宋高僧傳 17
English (machine translation) 17
- Language
- English
17.1
Compiled under imperial decree by the purple-robed śramaṇa Zanning, Grand Master Tonghui of Tianshou Temple on the Left Street of the Song, and others
17.2
Section Five: Protectors of the Dharma (eighteen principal biographies, one appended)
17.3
Biography of Weixiu of Dazhuangyan Temple in the Tang Capital
17.4
The śramaṇa Weixiu: it is not known where he was from. Wide-ranging in learning and gifted with many abilities, he made expounding and propagating his endeavor; his mind was set upon bearing the burden of the Dharma, and he was courageous yet composed. In the eloquence of his writing, he was especially praised as brilliant and quick-witted. Before long, the Heavenly Emperor ascended the throne, and on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the second year of Longshuo, an imperial edict commanded that both Buddhist monks and Daoist priests should pay customary worldly obeisance [to the emperor and parents]. At that time, the monastic community was terrified and perplexed, not knowing how to act. Xiu lamented the mid-term decline of the teachings and grieved over the sovereign's slighting of the Dharma; he then submitted a memorial stating that śramaṇas should not make obeisance. Citing the various dynastic histories, he showed how over successive dynasties attempts at repression had led to decrees issued in the morning only to be revoked by evening, none being farsighted strategies. He then cited the sūtras, vinayas, and treatises as standard authorities; his phrasing was refined and elegant, and his reasoning was profound and clear. For instance, he said: 'Therefore, one who leaves home does not retain the rites of family members, and one who departs from the worldly realm is not tainted by the customs of secular life; this principle is evident, an immutable canon for a hundred generations.' When the memorial was submitted, an imperial edict ordered the civil officials to assemble at the Department of State Affairs to deliberate on the matter. At that time, 539 court ministers requested that obeisance not be made, while 354 requested that obeisance be made. By the sixth month, the Great Emperor issued an edict stating that monks need not bow to the sovereign but should bow to their parents, and this too was soon abolished. In Xiu's service to the Dharma, he could truly be said to have forgotten his own person! At the time the memorial was presented, it was the twenty-first day of the fourth month of that year. At that time, over two hundred monks from the capital went to the Penglai Palace to submit a petition and make their request. The chief minister said to Xiu and the others: 'The imperial edict ordered a detailed deliberation; whether obeisance is to be paid or not has not yet been decided; you may await the next assembly.' Xiu and the others then withdrew. Thereupon, a great assembly gathered at Ximing Temple to consult and deliberate together; they submitted written petitions to high-ranking officials and imperial relatives, as if putting out a fire on their own heads. At that time, Vinaya Master Daoxuan submitted a petition to the Governor of Yongzhou, the Prince of Pei, and separately submitted a petition to the Grand Dowager Lady of Rongguo. Xiu's stroking of the dragon's scales was what is called committing one's person to the Dharma.
17.5
Biography of Fuli of Daxingshan Temple in the Tang Capital
17.6
Śramaṇa Fuli was a native of Jingzhao; his secular surname was Huangfu. He left household life while young and resided at Xingshan Temple. By nature he was calm and tranquil, with few desires. He immersed his mind in the inner scriptures, and was concurrently well versed in the Dark Learning and Confucianism. He was especially skilled at rhapsodies and poetry, and excelled at writing compositions; secular eminent scholars all looked up to him. When Tripiṭaka Masters Divākara, Śikṣānanda, and others translated scriptures such as the Mahālaṃkāra and the Avataṃsaka, an imperial edict summoned Fuli to join the translation [assemblies]; compiling the text and polishing the meanings truly fell to this man. In the second year of the Yonglong reign era of Emperor Gaozong, a xinsi year, Quan Wuer, Literature Scholar of the Crown Prince's household, composed the Ten Inquiries Doubting Buddhist Scriptures and used them to question Fuli, requesting him to resolve the perplexities. Fuli consequently composed replies to them, compiling a work of three fascicles entitled Treatise Resolving Perplexities in Ten Sections. Host and guest exchanged questions and answers, dissecting the doubted points; the text emerged from the treasury of wisdom, and the meanings lay beyond mundane thought. With replies such as these, the firm battle lines were hard to breach: red banners fluttered and the host of Māra submitted; heavenly drums sounded and the asuras retreated. The several arguments raised in Literature Scholar Quan's Inquiries were difficult for others, but exceedingly easy for Fuli. Why was this? It was because [Quan] did not know that the teachings have slackening and tightening, and that the texts contain both the provisional and the real, mistaking them for contradictions and thus dispatching an army of punitive reprimand—like a minor sub-commander who must still seek orders at the military gate. Once Wuer opened the submitted treatise, his former doubts were completely dispelled. He then replied in a letter: "Extending the morning duck's legs and chiseling openings into Hundun: a century of doubts has in a single morning been completely vanished. I shall forever follow the path of enlightenment, eternally awaken to the source of delusion, burn the firewood of afflictions, and partake of the meal of nirvāṇa; I beg to serve these words to end my remaining years." Although this was a resolution of confusion for a single time, it is truly a tortoise-shell mirror for ten thousand generations. In Fuli's doctrinal learning, few in his time were his equal, and a collection of his writings circulated in his age. In addition, he profoundly synthesized mystical mechanism and was especially luminous in mental accord; he composed the Verse on the True and the Deluded to query the scholars under heaven, and several replied in harmony. When Master Zongmi of Caotang selected and critically examined them to the utmost, only Chengguan of Qingliang grasped its purport, like Lu Lang's grain of rice. The others did not realize Master Fuli's view. Thus in the translation affairs of the Tang, Fuli was the master artisan; hence Huili called him the "Translation Master." The title "Translation Master" began with Fuli. He wondrously penetrated the five regions of India and synthesized the three vehicles; praised from antiquity to the present, he rarely had a peer in the world. His treatise of two fascicles was included in the Tripiṭaka; to answer the assaults of external difficulties, one need only wield these weapons.
17.7
Biography of Huili of Weiguo Temple in Jingzhao under the Tang
17.8
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!"
17.9
Biography of Xuanyi of Foshouji Temple in Luoyang under the Tang
17.10
Śramaṇa Xuanyi had the secular surname Du. In his youth he entered the Daoist fold; having barely mastered its scriptures and methods, his yellow-crowned companions praised his discernment as preeminent and surpassing the throng, calling him Refined Master Du Yi. Just as he climbed to the highest register, he became Abbot of Daheng Daoist Monastery in the eastern capital. He applied his mind to the Seven Summaries and grasped the principles of the Three Mysteries; those of Daoist arts praised him as their leader. When Empress Regnant Wu venerated the Great Dharma and propagated the Buddhist school, he also realized that eating smartweed is not sweet, so he retraced his steps from afar, desiring to return to his original garb and turn in refuge toward the Buddha. He then earnestly petitioned for tonsure; an imperial decree permitted his ordination, and he resided at Foshouji Temple, soon becoming the temple rector. One thus knows that among vegetation there are blossoms and among birds there are heroes—it is truly so! He subsequently participated in translations, thoroughly comprehended the errors of his former school, and knew that the correct teachings could be relied upon. Someone asked him, "Why do you believe in the Buddha?" Xuanyi said, "Birth and death are swift as a gale; one should make plans early, and not be adjusting the bridle only upon reaching the crossroads, or waiting to grasp the oar in midstream! It is like circling a carriage to gaze at the Dipper, or interrogating ghosts to seek immortality—to direct one's mind like this is not ultimate." He then composed the Treatise Discerning the Correct in one work, pointing out their faults and leading them to return to the correct and true, structuring it as a dialogue between host and guest, which was extremely concise and essential. It is not known how Xuanyi ended.
17.11
Appraisal: To know the enemy's dispositions requires the aid of a guide; or when entering a territory that must be contested, one avoids the censure of being recorded as "not having the land"; it is also like holding a torch while marching by night, so that it is not like a person entering darkness. We have heard that Xuanyi previously dwelt among the Daoists and was familiar with their original teachings. When he returned to the Śākya clan, he refuted their deluded origins. Without needing four months to test them, he had already accepted the surrender of a whole city! Viewed from this perspective, if perchance there were those who rebelled and resisted, and one said, "I shall speak your truth," does it not refer to this?
17.12
Biography of Faming of Jiangling Prefecture under the Tang
17.13
Śramaṇa Faming was originally a native of Jingchu. He was broadly versed in the sūtras and treatises, and also skilled in secular texts; his eloquence flowed like a stream, and his disciplinary standards were firm and upright. During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong he entered Chang'an, visiting various eminent figures, and happened to encounter an imperial edict ordering Buddhists and Daoists to determine the authenticity of the Scripture of Converting the Barbarians into Buddhas. At that time, a great assembly met in the inner palace, with the civil and military officials attending to listen. Various lofty dragons and elephants of the saṅgha resisted the yellow-crowns, back and forth without resolution, wavering and difficult to decide. Faming was initially not among those selected; stepping forth, he displayed his excellence, asking the Daoists: "Laozi converted the barbarians into Buddhas—did Laozi use Chinese to convert them, or did he use barbarian speech to convert them? If he used Chinese to convert the barbarians, the barbarians would not have understood. If he used barbarian speech to convert them, then when this scripture arrived in this land, it had to be translated. May I ask in what year and month, in what dynasty, who recited the barbarian speech, and who transcribed it?" At that time, the Daoists were utterly without recourse and could not answer. Faming was thereby admired and praised by the dukes and ministers; this was the first year of Shenlong. On the fourteenth day of the ninth month of that year, an imperial edict was issued: "Let the local officials in their jurisdictions abolish this forged scripture, and carve an inscription on stone at Baima Temple in Luoyang to show to future generations." The edict read: "We unworthily occupy the precious throne, newly promoting governance, once again securing the ancestral altars, carrying out the grand rites of reverent sacrifice, and bestowing the vast benevolence of thunder and rain; extending to both Buddhists and Daoists, We concurrently administer reprimand and encouragement. We have heard that throughout the empire Daoist monasteries all paint tableaux of 'Converting the Barbarians into Buddhas,' and Buddhist temples also paint images of the Mysterious Origin; the revered visages of both teachings are both impermissible. Within ten days after this decree arrives, all must be removed and destroyed. If anyone intentionally preserves them, let the local officials penalize them with the crime of 'violating an imperial edict.' As for the Scripture of Converting the Barbarians, successive reigns have clearly banned it by edict; recently We learned that among the populace it is still quite prevalent. From now on, all versions of the Scripture of Converting the Barbarians and various records containing matters of converting the barbarians should all be purged. If anyone harbors them, penalize the crime in accordance with the edict." That month, Abbot Huan Daoyan and others of Daheng Daoist Monastery in Luoyang stubbornly submitted a memorial, and the imperial rescript endorsed it: "We, through Our unworthy self, unworthily succeeded to the great enterprise; though Our pacification and comfort have suffered many shortcomings, Our fairness and forgiveness have been truly concentrated. Furthermore, since the three sages renewed their radiance and the Mysterious Origin established our ancestral lineage, how could We forget Laozi's teachings and be biased toward the Buddhist school? Our intention desires a return to simplicity, and Our sentiment rests on eliminating the false. Those whose principles are contrary and whose facts are flawed, even if close to Us, shall also be eliminated; those whose meaning accords and whose names are fitting, even if hostile, must certainly be recorded. Lately, in the leisure from myriad affairs of state, We have briefly perused the texts of the three teachings. As for the two chapters of the Daodejing, they wondrously surpass the realm of the subtle and silent. In India there are the two truths of emptiness and existence, and the principles conceal the discourse of suchness. There are none that do not expound the mystical gate and promote the utmost mysteries; why rely on the forgery of 'Converting the Barbarians' to cause Lord Lao's school to flourish? Its meanings are contradictory, and its text lacks classic precedents: as for becoming Buddhas, four persons differ; as for discussing disciples, those of great learning are inconsistent. For Yin Xi to already be claimed to have become a Buddha is already exceedingly groundless; furthermore to say that he transformed into Ānanda makes it even more of an unruly rabble. Figures such as Guigu and Beiguo never trod on Central India; those such as Śāriputra and Mañjuśrī are falsely manifested in the eastern land. Barbarian and Han are intermingled, and the eras are also contradictory. Walking on water to expound nirvāṇa has no canonical evidence; treading on fire to speak of the wondrous Dharma resembles the antics of actors. Its deceit is self-evident; why bother with detailed explanation? The scripture was not composed by Lord Lao; destroying it is not a lapse of filial piety. The text was spoken by vulgar persons; eliminating it will all the more manifest the virtues of the forebears. Although your submitted words are earnest, the principle is truly unstable. You should understand Our intention and immediately discontinue further memorials." Faming's eloquence was peerless in his generation. In defending the Dharma gate, through him they repelled insults; "evil words do not enter the ears"—is it not said of this?
17.14
Appraisal: Regarding the Scripture of Converting the Barbarians, the two teachings were not at peace, and their disputes were many! None was like Faming, who settled it with a single word. Even if one were to concentrate one's spirit and summon one's thoughts, it could not be answered for a long time; how much more before the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Chariots—who could respond on the spur of the moment? Formerly, Yang Su saw a painting of 'Converting the Barbarians' at Songyang Monastery; Su said: 'Why not convert the barbarians to attain the Dao, instead of becoming a Buddha?' The Daoist was speechless. Observing Faming's questioning, the meaning contained two implications: directly regarding converting the barbarians into Buddhas, and secondarily questioning that the language of devas and immortals is different from human speech; when heavenly words transmitted the scriptures, who translated them? Is this not like shooting two ducks with a single arrow, or taking two young pigs with a single shot!
17.15
Biography of Shenwu of Mount Shiyi in Runzhou under the Tang
17.16
Shi Shenwu, styled Tongxing, was a son of the Li clan of Longxi. During the turmoil of the Western Jin, his ancestors moved their household to Changshui in Wu. For generations, they followed Confucian modesty, and in his youth he was an academy student. When he reached adulthood, he was suddenly afflicted with a terrible disease, appearing incurable. Repenting his misdeeds and mending his conduct, what could his efforts avail? During the Kaiyuan era, he went to Vinaya Master Xiguang, sought Jīvaka's remedy, and observed the rites of a disciple. The master instructed him in the teachings of expelling karma: the first being repentance through principle, and the second, repentance through concrete practice. Both of these were bestowed by the sages; their practice surely brings signs [of efficacy]. Thereupon, before an image of Bodhi, holding fast to an unyielding mind, he burned his precious fingers. At that time, an extraordinary light appeared like the moon, dimly illuminating the dark-red temple hall. Extreme suffering can resonate with spiritual beings; utmost sincerity can move heaven and earth. Was this not indeed a difficult feat for a person! In the fourth year of Tianbao, he received the upasampadā and first donned monastic robes. In the eighth year, because of his exceptionally outstanding conduct, his name was registered in the monastery. Reaching his later years, his arduous dedication became even more apparent. Whenever he established a Lotus Bodhimanda for ninety days, he would enter upon the continuous circumambulation and mindfulness of the Buddha-contemplation samādhi, which manifested here as a causal condition. He said to his disciples: 'How can the dark obscure the sun and harm it? The wind sweeps through empty space without shaking it. If one but realizes delusion, what is not the true nature?' He then erected a dwelling east of Mount Laolao, occupying a stone bridge in its midst, from which an immortal's path bifurcated. Ferocious beasts became tame at his meditation seat, and auspicious clouds hung low over his Dharma hall. In the middle of the night, a mountain deity manifested in form and spoke to Shenwu, saying: 'Your disciple is Cao Shi'an, the former Marquis of Xincheng in the Sui dynasty. In life I was a marquis; in death I oversee the Southern Range. Now that you, Master, have arrived, I wish to offer this land forever for your walking meditation.' Having finished speaking, he vanished. The former Vice-Director of the Ministry of Personnel Li Hua and the Palace Censor Cui Yi visited Shenwu together, once asking about the relative superiority of the sacred teachings of Confucius and Laozi, requesting that he evaluate them. He replied: 'The scriptures of Lokāyata are all dharmas external to the mind. Those who relish them labor without realization, which is like longing for blossoms from a rotten bog, or the moon reflecting in a dry pool. Compared to the Buddhist teachings, how far apart are they!' As they went back and forth like this, his answers flowed like water. Hua and Yi cupped their hands, unable to oppose him. When he defended the boundaries of the Buddhist gate, who dared encroach upon them? Hua was the literary titan of an entire era, sharing fame with Xiao Yingshi, and surpassed him in literary brushwork. Facing such a Confucian, who could challenge him? Whenever mischievous fellows harbored doubts about the scriptures or challenged the Dharma, Shenwu would invariably draw analogies close at hand from their own bodies and distant ones from external things, responding in accordance with reason, so that none failed to bow their heads and droop their wings. In the spring of the tenth year, the xinhao year [751], he fell ill, sat cross-legged, and passed away. He lived to the age of sixty-three, with a dharma age of twenty-six. On the day of his cremation, more than five hundred grains of śarīra were obtained, pearl-like beads linked together, gleaming before their eyes. His disciples Zhanyi, Yuanyi, and others presided over it and moved them to a stupa.
17.17
Tang Dynasty: Biography of Yuanchong (Chan Master Xuan) of Mount Zhong in Jinling
17.18
Shi Yuanchong, secular surname Wang, was a native of Linyi in Langya. He was a descendant of Wang Hui, Duke Wenxian of Shixing and Chancellor of the Jin dynasty. Since the decline of the Southern Dynasties, his family had lived in Jurong for generations. From his ancestors down, they were none other than worthy and wise men. In his youth, Yuanchong was extraordinarily gifted, towering like an isolated peak. His mind was likened to a lotus flower, and his form was as pure as jade; untainted by worldly dust, he set his resolve on tranquility and simplicity. At the age of fifteen, revering the Dao, he left his family, carrying his book-box to cave-heavens, feasting on dawn vapors and sleeping on clouds. Taking Tao Hongjing and Xu Mai as his models, he meticulously examined wondrous phrases and independently realized subtle profundities. But fearing that the ultimate principle was not yet fully integrated and that liberation was therefore obstructed, he turned his mind to the Buddhist scriptures and broadly expounded the Buddha Vehicle. Galloping abreast across the three teachings, his mind communed beyond the mundane world. Thereupon, his fame shook Wu and Yue, and both monastics and laity marveled at him. The Surveillance Commissioner and Prefect of Runzhou, Duke Qi of Pingyang, heard of his conduct and practices, and waited empty-minded for him for a long time. It happened that there was an imperial dispensation to ordain monks, and [Yuanchong] was gathered to head the recommendations. In the late Kaiyuan era, he sought instruction in the essentials of mind from Chan Master Xuan of Waguan Temple; day and night without wearying, he never forgot to seek instruction. Master Xuan examined his bone structure, knowing he was a steed capable of a thousand leagues, and so transmitted the profound Dharma to him. Yuanchong's spiritual platform was open and penetrating, able to house a hundred spirits; the mirror of his mind was hung high, leaving no dust hidden in secret. Afterward, his reputation shone far and wide, and he was known to the expectations of all. The virtuous masters of Jinling requested that he move to Qixia Temple, to which he was assigned. More than a decade passed; he faithfully attended to affairs of the Way, the standard principles were kept in order, and the contemporary assembly looked up to him. In the beginning of the Zhide era, he declined worldly affairs, leaned on his monk's staff and left the prefecture, traveling to the Superior Capital. He visited wise masters everywhere, lodged his mind in tranquil realms, and rarely consorted with worldly people. He then entered Zhongnan, passed through Weizang, reached Bailu, ascended Lantian, and came upon the villa of Wang Wei, Vice Director of the Right, at Wangchuan. Pines grew on the rocks, and water flowed beneath the pines; Duke Wang burned incense in a quiet room and met with Yuanchong, their spiritual communion never interrupted. At that time, heaven and earth were not yet at peace, wolves and jackals wrought havoc, and the worthy of the court and treasures of the state sometimes took refuge in huts and mountain valleys. Supervising Secretary of the Chancellery Xiao Xin and the gentlemen with the Vice Director of the Right were all erudite scholars of heroic talent who honored Confucianism and respected the Way; happening to meet here, they debated day after day, probing the depths and exploring the hidden, expressing mutual admiration and esteem. Wang and Xiao sighed, saying: 'The Buddha Dharma has its men; it should not be lightly criticized!' When he returned to the He and Luo regions, he ascended Mounts Song and Shaoshi, bearing the essentials of Bodhidharma's purport and grasping the converging points of the Huayan. His reputation rose higher, and the gentry admired him. The renowned and virtuous of the capital all invited him to be abbot. His resolve lay in non-action, and he detachedly paid them no heed. He then roamed freely through the world of men, following in the footsteps of followers of the Way, resting his spirit in wondrous haunts. He then went east to Wu, Yue, Tiantai, and Siming, purifying his mind and cultivating his essence. Several years later, his thoughts drifted to Mount Zhong; flying his staff to his former dwelling, he took up residence in the cloud-chamber. Monastics and laity alike rejoiced, like jade returning to make the mountain shine. In the fifth year of Dali, the Prefect, Duke Fan of Nanyang, who had an elegant fondness for Chan tranquility, came to the subordinate county on his spring inspection, followed the wind to bow before him, consulted on the essentials of the Way, and accorded him even greater respect as a teacher. At that time, monastics and laity considered this temple spiritually supreme and frequently visited by travelers; supervising and protecting it required selecting a person of renowned virtue. All agreed there was no one who could replace the Chan master. Yuanchong repeatedly declined with earnest distress, but the assembly pressed him again and again. With no choice, he complied and managed affairs in their midst for a total of twenty years. Relying on the wealth from the four directions and the power of spiritual transformation, bracket-clusters rose like clouds, and vermilion lacquer grew new day by day; this was indeed dwelling in non-action while leaving nothing undone. With his work completed, he withdrew his person and settled in meditation on the high peak; his students, before and after, could hardly be counted. In the twelfth year of Dali, he showed illness and spoke of returning, refusing medicine. On the second day of the eighth month, he passed away at his mountain cloister at the age of sixty-five. Nearing the end, he instructed his disciples not to erect a mound or plant trees. His disciples Ruquan, Chengtian, and others carried out their master's teachings in full; on the eighth day of that month, they entombed him on the south side of Mount She, making a cave against the cliff, piling stones without grinding or polishing them, in accordance with his bequeathed instructions. Yuanchong was six feet tall, of upright and dignified appearance; seen from afar he appeared awe-inspiring, and approached closely he inspired reverence. His thoughts were discreet and his sentiments forgiving; his mind was harmonious and his conduct exalted; with the innate endowment of a dragon and elephant, he was born extraordinarily precocious. His lifespan was not long—what a pity! His disciples jointly erected an ample stele to record his transformative deeds, setting it before the temple gate.
17.19
Tang Dynasty: Biography of Lishe of Great Anguo Temple in Jingzhao
17.20
Shi Lishe was originally a man from the Western Regions, of the great Brahma Brahmin caste. From an early age he had a strong will, and his alertness surpassed his peers; among his kin, he was commended for his penetration of the Dharma. Desiring to travel to China, he formed a company to journey east; upon reaching Mount Jinsuo, he met Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang. Meeting in their travels, he bowed and requested ordination from Xuanzang. Subsequently, with all the sūtras and treatises, he pierced the openings and penetrated the obscure, exceptionally distancing himself from defilement and returning to the correct path; without Xuanzang, it would have been difficult to effect such a transformation! Worthies and sages gathered at Xuanzang's gate like spokes at a hub, and Lishe stood among the ranks of Huiguang and Fabao. In character, he was as uninhibited as Bo Gaozuo. Emperor Zhongzong respected him most deeply, and the ministers and nobles of the court, touched by his righteousness, associated with him. During the Kaiyuan era, he lectured on the Huayan Sūtra at Anguo Temple; the fourfold assembly rushed to the hall, and those who were late had no room even to bend a knee. The alms donations were lavish, and material gain stirred people's minds. There was a man from Yingyang named Wei Ding, who passed the examinations during the Chuigong era, was appointed through the selection process as Literature Instructor of Hezhong Superior Prefecture, and was later promoted to Reviewing Officer of the Court of Judicial Review and Collator of the Secretarial Bureau. Seeing the piles of silks and fabrics accumulated at Lishe's lecture seat, he approached him to beg for traveling provisions for his appointment, but was not satisfied with what he obtained. He submitted a memorial requesting that the relative superiority of Buddhism and Daoism be determined, claiming that the Buddhist and Daoist pests on governance could be eliminated. Emperor Xuanzong decreed that the three teachings each select one hundred men to assemble together in the inner palace. Wei Ding ascended the high seat first and bested Ye Jingneng as well as Siming of the Buddhist fold, all of whom were reduced to silence. Lishe then took the seat, unraveling doubts and untying knots, more than equal to confronting the adversary. Exchanging hundreds and thousands of words with Wei, whose arguments were entangled in confusion, Lishe countered them successively, so that the tangled silk naturally straightened itself out and righteousness found its return. Lishe questioned Wei again, saying: 'Sir, you took the seat first; are you not the host? May I ask what the host's surname is?' Ding said: 'My surname is Wei.' Lishe took the word 'Wei' as his rhyme and sang out a long chant. The verse said: / 'My Buddha's Dharma is non-action (wuwei); / Why today has it become purposeful action (youwei)? / Only three or four years have passed without a Wei (wu-Wei), / Yet who knows what Wei this is again?' / At Lishe's recitation, the hundred officials shuddered. The Emperor indeed recalled the incident involving the Wei clan, and with an imposing change of countenance said: 'Ding is a kinsman of the commoner [Empress Wei]; how dare he thus despise our ancestor Xuanyuan's teachings and bully the Buddhist fold!' Ding stepped down from the hall, prostrated himself awaiting punishment, and kowtowed, saying: 'Your subject is not of the commoner's clan.' Lishe, intending to muzzle his sharp tongue while releasing him from his reckless madness, memorialized: 'Ding is a man from beyond the Pass, not of the lineage of Xuanzhen.' An edict banished Ding as a commoner to Xiangzhou. Lishe was awarded money and silk to assist in building Mingjiao Temple, and was granted the title Mingjiao. The renewed flourishing of the two teachings was due to Lishe's effort. He then authored the one-fascicle Treatise on Establishing the Dharma Banner. Among the nobles and ministers it was said: 'Master Lishe was the terminal affliction of Vice-Director Wei.' Lishe said: 'In that move, the arrow was on the string and had to be loosed.' From then on, the entire capital viewed him in a new light, and in discussions and lectures, Lishe was deemed foremost. In his later years, he suffered banishment to Handong, but soon received pardon and was moved to Longxing Temple in Nanyang. At that time, National Master Huizhong knew and esteemed Lishe's name, and came knocking at the gate to visit him, saying: 'Young patch-robed monk, step forward! I have been implicated by my disciples and court dignitaries to be here. Just now, observing you, Master, you possess an aura of noble distinction, and can become an eminent Daoist and national virtue; do not be like me.' He then opened his coffer, took out garments, and bade Master Huizhong wear them. From this, the people of Xiangyang and Dengzhou were all astonished at Lishe's prescient prediction, and Master Huizhong's reputation for the Way shone even more brightly, all because of Lishe's weighty renown. In the second year of Shangyuan, an edict summoned Master Huizhong to enter the palace for offerings. When Emperor Suzong went to the palace to pay respects to the Retired Emperor, he introduced Huizhong to the Retired Emperor, saying: 'How does this man compare to Lishe?' Thus one knows that Lishe's talents and accomplishments were superior, that emperors valued him, and that he wrote many works. During the Dali era, the translation monk Yuanchao of Ximing Temple composed Lishe's biography in ten fascicles, from which one may sufficiently know the abundance of his words and deeds.
17.21
Tang Dynasty: Biography of Shenyong of Dali Temple on Mount Jiao in Yuezhou
17.22
Śramaṇa Shenyong, courtesy name Daogong, was surnamed Cai and was a fifteenth-generation descendant of Cai Mo, Grand Defender of the Eastern Jin—the ancestor who crossed the Yangtze River. Because of an official posting, [his family] resided in Jiyang, and Yong was born in this county. When his mother, Lady Xuan, first became pregnant, there were mostly extraordinary omens. While still an infant in swaddling clothes, whenever he heard the sound of chanting scriptures, he invariably appeared to concentrate his mind and listen intently. As a boy, his intelligence surpassed others. At the age of twelve, he took leave of his parents to study the Way, requesting instruction under Master Jun at Fahua Temple. Whenever he perused the two canons of Confucius and the Buddha, he could recite them after a single reading. Few among his peers did not admire him. In the twenty-sixth year of Kaiyuan, by imperial decree he was ordained and registered at Xiangyan Temple in Zhuji. Relying on Master Xuanyan of Fahua Temple, he mastered the Commentary on the Four-Part Vinaya. Yan recognized his resolve and told others: 'A few years hence, this youth will ultimately become the compass for scholars. Strive to emulate him!' Yan had newly produced the Fupian lüji (Supplementary Notes on the Vinaya); Yong extracted its richest essence and thoroughly explored its pathways, so that few scholars of that school could ride abreast of him. He was not narrow-minded by nature, and furthermore studied the Tiantai cessation and contemplation, the gates of dhyāna, the Profound Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra, the Brahma Net Sūtra, and other works under Master Xuanlang of Zuoxi. With the doctrines of the Four Teachings and Three Contemplations, the secret keys were opened; contemplating nature, he realized emptiness. By the time five summer retreats had passed, he indeed expounded them with precision, and scholars from the Wu and Kuaiji regions followed him. During the Tianbao era, his fellow townsman Guo Mizhi invited him to reside in the western quarters of Fale Temple, where he expanded the monastic buildings: multi-storied pavilions touched the clouds, half-reflected in the clear river, and the corridors and halls were completely furnished. Later he traveled to Chang'an to seek instruction, dwelling at Anguo Temple; high officials and nobles relied on his lofty bearing, and admirers arrived in unbroken procession. Just as he was about to widely propagate dhyāna and the vinaya, the turmoil of An Lushan's rebellion suddenly broke out, so he returned east to the rivers and lakes. Passing through Xiangyang, Palace Censor-in-Chief Yu Guangxian, who had set out to garrison Jingnan, invited him to stay for several months. At that time, Supervising Censor Dou Shao and Secretariat Drafter Yuan Xian, striving ever higher in their veneration, both received the essentials of mind from him. Drafter of the Institute of History Wei Zichun—an official of our Tang who was unyielding in spirit and rich in learning—debated and contended with him. Zichun's horns were broken, and the whole assembly was struck with awe and submission. Drafter Yuan sighed: 'The ācārya can truly be called a maṇi jewel beyond the dust, a lion among disputants!' His contemporaries considered this an apt appraisal. Soon he returned to dwell at Fahua Temple in his hometown. Vice Palace Censor-in-Chief Huangfu Zeng, Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Zhang He, Senior Administrative Officer of the Jinwu Guard Yan Wei, Officer of the Armory Lü Wei, Magistrate of Zhuji Qiu Dan, and Collator Chen Yunchu exchanged poems with him, for which Lu Shishi wrote a preface, continuing the excursions of Zhi Dun and Xu Xun and becoming a famous local tale. Beyond his cultivation of mindfulness, Yong occasionally composed literary prose; he left a collection in ten scrolls, for which Huangfu Zeng wrote a preface. From the Zhide era to the Dali era, he was repeatedly invited to ascend the platform to confer the precepts; from Danyang to Jinhua, all Buddhist disciples throughout the region called him their upādhyāya. Moreover, because the road south of the county was a thoroughfare leading to Quzhou and Wuzhou, along which for over a hundred li there was no saṅghārāma whatsoever and traveling monks had nowhere to rest, Yong vowed to build a bridge of Dharma to receive and shelter wayfarers. Thereupon, finding that Mount Jiao could serve as a site for a monastery, he gathered townsmen such as Knight Commandant Chen Shaoqin, who led the faithful to construct a pure sanctuary, which took a full twelve years to complete. When former Vice Minister of Personnel Xu Hao was posted as assistant official to Mingzhou, observing that it was a gathering place of state and villages, he reported to Investigation Commissioner Huangfu Wen to memorialize for the bestowal of the plaque naming it Dali Temple. Prior to this, the Daoist Wu Yun of Mount Zhongyue had written several heterodox treatises denouncing and defaming the Buddhist teachings, and the ignorant were misled by them. Chen Shaoyou, the Surveillance Commissioner of the circuit, invited Yong to resolve whether the Buddhist or Laozi's teachings constituted the ultimate Way. Yong thereupon followed the World-Honoured One's subjugation of wrong views and restored Baolin's texts that crushed demons; relying on strong ramparts, he used the orthodox to check madness. As soon as the banners and drums met, Wu Yun suffered total defeat. Yong then composed the Po dao fan mi lun (Treatise on Overturning Perversions and Discarding Delusions) in three scrolls; that the Buddha's Dharma flourished again in the East was truly due to Yong's efforts. In his later years he visited Mount Tiantai and also compiled two scrolls of a gazetteer, which were appended to the new treatise. Yong had full jaws and prominent temples, with an aloof and elevated bearing; successive investigative commissioners invited him to separate couches and requested that he serve as the Controller of Clergy, treating him with reverent bows. On the fourteenth day of the eleventh month in the fourth year of Zhenyuan (a wuchen year), he fell ill, imparted his final instructions to his disciples, and sitting cross-legged with an upright posture, returned to tranquility in the Dali Dharma hall. On the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, his funeral cortège was escorted to the plain north of the temple, in accordance with the saṅgha's rules. His worldly age was seventy-nine, and his Dharma age was fifty. In the winter of the following year, in the eleventh month, a stūpa was finally erected. Lu Huai, Collator in the Palace Library, composed the inscription, while his senior disciples Zhi'ang, Lingche, Jinming, Huizhao, and others all displayed sharp talent, mutually transmitting dhyāna and vinaya. In the eleventh year, Qiu Shangqing, Vice Minister of the Bureau of Revenue, composed a stele recording his virtues.
17.23
Tang Biography of Weiyan of Yaoshan in Langzhou
17.24
Śramaṇa Weiyan, lay surname Han, was a man of Jiang county. As a young child he was magnanimous, spirited, and exceptionally brilliant, surpassing his peers. At the age of seventeen, he moved to Nankang to serve Chan Master Huizhao of Xishan in Chaoyang. In the eighth year of the Dali era, he received the precepts under Vinaya Master Xicao at Hengyue Temple, whereupon he said: 'A great hero ought to abandon external phenomena and purify himself; how can he trouble himself over the trivial details of robes and cloths?' He then visited Chan Master Shitou, secretly verified the mind Dharma, and came to dwell at Yaoshan. One night under a bright moon, he climbed the precipitous peak and let out a great laugh, whose echo reached more than ninety li east of Liyang. That night, everyone in Liyang heard the sound and all assumed it was their eastern neighbor; the next morning they went around inquiring and tracing it step by step, all the way to Yaoshan. The assembly of disciples said: 'Was it the abbot’s great laugh on the mountain peak last night?' From then on, his reputation spread far and wide, resounding everywhere. During the Yuanhe era, Li Ao served as Vice Director of the Evaluation Bureau and was on good terms with Li Jingjian. When Jian was appointed Remonstrator, he recommended Ao to replace him; but when Jian met with censure, Ao was implicated in this and was posted out as Prefect of Langzhou. When Ao came at leisure to visit Yan, he thereupon attained enlightenment. Moreover, when he first met Yan, Yan held a scripture scroll and paid no heed to him. An attendant reported: 'The Prefect is here.' Ao was impatient by nature and proclaimed: 'Seeing your face is not like hearing your name!' Yan then called to him, and Ao answered 'Yes.' Yan said: 'Why does the Prefect value the ear and despise the eye?' Ao clasped his hands in apology and asked: 'What is the Way?' Yan pointed to the sky and pointed to his water pitcher, saying: 'The clouds are in the blue sky, the water is in the pitcher.' At that moment, Ao's dark chamber was illuminated and the ice of doubt suddenly melted. Soon after, he composed a verse: 'He has trained his body to resemble a crane, / with two cases of scriptures under a thousand pines. / I came to ask, but he said nothing else:
17.25
The appraisal states: I have examined Li Wengong's two chapters of 'Recovering Nature'; they clarify Buddhist principles without quoting Buddhist texts, drawing proofs and citations solely from the Book of Changes and the Rites, and going no further. This can be described as gentle and yielding on the outside, but resolute and defiant on the inside. Thus it is said, 'Capturing the image and forgetting the words!' The sūtra says that worldly speech all becomes the true Dharma, and Lord Li indeed exemplified this. Master Yan's single laugh echoed through distant realms; though it did not require Maudgalyāyana to seek it far away, the Examples from the Changes state: 'A prolonged sigh from a high terrace will surely fill a distant valley.' The spiritual resonance of the Way is naturally like this, though one knows not how!
17.26
Tang Biography of Chonghui of Zhangxin Temple in the Capital
17.27
Śramaṇa Chonghui, surnamed Zhang, was a native of Hangzhou. In his tender youth, his exceptional capacity and demeanor were already evident; like a raptor difficult to cage, his aspiration to transcend worldly dust was earnest. He went to pay homage to Chan Master Guoyi of Jingshan and became his disciple. Although he was diligent in Chan contemplation, he mostly took the teaching of the three mysteries as his constant practice. At first, on the highest summit of Qianqing in Changhua, he tied thatch to make a hermitage, solely reciting the Buddha's Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī for several years. Next, he went to the Eastern Mountain of Xiashi in Yanguan, where he pitched a small pointed thatched hut, dwelling there through many months and years. He then vowed to hide his traces at Luoyun Temple in Yuqian. Suddenly, a spirit addressed Hui, saying: "When you, Master, uphold the Buddha's Uṣṇīṣa [Dhāraṇī], you lack the concluding 'svāhā', causing the secret words to be incomplete. 'Svāhā' has the meaning of accomplishment. Now the Buddha's Dharma in the capital is being trampled by the outer teachings; its peril is like hanging tassels, awaiting you, Master, to come to its rescue!" Hui hastened on his journey westward, his mind weary. Choosing a tree upon which to perch, he hung his staff at Zhangxin Temple; this was at the beginning of the Dali era. On the twenty-third day of the ninth month in the third year, wushen [768 CE], the Daoist priest Shi Hua of the Taiqing Palace submitted a memorial requesting to contend with the eminent figures of the Buddhist lineage of the present age, to determine the superiority of Buddhist power or Daoist methods. At that time, Emperor Daizong revered the Buddhist order, and the heterodox teachings were indignant at his partiality; hence they made this request. A ladder made of blades was then erected before the altar of Dongming Abbey, and Shi Hua ascended and stepped on it as if it were an ordinary stone path. At that time, the monks looked at one another and shrank back; none dared step on it. Hearing of this, Hui had an audience with the Commissioned Palace Official Yu Chao'en. Yu submitted a memorial requesting to set up a ladder in the courtyard of Zhangxin Temple, horizontally laying crosswise sharp blades that gleamed like frost and snow, raising it to a height of one hundred feet. The ladder at Dongming was exceedingly low. At that time, court nobles and market dwellers rubbed shoulders and stood heel to heel to watch this event. Thereupon Hui, barefoot, ascended the rungs and descended the tiers as if upon a level path, never showing the slightest sign of distress. He then trod on fierce flames, plunged his bare hands into boiling oil, and furthermore ate iron leaves, calling them flat dumplings, and chewed iron nails and wire, the sound crunching like crisp barley candy. Shi Hua was frightened, humiliated, and terrified; covering his sleeves, he retreated. At that time, the multitude snapped their fingers and sighed in admiration, the sound roaring like thunder. The Emperor dispatched the eunuch Gong Tingyu to offer imperial consolations repeatedly, and thereupon presented him with a purple square robe. By imperial decree, he was appointed Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, granted the title "State-Protecting Tripiṭaka Master," and ordered to move his residence to Anguo Temple. From then on, his fame resounded abroad, and his virtuous prestige stood lofty and high. Hearing that he was a foremost disciple of Chan Master Guoyi, Emperor Daizong treated him with redoubled solemnity and respect. The world called him the Demon-Subduing Chan Master of Mount Jinzi; this was he.
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Linked texts (1)
- 宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese