宋高僧傳 17.27

17.27

釋崇惠，姓章氏，杭州人也。穉秫之年，見乎器局，鷙鳥難籠，出塵心切。往禮徑山國一禪師為弟子，雖勤禪觀，多以三密教為恒務。初於昌化千頃最峯頂結茅為庵，專誦《佛頂呪》數稔。又往鹽官硤石東山，卓小尖頭草屋，多歷年月。復誓志於潛落雲寺遁跡，俄有神白惠曰：「師持《佛頂》少結『莎訶』，令密語不圓。莎訶者，成就義也。今京室佛法為外教凌轢，其危若綴旒，待師解救耳！」惠趨程西上，心亦勞止，擇木之故，於章信寺挂錫，則大曆初也。三年戊申歲九月二十三日，太清宮道士史華上奏，請與釋宗當代名流角佛力道法勝負。于時代宗欽尚空門，異道憤其偏重，故有是請也。遂於東明觀壇前架刀成梯，史華登躡如常磴道焉。時緇伍互相顧望推排，且無敢躡者。惠聞之，謁開府魚朝恩，魚奏請於章信寺庭樹梯，橫架鋒刃，若霜雪然，增高百尺。東明之梯極為低下。時朝廷公貴、市肆居民，駢足摩肩而觀此舉。時惠徒跣登級下層，有如坦路，曾無難色。復蹈烈火，手探油湯，仍餐鐵葉，號為䬪飥，或嚼釘線，聲猶脆飴。史華怯懼慚惶，掩袂而退。時眾彈指歎嗟，聲若雷響。帝遣中官鞏庭玉宣慰再三，便齎賜紫方袍一副焉。詔授鴻臚卿，號曰護國三藏，勅移安國寺居之。自爾聲彩發越，德望峻高。代宗聞是國一禪師親門高足，倍加鄭重焉。世謂為巾子山降魔禪師是也。

Śramaṇa Chonghui, surnamed Zhang, was a native of Hangzhou. In his tender youth, his exceptional capacity and demeanor were already evident; like a raptor difficult to cage, his aspiration to transcend worldly dust was earnest. He went to pay homage to Chan Master Guoyi of Jingshan and became his disciple. Although he was diligent in Chan contemplation, he mostly took the teaching of the three mysteries as his constant practice. At first, on the highest summit of Qianqing in Changhua, he tied thatch to make a hermitage, solely reciting the Buddha's Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī for several years. Next, he went to the Eastern Mountain of Xiashi in Yanguan, where he pitched a small pointed thatched hut, dwelling there through many months and years. He then vowed to hide his traces at Luoyun Temple in Yuqian. Suddenly, a spirit addressed Hui, saying: "When you, Master, uphold the Buddha's Uṣṇīṣa [Dhāraṇī], you lack the concluding 'svāhā', causing the secret words to be incomplete. 'Svāhā' has the meaning of accomplishment. Now the Buddha's Dharma in the capital is being trampled by the outer teachings; its peril is like hanging tassels, awaiting you, Master, to come to its rescue!" Hui hastened on his journey westward, his mind weary. Choosing a tree upon which to perch, he hung his staff at Zhangxin Temple; this was at the beginning of the Dali era. On the twenty-third day of the ninth month in the third year, wushen [768 CE], the Daoist priest Shi Hua of the Taiqing Palace submitted a memorial requesting to contend with the eminent figures of the Buddhist lineage of the present age, to determine the superiority of Buddhist power or Daoist methods. At that time, Emperor Daizong revered the Buddhist order, and the heterodox teachings were indignant at his partiality; hence they made this request. A ladder made of blades was then erected before the altar of Dongming Abbey, and Shi Hua ascended and stepped on it as if it were an ordinary stone path. At that time, the monks looked at one another and shrank back; none dared step on it. Hearing of this, Hui had an audience with the Commissioned Palace Official Yu Chao'en. Yu submitted a memorial requesting to set up a ladder in the courtyard of Zhangxin Temple, horizontally laying crosswise sharp blades that gleamed like frost and snow, raising it to a height of one hundred feet. The ladder at Dongming was exceedingly low. At that time, court nobles and market dwellers rubbed shoulders and stood heel to heel to watch this event. Thereupon Hui, barefoot, ascended the rungs and descended the tiers as if upon a level path, never showing the slightest sign of distress. He then trod on fierce flames, plunged his bare hands into boiling oil, and furthermore ate iron leaves, calling them flat dumplings, and chewed iron nails and wire, the sound crunching like crisp barley candy. Shi Hua was frightened, humiliated, and terrified; covering his sleeves, he retreated. At that time, the multitude snapped their fingers and sighed in admiration, the sound roaring like thunder. The Emperor dispatched the eunuch Gong Tingyu to offer imperial consolations repeatedly, and thereupon presented him with a purple square robe. By imperial decree, he was appointed Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, granted the title "State-Protecting Tripiṭaka Master," and ordered to move his residence to Anguo Temple. From then on, his fame resounded abroad, and his virtuous prestige stood lofty and high. Hearing that he was a foremost disciple of Chan Master Guoyi, Emperor Daizong treated him with redoubled solemnity and respect. The world called him the Demon-Subduing Chan Master of Mount Jinzi; this was he.