續高僧傳 25.64

25.64

釋法順。姓杜氏。雍州萬年人。稟性柔和未思沿惡。辭親遠戌無憚艱辛。十八棄俗出家。事因聖寺僧珍禪師。受持定業。珍姓魏氏。志存儉約野居成性。京室東阜地號馬頭。空岸重邃堪為靈窟。珍草創伊基勸俗修理。端坐指撝示其儀則。忽感一犬不知何來。足白身黃自然馴擾。徑入窟內口銜土出。須臾往返勞而不倦。食則同僧過中不飲。即有斯異。四遠響歸。乃以聞上。隋高重之。日賜米三升用供常限。乃至龕成無為而死。今所謂因聖寺是也。順時躬覩斯事。更倍歸依。力助締構隨便請業。末行化慶州勸民設會。供限五百。及臨齋食更倍人來。供主懼焉。順曰。無所畏也。但通周給而莫委供所。由來千人皆足。嘗有清河張弘暢者。家畜牛馬。性本弊惡。人皆患之。賣無取者。順示語慈善。如有聞從。自後更無觝嚙其導發異類為如此也。常引眾驪山。夏中栖靜。地多虫蟻無因種菜。順恐有損害。就地示之。令虫移徙。不久往視。如其分齊恰無虫焉。順時患腫。膿潰外流。人有敬而𠲿者。或有以帛拭者。尋即差愈餘膿發香流氣難比拭帛猶在香氣不歇。三原縣民田薩埵者。生來患聾。又張蘇者。亦患生瘂。順聞命來與共言議。遂如常日。永即痊復。武功縣僧毒龍所魅。眾以投之。順端拱對坐。龍遂託病僧言曰。禪師既來。義無久住。極相勞嬈。尋即釋然。故使遠近瘴癘淫邪所惱者無不投造。順不施餘術。但坐而對之。識者謂有陰德所感。故幽靈偏敬致。其言教所設。多抑浮詞。顯言正理。神樹鬼廟見即焚除。巫覡所事躬為併儅。禎祥屢見絕無障礙。其奉正也如此。而篤性綿密情兼汎愛。道俗貴賤皆事邀延。而一其言問胸懷莫二。或復重痼難治。深願未果者。皆隨時指示。普得遂心。時有讚毀二途聞達於耳。相似不知翻作餘語。因行南野將度黃渠。其水汎溢。厲涉而度。岸既峻滑。雖登還墮。水忽斷流。便墮陸度。及順上岸水尋還復。門徒目覩而不測其然也。所以感通幽顯。聲聞朝野。多有鄙夫利其財食。順言不涉世。全不留心。隨有任用。情志虛遠但服麁弊。卒無兼副。雖聞異議仍大笑之其不競物情又若此也。今上奉其德仰其神引入內禁。隆禮崇敬。儲宮王族懿慼重臣。戒約是投無爽歸禁。以貞觀十四年。都無疾苦。告累門人。生來行法令使承用。言訖如常坐定。於南郊義善寺。春秋八十有四臨終雙鳥投房。悲驚哀切。因即坐送于樊川之北原。鑿穴處之。京邑同嗟。制服亘野。肉色不變經月逾鮮。安坐三周枯骸不散。自終至今。恒有異香流氣屍所。學侶等恐有外侵。乃藏于龕內。四眾良辰赴供彌滿。弟子智儼名貫至相。幼年奉敬雅遵餘度。而神用清越振績京臯。華嚴攝論。尋常講說。至龕所化導鄉川。故斯塵不終矣。

Shi Fashun had the secular surname of Du and was a native of Wannian in Yongzhou. By nature gentle and compliant, he never thought of following evil ways. Bidding farewell to his parents, he undertook frontier garrison duty from afar without fearing hardship and toil. At eighteen, he abandoned secular life and left the household, serving Dhyāna Master Sengzhen of Yinsheng Monastery, under whom he received and maintained the practice of samādhi. Zhen had the secular surname of Wei; in his aspirations he adhered to frugality, and living in the wilds became his second nature. At a hill east of the capital, a place called Matou, the hollowed and layered deep banks were suitable for a sacred cave-dwelling. Zhen initiated the foundations there and encouraged the laypeople to construct it, sitting upright and gesturing to demonstrate its rules. Suddenly there was a dog, of unknown origin, with white feet and a yellow body, naturally gentle and tame. It went straight into the cave, carried out earth in its mouth, and went back and forth for a short while, toiling without tiring. For food it was the same as the monks, not drinking [or eating] past midday. With this marvel, people from all around came like an echo. It was thus reported to the throne, and Emperor Gao of the Sui esteemed him, daily bestowing three sheng of rice for his regular provision. When the niche was completed, he died naturally without illness. This is what is now called Yinsheng Monastery. Shun personally witnessed these matters at that time and took refuge all the more fervently, vigorously helping with the construction and taking the opportunity to request instruction in the teachings. Later, he went to preach and transform in Qingzhou, encouraging the people to host an offering assembly. The offering was restricted to five hundred people, but when it came time for the vegetarian meal, twice as many arrived. The host of the offering became frightened. Shun said, 'There is nothing to fear; just distribute it all around and do not wonder where the offerings come from.' As it turned out, a thousand people were all satisfied. Once there was Zhang Hongchang of Qinghe, whose family kept cattle and horses that were inherently vicious and vile. Everyone suffered from them, and when he tried to sell them, no one would take them. Shun spoke words of loving-kindness to them, and as if they heard and obeyed, thereafter they never butted or bit again. His guiding and inspiring of animals was like this. He often led the assembly to Mount Li to dwell in quietude during the summer retreat. The ground had many insects and ants, so there was no way to plant vegetables. Fearing harm might come to them, Shun went to the ground and gestured to them, ordering the insects to move away. A short while later, going to look, exactly within the marked boundary there was not a single insect. At that time, Shun suffered from an ulcer, and pus burst and flowed outward. Some people out of reverence sucked it with their mouths, or wiped it away with silk cloth. Immediately he was cured, and the remaining pus gave off a fragrance whose wafting aroma was incomparable; even the cloth used for wiping still retained the fragrance without fading. A resident of Sanyuan County, Tian Saduo, had been deaf since birth, and Zhang Su had also been mute since birth. Shun heard of this and summoned them to come, and conversed with them, whereupon they were like normal people, instantly healed forever. A monk of Wugong County was possessed by a poisonous dragon, and the assembly brought him to Shun. Shun sat facing him with folded hands. The dragon then spoke through the ill monk, saying, 'Since the Dhyāna Master has come, by rights I cannot stay long; I have troubled you greatly.' Immediately the monk was relieved. Therefore, all those from near and far afflicted by pestilential mists or demonic lust came to turn to him. Shun used no other techniques, but merely sat facing them. Those who understood considered that he moved them by his hidden virtue; hence the unseen spirits particularly revered him. In setting forth his verbal teachings, he mostly suppressed superficial words and clearly expressed orthodox principles. Sacred trees and spirit shrines were burned and eliminated as soon as he saw them; the altars worshipped by shamans and sorcerers he dismantled himself. Auspicious omens repeatedly appeared, entirely without obstacle. Such was his devotion to orthodoxy. Moreover, his nature was earnest and meticulous, his feelings encompassing universal love. Monks and laypeople, noble and base alike, all invited him, and he treated their inquiries uniformly, harboring no duplicity in his heart. Or if there were those with severe chronic illnesses that were hard to cure, or deep vows not yet fulfilled, he guided them in accord with the occasion, and all universally obtained their heart's desires. At that time, praises and slanders both reached his ears, but he acted as if unaware, turning instead to talk of other things. Once, walking in the southern wilds, he was about to cross the Huangqu Canal. The water was overflowing, so he waded across. The bank was steep and slippery; though he climbed, he kept falling back. The water suddenly ceased its flow, and he was able to cross over dry land. Once Shun reached the bank, the water immediately returned to normal. His disciples witnessed this with their own eyes, without fathoming how it occurred. Because his spiritual resonance reached both the unseen and visible realms, his fame was heard at court and across the realm. Many base fellows took advantage of his wealth and provisions, yet Shun did not involve his words in worldly matters, retaining no attachment at all, letting them make use of things as they pleased. His feelings and aspirations were detached and distant; he wore only coarse and worn garments, never having a spare set. Even when hearing differing opinions, he would still laugh heartily. His non-contention with worldly sentiments was also like this. The present Emperor honored his virtue and admired his spiritual power, ushering him into the inner imperial palace with exalted rites and profound reverence. The Crown Prince, the imperial clansmen, distinguished relatives, and important ministers all turned to him for the disciplinary precepts, none failing to take refuge in his prohibitions. In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan reign, completely free of illness or pain, he entrusted his affairs to his disciples, commanding that the Dharma he had practiced throughout his life be maintained and applied. When he finished speaking, he sat in dhyāna as usual at Yishan Monastery in the southern suburbs. His age was eighty-four. When he neared the end, a pair of birds flew into the room, crying out in sorrow and grief. He was then sent off while still seated, to the Northern Plain of Fanchuan, where a cave was dug to inter him. The entire capital lamented together, and mourners in funeral attire stretched across the countryside. His flesh did not change color, growing even fresher after a month. He sat peacefully for three weeks, his desiccated skeleton not decomposing. From his demise until now, a strange fragrance has constantly wafted from the place of the corpse. The students and companions, fearing external desecration, deposited him inside a niche. On auspicious days, the fourfold assembly filled the place to attend the offering services. His disciple Zhiyan, whose name was renowned at Zhixiang Monastery, served and revered him from his youth, elegantly adhering to his exceptional standards; his spiritual functioning was refined and transcendent, and his achievements resounded throughout the capital. He regularly lectured on the Huayan and the Shelun; arriving at the niche, he converted and guided the countryside, so that this legacy has never ended.