宋高僧傳 17.8

17.8

釋惠立，本名子立，天皇改為惠立，俗姓趙氏，天水人也。遠祖因官徙寓新平，故為豳人焉。爰祖及父，俱馳高譽。立即隋起居舍人司隷從事毅之第三子也。生而岐嶷，有棄俗之志。年十五，貞觀三年出家，住豳州昭仁寺，此寺即破薛舉之戰場也。立識敏才俊，神清道邁，習林遠之高風，有肇融之識量。聲譽聞徹，勅召充大慈恩寺翻經大德，次補西明寺都維那，後授太原寺主，皆降綸旨，令維寺任。天皇之代，以其博考儒釋，雅著篇章，妙辯雲飛，益思泉湧，加以直詞正色，不憚威嚴，赴火蹈湯，無所屈撓。頻召入內，與黃冠對論。皆愜帝旨，事在別傳。立以玄奘法師求經印度，若無紀述，季代罕聞，遂撰《慈恩三藏行傳》，未成而卒。後廣福寺沙門彥悰續而成之，總十卷。故初題云「沙門惠立本，釋彥悰箋」是也。立削[葶-丁+呆]云畢，慮遺諸美，遂藏諸地府，世莫得聞。爾後臨終，令門侍掘以啟之，將出，乃即終焉。初立見尚醫奉御呂才妄造《釋因明圖注》三卷，非斥諸師正義。立致書責之，其警句有云：「奉御於俗事少閑，遂謂真宗可了，何異乎鼷鼠見釜竈之堪陟，乃言崑丘之非難；蛛蝥覩棘林之易羅，亦謂扶桑之可網。不量涯分，何殊此焉？」才由茲而寢。太常博士柳宣聞其事息，乃歸信，以書〈檄翻經僧眾〉，云「其外禦其侮，釋門之季路也。」

Śramaṇa Huili, originally named Zili—Emperor Gaozong changed it to Huili—had the secular surname Zhao and was a native of Tianshui. A distant ancestor, on account of official service, relocated to reside in Xinping; hence he became a person of Bin. From his grandfather down to his father, both enjoyed high renown. Huili was the third son of Yi, who served the Sui dynasty as Diary Scribe and Attendant Officer of the Metropolitan Commandery. Born extraordinarily intelligent, he had the intention to abandon the secular life. At the age of fifteen, in the third year of the Zhenguan era, he underwent pravrajyā and resided at Zhaoren Temple in Binzhou; this temple was precisely the battlefield where Xue Ju was crushed. Huili was quick-witted and exceptionally talented; his spirit was pure and his religious practice elevated. He emulated the lofty style of [Zhi] Dun and [Hui]yuan, and possessed the intellectual capacity of [Seng]zhao and [Dao]rong. His fame resounded far and wide; an imperial decree summoned him to serve as Translation Virtuous One at Da Cien Temple, next he was appointed Grand Karmadāna of Ximing Temple, and later he was appointed Abbot of Taiyuan Temple; all were bestowed by imperial edict, ordering him to oversee these monastic duties. In the reign of Emperor Gaozong, because he broadly investigated Confucianism and Buddhism, elegantly composed works, and his wondrous debates flew like clouds while his prolific ideas welled up like a spring—added to which he spoke straightforwardly with an upright countenance, undaunted by imperial awe, braving fire and treading into boiling water without flinching—he was frequently summoned to enter the palace to debate face-to-face with Daoists. He always conformed to the imperial will; the matters are recorded in a separate biography. Huili, considering that Dharma Master Xuanzang had sought scriptures in India, and that without a record later generations would rarely hear of it, thereupon composed the Biography of the Cien Tripiṭaka Master, but died before it was completed. Later, Śramaṇa Yanzong of Guangfu Temple continued and finished it, making ten fascicles in all. Hence the original title read: "Drafted by Śramaṇa Huili, annotated by Śramaṇa Yanzong." When Huili finished paring his tablets, he feared omitting its various excellences and thus hid it underground, so that none in the world heard of it. Thereafter, when his end approached, he ordered his attendants to dig it up and open it; just as it was brought out, he then passed away. Earlier, when Huili saw that Lü Cai, Palace Physician Attendant, had rashly fabricated the Illustrated Commentary on Buddhist Logic in three fascicles, rejecting and criticizing the correct doctrines of the masters, Huili sent him a letter reprimanding him. Its striking lines included: "The Attendant Officer has slight leisure in secular affairs, and thereupon assumes that the True Doctrine can be comprehended. How is this different from a field mouse, seeing that a cauldron and stove can be climbed, declaring that Mount Kunlun is not difficult; or a spider, seeing that a bramble thicket is easily webbed, also thinking that Fusang can be netted? Without measuring one's proper limits, how does it differ from this?" Due to this, Cai ceased his efforts. When Liu Xuan, Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, heard that the matter had subsided, he turned with faith and wrote a letter titled "Manifesto to the Scripture-Translating Monastic Assembly," saying, "In defending against insult from without, he is the Jilu of the Buddhist fold!"