續高僧傳 30.16

30.16

釋道紀。未詳氏族。高齊之初。盛弘講說。然以成實見知。門學業成分部結眾。紀用欣然。以教習之功成遺業也。天保年中。秋初立講。紀引眾首。出鄴城南。彼舊門人又引眾入。正於閫側欻爾相值。紀曰。卿從何來。殊無禮也。如何師範輒抗拒耶。既不傾屈。理宜下道。彼曰。法鼓競鳴。利建斯在。聲榮之望。師資焉有。紀不答。自為下道出于城外。迴首告其屬曰。吾講成實。積三十載。開悟匠導望有功夫。解本擬行斯遺誡也。今解而不行還如根本不解矣。徒失前功終無後利。往不可追來猶可及。請並返京。吾當別計。乃退掩房戶。廣讀經論。為彼士俗而行開化。故其撰集名為金藏論也。一帙七卷。以類相從。寺塔幡燈之由。經像歸戒之本。具羅一化大啟福門。論成之後。與同行七人出鄴郊東七里而頓。周匝七里。士女通集為講斯論。七日一遍。往必荷擔不恥微行。經書塔像為一頭。老母掃帚為一頭。齊佛境內有塔斯掃。每語人曰。經不云乎。掃僧地如閻浮。不如佛地一掌者。由智田勝也。親供母者。以福與登地菩薩齊也。故其孝性淳深。為之縫補衣著食飲。大小便利必身經理。不許人兼。有或助者。紀曰。吾母也。非他之母。形骸之累並吾身也。有身必苦。何得以苦勞人。所以身為苦先。幸勿相助。因斯以勵道俗。從者眾矣。又復勸人奉持八戒。行法社齋不許屠殺。所期既了又轉至前。還依上事周歷行化。數年之間遶鄴林郊。奉其教者十室而九。有同侶者故往候曰。比行化俗。何如道耶。紀曰。彼講可追。今則無悔。既往不咎。知復何言。後遭周氏吞併玄教同廢。呼嗟俗壤每崇斯業。及開法始更廣其門。故彼論初云邪見者是也。所以世傳。何隱論師造金藏論。終惟紀也。故改名云。然其所出抄略正文。深可依准。後不測其終。

Śramaṇa Daoji: His clan and origin are not clearly known. At the beginning of the Northern Qi, he vigorously promoted preaching and lectures. Yet he was known for the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra* (*Chengshi lun*). When his disciples completed their studies, they formed factions and gathered assemblies. Ji was delighted by this, regarding the success of his teaching and training as having accomplished his bequeathed task.

During the Tianbao era, at the beginning of autumn, lectures were instituted. Ji led the head of his congregation out through the south of the city of Ye. A former disciple of his was also leading a congregation in. Right beside the threshold of the gate, they suddenly met face to face. Ji said: 'Where have you come from? You show no propriety at all! How can you brazenly confront your teacher? Since you will not yield, by right you ought to take the lower path.' The other said: 'The Dharma drums compete in sounding; the establishment of benefit lies herein. When it comes to the hope of fame and honor, how can there still be teacher and pupil?' Ji did not answer, but took the lower path himself and went outside the city. Turning his head, he told his followers: 'I have lectured on the *Tattvasiddhi* for thirty years, striving to awaken and guide others in the hope that it would have effect. Understanding was originally meant to guide practice; this was the bequeathed instruction. Now people understand yet do not practice; it is just the same as fundamentally not understanding at all. In vain is previous effort lost, and ultimately there will be no future benefit. The past cannot be recovered, but the future can still be attained. Please all return to the capital; I will make other plans.'

Thereupon he retired and barred his doors, extensively reading the sūtras and treatises to promote conversion among the scholar-officials and commoners. Therefore, the compilation he produced was named the *Jinzang lun* (*Treasury of Gold Treatise*), in one wrapper of seven scrolls, arranged according to categories. It fully laid out the causes and origins of monasteries, stūpas, banners, and lamps, as well as the fundamentals of scriptures, images, taking refuge, and the precepts, thereby comprehensively presenting the entirety of the teachings and opening wide the gates of merit. After the treatise was completed, he and seven companions went seven li east of the outskirts of Ye and halted. Over an area of seven li around, men and women gathered together, and he lectured on this treatise for them, going through it once every seven days. Whenever he went out, he invariably carried a shoulder-pole, unabashed by walking in lowly fashion: scriptures, stūpas, and images made up one end, while his elderly mother and a broom made up the other end. Wherever there was a stūpa within the Buddhist realm of Qi, he swept it. He would always say to people: 'Does not the sūtra say: "Sweeping the ground of the Saṅgha to the extent of Jambudvīpa is not as good as sweeping the ground of a Buddha to the extent of a single palm-print"? This is because the field of wisdom is superior. And serving one's mother directly yields merit equal to that of a bodhisattva who has ascended the stages.'

Therefore, his filial nature was pure and profound. He mended her clothes and took care of her food and drink; her urination and defecation he attended to in person without fail, not permitting anyone to assist. When someone offered help, Ji would say: 'She is my mother, not someone else's mother. The burdens of this bodily form are all my own body. Having a body necessarily brings suffering; how could I burden others with my suffering? That is why my body takes the lead in suffering. Please do not assist me.' In this way he encouraged both the ordained and the laity, and those who followed him were many. Moreover, he urged people to uphold the eight precepts, practice the vegetarian fasting-feasts of Dharma societies, and forbid slaughter. Once the appointed task was finished, he moved on to the next place, continuing to carry out his teaching throughout the region in accordance with the above practice. Within a few years, as he circled the woods and outskirts of Ye, nine out of ten households followed his teachings. A companion purposely went to visit him and asked: 'How does your recent conversion of the laity compare to the [monastic] Way?' Ji said: 'Those former lectures may be regretted; now there is no remorse. What is past is beyond blame; what more is there to say?'

Later, he encountered the Zhou dynasty's annexation, when the profound teachings were abolished together. Sighing that the mundane world always reveres this work, when the Dharma was reopened, he broadened its scope even further; hence the mention of 'wrong views' at the beginning of that treatise refers to this. For this reason, worldly tradition has it that Treatise Master He Yin composed the *Jinzang lun*, but in the end it was Daoji alone; hence it changed its name. Yet the extracts of orthodox texts that he produced are deeply worthy of reliance. His end is unknown.