宋高僧傳 14.4

14.4

釋道宣姓錢氏，丹徒人也，一云長城人。其先出自廣陵太守讓之後，洎太史令樂之撰《天文集占》一百卷；考諱申府君，陳吏部尚書；皆高矩令猷，周仁全行，盛德百代，君子萬年。母娠而夢月貫其懷，復夢梵僧語曰：「汝所妊者即梁朝僧祐律師，祐則南齊剡溪隱嶽寺僧護也。宜從出家，崇樹釋教」云。凡十二月在胎，四月八日降誕。九歲能賦。十五厭俗，誦習諸經，依智頵律師受業。洎十六落髮，所謂除結，非欲染衣，便隷日嚴道場。弱冠，極力護持，專精克念，感舍利現於寶函。隋大業年中，從智首律師受具。武德中依首習律，纔聽一遍，方議修禪。頵師呵曰：「夫適遐自邇，因微知章，修捨有時，功願須滿，未宜即去律也。」抑令聽二十遍，已，乃坐山林，行定慧，晦迹於終南倣掌之谷。所居乏水，神人指之，穿地尺餘，其泉迸涌，時號為白泉寺。猛獸馴伏，每有所依，名華芬芳，奇草蔓延。隋末徙崇義精舍，載遷豐德寺。嘗因獨坐，護法神告曰：「彼清官村，故淨業寺，地當寶勢，道可習成。」聞斯卜焉，焚功德香，行般舟定。時有群龍禮謁，若男若女，化為人形。沙彌散心，顧盻邪視。龍赫然發怒，將搏攫之，尋追悔，吐毒井中，具陳而去。宣乃令封閉，人或潛開，往往煙上，審其神變。或送異華一奩，形似棗華，大如榆莢，香氣馝馟，數載宛然。又供奇果，季孟梨柰，然其味甘，其色潔，非人間所遇也。門徒嘗欲舉陰事，先是潛通，以定觀根，隨病與藥。皆此類者。有處士孫思邈嘗隱終南山，與宣相接，結林下之交，每一往來，議論終夕。時天旱，有西域僧於昆明池結壇祈雨，詔有司備香燈供具。凡七日，池水日縮數尺。有老人夜詣宣求救，頗形倉卒之狀，曰：「弟子即昆明池龍也。時之無雨，乃天意也，非由弟子。今胡僧取利於弟子，而欺天子言祈雨。命在旦夕，乞和尚法力加護！」宣曰：「吾無能救爾，爾可急求孫先生。」老人至思邈石室，冤訴再三，云：「宣律師示我，故敢相投也。」邈曰：「我知昆明池龍宮有仙方三十首，能示余，余乃救爾。」老人曰：「此方上界不許輒傳，今事急矣，固何所悋？」少選，捧方而至。邈曰：「爾速還，無懼胡僧也！」自是池水大漲，數日溢岸，胡僧術將盡矣，無能為也。及西明寺初就，詔宣充上座。三藏奘師至止，詔與翻譯。又送真身往扶風無憂王寺。遇勅令僧拜等，上啟朝宰，護法又如此者。撰《法門文記》、《廣弘明集》、《續高僧傳》、《三寶錄》、《羯磨戒疏》、《行事鈔》、《義鈔》等二百二十餘卷。三衣皆紵，一食唯菽。行則杖策，坐不倚床，蚤蝨從遊，居然除受，土木自得，固己亡身。嘗築一壇，俄有長眉僧談道，知者其實賓頭盧也。復三果梵僧禮壇讚曰：「自佛滅後，像法住世，興發毘尼，唯師一人也。」乾封二年春，冥感天人來談律相，言：「鈔文《輕重儀》中舛誤，皆譯之過，非師之咎，請師改正。」故今所行著述，多是重修本是也。又有天人云：「曾撰《祇洹圖經》，計人間紙帛一百許卷。」宣苦告口占，一一抄記，上下二卷。又口傳偈頌，號《付囑儀》十卷是也。貞觀中曾隱沁部雲室山，人睹天童給侍左右。於西明寺夜行道，足跌前階，有物扶持，履空無害。熟顧視之，乃少年也。宣遽問：「何人中夜在此？」少年曰：「某非常人，即毘沙門天王之子那吒也，護法之故，擁護和尚，時之久矣。」宣曰：「貧道修行，無事煩太子。太子威神自在，西域有可作佛事者，願為致之！」太子曰：「某有佛牙，寶掌雖久，頭目猶捨，敢不奉獻。」俄授於宣，宣保錄供養焉。復次庭除，有一天來禮謁，謂宣曰：「律師當生覩史天宮」，持物一苞，云是棘林香。爾後十旬，安坐而化，則乾封二年十月三日也。春秋七十二，僧臘五十二。累門人窆于壇谷石室，其後樹塔三所。高宗下詔，令崇飾圖寫宣之真相。匠韓伯通塑繢之，蓋追仰道風也。宣從登戒壇及當泥曰，其間受法傳教，弟子可千百人。其親度曰大慈律師、授法者文綱等。其天人付授佛牙，密令文綱掌護，持去崇聖寺東塔。大和初，丞相韋公處厚建塔於西廊焉。宣之持律，聲振竺乾；宣之編修，美流天下。是故無畏三藏到東夏朝謁，帝問：「自遠而來，得無勞乎？欲於何方休息？」三藏奏曰：「在天竺時常聞西明寺宣律師，秉持第一，願往依止焉。」勅允之。宣持禁堅牢，捫蝨以綿紙裹投於地。三藏曰：「撲有情於地之聲也。」凡諸密行，或制或遮，良可知矣。至代宗大曆二年，勅此寺三綱：「如聞彼寺有大德道宣律師傳授得釋迦佛牙及肉舍利，宜即詣右銀臺門進來，朕要觀禮。」至十一年十月，勅：「每年內中出香一合，送西明寺故道宣律師堂，為國焚之禱祝。」至懿宗咸通十年，左右街僧令霄、玄暢等上表乞追贈。其年十月勅諡曰澄照，塔曰淨光。先所居久在終南，故號南山律宗焉。天寶元載靈昌太守李邕，會昌元年工部郎中嚴厚本，各為碑頌德云。

Shi Daoxuan, surnamed Qian, was a native of Dantu, or according to another source, a native of Changcheng. His forebears descended from Qian Rang, the Grand Administrator of Guangling, down to Yuezhi, Director of the Astrological Service, who compiled the Astrological Divinations in one hundred fascicles. His late father, Gentleman Shen, was Minister of Personnel of the Chen dynasty. All of them maintained exalted standards and admirable ways, possessing universal benevolence and complete conduct, their abundant virtue enduring for a hundred generations, their gentlemen [thriving] for ten thousand years. When his mother was pregnant, she dreamed that the moon penetrated her bosom, and further dreamed that an Indian monk said to her: "The one you carry is precisely Vinaya Master Sengyou of the Liang dynasty; You was formerly Sengfu of Yinyue Temple on Shan Stream in the Southern Qi. He ought to enter the monastic life and exalt the teachings of Śākya." He remained in the womb for twelve months in all, and was born on the eighth day of the fourth month. At nine years of age, he was capable of composing rhapsodies. At fifteen, he grew weary of the secular world, recited and studied the various scriptures, and relied on Vinaya Master Zhiyun to receive instruction. When he turned sixteen, he had his hair shaved—a severance of defilements, not merely a desire to dye his robes—and was then attached to the Riyan Daochang. Reaching young adulthood, he upheld the precepts with utmost diligence and concentrated his mind, which moved a śarīra to appear in a jeweled casket. During the Daye reign era of the Sui, he received full ordination (upasampadā) from Vinaya Master Zhishou. In the Wude reign era, he relied on Shou to study the vinaya; after hearing it only once, he was just discussing the practice of dhyāna when Master Yun rebuked him: "Reaching what is distant begins from what is near, and knowing what is manifest depends on what is subtle. Cultivation and renunciation have their proper times; your practice and vows must be fulfilled, so it is not yet appropriate to depart from the vinaya." He compelled him to listen to it twenty times. Once finished, Daoxuan then sat in the mountain forests, practiced samādhi and wisdom, and concealed his traces in the Fangzhang Valley of Mount Zhongnan. Where he resided, water was scarce; a spirit pointed it out, and upon digging a little over a foot into the earth, a spring welled forth, so that it was then called Baiquan Temple. Ferocious beasts became tame and submissive, always staying near; famous blossoms were fragrant, and rare herbs crept luxuriantly. At the end of the Sui, he moved to Chongyi Aranya, and again moved to Fengde Temple. Once, while sitting alone, a Dharma-protecting deity told him: "That Qingguan Village, formerly Jingye Temple, possesses the positional advantage of treasures; the Way can be practiced and achieved there." Hearing this, he divined the site, burned incense of merit, and practiced the pratyutpanna-samādhi. At that time, a flock of dragons came to pay homage, both male and female, transformed into human forms. A novice's mind was distracted, and he cast improper glances at them. The dragons became furious and were about to seize him, but soon repented, spat venom into the well, explained the whole matter, and departed. Xuan then ordered it sealed up; whenever someone secretly opened it, smoke would often rise, confirming their divine transformations. On another occasion, they offered a box of extraordinary flowers resembling jujube blossoms and the size of elm seeds, with an intoxicating fragrance that remained fresh for several years. They also offered wondrous fruits, such as pears and crabapples, yet their flavor was sweet and their color pure, not to be found in the human realm. When his disciples wished to bring up secret matters, he had already secretly perceived them beforehand, observing their faculties in samādhi and administering medicine according to the illness. Such instances were all of this kind. There was a retired scholar, Sun Simiao, who once lived as a recluse on Mount Zhongnan, interacted with Xuan, and formed a friendship in the forest retreat; each time they visited each other, they conversed all night long. At that time there was a drought, and a Western monk erected an altar at Kunming Pool to pray for rain, whereupon an imperial decree instructed the officials to prepare incense, lamps, and offerings. After seven days, the water in the pool receded by several feet each day. An old man came by night to Xuan seeking rescue, appearing quite rushed, and said: "This disciple is the dragon of Kunming Pool. The current lack of rain is the will of Heaven, not due to this disciple. Now the foreign monk is exploiting this disciple for profit, deceiving the Son of Heaven by claiming to pray for rain. My life is in jeopardy from moment to moment; I beg the Upādhyāya's Dharma power for protection!" Xuan said: "I have no ability to save you; you should quickly seek Master Sun." The old man went to Simiao's stone chamber, voiced his grievances repeatedly, and said: "Vinaya Master Xuan directed me here, which is why I venture to turn to you." Miao said: "I know that the Dragon Palace of Kunming Pool has thirty immortal medical formulas; if you can show them to me, I will save you." The old man said: "The higher realms do not permit these formulas to be transmitted lightly, but now the matter is urgent, so why should I be stingy?" In a short while, he brought the formulas in his hands. Miao said: "Return quickly, and do not fear the foreign monk!" From then on, the water in the pool rose greatly, overflowing the banks within several days, and the foreign monk's arts were exhausted, powerless to do anything. When Ximing Temple was newly completed, an imperial decree appointed Xuan as the Senior Sthavira. When Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang arrived, Xuan was decreed to assist in the translation work. He also escorted the true relic to King Aśoka Temple in Fufeng. When encountering an imperial edict ordering monks to bow to their parents and rulers, he submitted a memorial to the court ministers; his protection of the Dharma was likewise of this kind. He compiled the Famen wenji, Guang hongming ji, Xu gaoseng zhuan, Sanbao lu, Jiemo jie shu, Xingshi chao, and Yi chao, totaling over two hundred and twenty fascicles. His three robes were all made of coarse ramie, and his single daily meal consisted only of beans. When walking, he leaned on a staff; when sitting, he did not lean against the bench; fleas and lice roamed upon him, yet he naturally received and cleared them; he was at ease with earth and wood, truly having forgotten his physical body. Once, when he had constructed an altar, a long-eyebrowed monk suddenly appeared to discuss the Way; those who knew realized he was actually Piṇḍola. Furthermore, an Indian monk of the third fruition came to the altar, paid homage, and praised him, saying: "Since the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, during the period of the semblance Dharma abiding in the world, in promoting and initiating the vinaya, you alone, Master, are the only one." In the spring of the second year of Qianfeng, he invisibly moved celestial beings to come and discuss vinaya aspects, who said: "The errors in the Ritual of Minor and Major Matters in your commentary are all faults of the translations, not your mistake, Master; we request that you, Master, correct them." Therefore, the writings in circulation today are mostly revised editions. Furthermore, a celestial being said: "The Jetavana Diagrammatic Sūtra was previously compiled, amounting to about one hundred fascicles of human paper and silk." Xuan earnestly requested him to recite it orally, and he transcribed it point by point, making two fascicles, upper and lower. Moreover, verses transmitted orally, known as the Ritual of Entrustment in ten fascicles, were also received in this way. During the Zhenguan reign era, he once lived in seclusion at Mount Yunshi in Qinbu, where people saw a celestial boy attending upon him on his left and right. While walking the path at night in Ximing Temple, he stumbled on the front steps, but something supported him so that he trod on air without harm. Looking closely, he saw it was a youth. Xuan hurriedly asked: "Who is here in the middle of the night?" The youth said: "I am no ordinary person; I am Nata, the son of the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa. To protect the Dharma, I have guarded the Upādhyāya for a long time." Xuan said: "This poor monk's practice has no reason to trouble the prince. The prince possesses sovereign spiritual power; if there is any Buddhist service that can be performed in the Western Regions, I hope you will bring it about!" The prince said: "I have a Buddha's tooth, which I have treasured in my palm for a long time; I would even give away my head and eyes, so how would I not venture to offer it?" Soon he gave it to Xuan, who kept it safely and made offerings to it. Furthermore, in the courtyard, a deva came to pay homage, saying to Xuan: "The Vinaya Master will be reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven palace," holding a bundle of items, saying it was the incense of the thorny grove. Ten decades later, he passed away peacefully while seated, which was on the third day of the tenth month in the second year of Qianfeng. His age was seventy-two, and his saṅgha age was fifty-two. His disciples buried him in the stone chamber of Tan Valley, and afterwards three stūpas were erected. Emperor Gaozong issued an imperial edict ordering that Xuan's true likeness be decorated and painted. The artisan Han Botong sculpted and painted it, out of reverent admiration for his exemplary conduct in the Way. From the time Xuan mounted the ordination platform until his nirvāṇa, during that period, approximately a thousand disciples received the Dharma and transmitted his teachings. Those he personally ordained included Vinaya Master Daci, and those who received the Dharma included Wengang and others. The Buddha's tooth bestowed by the celestial being was secretly entrusted to Wengang for safekeeping, who took it to the Eastern Stūpa of Chongxing Temple. Early in the Dahe reign era, Prime Minister Wei Chuhou built a stūpa in the western corridor. Xuan's observance of the vinaya shook India with its renown; Xuan's compilations spread their excellence throughout the world. For this reason, when Tripiṭaka Master Śubhakarasiṃha arrived in the Eastern Land for an imperial audience, the Emperor asked: "Having come from afar, are you not fatigued? Where would you like to rest?" The Tripiṭaka Master memorialized: "When in India, I constantly heard of Vinaya Master Xuan of Ximing Temple as foremost in upholding the precepts; I wish to go and rely on him." The Emperor granted it. Xuan upheld the prohibitions steadfastly: when catching a louse, he wrapped it in cotton paper and cast it to the ground. The Tripiṭaka Master said: "That is the sound of dashing a sentient being to the earth." All his subtle practices, whether prescribed or prohibited, can well be understood from this. In the second year of Dali under Emperor Daizong, an edict was issued to the three monastic directors of this temple: "We have heard that the temple possesses the Śākyamuni Buddha tooth and flesh relics transmitted by the Great Virtuous Vinaya Master Daoxuan; they should be brought to the Right Yintai Gate immediately, for We wish to view and pay homage to them." In the tenth month of the eleventh year, it was decreed: "Each year, the palace shall provide one box of incense to be sent to the hall of the late Vinaya Master Daoxuan at Ximing Temple, to be burned in prayer for the state." In the tenth year of Xiantong under Emperor Yizong, Lingxiao, Xuanchang, and other monks of the Left and Right Streets submitted a memorial requesting a posthumous title. In the tenth month of that year, an imperial edict conferred the posthumous title Chengzhao, and his stūpa was named Jingguang. Because he had long resided on Mount Zhongnan, it was called the Nanshan Vinaya School. In the first year of Tianbao, Li Yong, the Grand Administrator of Lingchang, and in the first year of Huichang, Yan Houben, Vice Director in the Ministry of Works, each composed an inscription praising his virtue.