宋高僧傳 24

English (machine translation) 24

Language: English

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Compiled by imperial decree by Grand Master Tonghui, Recipient of the Purple, Śramaṇa Zanning and others of Tianshou Temple of the Left Precinct of the Song

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Section 8, Part 1: Intoning and Reciting (twenty-one principal biographies, three appended)

Shi Xingjian, whose origins are unknown, was devoted to the practice of dhyāna contemplation, and his moral discipline was exceptionally strict. Once traveling east, his path took him past Mount Tai. As the sun set, he entered the shrine of the sacred peak, intending to spend the night. The keeper of the shrine said: 'There are no spare rooms here; you may only stay under the veranda of the deity. However, those who come to board here inevitably suffer the calamity of sudden death. Master, please consider it.' Jian said: 'There will be no trouble.' Having no choice, the keeper yielded to him and laid out a mat of dried sedge under the veranda. Jian sat upright and intoned scriptures. At about the first watch, he heard the tinkling sound of jade pendants from within the hall. In an instant, the deity emerged, dressed in splendid robes and cap, accompanied by a glittering retinue. He clasped his palms toward Jian. Jian said: 'I heard that many who stay here die; could it be that the dānapati harms them?' The deity said: 'The deaths of those who perished were caused by themselves; upon hearing this disciple's voice, they died of their own accord—I did not kill them. Master, please have no anxieties.' Jian firmly invited him to sit and converse. After the space of a meal, he asked him: 'Tradition has it that Mount Tai governs ghosts; is that truly so?' The deity said: 'Because of this disciple's meager merit, I indeed govern them. Would you like to see those who have previously died?' Jian said: 'Two of my fellow student monks have died; I wish to see them.' The deity asked their names and said: 'One has already been reborn among humans; the other is in purgatory undergoing judgment and cannot be summoned here. If the Master goes there, you can see him.' Jian was delighted to hear this, so he arose and went out not far, arriving at a place where he saw the flames of hell blazing furiously. A messenger guided Jian into a walled courtyard, where from afar he saw a man wailing in the fire, unable to speak, his form distorted beyond recognition, with scorched blood and flesh giving off a foul stench that broke the heart. Unable to bear watching, Jian pitifully asked to leave. In a moment, he was back under the veranda of the shrine, sitting with the deity as before. He asked: 'If I wish to save my fellow student, is there a way?' The deity said: 'Yes. If you can copy the Lotus Sūtra for him, he will surely be delivered.' As dawn approached, the deity took leave of the monk and entered the hall.

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At dawn, the shrine keeper saw that Jian was not dead and marvelled at it. When Jian left, he hurried to fulfill his prior vow; once the copying and mounting of the scripture were completed, he carried it to the shrine to spend the night. The deity came out as before, bowed joyfully, and inquired about the purpose of his coming. Jian told him the matter. The deity said: 'This disciple already knows. As soon as the Master began to write the title of the scripture for him, he was delivered and has now been reborn in the human realm. However, this place is impure and not suitable for housing the scripture; please take it back and place it in a monastery.' After speaking, day broke, and they bade farewell and parted; this was during the Daye era. Jian had no fixed dwelling, and no one knew how he ended his days.

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Sui Dynasty: Biography of Fazhi of Mount Tiantai

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Shi Fazhi, of unknown origins. He renounced secular life in his youth and ascended the ordination platform according to the Dharma. Upright as a pine reaching for the sky, pure and hard as jade free from defilement, he paid heed to all lecture halls without exception. In his later years, regarding no gate as more direct than reciting the Buddha's name, he often said to people: 'I have heard the scriptures say that committing a single duṣkṛta causes one to fall into hell for an intermediate kalpa, which is believable. But I have also heard the scriptures say that a single recitation of the name of Amitābha Buddha extinguishes eighty billion kalpas of grave offenses of birth and death, which I find hard to believe.' People challenged him: 'Why give rise to such great wrong views? Both are the Buddha's words. You must urgently recite the Buddha's name; in time, samādhi will manifest.' Thereupon, upon the Tuṣita Platform of Guoqing Temple, he recited the Buddha's name day and night with diligence. Suddenly he took prior leave of clergy and laity, saying: 'I am going to the Western Pure Land; let my relatives and acquaintances hold a vegetarian feast for me for the whole day.' At midnight, he passed away without illness. At that time, a golden light came to welcome him, illuminating several hundred li. Those aboard boats on the river thought it was dawn, but full daylight came only after a long delay. Only then did they realize that Zhi had attained rebirth [in the Pure Land].

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Tang Dynasty: Biography of Huiwu of Chanding Temple in the Capital Region

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Shi Huiwu, whose family clan is unknown. He dwelt in seclusion on Mount Taibai, intoning and reciting the Avataṃsaka-sūtra and ingesting pine and atractylodes. Suddenly, at one time, he saw a layman come to invite him. The layman leaped into the sky, had Wu sit in the lapel of his robe, and flew away holding him. Upon arriving at a daoist sanctuary, he saw five hundred extraordinary monks soaring through the sky to arrive. Wu quickly took a seat at the very end of the row. The layman said to him: 'Master, upholding the Avataṃsaka is the realm of the Buddhas; how could you sit below lesser sages?' He then led him to sit above the five hundred. After the feast concluded, the layman said: 'The original intention of the feast was for the Master alone; although five hundred arhats came to eat, they were all merely invited for the occasion.' When the feast was over, he sent him back to his original place, as if waking from a dream. This was during the Yonghui era of Gaozong.

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Tang Dynasty: Biography of Minghui of Great Cien Temple in the Capital Region

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Shi Minghui, whose origins are unknown. He was reserved, silent, and deferential, possessing restrained resolve and purified clarity; enduring cold and hunger, he vowed to seek the Mahāyāna. Clad in the armor of vigor, the demon of sleep retreated; thus he intoned scriptures and practiced walking meditation during the early, middle, and late night watches. At the time, Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang had completed the translation of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra at Yuhua Palace in the Northern Ward of the capital region, and manifested his demise in the first year of Linde. That night at the zi hour, as Hui was circumambulating the Buddha hall, he suddenly saw four white rainbows in the north stretching from north to south, spanning across the Well constellation and penetrating straight through the Cien Pagoda compound, distinct and clear. Hui wondered at this in his heart, thinking to himself: 'Formerly when the Tathāgata entered extinction, twelve white rainbows pierced through the Supreme Subtlety enclosure from the west, whereupon the extinction at the Twin Trees occurred. Now that this sign has appeared, could Master Yuhua have met with impermanence?' When morning came, he recounted what he had seen to the assembly, and all marveled at it. On the ninth day, the mournful report arrived in the capital, matching exactly what he had seen. Hui became even more earnest and diligent, remaining unflagging in old age. Where he ended his life is unknown.

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Zhou Dynasty: Biography of Huijing of Chongfu Temple in Taiyuan Prefecture

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Shi Huijing, surnamed Zhang, was a native of Qi. When young he was perceptive and bright, able to speak while still in swaddling clothes; his parents nurtured him with love, and the neighbors called him a wondrous child. It coincided with the newly translated Great Cloud Sūtra (Mahāmegha-sūtra), which contained a prophecy regarding a female sovereign; the Empress Dowager [Wu Zetian], deeply moved by this holy prophecy, held the scripture in highest esteem. Jing was only three years old when someone taught him to recite it completely, his articulation melodious and expressive, its manner natural. This eventually reached the imperial palace, and an imperial decree summoned him to chant it. The Sovereign was greatly pleased, patted his head, and by decree bestowed upon him a set of purple kāṣāya robes; later, on this account, he renounced secular life. His bearing was upright and resolute, and he remained steadfast in the rules of discipline, serving as the prior (sthavira) of his home temple. Rescuing and restoring the fallen monastic rules, he was feared by all. Whenever he saw monks or nuns behaving inappropriately on the streets or incurring even slight ridicule, he would certainly propose punishment without leniency. Later, he practiced meditation, and 'his empty room produced white light.' At the time of his death, he was over eighty years old. At the Harītī (Mother of Nine Sons) Cloister, his portrait and the bestowed purple robe still survive.

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Tang Dynasty: Biography of Chongzheng of Chongfu Temple in Taiyuan Prefecture

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Śramaṇa Chongzheng, whose secular surname was Hou, was a native of this prefecture [Taiyuan]. He was sharp and perceptive from a tender age and firmly desired to enter monastic life. He could recite more than a thousand sheets of scripture from memory. Senior elders praised him, calling him a library of the scriptures. His spirit was profound and restrained, his appearance neat and handsome; with elegant eyebrows and wide eyes, his lofty ambition was extraordinary. Although he was well versed in various texts, that in which he was most proficient was the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra. Chancellor Duke Wang Jin personally invited Zheng to lecture on it. At that time, when he spoke, brilliance blossomed and lovely melodies flowed forth; those who listened never grew weary, and though hours and sun-shadows shifted, they felt as if only the time of a single meal had passed. His analytical discernment was particularly outstanding, unmatched by anyone. Emperor Daizong issued an imperial edict summoning him to be a Great Worthy at Zhangxin Temple, but he pleaded illness and did not go. He passed away in his own cloister at the age of fifty-eight.

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The Biography of Sirui of Chongfu Temple in Taiyuan Prefecture under the Tang

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Śramaṇa Sirui, whose secular surname was Wang, was a native of Taiyuan. From early on he was thoroughly versed in the principles of dhyāna and was also proficient in the Vinaya school. He was compassionate, benevolent, and yielding, never showing anger when crossed. Sirui had long suffered from emaciation and consumption, so he set his resolve upon the Dharma seat and devoted himself to praying to Bhaiṣajyasamudgata, diligent and untiring. Soon signs of supernatural resonance appeared: his mental vigor suddenly became fierce and sharp, and his eloquence flowed like water poured from a pitcher. Consequently, when reciting the Daśacakra-sūtra, he could master several sheets a day; the next day it doubled, and later doubled again. From then on, the blade of his wisdom was irresistible. During the Kaiyuan era, he took his staff to Mount Song and Mount Shaoshi to seek the Way. At that time, Dhyāna Master Yifu's community of dhyāna practice was rigorous and secluded, and it was difficult for visitors to gain admittance, yet with a single word they harmonized, like a stone dropped into water. Having drunk the sweet nectar, he returned five years later. He sat cross-legged in concentration, not unbending his knees throughout the day; people near and far came to inquire and seek his profound principles, crowding around him like a wall. He died in his residence cloister at the age of sixty-six.

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The appraisal says: In reciting scriptures, quantity is not what is valued; the key lies in spiritual understanding. That Huijing at the age of three could master the Dayun jing was indeed extraordinary. That Chongzheng eventually mastered a thousand sheets gained its power when he did not comply with the edict to proceed to the new Zhangxin Temple. Master Sirui recited the Daśacakra-sūtra completely and later inquired into the Way of dhyāna. Thus the scripture verse says: 'Though one recites a thousand verses, it is not as good as a single line.' It is like crossing a stream with a staff: upon reaching the shore, one must cast it aside.

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The Biography of Falang of Qinglong Temple in the Upper Capital under the Tang

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Śramaṇa Falang was a native of Gusu. His temperament was gentle and moist, his discipline of mind firm and resolute. He recited the Avalokiteśvara Vidyā-dhāraṇī, and its spiritual efficacy was manifest repeatedly. When he went to sightsee in the capital, everyone came to know and respect him. In the second year of the Longshuo era, Princess Chengyang fell seriously ill; the imperial physicians provided treatment, leaving no method untried. The princess was the younger sister of the Great Emperor Gaozong by the same mother, and his fraternal love for her was exceptionally deep. She had married Du He, son of Du Ruhui. After He died, she remarried Xue Guan. As her illness dragged on critically, someone reported that Lang could hold secret dhāraṇīs and that those he treated mostly recovered. When Lang was summoned to arrive, he established an altar and engaged in recitation; within two nights she recovered, and the rewards bestowed were lavish. As for these coins, silks, and precious gems, Lang turned them all into face-to-face almsgiving. The princess memorialized the throne requesting to change the temple's placard to Guan'yin Temple (Avalokiteśvara Temple) for him to dwell in. This temple was originally the Linggan Temple of the Sui, founded in the third year of Kaihuang. When Emperor Wen moved the capital, he excavated many of the tombs and cemeteries within the city walls, relocated their burials to the suburbs, and established this temple. In the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang, it was abolished, and at this time its placard was altered again. Lang passed away soon after in this temple.

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The Biography of Sengxuan of Hedong under the Tang (Qifang, Yuanguo)

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Śramaṇa Sengxuan was a native of Bingzhou. His foundational learning was comprehensive, and his understanding and practice matched each other. At the age of ninety-six, he encountered Dhyāna Master Daochuo, who authored the Anle ji and lectured on the Amitāyurdhyāna-sūtra. Only then did he turn his mind toward mindfulness of the Buddha. Fearing that his life was soon to end, he bowed to the Buddha a thousand times day and night, and recited the name of Amitābha Buddha eight million times. For five years, he was single-minded and never grew slack. When he grew gravely ill, he told his disciples: 'Amitābha Buddha has come to bestow a fragrant robe upon me. Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta stand in array before me, and transformation buddhas fill empty space. From here westward, all is the Pure Land.' Having spoken, he passed away.

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At that time, Dharma Master Qifang and Dharma Master Yuanguo formed a pact during a single summer retreat at Wuzhen Temple in Lantian County to practice mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha. Together they snapped a willow branch and placed it in the hand of Avalokiteśvara, vowing: 'If we are to attain rebirth in the Buddha-land, may it not wither for seven days.' When the period expired, it was still fresh and green. Later, [Qifang] dreamed that within a great pool to the east there was a great jeweled canopy; he flew into it and saw a monk who said, 'Merely devote yourself exclusively to mindfulness of the Buddha, and all will be reborn here.' He also saw Avalokiteśvara seated with feet dangling down. Qifang reverently bowed his head to the feet, and saw a pool of lotuses, with Amitābha Buddha coming from the west. Fang asked the Buddha, 'If sentient beings in Jambudvīpa practice mindfulness of the Buddha according to the scriptures, will they attain rebirth here?' The Buddha said, 'Do not doubt; they will certainly be born in my land.' Moreover, he saw the Land of Ultimate Bliss flat as a mirror, while the sahā world was entirely mountains and rivers. Music and jeweled canopies headed straight for the west. A monk named Dharmākara drove a great carriage to welcome him. Fang saw his own body seated upon a lotus of a hundred jewels, attaining equal and perfect enlightenment, while Śākyamuni Buddha and Mañjuśrī praised the Lotus Sūtra. He further saw three flights of jeweled steps heading straight to the west: upon the first flight of steps were all white-robed laity, on the second flight were monastics and laypeople mixed together, and on the third flight were monastics alone; it was said that all were people who practiced mindfulness of the Buddha reborn there. Masters Fang and Guo personally spoke of what they had seen.

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The Biography of Xuanzang of Baima Temple in Jingzhou under the Tang

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Śramaṇa Xuanzang was a native of Jiangling. He was versed in both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna learning and was especially clear on the authoritative scripture of the Lotus Sūtra, being a renowned specialist in it. Over the course of fifty years, he recited it seven times a day. Once, when he burned incense in a clean room, he moved devas to come and listen attentively. Whenever he observed the fast and gave lectures, auspicious portents arrived in clusters. He and Daojun were summoned together, staying in the capital for two years. On the eighth day of the second month of the third year of the Jinglong era, Emperor Xiaohuai concluded a fast at the Linguang Hall, at which time all the academicians gathered to observe the splendid assembly. When Zang and the others submitted a petition requesting to return to their home region, the emperor issued an imperial edict bestowing an imperial poem, and all the academicians and high officials composed poems in reply. The poem by Li Qiao, Director of the Chancellery, said:
'The Three Vehicles return to the pure realm;
Ten thousand riders see them off along the thoroughfare.
Approaching the sun, the departure pavilion is near;
Filling the heavens, the path of parting is long.
South of the Jing River, the staff and bowl return;
North of the Wei River, the crossing and bridge mark the boundary.
On what day will the true fruit be attained,
And you enter the imperial realm once again?'
Li Yi, Secretariat Drafter, wrote:
'In the morning sun receiving the imperial decree to return,
In the autumn wind rise parting words.
Pearls of the Han retain the flavor of the Way;
Jades of the Jiang return to their true source.
From the land, the southern passes stretch far away;
Across the sky, the Northern Dipper turns in reverence.
Who could have known that from a single pillar cloister,
The gates of the four dhyānas would be thrown wide?'
There were further farewell poems by various gentlemen, which are not completely recorded here. Zang returned to his home region and passed away in his home temple.

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The Biography of Hongzheng of the Hermitage in Lingchi County, Chengdu Prefecture, under the Tang (Shouxian)

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Śramaṇa Hongzheng, whose secular surname was Chang, was from an unknown place of origin. He lived in a hermitage between Min and Shu. In the past, because of an illness, his suffering had lingered long. After he recovered peace and health, he made a vow to constantly recite the Diamond Wisdom Sūtra, taking twenty times a day as his quota, practicing with devotion without negligence. At that time, a neighboring monk, Shouxian, was sitting at night and saw two ghostly messengers holding documents, saying to each other in secret: 'Let us arrest the monk Hongzheng.' One messenger said: 'Because he silently recites the Prajñā, there is an extraordinary protection beside him, so there is no way we can get close to him. Furthermore, we fear being punished for exceeding the time limit, so now I have another plan. I see that the gatekeeper on duty at the eastern gate of the prefecture has the surname Chang, shares the same given name as this monk, and was formerly a monk as well; let us arrest him to make up for the delay.' Shouxian was astonished to hear this and made a note of the matter. The next day, he made discreet inquiries of the gatekeeper: the lay Chang Hongzheng was already dead. Shouxian had previously upheld the Amitābha Sūtra, but afterward shifted his practice [to the Diamond Sūtra]. Later, Hongzheng's end was unknown.

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The appraisal says: Can those who share the same name but differ in reality die in place of each other? Karma cannot be transferred, yet here it was transferred—is this not the same as common shamans painting likenesses of their own forms and saying they can substitute for calamities? An explanation states: 'King Yama is perhaps a bodhisattva; with identical names, he spares the good and arrests the non-good. Perhaps this one's frost of sins suddenly dried up and his lifespan was appropriately lengthened, so he was spared; while the other's vessel of evil was just filled to the brim and had reached its end, so he was taken. If one were taken merely because they had the same name to substitute in reality, it was done to exert transformative teaching! Beyond this, it is not something that ordinary reason can know.'

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The Biography of Śramaṇa Zhixuan under the Tang

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Śramaṇa Zhixuan was a native of Heshuo. He studied the incantations and spells of the Five Indies and wore only coarse hemp cloth. He traveled through prefectures and counties, not staying in city temples, but lodging only in the groves and thickets of the wilderness. Xuan intended to visit famous sites, and when he reached Jiangzhou, he stayed overnight in a cemetery grove. That night, the moonlight was as bright as day. He saw a fox emerge from beneath the trees and place a skull upon its head; if it shook and fell, the fox ignored it, but if it did not fall, the fox wore it. The fox further took weeds and fallen leaves to cover its body, and in a moment turned into an enchanting young woman, entirely dressed in white silk, standing on the left side of the road. Faintly from the northeast came the sound of horses and saddles traveling; the woman wept mournfully, overcome with sorrow. Before long, a young gentleman on horseback encountered her, dismounted, and asked: 'Why is a lady wailing aloud in the deep of night in the wilderness? How did you come to this?' The woman masked her tears and lied to him: 'My humble family is at the Yi River. The year before last, my parents married me off as a wife to the Zhang family of this land. Unfortunately, my husband died untimely last year; my family circumstances have declined to poverty, and I have nothing to rely on. How could my two parents in the family hall know that their daughter is so solitary and destitute! With all this upon me, my heart and bowels are cut with pain, and I could not help but weep with grief. I long to return home—can that be achieved? Why do you, sir, wonderingly inquire of it?' The young gentleman said: 'I had thought, lady, that you were grieving over some other matter. If you wish to return home, I am on an expedition with the Yiding army and am returning to the Yi River on an official mission; you may ride upon my spare mount.' The woman wiped her tears and gave thanks. Just as she was about to climb onto the stirrup, Xuan emerged from the cemetery grove and said: 'Sir, this woman is not human; she is a fox transformed.' The gentleman said: 'How could a monk slander someone like this? Are you not scheming to take her for yourself?' Xuan said: 'If you do not believe me, wait a moment. I will show you the woman's original form.' Xuan then shook his staff and recited several words in a foreign tongue; the woman turned back into a fox and fled, with only the skull and weeds covering her body. The gentleman on horseback kowtowed and repented of his error: 'Were it not for the Master's salvation, I would have nearly died at the hands of this monster.' All of Xuan's acts of rescuing beings and practicing compassion were of this kind.

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The Biography of Yuanjiao of Kaiyuan Temple in Fengxiang Prefecture under the Tang

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Shi Yuanjiao was a man from Lingwu. He possessed resolute integrity, stood out from the crowd, and made the upholding of vidyā-mantras his primary devotion. At the end of the Tianbao era, when Emperor Xuanzong took refuge in Shu, Emperor Suzong drilled troops in Lingwu and planned the recovery of the capital. In accordance with unanimous public sentiment, he was requested to ascend the throne, changing the reign title to Zhide. In the second year, when the imperial carriages turned to head for Fufeng, the emperor, having long relied on the teaching of Śākya, selected an eminent monk of pure aspirations to lead the way as an act of purification. The northern territories and the region west of the Yellow River recommended Jiao; Jiao met the selection and was summoned to receive imperial orders, accompanying the sovereign's entourage to the capital. Soon an imperial decree ordered Jiao to set out ahead and proceed to Fengxiang to establish an Imperial Bhaiṣajyaguru Bodhimaṇḍa at Kaiyuan Temple. He further selected twenty-one monks to practice the Path during the six periods of the day, lighting lamps, chanting verses of praise, intoning, and reciting the sūtras; none dared speak of fatigue, and their purity was beyond measure. Suddenly, a cluster of plum trees sprouted within the Dharma assembly, bearing forty-nine stems. When this matter was fully reported to the throne, an imperial commissioner was dispatched to verify the facts. The emperor was greatly astonished and pleased, saying: "This is a great auspicious resonance." On the eighteenth day of the fourth month, Commissioner Yuanjiao and others, monks chanting at the Imperial Bhaiṣajyaguru Bodhimaṇḍa, submitted a memorial offering congratulations. The imperial response read: "The flourishing of the auspicious plums is an omen of the nation's prosperity. That they grew within the saṅghārāma is sufficient proof of the blooming of the Bodhi Tree. Responding to this extraordinary sign, We share this celebration with the master." Jiao’s incantations and recitations produced spiritual resonances and effects that were largely of this sort. He was additionally appointed Palace Chaplain.

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Biography of Chujin of Qianfu Temple in the Capital of the Tang

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Shi Chujin was a son of the Cheng family, originally of Guangping Commandery, now a native of Zhouzhi in Jingzhao. His mother, Lady Gao, dreamed of various Buddhas at night and consequently conceived him; in truth, he was born a son of the Dharma King. His conduct was unblemished and his countenance like jade; his spirit was harmonious and his demeanor clear. At age seven he chanted the Lotus Sūtra, and at eighteen he penetrated its meaning. At thirty, he erected a stupa named Prabhūtaratna. At forty, he entered the emperor's dream within the ninefold imperial precincts. Xuanzong beheld gold characters appearing beneath the Dharma name; when morning came, messengers were sent to inquire, and everything was verified without discrepancy. At that time his fame soared through the imperial capital. Thereupon he gathered patrons to construct a stupa, which rose tier upon tier as easily as turning over one's palm. He once climbed the spiritual peaks of Mount Cuiwei and Wuzhen, gripping the creepers, and said, "This is the place for my retreat." He then memorialized to have a stupa built at each of the two temples, both named "Prabhūtaratna." In addition, he intoned and recited the Sublime Scripture over six thousand times. Beneath the jeweled trees, he seemingly beheld the emanated bodies; amidst the Spiritual Mount, he appeared to witness the threefold transformation of the land. His mind attained nothing, yet his tongue flowed with sweet dew; auspicious birds of blue and gold perched upon his hand; celestial music played clearly in the void. All such auspicious resonances he took no pride in. He said: "I have emulated the Dharma carriage of the Elephant King and turned the imperial gaze of the sovereign. Thrice entering the Hall of Bright Inheritance, I proclaimed the Dharma to the six imperial harems. The empress and consorts knelt before the imperial dais, and heavenly flowers fell without adhering. Emperor Minghuang inscribed the plaque, and Emperor Suzong bestowed banners. Is this merely a fleeting worldly glory? It is almost as if the Buddha were still present!" On the seventh day of the seventh month in the second year of Qianyuan, at the hour of the rat, he demonstrated entering extinction lying on his right side. The fuel was exhausted and the fire extinguished; his snowy countenance remained as if alive, clearly indicating rebirth in the Land of Peaceful Nurture. He was sixty-two years of age, with thirty-seven years of saṅgha age. The Son of Heaven mourned him, and an imperial envoy offered condolences. By imperial decree, the Senior General of the Cavalry Zhu Guanghui supervised the arrangements, and he was buried according to Buddhist rites at the Lotus Hermitage on Longshou Plateau west of the city, where a stupa was erected for him.

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Earlier, when Jin was a youth, he copied the Lotus Sūtra; he never wore fine silks, but only added mugwort-fiber garments against the cold. His disciples Huikong, Fa'an, and Haoran were all followers of the son of the Elephant King. The stele inscription for the miraculous staff at Caotang Temple on Purple Cloud Peak was composed and written by Wu Tongwei. On the thirteenth day of the fourth month in the thirteenth year of Zhenyuan, the Commissioner of Meritorious Deeds for the Left Street and Duke of Bin State, Dou Wenchang, memorialized: "The late master of Qianfu Temple, Chujin, was my former ācārya. In the early Tianbao era, he erected the Prabhūtaratna Stupa and established a Lotus Bodhimaṇḍa for the nation. More than sixty years have passed since then. The monks have bowed and recited during the six periods of the day, the sound of the sūtras never ceasing, enduring across four reigns, yet his virtue has not yet received an imperial title." An imperial decree posthumously bestowed upon him the title Dhyāna Master Dayuan.

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Biography of Huaiyu of Yongquan Temple in Taizhou of the Tang

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Shi Huaiyu, surnamed Gao, was a native of Danqiu. He held strictly to the vinaya laws, and his moral integrity was lofty and austere. Taking one meal a day and constantly sitting, allowing fleas and lice to multiply freely, he wore only a single hempen robe and practiced the methods of repentance. His daily regimen included reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha fifty thousand times, and he recited the Amitābha Sūtra three hundred thousand times in all. On the ninth day of the sixth month in the first year of the Tianbao era, he suddenly beheld holy images of the Western Direction, numerous as the sands of the Ganges. A person holding a silver dais entered through the window. Yu said, "I should obtain a golden dais." The silver dais withdrew, and Yu redoubled his devotion. Later, a voice from the sky announced: "A halo of light already crowns your head. Please sit cross-legged and form the mudrā of Amitābha Buddha." At that time, the Buddha's light filled the room; Yu gestured to the people with his hand to step back, saying, "Do not disturb this radiance." On the thirteenth day at the hour of the ox, the white curl light appeared again, and the holy assembly filled the void. Yu said, "When you smell an extraordinary fragrance, my life will come to an end." His disciple Huiming asked, "To which realm is the master going now?" Yu responded with a gāthā:
"Pure and brilliant, without dust or defilement, / The lotus flower transforms and gives birth, serving as parents.
Since practicing the Path, ten kalpas have passed; / I appeared in Jambudvīpa, weary of manifold sufferings.
A single lifetime of austerities surpasses ten kalpas; / Forever leaving the sahā world, I return to the Pure Land."
After Yu finished reciting the gāthā, an extraordinary fragrance filled the sky, and the ocean-like assembly spread everywhere. He beheld Amitābha Buddha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, their bodies purplish-gold, coming to welcome him riding together upon a vajra dais. Yu passed away with a smile, and his corporeal body remains preserved to this day. Later, a eulogy said:
"Our master in a single thought ascended to the First Ground; / From the Buddha realm, reed pipes and songs arrived twice.
Only before the gate, the old locust tree / Has lowered branches solely to hang the silver dais."
Another account says this was a poem by Duan Huairan, the prefect of Taizhou.

24.38

Biography of Daxing of Mount Tai in Yanzhou of the Tang

24.39

Shi Daxing was a native of Qizhou. Later he entered Mount Tai, weaving grass for clothes and gathering wild plants for food. He practiced the Lotus Samādhi and induced Samantabhadra to manifest his physical body. Xing sighed to himself: "Life is impermanent and must inevitably come to ruin; where shall I take birth in the next world?" Thereupon he entered the canon and reached his hand in at random to draw out a scripture, obtaining holy teachings on the Western Direction. He then single-mindedly concentrated on Amitābha Buddha. Within three weeks, at midnight, he suddenly beheld ground of lapis lazuli, his mind's eye becoming thoroughly bright and clear, seeing the Buddhas of the ten directions like images in a clear mirror. Later, an imperial decree summoned Xing into the inner palace to lodge in the imperial halls. By imperial decree, he was granted the title Bodhisattva Ever-Vigorous and ennobled as Duke of the Nation. He then displayed a slight illness and passed away lying on his right side. When the coffin was opened after burial, his appearance looked as if he were still alive, and an extraordinary fragrance was richly diffused.

24.40

Biography of Wangming of Guang'ai Temple in Luoyang of the Tang

24.41

Shi Wangming was a native of Xingyang. He resided at Guang'ai Temple in Luoyang. Through rigorous study of the vinaya and cautious safeguarding of the monastic rules to avoid criticism and disgrace, he rarely had any flaw. During the Shangyuan era, he traveled east to visit his parents. Reaching the road in Xingyang, he lodged at an inn. Just as he was untying his sack, removing his shoes, and preparing to strain water to wash away the dust, a monk arrived whose appearance seemed rather rough and coarse, and who was lodged in the same room with the Vinaya master. The newly arrived monk said to the innkeeper, "This poor monk has come from afar, exhausted, starving, and weak. Innkeeper, fill an earthen jar with good wine and buy half a shoulder of meat and fine grain; when the food arrives, I will pay the cost, so do not be slow." The innkeeper immediately complied and prepared everything. The monk ate and drank with nothing left over. The Vinaya master scolded him, saying, "Clad in the Dharma robes, you indulge in food and drink before laypeople; do you feel no shame?" The monk did not reply. In the first watch of the night, he called for water to wash his mouth, straightened his body, sat cross-legged, and slowly chanting in the Sanskrit tone, recited the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, beginning with the title and proceeding to "Thus have I heard" and so forth. Golden light emanated from both corners of the monk's mouth; those who heard him wept, and those who saw him gasped in wonder. The Vinaya master also felt admiration, thinking to himself: "That wine-and-meat monk is actually capable of reciting such a great scripture!" By the third watch, he could still be heard reciting the sūtra without interruption. As four cases of scrolls were almost completed, the radiance from his mouth grew increasingly fierce, pervading the courtyard and penetrating through the window lattices, illuminating both rooms. At first the Vinaya master did not know it was light and thought, "Why does that traveler not put out the lamp instead of wasting the innkeeper's oil?" When the Vinaya master arose to go to the latrine, he then peeked and saw the golden light emerging from the two corners of the monk's mouth. When reciting past the fifth case, the light gradually gathered back and returned into the monk's mouth. As the fifth watch approached, finishing the recitation of the sixth case, the monk lay down to sleep. Shortly thereafter, at daybreak, the Vinaya master came weeping, cast his whole body to the ground, and begged with grief to repent for his sin of "disparaging and slandering a sage." The Vinaya master rejoiced at encountering an extraordinary person, afterwards exerted himself with even greater diligence, and ultimately achieved high renown; the place of his death is unknown.

24.42

Biography of Xiongjun of Chengdu Prefecture of the Tang

24.43

Shi Xiongjun, secular surname Zhou, was a native of Chengdu. He was skilled at preaching but lacked moral conduct; the alms he received from donors were used unlawfully; moreover, he was deceitful and cared only for uninhibited license. Later he returned to lay clothes and joined the military ranks; then, fleeing hardship, he returned to the black-robed order. During the Dali era, he died suddenly and entered the underworld. When he met King Yama and the reprimands were concluded, he was being led away to hell when Jun raised his voice and shouted loudly: "If Xiongjun falls into hell, the Buddhas of the three periods of time will have spoken falsely! I once read the Contemplation Sūtra: even those of the lowest tier of the lowest grade who commit the five heinous transgressions, upon reciting the Buddha's name ten times at death, can still attain rebirth. Although Jun has committed sins, he did not commit the five heinous transgressions; and as for reciting the Buddha's name, none knows how many times I have done so. If the words of the Buddha are to be trusted, I who died suddenly should be allowed to return!" He sent a message, saying: "If you see the monastics and laypeople in the city, tell them that I have already attained rebirth in the Western Direction." Having spoken these words, he mounted a jeweled dais and departed straight for the west.

24.44

The commentary states: Recalling in a single thought that one had recited the Buddha's name not a few times, he was on the verge of entering hell yet turned back, because a strong mind of goodness transforms weak evil. Therefore, practitioners must know: reciting with the mouth is not as good as upholding rebirth with the mind; those of shallow capability should learn from this. Jun's words circulated among the common people; having definitely died, he revived again to transmit these words.

24.45

Biography of Dharma Master Sandao of Longxing Temple in Jizhou of the Tang

24.46

Dharma Master Sandao was originally surnamed Cao and was a native of Luling. By his natural disposition, he delighted in vegetarian food. Reaching the age of youth with hair tied in tufts, he aspired to leave the household life. At that time, across the region west of the Yangtze River, in the wake of the An Lushan-Shi Siming Rebellion, the south was not at peace, with much local usurpation; thus the strong annexed the weak, and warfare did not cease. In the eleventh month of the seventh year of Dali, Grand Master Lü of Guangzhou had his city overturned by rebellion. An official dispatch was received from Lu Sigong of Hongzhou ordering the Prefect of Jizhou, Liu Ning, to conscript three thousand troops to recover Panyu together.

24.47

The Dharma Master's former name was Bolian. By character he was resolute and generous, but had a fierce countenance; nonetheless, his mind was compliant and virtuous. He constantly recited the Diamond Sūtra, keeping the sūtra in a tube which he wore upon his body, and vowed never to marry. Yet he did not display this virtue to others, only deepening his secret practice ever more. Before long, he was drafted into the military. During inspections, he was further selected to serve as an encampment lieutenant; but this was not what he desired, so he fled as a fugitive. At the time, military conscription was extremely urgent, and dispatches were sent to strategic checkpoints everywhere to capture runaways. He was seized at Yangkou in his native prefecture and delivered to Liu Ning, who ordered him executed at Zhumu Bridge. The blade struck three times and broke each time. Astonished, Liu questioned him, and he then stated that his lifelong aspiration was to renounce household life and that he constantly upheld the sūtra; being so timid and cowardly, he feared he would damage the military's morale, which was the only reason he had fled. When asked where the sūtra was, he replied: "It was dropped and lost when I was captured." Liu then ordered a search for it, and it was indeed found several hundred paces away: the bamboo tube bore blade marks and was nearly cut through. Liu clasped his hands and praised him for a long time, whereupon he allowed him to become a monk. He memorialised the throne regarding the matter, and an imperial decree was issued granting him the title Dharma Master Sandao ('Three Blades') in his circuit and assigning him to Longxing Temple in that commandery. Thereafter he increased his diligence, and died at his dwelling.

24.48

Biography of Daguang of Fahua Temple in Huzhou under the Tang

24.49

Śramaṇa Daguang, whose secular surname was Tang, was born in Anji of that county. When his mother, Lady Mei, became pregnant, she had a dream corresponding to miraculous portents; during gestation she loathed the stench of meat and alliums. Once born, as soon as he could speak, he did not engage in playful trifles. Before losing his milk teeth, he yearned to seek the Buddha-vehicle and vowed to recite the Lotus Sūtra. Within three months he had mastered it; as soon as his voice chanting the sūtra rang out, the coarse and vulgar changed their ways. When he eventually renounced household life, he soon received the precepts, traveled west to the capital, and had an audience with Emperor Suzong. The emperor summoned him for an audience in the inner palace, clasped his hands, and sighed, saying: "Formerly I dreamed of a monk from Wu, chanting the Mahāyāna with his mouth, accompanied by the emission of five-coloured lights; his voice and countenance were just like this, truly answering my prayer!" He thereby bestowed upon him the name Daguang ('Great Light').

24.50

It happened to be the Emperor's Birthday Festival, and a vegetarian banquet was held at Dingguo Temple. The emperor consequently bestowed an ink edict permitting him to reside at whichever famous temple throughout the realm he wished. He ordered the eunuch Zhao Wen to escort him to Qianfu Temple to take up residence and lead the sūtra-recitation bodhimaṇḍa. When he recited the sūtra, he used the dialect of Wu, and its far-reaching sound reached the imperial ears; the emperor found it most extraordinary and sent a eunuch to convey imperial commendation. Later he resided in a vihāra in Lantian. Prior to this, a monk of the temple dreamed that a heavenly youth descended, saying: "The sound of Daguang's sūtra-recitation reaches the Summit of Existence." One day while Daguang was sitting in meditation, he saw a divine hand descend from heaven to stroke his heart. He then recalled that a former worthy, Grand Master Baoyu, had once made this prophecy, telling him to elevate his Dharma voice, whereupon he would receive the assistance of spirits. On another evening, he dreamed that a divine monk revealed breasts at his chest and bade Guang suckle with his mouth; from then on his faculties and vitality expanded freely, without tiring his body or spirit. Furthermore, once while exploring a remote mountain, he happened to fall into a deep ravine, plunging into an unfathomable dragon spring; yet within it his mind remained clear and entirely unconfused. He then recalled the 'Many Treasures Pagoda' chapter of this sūtra, and with sincere devotion vowed to recite this chapter one hundred thousand times. Suddenly he leaped up and escaped the spring as if spirits were holding him up.

24.51

Later he was summoned by imperial decree to reside at Zisheng Temple. This temple was formerly the residence of the Duke of Zhao, Zhangsun Wuji, which had been built in the second year of Longshuo to cultivate posthumous merit for Empress Wende. In the seventh year of Chang'an, it was completely destroyed by fire; only from amidst the ashes several fascicles of sūtras were recovered, without a single character damaged. When this matter was memorialised to the throne, the common people made offerings, and within a few days the funds had reached tens of millions, whereupon the temple was rebuilt.

24.52

When Guang examined this sūtra, his diligence doubled. Later, moved with filial thoughts because his mother remained in Wu and he had yet to repay her maternal love, he submitted a memorial requesting permission to return home and attend to her; but the imperial decree did not grant it. He thereupon contracted an illness born of delusion. Urging on his donkey and exerting his strength, he was about to throw himself into an abyss. The donkey prostrated itself and refused to advance, while a flock of crows brushed against his crown. Once his mind awakened, his illness subsided accordingly. He then carried the sūtra on his head and circumambulated, when suddenly an imperial decree arrived granting his return. Once he settled in Wucheng, he constructed a precious pagoda and daily recited the Lotus Sūtra verses, thereby fulfilling his former vow. In the first year of Yongtai, the Surveillance Commissioner of Western Zhejiang, Wei Yuanfu, submitted a memorial requesting Guang to serve as the head of recitation at the specially decreed bodhimaṇḍas across the six commanderies. In the guichou year of Dali—when Duke Yan of Lu, Yan Zhenqing, governed the commandery, and the father of Chancellor Li Shen was magistrate of Wucheng—Shen, who was not yet a year old, suddenly developed an infantile illness and neither cried nor opened his eyes for seven days. Guang was summoned. He instructed the wet nurse to wash and burn incense, and then clearly chanted the 'Discrimination of Merits' chapter of the sūtra. The infant thereupon sat up on his mat, clasped his hands, and opened his eyes. Guang gave him a cup of water to drink and bade her force-feed him milk, whereupon the illness gradually resolved. Guang smiled and said to him: "Why were you wishing to return so swiftly?" He consequently changed Shen's childhood name using Guang's name. During the Zhenyuan era, when Shen visited the Zha River again and moored his boat, Guang had long been waiting by the stream bank, and playfully stroked and laughed with him as if he were still an infant. Later, when Shen was regional inspector of Wuxing and got drunk at the hostel, Guang guided him to sleep in the bodhimaṇḍa. Around midnight, just as Shen was waking up, a white light filled the room, as bright as day. Peeking out, he saw the Venerable Guang sitting in meditation; as the Sanskrit chanting began, light radiated from his face like the opening of the ūrṇā mark. When the sound of the sūtra drew to an end, the light gathered back accordingly. When Shen was returning to the capital and came to say farewell, Guang said: "You have received the words of Mount Jingshan; I have nothing further to instruct you. Go and take care of yourself; there is a time to depart and a time to remain. When you hold a position at court in future days, will you serve as an external protector of the teaching?" On the evening after the dark moon in the twelfth month of the first year of Yongzhen, he manifested extinction at the bodhimaṇḍa for reciting sūtras; beasts howled, birds fell, and mountain trees shook. An extraordinary fragrance wafted about and did not dissipate for two nights. The regional inspector, Yan Fang, mourned him deeply. Guang wore a single patched robe for forty years without washing it, yet the fragrance of his precepts was luxuriant; he ate one meal a day for seventy years, and his miraculous signs were exceedingly numerous. The late Chancellor, Lord Li Shen, had ordinarily possessed little faith in Buddhism and frequently reprimanded the faults of monks; yet he deeply respected the Venerable Guang, personally composing an inscription entitled 'Inscription on the Miracles of the Great Worthy Who Recited Sūtras by Ink Edict', which was transcribed by the commoner Yang Kui.

24.53

Biography of Zhideng of Tianchong Temple in Jingzhou under the Tang

24.54

Śramaṇa Zhideng: it is not known where he was from. He was solemn in his own conduct and strict at all times, guarding the rules of the precepts and constantly reciting the Diamond Sūtra, untiring in his diligence. During the Zhenyuan era, he fell ill and died. When his disciples felt his hands, they were still warm, so they did not immediately place him in a coffin. After seven days he revived, saying: "At first I saw in the underworld someone like a king, who, because I recited the sūtra, joined his palms, descended the steps, and made inquiries, saying: 'The Venerable shall be granted another ten years in the world; strive to escape birth and death.' He then asked: 'When the monks in the human realm eat Job's tears seeds after noon as medicinal food, is this permissible or not?' I replied: 'This greatly contravenes the original teaching.' Deng then reported: 'What about the rules in the Vinaya regarding proper and improper allowances and prohibitions?' The king said: 'These were added by later people; they are not the Buddha's intention.'" When people near and far heard this, among the monks of Zhugong there were even those who would not drink water after noon.

24.55

An appraisal says: The Hīnayāna still allows the consumption of the five purified foods, and Job's tears are not among the five proper staple grains. It is suspected that the official of the underworld was imparting admonition according to the capacity of beings, displeased that the bhikṣus of the time were too lax regarding the rules of the precepts; hence this stern warning about allowances and prohibitions. This is in truth the constant law of all Buddhas, not a later fabrication.

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Linked texts (1)

宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese