續高僧傳 8.28

8.28

釋慧榮。姓顧氏。會稽山陰人也。梁高祖大通年。辭親出聽。時建初彭城盛弘成實。素未陳略即盡清辯。一眾同嗟便開令望。而稟性虛廓不指世務。惟以法事餘全無敘。鄉邑二親哀其弱喪。數因行李寄以書信。榮得而焚之。顧諸友曰。余豈不懷乎。廢余業也。書中但二字耳。復何開乎。人問是何。答吉凶也。如此積功三十餘載。不號義龍誓無返迹。自是專業勇鎧。聲稱彌遠。即而講悟。學者歸之。年至五十門人亦爾。乃大弘法席廣延緇素。時梁儲在坐素不識之。令問講者何名。乃抗聲曰。禹穴慧榮江東獨步。太子不識何謂儲君。一坐掩耳。以為彭亨之太甚也。榮從容如舊旁若無人。後與諸徒還歸故邑。其母尚在餘並物故。乃喟然嘆曰。十五辭隣故。五十還故隣。少年不識我。長老無一人。本邑道俗欲光其價。而忌其言令也。大集諸眾令其竪義。榮曰。余學廣矣。輒竪恐致餘詞。任眾舉其義門。然後標據。眾以其博達矜尚。乃令竪八十種好。謂必不能誦持。榮曰。舉眾無人也。斯乃文繁義可知耳。即部分上下。以法繩持。須臾牒數列名出體。僉雖難激蓋無成濟。晚又出都。相仍講授。至德末年卒於楊都。

Śramaṇa Huirong, surnamed Gu, was a native of Shanyin in Kuaiji. During the Datong reign of Gaozu of the Liang, he took leave of his parents to go out and attend lectures. At that time, Jianchu and Pengcheng flourished in promoting the Chengshi lun. Although he had never set out an outline before, he gave full vent to pure eloquence; the entire congregation was moved to sigh in admiration, and his fine reputation immediately opened. By nature he was expansive and open-minded, taking no notice of worldly affairs; he devoted himself solely to the work of the Dharma, leaving everything else unaddressed. His parents in his home village, sorrowful at his early departure, repeatedly sent letters via travelers. Rong received them and burned them. Looking around to his companions, he said, 'How could I not yearn for them? But it would disrupt my studies. In the letters there are only two words; why should I open them?' When asked what they were, he replied, 'Good fortune and bad fortune.' Thus he accumulated effort for over thirty years, vowing never to retrace his steps until he was hailed as an 'Elephant of Doctrine.' From then on he applied himself single-mindedly with the armor of vigor, and his fame spread ever farther. Thereupon he lectured and expounded his realizations, and scholars flocked to him. When he reached the age of fifty, his disciples were still thus. He then broadly opened Dharma assemblies, extensively inviting both monastics and laity. At that time, the Crown Prince of the Liang was in attendance, having never known him before, and ordered someone to ask, 'What is the lecturer's name?' Rong raised his voice and said, 'Huirong of the Cave of Yu, unique in Jiangdong! If the Crown Prince does not know me, what kind of heir apparent is he?' The entire assembly covered their ears, thinking he was excessively arrogant. Rong remained leisurely as before, acting as if no one were there. Later, he returned to his home village with his disciples. His mother was still alive, but the rest had all passed away. He sighed with emotion and said, 'At fifteen I took leave of my neighbors of old; / At fifty I return to my old neighborhood. / The young do not recognize me, / And not a single elder remains.' The monastics and laity of his native district wished to highlight his worth, yet resented his sharp words. They gathered a great assembly to make him defend a thesis. Rong said, 'My learning is extensive. If I establish a proposition at will, it might evoke idle words. I leave it to the assembly to raise the topic, after which I shall establish the proofs.' Because he was broadly versed and arrogant, the assembly had him defend the eighty secondary marks, thinking he would surely be unable to recite and hold them all. Rong said, 'In the entire assembly, there is no real man! This is merely a text of many words; its meaning is readily known.' Thereupon he divided the sections above and below, keeping to the thread of the Dharma. In an instant he registered the numbers, listed the names, and extracted the essentials. Although all attempted difficult challenges, none succeeded. In his later years he went out to the capital again, continuously lecturing and teaching. In the late years of the Zhide reign, he passed away in the capital of Yang.