續高僧傳 3.8.5

3.8.5

"The sthavira of Jiguo Monastery, Huijing, is pure in his original nature from the very beginning; his spiritual mien is refined and penetrating, not merely acquired in the present. As for the dragon palace's treasure trove [of scriptures] and the venerable sūtras endowed with the strength of elephants, he was naturally endowed with inborn knowledge of them, attaining enlightenment alone without a master. How could he be limited merely to the discourses on the four truths and the single vehicle, or the teachings given across the seven places and eight assemblies? He grasps their ultimate purport and realizes their true drift. Indeed, he has also plumbed to the roots and sources the sublime words of Laozi on 'cleansing the mystic mirror' and the subtle tenets of Confucius on 'purity, quietude, subtlety, and minuteness.' There is none among them whose principles he has not exhausted or whose natures he has not plumbed. His virtuous conduct is like the former; his learning is like the latter. We now invite him to serve as the abbot of Puguang Monastery while continuing to supervise his original monastery. Recently the dharmabhāṇaka held back in quiet retirement, unwilling to condescend to assume this heavy charge; only after earnest and strenuous entreaties has he finally assented. Yet the house of the Bodhisattva inherently values harmony. If one attains the samādhi of non-contention, one naturally remains eternally free of the ten fetters. We also hope that all the masters of the entire monastery will jointly promote this ideal. The ceremonies of reception and invitation may follow the monastic rules (saṅgha-dharma) as appropriate." Furthermore, the authorities were ordered to establish lectures, arrange vegetarian feasts, and request the dharmabhāṇaka to broadly elucidate doctrinal principles. Huijing considered that the great gathering of officials was a singular glory, which could never have been brought about without the power of the scriptures. He thereupon began by lecturing on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra and concluded by expounding the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa. Talented, penetrating, lofty, and superior figures gathered in swarms at his gate and mat. Thus he was able to guide and attract both clergy and laity, nurturing their learning and intellect; his spoken words and delivered treatises loudly echoed fine teachings, and his unimpeded pure conversation illuminated what preceded and surpassed what came after. The prince's usher Xin Xu was comprehensive in his learning of literature and history, yet arrogant and boastful; in composing stanzas or setting down writings, none dared rival him. Whenever an unfinished text was to be edited, Xu would inevitably tear it to pieces on the ground, alleging that there was no talent among the monks. Huijing was indignant at this slight, so he composed a treatise in response. The text read: "Śākyamuni's disciple Huijing of Jiguo Monastery respectfully replies to Crown Prince's Usher Xin: I have perused your lofty treatise, which broadly investigates the subtle and minute. Its purport is opulent and its literary splendor startles the heart and dazzles the eyes. Your eloquence surpasses the swiftly turning axle-grease pot, and your reasoning outstrips interlocking rings. Arcane problems arise profusely in every direction, and literary embellishments unfold in continuous succession. It rivals the resplendence of clouds and mist, and harmonizes with the chime of bells and chimes. How dazzling is its composition! How profound is its plumbed subtlety! Had it not been for a man of wisdom, who could have conceived this in his mind? Looking up to your eminence, it is truly difficult to engage you in dialogue. Taking lightly my own dullness, I venture to relate what I have heard this morning. How could I presume to examine doubts, or dare to counter a guest's refutations? Your treatise states: 'When the single voice expounds, each understands according to their kind. All wriggling and moving sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature. If so, then "Buddha" and "he who awakens first" differ merely through conventional vocabulary; "wisdom" (zhihui) and "prajñā" are originally mysterious identical in sense. If practicing wisdom and awakening is not an eminent cause, how could mindfulness of the Buddha's wisdom ascend to the wondrous fruit?' I reply: How immense is this inquiry! It is deeply secured, dark, and remote, obscure and hard to fathom. Does my friend believe it, or doubt it? If you believe it, how could it not be so? If you doubt it, how could it not be profound? And yet: 'If the inferior scholar did not laugh at it, it would not be sufficient to be the Way.' 'If shallow wisdom did not slander it, it would not be sufficient to be profound.' Looking up to your brilliance, there is surely neither laughter nor slander. Yet its words are overly expansive and its reasoning borders on ambiguity. Now I shall briefly lay out an outline for you. When questions are identical while answers differ, the literary examples are abundant in the Confucian texts. When names are one while meanings diverge, the principles stand magnificent in the Śākyan teachings. If identical names do not permit divergent meanings, then a single question could not yield varied answers. Since this precedent is established, that [objection of yours] collapses on its own. Lest you still fail to understand, let me point it out again. By abiding nowhere, the myriad virtues are practiced concurrently; by acting without leaving anything undone, the single voice responds equally to all. How could this be merely abandoning sagehood and discarding wisdom, embracing the One and keeping to the receptive, or being detached and cultivating solitary goodness without any universal salvation? In comparing their superiorities and inferiorities, can they truly be placed on a par? Once the two traditions are distinguished, the hundred objections are cleared away. Your treatise states: 'If one must hold that names and words on both sides can be differentiated, then the idea that the single voice is understood variously is merely dallying with empty talk.' I reply: Truly, as your esteemed communication suggests, distinctions must indeed be made. I venture to say that while carefree roaming is one, the roc and the quail cannot be matched at ninety thousand li; while blooming and withering are identical, the toon tree and the morning mushroom cannot be equated at eight thousand years. How much less can a spark be compared to the sun and moon, or channeling irrigation to timely rain! How could one, just because they share a fraction of brightness or moisture, equate their overall radiance and bounty? As for equating the mountain and the tip of a hair in size, harmonizing Pengzu and an infant in lifespan, confusing horizontal and vertical in the beam and the pillar, or blending beauty and ugliness in Xishi and an ugly woman—these arise because relative dependence is indeterminate and mutual subsumption allows them to be forgotten. Thus Master Zhuang cut off fixed demarcations, not that there was fundamentally no differentiation between things. Here, I use differentiation to dismantle your differentiation; when you forget differentiation, then I too forget differentiation. When a gentleman engages in earnest dialogue, may there be no flippant talk. 'A single word is easily lost, and a team of four horses cannot overtake it.' This is a warning in writing, so one must exercise deep caution. Your treatise states: 'All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, arising dependent upon conditions when encountering things. The mind depends on external support, relying on vital energy to pursue its objects. If so, then self-purity is received through cultivation and perfuming, and wisdom and concentration are accomplished through carving and polishing.' I reply: Impermanence means that the old self departs. Dependent origination means that the new self arrives. Since the old self departs, how could I be permanent? Since the new self arrives, how could I be annihilated? The new and old succeed one another, relying on perfuming and cultivation to accomplish purity; beauty and ugliness alternate, and without carving and polishing, success is difficult. Thus, arising and ceasing shatter annihilationism and eternalism, while cause and effect reveal the Middle View. How profound is the tradition! How wondrous is the discourse! This is truly where Zhuangzi and the Śākyan teachings mystically concur, where East and West meet in principle. Yet my friend rejects that and takes this—can this be free of error? Your treatise states: 'If one grafts onto the wild duck or amputates the crane, how can that be the true suchness? If grass transforms and bees take flight, why would this be viewed as losing one's original home in childhood?' I reply: What is spontaneous belongs to the karmic retribution share; what is perfumed and cultivated belongs to karmic principle. Once the retribution share is fixed, the two birds have no envy over shortness or length. As karmic principle relies on conditions, the two insects require external support to fly and transform. Thus external phenomena are easy to doubt, while deep profundities are hard to comprehend; scholars who seek the arcane become submerged in delusion without rest. Even when one's path is complete in the four fruits, one may still be unaware of the jewel in the garment; though one's status is elevated to the ten stages, one's view may still be obscured as if by silk netting. If sages and worthies are indeed like this, how much more so for the mediocre? Unless one mirrors the three clarities and soars with the sevenfold eloquence, how could one wondrously tally with the mysterious pinnacle and fully expound the hidden subtleties? The poor monk relies on the teachings inherited from his lineage and the companionship of his fellows; hoping to choose what is good, I venture to offer these humble opinions. Should there be any resonant wisdom, may you examine the golden scriptures." Thereupon the dignitaries of the court renewed their reverence for his lofty demeanor; each person kept a copy concealed in their sleeves, and whenever they gathered for discussions and banquets, they made it their foremost topic of conversation. Lord Xin from then on venerated him on his head.