續高僧傳 2.11.1

2.11.1

Shi Yancong's lay surname was Li, and he was a native of Bairen in Zhaojun. His family had for generations been celebrated as scholar-officials and renowned as a first-class clan. From childhood he was intelligent and keen, his literary talent fresh and pure; his understanding plumbed deep and subtle matters, and his disposition was like a clear mirror. Encountering an object, he perused it at once, rarely needing to scrutinize a matter a second time. At first, he placed himself under Master Sengbian of Xindu, who tested him by having him recite the Sūtra of Sudāna. It contained somewhat under seven thousand words, but in a single day he mastered it. Next, he recited a Mahāvaipulya sūtra, and in a few days he also mastered it; Bian marvelled at him. Only when he was ten years old did his parents permit his pravrajyā. He changed his name to Daojiang, for his reputation for wisdom overflowed like the expanse of the Yangzi and Yellow rivers. He listened to the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, and his glory and fame spread vigorously, widely acclaimed throughout the prefectures and towns. At twelve, he recited the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra at Mount Quanwu, delving into it thoroughly before long. Thereupon he traveled to Ye, attending lecture assemblies one after another, and then returned to a monastery in his home region to lecture on the Amitāyus Sūtra. At that time, Wang Shao of Taiyuan was serving as an aide in Zhaojun and lodging at the monastery; hearing him, he revered him, and his respectful friendship grew all the more profound. At the beginning of the Wuping reign of Northern Qi, when he was fourteen years old, he traveled west to Jinyang, both lecturing and listening. At that time, his Way held sway over the Fen and Shuo regions, and his fame spread among erudite scholars. The Minister of the Department of State Affairs Jing Changyu, as well as court luminaries such as Lu Sidao, Yuan Xinggong, and Xing Shu—all of whom were figures of glorious renown in Northern Qi—bowed in veneration before his exemplary conduct. Together they sponsored a vegetarian feast for him to lecture on the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, personally receiving his elucidations and sighing that they had never heard the like before. When the empress of Northern Qi traveled west to Jinyang, she invited him into the Xuande Hall to lecture on the Benevolent Kings Sūtra. The National Controller and Sangha Director served as his attendants. The audience of two hundred listeners were all prominent talents. The emperor personally attended the imperial dais, with civil and military officials all in attendance. The empress dowager and the imperial concubines from the six palaces also ascended the Dharma assembly together. By imperial order, the Palace Attendant Gao Yuanhai assisted Cong onto the seat and attended to him throughout. His spiritual composure remained firm and serene, causing rare and astonishing sighs of admiration from the world; as he analyzed principles and enlightened minds, all reverently looked up to him. At sixteen, he lost his father in mourning; weary of fame and renown, he turned to browsing through books, even reading widely through the masters and histories. The Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, Yang Xiuzhi, along with various worthies of the Wenlin Hall, were on intimately cordial terms with him. By nature he loved tranquility, going only when specially invited. When he first took full ordination, by the time of the late afternoon meal, his test of reciting the ten-thousand-word Prātimokṣa was entirely complete. Thenceforth, he dedicated himself to the disciplinary rules of the Vinaya, advancing his investigation of religious conduct. When Emperor Wu of the Zhou conquered Qi, Cong was soon invited to enter court and converse on profound scriptures, which deeply resonated with the emperor's mind. He was decreed to be included among the Scholars of the Tongdao Guan. At that time, he was twenty-one years old. Together with court worthies of the Zhou dynasty such as Yuwen Kai, he attended upon lectures and discussions on the Book of Changes, Laozi, and Zhuangzi. Jiang donned lay robes on the outside while maintaining monastic vestments within, changing his name to Yancong. Emperor Wu personally compiled a Daoist book titled Supreme Secret Essentials (Wushang miyao); at that time, Cong took part in the editorial compilation and was specially selected. When Emperor Xuan was on the throne, every Daoist offering ritual would last for days and through the night; in the course of discussions, Cong took the opportunity to infuse them with the orthodox Dharma. The times gradually became harmonious and peaceful, and the emperor greatly favored him, offering him offices such as in the Ministry of Rites, none of which he accepted. With court gentlemen such as Wang Shao, Xin Deyuan, Lu Kaiming, and Tang Yi, he was as harmonious as lutes and harps; they were known as the "profound friends beyond letters." In the second year of the Daxiang reign, when the future Emperor Wen of Sui served as chancellor, the Buddhadharma began to revive, and Cong lectured on and explained the Prajñāpāramitā for the various worthies. In the first month of the first year of Dading, the śramaṇa Tanyan and others jointly submitted a memorial requesting his ordination, whereupon he was finally shaved. He was then twenty-five years old. On the thirteenth day of the second month of that year, Gaozu accepted the abdication and changed the reign title to Kaihuang. Upon ascending the throne, lecture platforms continued through the four seasons; the clergy and laity of Chang'an all paid homage to his dust. Thereupon, he harmonized and united Buddhist principles; the heterodox and orthodox were all bathed in them, and those cleansed in the Way were numbered in the tens of thousands. Furthermore, together with the leading literary figures of an entire generation such as Lu Yanshi, Xue Daoheng, Liu Shanqing, and Sun Wanshou, he compiled the Wenhui ji of Buddhist scriptures (Neidian wenhui ji). He also drafted procedures for preaching and cantillation for the śramaṇas, completely revising the old style into a balance of elaborateness and simplicity; this is currently handed down, followed, and practiced. In the third year of Kaihuang, Emperor Gaozu of Sui visited a Daoist altar and saw a painting depicting Laozi converting the barbarians, which he found exceedingly strange. He ordered the śramaṇas and Daoist priests to assemble and discuss its origins together. He also decreed that court luminaries who were versed in profound principles, such as Su Wei, Yang Su, He Tuo, and Zhang Bin, should carefully deliberate and submit a memorial. Cong was included in this assembly and tasked with overseeing the discourse; he tentatively raised the main outline before getting into the fine details, and the Daoist priests surrendered on their own, confessing their deceit. Cong consequently composed the Treatise Discriminating the Teachings (Bianjiao lun), clarifying twenty-five points of Daoist heresy and falsehood; its phrasing and reasoning, supported by textual evidence, were praised by the chancellors. In that year, when scriptures arrived from the Western Regions, an imperial decree ordered their translation. Cong's lifelong wish having been fulfilled, he rejoiced exceedingly in utter peace. Following the imperial entourage on an eastern tour, they returned by way of Bingbu. At that time, Emperor Yang was in his princely appanage and in general charge of the region north of the Yellow River; hearing of Cong's reputation, he requested an audience and invited him into his noble residence. Their personal exchanges and conversations fully met long-standing expectations. He immediately ordered Cong to reside in the inner hall and lecture on sūtras such as the Suvarṇaprabhāsa, Śrīmālādevī, and Prajñāpāramitā. In obedience to a special order, Cong also composed commentaries, which were so outstanding in capturing the profound purports that they were deemed the foremost of their kind. He was also instructed to reside at the Daxingguo Monastery. Thereafter, whenever the prince composed new poems or old prefaces, he always had Cong write matching responses. He also sent various worthies, such as Xiao Yi and Zhuge Ying, to visit and inquire of him by turns; in discussions regarding principles and names, they found him an authoritative master to whom they could turn. Later, when the Sui Prince of Qin took command of Taiyuan, Cong was again invited to enter and spend the summer retreat in his inner residence, where the prince inquired after him with earnest warmth. One night while sleeping apart, Cong dreamed of a golden giant, thirty feet tall, who held a crystal bowl in his hand and offered it, saying: "Inside the bowl is wine." In the dream, Cong knelt to receive it and said: "I am deeply grateful for the bestowal of this precious vessel; it is an extraordinary kindness. However, wine is prohibited by the Vinaya, so I dare not drink it recklessly." When he woke up, he did not understand the cause. Later, the prince personally commissioned a painted image of Avalokiteśvara and displayed it in the inner residence; its bodily proportions and what it held were precisely identical to what he had seen in his earlier dream. Thereupon he was privately comforted in his long-held aspirations, tears of grief and joy mingling together. In the twelfth year, an imperial decree summoned him to the capital to take charge of translations again, and he resided at Daxing Shan Monastery, where generous offerings were repeatedly made. At that time, Emperor Wen ruled the realm and vigorously promoted the triratna; whenever he held a great vegetarian feast, he would perform repentance. The emperor personally held an incense burner, and Cong served as the liturgist, eloquently articulating the nation's sentiments and expanding the sovereign's vision; the emperor would invariably be moved, looking around with solemn reverence, rejoicing in Cong's complete expression of profound sincerity. Cong's ability to move people with sincere words was of this kind. When Emperor Yang was Prince of Jin, he laid out grounds and a grove for a residence at the Quchi Pool in the capital, constructing the Riyan Monastery; lowering his protocol, he invited Cong to reside there permanently. Because of this, court nobles and discerning scholars increasingly visited him; penetrating and grasping the profound purport, they frequently gave rise to faithful minds. However, in the eastern lands, literary verses are valued above all.