續高僧傳 9

English (machine translation) 9

Language: English

9.24 — 4 parts

9.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoxuan of Ximing Temple in the Great Tang

9.2

Section on Doctrinal Exegesis 5: 14 primary biographies, 6 appended

9.3

1. Biography of Shi Baohai of Xiezhen Temple in Yizhou under the Zhou

9.4

2. Biography of Shi Zhifang of Longyuan Temple in Yizhou under the Sui

9.5

3. Biography of Shi Luoyun of Longquan Temple in Jingzhou under the Sui

9.6

4. Biography of Shi Fa'an of Dengjie Temple in Jingzhou under the Sui

9.7

5. Biography of Shi Huizhe of Longquan Temple in Xiangzhou under the Sui (Daoqiong, Hongzhe, Huixiang, Huisong)

9.8

6. Biography of Shi Huigeng of Xufangzhong Temple in Jiangbiao under the Sui

9.9

7. Biography of Shi Huibi of Anguo Temple in Changzhou under the Sui

9.10

8. Biography of Shi Lingyu of Yankong Temple in Xiangzhou under the Sui

9.11

9. Biography of Shi Huizang of the Kongguan Bodhimanda in the Western Capital under the Sui

9.12

10. Biography of Shi Zhituo of the Inner Huiri Bodhimanda in the Eastern Capital under the Sui

9.13

11. Biography of Shi Facheng of the Inner Huiri Bodhimanda in the Eastern Capital under the Sui

9.14

12. Biography of Shi Daozhuang of the Inner Huiri Bodhimanda in the Eastern Capital under the Sui

9.15

13. Biography of Shi Falun of the Inner Huiri Bodhimanda in the Eastern Capital under the Sui

9.16

14. Biography of Shi Sengcan of the Daxingshan Bodhimanda in the Capital under the Sui (Sengluan, Sengfeng)

Shi Baohai, surnamed Gong, was a native of Langzhong in Baxi. He went forth from home at an early age, having lofty aspirations. Hearing that the Buddha-Dharma was flourishing in the capital Yangdu, he made a resolute vow to travel down through the Gorges. Having arrived at Jinling, he relied on Dharmabhāṇaka Yun to study the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra (Chengshi lun); he also visited various lecture seats, frequently winning a sterling reputation. He then led his own community and lectured separately, attracting numerous followers. At that time, Emperor Gao of Liang revered the Dharma and personally lectured on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, inviting Baohai to discuss the meaning of Buddha-nature. Baohai ascended the debate couch; while engaging in verbal exchanges, he held a brass incense burner. The Emperor remarked: "Although the Dharmabhāṇaka has severed avarice, if an incense burner is not made of brass, you will not hold it." Baohai immediately replied: "Although Your Majesty occupies the celestial pinnacle, if a cap pin lacks a banner tassel, you will not wear it." The Emperor was delighted, and the assembly gasped in admiration. Later, he returned to Shu and resided at Xiezhen Temple, greatly expanding his lecture hall. Prince of Wuling, Xiao Ji, held military garrison over the Jingluo region and respected and cherished him without limit; he often stayed overnight with Baohai to engage in refined discourse on profound principles, forgetting day and night. At daybreak, as the Prince was about to wash his hands, the morning sun had just appeared. The Prince said: "The sunlight illuminating the whitewashed walls resembles the inside of a city; only when the wind moves the pagoda bells do I realize I am in a temple." That morning, the Prince's carriage was sent to receive him, and the horses whinnied. Baohai remarked: "Gazing from afar at the moving carriage canopy, I rejoice at meeting Prince Chensi; suddenly hearing the horses neigh, I am glad to encounter Nāgārjuna." Laughing together with delight, they went out. The Prince mounted his carriage and said to his attendants: "Listening to Dharmabhāṇaka Hai's words makes me linger so that I cannot bear to leave." His ready wit was inexhaustible, as shown in incidents of this kind. When the Zhou dynasty annexed Liang and Yi, Duke of Yong governed the region and respected him even more deeply, far above ordinary mortals. At the age of eighty, Baohai said to his disciple Faming: "My death is at hand. I have no anxieties about what lies ahead, but I only grieve that after I am gone, the monasteries and stupas will be destroyed. My corpse should be exposed to feed birds and beasts." In the Jianwu era, Buddhism was indeed abolished; the courtyards fell into desolation, leaving only a single hall containing images preserved there.

9.18

Shi Zhifang was a native of Zizhong in Shuchuan. His ancestors came from Eastern Wu, and a remote ancestor served as an official in Western Shu and made his home there. Zhifang went forth from home in childhood and stayed with Dharmabhāṇaka Lun at Longyuan Temple outside the prefectural city walls. Early on, he traveled with Baohai, and together they went to the capital Yangdu to study under Dharmabhāṇaka Yun. With his sharp wit and eloquence, his fame spread throughout Yangyue. Whenever he lectured and weighed doctrinal meanings, his refined expression flowed like a fountain, so that hundreds of gentry and commoners would constantly hold paper to record his words. When he first lectured on the Lotus Sūtra, reaching the loftiness and wonder of the "Apparition of the Jeweled Stupa" chapter, he prefaced it and explained its meaning, saying: "Why must only the ancient Buddha-lands possess such loftiness and wonder? The blessed land of Yangdu is also exceedingly magnificent: the seven-tiered Mitian [pagoda] rivals the sun and moon in brilliance, and the nine-storied Tongtai [pagoda] competes in splendor with the mist and clouds; square caissons hang inverted lotus leaves, and round cisterns lay out lotus flowers side by side. It resembles the dwelling of Anzhu in the south, and is akin to the stronghold of Niqie in the north. What we hear with our ears and see with our eyes can match them side by side." Those who recorded these words treasured them secretly and brought them back to the Yi region, where people gasped and marveled at them as extraordinary; for his spoken words formed polished compositions, appearing as though prepared long in advance. Baohai frequently came to pose challenging objections to bring out his brilliance. Thus Baohai asked: "The threefold transformation of this land turns impurity into purity; can it also transform ordinary beings into sages?" Zhifang replied: "The transformation Buddhas were very numerous, and because the land was narrow, it had to be expanded. Ordinary beings and sages are naturally as they are; why trouble to transform them?" Baohai objected further: "If so, then sixty minor kalpas seemed like a mealtime: this was seen only by sages, not by ordinary beings. If ordinary beings and sages both saw it, then ordinary beings and sages would all be sages." Zhifang laughed and said: "When did the High Seat [i.e., the sūtra] ever say this? You are simply creating your own objection to your own words." Baohai realized his error and bantered: "A square measuring-box has three corners; how can you be called 'Wise and Square' (Zhifang)?" Immediately, Zhifang retorted: "A filthy pool of broken tiles and stones; how can you be called an 'Ocean of Jewels' (Baohai)?" The assembly laughed heartily and dispersed. When Zhifang fell gravely ill, Baohai came constantly to visit and console him. Zhifang thanked him, saying: "I was unable to properly nurture my health, which brought about this severe illness. I have burdened you, benevolent one, to come and inquire after me so often. May I be reborn in a good place to constantly companion with you." Soon, an extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and he passed away in the middle of the night in the Yi region at an age of over ninety.

9.19

Śramaṇa Luoyun's secular surname was Xing. He was a native of Songzi in Nanjun. He initially went forth from the household at the East Monastery of Shangming. His mind and conduct were focused on associating with men of accomplished virtue. Hearing that the Dao flourished in Jinling and that those who sought out its hidden depths were like a forest, he made light of a thousand li to travel far in pursuit of superior companions. It happened that Daoism and Buddhism flourished under Daolang of the Xinghuang Monastery in the capital Yangdu, so he bowed his head before that Dharma seat and drilled into and looked up to Lang's glorious deeds. The One Vehicle and the Four Treatises were deeply analyzed there to clear the path. At that time, Lang frequently had his disciples delve into obscure and hidden points. Yun was only sixteen, just in his youth, yet with keen determination he came forward to ask about the meaning of the permanent and impermanent. His countenance was unperturbed, and both host and guest acted with ease and grace, so that the assembly all praised him. Lang then took off the mantle he was wearing and presented it to him before the crowd. From this time on, his reputation spread far and wide, transmitted everywhere. Yet he took inexhaustible delight in the Dharma; like a simpleton, he was never impeded [by self-satisfaction]. After Lang passed away, Yun broadly inquired about what he had heard, and he further culled and gathered what had been left out from Dharmabhāṇaka Gen of Fuyuan Monastery. Gen set free his understandings without reservation, allowing him to drill into and examine them. Considering that the profound meaning of the Three Treatises had not yet reached Jingnan and that the two obstacles presented many hindrances, Yun vowed to broadly propagate them. At Qishan Monastery there was Dhyāna Master Zhi, who cultivated both samādhi and prajñā and devoted his mind to analyzing the teachings. At that time, the realm under heaven was unified, and the three regions of Chu were in full prosperity; the crowds were as numerous as rice plants and hemp, and men of talent were abundant. Yun founded Huanxiang Monastery. Taking advantage of this opportune moment, he sat in the seat of honour as a master from whom instructions were requested, and uttered pure words as the foremost in sustaining the Dharma. The Area Commander-in-Chief, Wang Shiji, Duke of Yiyang, and the imperial emissary, Secretariat Drafter Xiao Zibao, personally attended the Dharma assembly, and all chanted his virtuous voice. There was Longquan Monastery, where the site was isolated from noise and dust, and his mind dwelled in leisurely openness; so he resided there for over fifty years. He repaired its halls and buildings and constantly sat without lying down. He led five hundred disciples, often showing outstanding talent. Emperor Yang, having heard of his fame, issued an imperial order summoning him to the court. Yun hid his traces by sealing his doorway with clay, and withdrew on account of illness. Long ago, Śramaṇa Dao'an built a hall of seven bays at the East Monastery of Shangzhou, and Tanyi later built five bays, connecting their ridges and adjoining their rafters so that twelve bays were laid out in a row. In this hall, Yun lectured on the four sūtras and the three treatises, each several tens of times. Outside the text, he made no separate writings; everything was conceived in his mind and expounded by mouth, resolving doubts like melting ice and making the principles flow smoothly. Thus, he was able to leave behind both emptiness and existence, and uphold both teaching and meaning. At that time in Songzi there was a Daoist named Yu (pronounced with the fanqie chou-you). His learning surpassed the Li lineage (Daoism) and his scholarship encompassed Confucianism and the histories. He frequently lectured on Zhuangzi and Laozi while privately appropriating Buddhist sūtras. Yun instructed his disciples Huicheng and Daosheng, saying, 'That Daoist gathers followers like swarming bees and ants, plundering our cattle and stealing our Dharma. In truth, this can hardly be tolerated. You shall convey my intention and smash his heterodox traces.' Cheng and the other went to his place and took their seats. The Daoist said, 'When humans and devas interact, both are able to meet.' Cheng said, 'Taking off precious royal garments and putting on filthy, soiled clothes, one frequents the impoverished and deluded in order to open the way to gradual transformation.' People at the time considered this an exquisite reply. Cheng had addressed Yu as 'Sir' (xiansheng). Yu angrily said, 'I am no secular scholar. Why do you address me as "Sir"?' Cheng said, 'Since you are averse to being called "Sir" (xiansheng, literally "born before"), please remove the word "before" (xian) and return to your original surname and name, being called "Yu Born" (Yusheng, meaning "Yu the living being").' Therefore, in every single sentence he constantly inserted 'Yusheng'. At that time, the great assembly laughed endlessly. The Daoist was filled with shame and had his horns broken (was defeated). Yun upheld lofty detachment and gracefully steadied the customs of the age; in matters of welcoming, sending off, congratulations, or condolences, he took part in none. Some who took pride in worldly honour and looked down on the Dao heard of him and went to visit; when they arrived and paid their respects, sweat poured from them and their hearts trembled. His place of birth was at the foot of Shenshan. For one summer retreat, he resided in a quiet place contemplating the profound. His mother personally climbed up each day carrying provisions to make offerings. When someone asked the reason, he answered, 'This is precisely how I repay my mother's arduous toil.' Long ago, when Zhu Can raided and disturbed Jingnan, most monasteries were burned and destroyed; only Longquan Monastery, which Yun had built, survived intact. Because an Area Commander-in-Chief among the rebels had previously received the precepts from Yun, he honoured the master and respected the Dharma, and thus the monastery was preserved. Yun had five brothers, all of whom became dharmabhāṇakas, but Yun was the youngest and had an exceptionally penetrating spiritual radiance. There were ten disciples who entered his chamber, such as Chun, Shen, Cheng, and Qi, who transmitted the Dao and transformed people throughout Min, Shu, the Yangzi, and the Huai regions, so their biographies have not yet been arranged here. On the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the twelfth year of the Daye era of the Sui (616 CE), he passed away sitting upright in his monastery room, at the age of seventy-five. The Director of the Secretariat, Cen Wenben, composed his stele inscription. Śramaṇa Daoyong was Yun's elder brother. His learning encompassed both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, and his name was known to both the religious and the secular. At the East Monastery of Shangming, he erected a multi-storied pavilion north of Master An's Donkey Shrine. Tradition says that Master An rode a red donkey from Shangming to Tanxi in Xiangzhou; in a single night he went back and forth to inspect and supervise two monasteries and three four-storied structures. People today honour it, calling it the Donkey Shrine; this shrine is the place where the donkey was tethered.

9.20

Śramaṇa Fa'an's secular surname was Tian. He was a native of Zhijiang. His spiritual radiance was outstanding, and he was praised even as a youth. At the age of eighteen, he travelled to study in Jinling. He first listened to the Tattvasiddhi (Chengshi), and later studied Madhyamaka (Zhongguan) under Master Lang of Xinghuang Monastery. For more than ten years, he was almost continually free of mundane concerns, and his wisdom was exceptionally prominent. Among the three thousand fellow students, he alone bore the renown of the 'Three Perfections': first, he was eight chi tall and his bearing was exceptionally dignified; second, his doctrinal understanding was exhaustive and profound; third, he was vigorous and purified himself. When he listened to lectures on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, he would often raise novel propositions and have the assembly challenge them; though the people were a vast multitude, none could bend him. Because of this, his fame was heard throughout Chu and Yue. At one time, Master Lang, knowing his brilliance, instructed him to debate doctrinal points. Responding to the summons, his arguments and counterarguments answered questions like an echo. After back-and-forth debate had gone on for a long time, he stopped. Lang said, 'Are your arguments exhausted?' He answered, 'Arguments are like the sands of the Ganges; how could they ever be exhausted?' Among the students of that time, many were named An, so they designated him 'Sha'an' (Sand-An). In the Three Treatises and the Four Sūtras, he authored the Guangchuzhang (Expanded Initial Chapter) and the Lujiaozhang (Deer Horn Chapter), and their principles were broad and profound, circulating throughout the Jiang and Han regions. When he was past forty, he turned his sentiments toward dhyāna and spoke no further on doctrines. He occasionally went to Dhyāna Master Cheng's place to discuss the path of meditation and polish the mind-nature, which often lasted from morning till evening. Yet he would not eat the saṅgha's food, nor drink turbid porridge. At the age of sixty-five, he passed away at Dengjie Monastery. The monastery was on an islet in the river, facing Sand Islet to the west, which was the place where Liu Qiu had annotated the Lotus Sūtra; today the remaining foundation of his sutra terrace still exists.

9.21

Śramaṇa Huizhe's secular surname was Zhao. He was a native of Xiangyang. His intellect and magnanimity were broad and bright, and his conduct was pure and far-reaching. After going forth from the household, he went south to the capital Yangdu. It happened that under the Chen dynasty, literature flourished and the Three Jewels were greatly promoted. The Monastic Controller (Saṅghapradhāna), Master Qiong, had penetrated spiritual principles profoundly and was fully possessed of pure conduct. He had a faint purplish complexion, and the world called him 'Black Qiong'. The emperor venerated him and honoured him as Grand Monastic Controller (Da Sengzheng). He oversaw and guarded the Dharma citadel and served as a refuge for living beings. The imperial clan of Chen took refuge in him and received the precepts from him, while none of the high ministers dared to approach him casually. He resided at Jianchu Monastery. In the first year of the Zhenming era (587 CE), he suddenly passed away while sitting. He was buried on the mountain at Lake Lou. The Son of Heaven mourned him and dispatched guards with yellow banners and staffs to escort the funeral procession to the tomb site. Shortly before he died, the stupa of his monastery emitted light for three days, after which he passed away; both monastics and laity were amazed by this. At that time, Baoqiong of Pengcheng Monastery was skilled in preaching and had great presence; his appearance was remarkably fair, and the world called him 'White Qiong'; his deeds appear in a separate biography. Zhe initially attended Black Qiong's lectures, which opened up his fine career. He gathered disciples to lecture and explain, repeatedly offering new insights. Taking pride in his intuitive awakening, he harboured considerable arrogance. Hearing that Daolang of Xinghuang Monastery possessed a divine eloquence like a sharp sword that few could withstand, he sought an exchange with him. The back-and-forth lasted for some time, and Lang's responses were ever more profound and far-reaching. Zhe was greatly amazed, and thereupon submitted and listened to him. Deep, hidden, and subtle principles naturally became clear to him. His dignified demeanor was imposing, and every movement and pause embodied the Dharma. Once, while walking on the road, he suddenly encountered a torrential downpour; Zhe remained leisurely as usual, without deviating from proper decorum. Constantly pouring the water out of his boots, he walked calmly until he reached the monastery. His pace was measured and composed; he looked straight ahead without glancing aside, and turned around slowly without any improper deviation. People at the time called him 'Elephant King Zhe'. Furthermore, he guarded his sense faculties well and strictly moderated his food and drink; he rarely lingered or indulged in relieving himself or bathing. Therefore, when invited to secular homes to stay for days or longer, no one ever saw his bodily waste; praises of him grew ever greater. When he lectured on the Three Treatises, his brilliant and clear reputation rekindled his former renown. Leading his followers against the current, he arrived in his native district and resided at Longquan Monastery below the Guangfu Dhyāna Quarters on Mount Wangchu, west of the city. He constantly made propagating the Dharma his task, lecturing on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Three Treatises alternately. He had more than three hundred students, and about fifty became vessels of the Dharma to transmit the lamp, such as Huipin, Facan, Zhisong, Fatong, Huixuan, and Huileng. Each led their own disciples and converted people wherever they went. In the fourth month of the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era (597 CE), he died at Longquan Monastery at the age of fifty-nine. He was buried at Siwangshan Monastery. His disciple Huisong and others erected a stele at his original dwelling, and Śramaṇa Huixiang composed the text. Xiang possessed extraordinary talent, with vigorous and forceful intellectual power, and was esteemed by Area Commander-in-Chief Xue Daoheng. Song had a reputation for scholarship and had travelled widely; currently residing in the capital, he frequently presents lectures. At that time in the neighboring district, there was Hongzhe, who was thoroughly versed in both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna and frequently opened the Dharma seat. Because of his renown for penetrating understanding, he was summoned to the Huiri Monastery; hence, in Western Chu, they were traditionally known as the 'Earlier and Later Zhe'.

9.22

Śramaṇa Huixuan. His secular surname was Zhou. His ancestors were originally from Runan; at the end of the Han dynasty, amid its collapse, they fled to Jiangzuo. They resided in Xiaozhen for many generations, and thus became people of Yangxian in Yixing. His grandfather Shao was General of the Palace Interior under the Qi. His father Fu was Commandant of the Changshui Cavalry under the Liang. Both lived leisurely behind simple brushwood gates without seeking fame or prominence, passing their years in ease and retiring from agriculture into official service. Xuan's sagacity came from within, and he displayed upright conduct even as a young boy. He delved into the Six Classics and broadly understood their main ideas; this, however, was merely regular practice from family training, not what he truly loved. At the age of eighteen, he sighed deeply and said: 'Taking Zhou and Confucius to heart, one prioritizes benevolence and righteousness; submitting one's mind to Huang-Lao, one values voidness and non-being. Yet cycling through birth and death, passing into and out of worldly defilements, these are entangling karmas of the worldly realm, not the essential path of transcendence.' Having brought forth this rare aspiration, he experienced an extraordinary spiritual response. He dreamt of a five-tiered pagoda, adorned with painted colors, towering high and steep. Thereupon he prostrated himself, wishing to ascend this pagoda. In a brief moment, he suddenly stood atop the wheel spire, experiencing an unprecedented joy of body and mind at that moment. Thereupon he intended to travel to the capital; stopping on the way in Zhufang, he met Dharmabhāṇaka Xu of Zhulin Temple, who deeply admired and praised him. He then took refuge under him, left the household life, and took Xu as his preceptor for the ten precepts. Soon he departed for the capital and dwelt at Ganlu Gu Temple. After receiving full ordination, he received the Daśabhāṇavāra Vinaya from Master Feng of Jingzhong Temple. He also listened to Master Chuo of Longguang Temple expounding the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra. Following Chuo's transformation, he sought out many other masters, directing his attention to the Abhidharma and the eight skandhakas. Desiring to explore the profound mysteries together and gather all their essences, he returned to study with the Longguang scholar and Grand Saṅgha Leader (Da sengdu), Dharmabhāṇaka Shu, investigating the Tattvasiddhi with thorough precision. When Shu passed away, Xuan personally received his final testamentary entrustment. Meeting with the upheaval of the Liang royal house and the desolation of the capital's temples, he tore his robes, grasped his monk's staff, and came to stay in Nanxu, truly requiting the kindness of his home territory while cultivating Dharma activities. When Emperor Wu of Chen was still a commoner, repeatedly tested in Zhufang, he had long heard of Xuan's high reputation and held him in deep esteem. When Sikong Lord Hou governed this province in succession, he bowed before him with an open heart. In the third year of Yongding, when Lord Hou entered the court to assist the administration, he requested Xuan to go to the capital to lecture on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra at Baima Temple. Scholars gathered like clouds, coming from thousands of miles away; they wiped their sweat and waved their sleeves, stirring wind and rain, such that no Dharma assembly's grandeur could rival it. In the second year of Tianjia, the scholar Baochi and others, numbering two hundred and seventy people, requested him to lecture at Xiangong Temple. In the fourth year of Taijian, Emperor Xuan issued an edict requesting him to move his lectures to Dong'an. In earlier days when the Later Sovereign was still in the Eastern Palace (Chunfang), he often attended doctrinal assemblies and was present. His vast, powerful eloquence especially delighted the prince's mind; upon succeeding to the imperial throne, the emperor held him in deep reverence and respect. In the first year of Zhide, an imperial edict appointed him Grand Saṅgha Leader of the capital; in the fourth year, he was transferred to Grand Saṅgha Controller (Da sengzheng). When the realm was unified under the Sui, he came to dwell in the Xu region; following conditions, he promulgated and disseminated the teachings without missing the proper seasons. On the tenth day of the seventh month in the ninth year of Kaihuang, he passed away at Zhong Temple, aged seventy-five. On the twenty-eighth day of that month, he was entombed on the crags of Zhongshan. Xuan's religious practice was pure and elevated, and the spirits responded to him; his spiritual resonance was inconceivable. Formerly, during the Chen dynasty, in the middle of each summer he was regularly invited to the Leyou Garden to expound the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra on behalf of the seven ancestral sovereigns of the Chen family and the spirits of the six shrines of the capital of Yangdu. Spirits' seats were also set out together in the lecture hall. Thus, Kingfisher banners, peacock-feather parasols, feathered garments, and rainbow skirts mingled among people, astonishing the spirits and dazzling the eyes. In receiving and sending off those who came and went, clouds and rain inevitably fell, the unseen appointment never failing for over ten years. Often, taking a nap to rest after eating and before lecturing, when the time for lecturing approached, he would always see a man in red clothes calling out, 'Dharmabhāṇaka, it is time to arise!' Ren Zhong, General of the Army of the Chen, was a commander from his youth and was deeply fond of hunting. Yet having planted superior causes in past lives, the trigger for goodness was about to emerge. The meat in his kitchen and stores suddenly emitted a wondrous light; seeing this, he found it uncanny, privately feeling anxiety and fear. At night he dreamt of an extraordinary person who came to tell him: 'If you request the Dong'an master to lecture, what you have seen will surely cause no worry.' Awakening soon after, he leapt for joy, and immediately burned his hunting nets, bird traps, and arrow cords. He subsequently enticed Xuan for two summers to lecture in his mansion; because of this, he repented, upheld the two sūtras, and received the precept against killing. Thus his spiritual traces were truly numerous; this is not even one ten-thousandth of them. In total, he lectured on the profound meaning of the Tattvasiddhi sixty-three times, its text fifteen times, and the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā each over twenty times. For some fifty years, his Dharma activities continued uninterrupted; other various texts are omitted and not recorded. Those who received the bodhisattva precepts, such as Sikong Wu Mingche, along with dukes, marquises, generals, ministers, nobles, and court officials, numbered more than several thousand, impossible to record fully. His disciple Zhiyu and others, considering that his voice and demeanor were gone forever and his lingering teachings would become hollow, felt that without a monumental stele there would be no way to display his renown and actuality; they therefore engraved an inscription in the temple. The bodhisattva precept disciple, Editorial Director (Zhuzuo lang) Wang Zhou of Langya, composed the text.

9.23

Śramaṇa Huibi. His secular surname was Jiang. He was a person of Yixing in Changzhou. His grandfather Xuanlüe entered the court through loyalty and filial piety. His father Yuanhuang served as an expectant official (daizhao) through his literary talent. Both wore seals of office on ribbons and performed melodic strings and songs. His paternal uncle Yuanju held merit and dukedom in the Chen dynasty; drums and bells were lined in his courtyard, and four-horse carriages crossed his roads. Guests with carts and horses filled the steps; visitors playing zithers and singing filled the mats. Seeing Bi's high spirits during his youth, all marveled and praised him, saying: 'If this youth encounters the virtue of a phoenix, he will end up as a talent capable of assisting kings; having already manifested the jaw of a dragon, he will surely have the destiny of being enfeoffed as a marquis.' Bi's inclinations lay in transcending the mundane; thus he answered: 'The nobility of non-action is sufficient to delight the mind; the vexations of dependency merely toil a person in vain.' Thereupon, subsisting on simple vegetables in seclusion, he already thought of casting off his worldly sandals. When Emperor Wu of Chen ascended the imperial throne and greatly promoted the foremost merit, in the second year of Yongding, the emperor personally, in imperial robes, cut Bi's black hair, providing the three robes and all monastic implements all at once. Bi then submitted to study as a disciple under Dharmabhāṇaka Ling of Huidian Temple. Ling was like the fine bamboo of the southeast, whose reputation echoed like the wind across Lake Zhen; as a monk venerated by the royal clan, he was one to whom perfume and incense were devoted. Bi personally received his refined instructions and heard the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra. Reaching the age of twenty, holding his brush by the Huai and the sea, he encountered Master Ming of Baoliang who was vigorously propagating the new Tattvasiddhi, and Master Huang of Tiangong who was also expounding the Hṛdaya-śāstra (Abhidharmahṛdaya). He thereupon exhausted his spiritual energy to pursue and seek out, striving to reach the very source of the teachings. Therefore, the six pādas, the eight skandhas, the four truths, and the five aggregates were as clear as his own palm, without anything omitted. In the first year of Tianjia, he traveled among the lecture halls, searching broadly for outstanding masters and meeting hundreds of pillars of the Dharma. Realizing the rustic insignificance of thatched roofs, he repeatedly passed through three retreats; regretting the crudeness of dirt steps, he abandoned the Small Vehicle for the Great, turning his carriage from his former tracks. He listened to Master Zhe of Shaolong propagating and upholding the Four Treatises; with merely a single awakening, his achievement doubled that of ordinary students. Deeply investigating for several decades of days, he fully penetrated the profound summit. Thus it is known that the fundamental practice of great wisdom shines as brightly as the sun and moon; his name and renown were heard everywhere, traveling as far as the wind and clouds. His spiritual thoughts were profound, and his words flowed with modulated cadence, cutting through the gnarled roots of ten thousand ages and illuminating the dark rooms of a hundred years. People east of Zhejiang drank in his virtue even more than those in Jiangdong. In the tenth year of Taijian, an edict was issued for him to lecture on the Nirvāṇa and Lotus Sūtras at Baode Temple in Changcheng. Water ewers and pewter staves filled the hall; hairpins and robes crowded the mats. Those questioning doubts and requesting the Way followed one after another like a forest; those receiving the precepts and taking refuge rubbed shoulders like a marketplace. None failed to hail him as a fragrant grass of a hundred paces or a sage of a thousand years. When Master Zhe was approaching his final decline, he sent an emissary to recall him to the capital. The Phoenix armrest, the deer-tail chowry, scriptures, and commentaries—all the lecture paraphernalia were entirely entrusted to him, wanting the wheel of Dharma not to be severed and the seed of the Buddha to continue unbroken. Bi received this final testamentary order on his head; when six years were completed, his expositions of the treatises and sūtras each exceeded ten times. The beauty of lineage transmission was seen once more in this man. When the Sui army punished the transgressors and the Chen mandate came to an end, thinking to repay the kindness of his native soil, he returned home. Anguo Temple had been constructed by Emperor Wu of Chen; its foundation stones still remained, but the rooms and verandas were decaying. Bi braved the frost and dew, vibrating his staff and raising the incense smoke, widely leading worthy companions in the vow to repair it. Thus the temple's buildings became glorious, and its gates and rooms dignified and magnificent. Hence, Dharmabhāṇaka Zhenguan wrote in the temple's stele: 'Patterned tiles and brocade stones are piled once more on the level steps; summer water-plants and autumn lotuses adorn the towering pagoda again. The moon visits the moon palace, its whitewashed walls reflecting in the golden waves; the clouds mirror the cloud terrace, its painted beams receiving the jade leaves.' As for repairing scriptures and images, casting bells and stone chimes, how could the Dharma benefits of these be fully spoken of? In the first month of the nineteenth year of Kaihuang, he was suddenly afflicted with a qi disease and felt his life lingering. At the noon hour on the fifteenth day of the third month, he passed away, aged sixty-three. He was entombed on Mount Huayang. The scholar Huifang had accompanied him for many years, his doctrinal understanding probing profound depths; capable of continuing the transmission of the lamp, he was entrusted with everything, and he erected a stele at the temple.

9.24.1

Śramaṇa Lingyu, whose secular surname was Zhao, was a native of Quyang in Julu, Dingzhou. During his childhood, his extraordinary conduct moved others. Whenever he saw an image or a śramaṇa, bodily and mentally he unfailingly showed reverence. Hearing the sounds and sights of slaughter, his chest and mind were pierced with grief, which led his villagers to spread his renown and his relatives to desist from killing on his account. At the age of six, he already understood taking the precepts. Though his parents pressured him, his vowed resolve was never broken. Soon he was taught the [canonical] chapters and the Thousand Character Classic; before a month had elapsed, he had mastered both the writing and the recitation. As for the Classic of Filial Piety and the Analects, having only just read their phrases, he was also clear on the commentaries. Because of this, his parents doted on him with partial affection, hoping he would continue the family lineage. At the age of seven, he asked his father to let him enter the monastic life (pravrajyā). Because his father saw that his wisdom and understanding were mature from an early age and his intention was focused on continuing the family line, he resolutely refused and forbade it. He only ordered him to study secular learning and exclusively attend to worldly affairs, obstructing him from the path of the Dharma. Lingyu sighed, saying, "Not being able to enter the monastic life at the age of seven, my whole life is ruined!" He then read widely in the various texts, drawing from his father and elder brother, fully encompassing divergences and agreements and deeply tallying with profound subtleties. Only Laozi, Zhuangzi, and the Book of Changes he had not yet received through lineage transmission. At the age of fifteen, he secretly wished to flee the world. It happened that he encountered mourning for his father. He then followed worldly customs, grieving intensely on the straw mat and earth clod. Only when using a cane could he rise; when the mourning ended, he grew weary of the secular world. His resolve was fierce, but not daring to bid farewell to his mother, he silently went to Yingjue Monastery in Zhao Commandery. He took refuge with the two dhyāna masters Ming and Bao and entered the monastic life under them. Those men were also leaders of the eastern region. When he was first imbued with the Great Dharma, he was ordered to recite the sūtras. Lingyu held the scroll and vowed, saying, "Now as I am about to study, I must first establish my resolve: the subtle words of the Tripiṭaka must certainly have their purports plumbed to the end; I shall never dwell among the ranks of the middling or inferior. As for the two teachings of Confucianism and Buddhism, I must master both thoroughly." At the age of twenty, hearing of the eminent reputation of Vinaya Master Huiguang in Ye, he immediately went to take refuge and receive instruction. It happened that [Huiguang] had passed away only seven days before. He lamented alone over not having met him: "Upon what can I rely for the restraint of the precepts?" He then turned to take refuge with Master Dao[ping] to listen to the Daśabhūmika Sūtra Śāstra (Dilun). Gradually attending the Dharma assemblies, three years elapsed. At twenty-two, he finally took the full precepts (upasampadā). He returned to the two virtuous ones Ming and Bao, asking them to be his fundamental preceptors. They both declined, saying, "We were conditions for you; we are not your preceptors. You may go to a superior place." He then proceeded to Dingzhou and received the great precepts. He immediately recited the two sets of pratimokṣa rules of the Sifen lü and Sengqi lü. He copied out their texts himself; within eight days, both the writing and recitation were completed. Hou Jing, the regional inspector of Dingzhou, investigated Lingyu's practice of the Way and submitted a memorial requesting his ordination, registering his name under official status and greatly esteeming him. Later, he traveled south to the Zhang and Fu rivers. Under Master Dao[yin], he specifically studied the Sifen lü. Listening and taking notes simultaneously, he produced five scrolls and put them into practice. Moreover, as the Dilun school had just arisen, Huiguang was the foundational master who initiated its awakening, its proliferation and broad guidance; Daoping was one who personally received it from Master [Hui]guang. (Both Ping and Guang have separate biographies.) Lingyu relied on Daoping's Dharma assembly. Those who, whether day or night, deeply comprehended and brought forth novelties and cut through to fresh insights, all yielded to him in admiration. Emperor Xuan of Northern Qi vastly promoted the Buddhist scriptures. The Great Controller (Datong) Fashang's prestige overshadowed all the talents; scholars followed the wind to attach themselves to him, using it as a path to fortune. Only Lingyu held firmly to his integrity and exclusive chastity, standing out and not consorting with his peers, only concerned about not yet having heard what should be heard, which became his singular dedication. Later, the Controller [Fa]shang deeply recognized his noble integrity and came to revere and respect him. From this time, he specialized in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the Daśabhūmika Sūtra Śāstra, and the Vinaya section, broadly searching into old interpretations and boring through to new and distinctive ones. Only for commentaries on the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra, the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the Guan jing (Contemplation Sūtra), the Yijiao jing (Last Injunction Sūtra), and others did he draw forth thoughts from his own mind without a master's exposition. Furthermore, from the three masters An, You, and Rong, he listened to the meaning of the Samyuktābhidharmahṛdaya Śāstra (Za xin), and from the two masters Song and Lin, he studied the Tattvasiddhi Śāstra (Chengshi lun). His efforts lasted nearly twelve years; his comprehension traversed the two vehicles. The essential principles remained, all equipped for classification and selection. His intellect was expansive and copious, fully penetrating both principle and phenomena. Once, he was conversing with various monks on the Confucian teachings. Nearby, a lecture assembly was in progress; while intermingling and hearing intermittently, he listened to both until they simultaneously dispersed. In the end, drawing on what he had heard, he recited the sentences and meanings with not a single point omitted. Because of this, his name was preeminent in Ye, and his renown spread far and wide. Moreover, he was unyielding, stern, and resolute, holding to his integrity and self-reliance. As for acting as rector (dujiang) or reviewing lecturer (fushu), he strove in his mind not to assume the office. Secular offerings and religious renown he silenced and avoided in concealment; when matters left him no choice, he would accept them only after declining. When he had completed twelve summer retreats, he began lecturing in the capital Ye, his renown and integrity already prominent. His words and commands were fresh; those who attended and took refuge consequently called him "Bodhisattva Lingyu." All received the three collections of pure precepts from him, and the Great Dharma was widely expanded from this point onward. Thereupon, he took guiding sentient beings as his constant duty. His intention lay in the essential principles rather than the chapters and sentences, which led to earlier and later re-explanations differing in words and meanings. Those who forgot the snare grasped the fundamental purport; those who followed the text lost its broad intent. It happened that the Northern Qi empress fell ill and vowed to have the Avataṃsaka Sūtra lectured upon. The various controllers of the Office of Buddhist Clergy (Zhaoxuan si) recommended Lingyu to act as the master of the Dharma. The assembly from the four directions unanimously lauded him as foremost. At that time, there was a rooster that constantly followed the assembly to listen; when the lecture dispersed, it crowed loudly and flew high, perching on a tree to the southwest, where it died overnight. Shortly thereafter, the empress's illness was cured. This too was a clear response of spiritual resonance. On this account, the inner palace donated three hundred monastic robes (kāṣāya); Lingyu received and dispersed them. During the reign of Emperor Wenxuan, more than one monastery was established. An imperial edict summoned those of virtuous renown to reside within them; state stipends and provisions piled up heavily. Lingyu was at that time prominently praised as foremost and was ordered to reside in an official monastery. He firmly declined, saying, "The state's regard is profound and heavy, but my virtue is not that of the proper man. Fortunately, let this benefit be conferred upon one who can bear it." Such was his noble refusal of worldly honor. If there were virtuous and wholesome Dharma offerings, he would accept them without hesitation. Such was his gathering and transforming of people. Therefore, whether he withdrew or acted was beyond what ordinary sentiments could fathom. At forty-seven years of age, approaching the year of knowing one's destiny (fifty), he immediately settled his single-minded thoughts and meditated in mountain crags. Before the summer heat had passed, the Lu clan of Fanyang heard of his wind from afar and invited him. Lingyu, according with the times to broadly benefit others and not lingering on meditative absorption, immediately set off. Wherever he stayed, lectures and offerings continually overflowed with a thousand people; disciples listening and rejoicing crowded together in layers. Later he returned to Ye, where he sat in a row with various dharmabhāṇakas to discourse. Lou Rui, the Prince of Andong of Northern Qi, paid respect to the various monks, and coming next before Lingyu, he was unconsciously struck with dread and broke into a sweat. Stepping back, he inquired and learned of Lingyu's extraordinary demeanor, whereupon he honored him as his precept master. Baoshan Monastery was founded by Lingyu; Rui served as the donor, giving away his gold and cowries. His latent virtue moving people was also of this kind. When the Zhou destroyed Qi, the two teachings were submerged and lost. He then concealed his form in the secular world, wearing unhemmed coarse mourning garments of three-sheng cloth, and hemp headbands and belts, as if mourning his deceased father and mother. He vowed that only when the Buddhadharma began anew would he resume his former vestments. Leading more than twenty companions, he resided in a village, discussing the correct principle at night and reading secular books by day.

9.24.2

Having probed the profound [aspects of] studies, he composed treatises as he read; these each formed categories, whose titles are listed below. At that time there occurred a year of famine, and there was no way to obtain grain. He composed a divination book in one fascicle and had someone use it to divine and charge a fee, setting two sheng of rice a day as his constant quota. Before long, his words proved prescient, and those with doubts gathered in clamour, so that the rice he obtained became plentiful. [Ling]yu said, "The ancients had a saying: 'Licking honey brings a blade's wound.' This is verified today." He asked for the divination book and burned it before the crowd. Daily he went by himself; in a moment he gained the price, rolled up his mat, and returned. The food and supplies he obtained were promptly brought back, using them to provide for those in the same distress, thus getting through the years. When the Great Sui dynasty arose, the Buddhist teachings flourished anew. [Ling]yu's virtue shone among earlier worthy men, and he was promptly sought out and promoted. In the third year of the Kaihuang reign-era, Fan Shulüe, the regional inspector of Xiangzhou, initiated and promoted lecture assemblies, inviting various monks, and in setting up the principles he placed him foremost to entrust clearly with the bequeathed Dharma. At each session, followers gathered by the thousands, filling the gates. [Ling]yu was regarded as the foremost authority, truly answering their profound expectations. An imperial edict commanded the establishment of monastic officials, and [Fan] Shulüe thereupon recommended him as metropolitan leader (dutong). He then spoke to [Fan] Shulüe, saying, "As for the virtue of a metropolitan leader, [Ling]yu's virtue is not such virtue; as for the utility of a metropolitan leader, [Ling]yu's utility is not such utility. Since neither my virtue nor my utility suits the vessel, both principle and circumstance make it hard to comply." All said that to omit this man would be to forfeit the chief principle in recommendation. Later, [Fan Shulüe] renewed his invitation, so [Ling]yu slipped away to travel in Yan and Zhao. For five years he carried out conversions, his Way shaking both rivers. In the tenth year of Kaihuang, while at Lingtong Temple in Mingzhou, he found a document in the courtyard at night, stating that the distress of his life's retribution lay in Xianyang. At first no one could fathom how this could be. By the next year, Emperor Wen revered the Buddhist gate and inquired far and wide for eminent men. All said that [Ling]yu's virtue covered the expectations of the age. Thereupon [the Emperor] issued an edict saying: "We respectfully inquire after Dharma Master Lingyu of Daci Temple in Xiangzhou. We revere the Triratna, our devotion being profound. We constantly wish to expound and spread the Great Vehicle and protect and maintain the true Dharma. The Dharma Master's brahma conduct is refined and pure, and his principles and meanings are profound and far-reaching; he broadly disseminates the profound teachings and guides the deaf and blind. Both monastics and laity admire and look up to him, yearning to make him a field of merit. The capital is looked up to by all under Heaven, where the four quarters converge. Therefore, from afar We summon the Dharma Master to build meritorious works together. You should understand Our intention and enter the capital promptly." Upon receiving the letter, [Ling]yu reflected and said, "The distress of Xianyang is verified herein! Yet life has its vicissitudes; I can decline on account of illness." But he also said, "Karmic conditions have arrived; even a sage finds them hard to oppose." He then walked on foot into Chang'an without riding in the official carriages. He was seventy-four years of age at the time. An edict was sent to console and attend to him, ordering him to reside at [Da]xingshan [Temple]. [The Emperor] further ordered the relevant authorities to assemble the monks of note and deliberate on appointing a national leader (guotong). The assembly's deliberations were unanimous, with no dissenting voice. [Ling]yu smiled and said, "I should explain it thoroughly to you; what is the use of such chatter?" He then submitted a memorial declining and requesting to return, setting forth his words with meticulous care. The Emperor examined the memorial, probed the circumstances, and accordingly permitted him to return. The vice directors of the Department of State Affairs, Gao Jiong and others, wished him to retain the grave position of leader and again submitted a memorial requesting his retention. The Emperor thereupon issued an edict commanding him to stay there for the time being. [Ling]yu said, "A lord of a state does not go back on his word. Now to retain me once more is not permissible in my feelings." He told his disciples, "For a king's ministers to draw close, there has long been a pledge: if too close, they despise the person and belittle the Dharma; if they withdraw, they do not lack distant respect. Therefore I must weigh adherence and withdrawal." Soon three edicts arrived in succession firmly inviting him. [Ling]yu held fast to his resolve as before. The Emperor said to Su Wei, "We know that Master [Ling]yu has integrity and uprightness; he is a man of self-mastery, who truly cannot be made to compromise his principles." He then ordered the Left Vice Director Gao Jiong, the Right Vice Director Su Wei, the Palace Secretary Yu Qingze, the Area Commander He Ruobi, and other lords to go to the temple to announce the imperial decree, receive the precepts and repent sins on behalf of the Emperor, and present three hundred pieces of damask, brocade, garments, and plain silk to help construct a mountain temple. The Emperor himself inscribed the plaque: "It may be named Lingquan." The provisions and gifts were exceptionally generous, exceeding ordinary regulations. He walked with all his might and returned, reaching his home district. Looking back, he said, "Has not the distress of going and returning passed away without harm?" From this point, imperial inquiries repeatedly arrived, and donations and gifts were bestowed layer upon layer. Those seeking clarification of doubts and requesting decisions came from afar, and those hungering for the wind and bathing in the Way again gathered before him. Later in life, [Ling]yu also resided at Yankong Temple, west of the seat of Xiangzhou. He upheld his conduct even more firmly and practiced his discipline even more austerely. When the Emperor heard of it, he again issued an edict, saying: "We respectfully inquire after the Bhadanta Dharma Master Lingyu of Yankong Temple. We revere the sacred teachings and renew the Triratna, wishing to enable all living beings to partake in the power of merit. The Dharma Master has abandoned worldly dust and committed himself to the Dharma gate. Being so refined and sincere, you deeply fulfill Our intent." Such were the solicitous inquiries made of him by the ruler of the state. In the middle of the Renshou reign-era, when relics were distributed to various prefectures to raise stupas, many transformed omens appeared, and the people of the time all praised them as auspicious signs. When [Ling]yu heard of it, he sighed and said, "These signs portend both misfortune and fortune. Because there were mixed white flowers, white trees, white stupas, and white clouds, though the signs manifest auspicious conditions, they constitute ill omens." The crowd at first did not believe it. Soon, Empress Xian and Emperor Wen passed away in succession, and the entire state donned white mourning clothes—his words proved true. The stone base of the hall where the Regional Inspector of Xiangzhou, Duke of Neiyang Xue Zhou, resided suddenly turned to jade. Xue Zhou considered it an auspicious sign and held a vegetarian feast to celebrate it. [Ling]yu said, "This is merely vaidūrya; you should be cautious and take heed, and you may avert it through merit." Xue Zhou did not heed his words. Later, when Yang Liang rebelled, [Xue Zhou] was implicated in the affair and was exiled to the frontier borderlands. Regretting his earlier failure to be cautious, it was already too late. Furthermore, regarding the nine-tiered pagoda he built at Mount Hanling, by the end of the Renshou reign-era, only four tiers had been constructed. One morning, [Ling]yu urgently urged them, saying, "All is impermanent; affairs encounter hindrances and stops." Building continuously through the night, they were about to complete the eighth tier when an order was given to halt construction; they were only able to set up seats and arrange benches. Just then, the incident at Jinyang occurred, and the common people had nowhere to turn; [Ling]yu's life was also left in balance the following year. His prescient foresight was always like this. At that time, it was widely rumored in Ye that Master [Ling]yu was about to pass away. Monastics and laity gathered like clouds to receive the refuges and precepts together. They sought where the report had originated, but found no trace; [Ling]yu also believed that his merit and lifespan were exhausted. He then showed and instructed on good and evil, admonishing all his disciples. From the moment he felt unwell, upon reaching the seventh day, he took up a brush and composed two poems. The first lamented his swift end: / "Today I sit in the high hall, / Tomorrow morning I lie among the long thorns. / One life is now casually completed; / When will the coming retribution cease?" / The second grieved over his eternal demise: / "When life ends, I take leave of the mortal way; / My corpse is sent before the ghost gate. / After this single parting, / In how many years will we meet again?" / In the night, he told his attendant, "The pain is now in my back. I am about to depart." When the third watch came, a strange fragrance suddenly filled the room, startling all within and without.

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續高僧傳 — 道宣, Classical Chinese