續高僧傳 12.19

12.19

釋慧海。姓張氏。清河武城人。少年入道。師事鄴都廣國寺冏法師。聽涅槃楞伽。始通再遍便能覆述。上首加賞。又經五稔學徒推服。更從青州大業寺道猷法師。受摩訶衍毘曇等。然猷慧解無礙開智難思。海以頴脫之才當斯榮寄。以周大象二年來儀濤浦。創居安樂修葺伽藍莊嚴佛事建造重閣。躬自經始咸資率化。竭筋力而忘倦。蒙寒暑而載馳。常以淨土為期。專精致感。忽有齊州僧道詮。齎畫無量壽像來云。是天竺雞頭摩寺五通菩薩。乘空往彼安樂世界圖寫尊儀。既冥會素情深懷禮懺。乃覩神光炤爍。慶所希幸。於是模寫懇苦。願生彼土。沒齒為念。以大業五年五月旦疹患增甚。語弟子曰。我當滅矣。伸手五指用表終期。氣息綿微屬纊斯待。至五日夜欻然而起。依常面西禮竟加坐。至曉方逝。春秋六十有九。顏色恬和儼如神在。道俗悲涼競申接足。花香如雨下。金寶若山頹。充委階墀。福惠之力矣。然其自少精苦老而逾篤。般舟密行之法。蘭若思惟之儀。亟展修行。瑞相常擾。兼以慈仁救護有劇諸己。誘勸博約必竭其才。宰官居士之流。老病貧窮之侶。並情遺重輕德施平等。斯固器宇該含。末代之通人也。講涅槃三十遍。誦法華經一部講五十遍。即以其月九日琢石於寺。鐫為巨室而移坐焉。江都縣令辛孝凱。崇信是投內外通捨。解衣撤膳躬自指撝。弟子慧昞。以全身處乃架塔築基增其華麗。仍建碑旌德於寺之門。祕書學士琅耶王眘為文。

Shi Huihai had the surname Zhang and was a native of Wucheng in Qinghe. In his youth he entered the Dao, serving Master Jiong of Guaguo Monastery in the capital of Ye as his master, listening to the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra; after only hearing them twice, he could already repeat them back, earning high praise from the assembly leaders. After another five years, the students admired and deferred to him. Later, he followed Master Daoyou of Daye Monastery in Qingzhou, receiving the Mahāyāna texts, Abhidharma, and so on. Now, You's intellectual comprehension was unimpeded and his awakening of wisdom was unfathomable; Hai, with his sharp, outstanding talent, matched this honored commission. In the second year of the Daxiang era of the Northern Zhou (580 CE), he arrived at Taopu, first residing at the Anle monastery, repairing the saṅghārāma, adorning the Buddhist services, and constructing a two-storey pavilion; he directed the commencement in person, completely inspiring the conversion of others. He exhausted his physical strength without fatigue, braving cold and heat while continuously laboring. He always took the Pure Land as his goal, applying his concentrated mind to induce spiritual resonance. Suddenly, there was a monk from Qizhou named Daoquan, who brought a painted image of Amitāyus and said: "This was painted by a bodhisattva of the five supernormal faculties from the Kukkuṭārāma Monastery in Tianzhu, who flew through the air to that Land of Bliss and depicted the Venerable's form." As this profoundly harmonized with his long-held sentiment, he bowed and repented with deep reverence, and thereupon beheld a divine radiance shining brilliantly, rejoicing in this rare fortune. From then on, he copied it earnestly and painstakingly, vowing to be born in that land, keeping it in his thoughts until the end of his days. In the fifth month of the fifth year of the Daye era (609 CE), on the first day, his illness grew severe. He told his disciples, "I am about to pass away," and extended his five fingers to indicate his final moment. His breath was faint and threadlike, awaiting the application of the cotton silk to verify death. On the night of the fifth day, he suddenly rose, faced west as usual, and, after paying homage, sat cross-legged; only at dawn did he pass away, at the age of sixty-nine. His countenance was calm and serene, looking as if the spirit were still present. Monastics and laypeople grieved in sorrow and competed to touch their heads to his feet. Flowers and incense fell like rain; gold and jewels tumbled down like mountains, filling the steps and courtyard—such was the power of his merit and wisdom! Now, from his youth he was diligent and austere, and in his old age he became even more steadfast. The methods of the secret practice of pratyutpanna and the contemplation etiquette of the araṇya were often practiced by him, and auspicious signs frequently appeared. In addition, his compassionate rescue of others was more pressing than his concern for himself; his guidance, whether broad or concise, always exhausted his talents. Officials, upāsakas, the aged, the sick, and the poor alike were treated without regard to status, his virtue bestowed equally. Such indeed was the vast capacity of his character, a thoroughly accomplished person of the latter age! He lectured on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra thirty times, and chanted the Lotus Sūtra once while lecturing on it fifty times. On the ninth day of that month, stone was quarried at the monastery and carved into a large chamber to transfer his seated body there. Xin Xiaokai, the Magistrate of Jiangdu County, offered his devout faith, donating everything both internal and external, taking off his clothes, foregoing his meals, and giving instructions in person. His disciple Huibing, because the whole body was preserved there, built a stūpa and constructed a foundation to increase its splendor. They also erected a stele honoring his virtue at the gate of the monastery, with the text composed by Wang Shen, Academician of the Palace Library from Langye.