宋高僧傳 13.15

13.15

釋師彥，姓許氏，閩越人也。早悟羈縻，忽求拔俗，循乎戒檢，俄欲觀方。見巖頭禪師，領會無疑。初樂杜默，似不能言者。後為所知敦喻，允請住台州瑞巖山院。時道怤往參問，答對響捷，怤公神伏。後二眾同居，彥之威德，凜若嚴霜。紏正僧尼，無容舛悞，故江表言御眾翦齊者，瑞巖為最。嘗有三僧，胡形清峭，目睛轉若流電焉，差肩並足致禮。彥問曰：「子從何來？」曰：「天竺來。」「何時發？」曰：「朝行適至。」彥曰：「得無勞乎？」曰：「為法忘勞。」乃諦視之，足皆不蹈地。彥令入堂，上位安置，明旦忽焉不見，云是辟支迦果人，然莫知階級。時有不測人入法會，非止一過。彥參學時號為小彥長老。兩浙武肅王錢氏累召，方肯來儀，終苦辭去。寺倉常滿。嘗有村媼來參禮，彥曰：「汝休拜跪，不如疾歸家，救取數十百物命，大有利益。」媼忩忙到舍，兒婦提竹器拾田螺正歸。媼接取，放諸水濆。又數家召齋，一一同日見彥來食。至終闍維，有巨蛇緣樹杪投身火聚，當乎薪盡，舍利散飛，或風動，草木上紛紛而墜。神異絕繁，具如別錄。

Shi Shiyan's secular surname was Xu, and he was a native of Minyue. Having early awakened to worldly entanglements, he suddenly sought to transcend the mundane, conformed to the restraints of the precepts, and soon wished to travel in all directions. He met Chan Master Yantou and grasped his teaching without doubt. At first he took pleasure in keeping completely silent, as if unable to speak. Later, strongly urged by his acquaintances, he consented to reside at the Ruiyanshan Cloister in Taizhou. At that time, Daofu went to visit and question him; Shiyan's responses were as swift as an echo, and the venerable Fu was spiritually subdued. Later, when the two assemblies [of monks and nuns] dwelt together, Yan's majestic virtue was as stern as severe frost. In correcting monks and nuns, he allowed no error or discrepancy; hence, when people south of the Yangtze spoke of regulating the assembly with discipline, Ruiyan was deemed foremost. Once, three monks of austere Central Asian appearance, whose eyes darted like flashing lightning, stood side by side with even feet and paid homage. Yan asked, "Where have you come from?" They replied, "We have come from India (Tianzhu)." "When did you set out?" They said, "We set out this morning and have just arrived." Yan said, "Are you not fatigued?" They replied, "For the sake of the Dharma, we forget fatigue." Looking closely at them, none of their feet touched the ground. Yan had them enter the hall and placed them in the seats of honor; the next morning, they suddenly vanished. It was said they were realized beings of the pratyekabuddha fruition, though their stage remained unknown. From time to time, unfathomable persons entered his Dharma assemblies—not merely once. When Yan was an itinerant student, he was called Senior Monastic Little Yan. King Wusu of Liangzhe of the Qian clan repeatedly summoned him before he was willing to make an appearance, and in the end he insisted on departing. The monastery granary was always full. Once, a village matriarch came to pay homage. Yan said, "Cease your bowing and kneeling; it would be better to return home swiftly and save the lives of scores or hundreds of creatures, which will bring great benefit." The old woman hurried home, where her daughter-in-law had just returned carrying a bamboo vessel with field snails she had gathered. The old woman took them and released them at the water's edge. Moreover, several households invited him to noon-meals, and each saw Yan come to eat on the very same day. When he finally underwent cremation (jhāpita), a giant snake climbed to the treetop and cast itself into the mass of flames. When the firewood was consumed, relics (śarīra) flew about in dispersion, or drifted down like rain upon the grass and trees whenever the wind blew. His supernatural anomalies were exceedingly numerous, fully detailed in separate records.