宋高僧傳 26.10

26.10

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