續高僧傳 15.30

15.30

釋靈潤。俗姓梁。河東虞鄉人也。家世衣冠鄉閭望族。而風格弘毅統擬大方。少踐清猷長承餘烈。故能正行倫據不肅而成。昆季十人秀美時譽。中間三者齊慕出家。父告子曰。但誦觀音。先度即當許也。潤執卷便誦。一坐不起。從旦至中。文言遂徹。便預公度。依止靈粲法師住興善寺。粲有正行備于別傳。年十三。初聽涅槃妙通文旨。將及志學銷會前聞括悟新理。便登講座宣釋教意。部分科宗英秀諸僧。咸欣其德。加又欽重行禁。動靜惟安。不妄遊從常資規矩。所以興善大德海內名僧。咸相顧而言曰。此沙彌發蹤能爾堪住持矣。於後深心至道通贍群師。預在見聞包蘊神府。當即斧藻人法珪璋解行。皆統其本支該其成敗。仁壽感瑞懷州造塔。有勅令往。官供驛乘隨師東赴。乞食徒行獨無受給。既達河內。道俗服其精通敬其行範。所有歸戒並從於潤。當即名厲河北譽滿京師。聞泰岳靈巖寺僧德肅清四方是則。乃杖策尋焉。既覩副師遂從諮訓。乃習般舟行定。無替晨昏初經三七情事略疲。自斯已後頓忘眠倦。身心精勵遂經夏末。于時同侶五百餘人。各奉行之互相敦勵。至於解坐同行無幾。惟潤獨節秀出情事莫移。皆不謀同詞敬稱徽績。時父任青州益都令。外祖吳超任懷州懷令。堂祖吳同任齊州山荏令。姨夫侯援任曹州金鄉令。並潤之宗族內外親姻。雖經還講肆遊其所部。事逾行路一無過造。及生緣背喪。或有悲慕邀延者。潤情若風傳。不往登踐。斯割愛從道。皆此類也。有道奘法師。擅名海岱講攝大乘。又往尋焉。時未具戒早飛聲采。周流法席文義圓通。問難深微稱傳元宰。預是同席心共揖之。既承師有本。即奉奘以為和上。大戒已後方詣律司。十地諸經略觀文體。年二十三還返京室。值志念法師正弘小論。將欲博觀智海。預在聽徒。有辯相法師。學兼大小聲聞于天。攝論初興盛其麟角。在淨影寺創演宗門。造疏五卷。即登敷述京華。聽眾五百餘僧。竪義之者數登二百。潤初從關表創預講筵。祖習異聞遂奮奇論。一座驚異側目嘉之。登有辯行法師。機論難擬處眾高謝而敬憚焉。雖則負譽帝京。而神氣自得。或譏毀達其耳者。曾若不聞。以道鎮心情無喜怒。末法攸寄誠可嘉焉。大業初歲風疾暴增。後復本心更精新業。又恐報傾旦夕不守本懷。講導世流往還煩雜。遂脫略人事厭俗歸閑。遂往南山之北西極澧鄠東漸玉山。依寒林頭陀為業。時與沙門空藏慧璡智信智光等。京邑貞幹同修出離。既處叢塜。鬼神斯惱。或被推盪偃仆。或揚聲震叫者。潤獨體其空寂宴坐如空。諸被嬈者皆來依附。或於深林曠野狼虎行處。試心安止都無有畏。當遵此務盡報傳持。屬大業末年不許僧出。遂虧此行。乃還興善託於西院。獨靜資業一食入淨。常講涅槃眾經。有慧定禪師等。歸依受業相率修課。不出院宇經于三年。結侶漸多行清動眾。時僧粲法師。一寺頂蓋。銳辯無前抗衡京國。乃率諸翹望五十餘僧。來至法會詳其神略。人並投問玄隱之義。潤領宗酬答位判泠然。咸共欣賞妙符經旨。爾後譽傳光價。眾聚相從。既懿業內傳。將流法味。大業十年。被召入鴻臚教授三韓。并在本寺翻新經本。並宗轄有承不虧風采。會隋氏亂倫道光難緝。乃隱潛于藍田之化感寺。首尾一十五載。足不垂世。離經專業。眾請便講以示未聞。春秋入定還遵靜操。沙門志超。抗節禪府。聞風造展。遂等宿交。相師念定欣從語默。時天步飢餒道俗同霑。化感一寺獨延賓侶。磨穀為飯菽麥等均。晝夜策勤弘道為任。故四方慕義歸者雲屯。周贍精麁無乖僧法。共餐菜果遂達有年。斯誠至德冥符。兼濟有日矣。潤以化洽外流道聲載路。興善本寺敬奉芳塵。上陳勅使請充寺任。便不守專志。就而維之。貞觀八年勅造弘福。復被徵召。即現翻譯證義須明。眾所詳准又當斯任。至於詞理有礙。格言正之。同倫糺位。斯人最上。京邑釋門寔惟僧傑。初潤隋末在興善院感魔相嬈。定志不移。冥致善神捉去。經宿告曰。昨日魔子依法嚴繩。深知累重自感而死。若此徵應其量難紀。武德七年時住化感。寺主智信為人所告。勅使圍寺大顯威權。潤曰。山居行道心不負物。賢聖所知計非所告使人逾怒。忽有大風雷震。山崩樹折。吹其巾帽坐席。飄落異處。人眾喪膽遂求悔過。潤曰。檀越有福能感幽靈。斯之祥徵昔來未有。使者深愧釋然事解。貞觀年中與諸法侶登山遊觀。野燒四合眾並奔散。惟潤安行如常顧陟。語諸屬曰。心外無火火實自心。謂火可逃無由免火。及火至。潤熸餘自斂。據事以量。知人難矣。後住弘福。有僧因事奉勅還俗。復經恩蕩情願出家。大德連名同舉得度。上聞天聽。下勅深責投諸南裔。驩州行道。于時諸僧創別帝里無非慟絕。潤獨安然容儀自若。顧曰。三界往還由來恒理。勅令修道何有悲泣。拂衣東舉忻然而趣。道俗聞見莫不歎服。尋爾勅追洛東安置。化行鄭魏負帙排筵。弘闡涅槃十有餘遍。奧義泉飛惠流河洛。乃報京邑門人疏曰。吾今東行略有三益。一酬往譴。二順厭生。三成大行。吾有宿累蒙天慈責。今得見酬則業累轉滅。惟加心悅何所憂也。愚夫癡愛隨處興著。正智不爾。厭不重生。夫淨穢兩境同號大空。凡聖有情咸惟覺性。覺空平等何所著也。自度度人俱利之道。舉人出家依道利物。願在三有普濟四生常無退轉。三益如是汝等宜知。各調諍根業與善而住。吾無慮矣。僕射房玄齡遇之。稱歎累息曰。大德樹言詞理俱至。名實之副誠所望也。不久勅追還住弘福。居宗揚化。涅槃正義惟此一人。然其爰初入道。奉節不虧持操攝儀。魁質雄雅形器八尺。動靜溫和挺超聯類。十三離俗更不重臨。二親既崩弟兄哀訴。情守自若曾無動容。但為修冥福設會千僧。再度盡京。施悲田食而已。至於世情得喪浮艶彫華。既不附心口亦無述。時俗往還直知敘對。皆絕供給隨言將遣。前後所講涅槃七十餘遍。攝大乘論三十餘遍。并各造義疏一十三卷玄章三卷。自餘維摩勝鬘起信論等。隨緣便講各有疏部。而玄義備通頗異恒執。至如攝論黎耶。義該真俗。真即無念性淨諸位不改。俗即不守一性通具諸義。轉依已後真諦義邊即成法身。俗諦義邊成應化體。如未轉依作果報體。據於真性無滅義矣。俗諦自相有滅不滅。以體從能染分義滅分能異體慮知不滅。及資糧章中。眾師並謂。有三重觀。無相無生及無性性也。潤揣文尋旨無第三重也。故論文上下惟有兩重。捨得如文。第一前七處捨外塵邪執。得意言分別。第八處內捨唯識想得真法界。前觀無相捨外塵想。後觀無生捨唯識想。第二剎那即入初地。故無第三。筌約三性說三無性。觀據遣執惟有兩重。至如本識三相自相受熏。依他性中說有總別三滅。又四涅槃離合義異。兩處三種熏習體無有別。諸如此等有異諸師。存廢之旨陳具章疏。弟子淨元。神睿卓越。博要之舉振績京畿。講釋經論亟經載紀。銓辯名理響逸學門。加以性愛林泉捐諸名利。弊衣麁食談玄為本。元以潤之立義。建志尋求。轉解傳風被于當世。有僧法御。道定人也。夢見淨元。兩手極大執印凭案。若有所通。寤以告之。正披此義。即因而遂廣。乃成王路矣。沙門智衍。即潤之猶子也。幼携入道勗以教宗。承明詞義深有會擊。講攝論涅槃。近住藍田之法池寺。統律成匠亟動時譽。然有法以來。師資傳道其宗罕接。惟潤之緒。繼美前修亞迹安遠。斯塵難濟。見於今日矣。

Śramaṇa Lingrun, whose secular surname was Liang, was a native of Yuxiang in Hedong. His family had for generations been of the scholar-official class and was a prominent clan in the local area. He possessed an expansive, resolute disposition and an exemplary, distinguished bearing. In his youth he walked the paths of pure virtue, and upon growing up he carried forward the noble legacy of his forebears; hence his upright conduct and moral standing were established naturally without enforcement. Among the ten brothers, renowned for their talent and grace at the time, three in the middle collectively aspired to enter the monastic order. Their father told his sons, "Just recite the Avalokiteśvara [Sūtra]; whichever of you is delivered [to recite it] first, I shall grant permission." Run held the scroll and began reciting, not rising once from his seat; from dawn until noon, he had completely mastered the text and words. He thus took part in the official ordination. Relying upon the dharmabhāṇaka Lingcan, he took up residence at Xingshan Temple. Can's correct practice is fully recorded in his separate biography.

At the age of thirteen, Run first heard the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] and subtly penetrated the principles of its text. Approaching the age of fifteen, he assimilated what he had previously heard, synthesized it, and awakened to new principles. He then mounted the preaching seat to expound and interpret the meaning of the teachings, classifying sections and doctrinal points so that eminent monks of rare excellence all rejoiced in his virtue. In addition, he reverently esteemed the monastic prohibitions; in movement and stillness he was ever poised and serene, never socializing haphazardly and always abiding by proper standards. Therefore, the bhadantas of Xingshan and celebrated monks from across the realm all looked at one another and remarked, "If this śrāmaṇera can accomplish so much at the outset, he is truly capable of sustaining the Dharma!"

Thereafter, setting his mind deeply on the supreme Way, he studied broadly under various masters; whatever came within his sight and hearing was stored away in the storehouse of his spirit. Whenever he evaluated people and teachings, distinguishing their fine qualities and assessing their doctrinal understanding and conduct, he traced all back to their roots and branches and encompassed their strengths and weaknesses.

When an auspicious sign was experienced during the Renshou era and a stupa was erected in Huai Prefecture, an imperial decree ordered him to proceed there. Official provisions and relay couriers were provided, and he accompanied his master eastward; yet he traveled on foot, begging for food, and alone accepted no provisions. Having arrived in Henei, both the religious and secular were won over by his thorough penetration and revered his model of conduct; all who sought refuge and the precepts turned to Run. Thereupon his fame swept across the region north of the Yellow River, and his renown filled the capital.

Hearing that the monastic virtue of Lingyan Temple on Mount Tai was pure and rigorous, serving as a model for the four directions, he took up his staff and went to seek it out. Having met Master Fu, he followed his instructions and practiced the pratyutpanna-samādhi meditation without resting morning or night. At first, after three times seven days, he felt slightly fatigued by affairs; thereafter, he abruptly forgot sleep and weariness, exerting body and mind with vigor throughout the end of the summer retreat. At that time, there were more than five hundred companions who practiced it together and urged one another on; yet by the time the retreat was concluded, few remained. Only Run's singular discipline stood out pre-eminently, his resolve never shifting. Without prior consultation, all praised his illustrious achievements in unison.

At that time, his father was serving as the magistrate of Yidu in Qing Prefecture; his maternal grandfather Wu Chao was serving as the magistrate of Huai in Huai Prefecture; his paternal granduncle Wu Tong was serving as the magistrate of Shanren in Qi Prefecture; and his maternal aunt's husband Hou Yuan was serving as the magistrate of Jinxiang in Cao Prefecture. These were all Run's agnatic kinsmen and maternal or affinal relatives. Although he repeatedly returned to the lecture halls and traveled through their jurisdictions, he treated them as mere passers-by on the road, not paying them a single visit. Even when those who gave him life passed away, and there were those who mourned and invited him, Run's feelings were like the wind passing by, and he did not go or step foot there. His cutting off of emotional attachment to follow the Way was entirely of this sort.

There was the dharmabhāṇaka Daozhuang, who was renowned between the sea and Mount Dai for lecturing on the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha. Run went again to seek him out. At that time, before receiving the full precepts, he had already gained high fame; circulating among the Dharma assemblies, he was fully versed in the texts and meanings. His penetrating inquiries into profound and subtle matters were reported even to chief ministers; all who shared the seat bowed to him in their hearts. Since receiving a master required a proper lineage, he took Zhuang as his upādhyāya. Only after receiving the great precepts did he approach the masters of the Vinaya; of the Daśabhūmika and other sūtras, he also surveyed the textual style.

At the age of twenty-three, he returned to the capital. He happened upon the dharmabhāṇaka Zhinian, who was actively promoting the minor treatises (Abhidharma). Wishing to view the ocean of wisdom broadly, he joined the circle of listeners. There was the dharmabhāṇaka Bianxiang, whose learning spanned both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna and whose fame reached the heavens; when the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha first flourished, he was among its foremost luminaries. At Jingying Temple he initially expounded the foundational doctrine and composed a commentary in five fascicles, which he then mounted the rostrum to lecture upon in the capital. The audience numbered more than five hundred monks, and those who established doctrines numbered upwards of two hundred. Run, having just arrived from beyond the Passes, newly attended the lecture hall; inheriting distinctive doctrines he had studied, he set forth exceptional arguments. The entire assembly was astonished, looking at him sideways in admiration. Master Bianxing, skilled in debate and hard to rival, stepped forward from the assembly to yield respectfully, regarding him with reverence and awe.

Although he bore great acclaim in the imperial capital, his demeanor was self-possessed; even when slanders reached his ears, he acted as if he had never heard them. Steadying his mind with the Way, his heart knew neither joy nor anger. In an age of the decline of the Dharma, that such a person could be relied upon was truly worthy of praise!

In the early years of the Daye era, a wind-disorder suddenly flared up. Later, returning to his original intention, he further refined his new pursuits. Yet fearing that his karmic retribution might collapse morning or evening and prevent him from fulfilling his original aspiration, and finding the lectures, leadership of worldly crowds, and frequent interactions troublesome and burdensome, he set aside human affairs, weary of the mundane, and retreated to quietude. He traveled north of the Southern Mountains, reaching westward to Feng and Hu and eastward toward Mount Yu, taking the charnel grounds and dhūta austerities as his practice. At that time, together with the śramaṇas Kongzang, Huijin, Zhixin, Zhiguang, and others—upright pillars of the capital—he cultivated liberation together. Living amidst the clustered burial mounds, spirits and ghosts harassed them, sometimes shoving and throwing them to the ground, sometimes uttering loud shrieks; Run alone realized their emptiness and quiescence, sitting serenely as if in empty space. All those who were harassed came to take refuge with him. Even in deep forests and vast wildernesses where wolves and tigers roamed, he tested his mind and dwelt peacefully without any fear whatsoever. He intended to follow this practice and preserve it throughout his life.

Toward the end of the Daye era, monks were forbidden to go outside, so this practice was disrupted. He then returned to Xingshan Temple and stayed in the western courtyard. Solitary and quiet, he sustained his religious practice, eating a single meal and entering purification, and constantly lecturing on the Nirvāṇa and other sūtras. There was Dhyāna Master Huiding and others who took refuge, received instruction, and gathered together to practice their regimens; they did not leave the courtyard for three years. Their companions gradually increased, and their pure conduct moved the multitude.

At that time, the dharmabhāṇaka Sengcan was the crowning figure of the monastery; his sharp eloquence was unmatched, and he rivaled the entire capital. He led more than fifty eminent monks to the Dharma assembly to observe Run's spiritual acumen. The visitors all posed questions on profound and hidden meanings; Run grasped the essential tenets and replied, distinguishing the ranks with clarity. Everyone admired his words, which harmonized wondrously with the sūtra's teachings. Thereafter, his reputation spread and his stature rose, and crowds gathered to follow him. Having transmitted splendid achievements within, he was about to diffuse the flavor of the Dharma.

In the tenth year of Daye, he was summoned to the Honglu Temple to instruct the Three Han kingdoms (Korea), and at his own temple he translated new sūtra texts. Serving as a lineage head and supervisor, his refined demeanor remained unblemished. When the House of Sui fell into disorder and the light of the Way was hard to maintain, he went into hiding at Huagan Temple in Lantian for a total of fifteen years, his feet never stepping into the secular world. Separated from the scriptures, he devoted himself to cultivation; when requested by the assembly, he would lecture to reveal what had not been heard. In spring and autumn, he entered meditation, returning to his quiet practice.

Śramaṇa Zhichao, who held firm to his integrity in the realm of meditation, heard of his reputation, came to visit him, and they became like lifelong friends. They took each other as masters, contemplating samādhi, rejoicing in speech and silence alike. At that time, the dynastic fortunes suffered famine, and both the monastic and secular communities were afflicted. Huagan Temple alone welcomed guests and companions, grinding grain for meals and sharing beans and wheat equally. Day and night they spurred themselves on, taking the propagation of the Way as their duty. Therefore, those from all directions who yearned for righteousness gathered like clouds. Provisions, whether fine or coarse, were provided without violating the monastic Dharma; sharing vegetables and fruits, they lived thus for several years. This was truly the hidden resonance of supreme virtue, achieving broad relief for a sustained period.

Because his transforming influence spread abroad and his fame for the Way filled the roads, his original monastery, Xingshan, reverently honored his fragrant memory, presenting a petition through the imperial commissioner to request that he assume duties at the monastery. He could not maintain his resolute seclusion, and so went to administer it.

In the eighth year of Zhenguan, an imperial decree established Hongfu Temple, and he was summoned once again. At that time, translation was taking place, and certifiers of meaning were required to be clear-sighted; being scrutinized and approved by the multitude, he took up this responsibility. Whenever words or principles encountered obstacles, he corrected them with standard maxims. Among his peers in examining and deciding matters, he was the foremost. Within the monastic community of the capital, he was truly an outstanding monk.

Earlier, at the end of the Sui, when Run was in the courtyard of Xingshan, he was harassed by demonic manifestations; his resolute samādhi remained unshaken. In the unseen realm, a good spirit seized them away and returned the next morning to report: "Yesterday the demons were strictly punished according to the Dharma; acutely aware of their heavy burdens, they naturally perished of their own accord." Such supernatural responses were too numerous to record.

In the seventh year of Wude, while residing at Huagan, the abbot Zhixin was denounced by someone. An imperial commissioner surrounded the monastery, displaying great authority. Run said, "Residing in the mountains practicing the Way, our hearts have done no wrong to anyone. What the sages know will surely not be what was reported!" The commissioner grew even more furious. Suddenly a great wind and thunder burst forth, mountains collapsed, and trees broke; his hat and seating mats were blown away and landed elsewhere. The crowd lost their courage and sought repentance. Run said, "The dānapati has merit and was able to move the unseen spirits; such an auspicious sign has never occurred before." The commissioner felt deep shame, and the matter was resolved amicably.

During the Zhenguan era, while wandering the mountains with fellow practitioners, a wildfire closed in from all four sides, and the crowd scattered in flight. Run alone walked calmly as usual, looking back and climbing. He said to his followers, "Outside the mind there is no fire; fire is truly within one's own mind. Thinking that fire can be fled from, one has no means of escaping fire." When the fire reached him, it died out on its own, leaving only embers. Assessing by actions, how difficult it is to truly know a person!

Later, while residing at Hongfu, there was a monk who had been laicized by imperial decree due to an incident. When a general pardon was granted, he wished to rejoin the monastic order. The bhadantas jointly signed a petition recommending his re-ordination. When this reached the emperor's ears, an imperial decree severely reprimanded them and banished them to the southern frontiers to practice the Way in Huan Prefecture. At that time, when the monks first parted from the imperial capital, none did not weep bitterly; Run alone remained serene, his expression unchanged. Looking back, he said, "Transmigrating through the three realms has always been a constant principle. When ordered by imperial decree to cultivate the Way, why should there be weeping?" Shaking his robes, he set out eastward, proceeding joyfully. Both the clergy and the laity who heard and saw this could not help but sigh in admiration.

Shortly thereafter, an imperial decree summoned him back to reside east of Luoyang. He carried out his converting work in Zheng and Wei, carrying his book-satchels and setting up lecture seats; he expounded the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] more than ten times, its profound meaning gushing forth like a fountain and its grace flowing through the Yellow and Luo Rivers. He sent a letter to his disciples in the capital, saying:

"My eastward journey now brings roughly three benefits: first, to repay past offenses; second, to comply with revulsion toward rebirth; and third, to accomplish great practice. I had past encumbrances and received the emperor's compassionate rebuke; now that they are repaid, the burdens of karma are extinguished. I only feel joy in my heart; what is there to worry about? Foolish persons in their ignorant attachment generate clinging wherever they are; right wisdom is not so, having revulsion without taking birth again. Both the pure and defiled realms are collectively named Great Emptiness; both ordinary and holy sentient beings are merely the nature of awakening. Awakening and emptiness being equal, to what could one cling? Benefiting oneself and others is the path of mutual benefit; raising people to enter the monastic order relies upon the Way to benefit sentient beings. I vow to universally save the four kinds of beings throughout the three realms of existence, ever without regress. Such are the three benefits, which you all should know. Regulate the roots of dispute, dwell in karma aligned with goodness, and I shall have no anxieties."

The Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, Fang Xuanling, met him and sighed repeatedly in praise, saying, "The bhadanta establishes teachings whose words and principles are both consummate; that his reality matches his renown is truly as expected." Before long, an imperial decree summoned him back to reside at Hongfu, where he presided over the lineage and disseminated the teachings; for the orthodox doctrine of the Nirvāṇa, he stood alone.

From the time he first entered the Way, he never breached his discipline, strictly maintaining his conduct and comportment. He had a towering and refined physique, standing eight spans tall, gentle and composed in movement and stillness, far surpassing his peers. Having left the secular world at thirteen, he never returned to it; when his two parents passed away and his brothers lamented in sorrow, he remained composed, never showing emotion. He merely established a feast for a thousand monks to cultivate unseen merit, twice gave away all he had in the capital, and distributed food to the field of compassion—that was all. As for worldly gains and losses or superficial elegance, neither occupied his mind nor were spoken from his mouth. When interacting with worldly guests, he merely exchanged greetings, refusing all offerings and dismissing them with simple words.

In all, he lectured on the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] more than seventy times, and on the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha more than thirty times, and composed for each an exegesis in thirteen fascicles and a profound overview in three fascicles. For other texts such as the Vimalakīrti, the Śrīmālādevī, and the Awakening of Faith, he lectured on them as conditions arose, and each had commentaries. His mastery of profound principles was complete, differing considerably from standard interpretations.

For instance, regarding the ālayavijñāna in the Saṃgraha, its meaning encompasses both the ultimate and the conventional: the ultimate is thoughtlessness, whose pure nature does not change across stages; the conventional does not abide in a single nature and fully possesses all meanings. After the transformation of the basis (āśrayaparivṛtti), from the perspective of ultimate truth, it becomes the Dharmakāya; from the perspective of conventional truth, it becomes the body of response and transformation (nirmāṇakāya). Prior to the transformation of the basis, it functions as the retribution body (vipākakāya). Based on the ultimate nature, there is no meaning of cessation; while the specific characteristics of conventional truth have both cessation and non-cessation. Taking the essence from function, the defiled portion ceases in meaning, whereas the cognitive aspect, being distinct from the essence, does not cease.

Moreover, in the chapter on provisions (saṃbhāra), various masters all claimed that there are three levels of contemplation: marklessness, non-arising, and the nature of naturelessness. Run examined the text and sought the meaning, concluding there is no third level. Thus, in the treatise text above and below, there are only two levels of abandonment and attainment as written: first, in the first seven stages, one abandons the mistaken grasping of external dust and attains the conceptual discrimination of mental words; eighth, internally, one abandons the perception of consciousness-only and attains the true Dharmadhātu. The former contemplation of marklessness abandons the perception of external dust, while the latter contemplation of non-arising abandons the perception of consciousness-only; in the second instant, one enters the first stage (bhūmi), hence there is no third. The conventional explanations rely on the three natures to speak of the three non-natures, while contemplation relies on expelling attachments and has only two levels.

As for the three marks of the storehouse consciousness, its own mark receiving perfuming; the general and specific threefold cessations explained within dependent origination; the differing meanings of integration and separation among the four nirvāṇas; and the lack of distinction in essence between the two sets of three kinds of perfuming—matters such as these differed from those of other masters. His reasoning for what to retain or discard is set forth fully in his commentaries.

His disciple Jingyuan possessed exceptional, penetrating wisdom; his comprehensive and concise lectures brought renown to the capital region. He lectured and explained sūtras and treatises for successive years, and his elucidation of terminology and principles echoed pre-eminently across schools of learning. Furthermore, by nature he loved forests and springs, renouncing all fame and profit, wearing ragged clothes, eating coarse food, and taking discussion of the profound as his essence. Adopting Run's established doctrines, Yuan set his resolve to investigate them, and his transmission and elucidation of these teachings were renowned in his day.

There was the monk Fayu, an adept of the Way and samādhi, who dreamed of Jingyuan with immense hands holding a seal while leaning on a table, as if having a breakthrough. Upon waking, he recounted this to him just as Yuan was opening this very doctrine; he then expanded upon it, turning it into the royal highway.

Śramaṇa Zhiyan was Run's nephew. Run brought him into the Way when young and instructed him in the doctrinal lineage; Zhiyan comprehended the spoken doctrines clearly and struck deeply into their meaning, lecturing on the Saṃgraha and Nirvāṇa. Recently residing at Fachi Temple in Lantian, he unified the Vinaya and became a model teacher, frequently moving contemporary acclaim.

Ever since the Dharma has existed, the transmission of the Way from master to disciple has rarely maintained its pure lineage; yet the succession of Run carried forward the beauty of former masters, second only to Dao'an and Huiyuan. Such a legacy is difficult to match, as can be witnessed in our own day.