續高僧傳 10.32

10.32

釋法瓚。齊州人也。安心寂定樂居巖穴。頭陀苦行是所纏懷。隱於泰岳之阜。開蒙訓接善知方便。兼以達解諦義時揚清論。致有覆喪。坐無輟講。待移之誚興世。瓚初聞之。深自𧹞怍曰。問非切並不欲困人。謂言彼解何言致斃。因遂杜口不事言論。閉謁尋閑披翫而已。開皇十四年。文帝省方招訪名德。人有述其清曠者。乃下勅延之。與帝同歸達于京邑。住勝光寺。肅肅禪侶擁篲門庭。以身範世復見斯日。仁壽置塔。勅令送舍利于齊州泰山神通寺。即南燕主慕容德。為僧朗禪師之所立也。事見前傳。燕主以三縣民調用給於朗。並散營寺。上下諸院十有餘所。長廊延袤千有餘間。三度廢教人無敢撤。欲有犯者朗輒現形以錫杖撝之。病困垂死。求悔先過。還差如初。井深五尺由來不減。女人臨之即為枯竭。燒香懺求還復如故。寺立已來四百餘載。佛象鮮瑩色如新造。眾禽不踐于今儼然。古號為朗公寺。以其感靈即目故。天下崇焉。開皇三年。文帝以通徵屢感故。改曰神通也。初至寺內即放圓光。乍赤乍白時沈時舉。或如流星。人眾同見。井水涌溢。酌而用之。下後還復又感群鹿自然至塔。雖鼓吹眾鬧馴附無恐。又感鵝一雙從四月三日。終于八日。恒來輿前立聽梵贊。恰至埋訖迹絕不來。斯之感致罕聞於古。瓚具以聞。後導以禪定時揚法化。言無嚴切而密附懷抱。遂終沒於所住。

Śramaṇa Fazan was a native of Qizhou. He pacified his mind in quiet contemplation and delighted in dwelling in caves and cliffs; dhūta austerities were what he kept in mind. Living in seclusion on the slopes of Mount Tai, he enlightened the unlearned and guided them, skillfully knowing the expedient means; moreover, having penetrated the meaning of the truths, he occasionally expounded pure discourses. He caused some to suffer defeat, yet without leaving his seat, he continued lecturing without interruption, giving rise to worldly criticism about 'waiting to be moved.' When Zan first heard of this, he was deeply ashamed and embarrassed, saying: 'My questioning was not meant to press hard, nor did I desire to distress anyone; I presumed that he understood, so how could I have expected to cause his downfall?' Thereupon he sealed his mouth and engaged no more in debates, closing his doors to visitors to seek leisure, doing nothing more than reading and enjoying texts. In the fourteenth year of the Kaihuang era, Emperor Wen inspected the provinces and sought out the renowned and virtuous. Someone recounted Zan's pure detachment, whereupon an imperial decree invited him, and he returned together with the Emperor to the capital, residing at Shengguang Monastery. Respectful meditation companions swept the gates and courtyards with brooms; modeling the world with one's person was seen once again in these days. When pagodas were established in the Renshou era, an imperial decree ordered him to deliver relics to Shentong Monastery on Mount Tai in Qizhou. This was the monastery founded by Murong De, ruler of the Southern Yan, for Dhyāna Master Senglang, the events of which appear in the previous biography. The Yan ruler had provided Lang with the taxes and labor of three counties, all of which were dispersed to build the monastery, with more than ten upper and lower courtyards and over a thousand long colonnades. During the three suppressions of the teaching, no one dared dismantle it; whenever someone wished to violate it, Lang would manifest his form and point with his khakkhara staff, causing the transgressor to fall grievously ill on the verge of death; only upon repenting past offenses would they recover as before. The well is five feet deep and has never diminished, but if a woman approached it, it would immediately dry up; only upon burning incense and repenting would it return to normal. Since the founding of the monastery over four hundred years ago, the Buddha images have remained bright and gleaming, as if newly made; birds do not tread upon them, and they remain solemn to this day. Anciently it was called Langgong Monastery; because its spiritual efficacy was visible to the eye, the world revered it. In the third year of the Kaihuang era, because its extraordinary portents had been repeatedly elicited, Emperor Wen renamed it Shentong ('Spiritual Penetration'). When they first arrived at the monastery, a circular light was immediately emitted, now red, now white, sometimes sinking, sometimes rising, or resembling shooting stars, witnessed together by the multitudes. The well water surged and overflowed, and was scooped up and used, returning to its former level afterward. A herd of deer was also naturally elicited, coming to the pagoda; despite the noise of the drums and pipes and the crowds, they were tame and clung close without fear. A pair of geese was also elicited from the third day of the fourth month through the eighth day, constantly coming before the palanquin and standing to listen to the Sanskrit chanting; precisely when the interment was completed, their tracks ceased and they did not return. Such responsive elicitation has rarely been heard of in antiquity. Zan reported all of this to the throne. Later, he guided others with meditation and occasionally expounded the Dharma's transformation; his words were not harsh, yet were kept intimately in mind. He ultimately passed away at his dwelling place.