宋高僧傳 12.31

12.31

釋義存，長慶二年壬寅生于泉州南安縣曾氏。自王父而下，皆友僧親佛，清淨謹愿。存生而鼻逆葷血。乳抱中，或聞鐘磬，或見僧像，其容必動，以是別垂愛於膝下。九歲請出家，怒而未允。十二從家君遊蒲田玉㵎寺，有律師慶玄，持行高潔。遽拜之曰：「我師也。」遂留為童侍焉。十七落髮。來謁芙蓉山恒照大師，見而奇之，故止其所。至宣宗中興釋氏，其道也涅而不緇，其身也褎然而出。北遊吳、楚、梁、宋、燕、秦，受具足戒於幽州寶剎寺訖，巡名山，扣諸禪宗，突兀飄颻，雲翔鳥逝。爰及武陵，一面德山，止於珍重而出。其徒數百，咸莫測之。德山曰：「斯無階也，吾得之矣。」咸通九年，歸于芙蓉之故山。其年，圓智大師亦自溈山擁徒至于怡山王真君上昇之地。其徒孰（就師已嗣德山）纍纍而款關，存拒而久之。則有行實者，始以存同而議曰：「我之道魏魏乎，法門圍遶之所，不可造次，其地宜若布金之形勝可矣。府之西二百里有山焉，環控四邑，峭拔萬仞，崷崒以支圓碧，培塿以覛群青。怪石古松，棲蟄龜鶴，靈湫邃壑，隱見龍雷。山之巔，先冬而雪，盛夏而寒。其樹皆別垂藤蘿，䒠茸而以為之衣，交錯而不呈其形，奇姿異景，不可殫狀。雖霍童、武夷，無以加之。實閩越之神秀，而古仙之未攸居，誠有待於我也。祈以偕行去。」秋七月，穿雲躡蘚，陟險昇幽，將及之，存曰：「真吾居也」。其夕山之神果効靈，翌日巖谷爽朗，煙霞飛動。雲庵既立，月構旋隆，繇是柅法輪於無為，樹空門於有地。行實乃請名其山，曰雪峯。以其冬雪夏寒，取鷲嶺、猴江之義，斯則庚寅。逮于乙未，存以山而道任，山以存而名出，天下之釋子，不計華夏，趨之若召。乾符中，觀察使京兆韋公、中和中司空穎川陳公，每渴醍醐而不克就飲，交使馳懇，存為之入府，從人願也。其時內官有復命于京，語其道其儕之拔俗悟空者，請蛻浮華而來脫屣。僖宗皇帝聞之，翰林學士訪於閩人陳延効，得其實奏。於是乃錫真覺大師之號，仍以紫袈裟俾延効授焉。存受之如不受，衣之如不衣。居累夏，辛亥歲朔，遽然杖屨。其徒啟而不答，雲以隨之，東浮于丹丘、四明。明年，屬王侍中之始據閩越，乃洗兵於法雨，致禮於禪林，馥存之道，常東望頂手。後二年自吳還閩，大加禮異。及閩王王氏誓眾養民之外，雅隆其道，凡齋僧構剎，必請問焉。為之增宇、設像、鑄鐘以嚴其山，優施以充其眾。時則迎而館之于府之東西甲第。每將儼油幢、聆法論，未嘗不移時。僅乎一紀，勤勤懇懇，熊羆之士，因之投跡檀那；漁獵之逸，其或弭心鱗羽。戊辰年春三月示疾，閩王走醫，醫至粒藥以授，存曰：「吾非疾也，不可罔子之工。」卒不餌之。其後札偈以遺法子，函翰以別王庭。夏五月二日，鳥獸悲鳴，雲木慘悴。其夜十有八刻時滅度，俗壽八十有七，僧臘五十有九。以其月十五日塔而藏之。爾日奔走，閩之僧尼士庶，巷無居人。閩王漣如出涕，且曰：「師其捨予，一何遽乎！」遣子延稟躬祭奠之，復齋僧焉。存之行化四十餘年，四方之僧爭趨法席者不可勝算矣，冬夏不減一千五百徒之環足其趨也。馳而愈離，辯而愈惑。其庶幾者，一曰師備，擁徒于玄沙（今安國也）；次曰可休，擁徒于越州洞巖；次曰智孚，擁徒于信州鵝湖；其四曰惠稜，擁徒于泉州招慶；其五曰神晏，住福州之鼓山。分燈化物，皆膺聖獎，賜紫袈裟，而玄沙級宗一大師焉。

Shi Yicun was born into the Zeng family of Nan'an County in Quanzhou in the renyin year, the second year of Changqing. From his grandfather down, all befriended monks, were devoted to the Buddha, and were pure, cautious, and sincere. From birth, Yicun's nose rejected meat and blood. While cradled in arms, if he heard bells or stone chimes, or saw images of monks, his countenance was sure to be moved; for this reason, special affection was bestowed upon him at his parents' knees. At age nine he requested to leave home, but they refused in anger. At twelve he accompanied his father to visit Yujian Temple in Putian, where Vinaya Master Qingxuan possessed exalted and pure practice. He immediately bowed to him and said: "This is my teacher." Thereupon he stayed to be an attendant boy. At seventeen his hair was shorn. He came to visit Grand Master Hengzhao of Mount Furong, who saw him and marveled at him, so [Yicun] stayed at his place. When Emperor Xuanzong revived the Buddhist teachings, [Yicun's] practice was steeped in the worldly yet untainted, and he stepped forth eminently from the crowd. He traveled north through Wu, Chu, Liang, Song, Yan, and Qin, and after receiving the full ordination at Baosha Temple in Youzhou, he toured famous mountains and inquired of various Chan lineages, soaring majestically and drifting freely, like flying clouds and passing birds. Reaching Wuling, he met Deshan once; he merely said farewell and came out. The hundreds of disciples could not fathom him. Deshan said: "This man has no steps or stages; I have obtained him." In the ninth year of Xiantong, he returned to his old mountain at Furong. In that year, Grand Master Yuanzhi also led disciples from Mount Guishan to the place at Mount Yi where True Lord Wang had ascended to heaven. When his disciples—(having succeeded Deshan as master)—clustered together to knock at the gate, Yicun turned them away for a long time. Then there was Xingshi, who first conferred with Yicun, saying: "Our Way is majestic! The site where the Dharma gate gathers people cannot be established hastily; its ground ought to possess the splendid landscape of the 'laying down of gold.' Two hundred li west of the prefecture there is a mountain, encircling and controlling four counties, towering steeply ten thousand fathoms high, loftily propping up the round azure sky and looking down upon the surrounding green hills like small mounds. Strange rocks and ancient pines shelter tortoises and cranes; numinous pools and deep ravines conceal and reveal dragons and thunder. At the peak of the mountain, it snows before winter and is cold in high summer. Its trees are separately draped in climbing vines, lush and luxuriant, serving as their clothing, interlaced without revealing their forms; its marvelous shapes and rare scenes cannot be fully described. Even Mount Huotong and Mount Wuyi cannot surpass it. It is truly the divine elegance of Minyue, where ancient immortals have not yet dwelt; it truly awaits us. I pray that you go with me." In the seventh month of autumn, treading through clouds and stepping on moss, scaling heights and ascending into seclusion, as they were about to reach it, Yicun said: "This is truly my dwelling." That night, the deity of the mountain indeed showed numinous efficacy; the next day, the crags and valleys were bright and clear, with mists and clouds dancing. Once the cloud hermitage was established, month by month the structures grew grander; hence the Dharma wheel was set in motion in non-action, and the gate of emptiness was raised upon solid ground. Xingshi then requested to name the mountain Xuefeng (Snow Peak). Because of its winter snow and summer cold, taking the meanings of Vulture Peak and the Monkey River, this was the gengyin year. Coming to the yiwei year, Yicun was entrusted with the Way on account of the mountain, and the mountain became renowned on account of Yicun; the Buddhist disciples of the realm, whether from the central lands or afar, flocked there as if summoned. During the Qianfu era, Surveillance Commissioner Lord Wei of Jingzhao, and during the Zhonghe era, Minister of Works Lord Chen of Yingchuan, often thirsted for the ghee [of Dharma] yet were unable to go drink it; sending messengers back and forth to convey their earnest requests, Yicun entered the prefecture for them, complying with the people's wishes. At that time, a palace eunuch returned to the capital to report his mission, spoke of his Way, and described those among his companions who had surpassed the mundane and awakened to emptiness, asking to shed superficial splendor and come cast off worldly ties. When Emperor Xizong heard of it, the Hanlin Academician inquired of Chen Yanxiao, a native of Min, and obtained the true facts to memorialize. Thereupon the emperor bestowed the title Grand Master Zhenjue, and further sent a purple robe for Yanxiao to confer on him. Yicun received it as if not receiving it, and wore it as if not wearing it. Having resided there for many summers, on the first day of the xinhai year, he suddenly took up his staff and sandals. When his disciples questioned him, he did not answer; with followers like clouds following him, he drifted east to Danqiu and Siming. The following year, when Palace Attendant Wang first took control of Minyue, he washed his weapons in the Dharma rain and paid reverent homage to the Chan forest; admiring Yicun's Way, he constantly faced east and raised his hands to his head. Two years later, [Yicun] returned from Wu to Min, and [the ruler] showed him extraordinary reverence. Beyond making vows to the multitudes and nurturing the people, King Wang of Min greatly exalted his Way; whenever he fed monks or constructed monasteries, he was sure to consult him. For him, he expanded the halls, erected images, and cast bells to adorn his mountain, offering generous alms to supply his assembly. From time to time he would welcome and lodge him in the first-rank mansions east and west of the prefecture. Whenever he was about to set up the oil-cloth banners and listen to discussions of the Dharma, he would invariably linger for hours. For nearly twelve years, he was diligent and earnest; men of bear-like martial prowess thereby turned to become dānapatis, and those who took pleasure in fishing and hunting gave up their designs on fish and fowl. In the third month of spring in the wuchen year, he showed signs of illness. The King of Min sent for a physician; when the physician arrived and handed him medicinal pills, Yicun said: "I have no illness; I cannot deceive your skill." In the end he did not ingest them. Thereafter he wrote gāthās to leave to his Dharma heirs, and sent letters to bid farewell to the royal court. On the second day of the fifth month of summer, birds and beasts cried sorrowfully, and the clouded trees appeared sad and withered. At the eighteenth mark of that night, he entered extinction, at the worldly age of eighty-seven, with a monastic age of fifty-nine. On the fifteenth day of that month, he was entombed in a stūpa. On that day, running about in haste, the monks, nuns, gentry, and commoners of Min left the streets and alleys deserted. The King of Min wept profusely, saying: "The Master is leaving me; how sudden it is!" He sent his son Yanbing to offer sacrifices in person, and again hosted a feast for the monks. Yicun's proselytizing extended for more than forty years; the monks from the four quarters who vied to flock to his Dharma seat were countless, with no less than one thousand five hundred disciples surrounding his feet in summer and winter. The faster they ran, the farther they strayed; the more they debated, the more confused they became. Those who attained near perfection were: first, Shibei, who led an assembly at Xuansha (now Anguo); second, Kexiu, who led an assembly at Dongyan in Yuezhou; third, Zhifu, who led an assembly at Ehu in Xinzhou; fourth, Huileng, who led an assembly at Zhaoqing in Quanzhou; fifth, Shenyan, who resided at Mount Gushan in Fuzhou. Passing on the lamp to transform living beings, all received imperial commendations and were granted purple robes, with Xuansha being advanced to Grand Master Zongyi.