續高僧傳 16.38

16.38

釋法懍。姓嚴。枝江人十五出家玉泉山寺。眾侶清淨。懍依味道積有年載。禪念為本。依閑誦經。法華維摩及大論鈔。普皆無昧。不著繒纊大布為衣。不食僧糧。分衛一食。不臥常坐。勤勵莫儔。荷錫遠遊。言追勝友。廬峰台嶺衡羅恒岱無遠不屆。氣調清邈。故山僧見者莫不挹高節而仰其奇趣也。榛林猛獸之宅。幽深魑魅之巖。栖息無為如在邑里。昔從岱岳路出徐州。遇一縣令問以公驗。懍常齎法華一函。乃答云。此函中有行文。檢覓不見。令怒曰。本無行文。何言有邪。答曰。此經是諸佛所行之跡。貧道履而行之。還源返本。即我之行文也。令瞋不歇閉之。七日不食。誦經聲不輟。令感惡夢。便頂禮悔過。後栖默山以禪靜為正業。遂坐卒巖中。年六十二。異香紛紛旬日乃歇。時陽山僧景者。不詳何人。晦迹塵外以道自處。陽山中泉石松竹秀疎清曠嶺接桃源。古稱名地。卜居寂照感通鬼物。有懷惡念不得進前。前或值虎蛇驚怖失道。若有問法安步無他。曾有人求。欻起惡念。忽見大蛇繩床而出。將欲吐毒。懺謝得免。時枝江惠璀禪師。南岳思公之神足也。聞而造之。杜口不答。璀便雨淚啟請。通夕翹立。固請確然。乃經多日方為披說。璀出曰。余遊名山上德多矣。善友高尚者十有八人。分得其門頗經趣入。而牆仞高遠奇唱難階者。斯人在斯。至於年紀人所不測。璀云曾問。答云吾年三百歲。不知所終。

Shi Falin was surnamed Yan and was a native of Zhijiang. At fifteen, he left household life at Yuquanshan Temple. The assembly of monks was pure; Lin relied on them to savor the Way for many years. Taking meditative mindfulness as his foundation and relying on seclusion to recite scriptures, he was thoroughly versed in the Lotus, Vimalakīrti, and the excerpts of the Great Treatise. He wore no silk or fine wool, using coarse cloth for robes; he did not eat monastic food, but begged his food for a single meal; he never lay down, but constantly sat, diligent beyond compare. Carrying his staff, he traveled afar, seeking out worthy companions; Lu Peak, Mount Tiantai, Heng, Luo, Heng, and Mount Tai—there was nowhere far he did not reach. His spirit was pure and aloof, so mountain monks who saw him all admired his lofty virtue and looked up to his extraordinary manner. Habitats of dense thickets and fierce beasts, and deep, dark crags of spirits and demons, were to him places of peaceful rest as if in towns and villages. In the past, passing through Xuzhou from the Mount Tai road, he met a county magistrate who asked for his official permit. Lin always carried a casket of the Lotus Sūtra; he replied, "In this casket there are travel documents." The magistrate searched for them and found nothing. Angrily, he said, "Originally there were no travel documents; why do you say there are?" He replied, "This scripture is the path walked by all the Buddhas. I tread and practice it to return to the source and revert to the origin—this is my travel document." The magistrate's anger did not abate, and he confined him. For seven days he did not eat, yet the sound of scripture recitation did not cease. The magistrate had bad dreams, whereupon he made prostrations and repented of his error. Later, Lin dwelt in silence on the mountain, taking dhyāna tranquility as his primary vocation; he died while sitting in a cave at the age of sixty-two. An extraordinary fragrance wafted abundantly, ceasing only after ten days. At that time, there was the monk Jing of Mount Yang; it is not known who he was. Hiding his traces outside the worldly dust, he maintained himself through the Way. Among the springs, rocks, pines, and bamboos of Mount Yang, the heights were sparse, clear, and open, the ridge adjoining Taoyuan; of old it was called a famous place. He chose a dwelling of silent illumination, spiritually resonating with spirits and beings. Those harboring bad thoughts could not advance: if they went forward, they might meet tigers or snakes, become frightened, and lose their way; if anyone came to ask about the Dharma, they could walk peacefully without harm. Once someone came to seek him, but suddenly gave rise to bad thoughts, and instantly saw a great snake emerge from beneath the rope bed, about to spit venom; only after confessing and apologizing was he spared. At that time, Dhyāna Master Huicui of Zhijiang, the spiritual successor of Master Si of Nanyue, heard of him and went to visit. [Jing] closed his mouth and did not reply. Cui then wept tears and pleaded, standing on tiptoe throughout the night, firmly and resolutely requesting. Only after many days did [Jing] reveal and explain to him. Cui came out and said, "I have traveled among famous mountains, and there are many men of superior virtue; there were eighteen noble and lofty friends, and having entered their gates in part, I have traversed quite far into them. But as for one whose walls are towering and distant, whose extraordinary proclamations are difficult to scale, this man is truly the one!" As for his age, people could not reckon it. Cui said that when he once asked him, he replied, "I am three hundred years old." It is not known where he ended his days.