宋高僧傳 29.6

29.6

釋慧凝，未知何許人也，棲止洛邑而無異藝，正修練心戒耳。甞得疾暴終，七日而蘇，起說冥間報應及見區分，更無毫髮之差。所覩者五沙門，一是寶明寺智聖，以坐禪苦行得升天堂。次一是般若寺道品，以誦《涅槃經》四十卷，同前智聖。次是融覺寺曇謨最稱講《涅槃》、《華嚴經》，領徒千數。琰摩王曰：「講經者心懷彼我，以驕𣣋物，比丘中第一麁行。今唯試坐禪誦經。」最曰：「貧道立身已來，唯好講導，不能禪誦。」王曰：「付司。」即有青衣數輩，擁送最向西北門，屋舍皆黑，似非好處。次是禪林寺道恒，唱云：「教導勸誘四輩檀越，造一切經、人中像十軀。」王曰：「沙門之體必須攝心守道，志在禪誦，不干世事，不務喧繁。雖造經像，止欲得他財物；既得財物，貪心即起；既長貪行，三毒熾然，具足煩惱。」與最同入黑門。第五是靈覺寺寶明，自稱未出家時，甞作隴西太守，造靈覺寺。即棄官入道，雖不禪誦，禮拜不闕。王曰：「卿作刺史之日，曲理枉法，劫奪民財，假作此寺。非卿之力，何勞說此？」亦付青衣送入黑門矣。凝由此省悟。最先，見王，屬吏檢尋名籍，誤追攝耳。時胡太后聞之，遣黃門侍郎徐紇依凝之說，散訪驗寺額并僧名有無，奏報云：「城東有寶明寺，城內有般若寺，城西有融覺、禪林、靈覺三寺，并智聖、道品、曇謨最、道弘、寶明等，皆實有之。」太后稱歎久之，詔請坐禪誦經者一百僧，常在內殿供養焉。續有詔：「不聽比丘持經像在街路乞索，如私有財物造經像者任意。」凝入白鹿山隱居修道，自此京邑城下比丘多修禪觀，誦持大部經法焉。

Śramaṇa Huining was a man of unknown origin. He resided in Luoyi without extraordinary arts, merely cultivating and disciplining his mind and precepts. Once he fell ill and died suddenly; after seven days he revived, arose, and spoke of the retributions in the underworld and the divisions he had seen, without the slightest discrepancy. What he saw were five śramaṇas. The first was Zhisheng of Baoming Temple, who ascended to heaven through seated dhyāna and ascetic practices. The next was Daopin of Bore Temple, who, by reciting the forty rolls of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, was the same as the previous Zhisheng. The next was Tanmoxui of Rongjue Temple, who was celebrated for lecturing on the Nirvāṇa and Avataṃsaka Sūtras and led a following numbering a thousand. King Yama said: 'Those who lecture on scriptures harbor thoughts of self and other, and treat things with arrogance; among bhikṣus, this is the foremost coarse conduct. Now we only test seated dhyāna and scriptural recitation.' Tanmoxui said: 'Since establishing myself in life, this poor monk has only liked lecturing and guiding, and is unable to practice dhyāna or recitation.' The king said: 'Deliver him to the office.' Thereupon several men dressed in blue encircled and escorted Tanmoxui toward the northwest gate; the houses were all black, appearing to be no good place. The next was Daoheng of Chanlin Temple, who declared: 'I taught and guided the fourfold assembly of dānapatis to produce the entire canon and ten bodily images among humans.' The king said: 'The essence of a śramaṇa is that one must concentrate the mind and guard the Way, setting one's intention on dhyāna and recitation, not interfering in worldly affairs, and not pursuing clamour and proliferation. Although you made scriptures and images, you only sought to obtain the wealth of others; once having obtained their wealth, a greedy mind arose; having fostered greedy deeds, the three poisons blazed fiercely, endowed with all defilements.' He was sent into the black gate along with Tanmoxui. The fifth was Baoming of Lingjue Temple, who claimed that before leaving household life, he had served as Grand Protector of Longxi and built Lingjue Temple. He then abandoned his office to enter the Way; although he did not practice dhyāna or recitation, he never neglected prostrations and homage. The king said: 'In the days when you were regional inspector, you perverted justice and twisted the law, plundered the people's wealth, and falsely built this temple. It was not by your own strength; why bother speaking of this?' He was likewise delivered to those in blue and sent into the black gate. Huining was awakened by this. Earlier, when he saw the king, the subordinate officials checked the registers and found he had been summoned by mistake. At that time, Empress Dowager Hu heard of this and dispatched Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gates Xu He to verify the temple plaques and whether the monks' names existed according to Huining's account. He submitted a memorial stating: 'East of the city is Baoming Temple; within the city is Bore Temple; west of the city are three temples—Rongjue, Chanlin, and Lingjue; and Zhisheng, Daopin, Tanmoxui, Daoheng, Baoming, and the others all truly exist.' The Empress Dowager praised it for a long time, and issued an edict inviting one hundred monks who practiced seated dhyāna and scriptural recitation to receive constant offerings in the inner palace. She subsequently issued an edict: 'Bhikṣus are not permitted to hold scriptures or images and beg in the streets and thoroughfares; if they use private wealth to make scriptures or images, they are free to do so.' Huining entered Mount Bailu to live in seclusion and cultivate the Way. From then on, many bhikṣus in the capital city cultivated dhyāna contemplation and chanted large volumes of the Dharma scriptures.