宋高僧傳 12.23

12.23

釋大安，姓陳氏，閩城人也。幼年入道，頓拂塵蒙。元和十二年，勅建州浦城縣乾元寺置兜率壇，始全戒足。時天雨桂子及地生朱草，刺史元錫手疏其瑞，上達冕旒，遂迴御札，詔改鳳棲寺號靈感壇焉。安因往洪井，路出上元，忽逢一老父曰：「子往南昌，必有所得。」及咨參律學，夜聞二僧談論，遽了三乘之旨，乃以所習付之同人。之臨川，見石鞏山慧藏禪師。藏之提唱，必持弓弩以擬學人。安膜拜未興，唱曰：「看箭。」安神色不撓，答對不差。石鞏乃投弩曰：「幾年射，始中半人也矣。」安遊五臺，入龍池沐浴，雖久寖漣漪，殊無奮暴雨雹之怪，觀者驚悚。後止溈山，禮大圓禪師，復證前聞而為量果也。時豫章廉使贈太尉崔貞孝公，則魏公之季父，深契玄機，敦安之道，飛疏召之，厥譽愈昌。咸通十四年，詔宜號延聖大師，賜紫袈裟一副。中和二年示疾，所止法堂巨梁中折。三年癸卯十月二十二日，坐化于怡山丈室，春秋九十一，臘六十七。續詔贈圓智大師，塔號證真。安不嘗唾地，不處溫房，隨化而衣，天雨而浴。諮法弟子慧長入關，揚安之德，故有追諡也。博陵司空相國仰慕前烈，遂著文頌德。詩人周朴篤重安，時入山致禮焉。

Śramaṇa Da'an, surname Chen, was a native of Mincheng. Entering the Way in his youth, he suddenly wiped away the dust of defilement. In the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, an imperial decree established a Tuṣita altar at Qianyuan Temple in Pucheng County of Jianzhou, where he fully completed the precepts. At that time, cassia seeds rained from heaven and cinnabar grass grew from the earth; Prefect Yuan Xi personally drafted a memorial reporting these auspicious omens to the throne, and an imperial decree was returned renaming the monastery Fengqi Temple and designating it the Efficacious Altar. An then traveled toward Hongjing, his road passing through Shangyuan, when he suddenly met an old man who said: 'If you go to Nanchang, you will surely attain something.' When he consulted masters of Vinaya studies, he heard two monks conversing at night and suddenly comprehended the purport of the three vehicles; he then entrusted what he had studied to his colleagues. Going to Linchuan, he saw Chan Master Huizang of Mount Shigong. When Zang expounded the teachings, he always raised a bow and crossbow to aim at students. Before An had even risen from his prostration, Zang called out: 'Watch the arrow!' An's expression remained undisturbed, and his answers did not miss the mark. Shigong then threw down the crossbow and said: 'After years of shooting, only now have I hit half a person.' An traveled to Mount Wutai, where he entered the Dragon Pond to bathe; though he immersed himself in the ripples for a long time, there was no anomalous tempest of torrential rain and hail, leaving onlookers in awe. Later he stopped at Mount Gui, paid homage to Chan Master Dayuan, and once more confirmed what he had previously realized as a definitive fruit. At that time, the Surveillance Commissioner of Yuzhang, the posthumously honored Grand Defender Lord Cui Zhenxiao—the younger uncle of Duke Wei—deeply accorded with the profound mechanism; he held An's Way in high esteem and sent a swift dispatch to summon him, whereupon his renown flourished all the more. In the fourteenth year of the Xiantong era, an imperial decree granted him the title Grand Master Yansheng and bestowed a set of purple robes. In the second year of the Zhonghe era, he manifested illness, and a great beam in the Dharma hall where he stayed snapped in two. On the twenty-second day of the tenth month of the third year, guimao, he passed away sitting upright in the abbot's quarters at Yishan, at ninety-one years of age and sixty-seven saṅgha years. A subsequent imperial decree conferred the posthumous title Grand Master Yuanzhi, and his pagoda was named Zhenzhen. An never spat upon the ground, did not stay in heated rooms, dressed according to whatever offerings were made, and bathed when rain fell from heaven. His dharma-inquiry disciple Huichang entered the capital passes to proclaim An's virtue, which led to the posthumous honours. Minister of State Sikong of Boling admired his past illustrious deeds and composed a text in praise of his virtue. The poet Zhou Pu deeply respected An and frequently entered the mountain to pay his respects.