning; by subtle words he initiated transformation, and his reputation permeated the Western Court, his bearing and countenance being magnificent and imposing.
4.20
By the age of twenty-four, he expounded the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra and the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra; having accumulated profound understanding and being also adept in exposition, those who came to observe his demeanor and savor the Way regularly numbered more than five hundred. At the beginning of the Yongjia era of the Jin dynasty, he crossed the Yangtze River to flee the disturbances. Emperor Yuan (Zhongzong), Emperor Ming (Suzu), Chancellor Wang Maohong, and Grand Commandant Yu Yuangui all admired his demeanor and virtue, befriending and revering him. During the Jianwu and Taining eras, Qian constantly wore wooden clogs when entering the palace halls; people of the time all regarded him as an eccentric scholar beyond the mundane realm, on account of the weight of his virtue. When Zhongzong and Suzu passed away, and Wang and Yu also died, he then concealed his traces in the Shan Mountains to withdraw from the contemporary world. Those who followed his footsteps to inquire about the Way once again gathered in bands at the mountain gate. Qian leisurely occupied the lecture seat for more than thirty years, sometimes elucidating the Fangdeng (vaipulya) scriptures, sometimes interpreting Laozi and Zhuangzi. Among those who committed themselves as his disciples facing north, none failed to be thoroughly versed in both inner and outer learning. When Emperor Ai came to favor and revere the Buddhadharma, he repeatedly dispatched two envoys to courteously summon him; Qian, out of respect for the imperial decree, temporarily visited the imperial palaces, and immediately opened an exposition of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra before the imperial banquet, where the Emperor and the court officials all praised it. At that time, Jianwen served as Prime Minister and was regarded by both court and countryside as possessing supreme virtue; considering Qian a leader of both the religious and the secular, and revered as a friend by the previous reigns, he honored and submitted to him, bearing him on the crown of his head beyond the ordinary, and when he ascended the imperial throne, his reverent courtesy grew even more sincere. Qian once met Liu Tan of Pei Commandery at Jianwen's residence, and Tan teased him, saying, "Why does a Daoist master frequent the vermilion gates [of the nobility]?" Qian said, "You yourself see them as vermilion gates; this poor monk sees them as thatched huts." Minister of Works He Cidao, whose fine virtue was pure and unadorned and who deeply believed in the scriptures, constantly accorded him deep veneration, treating him with the respect due to a teacher, frequently inviting him, and repeatedly holding Dharma ceremonies.
4.21
Although Qian moved back and forth following circumstances, his original heart found no joy in it; he thereupon petitioned to return to Mount Yang in Shan to fulfill his former aspiration, and thereafter wandered freely among the forests and mounds to finish out his remaining years. Zhi Dun sent an envoy asking to purchase the small ridge of Wozhou beside Mount Yang, wishing to make it a place for secluded retreat; Qian replied, saying, "If you wish to come, I will simply give it to you; did one ever hear of Chao Fu or Xu You buying a mountain to become recluses?" Later, Dun wrote in a letter to a Gaoli monk, saying: "The elder (sthavira) Zhu Fashen was a disciple of Lord Liu of the Central Region; his embodiment of virtue is steadfast and towering, and he brings together both the religious and the mundane. Formerly in the capital, he maintained the net of the Dharma. He was looked up to by both inner and outer circles, an artisan who propagated the Way. Recently, as his practice of the Way has become tranquil and complete, and he can no longer bear worldly dust, he has built a dwelling among the mountains and marshes, cultivating virtue and seeking leisure. Now at Mount Yang in Shan County, he gathers with companions to discuss the Way and expound doctrines; dwelling aloft in pure clarity, his praise is sung far and near." In the second year of the Ningkang era of the Jin dynasty, he died at his mountain residence at the age of eighty-nine. Emperor Xiaowu (Liezong) issued an imperial decree saying: "Dharma Master Shen's realization of principle was empty and distant, and his demeanor and discernment were pure and upright; he cast aside the honor of prime ministers and put on the plain garb of dyed robes. Dwelling in the mountains beyond worldly men, he was diligent without slackening; we were just relying on him to proclaim the Way to rescue the living beings. His sudden passing deeply grieves our heart. Let one hundred thousand coins be bestowed for his funeral, sent swiftly by postal relay." Sun Chuo compared Shen to Liu Bolun, his treatise stating: "Lord Shen's moral character was deep and weighty, and he had a far-reaching and vast capacity; Liu Ling gave free rein to his desires and acted unrestrainedly, regarding the universe as small. Although the achievement of dwelling aloft was something Liu could not match, their vast and expansive substance was the same."
4.22
At that time on Mount Yang there was also Zhu Fayou, whose resolve and practice were strong and upright, and who was widely versed in numerous scriptures; he once received the Abhidharma from Shen, and after a single night was able to recite it by heart. Shen said, "'Memorizing upon merely passing one's eyes over it' was praised by the ancients; if the Capable and Benevolent One (Śākyamuni) were to arise again in the Great Jin, he would surely take you as one of the five hundred." At the age of twenty-four, he was already able to lecture and expound. Later he founded the Nantai Monastery to the south of Shan County town.
4.23
Zhu Fayun's realization penetrated the abstruse, and he was especially skilled in the Fangguang bore (Mokṣala's Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra). Kang Fashi also had merit in doctrinal study, but was renowned for his cursive and clerical calligraphy. He once met Kang Xin; Xin considered his own brushwork superior to that of Shi, so Shi and Xin each produced works in the cursive script of the General of the Right Army (Wang Xizhi); bystanders secretly sold them as commodities, and no one could tell them apart. He also copied numerous scriptures, which were highly valued. Zhu Faji had talent and literary skill from youth, and authored the Gaoyi shamen zhuan (Biographies of Lofty and Untrammeled Śramaṇas). All these figures were disciples of extraordinary ability under Qian; Sun Chuo composed eulogies for all of them, so they are not copied here in full.
4.24
Zhi Dun, styled Daolin, originally surnamed Guan, was a man of Chenliu, or as some say, of Linlü in Hedong. In his youth he possessed spiritual insight and was brilliantly perceptive and exceptionally sharp. When he first arrived at the capital, Wang Meng of Taiyuan esteemed him greatly, saying: 'His skill in attaining the subtle is no less than that of [Wang] Fusi.' Yin Rong of Chen Commandery once associated with Wei Jie, praising Wei's spirit and intelligence as outstanding and clear, unmatched by any among the younger generation. Upon meeting Dun, he sighed, considering that he had met such a person once again. His family had served the Buddha for generations, and he early awakened to the truth of impermanence. While living in seclusion in Mount Yuhang, he pondered deeply upon the 'Daoxing' chapter [of the Prajñāpāramitā] and thoroughly investigated the scripture of the Huiyin [Buddhapratijñāmudrā-sūtra]; standing out uniquely, his insights came from his innate celestial nature. At the age of twenty-five he took pravrajyā. Whenever he attended a lecture platform, he was adept at highlighting the overarching essentials; although he occasionally neglected textual details and sentences, for which he was looked down upon by literalists of the time, Xie An heard of it and praised him, saying: 'This is Jiufang Gao's way of appraising horses: overlooking their color and grasping their swift excellence.' Wang Qia, Liu Hui, Yin Hao, Xu Xun, Xi Chao, Sun Chuo, Huan Yanbiao, Wang Jingren, He Cidao, Wang Wendu, Xie Changxia, Yuan Yanbo, and others—all celebrities of their generation—formed intimate bonds with him beyond the mundane dust.
4.25
Dun was once at Baima Temple discussing the 'Carefree Excursion' chapter of the Zhuangzi with Liu Xizhi and others. [Liu] said: 'Each following their nature constitutes carefree excursion.' Dun said: 'Not so. The tyrant Jie and the robber Zhi took harming others as their nature; if following one's nature is to attain it, then they too would be carefree.' Thereupon he retired and wrote a commentary on the 'Carefree Excursion' chapter; none of the Confucian scholars and traditionalists failed to admire and submit to it. Later he returned to Wu and founded the Zhishan Temple. In his later years he wished to enter Shan. Xie An, who was then [governor of] Wuxing, wrote a letter to Dun: 'My longing for you accumulates daily; counting the hours, I wait with yearning. Learning that you wish to return to Shan to cultivate yourself in seclusion, I am deeply crestfallen. Human life is like a lodging; recently, all the occasions of elegant conversation and contentment have practically vanished. All day I am sorrowful, dejected at every turn. I only await your arrival to dispel it with conversation; a single day would be worth a thousand years. This is a mountainous commandery, quiet and tranquil, tolerably suited for recuperating from illness; in circumstances it is no different from Shan, yet the medicines available are different. Pray consider this affinity to satisfy my enduring hopes.' Wang Xizhi was in Kuaiji at the time and had long heard of Dun's fame. Not yet believing it, he said to others: 'His is merely an inflated reputation on first encounter; what is it worth speaking of?' Later, after Dun had returned to Shan and was passing through the commandery, Wang deliberately went to visit Dun to observe his bearing and vigor. Upon arriving, Wang said to Dun: 'May I hear about the "Carefree Excursion" chapter?' Dun then produced several thousand words, presenting novel principles with breathtakingly superb literary grace. Wang thereupon opened his lapels and untied his sash, lingering on and unable to leave. He then invited him to reside at Lingjia Temple, wishing to keep him close.
4.26
Soon afterwards, he retired to the mountains of Shan, founding a monastery on the Lesser Ridge of Wozhou to practice the Way. The saṃgha numbered over a hundred, who constantly followed and learned from him. As some among them occasionally grew lax, Dun composed an 'Inscribed Admonition for the Right of One's Seat' to exhort them, which ran: 'Strive, strive! The utmost Way is not far; / Why linger and delay, / Weakly forfeiting the marvelous and spiritual? / Boundless are the three realms, / Distant and long the fetters; / Toils and troubles converge from without, / While the dark mind gallops within. / Sacrificing oneself to pursue cravings and thrist, / Drawn far away, forgetting fatigue; / A human life lasts but one generation, / As fleeting as suspended dew. / My body is not myself— / To whom does all this commotion apply? / The realized person cherishes virtue, / Knowing that peace must turn to peril. / Serene and aloof, soaring cleanly, / One cleanses defilements in the pool of dhyāna; / Carefully observing the luminous precepts, / Elegantly relishing the mysterious rules. / Pacify the mind in the spiritual Way; / Raise the will toward non-action. / Brightly clear the three obscurations; / Melt and dissolve the six blemishes. / Empty and unify the five aggregates; / Clear away and open the four limbs. / "Not a finger" points to the finger; / Severed, yet never separated. / Once marvelous awakening is expounded, / Deepen its knowledge in mystery. / Adaptable and calm, yielding to what comes, / Moving along with things; / Beyond this, / Think not, discuss not. / Zealous toward the Father of Awakening, / Keep your intent like an infant.' The public opinion of the time held that Dun's talent was fit to expound the scriptures and assist the state, yet his puritanical detachment from the worldly contradicted the principle of universal salvation. Dun thereupon composed the 'Treatise Dispelling Ignorance'.
4.27
Later he moved to Mount Shicheng and established the Qiguang Temple. Sitting in tranquil meditation at the mountain gate, his mind wandered in the groves of dhyāna; eating tree fruits and drinking from mountain torrents, he set his aspirations freely on non-arising. He then annotated various scriptures such as the Ānāpānasmṛti and the Four Dhyānas, and wrote the 'Treatise on Wandering in the Mystery through Immediate Form', the 'Treatise on the Sage Not Debating Knowledge', the 'Purport of the Daoxing', and 'Admonitions for Learning the Way'. Following in the footsteps of Aśvaghoṣa and treading in the shadow of Nāgārjuna, his interpretations accorded with the fundamental Dharma and did not contradict the true nature of reality. In his later years he came out to Shanyin to lecture on the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra. Dun served as Dharma master and Xu Xun as the disputant. Whenever Dun elucidated an interpretation, the assembly all thought Xun had no way to raise an objection; whenever Xun raised an objection, they likewise thought Dun could no longer resolve it. Thus it went on to the end, neither side exhausting their arguments. All among the listeners believed they had fully grasped Dun's purport, but when turned back to explain it themselves, after two or three turns they fell into confusion.
4.28
When Emperor Ai of Jin ascended the throne, he repeatedly sent two envoys to summon and invite him out to the capital. He stayed at Dong'an Temple and lectured on the Daoxing bore [Prajñāpāramitā]; monastics and laypeople alike revered him, and the court and countryside joyfully submitted. Wang Meng of Taiyuan, having long formulated subtle principles and crafted his rhetoric, went to visit Dun and spoke several hundred words, privately believing Dun would be unable to counter him. Dun slowly said: 'It has been many years since I parted from you, sir, yet your words have made no progress whatsoever.' Meng withdrew in shame and sighed: 'He is truly the king among the monastic robes and bowls, is he not?' Xi Chao asked Xie An: 'How does Master Lin's conversation compare to Ji Kang?' An said: 'Ji Kang could only barely manage to keep up with effort.' He asked again: 'How does he compare to Yin Hao?' An said: 'In tireless debating, I fear Yin would constrain Zhi; but in soaring directly upward to the deep source, Hao truly has reason to feel ashamed.' Xi Chao later wrote in a letter to relatives and friends: 'Master Lin's spiritual insight penetrates everywhere, and his mystical transcendence is his own awakening. Truly, in inheriting and illuminating the great Dharma for several centuries so that the true reality should not be severed, he is the only one.'
4.29
Dun lingered in the capital for nearly three years, and then returned to Dongshan. He submitted a memorial taking his leave, which said: 'Dun knocks his head to the ground and states: Daring with my lack of talent to aspire to the ways beyond the world, I have failed to spur myself forward, thus erring against your sagely transformation. As for the meaning of a śramaṇa, his teaching originates from the Buddha and the sages; carving away ornamentation to return to simplicity, severing desires to return to the source. He wanders in the realm of emptiness and mystery, adheres to the norms of the inner sage, maintains the chastity of the five precepts, and assists the governance of the outer ruler. Harmonizing the music of the soundless, he takes self-contentment as harmony. Devoted to filial piety of loving-kindness, he harms not even wriggling creatures; bearing sorrow that requires no condolence, he ever laments unrighteousness. Holding to compliance before omens arise, he guards from afar against karmic retribution; partaking of the moderation of having no rank, he treads in supremacy without regret. Therefore, when wise kings hold the solemnity of facing south, none fail to admire their style and custom, put their reclusive path at ease, search into their compliant hearts, and overlook their bodily reverence; hence it has grown ever fresher through successive dynasties. Your Majesty is endowed by Heaven with sagely virtue; your elegant taste never tires. Traveling in the spiritual pattern of the Way, you forget to eat even as the sun sets; this may be called bells and drums resounding to the morning zenith, your voice shaking the world. With your pure reputation already brilliant, nothing could be more fortunate. I pray that Your Majesty will match the longevity of Heaven and Earth, widely unfold the utmost transformation, discard the deceptive falsehoods of Chen and Xin, pursue the grand counsel of Confucius's prayer, cut off the petty paths that lead to mud, and wield the grand reins upon the level road. If so, Mount Tai will not accept unlawful sacrifices from the Ji clan, gaining the One to become spiritual; the king will not offer holocaust except at the Circular Mound, gaining the One to remain ever steadfast. If the steadfast and spiritual each remain one, humans and spirits will forget one another; the ruler will be a ruler and below there will be no partisan promotions; the spirits will be spirits and no prayers will add to their efficacy. When mysterious virtue is mutually bestowed, the people will receive unseen blessings; the vast six directions will become an abode of auspiciousness; the magnificent Great Jin will be a realm of supreme prosperity. Constantly practicing non-action, all things will return to their source; holding fast to the Great Image, the world will come of itself. As for state statutes and executions, the officials will attend to them: if granting life is not personal favor, those rewarded will naturally attain it; if execution is not out of personal wrath, those punished will suffer the penalty themselves. By broadening the public instruments to satisfy the divine will, and upholding the weighing scale to exhaust the unseen measure—this is what is called: "What does Heaven say? The four seasons run their course." I, this poor monk, am a rustic recluse of Dongshan, having different glories from the worldly; gathering vegetables on the long hills, rinsing my mouth in the clear ravines, dressed in rags all my life, never peering toward the imperial steps. Unexpectedly, the heavenly light shone obliquely, foolishly gracing my thatched hut; repeatedly receiving your luminous edicts, I was made to travel to the capital. Advancing or retreating, I was in a dilemma, not knowing where to place myself. Since arriving at the Heavenly Path, I have repeatedly been granted audience, treated generously as a guest, and probed with subtle words. Constantly ashamed that my talent cannot escape dullness and my reasoning does not overcome conventionality, unable to respond to and extol the mysterious pattern or satisfy your sight and hearing, I was flustered before the attendants, sweating on my seat. Formerly, the Four Elders came to the Han, and Duan Ganmu acted as a hedge for Wei; both knew their time to come forth or retire, and their silence and speech met the right occasion. Today, my virtue is not that of the ancients; my movement and stillness contradict proprieties. Wandering as a phantom in the forbidden palace, declaiming by the sovereign's side, I would soon fall into distress through occupying a place not mine; what could I accomplish? Furthermore, the months and years pass swiftly, stirring such laments of transience; how much more so when my companions are separated and my studies left neglected—turning my head to gaze eastward, who could be without longing? I pray that Your Majesty will timely grant me dismissal to return to the forests and thickets, raising the bird as a bird, which would be a supreme favor. Respectfully I present this plain tablet to express my humble views; packing my provisions and looking to the road, I prostrate and await your compassionate edict.' The edict immediately granted it, providing provisions and sending him off with great abundance in every matter. The celebrities of the time all saw him off at Zhenglu. Cai Zishu arrived first and sat near Dun; Xie Wanshi arrived later, and when Cai briefly stood up, Xie moved over to take his seat. When Cai returned, he picked up Xie along with the mat and threw him to the ground; Xie did not mind at all. Such was the admiration he enjoyed among the worthy of his time.
4.30
Thereafter he withdrew his traces to the mountains of Shan, ending his days among the forests and marshes. Someone once gave Dun a horse; Dun loved and kept it. When someone ridiculed him at the time, Dun said: 'I love its spirited excellence, and merely keep it for a while.' Later someone presented him with a crane; Dun said to the crane: 'You are a creature that soars to heaven; why should you serve as a plaything for eyes and ears?' He then released it. When Dun was young, he once debated about living creatures with his master, saying that using raw chicken eggs was not yet considered killing; his master could not refute him. Soon after, his master died, and suddenly manifested his form: he cast an egg onto the ground, the shell broke, and a chick walked out, and a moment later both vanished. Dun was deeply moved to awakening, and from then on ate vegetarian food for the rest of his life.
4.31
Dun had previously lived in Wushan in Yuyao, and on famous festive days he would still return to the Wu valley. Someone asked him the reason, and he replied: 'In the past, Xie An frequently came to visit me, always staying for ten days or more. Now, wherever I look and whatever touches my feelings, thoughts of him are inevitably stirred.' Later, falling gravely ill, he moved back into the Wu valley. On the fourth day of the intercalary fourth month in the first year of the Taihe era of the Jin dynasty, he died at his residence at the age of fifty-three. He was buried right in the Wu valley, where his tomb still remains; some say he died in Shan, which is uncertain. Xi Chao wrote a preface and biography for him, Yuan Hong wrote an inscription and eulogy, and Zhou Tanbao composed an elegy. Sun Chuo's 'Treatise on Daoists and Worthies' compared Dun to Xiang Ziqi, stating: 'Zhi Dun and Xiang Xiu had an elegant taste for the Zhuangzi and Laozi. Though the two men lived at different times, their demeanor and tastes were mysteriously identical.' His 'Treatise on Illustrating the Way' also says: 'Zhi Daolin's understanding was clear and his nature compliant, yet he did not oppose external things. His mysterious Way was profound and helpful, according with his spiritual disposition. This is the reason why those of far-reaching currents returned to the source, and why the ordinary masses failed to awaken.' Later, when the eminent scholar Dai Kui passed by Dun's tomb, he sighed: 'His virtuous reputation is not yet distant, yet the trees over his grave are already dense. May his spiritual essence continue unbroken and not perish together with the physical breath.'
4.32
Dun had a fellow student named Faqian, who had penetrated the subtle principles with spiritual subtlety; he died before Dun. Dun sighed, saying: 'Of old, Carpenter Shi laid aside his axe upon the death of the man of Ying, and Boya ceased plucking his strings upon the death of Zhong Ziqi. Gauging others by oneself, this is truly no hollow saying! Since the precious bond has faded into the shadows, and whatever words I utter find none to appreciate them, my heart is knotted with sorrow—I too must surely die!' He then composed the 'Treatise on Keen Awakening' (Qiewu zhang), completing it on the brink of death; he laid down his brush and passed away. All of the writings and literary collections authored by Dun amounted to ten fascicles, which circulated widely in the world.
4.33
At that time, in the eastern region, there was also Zhu Fayang, who attained renown for his insight and wisdom, and was greatly esteemed by Wang Tanzhi. Even after his death, he appeared in bodily form to visit the Prince, exhorting him in his religious practice and conduct.
4.34
Yu Falan was a native of Gaoyang. From his youth, he had an extraordinary disposition. At the age of fifteen, he left home [for the Buddhist life] and made diligent application his work, studying and chanting the scriptures by day and by night, always being the foremost among the crowd in seeking the Dharma and inquiring about the Way. By the time he reached the age of capping, his presence was remarkably refined; his renown in the Way shook the Three River regions, and his fame spread far and wide. By nature, he loved mountains and springs, and mostly dwelled among cliffs and ravines. Once, during a winter month in the mountains when the ice and snow were severe, a tiger came into Lan's room; Lan's expression remained undisturbed, and the tiger was exceedingly tame, departing only the next morning when the snow ceased. The mountain deities frequently came to receive the Dharma from him; his virtue affected spirits and creatures in such manner.
4.35
Later, hearing that among the mountains and waters east of the Yangtze, Shan county was praised as wonderful, he leisurely walked to Dong'ou, gazed far toward Wu and Sheng, and dwelt at the foot of Shicheng Mountain, which is the present-day Yuanhua Temple. People of the time compared his vigor and character to Yu Yuangui [Yu Liang], and Sun Chuo in his 'Treatise on Men of the Way and Worthies' (Daoxian lun) compared him to Ruan Sizong [Ruan Ji], saying: 'Master Lan forgot his body, and his exalted and subtle deeds are almost on par with the Perfected Person; Ruan the Infantry Commandant, proud, solitary, and standing above the herd, is also a peer of Lan.' After dwelling in Shan for a short time, he suddenly sighed, saying: 'Although the Great Dharma flourishes, many scripture texts and doctrines are lacking; if I could hear the complete teaching just once, I could die content that evening.' He thereupon traveled far to the Western Regions to seek what had not been heard. When he arrived in Jiaozhou, he fell ill and died in Xianglin. The śramaṇa Zhi Dun later erected an image and composed a eulogy, saying: 'Master Yu transcended the world, comprehending the mysterious purport; retiring happily to mountains and marshes, he tamed tigers and rhinos.' A separate biography says: 'Lan also moved a dry spring to gush forth water, an event identical to that of Zhu Fahu.' This is not yet certain.
4.36
There were also Zhu Faxing, Zhi Fayuan, and Yu Fadao, who were contemporaries of Lan and equaled him in virtue: Xing was renowned for his broad erudition, Yuan was celebrated for his literary talent, and Dao gained high repute for his grasp of doctrine.
4.37
Yu Fakai's origin is unknown. He served Master Lan as a disciple; his profound thoughts emerged in solitude, his unique insights extended beyond words, and he was adept at the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (Fangguang jing) and the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra (Fahua jing). Furthermore, he carried on the traditions of Jīvaka and was wondrously versed in the methods of medicine. He once begged for food and lodged at a householder's home; it coincided with a woman in childbirth in critical danger. Various treatments had proved ineffective, and the entire household was in flustered disarray. Kai said: 'This is easily treated.' The host was just slaughtering a sheep to make an excessive sacrifice; Kai instructed him first to take a little mutton and make broth. After she had consumed it, he applied acupuncture following the flow of qì; in a moment, the child emerged wrapped in the sheep's caul. In the fifth year of the Shengping era, Emperor Xiaozong [Emperor Mu] was ill. Kai examined his pulse and knew he would not recover, so he refused to enter again. Empress Kangxian issued an order: 'The Emperor is slightly unwell. Yesterday we summoned Master Yu to examine his pulse, but he lingered at the gate without advancing, offering all kinds of excuses and evasions; he should be arrested and handed over to the Minister of Justice.' Shortly afterward, the Emperor passed away, and he avoided punishment. He returned to Shicheng in Shan, where he continued to repair the Yuanhua Temple, and later moved to Lingjiu Temple on Mount Bai. He often debated the doctrine of 'Matter is itself Emptiness' (ji se kong) with Zhi Daolin; He Mo of Lujiang elucidated Kai's objections, and Xi Chao of Gaoping proclaimed Lin's explanations, both circulating in the world.
4.38
Kai had a disciple named Fawei, who possessed clear understanding and pivotal eloquence; hence, Sun Chuo composed a eulogy for him, saying: 'The Book of Changes speaks of pure white feathers; the Book of Songs praises duckweed and water-caltrop. Varied and distinct as on the threshing ground, fragrant as in standing waters. Yu and Wei shone forth with brilliance, resolutely seeking afar. Pure in their reputation, they harbored no shame in their hearts.' Kai once sent Wei to the capital, passing through Shanyin. Zhi Dun was just lecturing on the Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (Xiaopin). Kai said to Wei: 'While Daolin lectures, by the time you arrive, he will have reached such-and-such a chapter.' He instructed him with dozens of challenging arguments, saying: 'This part has long been difficult to resolve.' When Wei arrived in the commandery, Dun was indeed lecturing, just as Kai had said. After numerous exchanges, Dun was finally overcome; he then said in a harsh tone: 'Why must you carry and deliver cargo on behalf of another!' Thus a proverb of the Eastern Mountains said: 'Deep's contemplation, Kai's thought, Lin's discourse, and Shi's memory.' During the reign of Emperor Ai, he was repeatedly summoned by imperial edict, so he went to the capital to lecture on the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra. Whenever scholars of old clung to doubts, they were all clarified through his lectures. When the lecturing concluded, he took leave to return to the Eastern Mountains. The Emperor, earnestly cherishing his virtue, bestowed upon him gifts of coins, silk, a palanquin, and winter and summer garments; Xie An and Wang Wendu [Wang Tanzhi] were both on friendly terms with him. Someone asked: 'The Dharma Master is lofty, brilliant, resolute, and simple; why do you keep the art of medicine in mind?' He replied: 'Illuminating the six perfections eliminates the illnesses caused by the four māras; regulating the nine pulses cures diseases of wind and cold. Benefiting oneself and benefiting others—is this not permissible?' At the age of sixty, he died at the mountain monastery. Sun Chuo characterized him, saying: 'Free and sweeping in talent and eloquence, propagating the teaching by means of occult and technical arts—surely that was Master Kai!'
4.39
Yu Daosui was a native of Dunhuang. Losing his father at a young age, he was raised by his paternal uncle; Sui served him with the utmost filial devotion and sincerity, as though attending his own mother. At the age of sixteen, he left home and served Master Lan as his disciple. His learning was exalted and brilliant, thoroughly encompassing internal and external teachings; he was adept in medicines and prescriptions, possessed fine calligraphy, thoroughly understood foreign customs, and was especially skilled in conversation and debate. Master Hu [Dharmarakṣa] often praised Sui as being lofty, simple, and elegant, having the demeanor of the ancients, and said that if he did not lack life [ahead], he would become a pillar and beam of the Great Dharma. Later, he crossed the Yangtze along with Master Jian, and Xie Qingxu greatly esteemed him. By nature, he loved mountains and marshes, and while in the east, he frequently visited famous mountains. In character, he was indifferent to praise or blame, and never let worldly affairs enter his mind. Later, he followed Lan toward the Western Regions; he fell ill in Jiaozhi and died at the age of thirty-one. Xi Chao painted his portrait, and Zhi Dun composed an inscribed eulogy, saying: 'Splendid and preeminent master, his understanding was penetrating and his reason clear. Pure in substance as gleaming jade, his virtuous renown fragrant as the orchid.' Sun Chuo compared Sui to Ruan Xian; someone said: 'Xian incurred the reproach of having a burdened steed, whereas Sui had the reputation of purity and coolness; how can they be matched?' Sun Chuo said: 'Although their visible traces had troughs and peaks, their lofty style was one.' The 'Treatise on Explaining the Way' (Yudao lun) says: 'Recently in Luoyang there was Zhu Faxing, whom conversationalists equated with Director Yue; south of the Yangtze there was Yu Daosui, whom discerning men paired with the preeminent elite.' These were both what the people of that time saw and heard together, not the private praise of fellow partisans.
4.40
Zhu Fachong's origins are unknown. He entered the Way in his youth and was praised for his discipline and integrity; in addition, he was quick-witted and fond of learning, devoted to the scriptures and commentaries, and particularly adept in the single teaching of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. He once traveled to Mount Lu in Xiangzhou; a mountain spirit transformed into a woman, came to Chong to request the precepts, and relinquished the mountain where she dwelt to serve as a monastery. Chong dwelt there for a short time, and his transformative influence suffused the Xiang territory. Later, he returned to Gexian Mountain in Shan, drinking from mountain streams beneath a thatched hut, finding delight in dhyāna and wisdom; scholars from Dong'ou vied to gather there. He met the hermit Kong Chunzhi of Lu; whenever they wandered together, they spent the whole day, and frequently stayed overnight, forgetting to return. Opening their lapels in sudden rapport, they considered each other kindred spirits. Chong then sighed, saying: 'Contemplating beyond human affairs for over thirty years, only now having an encounter by chance, I did not realize that old age was fast approaching.' Later, when Chunzhi traveled elsewhere, Chong recited: 'The spirit of vast purity remains in heart and eye; the recluse of mountains and forests goes away and does not return. Surely that applies to such a man!' Chong later died in the mountains; it is said he authored a four-fascicle 'Commentary on the Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra' (Fahua yishu).
First 40 of 48 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 高僧傳 — 慧皎, Classical Chinese