續高僧傳 9.28

9.28

Shi Daozhuang was a native of Jianye in Yangzhou. He traversed the classics and histories and studied abstruse discourses, mastering their essential purports. His demeanor was grand and elegant, and his nature was expansive; thus from an early age he was esteemed by his peers. At first, he listened to Master Qiong of Pengcheng Temple, receiving the Satyasiddhi [from him]. Qiong was a leading exemplar and master of the school, esteemed by all disciples. Later in life, when illness overtook him and he wished to pass on the succession, he summoned his students to discuss his final bequest. The assembly all yielded and deferred to Daozhuang as the proper recipient of this trust. Qiong said: 'Venerable Zhuang's scholarship is superior and profound; he is indeed a magnificent choice, fulfilling all expectations and capable of bringing luster to future generations. Yet his head is large and his feet are small; in the end he will achieve nothing lasting, and I fear he will shift his tracks to another school.' The collective recommendation was therefore rejected. Daozhuang later indeed looked down upon the Hīnayāna and took refuge in the Great Dharma. Following Master Lang of Xinghuang Temple, he listened to and pondered the Four Treatises. At a single hearing, he had an intuitive awakening, his outstanding wisdom shining uniquely. Later, entering the Inner Bodhimaṇḍa, he frequently sounded the Dharma drum; not a single person of repute in the monastery failed to attend his seat. When they inquired about previous doubts, his expositions were without obstruction; as his years and virtue matured, all revered and promoted him. When the Emperor previously governed the feudatory, he sent letters paying respects and inquiring, frequently inviting Daozhuang to engage with fine poetic compositions and treatises. His literary elegance was exuberant, repeatedly moving men's hearts. Toward the end of his life, he was summoned to the imperial capital, residing at Riyan Temple, where he frequently received audiences and exchanged fresh treatises. He was invited into the imperial palace to lecture and instruct; his expressions and insights were pure and brilliant, synthesizing both abstruse [Daoist] and Confucian teachings, so that all praised his breadth and conciseness. Later, he emerged from the Quchi [pond area] back to his original quarters at Riyan, where he lectured on the Lotus Sūtra, directly delineating its cardinal themes without dwelling on literal phrases. He composed a commentary in three rolls, all characterized by refined spirit and elegant charm, and many took him as their master. When Emperor Yang ascended the throne, because Daozhuang lingered in refined pursuits and the flavor of the Way flowed through him, he bestowed on him five hundred bolts of silk and forty felt cloaks. Daozhuang accompanied the imperial carriage eastward and passed away from illness in Luoyang at the age of eighty-one, in the beginning of the Daye era. He left a collection of several tens of rolls, mostly preserved south of the Huai River and rarely circulated in the north.