續高僧傳 11.19

11.19

釋明舜。姓張。青州人。少在佛宗學周經籍。偏以智論著名。次第誦文六十餘卷。明統大旨馳譽海濱。解惠連環世稱雄傑。值法滅南投屆于建業。栖止無定周流講席。後過江北住安樂寺。時弘論府肆意經王。大小諸乘並因准的。盛為時俊所採。時沙門慧乘。辯抗淮陽義歸有敘。從舜指摘大論定其宗領。遂爾弘道累稔栖意。未終夕經入夢具見冥官徵責福業。舜答。講智度論并誦本文六十餘卷。冥官云。講解浮虛誦經是實。餘齡未盡且放令還。既寤便止談論專私自業。末為晉王召入京輦住日嚴寺。傳燈事絕終窶其心。時敘玄義頓傾品藻。仁壽四年下勅造塔。令送舍利于蘄州福田寺。寺是州北三里鼓吹山上。每天雨晦冥。便增鼓角之響。因以名焉。竹林蒙密層巘重疊。唯有一路纔可通車。寺處深林。極為閑坦。是南齊高帝所立也。三院相接。最頂別院名曰禪居。趙州沙門法進之所立也下瞻雲霧。至於平旦日晚。望見橫雲之上乃有仙寺。每日如此。實為希有之勝地也。舜案行山勢。唯此為佳。乃於次院之內。安置靈塔。掘基三尺得一小蛇。可長尺餘五色備飾。乃祝曰。若為善相可止香奩。依言即入。遣去復來。經停三日便失所在。又深一丈獲方石一段。縱廣徑丈五采如錦。楞側畟然如人所造。即以石函置上而架塔焉。以大業二年卒于京寺。春秋六十矣。門人慧相者。惠聲有據崇嗣厥業扇美江都。

Śramaṇa Mingshun had the surname Zhang and was a native of Qingzhou. In his youth he followed the Buddhist fold, comprehensively studying sūtras and treatises. He was particularly famous for the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, reciting in sequence over sixty fascicles of the text. Having a clear grasp of its great tenets, his reputation spread to the seacoast; his understanding and wisdom were connected like rings, and the world acclaimed him as a hero. Encountering the suppression of the Dharma, he cast himself southward and reached Jianye, residing without fixed abode and circulating among lecture seats. Later he crossed north of the river and stayed at Anle Monastery, where he occasionally expounded the storehouse of treatises and spoke freely on the king of sūtras; both the Great and Small Vehicles took him as a standard, and he was abundantly appreciated by the talents of the day. At that time, the śramaṇa Huicheng had eloquence that could contend with the Huai and Yang regions, his doctrinal summaries being methodical; he followed Shun to receive instruction on the Dazhidulun and settle its main tenets. Thus he propagated the Way for many years, his aspiration settled. Before long, he saw in a night dream the underworld officials questioning and holding him to account for his meritorious deeds. Shun replied: "I lectured on the Dazhidulun and recited over sixty fascicles of the original text." The underworld official said: "Lecturing and explaining is vain and empty; reciting sūtras is real. Your remaining lifespan is not yet exhausted; for now I release you to return." When he awoke, he stopped debate and lecture, exclusively attending to his personal practice. Later he was summoned by the Prince of Jin to enter the capital and reside at Riyan Monastery; his task of transmitting the lamp having ceased, he remained impoverished in his mind, only occasionally discoursing on profound principles to thoroughly overwhelm all evaluations. In the fourth year of Renshou, an imperial decree was issued to build a pagoda, ordering him to escort relics to Futian Monastery in Qizhou. The monastery was three li north of the prefecture on Guchui Mountain; whenever rain fell in darkness, the sounds of drums and horns would increase, hence its name. Bamboo groves were thick and secluded, with peaks layered in multiples; there was only one road that barely accommodated a cart. The monastery was situated in the deep forest, extremely peaceful and level; it was established by Emperor Gao of the Southern Qi. Three compounds adjoined one another, and the separate compound at the very summit was called the Dhyāna Dwelling, established by the śramaṇa Fajin of Zhaozhou; looking downward, one gazed upon clouds and mist, and at dawn and dusk one could see above the horizontal clouds an immortal monastery, which was so every day—truly an exceedingly rare and superior place! Shun surveyed the contours of the mountain, and found only this site to be exquisite; he therefore enshrined the spiritual pagoda within the secondary compound. Digging down three feet into the foundation, they found a small snake, over a foot long and adorned with the five colors. He then prayed: "If you are an auspicious sign, you may rest in the incense box." Following his words, it immediately entered; sent away, it returned again, and after staying three days, its whereabouts were lost. Going another zhang deeper, they obtained a square stone, ten feet wide, with five colors like brocade, its edges upright and square as if fashioned by man. Thereupon they placed the stone reliquary upon it and constructed the pagoda. In the second year of the Daye era, he passed away in the capital monastery at the age of sixty. His disciple Huixiang had a well-grounded reputation for wisdom, reverently continuing his heritage and spreading his fame throughout Jiangdu.