[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) › 25.70 # 續高僧傳 25.70 續高僧傳 25.70 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [25.70](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.70) 釋明琛。齊人。少遊學兩河。以通鑒知譽。然經論雖富。而以徵難為心。當魏明代釋門云盛。琛有學識遊肆而已。故其雅量頗非鴻業。時有智翼沙門。道聲載穆。遠近望塵學門若市。琛不勝幽情深忌聲略。私結密交廣搜論道。初為屋子論議法。立圖著經。外施名教內搆言引。牽引出入罔冒聲說。聽言可領。及述茫然。勇意之徒相從雲集。觀圖望經怳若雲夢。一從指授渙若氷消。故來學者先辦泉帛。此屋子法入學遂多。餘有獲者不能隱祕。故琛聲望少歇於前。乃更撰蛇勢法。其勢若葛亮陣圖。常山蛇勢擊頭尾至。大約若斯。還以法數傍蛇比擬。乍度乍却前後參差。余曾見圖極是可畏。畫作一蛇可長三尺。時屈時伸傍加道品。大業之季。大有學之。今則不行。想應絕滅。初琛行蛇論遍於東川。有道行者深相諫喻。決意已行博為道藝。潞州上邑思弘法華。乃往巖州林慮縣洪谷寺請僧。忘其名。往講。琛素與知識。聞便往造。其人聞至中心戰灼。知琛論道不可相抗。乃以情告曰。此邑初信。事須歸伏諸士俗等已有傾心。願法師不遺故舊。共相成贊。今有少衣裁。輒用相奉琛體此懷乃投絹十匹。琛曰。本來於此。可有陵架意耶。幸息此心。然不肯去。欲聽一上。此僧彌怖。事不獲已如常上講。琛最後入堂。齎絹束掇在眾中曰。高座法師昨夜以絹相遺。請不須論議。然佛法宏曠。是非須分。脫以邪法化人。幾許誤諸士俗。高座聞此懾怖無聊。依常唱文如疏所解。琛即喚住欲論至理。高座爾時神意奔勇。泰然待問。琛便設問。隨問便解。重疊雖多無不通義。琛精神擾攘。思難無從。即從座起曰。高座法師猶來闇塞。如何今日頓解若斯。當是山中神鬼助其念力。不爾何能至耶。高座合堂一時大笑。琛即出邑。共伴二人。投家乞食。既得氣滿噎而不下。餘解喻。何所諍耶。論議不來天常大理。何因頓起如許煩惱。琛不應。相隨東出。步步歎吒登嶺。困極止一樹下。語二伴曰。我今煩惱熱不可言。意恐作蛇。便解剔衣裳。赤露而臥。翻覆不定。長展兩足。須臾之間。兩足忽合。而為蛇尾。翹翹上舉。仍自動轉語伴曰。我作蛇勢論今報至矣。卿可上樹。蛇心若至。則有吞噬之緣。可急急上樹。心猶未變。伴便上樹。仍共交語。每作蛇論。果至如何。言語之間。奄便全身作蛇。唯頭未變亦不復語。宛轉在地舉頭自打。打仍不止。遂至於碎。欻作蟒頭。身形忽變長五丈許。舉首四視目如火星。于時四面無量諸蛇一時總至。此蟒舉頭。去地五六尺許。趣谷而下。諸蛇相隨而去。其伴目驗斯報。至鄴說之。 > Śramaṇa Mingchen was a native of Qi. In his youth, he traveled and studied between the two rivers (the Yellow River and the Huai River), earning a reputation for his clear understanding and discernment. However, although thoroughly learned in sūtras and treatises, his mind was bent on finding fault and disputing. In the illustrious era of the Northern Wei, when the Buddhist community was flourishing, Chen had scholarship but merely indulged in roaming through it; thus, his capacity was far from great spiritual achievement. At that time, there was a śramaṇa named Zhiyi whose reputation on the Way was deeply revered; monks from near and far gazed at him with aspiration, and disciples flocked to his door like a marketplace. Chen could not bear his hidden envy and was deeply jealous of his fame and talent. Privately forming secret factions, he extensively investigated methods of debate. At first, he devised a debate method called “The House Scheme,” drawing diagrams and composing texts, applying moral teachings on the outside while crafting specious citations on the inside, dragging arguments in and out, deceiving through rhetorical flourishes. Listening to his words, one seemed to understand, but when trying to restate them, everything vanished into vagueness. Impetuous men gathered around him like clouds; looking at the diagrams and studying the texts, they were as if in a daze or a dream. Once receiving his direct instruction, doubts melted away like thawing ice. Therefore, scholars coming to study had to first prepare money and silks; through this House Scheme, many entered his school. As some pupils could not keep the secrets hidden, Chen’s reputation gradually subsided compared to before. He then composed the “Serpentine Formation Method,” whose layout resembled Zhuge Liang's battle arrays, or the Snake Formation of Mount Chang—when struck on the head, the tail responds; when struck on the tail, the head responds. In broad terms it was like this. He used Dharma categories to analogize against the snake, advancing here and retreating there, jagged and uneven back and forth. I once saw the diagram, and it was exceedingly frightening: drawn as a snake about three feet long, bending at times and stretching at others, with the aids to enlightenment placed alongside it. Toward the end of the Daye era, a great many people studied it, but now it is no longer practiced, and presumably has died out. Earlier, Chen promoted his snake treatise throughout the eastern river region. Men of spiritual practice earnestly admonished and counseled him, but having resolved on his path, he merely considered it a broad intellectual art. In Shangyi of Luzhou, people desired to propagate the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. They went to Honggu Monastery in Linlü County, Yanzhou, to invite a monk—whose name has been forgotten—to deliver lectures. Chen was originally an acquaintance of his, and hearing of this, he went to call on him. When the monk heard he was coming, his heart burned with fear, knowing that in doctrinal debate Chen was impossible to resist. He confessed candidly, saying, “This district is newly converted in faith, and it is necessary to bring them into submission; the scholar-gentlemen and commoners already look up to us. I hope, Dharma Master, that you will not forget our old friendship, but will support and praise us together. Here is a small amount of fabric, which I venture to offer you.” Understanding what was in his mind, he gave Chen ten bolts of silk. Chen said, “Did I originally come here with any intention of overwhelming you? Please put that thought to rest.” Yet he was unwilling to leave, insisting on listening to a lecture. The monk became even more terrified. Having no choice, he mounted the high seat to lecture as usual. Chen entered the hall last. Holding the bundle of silk, he set it down among the assembly and declared, “Last night, the Dharma Master on the high seat gave me this silk, requesting that I not enter into debate with him. However, the Buddha-Dharma is vast and magnanimous: right and wrong must be distinguished. If he uses heterodox teachings to transform people, how greatly will he mislead the scholar-gentlemen and commoners!” Hearing this, the Dharma Master on the high seat was terrified and despondent. He chanted the text according to custom, explaining it in line with the commentary. Chen immediately called out to stop him, intending to debate the ultimate principle. At that moment, the lecturer's spirit surged with courage, and he calmly awaited the question. Chen posed his challenge, but as soon as the question was asked, the monk answered it effortlessly. Even though the layers of questioning were manifold, every principle was clarified. Chen's thoughts grew perturbed, and he found no way to press his objections. He then stood up from his seat and said: “The Dharma Master of the high seat has always been dull and dense; how can he suddenly understand so thoroughly today? It must be that the spirits and ghosts in the mountains are aiding his power of mindfulness; otherwise, how could he achieve this?” The entire assembly in the hall burst into laughter at once. Chen then left the town with two companions, seeking food at an almsgiver's home. Having eaten, he was so choked with rage and indignation that he could not swallow. His companions tried to soothe him: “What is there to dispute? Inability to win in a debate is a common principle of nature; why suddenly give rise to so much affliction?” Chen did not reply. Together they set out eastward, sighing at every step as they climbed the ridge. Exhausted, they rested beneath a tree. Chen said to his two companions: “My affliction and heat right now are beyond words; I fear I will become a snake!” He then undid and stripped off his clothes, lying naked on the ground, tossing and turning incessantly. He stretched out both legs, and in a moment, his two legs suddenly merged together to form a snake’s tail, which curled high into the air. Still writhing and twisting, he spoke to his companions: “I composed the Serpentine Formation Treatise, and now its retribution has arrived! You had better climb the trees. When the snake’s mind takes over, the impulse to swallow and devour will arise. Quickly, quickly climb the trees!” As his human mind had not yet changed, the companions climbed into the trees and continued speaking with him: “You used to compose snake treatises—how did such a result come to pass?” While they were speaking, his whole body suddenly became a snake, with only the head not yet transformed, and he could speak no more. Writhing on the ground, he slammed his head repeatedly, never ceasing, until it was crushed to pieces. Suddenly, it turned into the head of a python. His body transformed abruptly to about fifty feet in length; raising his head and looking around, his eyes were like sparks of fire. At that moment, countless snakes from all directions arrived at once. This python raised its head five or six feet above the ground and headed down into the valley, with all the snakes following behind. His companions witnessed this karmic retribution with their own eyes, and recounted it upon arriving in Ye. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 25.69](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.69) - [Next: 25.71](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.71) - [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.25.70) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [釋門自鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2083.2.74) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.70](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.25.70) · Pramāṇa