續高僧傳 24.8

24.8

釋明贍。姓杜氏。恒州石邑人也。少有異操。所住龍貴村二千餘家。同共高之傳于口實。十四通經。十七明史。州縣乃舉為俊士。性慕超方不從辟命。投飛龍山應覺寺而出家焉。師密異其度。乃致書與鄴下大集寺道場法師令其依攝。專學大論。尋值法滅。潛形東郡。隋初出法。追住相州法藏寺。而立志貞明不干非類。正業之暇了無他涉。內通大小外綜丘墳。子史書素情所欣狎。將事觀國移步上京。開皇三年。勅召翻譯住大興善。眾覩德望可宗。舉知寺任。辭而不免。便綱管之。大業二年。帝還京室。在於南郊。盛陳軍旅。時有濫僧染朝憲者。事以聞上。帝大怒。召諸僧徒並列御前。峙然抗禮。下勅責曰。條制久頒義須致敬。于時黃老士女。初聞即拜。惟釋一門儼然莫屈。時以贍為道望眾所推宗。乃答曰。陛下必欲遵崇佛教。僧等義無設敬。若准制返道。則法服不合敬俗。勅云。若以法服不合。宋武為何致拜。贍曰。宋氏無道之君。不拜交招顯戮。陛下有治存正。不陷無罪。故不敢拜。帝不屈其言。直遣舍人語僧。何為不拜。如此者五。黃巾之族連拜不已。惟贍及僧。長揖如故。兼抗聲對敘。曾無憚懾。帝乃問。向答勅僧是誰。錄名奏聞。便令視被戮。諸僧合眾安然而退。明旦有司募敢死者至闕陳謝。贍又先登雖達申遜之詞。帝夷然不述。但下勅於兩禪定各設盡京僧齋。再遺束帛特隆常准。後迴蹕西郊顧京邑語朝宰曰。我謂國內無僧。今驗一人可矣。自爾頻參元選。僉議斯屬。下勅令住禪定。用崇上德故也。眾以贍正色執斷不避強禦。又舉為知事上座。整理僧務備列當時。大唐御世爰置僧官。銓擬明哲允折無滯。貞觀之初。以贍善識治方有聞朝府。召入內殿。躬昇御床。食訖對詔。廣列自古以來明君昏主制御之術。兼陳釋門大拯以慈救為宗。帝大悅。因即下勅。年三月六普斷屠殺。行陣之所皆置佛寺。登即一時七處同建。如豳州昭仁晉州慈雲。呂州普濟。汾州弘濟。洺州昭福。鄭州等慈。洛州昭覺。並官給匠石。京送奴隷。皆因贍之開發也。又私以每年施物。常飯千僧。大乘經論須者為寫。歲恒不絕。為報母恩及暮齒將臨。山栖是造。遂入太一山智炬寺而隱焉。京輦歸信遠趣於林。問道奉戒又繁常昔。乃自惟曰。攝心歸靜猶自煩乎。試縱餘齡更還京邑。少時遇疾猶堪療治。乃曰。吾命極矣。可懸一月。枯骸累人。乃延諸大德就興善寺設齋辭訣。房杜僕射舉朝畢集。具齎助供䞋錫山積。贍通大捨懺辭告別。即日力杖出京返于智炬。竭誠勤注想觀西方。心通明利。告侍者曰。阿彌陀佛來也。須臾又云。二大菩薩亦至。吾於觀經成就十二。餘者不了。既具諸善相顏貌怡然奄爾而逝。春秋七十。即貞觀二年十月二十七日也。時以預記之驗。知命存乎。初未終前。遺令焚身。及闍維訖。乃見骸骨圓全都無縫道。當其頂上紫色曄然。遂瘞于巖下。

Shi Mingzhan, whose secular surname was Du, was a native of Shiyi in Hengzhou. From his youth he displayed unusual conduct. In the village of Longgui where he lived, of more than two thousand households, all held him in high esteem and spoke praises of him. At the age of fourteen he was conversant with the classics; at seventeen he was clear on the histories. The prefecture and county thus recommended him as an outstanding scholar. By nature he yearned to transcend worldly limits and did not comply with the official summons. He went to Yingjue Temple on Mount Feilong and left household life. His master, secretly marveling at his bearing, sent a letter to the Dharmabhāṇaka Daochang of Daji Temple in Ye, directing [Mingzhan] to rely upon his guidance and specialize in the study of the Mahāvibhāṣā [or Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa]. Soon he encountered the suppression of the Dharma and concealed his presence in Dongjun. At the beginning of the Sui, when the Dharma emerged once more, he was reassigned to dwell at Fazang Temple in Xiangzhou. He set his resolve with purity and brightness, never associating with improper sorts. In the leisure left by his primary vocation, he had no other involvements whatsoever. Internally he penetrated both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles; externally he synthesized the ancient canonical histories. The masters and chronicles, books and plain silk scrolls were what his heart took delight and familiarity in. Intending to observe the country's governance, he made his way to the Upper Capital. In the third year of the Kaihuang reign (583), an imperial edict summoned him to translate scriptures and reside at Daxingshan Temple. The congregation, seeing his virtue and prestige worthy of veneration, nominated him to oversee the temple's administration. Though he declined, he could not avoid it and thus took charge of managing it. In the second year of the Daye reign (606), the Emperor returned to the capital and, in the southern suburbs, grandly arranged his armed forces. At that time, there were corrupt monks who had violated the court's statutes, and the matter was reported to the sovereign. The Emperor was exceedingly enraged; he summoned all the monks to stand in rank before the imperial presence, standing firm and matching etiquette. An imperial edict descended rebuking them: "Statutes and regulations have long been promulgated; in principle you must render homage!" At that time, men and women of Huang-Lao [Daoism] bowed as soon as they heard it; only the gate of the Śākyan lineage stood solemn, none bowing down. As Zhan was held by all in high esteem for his religious renown, he replied: "If Your Majesty truly desires to revere and exalt the Buddha's teachings, the monks in principle have no reason to render homage. If, according to the regulations, we return to worldly life, then the Dharma robes are not fit for rendering homage to secular customs." The imperial edict said: "If it is unfitting because of the Dharma robes, why did they render homage to Emperor Wu of the Song?" Zhan said: "The ruler of the Song was a monarch without the Way; not bowing would have immediately incurred overt execution. Your Majesty possesses good governance and upholds righteousness, never entrapping the innocent; therefore we dare not bow." The Emperor did not yield to his words and simply dispatched an attendant to say to the monks: "Why do you not bow?" This was repeated five times. The clan of the Yellow Turbans bowed repeatedly without end; only Zhan and his fellow monks made deep bows with hands folded as before, raising their voices in response and exposition without any fear or intimidation. The Emperor then asked: "Who was the monk that just replied to the edict? Record his name and submit it to the throne, then order him to observe those being executed." The whole congregation of monks retired peacefully. The following morning, the officials recruited volunteers willing to face death to go to the palace gate and apologize. Zhan again took the lead; though he delivered words of submission and deference, the Emperor remained impassive and made no mention [of punishment]. He merely issued an imperial decree to offer vegetarian feasts to all the monks of the capital at the two Chanding Temples, twice presenting bundles of silk, which especially exceeded the regular standard. Later, returning his imperial carriage to the western suburbs, he looked back at the capital and said to the court ministers: "I said there were no true monks in the realm; now having tested them, one is enough!" From then on, [Zhan] was repeatedly consulted in primordial selections, and all public discussions pointed to him. An imperial edict commanded him to dwell at Chanding Temple in order to honor his supreme virtue. Because Zhan maintained an upright countenance, held firm to determinations, and did not shy away from the powerful and overbearing, the congregation again elected him as the administrator and sthavira. He put the monastic affairs in good order, providing completely for the needs of the time. When the Great Tang ruled the world, monastic officials were instituted; the selections and appointments of the bright and wise were justly settled without impediment. In the beginning of the Zhenguan reign (627–649), because Zhan was well versed in methods of governance and had a reputation at court, he was summoned into the inner palace and personally ascended the imperial couch. After dining, he answered the imperial inquiries, expounding broadly on the methods of rule of wise monarchs and benighted sovereigns since antiquity, and also presenting the great deliverance of the Buddhist gate with compassionate rescue as its foundation. The Emperor was greatly delighted and immediately issued an imperial edict: on the three [fast] months and six [fast] days of the year, slaughter was prohibited everywhere; and Buddhist temples were established in all locations where military campaigns had been fought. Promptly, seven places were constructed at the same time: such as Zhaoren in Binzhou, Ciyun in Jinzhou, Puji in Lüzhou, Hongji in Fenzhou, Zhaofu in Mingzhou, Dengci in Zhengzhou, and Zhaojue in Luozhou. All were provided stonecutters by the government, and bondservants were sent from the capital; all came about due to Zhan's instigation. Furthermore, using personal offerings received each year, he regularly fed a thousand monks; wherever Mahāyāna sūtras and treatises were needed, he copied them, continuing year after year without interruption. In order to repay his mother's kindness and as his advanced age was approaching, he built a mountain hermitage. He thereupon entered the Zhiju Temple on Mount Taiyi and lived in seclusion there. The faithful from the capital came to the forest from afar; those asking after the Way and receiving the precepts were even more numerous than in the past. He then reflected to himself: "In collecting my mind to return to stillness, am I still troubled by weariness? Let me venture my remaining years to return once more to the capital." A short while later he contracted an illness, which was still treatable. He said: "My life has reached its end; it can linger perhaps for one month. Why burden others with these withered bones?" He then invited all the eminent virtues to gather at Xingshan Temple, holding a vegetarian feast to bid farewell. Right and Left Vice-Directors of the Department of State Affairs Fang and Du, along with the entire court, all gathered. They brought materials to assist the offerings, and donations of alms piled up like mountains. Zhan performed a great renunciation, expressed repentance, and took his leave. On that very day, leaning on his staff with great effort, he left the capital and returned to Zhiju Temple. Exerting his utmost sincerity, he diligently focused his thoughts and contemplated the Western [Pure Land]. His mind became clear, bright, and sharp. He told his attendant: "Amitābha Buddha has arrived!" A moment later he added: "The two great bodhisattvas have also arrived. In the Contemplation Sūtra, I have fulfilled twelve [contemplations]; the remaining ones are not yet complete." Having displayed various auspicious signs, his countenance peaceful and serene, he suddenly passed away. His age was seventy; it was the twenty-seventh day of the tenth month in the second year of the Zhenguan reign (628). At that time, based on the verification of his foreknowledge, people knew his destiny was assured. Initially, before his death, he left instructions to cremate his body. When the jhāpita was completed, they found his skeletal remains round and complete, entirely without seams; atop his cranium, a bright purple glow shone brilliantly. He was subsequently interred beneath the cliff.