高僧傳 5.39

5.39

Shi Tanhui was a native of Henei. At the age of twelve, he went to Dao'an to leave the household. Dao'an admired his spiritual vitality and had him read books; within two or three years, his studies encompassed both the classics and the histories, and only at sixteen was he permitted to have his head shaved. Thereupon he devoted himself to Buddhist principles, clearly discerning their profound depths, and before reaching thirty he was able to lecture. Although his aspirations and practices were lofty and unadorned, he was respected for his deference and humility. Later, he accompanied Dao'an in Xiangyang. When Fu Pi invaded the region, he went east down to Jingzhou and stayed at Shangming Temple. Whenever he turned the wheel of the Dharma, monastics and laypeople rushed to attend. Constantly mindful of where his understanding came from, he had a likeness of Dao'an painted, which he meditated upon and worshipped. Thereupon the scholar-officials and women of Jiangling all faced west to pay homage to the "Seal-Hand Bodhisattva". Someone asked: "How does the Dharma Master's propagation of the Way compare to that of the upādhyāya?" Hui said: "The depth of the upādhyāya's internal practice cannot easily be measured, and the exterior conditions he influences have many responsive miracles. In me, it is a single drop; how could it compare to the rivers and seas!"