續高僧傳 25.145

25.145

釋法聰。姓陳。住蘇州常樂寺。初負帙周游法席參詣。隨聞雖曉然未本意。意在息言。然言為理詮。事須博覽。不著為本無得虛延。如灰除垢。灰亦須淨。後往金陵攝山栖霞寺觀顧泉石僧眾清嚴。一見發心思從解髮。時遇善友依言度脫。遂誦大品不久便通。又往會稽。聽一音慧敏法師講。得自於心蕩然無累。貞觀十五年。還杭蘇等州。開導集眾。受道者三百餘人。自爾華嚴涅槃相續二十餘遍。貞觀十九年。嘉興縣高王神。降其祝曰。為我請聰法師受菩薩戒。依言為授。又降祝曰。自今以往酒肉五辛一切悉斷。後若祈福可請眾僧。在廟設齋行道。又二十一年。海鹽縣鄱陽府君神。因常祭會。降祝曰。為我請聰法師講涅槃經。道俗奉迎幡花相接。遂往就講。餘數紙在。又降祝曰。蒙法師講說。得稟法言。神道業障多有苦惱。自聽法來。身鱗甲內細蟲噉苦已得輕昇。願道俗為我稽請法師。更講大品一遍乃不違之。顯慶元年冬。謂弟子曰。吾不久捨報。可施諸禽鳥。而恒講不輟。後講於高座上。麈尾忽墮而終。春秋七十一矣。

Śramaṇa Facong's secular surname was Chen, and he lived at Changle Temple in Suzhou. At first, carrying his book-satchel, he wandered to doctrinal assemblies and visited masters. Although he understood what he heard, it was not his original intent; his intention lay in resting from words. Yet, words serve as the exposition of ultimate principle, and one must read widely; taking non-attachment as the foundation, one must not delay in vain. Just as ash removes grime, the ash must also be washed clean. Later, he went to Qixia Temple on Mount She in Jinling. Gazing upon the springs and rocks and the pure austerity of the monastic assembly, the thought arose upon first sight, and his mind wished to have his hair tonsured. At that time he met good spiritual friends and was liberated according to their words. He then recited the Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and soon became fluent in it. He also went to Kuaiji, where he listened to Dharmabhāṇaka Huimin of Yiyin lecture, attaining realization within his mind, unburdened and clear. In the fifteenth year of the Zhenguan era, he returned to prefectures such as Hang[zhou] and Su[zhou] to guide and gather assemblies, with more than three hundred people receiving the Path. From then on, he lectured on the Avataṃsaka and Nirvāṇa sūtras successively more than twenty times. In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era, the Gaowang deity of Jiaxing County possessed his medium and said, 'Invite Dharmabhāṇaka Cong for me to confer the bodhisattva precepts.' [Cong] conferred them as requested. The deity again possessed the medium and said, 'From this day forward, wine, meat, and the five pungent roots are all severed. If someone wishes to pray for blessings hereafter, let them invite the saṅgha to set up a vegetarian feast and perform circumambulation in the temple.' In the twenty-first year, the Lord Deity of Poyang in Haiyan County, during a regular sacrificial assembly, possessed the medium and said, 'Invite Dharmabhāṇaka Cong for me to lecture on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra.' Monastics and laypeople went with banners and flowers one after another to welcome him, and he went to lecture. With only a few leaves of text remaining, the deity again possessed the medium and said, 'Having received the Dharmabhāṇaka's exposition and been imparted the Dharma words, though karmic hindrances in the spirit realm bring many sufferings and afflictions, ever since hearing the Dharma, the tiny insects gnawing painfully within my scales have allowed me to ascend lightly. I pray that monastics and laypeople bow and request the Dharmabhāṇaka to lecture on the Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra once more for me, without refusing.' In the winter of the first year of the Xianqing era, he said to his disciples, 'I shall soon relinquish this retribution body; you may give it to the birds and beasts.' Yet he constantly lectured without ceasing. Later, while lecturing upon the high seat, his chowry suddenly dropped, and he passed away. His age was seventy-one.