高僧傳 8.71

8.71

Shi Huiqiu, originally of the Ma clan, was a native of Fufeng Commandery. His family had been an illustrious clan for generations. At the age of sixteen he went forth from household life and dwelt at Zhulin Temple in Jingzhou, serving Daoxin as his master, receiving his monastic discipline and instruction, and conducting himself with purity. Later he entered Lushan Temple in Xiangzhou to concentrate exclusively on the practice of dhyāna. Soon afterward, together with his fellow student Huidu, he went to the capital to inquire into and study the scriptures. Later he went to Pengcheng and studied the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra under Sengyuan. Not until he was thirty-two did he return to Jingzhou, where he served solely as an authoritative Dharma master. His lecture assemblies were held continuously, and student companions gathered in crowds; throughout the regions of Jing and Chu, he was acknowledged as foremost from past to present. That the doctrinal monks of the Western Xia were able to stand as equals with those of the capital was due to Huiqiu's efforts. In the first year of the Zhongxing reign period, he was appointed by imperial order as the Head of the Saṅgha for Jingzhou. His achievements in instructing and encouraging others were renowned in his time. He passed away in the third year of the Tianjian reign period at the age of seventy-four. In his final instructions he ordered that his corpse be left exposed beneath the pines, but his disciples could not bear to carry this out.