[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) › 8.29 # 續高僧傳 8.29 續高僧傳 8.29 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8.29) 釋曇延。俗緣王氏。蒲州桑泉人也。世家豪族宦歷齊周。而性協書籍鄉邦稱敘。年十六因遊寺。聽妙法師講涅槃探悟其旨。遂捨俗服膺幽討深致。出言清越厲然不群。時在弱冠便就講說。詞辯優贍弘裕方雅。每云。佛性妙理為涅槃宗極。足為心神之遊翫也。延形長九尺五寸。手垂過膝。目光外發。長可尺餘。容止邕肅慈誘汎博。可謂堂堂然也視前直進顧必轉身。風骨陶融時共傳德。及進具後。器度日新機鑒俊拔。遐邇屬目。雖大觀奧典。而恐理在膚寸。乃更聽華嚴大論十地地持佛性寶性等諸部。皆超略前導統津准的。自顧影而言曰。與爾沈淪日久。飄泊何歸。今可挾道潛形精思出要。遂隱於南部太行山百梯寺。即所謂中朝山是也。時山中有薛居士者。學總玄儒多所該覽。聞延年少知道夙悟超倫。遂從而謁焉言謔相高未之揖謝。薛乃戲題四字。謂方圓動靜。命延體之。延應聲曰。方如方等城。圓如智慧日。動則識波浪。靜類涅槃室。薛驚異絕嘆曰。由來所未見。希世挺生。即斯人也。爾後恒來尋造質疑請義。延幽居靜志欲著涅槃大疏。恐有滯凡情。每祈誠寤寐。夜夢有人被於白服乘於白馬。騣尾拂地而談授經旨。延手執馬騣與之清論。覺後惟曰。此必馬鳴大士。授我義端。執騣知其宗旨。語事則可知矣。便述疏說偈曰。歸命如來藏。不可思議法等。纘撰既訖。猶恐不合正理。遂持經及疏。陳於州治仁壽寺舍利塔前。燒香誓曰。延以凡度仰測聖心。銓釋已了具如別卷。若幽微深達願示明靈。如無所感誓不傳授。言訖涅槃卷軸並放光明。通夜呈祥。道俗稱慶。塔中舍利又放神光。三日三夜輝耀不絕。上屬天漢下照山河。合境望光皆來謁拜。其光相所照。與妙法師大同。則師資通感也。乃表以聞。帝大悅勅延就講。既感徵瑞便長弘演。所著文疏詳之于世時諸英達僉議。用比遠公所製。遠乃文句愜當。世實罕加。而標舉宏綱通鏡長騖。則延過之久矣。周太祖素揖道聲尤相欽敬。躬事講主親聽清言。遠近馳萃觀採如市。而獲供事曾不預懷。性好恬虛罔干時政。大祖以百梯太遠諮省路艱。遂於中朝西嶺形勝之所。為之立寺。名曰雲居。國俸給之通於聽眾。有陳聘使周弘正者。博考經籍辯逸懸河。遊說三國抗敘無擬。以周建德中年銜命入秦。帝訝其機捷舉朝恧采。勅境內能言之士不限道俗。及搜採巖穴遁逸高世者。可與弘正對論。不得墜於國風。時蒲州刺史中山公宇文氏。夙承令範。乃表上曰。曇延法師器識弘偉風神爽拔。年雖未立而英辯難繼者也。帝乃總集賢能期日釋奠。躬御禮筵朝宰畢至。時周國僧望二人倫次登座。發言將訖尋被正難。徵據重疊投解莫通。帝及群僚一朝失色。延座居末第未忍斯慚。便不次而起。帝曰。位未至何事輒起。延曰。若是他方大士。可藉大德相臨。今乃遠國微臣小僧足堪支敵。延徑昇高座。帝又曰。何為不禮三寶。答曰。自力兼擬。未假聖賢加助。帝大悅。正遂搆情陳難。延乃引義開關。而正頗挾機調用前殿後。延乘勢挫拉事等摧枯。因即頂拜伏膺。慨知歸之晚。自陳云。弟子三國履歷。訪可師之師。不言今日乃遇於此矣。即請奉而受戒。晝夜諮問永用宗之。及返陳之時。延所著義門并其儀貌。並錄以歸國。每夕北禮以為曇延菩薩焉。初正辭延日。預構風雲山海詩四十首。並抽拔奇思。用上於延。以留後別。及一經目竟不重尋。命筆和之。題如宿誦。酬同本韻。意寔弘通。正大服焉。更無陳對。乃跪而啟曰。願示一言緘諸胸臆。延曰。為賓設席賓不坐。離人極遠熱如火。規矩之用皮中裹。正曰。此則常存意矣。帝以延悟發天真五眾傾則。便授為國統。使夫周壤導達。延又有功。至武帝將廢二教。極諫不從。便隱於太行山。屏迹人世。後帝召延出輔中使屢達。而確乎履操。更深巖處。累徵不獲。逮天元遘疾。追悔昔愆開立尊像。且度百二十人為菩薩僧。延預在上班。仍恨猶同俗相。還藏林藪。隋文創業未展度僧。延初聞改政即事剃落。法服執錫來至王庭。面伸弘理未及勅慰。便先陳曰。敬問。皇帝四海為務無乃勞神。帝曰。弟子久思此意。所恨不周。延曰。貧道昔聞堯世。今日始逢云云。帝奉聞雅度欣泰本懷。共論開法之模孚化之本。延以寺宇未廣教法方隆。奏請度僧以應千二百五十比丘五百童子之數。勅遂總度一千餘人以副延請。此皇隋釋化之開業也。爾後遂多。凡前後別請度者。應有四千餘僧。周廢伽藍並請興復。三寶再弘功兼初運者。又延之力矣。移都龍首。有勅於廣恩坊給地。立延法師眾。開皇四年下勅改延眾可為延興寺。面對通衢。京城之東西二門。亦可取延名以為延興延平也。然其名為世重。道為帝師。而欽承若此。終古罕類。昔中天佛履之門。遂曰瞿曇之號。今國城奉延所諱。亞是其倫。又改本住雲居。以為栖巖寺。勅大樂令齊樹提。造中朝山佛曲。見傳供養。延安其寺宇結眾成業。勅齎蠟燭。未及將爇而自然發焰。延奇之。以事聞帝。因改住寺可為光明也。延曰。弘化須廣。未可自專以額。重奏別立一所。帝然之。今光明寺是也。其幽顯呈祥例率如此。至六年亢旱朝野荒然。勅請三百僧於正殿祈雨。累日無應。帝曰。天不降雨有何所由。延曰。事由一二。帝退與僚宰議之。不達意故。勅京兆太守蘇威。問延一二所由。答曰。陛下萬機之主。群臣毘讚之官。並通治術俱愆玄化。故雨與不雨。事由一二耳。帝遂躬事祈雨。請延於大興殿登御座南面授法。帝及朝宰。五品已上咸席地。北面而受八戒。戒授纔訖日正中時。天有片雲須臾遍布便降甘雨。遠邇咸感。帝悅之。賜絹三百段。而延虛懷物我不滯客主為心。凡有資財散給悲敬。故四遠飄寓投告偏多。一時糧粒將盡。寺主道睦告云。僧料可支兩食。意欲散眾。延曰。當使都盡方散耳。明旦文帝果送米二十車。大眾由是安堵。惑者謂延有先見之明。故停眾待供。未幾帝又遺米五百石。于時年屬飢荐。賴此僧侶無改。帝既稟為師父之重。又勅密戚懿親咸受歸戒。至於食息之際。帝躬奉飲食手御衣裳。用敦弟子之儀。加敬情不能已。其為時君禮重。又此類也。勅又拜為平等沙門。有犯刑網者。皆對之泣淚。令彼折伏從化或投迹山林不敢容世者。以隋開皇八年八月十三日終於所住。春秋七十有三矣。臨終遺啟文帝曰。延逢法王御世偏荷深恩。往緣業淺早相乖背。仰願至尊。護持三寶。始終莫貳。但末代凡僧雖不如法。簡善度之自招勝福。帝聞之哀慟勅王公已下。並往臨弔。并罷朝三日。贈物五百段。設千僧齋。初延康日。告門人曰。吾亡後。以我此身且施禽狩。餘骸依法焚揚。無留殘骨以累看守。弟子沙門童真。洪義通幽覺朗道遜玄琬法常等。一代名流。并文武職僚如滕王等。例咸被髮。徒跣而從喪至于林所。登又下勅。於終南焚地。設三千僧齋。齋訖焚之。天色清朗無雲而降細雨。若闍毘如來之狀也。大眾驚嗟得未曾有也。又隋文學呂叔挺。美其哀榮碑其景行。文如別集。然延恒以西方為正任。語默之際注想不移。侍人觀之若在深定。屬大漸之始。寺側有任金寶者。父子信向。云見空中幡蓋列於柩前。兩行而引。從延興寺南達于山西。斯亦幽冥叶讚。諒非徒擬。自延之蒞道。勢總權衡。而卑牧自居克念成治。解冠群術行動物情故為七眾心師。豈止束形加敬。及聞薨背無不涕零。各修銘誄讚揚盛業。時內史薛道衡。白弔云。延法師。弱齡捨俗。高蹈塵表。志度恢弘。理識精悟。靈臺神㝢。可仰而不可窺。智海法源。可涉而不可測。同夫明鏡矚照不疲。譬彼洪鍾有來斯應。往逢道喪玄維落紐。栖志幽巖確乎不拔。高位厚禮。不能迴其慮。嚴威峻法。未足懼其心。經行宴坐夷險莫二。戒德律儀始終如一。聖皇啟運像法再興。卓爾緇衣欝為稱首。屈宸極之重。伸師資之義。三寶由其弘護。二諦藉以宣揚。信足追蹤澄什超邁安遠。不意法柱忽傾仁舟遽沒。匪直悲纏四部。固亦酸感一人。師等杖錫挈瓶承風訓導。昇堂入室具體而微。在三之情理百恒慟。往矣奈何。其為時賢珍敬如此。所著涅槃義疏十五卷。寶性勝鬘仁王等疏各有差。其門人弟子紹緒厥風。具見別傳。 > Śramaṇa Tanyan, whose secular surname was Wang, was a native of Sangquan in Puzhou. His was an eminent and powerful clan whose members had held office throughout the Qi and Zhou dynasties. By nature attuned to literature and books, he was praised by his native region. At the age of sixteen, while visiting a monastery, he listened to Master Miaofa lecture on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and deeply comprehended its core tenets. He thereupon abandoned secular dress, devoted himself to profound investigation and deep principles, and spoke with clear, ringing tones, standing out from the ordinary. Reaching the age of capping (twenty), he immediately began lecturing and expounding, his eloquence rich and copious, vast, dignified, and upright. He would often say, 'The wondrous principle of buddha-nature is the ultimate crux of nirvāṇa, fully sufficient for the mind and spirit to roam and take delight in.' > > Yan was nine chi and five cun tall; his hands reached past his knees, and the light from his eyes shone outward for more than a chi. His deportment was harmonious, grave, and characterized by broad, compassionate guidance, so that he was truly imposing. When looking forward, he walked straight ahead; when looking back, he always turned his whole body. His natural spirit and character were so fully refined that his virtues were widely transmitted in his time. After receiving full ordination, his capacity and demeanor grew daily anew, and his discernment was outstanding, drawing the attention of both near and far. > > Although he took a broad view of the profound scriptures, he feared his grasp of principle was only skin-deep. Thus he further heard the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Dazhidulun, the Daśabhūmika Sūtra, the Bodhisattvabhūmi, the Foxing lun, the Ratnagotravibhāga, and other works, completely surpassing his predecessors in providing systematic guidance and precise standards. Looking at his own reflection, he said, 'Having sunk and drifted with you for so long, to where will we return after wandering about? Now I ought to take hold of the Way, conceal my form, and intently contemplate the essentials for liberation.' He then withdrew into seclusion at Baiti Temple on Mount Taihang in the southern area—that is, the so-called Mount Zhongchao. > > At that time, there was an Upāsaka Xue in the mountains who had mastered both Daoist metaphysics and Confucian learning, reading widely. Hearing that Yan was young, understood the Way, and possessed an early awakening that surpassed ordinary peers, Xue went to visit him. He made witty and banter-filled challenges without offering customary bows. Xue jokingly wrote four words—'square', 'round', 'motion', and 'stillness'—and bade Yan to embody them. Yan responded immediately: > 'Square like the city of the Vaipulya; > Round like the sun of wisdom; > In motion, the waves of consciousness; > In stillness, resembling the chamber of nirvāṇa.' > > Xue was astonished and exclaimed with unbounded admiration, 'Never before have I seen such a man! A rare genius born into this world is truly this person!' Thereafter, he constantly visited to resolve doubts and request explanations of the teachings. > > Yan lived in quietude with a calm resolve, intending to compose a great commentary on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, but he feared being hindered by ordinary sentiments. He often prayed with sincerity, whether awake or asleep. One night, he dreamed of a person dressed in white clothing riding a white horse whose mane and tail brushed the ground, conversing with him and imparting the meaning of the scripture. Yan held the horse's mane in his hand and engaged in pure philosophical discussion with him. After waking, he thought, 'This must be the great being Aśvaghoṣa, who has imparted to me the starting points of the meaning. By holding the mane, I knew the central tenets; spoken matters can thus be understood.' He then composed the commentary and uttered a verse, beginning: 'I take refuge in the tathāgatagarbha, the inconceivable Dharma…' > > When the compilation was complete, he still feared it might not accord with the correct principle. He thereupon took the scripture and commentary and laid them before the relic pagoda of Renshou Temple at the prefecture seat, burning incense and making a vow: 'Yan, with ordinary estimation, looks up to measure the sagely mind. The analysis and interpretation are complete, as detailed in the separate scrolls. If I have profoundly attained the subtle and hidden meaning, may the luminous spirits manifest a sign; if there is no spiritual resonance, I vow never to transmit it.' As he finished speaking, the scrolls of the Nirvāṇa all emitted light, displaying auspicious omens through the entire night, and both clergy and laity rejoiced. The relics in the pagoda also emitted divine light, shining unceasingly for three days and three nights, connecting upward with the Milky Way and illuminating the mountains and rivers below. People from throughout the realm saw the light and came to pay homage. The light was identical to that previously manifested by Master Miaofa, showing that teacher and disciple were joined in spiritual resonance. > > A memorial was submitted to inform the throne, and the Emperor was greatly pleased, decreeing that Yan should deliver lectures. Having received these auspicious omens, he perpetually expounded and promoted the teachings. The written commentaries he composed became renowned throughout the world. Eminent scholars of the time unanimously compared them to those authored by Master Huiyuan: Yuan's phrasing was fitting and rarely equaled in the world, yet in establishing the grand framework and maintaining comprehensive clarity and far-reaching scope, Yan had long surpassed him. > > Taizu of the Northern Zhou had always respected Yan's reputation in the Way and revered him especially. He personally waited upon the lecture master and listened to his pure discourse. Observers flocked from near and far, gathering as at a market. Yet when Yan received offerings and service, he never took them to heart. By nature he loved tranquility and emptiness, never interfering in court politics. Taizu, considering Baiti Temple too distant and the travel arduous for consultations, established a monastery for him at a scenic location on the western ridge of Mount Zhongchao, naming it Yunju. The state provided stipends to support him and his audience. > > At that time, Zhou Hongzheng, an envoy sent from the Chen dynasty, was broadly versed in the scriptures and classics, and his eloquence flowed like a cascading river; he had traveled and debated in the Three Kingdoms, unmatched in his rejoinders. In the middle of the Jiande era of the Zhou, he went on an embassy to Qin. The Emperor, amazed by his quick wit and perceiving the embarrassment of the court, issued an edict that eloquent men within the realm, whether clergy or laity, as well as those living secluded in mountain caves or elevated above the world, should debate with Hongzheng, so as not to diminish the prestige of the state. > > The Prefect of Puzhou, Duke of Zhongshan of the Yuwen clan, who had long admired Yan's fine example, submitted a memorial: 'Dharma Master Tanyan possesses a magnanimous character and discernment, and his spirit is remarkably elevated. Although he is not yet thirty, his brilliant eloquence is difficult to match.' The Emperor then gathered the worthy and capable, setting a day for the state sacrifice, personally presiding over the ceremonial banquet, with all court ministers present. At that time, two monks of high standing in the Zhou took the platform in sequence, but just as they finished speaking, they were immediately challenged by Hongzheng, who layered proofs upon proofs so that their explanations could not get through. The Emperor and all his officials suddenly lost countenance. Yan, sitting in the lowest place, could not bear this humiliation and stood up out of order. The Emperor asked, 'Your turn has not yet arrived; why do you stand up so abruptly?' Yan replied, 'If he were a great being from another land, we might rely on eminent elders to face him; but now he is merely a petty subject from a distant country, and this humble monk is quite sufficient to withstand him.' > > Yan proceeded straight to the high seat. The Emperor asked again, 'Why did you not pay homage to the Triratna?' He replied, 'My own strength is sufficient for the task; I have not yet needed to borrow the assistance of the sages and worthies.' The Emperor was greatly delighted. Hongzheng then constructed his arguments and presented objections, while Yan drew upon doctrinal principles to break through the obstacles. Hongzheng, relying on his cleverness, shifted between his earlier and later statements; Yan took advantage of his momentum to break and crush his arguments, as easily as breaking dry twigs. Hongzheng thereupon prostrated and bowed, submitting wholeheartedly, and lamented that he had come to know where to turn so late. He said of himself, 'Your disciple has traversed the Three Kingdoms seeking a master who could truly be a master, never imagining that today I would encounter him here.' He then requested to follow Yan and receive the precepts, consulting him day and night, adopting him forever as his guiding authority. > > When returning to Chen, Hongzheng took with him the doctrinal divisions Yan had composed along with a portrait of his appearance. Every evening he would bow to the north, regarding him as 'Bodhisattva Tanyan.' Previously, on the day Hongzheng took leave of Yan, he had composed forty poems on 'Wind, Clouds, Mountains, and Rivers,' drawing upon extraordinary ingenuity to present to Yan as a parting gift. Having only looked at them once, Yan did not read them again; he called for a brush and harmonized with them, writing them down as if reciting from memory, matching the original rhymes, his intent truly grand and penetrating. Hongzheng admired him immensely and had no further rejoinder. He knelt and said, 'I wish you would impart a single word that I may treasure in my heart.' Yan said, 'Preparing a mat for a guest, yet the guest does not sit; / Extremely distant from others, yet hot as fire; / The application of rules is wrapped within the hide.' Hongzheng said, 'This expresses what has always been in my mind.' > > Because Yan's awakening arose from his innate nature and served as a model for the five assemblies, the Emperor appointed him as State Director of Monks (Guotong), so that he could guide the realm of Zhou, Yan thereby rendering great service. When Emperor Wu was about to abolish the two teachings (Buddhism and Daoism), Yan remonstrated vehemently, but his advice was not accepted, so he concealed himself in Mount Taihang, withdrawing from human society. Later, the Emperor summoned Yan out to assist him, palace envoys arriving repeatedly, yet Yan remained steadfast in his conduct, moving deeper into the rocky crags, so that repeated summons failed to obtain him. > > When Emperor Tianyuan fell ill, he repented of his past errors, set up revered images, and ordained one hundred and twenty people as 'Bodhisattva-monks.' Yan was placed among the high-ranking, but still regretting that they wore secular-like garb, he returned to hide in the forests. When Emperor Wen of the Sui founded the dynasty, he had not yet had the leisure to ordain monks. When Yan first heard of the change in rule, he immediately shaved his head, donned the Dharma robes, held his staff, and came to the royal court. Presenting grand principles face to face, before the Emperor could utter imperial consolations, Yan took the initiative to say, 'I respectfully inquire: Your Majesty attends to the affairs of the four seas; does this not exhaust your spirit?' The Emperor said, 'Your disciple has long contemplated this matter, only regretting my inadequacy.' Yan said, 'This poor monk in the past only heard of the era of Yao; only today have I encountered it,' and so forth. > > Hearing his refined demeanor, the Emperor was pleased, and his original aspiration was fulfilled. Together they discussed the model for inaugurating the Dharma and the basis for inspiring transformation. Yan, considering that monasteries were not yet widespread while the teachings were just beginning to flourish, petitioned to ordain monks to correspond to the number of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus and five hundred youths. The Emperor then issued an edict to ordain over one thousand people in total to fulfill Yan's request. This was the inauguration of the transformation of the Buddhist community under the imperial Sui. Thereafter, ordinations became frequent; in all, those separately requested to be ordained numbered more than four thousand monks. He also petitioned to restore the monasteries abolished under the Zhou. That the Triratna flourished once again, with merits equal to the initial movement, was indeed due to Yan's efforts. > > When the capital was moved to Longshou, an edict granted land in the Guang'en Ward to establish a community for Dharma Master Yan. In the fourth year of Kaihuang, an edict changed Yan's community to become Yanxing Temple. It faced the thoroughfare, and the eastern and western gates of the capital were also named Yanxing and Yanping after Yan's name. That his name was so revered by the world and his Way taken as the imperial preceptor in such an honored manner was truly rare throughout history. In ancient times, the gate where the Buddha walked in Central India was named Gautama; now the capital honoring Yan's name was second only to that precedent. Furthermore, his original dwelling at Yunju was renamed Xiyan Temple. The Emperor decreed that the Grand Director of Music, Qi Shuti, compose the 'Buddha Melody of Mount Zhongchao,' which is transmitted as an offering down to the present day. > > Yan settled his monastery, gathering the assembly and accomplishing his work. The Emperor sent wax candles as gifts; before they were even lit, they spontaneously burst into flame. Yan found this extraordinary and reported the matter to the Emperor, who thereupon ordered that his monastery be renamed Guangming ('Luminous'). Yan said, 'Promoting the transformation must be broad; one should not monopolize an imperial plaque for oneself.' He repeatedly petitioned to establish another separate monastery, to which the Emperor agreed; this is today's Guangming Temple. The auspicious signs manifested by both the unseen and visible were generally of this sort. > > In the sixth year, there was a severe drought, and both court and countryside were distressed. An edict requested three hundred monks to pray for rain in the main palace hall, but for several days there was no response. The Emperor asked, 'For what reason does Heaven not send down rain?' Yan said, 'The matter depends on the One and the Two.' The Emperor retired and discussed this with his ministers, but they did not comprehend the meaning. He therefore ordered the Governor of the Capital, Su Wei, to ask Yan what was meant by 'the One and the Two.' Yan replied, 'Your Majesty is the master of the ten thousand affairs; the ministers are the officials who assist and support. Both govern secular techniques, yet both are deficient in profound transformation. Therefore, whether it rains or not depends entirely on the One and the Two.' > > The Emperor then personally engaged in praying for rain, inviting Yan to ascend the imperial throne in Daxing Hall, facing south to confer the Dharma. The Emperor, the court ministers, and those of the fifth rank and above all sat on the ground facing north to receive the Eight Precepts. Just as the bestowal of the precepts was concluded at midday, a wisp of cloud appeared in the sky, swiftly spreading everywhere, and sweet rain fell. Near and far were deeply moved. The Emperor was delighted and bestowed three hundred bolts of silk. > > Yet Yan maintained an empty mind regarding self and others, keeping a mindset that did not fixate on guest and host. Whenever he had wealth, he distributed it out of compassion and reverence; thus many destitute travelers from the four quarters came to seek help. At one point, the grain was nearly exhausted. The prior, Daomu, reported, 'The provisions for the monks can only sustain two more meals; I intend to disperse the assembly.' Yan said, 'We must wait until it is completely exhausted before dispersing.' The next morning, Emperor Wen indeed sent twenty carts of rice, and the great assembly was thereby set at ease. Confused observers thought Yan had foreknowledge and thus retained the assembly to await the offering. Not long after, the Emperor again sent five hundred shi of rice. At that time, there was a succession of famines, but thanks to this, the monastic assembly suffered no want. > > The Emperor, having received him with the gravity due a master and father, also decreed that his close relatives and imperial kinsmen all receive the refuges and precepts. At mealtimes and during rest, the Emperor personally served food and drink and handled his robes, maintaining the etiquette of a disciple, his feelings of reverence boundless. Such was the honor and reverence he received from the ruler of the day. > > An edict further appointed him as Śramaṇa of Universal Equanimity (Pingdeng Shamen). When people violated penal laws, Yan would weep before them, causing them to submit and be transformed, or to flee into the mountains and forests, not daring to show themselves in the world. On the thirteenth day of the eighth month in the eighth year of Kaihuang of the Sui, he passed away at his dwelling at the age of seventy-three. > > On the verge of death, he left a final memorial to Emperor Wen, saying: 'Yan encountered the King of the Dharma ruling the world, receiving especially deep grace. My past karmic connections being shallow, I must part from you early. I respectfully hope Your Majesty will protect and uphold the Triratna, without duplicity from beginning to end. Even if the ordinary monks of the latter age do not accord with the Dharma, select the good and ordain them, which will naturally invite superior merit.' Hearing this, the Emperor grieved deeply, decreeing that princes, dukes, and those below should all go to offer condolences, suspending the court for three days, donating five hundred bolts of silk, and hosting a vegetarian feast for one thousand monks. > > Earlier, when Yan was healthy, he told his disciples: 'After I pass away, give this body of mine as an offering to birds and beasts. The remaining bones should be cremated and scattered according to the Dharma; do not leave behind residual bones to burden caretakers.' His disciples, the śramaṇas Tongzhen, Hongyi, Tongyou, Juelang, Daoxun, Xuanwan, Fachang, and others—all famous figures of an era—along with civil and military officials such as the Prince of Teng, let down their hair, went barefoot, and followed the funeral procession to the forest. An edict was immediately issued to hold a vegetarian feast for three thousand monks at the cremation site in Zhongnan. When the feast ended, he was cremated; the sky was clear and cloudless, yet a fine rain fell, resembling the scene of the cremation (jhāpita) of the Tathāgata. The great assembly marveled with praise, experiencing what was unprecedented. Furthermore, the Sui scholar Lü Shuting praised his sorrowful glory and inscribed his illustrious deeds on a stele, the text of which is in a separate collection. > > Yan had always taken the Western Paradise as his primary aspiration; whether speaking or silent, his focused mindfulness never wavered. Attendants observing him felt as though he were in deep samādhi. When his terminal illness began, a certain Ren Jinbao and his son, who lived beside the monastery and were devout believers, said they saw banners and canopies in the sky lined up before the bier, leading in two rows from Yanxing Temple south to the west of the mountains. This too was the unseen realm assisting and praising, surely not a groundless claim. > > From the time Yan took charge of the Way, his authority matched the scales of state, yet he conducted himself with humility and simplicity, controlling his thoughts to accomplish governance. His understanding surpassed all arts, and his conduct moved the feelings of living beings; thus he was the spiritual teacher of the seven assemblies, receiving far more than mere formal reverence. When news of his demise spread, there was none who did not weep, and many composed inscriptions and eulogies to praise his glorious deeds. At that time, the Palace Secretariat Xue Daoheng offered a condolence address, which read: > > 'Dharma Master Yan, in his youth, renounced secular life and strode high above the worldly realm. His mind and bearing were vast and magnanimous, his comprehension of principle penetrating and acute. His spiritual mind and wondrous realm could be looked up to, but not peered into; his ocean of wisdom and source of Dharma could be traversed, but not fathomed. Like a bright mirror, his shining illumination never grew weary; like a great bell, whenever struck, he responded. In the past, when the Way was brought low and the dark cord snapped, he lodged his aspirations in the secluded crags, steadfast and immovable. High rank and lavish courtesies could not divert his thoughts; stern majesty and harsh laws were insufficient to terrify his heart. Whether pacing in meditation or sitting in tranquil contemplation, he remained the same in danger or ease; his precept-virtue and vinaya deportment were consistent from beginning to end. When the Sagely Emperor inaugurated his reign and the Semblance Dharma rose again, how preeminent were his black robes, flourishing as the leader of all! The Emperor lowered the majesty of the imperial throne to extend the decorum of master and disciple. The Triratna relied on him for broad protection, and the Two Truths were propagated through him. Truly he followed in the footsteps of Fotudeng and Kumārajīva, and surpassed Dao'an and Huiyuan. Unexpectedly, the pillar of Dharma has suddenly fallen, and the vessel of benevolence has swiftly sunk. Not only is sorrow entwined around the four assemblies, but the One Man (the Emperor) is also deeply grieved. You masters who hold the staff and carry the flask have inherited his style and instruction; entering his hall and penetrating his chamber, you embody his likeness in miniature. With the devotion due to a father, master, and sovereign, you grieve a hundredfold unceasingly. He has departed—alas, what can be done!' > > Such was the deep reverence he received from the worthy figures of the time. He authored a fifteen-fascicle doctrinal commentary on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, as well as commentaries on the Ratnagotravibhāga, Śrīmālādevī Sūtra, Renwang jing, and others, of varying lengths. His disciples carried on his style, as fully recorded in their separate biographies. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8.28) - [Next: 8.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8.30) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060~en-mt.8.29) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2060.8.29) · Pramāṇa