續高僧傳 26.62

26.62

Śramaṇa Faxian was a native of Fufeng in Yongzhou; his surname was Ning. In his life, his aspiration took dhyāna tranquility as its primary aim; by nature he never involved himself with written words, paper, or brushes. Silent and of few desires, he was not entangled by worldly cares. His teacher, Fakai, had dhyāna attainments that were profound and secret, almost unfathomable. At the end of the Northern Wei, [Fakai] resided at Jingzhaowang Monastery, rivaling Dhyāna Master Shi in both court and country; furthermore, because of his simplicity, purity, and plainness, the noble and eminent leaned toward him. Xian encountered this brilliant master and served him for many years, passing on and practicing his master’s tradition, inheriting quite a bit of his subtle lineage. He resided at Riyan Monastery.

In the final years of the Renshou era, a pagoda was to be established in Longzhou, and an imperial decree ordered him to escort [relics]. Xian set out from the imperial capital, escorting the palanquin to Yaowang Monastery there. However, the monastery was more than ten li from the prefectural seat; it was narrow, cramped, and inclined, entirely lacking an imposing appearance. Thus it was moved closer to the prefectural seat, beneath the Sanwang Mountain to the north; backing against the cliff and overlooking the water, it was lofty, scenic, wide, and spacious. There they constructed a great pagoda. It emitted a great light, which the entire commandery observed together, rejoicing in the eradication of their sins. Xian, taking advantage of what benefited them, benefited them accordingly, preaching the essentials of the Dharma at length and overturning their worries of mind. At this one gathering, glorious praise rose into an uproar.

In his later years, he returned to the capital, gathering disciples to carry on their vocation. At the beginning of each year, those who received full ordination were numerous; Xian revealed the conditions of the precepts for them, energetically conducting the altar repentances, gathering the pure assembly and bestowing it upon them. When he died later, he was nearly eighty.