[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) › 25.150 # 續高僧傳 25.150 續高僧傳 25.150 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [25.150](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.150) 釋明解者。姓姚。住京師普光寺。有神明薄知才學。琴詩書畫京邑有聲。然調情敞怳。頗以知解自傲。於諸長少無重敬心。至於飲噉不異恒俗。會龍朔之中。徵諸三教有能觀國者策第賓王。解因此際往赴東都策第及之。行次將仕乃脫袈裟。吾今脫此驢皮。預在人矣。遂置酒集諸士俗。賦詩曰。一乘本非有。三空何所歸云云。不久病卒。與友僧夢曰。解以不信。故今生惡道甚患飢渴。如何不以故情致一食耶。及覺遂列食於野祭之。又夢極慚愧云云。又下夢於畫工先來同役者曰。我以不信敬生處極惡。思得功德無由可辦。卿舊與相知。何為不能書一兩卷經耶。又遺其詩曰。握手不能別。撫膺聊自傷。痛矣時陰短。悲哉泉路長。野風驚晚吹。荒隧落寒霜。留情何所贈。惟斯內典章。畫工不識書。令誦十八遍已便去。遂覺向諸僧俗說之。嗟乎明解可惜一生妄存耶。我自陷千載。斯謂徒生徒死。大聖豈虛言哉。貞觀中。洺州宋尚禮者。薄學有神明。好為譎詭詩賦。罷縣還貧無食。好乞貸至鄴戒德寺貸粟。數與不還。又從重貸不與之。因發憤造慳伽斗賦。可有十紙許。加飾莊嚴慳態時俗。常誦以為口實。見僧輒弄。亦為黃巾所笑。及禮將死。謗毀自當。兩目圓赤。見者咸畏。吁嗟擾攘。少時而絕。 > Śramaṇa Mingjie, surnamed Yao, resided at Puguang Monastery in the capital. He was spiritually keen and possessed modest literary learning, winning renown throughout the capital for his playing of the zither, poetry, calligraphy, and painting. However, his disposition was loose and unstable, and he was quite conceited about his intellectual understanding, lacking any reverence toward either his seniors or juniors. As for his eating and drinking, it did not differ from that of ordinary worldlings. It happened that during the Longshuo era, candidates well-versed in the Three Teachings who could examine the state were summoned to take examinations to serve the sovereign. Exploiting this opportunity, Mingjie went to the Eastern Capital and succeeded in the examinations. When he was about to assume office, he took off his kāṣāya robe and said, 'Today I shed this donkey skin and take my place among men!' He then set out wine, gathered literati and commoners, and composed a poem, which went: 'The One Vehicle fundamentally does not exist; where do the three voids return?' and so forth. Soon after, he fell ill and died. He appeared in a dream to a fellow monk who was his friend, saying, 'Because of my lack of faith, I have now been born into an evil realm and suffer greatly from hunger and thirst. Why do you not, out of past affection, provide me with a meal?' Upon waking, the monk laid out food in the wilds to offer a sacrifice to him. Mingjie again appeared in a dream, expressing profound shame. Furthermore, he appeared in a dream to a painter with whom he had previously worked, saying, 'Because of my lack of faith and reverence, my place of rebirth is extremely wretched. I long to obtain merit, but have no means to accomplish it. As you are an old acquaintance, why can you not copy out one or two fascicles of scripture for me?' He also left him a poem, saying: 'Holding hands, we cannot bear to part; clutching my chest, I grieve for myself. Alas, how short are the hours of daylight! How sorrowful, the long road to the Yellow Springs! The wild wind startles with the evening breeze; the desolate underground tomb gathers cold frost. What can I bestow to convey my feelings? Only these verses of the inner Buddhist canon.' The painter did not know how to read or write, so Mingjie made him chant it eighteen times, after which he departed. The painter then woke up and recounted it to the monks and laity. Alas! How regrettable that Mingjie's life was spent in vain existence! Sinking myself for a thousand years—this is what is called living in vain and dying in vain. How could the Great Sage's words be empty? In the Zhenguan era, there was Song Shangli of Mingzhou, who had shallow learning but a sharp mind, and was fond of composing bizarre poetry and rhapsodies. After leaving his post at the county, he returned home in poverty without food. Fond of begging and borrowing, he went to Jiede Monastery in Ye to borrow millet. Having received loans several times without repaying them, he asked to borrow again heavily, but was refused. Thereupon, in resentment, he composed the 'Rhapsody on the Stingy Pecks and Bushels', running to about ten sheets of paper, elaborating on and mocking the stingy behaviors of worldly customs. He often recited it as a pretext, and whenever he saw a monk he would ridicule him; he was also ridiculed by the Daoists. When Shangli was about to die, the karmic retribution for his slanders fell upon him: both of his eyes turned round and red, terrifying all who saw him. Sighing and groaning in agitation, he expired shortly thereafter. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 25.149](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.149) - [Next: 25.151](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.151) - [Up: 25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060~en-mt.25.150) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.150](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.150) · Pramāṇa