宋高僧傳 26.10

26.10

釋自覺，博陵望都人也。稚齒厭于俗態，俄白親老言：「兒樂從佛求度世去。」二親驚愕，咄咤俾去。然無慚怍，再拜請命，乃強禮本部開元寺知欽。欽觀其志氣弗群，立字曰自覺。訓之曰：「汝聞名思義。」答曰：「佛種從緣起，唯聽明誨矣。」既而誦經及格蒙度。至德二年年滿，鎮州受具足法。即往靈壽縣禪法寺習律經論，勤瘁九年，皆造微也。便言「當入太行山，於一磐石上結茅庵三畝，小溪為蘭若，不亦快乎！」大曆元年九月晦，往平山縣界，得重林山院，果應所求，遁跡自娛。至二年五月，天其旱暵，覺則跣足經行，冬則右肩偏袒。其林薄山谷，虎狼狃跡重複。唯拾果采蔬，卯時一食。時恒陽節度使張君患炎旱，聞覺精苦，躬入山請其祈雨。張語之曰：「某無政術，致累百姓三年亢陽，借苦引咎自責，良無補矣。或云龍王多依師聽法，忘其施雨。願師垂救旱之誓，有如白水。如念蒼生，請輟禪定，略入軍府。」覺乃虔恪啟告龍神，未移晷刻，天輒大雨，二辰告足。張帥歸向勤重，若孝子之事父母焉。覺始入法已來，學諸佛因中誓願，其數亦四十九也。其一願：身長隨大悲菩薩，次願：造鑄大悲像寺。及乎發言響應，檀施臻萃，用赤金鼓鑄成，舉高四十九尺，梵相端嚴，眼臂全具。迨更年稔，寺亦隨成，今城西山大寺是歟。遂於壇前誦念，至三更，見神光二道作，中金色，於晃朗中見彌陀佛，觀音、勢至左右翼從，佛垂金臂呼自覺聲，漸下雲來，摩其頂曰：「守願勿悛，無宜懈廢，利物為先。汝去吾隨，任從汝意。」言畢雲收，杳無眹迹。覺以願心酬畢，返山林之間，擇送終之處。貞元十一年二月望夜，有神人現半身，若毘沙門狀，謂曰：「師今歲滅度矣。」舉手謝神人曰：「往來定分，吾聞命矣。」其年六月十四日，奄歸寂滅。門人欲奉神龕歸山寺，州府人苦留，終於大悲寺南遷塔焉。則十三年四月八日也。其大悲為恒陽奇事，感應潛通，至周顯德初，勅鑄九府圓法，天下銅像，一例除毀。時州人相率出錢贖此像，不允，登即爐槖鎔冶。真定之人莫不悲悼。時炭熾飛煙，無之，從頂至胸，旋收銅汁，斯須計料，匠氏暴卒，自此罷工。迨宋太祖神德皇帝追鑄令全，代懺前事焉。

Shi Zijue was a native of Wangdu in Boling. In his childhood, he grew weary of worldly manners, and presently reported to his elderly parents, saying, "Your son delights in following the Buddha to seek deliverance from the world." His parents were astonished, scolded him, and told him to go away. Yet without any shame or hesitation, he bowed twice to request their command, and was thus allowed to pay homage reluctantly to Zhiqin of Kaiyuan Temple in his home commandery. Qin observed that his determination and spirit were extraordinary, and conferred upon him the style Zijue ("Self-Enlightened"). Admonishing him, he said, "Contemplate the meaning as you hear your name." Zijue replied, "The seed of Buddhahood arises from conditions; I shall solely obey your luminous instruction." Afterward, he chanted scriptures, passed the qualifying examination, and received ordination. In the second year of the Zhide era, having reached the required age, he received the full precepts in Zhenzhou. He then proceeded to Chanfa Temple in Lingshou County to study the vinaya, sūtras, and treatises; through nine years of arduous toil, he penetrated their subtleties. He then said, "I ought to enter the Taihang Mountains, build a thatched hut of three mu upon a flat boulder, and take a small stream as my āraṇya—would that not be delightful!" On the final day of the ninth month of the first year of the Dali era, he went to the border of Pingshan County and found the retreat at Mount Zhonglin; it indeed fulfilled his wish, and he lived in seclusion for his own joy. In the fifth month of the second year, there was a drought; Jue then practiced walking meditation barefoot, and in winter bared his right shoulder. In those dense groves and mountain valleys, tigers and wolves left repeated tracks. He gathered only fruits and plucked vegetables, eating once a day at the hour of the rabbit. At that time, Military Commissioner Zhang of Hengyang was distressed by the searing drought; hearing of Jue’s rigorous austerities, he went into the mountain in person to invite him to pray for rain. Zhang spoke to him, saying, "I lack administrative skill, which has caused the common folk to suffer three years of severe drought; even if I should take the blame upon myself through suffering, it would truly be of no help. Some say the dragon kings mostly attend upon you, Master, to listen to the Dharma, and so forget to dispense rain. May the Master extend a vow to relieve the drought, clear as white water! If you care for the people, please suspend your dhyāna absorption and briefly enter the military headquarters." Jue thereupon devoutly and reverently made supplication to the dragon spirits; before the sun's shadow had shifted, heavy rain poured from the heavens, and within two double-hours it was deemed sufficient. Commissioner Zhang turned to him with deep reverence, like a filial son serving his parents. Ever since Jue first entered the Dharma, he had emulated the vows made by the Buddhas in their causal stages, their number also being forty-nine. His first vow was: "May my body constantly follow Great Compassion Bodhisattva (Mahākāruṇika Avalokiteśvara)." His next vow was: "To cast and construct an image and temple of the Great Compassionate One." When he gave voice to this, responses echoed: donations and alms arrived in great numbers, and casting was carried out using red bronze. When completed, it stood forty-nine chi tall, with an upright and solemn Indian countenance, complete with eyes and arms. As years passed, the temple was completed alongside it; this is the Great Temple of the Western Mountains outside the city today. He then chanted before the altar; at the third watch of the night, two rays of divine light arose, golden within. In the luminous radiance, he saw Amitābha Buddha, flanked on the left and right by Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. The Buddha lowered his golden arm, called Zijue's name, descended gradually upon clouds, and stroked the crown of his head, saying: "Keep your vow and do not falter; do not become remiss, and let the benefiting of beings come first. Where you go, I shall follow; act as you wish." When he finished speaking, the clouds gathered back, leaving not a trace behind. Jue, having fulfilled the vows in his heart, returned among the mountains and forests to choose the place for his final rest. On the night of the full moon in the second month of the eleventh year of the Zhenyuan era, a divine being manifested the upper half of his body, appearing like Vaiśravaṇa, and said to him: "Master, you will enter extinction this year." Raising his hands, he thanked the divine being, saying: "The coming and going are fixed allotments; I have received your command." On the fourteenth day of the sixth month of that year, he suddenly passed into extinction. His disciples wished to escort his shrine back to the mountain temple, but the people of the prefecture and commandery earnestly pleaded for him to stay, and a stūpa was finally relocated south of Dabei Temple. This was on the eighth day of the fourth month of the thirteenth year. The Great Compassionate One was a miraculous wonder of Hengyang, its responses secretly penetrating. At the beginning of the Xiande era of the Later Zhou, an imperial decree ordered the casting of nine-office coinage, and copper statues throughout the realm were uniformly destroyed. At that time, the people of the prefecture joined together to offer money to redeem this statue, but this was refused, and it was forthwith placed into the furnace and bellows for smelting. The people of Zhending were all filled with grief. At that time, the charcoal flared with flying smoke, and before long, as the molten bronze was collected from head to chest, the craftsman suddenly dropped dead, whereupon work was halted. When Emperor Shende, Taizu of the Song, came to power, he ordered it recast and restored to completion, atoning on behalf of the past events.