[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [續高僧傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060) › 16.33 # 續高僧傳 16.33 續高僧傳 16.33 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [16.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16.33) 釋僧稠。姓孫。元出昌黎。末居鉅鹿之癭陶焉。性度純懿孝信知名。而勤學世典備通經史。徵為太學博士。講解墳索聲蓋朝廷。將處器觀國羽儀廊廟。而道機潛扣欻厭世煩。一覽佛經渙然神解。時年二十有八。投鉅鏕景明寺僧寔法師而出家。落髮甫爾便尋經論。悲慶交并識神厲勇。因發五願。所謂財法通辯。及以四大常敬三寶普福四恩。初從道房禪師受行止觀。房即跋陀之神足也。既受禪法北遊定州嘉魚山。斂念久之全無攝證。便欲出山誦涅槃經。忽遇一僧。言從泰岳來。稠以情告。彼遂苦勸。修禪慎無他志。由一切含靈。皆有初地味禪。要必繫緣無求不遂。乃從之。旬日攝心果然得定。常依涅槃聖行四念處法。乃至眠夢覺見都無慾想。歲居五夏。又詣趙州障供山道明禪師。受十六特勝法。鑽仰積序節食鞭心。九旬一食米惟四升。單敷石上不覺晨宵。布縷入肉挽而不脫。或煮食未熟。攝心入定動移晷漏。前食並為禽獸所噉。又常修死想。遭賊怖之了無畏色。方為說諸業行。皆摧其弓矢。受戒而返。嘗於鵲山靜處感神來嬈。抱肩築腰氣噓項上。稠以死要心。因證深定。九日不起。後從定覺情想澄然。究略世間全無樂者。便詣少林寺祖師三藏。呈己所證。跋陀曰。自葱嶺已東。禪學之最。汝其人矣。乃更授深要。即住嵩岳寺。僧有百人泉水纔足。忽見婦人弊衣挾帚却坐階上聽僧誦經。眾不測為神人也。便訶遣之。婦有慍色以足蹋泉立竭身亦不現。眾以告稠。稠呼優婆夷。三呼乃出。便謂神曰。眾僧行道宜加擁護。婦人以足撥於故泉。水即上涌。時共深異威感如此。後詣懷州西王屋山。修習前法。聞兩虎交鬪咆響振巖。乃以錫杖中解。各散而去。一時忽有仙經兩卷在于床上。稠曰。我本修佛道。豈拘域中長生者乎。言已須臾自失。其感致幽現皆此類也。後移止青羅山。受諸厲疾供養。情不憚其臭潰。甘之如薺。坐久疲頓。舒脚床前。有神輒扶之。還令加坐。因屢入定。每以七日為期。又移懷州馬頭山。魏孝明帝夙承令德。前後三召。乃辭云。普天之下莫非王土。乞在山行道不爽大通。帝遂許焉。乃就山送供。魏孝武永熙元年。既召不出。亦於尚書谷中為立禪室。集徒供養。又北轉常山。定州刺史婁叡。彭城王高攸等。請至又默之大冥山。創開歸戒奉信者殷焉。燕趙之境。道未通被略言血食。眾侶奔赴禮貺填充。時或名利所纏者。稠為說偈止之。聞者慚色而止。便為陳修善偈。預在息心之儔。更新其器。既道張山世望重天心。齊文宣。天保二年下詔曰。久聞風德常思言遇。今勅定州令師赴鄴教化群生。義無獨善。希即荷錫暫遊承明。思欲弘宣至道濟斯苦壤。至此之日脫須還山。當任東西無所留縶。稠居山積稔業濟一生。聞有勅召絕無承命。苦相敦喻方遂元請即日拂衣將出山闕。兩岫忽然驚震。響聲悲切。駭擾人畜禽獸飛走。如是三日。稠顧曰。慕道懷仁觸類斯在。豈非愛情易守放蕩難持耶。乃不約事留杖策漳滏。帝躬舉大駕出郊迎之稠年過七十。神宇清曠動發人心。敬揖情物乘機無墜。帝扶接入內為論正理。因說三界本空國土亦爾。榮華世相不可常保。廣說四念處法。帝聞之。毛竪流汗即受禪道。學周不久便證深定。爾後彌承清誨。篤敬殷重。因從受菩薩戒法。斷酒禁肉放捨鷹鷂去官畋漁欝成仁國。又斷天下屠殺。月六年三勅民齋戒。官園私菜葷辛悉除帝以他日告曰。道由人弘。誠不虛應。願師安心道念。弟子敢為外護檀越何如。稠曰。菩薩弘誓。護法為心。陛下應天順俗。居宗設化。棟梁三寶導引四民。康濟既臨義無推寄。即停止禁中四十餘日。日垂明誨。帝奉之無失。後以道化須布。思序山林。便辭還本住。帝以陵阜迴互諮謁或難。天保三年下勅於鄴城西南八十里龍山之陽。為構精舍。名雲門寺。請以居之。兼為石窟大寺主。兩任綱位。練眾將千。供事繁委。充諸山谷并勅國內諸州。別置禪肆。令達解念慧者就而教授時揚講誦。事事豐厚。帝曰。佛法大宗靜心為本。諸法師等徒傳法化。猶接囂煩未曰。闡揚。可並除廢。稠諫曰。諸法師並紹繼四依弘通三藏。使夫群有識邪正達幽微。若非此人將何開導。皆禪業之初宗。趣理之弘教。歸信之漸發蒙斯人。帝大喜焉。因曰。今以國儲分為三分。謂供國自用及以三寶。自爾徹情歸向通古無倫。佛化東流此焉盛矣。具如別紀。即勅送錢絹被褥。接軫登山。令於寺中置庫貯之以供常費。稠以佛法要務志在修心。財利動俗事乖道化。乃致書返之。帝深器其量也。勅依前收納。別置異庫。須便依給。未經王府。爾後詔書手勅月別頻至。寸尺小緣必親言及。又勅侍御徐之才崔思和等。送諸藥餌觀僧疾苦。帝常率其羽衛。故幸參覲。稠處小房宴坐都不迎送。弟子諫曰。皇帝降駕。今據道不迎。眾情或阻。稠曰。昔賓頭盧迎王七步。致七年失國。吾誠德之不逮。未敢自欺。形相冀獲福於帝耳。時亦美其敦慎大法得信於人。黃門侍郎李獎。與諸大德請出禪要。因為撰止觀法兩卷。味定之賓家藏本據。以齊乾明元年四月十三日辰時。絕無患惱。端坐卒於山寺。春秋八十有一。五十夏矣。當終之時異香滿寺。聞者悚神。勅遣襄樂王宣慰曰。故大禪師。志力精苦感果必然。棲心寂默虛來實返。業暢玄風事高緇素。運往神遷寔深嗟惘。資崇有嘉用申悽敬。可施物五百段。送千僧供於雲門以崇追福。至皇建二年五月。弟子曇詢等。奏請為起塔。下詔曰。故大禪師。德業高逈三寶棟梁。滅盡化終神遊物外。可依中國之法闍毘起塔。建千僧齋贈物千段。標樹芳迹示諸後代。勅右僕射魏收為製碑文。其為時君所重。前後皆此類也。既而剋日准勅。四部彌山人兼數萬。香柴千計。日正中時焚之以火。莫不哀慟斷絕哭響流川。登有白鳥數百徘徊煙上。悲鳴相切移時乃逝。仍於寺之西北建以塼塔。每有靈景異香應于道俗。初稠奉信出家知奇齊魏。克志禪業冠絕後塵。而歷履大行往還朝野。鳴謙抱素能扇清風。加又威稜群賊勢慴山魑。解虓虎之鬪情。禁利養之深毒。大儒皇氏躬為負糧。青羅獵客執刀剪髮。或德感上玄澤流奉敬之苗。幽誠所致粟滿信心之室。樹神遮道。隨器欲而法流。文豹淨房。銜穢幞而遙棄。或猛虎馴狎即背垂衣。頹山將陊召出存命。若斯靈相振古罕儔。具如雲門象圖所紀。又初勅造寺面方十里令息心之士問道經行。稠曰。十里大廣。損妨居民。恐非遠濟。請半減之勅乃以方五里為定。使將作大匠紀伯邕締構伊始。邕集諸鄉邑問此地名。忽聞空中大聲答曰。山林幽靜。此處本號雲門。重問所由。了無一人知者。帝聞異之。因從空響焉。今名光嚴寺是也。又嘗有客僧。負錫初至。將欲安處。問其本夏。答云。吾見此中三為伽藍。言終而隱。既而掘地為井。果得鴟吻二焉。又所住禪窟前有深淵。見被毛之人。偉而胡貌。置釜燃火。水將沸涌。俄有大蟒從水中出欲入釜內。稠以足撥之。蟒遂入水。毛人亦隱。其夜因致男子神來。頂拜稠云。弟子有兒。歲歲為惡神所噉。兒子等惜命不敢當。弟子衰老將死。故自供食。蒙師護故得免斯難。稠索水潠之。奄成雲霧。時或讒稠於宣帝以倨傲無敬者。帝大怒自來加害。稠冥知之。生來不至僧厨。忽無何而到云。明有大客至。多作供設。至夜五更先備牛輿。獨往谷口。去寺二十餘里。孤立道側。須臾帝至。怪問其故。稠曰。恐身血不淨穢污伽藍在此候耳。帝下馬拜伏。愧悔無已。謂尚書令楊遵彥曰。如此真人何可毀謗也。乃躬負稠身往寺。稠磬折不受。帝曰。弟子負師。遍天下未足謝愆（云云）。因謂曰。弟子前身曾作何等。答曰。作羅剎王。是以今猶好殺。即呪盆水令帝自視。見其影如羅剎像焉。每年元日常問一歲吉凶。後至天保十年云。今年不能好。文宣不悅。帝問師復何如。答云。貧道亦不久。至十月帝崩。明年夏首稠喪。驗之果矣。嘗以暇日帝謂曰。弟子未見佛之靈異。頗得覩不。稠曰。此非沙門所宜。帝強之。乃投袈裟于地。帝使數十人舉之不能動。稠命沙彌取之。初無重焉。因爾篤信兼常。寺宇僧供勞賜優渥。齊滅周廢。以寺賜大夫柳務文。文又令其親辛儉守。當將家入住。有神怒曰。何敢凌犯須陀洹寺。而儉未幾便卒。隋初興復奄同初構。六時禪懺著聲寰㝢大業之末賊所盤營。房宇孑遺餘皆焚蕩。余以貞觀初年陟茲勝地。山林乃舊情事惟新。觸處荒涼。屢興生滅之歎。周睇焚燼。頻噎黍離之悲。傳者親閱行圖。故直敘之于後耳。 > Śramaṇa Sengchou's surname was Sun. He hailed originally from Changli, and later dwelt in Yingtao of Julu. By nature he was pure and admirable, and known for filial piety and trustworthiness. Diligently studying the worldly classics, he was thoroughly versed in the canonical texts and histories. When summoned to serve as an Erudite of the Imperial Academy, his expositions of ancient works won him renown that covered the court. He was about to be employed as a talent to observe the kingdom and serve as an ornament to the royal halls, yet the impulse toward the Way secretly struck him, and he suddenly grew weary of worldly vexations. Upon taking a single glance at the Buddhist scriptures, he understood their spirit with flowing clarity. He was then twenty-eight years old. He went to Dharma Master Sengshi of Jingming Temple in Julu to take the monastic tonsure. As soon as his hair fell, he began investigating the sūtras and treatises. Sorrow and joy mingled within him, and his conscious spirit grew resolute and valiant. Thereupon he made five vows: namely, to be thoroughly eloquent in both material and Dharma gifts, to ever revere the triratna with the four great elements, and to extend blessings universally to the four benefactors. At first he received instruction in the practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā from Dhyāna Master Daofang, who was a foremost disciple of Bhadra. Having received the meditation teachings, he traveled north to Jiayu Mountain in Dingzhou. He gathered his thoughts for a long while, but attained no concentration or realization whatsoever. Thereupon he wished to leave the mountain to recite the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Suddenly he met a monk who said he had come from Mount Tai. Chou explained his situation to him, and that monk earnestly urged him: 'In practicing meditation, under no circumstances have any other intention! Because all sentient beings possess the relish-dhyāna of the first bhūmi, if you only bind your conditions, there is nothing you seek that will not be accomplished.' Chou followed his advice. Within ten days of collecting his mind, he indeed attained dhyāna. He constantly relied on the holy practice of the four applications of mindfulness in the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\], to the extent that even in sleep and dreams he perceived no thought of desire. After five summer retreats, he also went to Dhyāna Master Daoming of Mount Zhanggong in Zhaozhou and received the method of the sixteen superior practices. Applying himself intently over seasons, he curbed his diet and spurred his mind. In ninety days he ate only four sheng of rice. Sitting on a single mat upon the stone, he did not notice morning or evening. The cloth threads wore into his flesh, yet when pulled they could not be detached. Sometimes when his cooked food was not yet done, he would gather his mind and enter dhyāna, during which the sundial and water clock shifted; the food prepared before was all eaten by birds and beasts. He also constantly cultivated the contemplation of death. When bandits threatened him, he showed not the slightest trace of fear, and instead expounded to them on karmic deeds; they all broke their bows and arrows, took the precepts, and went back. Once at a quiet place on Queshan, a deity came to harass him, grasping his shoulders, striking his waist, and blowing breath onto his neck. Chou held fast to his resolve even unto death, and through this realized a deep samādhi, not rising for nine days. Afterwards, awakening from the samādhi, his thoughts were pure and limpid, and when he surveyed the world, there was completely no pleasure in it. He then went to the ancestral master, the Tripiṭaka \[master\] of Shaolin Temple, to present what he had realized. Bhadra said: 'East of the Congling, the foremost in the study of dhyāna is you!' He then transmitted deeper essentials to him. Chou then lived at Songyue Temple. There were a hundred monks, and the spring water was barely sufficient. Suddenly a woman in tattered clothing, holding a broom, was seen sitting back on the steps listening to the monks recite the scriptures. The assembly did not realize she was a divine being and scolded her to drive her away. The woman showed anger, stamped the spring with her foot, which dried up immediately, and she vanished. The assembly reported this to Chou. Chou called out 'Upāsikā!'; after three calls, she emerged. He said to the spirit: 'The sangha is practicing the Way; you ought to protect them.' The woman stirred the old spring with her foot, and water surged forth at once. All found this deeply extraordinary, such was his inspiring spiritual efficacy. Later he went to Mount Wangwu west of Huaizhou to practice the previous methods. Hearing two tigers fighting with roars that shook the crags, he separated them with his monk's staff, and they parted and left. Once there were suddenly two scrolls of immortal texts upon his bed. Chou said: 'I originally cultivate the Buddha's path; how could I be bound by worldly longevity?' No sooner had he spoken than they disappeared on their own. His power to evoke the manifestation of unseen beings was always of this kind. Later he moved to Qingluo Mountain, where he accepted and attended to those with various virulent diseases; his mind did not dread their foul rot, taking it as sweet as shepherd's purse. Sitting for a long time, he grew exhausted and stretched out his legs in front of the seat; a spirit immediately supported them and made him sit cross-legged again. Thus he repeatedly entered samādhi, each time for a period of seven days. He moved again to Mount Matou in Huaizhou. Emperor Xiaoming of the Wei had long heard of his fine virtue, and summoned him three times consecutively. Chou declined, saying: 'Everywhere under heaven is the king's land; I beg to practice the Way in the mountains, which does not disrupt great unhinderedness.' The emperor granted it, and sent offerings to the mountain. In the first year of the Yongxi era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Wei, when Chou could not be summoned forth, a meditation chamber was also established for him in Shangshu Valley, where disciples were gathered and provided for. Later he traveled north to Changshan. Lou Rui, the regional inspector of Dingzhou, and Gao You, the Prince of Pengcheng, invited him to Mount Daming in Youmo. He first instituted the refuga and precepts there, and those who placed faith were exceedingly numerous. In the regions of Yan and Zhao, the Way had not yet spread; animal sacrifices were the general custom. But the multitude of companions rushed there, and gifts and offerings filled the place. When some were entangled in fame and profit, Chou spoke a verse to restrain them; those who heard it were shamed into stopping. He then expounded a verse on cultivating good, so that those in the rank of quieting the mind renovated their capacities. Once his Way spread through the mountain, his worldly renown weighed heavily on the imperial mind. In the second year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, an edict was issued: 'We have long heard of your esteemed wind and virtue, and always wish to converse with you. Now We have commanded Dingzhou to order the Master to come to Ye to teach and transform all beings. Righteousness allows no selfish goodness. We hope you will shoulder your staff and make a brief visit to the Palace, to widely proclaim the supreme Way and rescue this land of suffering. Upon arrival, if you must return to the mountain, you may go east or west as you please, without any constraint.' Chou had dwelled in the mountains for many years, dedicating his life to religious cultivation. Hearing the imperial summons, he had no intention of obeying. Only after earnest entreaties did he comply with the initial request. On the day he shook his robes to leave the mountain pass, the two peaks suddenly shuddered with a grief-stricken sound that alarmed humans, beasts, and flying birds alike. This lasted for three days. Chou looked back and said: 'Yearning for the Way and harboring benevolence touches all classes; is it not that emotional attachments are easily maintained, while relinquishment is hard to uphold?' Without letting worldly matters detain him, he walked with his staff toward the Zhang and Fu rivers. The emperor personally set out with the imperial retinue to the suburbs to welcome him. Chou was over seventy years of age; his countenance was clear and broad, moving the hearts of all who saw him. In bowing and saluting, his spirit was so attuned to circumstances that he never faltered. The emperor supported him into the inner court to discuss the correct truth. Thereupon he taught that the three realms are originally empty, and the nation is likewise so; worldly signs of glory cannot be preserved for long. He expounded at length on the four applications of mindfulness. Hearing this, the emperor's hair stood on end and he broke into a sweat, immediately receiving the way of dhyāna. After studying for a short period, he soon attained deep samādhi. Thenceforth he received Chou's pure instructions even more reverently, holding him in deep respect and earnest affection. He received the bodhisattva precepts from him, banned alcohol and meat, set free falcons and hawks, abolished imperial hunting and fishing, and transformed the nation into a realm of benevolence. He also prohibited all slaughtering throughout the empire; for six months each year and three days each month, he decreed the people to observe fasting and precepts, eliminating all allium vegetables from official and private gardens. On another day the emperor addressed him: 'The Way is magnified by humanity; this is indeed no empty saying. I wish the Master would put his mind at ease in the practice of the Way; may your disciple dare to be the external patron?' Chou said: 'The vast vow of a bodhisattva takes defense of the Dharma as its heart. Your Majesty conforms to Heaven and accords with the world, establishing teachings from the throne, acting as a pillar for the triratna and guiding the four classes of people. As the prosperity of all has arrived, by principle you cannot decline this.' Chou remained in the forbidden palace for over forty days, daily bestowing clear teachings, which the emperor adhered to without fail. Later, because his teaching needed to be spread and he longed for the peace of the mountain forests, he requested permission to return to his original dwelling. The emperor, considering that the winding hills and mounds made consultations difficult, issued an edict in the third year of Tianbao to construct a monastery on the sunny side of Longshan, eighty li southwest of the city of Ye, naming it Yunmen Temple, and invited him to dwell there. He was also appointed as the rector of the Great Grotto Temple, holding the monastic headship in both places. He trained nearly a thousand monks, and the provisions were abundant, filling the mountains and valleys. An edict was also issued throughout the prefectures of the realm to set up separate meditation cloisters, ordering those who comprehended mindfulness and wisdom to go there to instruct, expounding and chanting at designated times, with lavish support for all matters. The emperor said: 'The great hallmark of the Buddha's Dharma is tranquil mind as the foundation. The various dharmabhāṇakas merely transmit teachings, but still engage with noisy worldly entanglements, which cannot yet be called expounding. They may all be abolished.' Chou remonstrated: 'The various dharmabhāṇakas succeed the four reliances and broadly propagate the Tripiṭaka, enabling beings to distinguish the heterodox from the orthodox and understand profound subtleties. Without these individuals, how could beings be enlightened and guided? They are the foundational source of meditation practice, the vast teaching leading to the principle; the gradual dawn of faith relies on these people.' The emperor was greatly pleased, and said: 'Now I divide the state treasury into three parts: to provide for the state, for private use, and for the triratna.' From then on, his complete devotion was without parallel in history; the eastward transmission of the Buddha's teachings flourished most at this time, as recorded in detail elsewhere. He immediately ordered money, silk, quilts, and mattresses to be sent in an unbroken train up the mountain, commanding that a treasury be set up in the temple to store them for routine expenses. Chou, holding that the vital task of the Buddha's Dharma is the cultivation of the mind, and that material gains disturb worldly people and go against the way of transformation, sent a letter declining them. The emperor deeply admired his high caliber, and ordered them to be received as before, but stored in a separate treasury to be supplied whenever needed, without going through the royal treasury. Thereafter, imperial rescripts and decrees arrived frequently every month; even the smallest matters of an inch or foot were addressed by the emperor in person. He also commanded court physicians Xu Zhicai, Cui Sihe, and others to deliver medicines and examine the illnesses of the monks. The emperor frequently led his guards to make visits in person. Chou remained in his small room sitting peacefully, neither greeting him on arrival nor seeing him off on departure. His disciples remonstrated: 'The Emperor comes in his carriage, yet based on the Way you do not welcome him; this might displease the assembly.' Chou said: 'Of old, Piṇḍola walked seven steps to welcome a king, causing him to lose his kingdom for seven years. My virtue is truly insufficient, yet I dare not deceive myself; it is through this appearance that I hope to bring blessings to the emperor.' People at the time admired his scrupulous prudence, and the great Dharma gained faith among people. The Palace Attendant Li Jiang, together with various bhadantas, requested him to present the essentials of meditation; thereupon he compiled two scrolls of the Method of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā, which those relishing samādhi preserved as a fundamental text in their families. On the thirteenth day of the fourth month in the first year of the Qianming era of the Qi, at the chen hour, without any affliction, he passed away sitting upright in the mountain temple. His age was eighty-one, and his monastic seniority was fifty summers. When he died, a wondrous fragrance filled the temple, astonishing all who perceived it. An edict dispatched the Prince of Xiangle to offer condolences, saying: 'The late Great Dhyāna Master possessed resolute, painstaking willpower, and his attainment of the fruit was inevitable. Resting his mind in silence, he came empty and returned full. His cultivation made the mysterious style flourish, and his deeds surpassed both the ordained and the laity. As his time has passed and his spirit has departed, Our sorrow and regret are truly profound. Commemorating him with honor, We express Our mournful respect: let five hundred pieces of cloth be bestowed, and a feast for a thousand monks be held at Yunmen to cultivate post-mortem merit.' In the fifth month of the second year of the Huangjian era, his disciple Tanxun and others memorialized to request the construction of a stupa. An edict was issued: 'The late Great Dhyāna Master's virtuous deeds were loftily eminent; he was a pillar of the triratna. Now that he has achieved extinction and completed his transformation, his spirit wanders beyond mundane things. In accordance with the customs of the Western Kingdom, cremation (jhāpita) shall be performed and a stupa erected. A feast for a thousand monks shall be instituted, a thousand pieces of cloth bestowed, and his fragrant traces commemorated to show later generations.' The Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, Wei Shou, was commanded to compose the stele inscription. The respect accorded to him by the monarchs of the age was consistently of this kind. Thereupon, on the appointed day according to the imperial edict, the fourfold assembly filled the mountain, totaling tens of thousands. Fragrant firewood counted in the thousands, and at midday the fire was lit. There was no one who was not broken-hearted with grief, their wailing resounding along the river. At that moment, hundreds of white birds hovered above the smoke, crying mournfully to each other, and only departed after a long time. A brick stupa was erected northwest of the temple; miraculous scenes and strange fragrances repeatedly manifested to the monastics and laity. In the beginning, Chou took the tonsure with sincere faith, and his marvels were known throughout Qi and Wei. Resolute in the practice of dhyāna, he surpassed all followers, yet walked in great deeds, traveling between court and wild. Praising humility and clinging to simplicity, he fanned a pure breeze. Moreover, his awe-inspiring presence terrified bandits and cowed mountain demons; he resolved the ferocity of fighting tigers, and suppressed the deep poison of gain and offerings. The great scholar Huang personally carried provisions for him, and hunters of Qingluo took knives to cut their hair and become monks. Sometimes his virtue moved Heaven, and blessings flowed onto the descendants of those who revered him; through his hidden sincerity, grain filled the storehouses of faithful people. When tree spirits blocked the road, he let the Dharma flow according to their capacity and inclination. Striped leopards cleaned his room, holding filthy bundles in their mouths to cast far away. Fierce tigers grew tame and let him drape his clothes on their backs. When a crumbling mountain was about to collapse, a voice called him out to preserve his life. Such spiritual wonders were rarely matched in antiquity, fully recorded in the Illustrated Accounts of Yunmen. Furthermore, when the monastery was first decreed to be built ten li square so that those with tranquil minds could inquire into the Way and perform circumambulation, Chou said: 'Ten li is too vast; it will harm and encroach upon the common people, which is not of lasting benefit. I beg that it be halved.' The edict thus fixed it at five li square. The Court Architect Ji Boyong was ordered to begin construction. Yong gathered the local villagers to ask the name of the place, when suddenly a loud voice from the sky answered: 'The mountain forest is secluded and quiet; this place was originally named Yunmen.' When he asked again, not a single person among them knew of it. The emperor found it extraordinary and followed the sky's echo. This is the present Guangyan Temple. Once a traveling monk, carrying a staff, arrived and sought a place to settle. When asked his monastic seniority, he replied: 'I have seen three monasteries here.' Having spoken, he disappeared. Later, upon digging a well, they indeed found two ornamental ridge-end tiles (chiwei). In front of the meditation grotto where he dwelt, there was a deep abyss. A hairy man appeared, tall and with the appearance of a Hu foreigner, who set a pot and lit a fire. As the water was about to boil, a giant python suddenly came out of the water, intending to enter the pot. Chou pushed it with his foot, and the python went back into the water; the hairy man also disappeared. That night a male spirit came, bowed his head to Chou, and said: 'Your disciple has a son who every year was eaten by an evil spirit. My sons value their lives and did not dare face it; as your disciple is decrepit and close to death, I offered myself as food. Through the Master's protection, I have escaped this disaster.' Chou asked for water and spat it out, and it instantly turned into clouds and mist. Once someone slandered Chou before Emperor Wenxuan, claiming he was haughty and disrespectful. The emperor flew into a rage and came in person to harm him. Chou knew this through hidden perception. Though he had never in his life visited the monastic kitchen, he suddenly went there for no apparent reason, saying: 'Tomorrow an important guest will arrive; make abundant offerings.' At the fifth watch of the night, having prepared an ox cart beforehand, he went alone to the valley entrance, twenty-odd li from the temple, and stood alone by the roadside. Soon the emperor arrived, and in astonishment asked the reason. Chou said: 'Fearing that my bodily blood is impure and would defile the monastery, I waited for you here.' The emperor dismounted, prostrated himself, and was filled with endless shame and remorse. He said to the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Yang Zunyan: 'How could such a perfected man be slandered?' Thereupon he personally carried Chou on his back to the temple. Chou bowed respectfully and would not accept. The emperor said: 'Even if your disciple carried the Master throughout the world, it would not suffice to atone for my transgression!' (and so forth). He then asked: 'What was your disciple in a previous life?' Chou answered: 'You were a rakṣasa king, which is why you still delight in killing.' He then chanted an incantation over a basin of water and bade the emperor look for himself; the emperor saw his own reflection in the form of a rakṣasa. Every New Year's Day the emperor would inquire about the fortunes of the coming year. In the tenth year of Tianbao, Chou said: 'This year will not be good.' Wenxuan was displeased, and the emperor asked: 'How will it be for you, Master?' He answered: 'The poor monk will not last long either.' In the tenth month the emperor died, and in the beginning of summer the following year Chou passed away, precisely verifying his prediction. Once in his leisure time, the emperor said: 'Your disciple has not seen the wondrous signs of the Buddha; might I behold them?' Chou said: 'This is not fitting for a śramaṇa.' The emperor insisted, so Chou threw his kāṣāya robe onto the ground. The emperor ordered dozens of men to lift it, but they could not move it. Chou then bade a novice monk pick it up, and it was not heavy at all. Consequently, the emperor's deep faith doubled, and the temples, monastic provisions, and rewarding gifts became exceptionally lavish. When Qi fell and Zhou abolished \[Buddhism\], the temple was given to the Grand Master Liu Wuwen, who then ordered his relative Xin Jian to guard it. When he was about to move his family in, an angry spirit said: 'How dare you violate the srotāpanna temple?' Jian died shortly thereafter. At the beginning of the Sui, it was restored completely like its original construction, and its six-period meditation and repentance won renown throughout the realm. At the end of the Daye era, bandits made it their base; only a few buildings remained, and the rest were burned to ashes. In the early years of Zhenguan, I climbed to this scenic site: the mountains and forests were as before, but the matters of the heart were completely changed. Desolation everywhere frequently elicited the sigh of arising and passing away; gazing all around at the burnt ashes, I was repeatedly choked with the sorrow of the Millet Fields. Having personally viewed the biographical illustrations, the biographer has directly recorded them here at the end. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 16.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16.32) - [Next: 16.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16.34) - [Up: 16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060~en-mt.16.33) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.16.33) · Pramāṇa