續高僧傳 7.14

7.14

Shi Falang's secular surname was Zhou. He was a native of Pei in Pei Commandery, Xuzhou. His grandfather, Fengshu, was an attendant gentleman of the Yellow Gate under the Qi and regional inspector of Qingzhou. His father, Shengui, was an extra gentleman of the cavalier attendant under the Liang and grand protector of Pei Commandery. When Lang was first conceived, his mother, Lady Liu, dreamed of a divine being riding in a multi-storied palace entering her bosom. In the dream, [the being] said, 'My body is equal to space.' Shortly after waking, her limbs felt light and airy, distinct from ordinary days. She immediately renounced the five pungent roots and diverse meats. During his childhood, he surpassed ordinary youths; his filial piety was fully perfected, and his resolve stood firm. His family held sway over six commanderies, and their prowess surpassed the three borders. In his youth, he trained in the military and early on experienced the battle ranks. Practicing thrift to discipline himself, neither favor nor disgrace could sway him. Shortly after,徐 Ziyan, General Pacifying the Distant, who had been granted the tally of office, went on a northern campaign; Lang had tall halberds planted at his gate and took rest under a great tree. He contemplated: 'Weapons are instruments of misfortune; the body is a cause of suffering. In the sea of desires and the forest of delusion, how can one awaken?' At the age of twenty-one, on the second day of the second month in the second year of the Datong era of the Liang (528 CE), he entered the monastic order in Qingzhou. He traveled to study in the capital city of Yang[du], going to Daming Temple to receive various dhyāna methods from Dhyāna Master Baozhi. Concurrently, he listened to Vinaya Master Tuan of that temple explain the root text of the Vinaya. Furthermore, he studied the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra under Master Xian of Nanjian Temple, and the Abhidharma under Venerable Jing of Zhujian Temple. At that time, his renown stirred the capital region, and his spiritual bearing was elevated above the assembly of scholars. Consequently, those of supreme eloquence and the most discerning listeners vied with one another to attend him. However, as the wondrous Dharma of Vulture Peak was rarely propagated by the various expounders, the style of the path of Nāgārjuna was sustained by ancestral masters without interruption. As recorded in the previous biography, Master Lang of Mount She understood the profound and plumbed the subtle, being highly esteemed by the world. Though his generation had long passed, his lineage still endured. Lang therefore went to Zhiguan Temple on this mountain to study under Dharma Master Sengquan, receiving and absorbing the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa*, the *Madhyamaka-śāstra*, the *Śata-śāstra*, the *Dvādaśamukha-śāstra*, as well as sūtras such as the *Avataṃsaka* and the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā*. Thereupon, he harmonized the scriptural collections, exploring their profundity and subtlety; his exposition was refined and original, his diction splendid and supreme. Dedicating himself to specialized study, he diligently disciplined his body and mind. It can truly be verified here that 'when the teacher is at ease, the result is doubled.' In the eleventh month of the second year of the Yongding era (558 CE), he was commanded by imperial edict to enter the capital and reside at Xinghuang Temple, where he gave uninterrupted lectures. The words and principles of the *Avataṃsaka*, the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā*, and the four treatises—matters not fully expounded by past sages or omitted by later generations—were all elucidated by Lang, who identified their essential principles and manifested their profound meaning. Therefore, his speech was fluent, clear, serene, and easy to comprehend. His regular assembly numbered over a thousand; their blessings and wisdom grew ever broader. Thus the listeners gathered like clouds, wiping away sweat and kneeling. A thousand monastic robes were continuously collected and distributed; every time he ascended the high seat, he would change into a different robe. He expounded the aforementioned sūtras and treatises more than twenty times each; for twenty-five years, the flow of moisture [of the Dharma] was unceasing. During that time, he established the four assemblies, and the blossom of the wheel of the Dharma in the two imperial palaces was peerless at that time. On the midnight of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month in the thirteenth year of the Taijian era, being the year Xinchou (581 CE), his spirit departed at the temple quarters. His worldly age was seventy-five. On the twenty-eighth day of that month, he was buried at the western ridge of Mount She in Luoluo Village of Jiangcheng County. Formerly, Sengquan of Mount She received instruction from Master Lang; in elucidating the profound doctrine, he solely maintained the Madhyamaka view. If one does not comprehend with the heart and analyze the principles, how can one accord with these pure words? Thus he secluded himself in the dark forests, finding joy in the taste of dhyāna. Later, when the four masters went to receive guidance through the three activities, [Sengquan] initially vowed not to speak. Only after a long time did he expound it for them. Therefore, Master Quan instructed: 'This Dharma is subtle and exquisite; only the discerning can practice it. Do not let it leave the room to be casually disclosed.' Hence the sūtra says: 'To those who harbor the view of self, do not preach this sūtra; to those who take deep delight in the Dharma, do not expound it excessively.' Truly, this was because remedies correspond to illnesses, so it cannot be disseminated casually. Lang and the others received the instruction and dared not casually speak of it. When Quan passed away, the four masters began to preach openly, each possessing majestic presence and endowed with spiritual mastery. Yong resided at Chanzhong, Bian dwelt at Changgan, Lang was at Xinghuang, and Bu remained at the mountain retreat. With grand gates of merit and wisdom renowned far and wide, none surpassed Lang. Master Bian’s excellent undertakings were clear and bright, cultivating both samādhi and prajñā; thus, his preaching concurrently sustained the dhyāna community, which was also due to Master Quan’s earnest exhortation. However, the substance of his doctrine at times diverged from Lang's, which led to criticisms rejecting the intermediate provisionality during Xinghuang [Lang's] lectures. The masters Bu and Yong appear in separate biographies. Formerly, on the seventh day of the sixth month in the tenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang (511 CE), the divine monk Baozhi foretold regarding Xinghuang Temple: 'This temple shall have a blue-robed bodhisattva who will broadly propagate the Mahāyāna.' When Lang was traveling for study, he initially wore a blue patchwork robe; when he ascended the primary seat, it matched this prophecy. Furthermore, Upāsaka Du Facan of Nanmo, over eighty years of age, held a deep devotion; he once dreamed that banners, flowers, and heavenly musicians crowded the temple halls, and the ordained and lay assemblies filled the seats. When Lang arrived and began holding public and private fast-day lectures, it again coincided with this auspicious sign. Moreover, on the seventh day of the fifth month of the twelfth year, the attendant tasked with signaling the end of the fast mistook the dawn; Lang knocked on the chamber door at night to urge him, whereupon the great bell sounded on its own and continued for a long time. His auspicious omens were thus made manifest early on, of which these are examples. During a doctrinal assembly at the Changchun Palace in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince personally held the jade duster and recited the doctrine of provisional designations of various masters established by Lang. With such honorable acclaim, how could he be merely a master of the Buddhist tradition? He was also a model for gods and humans. Therefore, the offerings and donations he received were devoted to producing sūtras and statues, repairing temples and pagodas, and relieving the impoverished and distressed. For this reason, numerous geese, ducks, chickens, and dogs were kept within his quarters; any animal he encountered on the road was taken in and cared for. When Lang fell asleep, they were all completely silent; when he strolled and took leisure, their calls and barks sounded clamorously—such was their emotional resonance with him. The Minister of the Attendants and Army Commander, Prince of Luling, whose virtue and authority were weighty, relied on him for monastic precepts; he subsequently petitioned the Crown Prince to compose an inscription and eulogy for him. The epitaph text was composed by Jiang Zong, Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince, of Jiyang. The former Chen ruler Shubao, then in the Spring Palace, wrote a eulogy saying: / 'From a vast source running afar, fragrant fragrance has been transmitted; / The noble and wise men have succeeded one another in virtue and brilliance. / Having wielded the red pennon, he still draped the green cords; / Wearing the tiger seal of military command, he donned the sable of martial decree. / His merit could have championed the military, but his vocation was not worldly; / Abandoning sounds and forms, he crossed beyond this ford. / What is this ford? Tearing asunder the tangled net! / Foretold early by the robe of patience, he passed through the night riding a tower. / Navigating this bitter sea, he dried up this river of craving. / Without this man of wisdom, who could be entrusted to proclaim it? / The cloud of Dharma broadly covers; the sun of wisdom extends its radiance. / Having balanced the shield and turret, he naturally opened the fortress of gold and hot water. / Dreaming of drums and preaching, responding distinctively from the frost on the bell. / Recognizing the opportune moment and knowing destiny, he manifested sickness like [Vimalakīrti]; / His long-held aspiration was to seclude himself, yet the deliverance of beings was hard to complete. / His affinity to transform beings having ended, he made his abode in the tomb. / The torch of wisdom is extinguished; the collapsed crag stands remote. / Remote stands the empty peak; leaves fall over the distant retreat. / In the crescent moon’s darkness, mist enshrouds the deep pines. / Incense fades over the final mound; banners flutter across the old forest. / Plaintive and clear are the pipes; distant sounds the drum. / Wild mist gathers from the four quarters; a solitary bird utters a cry. / The wind mourns as chanting ceases; the current rushes as coldness rises. / The spirit enters the Pure Land; the form sinks for eternity. / Carving this square tomb-stele, we thereby commemorate the orchid and thoroughwort.'