續高僧傳 17.16.2

17.16.2

"How do we know this? Ignorance is darkness; the lips and tongue are the bow; the mind's thoughts are like the string; voice and sound are like arrows. Through the long night they are discharged in vain, with nothing realized. Furthermore, the Dharma-doors are like a mirror, reflecting shapes whether square or round as they will. Formerly at Waguan Temple, forty people practiced dhyāna sitting, and half entered the Dharma-door. Now, out of two hundred practicing dhyāna sitting, only ten attain the Dharma. After this, those who take refuge in the lineage have doubled, yet those who truly grasp the Dharma are few. For what reason is this? It can well be understood. In pursuing my own practice and teaching, each may follow whatever suits them; but I must follow my own purpose." Thereupon he went to Tiantai. When he arrived at that mountain and met [Ding]guang, he conveyed his deep delight. Guang said, "Great spiritual friend, do you remember my waving my hand from the mountain summit years ago to summon you?" Zhiyi was astonished and knew that the portent of his dream had indeed come to pass. This was in the autumn, the ninth month, of the seventh year of the Taijian reign of the Chen [575 CE]. They also heard the sound of bells filling the valley, and the assembly all found it wondrous. Guang said, "The bell is summoning those with karmic affinity; you shall dwell here." Zhiyi then chose a dwelling on an auspicious site, located to the north of where Guang lived, south of Mount Folong, at the source of Luoxi. It was peaceful, spacious, and well-suited for seeking the truth; the ground was flat and the springs pure, so he lingered and stayed there. Suddenly three men appeared, wearing black caps and crimson garments, holding a written request, saying, "You may perform circumambulation here." Thereupon he initially erected a thatched hermitage and planted pine trees and fruit trees. Within a few years, buildings expanded one after another, turning into a thoroughfare of gathering. Guang said, "For now, settle here as appropriate. When the country is pacified (Guoqing) and the three realms are brought under a single rule, an eminent person will erect a temple for the dhyāna master, and halls and buildings will fill the mountain." At that time, none could comprehend his words. Later, Zhiyi practiced solitary, quiet dhūta on Huading Peak to the north of the temple. A violent gale uprooted trees, and thunder clapped and roared. Mountain goblins appeared by the thousands, each with a hundred shapes, spitting fire and shrieking in a terrifying display beyond description. Zhiyi subdued his mind and rested in forbearance, serene and detached from self. Then he suffered from agony and pain in body and mind, as though scorched by fire. He also saw his deceased parents resting their heads on his knees, weeping and pleading for pity in their distress. Zhiyi again relied on the forbearance of the Dharma, remaining unmoving as a mountain. As a result, the phenomena caused by both harsh and alluring conditions were extinguished. Suddenly a spiritual monk from the Western Regions arrived and told him, "Subduing the enemy and conquering adversity may truly be called valor." (The text is extensive and is not fully recorded.) Emperor Xuan of the Chen issued an imperial decree stating: "The dhyāna master is an outstanding champion of the Buddha's Dharma, the authority revered by the masters of our time. He instructs both religious and lay, and is the hope of our realm. It is fitting to allocate the tax revenues of Shifeng County to support the expenses of his community, and to exempt two households of commoners from taxes to provide firewood and water. Tiantai Mountain shall be named Anle County." Yuan Zixiong of Chen Commandery held deep faith in the correct Dharma. Every summer he would regularly lecture on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra. Suddenly three flights of jeweled steps were seen descending from the sky, and several dozen Indic monks descended the steps, entered the hall to pay homage, and, holding censers in their hands, circumambulated Zhiyi three times. After a long while, they vanished. Xiong and the entire assembly saw this together, marveling with cries that stirred the mountain. His spiritual resonance and practice were all of this nature. Bozhi, the Prince of Yongyang, went forth to administer Wuxing, and together with his kin, went to the mountain to request the precepts. He also instituted a seven-night Vaipulya repentance rite. By day the prince administered state affairs, and by night he practiced meditation. Zhiyi said to his disciple Zhiyue, "I wish to urge the prince to cultivate merit further to avert disaster; would that be permissible?" Yue replied, "The prince's officers are not longtime associates; they will surely waver in their opinions." Zhiyi said, "To put an end to the world's slander and suspicion is also a good thing." Shortly thereafter, while out hunting, the prince fell from his horse and was near death. Only then did he understand Zhiyi's intention; Zhiyi personally led the assembly in performing the Avalokiteśvara repentance ritual. Soon after, the prince regained slight consciousness, sat leaning against an armrest, and saw an Indic monk holding a censer come straight forward to ask after his illness. The prince broke into a sweat and could not answer. The monk then circumambulated the prince once, and his pain ceased entirely. Thereupon the prince personally composed a vow stating: "Looking up with reverence to the Tiantai ācārya, whose virtue equals Dao'an and Huiyuan, and whose Path surpasses Mingguang and Huayou. Near and far thirst for him, and holding their khakkharas they gather like clouds. He continues the declining lineage of the Semblance Dharma to rescue the benighted, and reveals the radiant light of the sun of wisdom to save this decadent age. Moreover, he traverses the Dharma-doors and thoroughly masters the garden of dhyāna; the bonds of conditioned phenomena are already cast off, and the forbearance of the unproduced has become manifest before him. I, your disciple, am tossed by the karmic winds and sunk in the waters of attachment; although I taste the joy of the Dharma, I cannot dispel my unenlightened mind; in vain do I admire the bliss of dhyāna, while ultimately retaining scattered and fluctuating thoughts. The solar chariot races along, and the reins of Yihe do not pause; the lunar mirror revolves, and the form of Heng'e is hard to detain. In parting and meeting, words can hardly express my sighs. My love and reverence for the Dharma flow on endlessly. I vow in lifetime after lifetime to encounter the Tiantai ācārya, ever cultivating offerings just as Jñānaprabha served the Tathāgata Jñānābhibhū, or as Bhaiṣajyarāja had an audience with the Samyaksaṃbuddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña; whether in Sukhāvatī or Tuṣita, all are swept into the One Vehicle..." (and so forth). Such was the deep faith and reverence he commanded from royalty. Thereupon his transformation reached the seacoast, and the Dharma governance moved Min and Ou. Those presenting doubts and requesting instruction daily climbed up to the mountain seats. The Chen Emperor wished to pay homage in person, and prepared to present his respects. He asked his gathered ministers, "Who among the followers of Śākya is the most renowned?" Chen Xuan memorialized, "The dhyāna master of Waguan has virtue excelling the wind and frost, and a dhyāna mirror deep as the ocean. Formerly in the capital, he was the model for the worthy; now he treads loftily on Tiantai, and the Dharma-clouds cast their shade eastward. May Your Majesty summon him to return to the capital, so that both the monastic and lay communities may receive his grace." The Emperor then issued imperial decrees in repeated succession summoning him to enter. Zhiyi, regarding the service to the Dharma as weightier than demeaning his own person, declined. Later, due to earnest remonstrance from the Prince of Yongyang, another imperial decree was issued. In all, seven messengers came before and after, all carrying imperial letters in the Emperor's own hand. Zhiyi, considering that the propagation of the Path depends on human beings and the ruler serves as the patron of the Dharma, finally departed for the capital. He was welcomed into the Eastern Hall of the Taiji Palace and requested to lecture on the Dazhidu lun. By imperial command, boys driving goat-drawn carts led the way before him, and the Secretarial Attendants escorted him up the steps. The protocol and rites were entirely modeled on the precedent of the National Preceptor, Ācārya Guan. When the ruler of Chen arrived at the Dharma assembly, the hundred civil officials all paid homage; hearing what had rarely or never been heard before, they honored the Dharma and accepted the Path. An imperial decree was immediately issued to establish a dhyāna assembly at the Lingyao Temple. Students gathered once more, forming a dense and formidable congregation. Decrees were repeatedly issued summoning him to lecture on the Renwang jing at the Taiji Palace, with the Son of Heaven attending in person. The Scribe-Director (Saṅgha-pradhāna) Huixuan, the Controller of the Saṅgha (Saṅgha-karaṇa) Huikuang, and eminent masters of the capital all raised tremendous difficulties. Zhiyi fielded their questions and gave replies, broadly opening the gates of the Dharma. Xuan, holding a censer, congratulated him, saying, "In more than ten state vegetarian feasts, I myself have presided over four lectures. Dividing texts and analyzing meanings, I thought I had reached their core; but today, as the sun rises and the stars recede, witnessing true skill, I realize my own clumsiness." Such high renown and honor could hardly be surpassed. Yet, in the region south of the Yangtze, Dharma debates had always been contentious and lacking in accord.