宋高僧傳 20.30

20.30

釋圓觀，不知何許人也。居于洛宅，率性疎簡，或勤梵學而好治生，獲田園之利，時謂之空門猗頓也。此外施為絕異，且通音律，大曆末，與李源為忘形之友。源父憕居守，天寶末陷於賊中，遂將家業捨入洛城北慧林寺——即憕之別墅也——，以為公用無盡財也。但日給一器，隨僧眾飲食而已。如此三年。源好服食，忽約觀遊蜀青城、峨眉等山洞求藥。觀欲遊長安，由斜谷路。李欲自荊入峽，爭此二途，半年未決。李曰：「吾已不事王侯，行不願歷兩京道矣。」觀曰：「行無固必，請從子命。」遂自荊上峽，行次南浦，泊舟，見數婦女絛達錦璫，負罌而汲。觀俛首而泣曰：「某不欲經此者，恐見此婦人也。」李曰：「自上峽來，此徒不少，奚獨泣為？」觀曰：「其孕婦王氏者，是某託身之所也。已逾三載，尚未解㝃，唯以吾未來故。今既見矣，命有所歸，釋氏所謂循環者也。請君用符呪遣其速生，且少留行舟，葬吾山谷。其家浴兒時，亦望君訪臨。若相顧一笑，是識認君也。後十二年當中秋月夜，專於錢塘天竺寺外，乃是與君相見之期也。」李追悔此之一行，致觀到此，哀慟殆絕。召孕婦告以其事，婦人喜躍還。頃之，親族畢集，以枯魚濁酒饋于水濱。李往授符水。觀具其沐浴，新其衣裝。觀其死矣，孕婦生焉。李三日往看新兒，襁抱就明，果致一笑。李泣具告王氏，王氏厚葬觀。明日李迴棹歸慧林寺，詢問弟子，方知已理命矣。李常念杭州之約。至期，到天竺山寺，其夜桂魄皎然，忽聞葛洪井畔有牧童歌《竹枝》者，乘牛扣角，雙髻短衣，徐至寺前，乃觀也。李趨拜曰：「觀公健否？」曰：「李公真信士。我與君殊途，慎勿相近。君俗緣未盡，但且勤修不墮，即遂相見。」李無由序語，望之澘然。觀又歌《竹枝》，杳䮍前去，詞切調高，莫知所謂。歎曰：「真得道之僧也！咫尺懸隔，聖凡路殊，諒有之乎？」初，源忿父遇害賊庭，時方八歲，為群賊所虜，流浪南北，展轉人家，凡六七年，歸於近親。代宗聞之，授河府掾。源遂絕酒肉，不婚娶，不役童僕，常依慧林寺，寓一室，隨僧齋食。先命穴其野以備終制，時時往眠其間。至於榮辱是非，一皆均等也。時相國李公德裕表薦之，遂授諫議大夫。于時源已年八十餘矣，抗表不起。二年而卒——長慶二年也。

Śramaṇa Yuanguan was of unknown origin. He lived at a residence in Luoyang and was naturally unconstrained and straightforward. At times he diligently engaged in Sanskrit studies, while also taking pleasure in managing livelihoods and acquiring profits from fields and gardens, so that contemporaries called him the "Yi Dun of the Buddhist Fold." Beyond this, his actions were exceedingly extraordinary, and he was also well-versed in music. In the late Dali era, he became a bosom friend of Li Yuan. Yuan's father, Deng, had served as the Grand Defender and was killed by rebels at the end of the Tianbao era. Yuan consequently donated his family estate—which was Deng's villa—to Huilin Temple north of Luoyang city to serve as an inexhaustible common fund. He merely received one dish a day, taking his meals along with the assembly of monks. This went on for three years. Yuan was fond of ingesting herbs and drugs, and he suddenly arranged with Yuanguan to travel to the mountain caves of Qingcheng, Emei, and elsewhere in Shu to seek medicines. Yuanguan wished to travel to Chang'an via the Xie Valley road, whereas Li wished to enter the Gorges from Jingzhou; they disputed these two routes for half a year without resolving the matter. Li said: "I have already ceased serving kings and lords, and on my travels I do not wish to pass through the roads of the two capitals." Yuanguan said: "One's journey should not be stubbornly fixed; please allow me to follow your command." They then went up the Gorges from Jingzhou. When their journey reached Nanpu, they moored their boat and saw several women wearing silk ribbons and embroidered ear-ornaments, carrying jars to fetch water. Yuanguan lowered his head and wept, saying: "The reason I did not wish to pass through here was the fear of seeing this woman." Li asked: "Since coming up the Gorges, there have been many such women; why do you weep alone?" Yuanguan said: "That pregnant woman surnamed Wang is where I am to take up rebirth. More than three years have already passed and she has not yet given birth, solely because I had not arrived. Now that we have met, my life has its destination; this is what the Buddhists call cyclical transmigration. Please use a talisman and spell to cause her to give birth quickly, and delay your boat for a short while to bury me in the mountain valley. When her family bathes the newborn child, I also look forward to your visit. If he gazes at you and smiles, that is his recognizing you. Twelve years later, on the night of the mid-autumn moon, strictly outside Tianzhu Temple in Qiantang—that shall be the time to meet with you again." Li regretted this single journey, which had brought Yuanguan to this pass, and mourned him almost to the point of collapse. He called the pregnant woman and told her of the matter; the woman returned home leaping with joy. Shortly after, her kin and clan all gathered, presenting dried fish and unstrained wine as offerings at the water's edge. Li went and gave the talisman water. Yuanguan bathed himself and put on fresh clothing. As Yuanguan died, the pregnant woman gave birth. On the third day, Li went to see the newborn child; when brought into the swaddling clothes before the light, the infant indeed gave a smile. Weeping, Li told everything to the Wang family, and the Wang family gave Yuanguan a lavish burial. The next day Li turned his oars to return to Huilin Temple; upon inquiring of Yuanguan's disciples, he learned that he had already arranged his affairs before departing. Li constantly remembered the appointment at Hangzhou. When the appointed time arrived, he went to Tianzhu Mountain Temple. On that night, the moon shone bright and clear. Suddenly, beside Ge Hong's well, he heard a cowherd singing the "Bamboo Branch" song, riding an ox and tapping its horns, with two hair-buns and short robes, coming slowly before the temple—it was indeed Yuanguan. Li hurried forward and bowed, asking: "Is Master Guan well?" The boy said: "Lord Li is truly a man of faith. You and I tread different paths; be careful not to approach. Your worldly karma is not yet exhausted; only diligently cultivate without falling away, and we shall meet again." Li had no way to converse further and wept as he watched him. Yuanguan sang the "Bamboo Branch" song again and went off into the distance, his words earnest and the melody soaring, though its meaning could not be grasped. Li sighed, saying: "He is truly a monk who has attained the Way! So close yet hung far apart, the paths of the sage and the ordinary are different—how true this is!" Originally, Yuan was indignant over his father's murder in the rebel camp; at that time he was only eight years old and was captured by the band of rebels. He wandered north and south, passing from household to household for six or seven years before returning to his close relatives. Emperor Daizong heard of this and appointed him an assistant in the Henan Superior Prefecture. Yuan subsequently abstained from meat and wine, did not marry, and did not employ servants. He constantly lived at Huilin Temple, lodging in a single room and taking vegetarian meals with the monks. He previously ordered a pit to be dug in the wilds in preparation for his death, frequently going to sleep inside it. As for glory or disgrace, right or wrong, he regarded them all as entirely equal. At that time, Chief Minister Lord Li Deyu submitted a memorial recommending him, and he was appointed Grand Master for Remonstrance. By then Yuan was already over eighty years old, and he submitted an earnest remonstrance declining the post. Two years later he passed away—in the second year of the Changqing era.