宋高僧傳 20.50

20.50

釋清觀，字明中，臨海人也，姓屈氏。初誕彌，手足指間有幕蹼屬相著焉，佛經所謂網漫相也。迨為童孺，神俊挺然，乃有出塵之志。遂詣國清寺，投元璋律師執侍瓶鉢。非父母不沮之，若迦樓羅鳥啄幾萬重圍矣。年十八，納形俱法，良由善根深植，悟解天然，台嶺教文，洞明三觀，兼得深定，神異通感，皆莫我知。少覽百家，彌通三教。仍善屬文，長於詩筆。凡其邦伯輶軒，皆響風造謁，觀則持重若嚴君焉。見則畏伏，秖就几杖以待貴士。或施財寶，皆迴入常住，罄無私畜。或曰：「貴人所施皆充別施，何不己用耶？」對曰：「恨未能捨頭目，況世財乎？」大中初，天下寺剎中興，觀入京請大鐘歸寺鳴擊，并重懸勅額，則集賢院學士柳公權書題也。柳復有詩序，送其東歸。復請藏經歸寺。大中癸酉，江表荐饑，殍踣相望，觀遂併糧食施之。又山僧物外度荒，自入室禪定，謂弟子曰：「汝如不死，至禾黍熟時，當以磬引我出。」果如其言，明歲方從定起矣。一旦溪南人命觀齋食，可去寺二十里餘。其夜溪㵎泛溢，無人可渡，謂觀不來。頃刻而至，且無淹濕，作用可知也，人皆異之。遠近瞻禮，日別盈滿，喧擾可厭，乃逃往翠屏山蘭若獨棲。續天台山眾列請為僧正，乃佯狂隱晦。州牧杜雄遂奏昭宗宣賜紫衣，觀聞之，若愁思不樂。後無疾而終焉。

The śramaṇa Qingguan, styled Mingzhong, was a native of Linhai, surnamed Qu. When he was born, the webbing between his fingers and toes was joined together, which is what Buddhist scriptures call the webbed-hands-and-feet mark. When he was a child, his spirit was extraordinary and upright, and he possessed the aspiration to leave the dust of the world. He then went to Guoqing Temple, where he became an attendant to Vinaya Master Yuanzhang, holding his water bottle and bowl. It was not that his parents did not try to stop him, but it was like a garuḍa bird breaking through tens of thousands of encirclements. At the age of eighteen, he received the full precepts. Because his roots of goodness were deeply planted and his awakened understanding was natural, he thoroughly comprehended the three contemplations in the doctrinal texts of Mount Tiantai, and in addition achieved deep meditative concentration; of his supernatural powers and spiritual resonances, none were beyond his reach. In his youth he read widely in the hundred schools of thought and was thoroughly versed in the three teachings. He was also skilled at composition and excelled in poetry. Whenever the regional governors or imperial envoys visited, they were drawn by his reputation to call upon him; Guan maintained a dignified manner like that of a strict lord. When they saw him, they were struck with awe, and he would merely lean on his table and staff to receive such noble guests. When they offered wealth and treasures, he transferred them all to the communal property of the sangha, keeping absolutely no private savings. Someone asked: 'The donations of the nobles were meant as special gifts; why do you not keep them for yourself?' He replied: 'I regret only that I cannot yet renounce my head and eyes; how much less do I care for worldly wealth!' At the beginning of the Dazhong era, when the monasteries throughout the realm were being restored, Guan went to the capital to request a large bell to bring back and ring at the temple, and also rehung an imperial plaque written and inscribed by Liu Gongquan, Academician of the Academy of Scholarly Worthies. Liu also composed a poem with a preface to see him off on his return east. Guan also requested a set of the Tripiṭaka to bring back to the temple. In the guiyou year of the Dazhong era, there was repeated famine in the region south of the Yangtze River, and the corpses of those who had starved to death lay in sight of one another; Guan thereupon gave away his provisions of grain entirely to relieve them. Moreover, the mountain monk Wuwai, to survive the famine, entered his chamber in meditative absorption, saying to his disciples: 'If you do not die, when the millet and grain are ripe, strike the chime stone to lead me out.' It turned out just as he had said: only in the following year did he arise from meditative absorption. One day, people south of the stream invited Guan to an offering meal at a place about twenty li away from the temple. That night the mountain torrents swelled and overflowed so that no one could cross, and they thought Guan would not come. In an instant he arrived, without being wet at all; his wondrous functioning was evident from this, and all marvelled at it. People from far and near came to pay homage, crowding his place day after day. Weary of the noise and clamor, he fled to a hermitage on Mount Cuiping to live in seclusion. Subsequently, the sangha of Mount Tiantai repeatedly requested him to serve as Sangha Rectifier, but he feigned madness to keep out of sight. The prefect Du Xiong petitioned Emperor Zhaozong to bestow a purple robe upon him; when Guan heard of it, he seemed sorrowful and displeased. Later, he died without illness.