續高僧傳 7.24

7.24

釋慧嵩。未詳氏族。高昌國人。其國本沮渠涼王避地之所。故其宗族皆通華夏之文軌焉嵩少出家聰悟敏捷。開卷輒尋便了中義。潛蘊玄肆尤翫雜心。時為彼國所重。嵩兄為博士。王族推崇。雅重儒林未欽佛理。覩嵩英鑒勸令反俗。教以義方。嵩曰腐儒小智未足歸賞。固當同諸糟粕。餘何可論。兄頻遮礙。乃以易林祕隱問之。嵩初不讀俗典。執卷開剖挺出前聞。兄雖異之殊不信佛法之博要也。嵩以毘曇一偈化令解之停滯兩月妄釋紛紜。乃有其言全乖理義。嵩總非所述。聊為一開。泠然神悟。便大崇信佛法。博通玄奧。乃恣其遊涉。于時元魏末齡大演經教。高昌王欲使釋門更闢。乃獻嵩并弟。隨使入朝。高氏作相深相器重。時智遊論師世稱英傑。嵩乃從之聽毘曇成實。領牒文旨信重當時。而位處沙彌更搖聲略。及進具後便登元座。開判經誥雅會機緣。乃使鋒銳剠敵歸依接足。既學成望遠本國請還。嵩曰。以吾之博達。義非邊鄙之所資也。旋環鄴洛弘道為宗。後又重徵。嵩固執如舊。高昌乃夷其三族。嵩聞之告其屬曰。經不云乎。三界無常諸有非樂。況復三途八苦由來所經何足怪乎。及高齊天保革命惟新。上統榮望見重宣帝。嵩以慧學騰譽。頻以法義凌之。乃徙於徐州為長年僧統。仍居彭沛大闡宏猷。江表河南率遵聲教。即隋初志念論師之祖承也。以天保年。卒於徐部。

Śramaṇa Shi Huisong’s clan name is not known; he was a man of the kingdom of Gaochang. That realm had originally been where the Liang king of the Juqu had fled; therefore, all of its clans were well versed in the literary and institutional traditions of China. Huisong underwent pravrajyā when young, being perceptive and quick-witted. Opening a scroll, he would grasp its core principles upon reading it. Secretly harboring a mastery of profound doctrines, he especially savored the Za xin lun (Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra) and was highly esteemed in that kingdom at the time. Huisong’s elder brother was an Erudite (boshi) whom the royal clan revered; he deeply admired the Confucian grove and did not yet revere Buddhist truth. Seeing Huisong’s brilliant discernment, he urged him to return to lay life and instruct him in moral rectitude. Huisong said, 'The petty wisdom of rotten Confucians is unworthy of praise; it should firmly be treated as mere dregs. What else is there to discuss?' His brother repeatedly obstructed him, and then questioned him on the hidden arcana of the Yi lin. Huisong had never read mundane classics; yet holding the scroll, he dissected it in a way that surpassed all prior teachings. Although his brother marveled at him, he still did not believe in the breadth and essentials of the Buddha-Dharma. Huisong presented him with a single verse from the Abhidharma to have him explain it. He stalled for two months, producing confusing and erratic expositions; his words completely deviated from the doctrinal principles. Huisong refuted all that he stated and briefly expounded it once. With a cool clarity of spiritual awakening, [the brother] came to revere and believe in the Buddha-Dharma profoundly, acquiring a wide mastery of its profound arcana, and allowed [Huisong] to roam freely [in his study]. At that time, in the late years of the Northern Wei, scriptural teachings were being widely propagated. The king of Gaochang, wishing to expand the Buddhist order further, offered Huisong along with his younger brother to accompany an embassy into the imperial court. When the Gao clan acted as regents, they regarded him with great esteem. At that time, the scholastic master Zhiyou was renowned throughout the realm as an outstanding talent. Huisong then followed him to study the Abhidharma and the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra. Grasping the gist of the texts, he was deeply trusted and revered in that era. Although he held the status of a śrāmaṇera, his fame and renown spread ever wider. After receiving full ordination, he immediately mounted the high seat, expounding and judging the scriptures and treatises in graceful accord with the capacities of his audience, causing keen adversaries to take refuge and bow their heads at his feet. Having completed his studies and gained far-reaching renown, his native kingdom requested his return. Huisong said, 'Given my broad penetration, my doctrinal pursuits are not meant to benefit a border region.' He circulated between Ye and Luoyang, taking the propagation of the Way as his aim. Later, he was summoned again, but Huisong remained steadfast as before. Gaochang thereupon exterminated his three clans. Hearing of this, Huisong told his followers, 'Do not the scriptures say that the three realms are impermanent and all states of existence are devoid of joy? What is more, the three evil destinies and the eight sufferings are things experienced throughout cycles of existence; why should one find this strange?' When the Gao Qi established the Tianbao reign-era and brought about a renewal of mandate, the Grand Controller (shangtong) of high renown was heavily esteemed by Emperor Xuan. Because Huisong’s reputation had soared for his wisdom and learning, he frequently outshone him in doctrinal debates. Consequently, he was relocated to Xuzhou to serve as the Senior Provincial Controller of Monks (changnian sengtong). He remained living in Pengpei, grandly propagating his great designs. The regions south of the Yangzi and south of the Yellow River all followed his voice and teachings. He was the ancestral master from whom the scholastic master Zhinian at the beginning of the Sui derived his transmission. In the Tianbao reign-era, he died in Xuzhou.