續高僧傳 6.40

6.40

釋寶淵。姓陳。巴西閬中人也。年二十三。於成都出家。居羅天宮寺。欲學成實論為弘通之主。州鄉術淺不愜憑懷。齊建武元年下都住龍光寺。從僧旻法師稟受五聚。經涉數載義頗染神。旻曰。此君任性俊警智慮過人。但恨逈忽不倫動靜險躁。若值通人優接。當成一世名士。若不遇時不得其死。必當損辱大法矣。淵酷好蒲撲使酒挾氣。終日狼𤠤無所推下。旻累諫曉喻返以為讎。因爾改塗。復從智藏採聽先業。自建講筵貨財周贍。勇勵辛勤有倍恒日。每言。大丈夫當使人侍我。何能久侍人。乃廣寫義疏。貴市王征南書緘封一簏有意西歸。同寺慧濟謔之曰。昔謝氏青箱不至不得作文章。今卿白簏未來判無講理。淵曰。殊不然。此乃打狗杖耳。因帶挾西返。還住舊寺。標定義府。道俗懷欽。於是論筵頻建。聽眾數百。自重名行少賓知己。沙門智訓。遊學京華數論通敏。同還本壤投分與交。淵弗許也。後寺庫犯官。淵自恃名高一州。為物所讓。以身代當。強悍不弭。至於事成知當必敗。因爾出郭。於路以刃自刎。時年六十一矣。即普通七年也。彭門爾時復有法文法度法護道興等。並以廣學達名。文貞廉好尚雅有風采。度通解大乘方嚴有則。護剛直履信不交世務。興秉素懷正好仁奉義。並下都住寺不墜學宗。為諸雄辯所見推仰。

Shi Baoyuan was surnamed Chen and was a native of Langzhong in Baxi. At the age of twenty-three, he received pravrajyā in Chengdu and dwelt at Luotiangong Monastery. Wishing to study the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra and become a master who disseminated it, he found the scholarship in his home province shallow and unsatisfactory for his aspirations. In the first year of the Jianwu reign of the Qi dynasty, he went down to the capital and resided at Longguang Monastery, where he received instruction in the Five Groups [of Vinaya rules] from the dharmabhāṇaka Sengmin. After several years, the doctrinal principles had deeply imprinted his mind. Min remarked: 'This gentleman has a free-spirited nature, sharp wit, and intellect far exceeding ordinary men. My only regret is his aloofness, erratic behavior, and perilous rashness in action and stillness. If he meets a person of universal understanding who treats him generously, he will become a renowned scholar of his generation. But if he does not meet with favorable circumstances, he will not die a natural death and will surely bring disgrace upon the Great Dharma.' Yuan had an intense fondness for gambling and was given to outbursts while drinking and nursing resentments. All day he acted unruly and unyielding, refusing to defer to anyone. Min admonished and guided him repeatedly, but Yuan turned him into an enemy instead. Consequently, he changed his course and studied the former teachings under Zhizang. When he established his own lecture seat, his material wealth was plentiful, and his zeal and diligent exertion were twice that of ordinary days. He often said: 'A great man should make others attend upon him; how can he long attend upon others?' Thereupon he widely copied doctrinal commentaries. At a high price, he bought the calligraphy of General Zhennan Wang, sealed it in a hamper, and intended to return west. Huiji, a monk of the same monastery, jested with him, saying: 'Anciently, if the Xie clan's blue box did not arrive, one could not compose literary works; today, if your white hamper does not come, it is certain there will be no basis for giving lectures.' Yuan said: 'Not so at all! This is merely a dog-beating stick.' Thereupon he took it with him and returned to the west, where he took up residence in his old monastery and established a repository of doctrinal definitions. Monastics and laymen held him in admiration. Thereupon he frequently set up debate platforms with several hundred listeners. Valuing his own reputation and conduct, he rarely associated with close friends who understood him. The śramaṇa Zhixun had studied in the capital, was thoroughly versed in the Abhidharma and treatises, and upon returning to his home region, sought to cultivate a close bond and friendship with him, but Yuan refused him. Later, the monastery storehouse ran afoul of the authorities. Relying on his preeminent fame throughout the province and deferred to by others, Yuan took the place of the culprits and took the blame upon himself. He remained intractable and unyielding. When matters reached the point where he knew failure was certain, he went out of the outer city walls and cut his own throat with a blade upon the road. He was sixty-one years old at the time, which was the seventh year of the Putong reign. In Pengmen at that time there were also Fawen, Fadu, Fahu, and Daoxing, all of whom achieved renown for their broad learning. Wen was pure, upright, and fond of refined tastes, having great elegance and charisma; Du had a thorough understanding of the Mahāyāna, and was upright, solemn, and disciplined; Hu was unbendingly upright and practiced fidelity, not mingling in worldly affairs; Xing adhered to his pure aspirations, having a great love of benevolence and devotion to righteousness. They all went down to the capital and dwelt in monasteries without letting their ancestral teachings fall into decay, and were praised and looked up to by the great debaters.