續高僧傳 6.24

6.24

Shi Huichao, whose secular surname was Lian, was a native of Yangping in Zhao Commandery. During the turmoil in the Central Plains, he fled from disorder to Zhaoge County in Zhongli. On the night of his birth, a divine light illuminated the room. In his youth, he was reserved, serene, and had few desires, already possessing the signs of an adult. At the age of eight, he underwent pravrajyā, following the śramaṇa Huitong of Jian'an Monastery in Linfan County. Huitong originally had no scholarly expertise and conducted himself with single-minded simplicity. Huichao, with an upright mind and devout compliance, served and respected him without negligence, while outwardly attending various lectures, diligently striving in his studies. Whenever he encountered wind, rain, hardship, or impassable muddy roads, he never used them as an excuse. Once, there was a foreign monk staying in his seating quarters who was an inscrutable man; upon catching sight of him, the foreign monk marveled in admiration and said: 'If this man does not become a paragon among the five assemblies, he will become an inspector of eight provinces.' He also recounted the auspicious sign of the divine light, matching it like two halves of a tally. Huichao then extensively gathered scriptural texts and Abhidharma treatises, thoroughly plumbing their profound meanings until they were as clear as a string of pearls. At grand assemblies of renowned monks, amidst dense gatherings and expansive seats, as arguments swirled in rise and fall, he maintained an poised and exemplary bearing; thus monastics and laypeople alike early admired his lofty standard. Later, he traveled south to Jiangzuo and resided at Nanjian Monastery. Sengzong saw him, approved of him, and transmitted to him sūtras such as the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Opening up the main threads, Huichao gained a general mastery of their subtle principles. He reviewed various masters and widely consulted them, specializing in the Amitāyus Sūtra as his authority. Xie Yue of the Ministry of Personnel often praised him, saying: 'What a noble man this is!' He was also skilled in witty humor, particularly excelled in cursive and clerical scripts, and studied both Zhu [Shuyuan] and Xu [Xuan]. Furthermore, he was adept at physiognomy and divination. As the Qi dynasty came to its close and the Liang mandate began, Huichao feigned illness at Xinlin, his heart set on rescuing those who were drowning. In a brief interval, his renown spread to the imperial capital. Soon there was a special edict appointing him Rectifier of Monks. He cultivated moral precepts internally and kept his deportment pure externally; all among the monastic assembly received his established guidance. The Son of Heaven provided him with imperial messenger relays, a goat cart, couriers, swift-footed runners, robes, and other offerings. Wherever his authoritative teaching reached, the ordinances of the five vinaya traditions all followed his model. The Emperor, regarding the meaning of prajñā as the tenet of ultimate truth, especially ordered him to guide and transform others; thus inquiries arose like spear-points, yet his continuous eloquence flowed like a river. Once, when gathering disciples in the capital to lecture on the meaning of the bodhicitta, during an intermission in the discussion deep in the night before sleeping, he suddenly saw a powerful, benevolent deity of exceedingly handsome appearance. The deity presently said: 'I shall gather those of shared karmic affinity and come together to receive nourishment [from the Dharma].' He did not state his name or surname, and thereupon bade farewell. When the time for the lecture came, the seats suddenly filled with beings of wondrous and extraordinary appearance whom no one recognized; when the session ended, they immediately dispersed. His evocative signs and extraordinary portents were like this. In addition, by nature he loved mountains and rivers, frequently realizing quiet excursions; the sounds of his entourage were heard for several miles around. Mountain dwellers looked with wonder, seeing only Huichao's person, while hunters all spontaneously ceased their hunting. During the Tianjian era, the Emperor requested him to be his domestic monk, treating him with extraordinary deference and inquiries. Initially, when the vinaya texts flowed east, people transmitted and received them individually; held by partial views, the wondrous Dharma was still defective. When the August Brightness ruled the realm, gathering and selecting from the various scriptures, a circular altar was reconstructed and the textual meaning was thus established, making clear the matters and categories of cause and effect. An imperial edict ordered Huichao to receive the bodhisattva precepts, which he reverently took upon the crown of his head and diligently cultivated in accordance with the Dharma. When the sovereign again fasted in the Xuan Hall, he dreamt of Huichao diligently practicing the categories of precepts, and in person expressed praise and delight; at that time everyone joined in exalting him. Yet Huichao was modest in speech, walked in propriety, and loved tranquility and devoted study; those who associated and resided with him never saw expressions of anger or joy. Moreover, his stature exceeded eight feet, his waist measured ten spans, and with a dignified, lofty stride, his renown was illustrious in that era. The Emperor also requested him to lecture on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra at the Huilun Palace, with the sovereign personally attending and listening. Before Zhuangyan Monastery was founded, its grounds adjoined Nanjian [Monastery]; he therefore constructed multi-tiered chambers that overlapped like fish scales. Soaring pavilions reached high into the sky, embracing clouds and mist; clear green ponds were channeled to nurture fish and lotuses, and verdant hills were built to lodge the feathered flock. Planted rows of bamboo and fruit trees cast shade on all four sides, while birds among the trees and animals among the rocks crisscrossed back and forth. Furthermore, rows of young attendants were arrayed, elegantly surpassing those of princes and dukes. He resolved the doubts of the multitude and was the lofty model of an era. He remained in his post for more than twenty years. Later, seeing that hills and valleys swap places and worldly manifestations cannot be relied upon, he resigned on his own initiative, closed his chambers, and nurtured his plain nature. On the sixteenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of Putong, his spirit departed in his monastic room. Passersby shed tears, and students hastened to attend. All expenses for his funeral rites were issued from the imperial treasury. His disciples, recalling his virtuous favor, erected a stele for him; Prince Yi of Xiangdong and Xie Jiqing of Chen Commandery each composed texts, both carved at the tomb site.