宋高僧傳 27
English (machine translation) 27
- Language
- English
27.1
Compiled under Imperial Order by the Purple-Robe-Bestowed Śramaṇa Zanning and Others, Grand Master Tonghui of Tianshou Temple of the Left Street of the Song
27.2
Section 9, Part 2: Cultivating Blessings (Twenty-one primary biographies, three appended)
27.3
Tang Dynasty: Biography of Sengjie of Guangzhai Temple in the Capital
27.4
Shi Sengjie, whose origins are unknown, was born into the Buddhist family, and his converting influence spread through the divine precinct. He guarded his precepts like guarding a precious jewel, and stilled his mind like motionless water. Constantly lamenting over stingy men who did not follow the measure of dāna, during the Jianzhong era he built a Mañjuśrī Hall, intending to model it after the sacred images of Mount Wutai. It was proposed to raise the terrace right to the water's edge; fearing that living creatures would be harmed, Jie had a three-day bodhimaṇḍa established, praying over those with many feet down to those with none, so that they might move away and avoid harm, not creating obstacles to his pure conduct. One could see that the resonance of his utmost sincerity was an unfailing proof: when earth was dug down to the spring, there were no squirming creatures at all. He always used double-layered silk as a straining bag; whenever insects were caught in drawing water, he cast them into a well pit, which was called the "Life-Preserving Well" at that time, and was constantly full without drying up. Furthermore, observing that flying moths and gnats mistook the brightness of fire for a traversable path and thus flew into it, he cast a bronze toad to serve as a device to extinguish smoke. Its design was passed down throughout the realm. At his Mañjuśrī Courtyard scriptures were constantly chanted, and an imperial decree repeatedly bestowed incense. This temple was originally the Qibaotai Temple, within which was a terrace built by the Heavenly Empress, and Jie resided within it.
27.5
The biography of Dingguang of Fugan Temple in Chengdu under the Tang
27.6
The śramaṇa Dingguang's origins are unknown. From the time he entered the Dharma, his nature was unconstrained; he took coarse food to break his fast and wore crude robes through the passing of the years. When he was converting and guiding those with karmic affinity in the region of Shu, obstacles were many, and his teaching struck a middle ground between worldly and sacred. Suddenly he encountered the suppression under Emperor Wuzong, and he was returned to the secular Confucian fold in accordance with the general decree. When the sun of the Buddha shone again and the ranks of the saṅgha were once more restored, Dingguang joined in rebuilding the temple buildings and consequently cast a great bell, calculating more than ten thousand catties of red bronze. On that day, as the bellows blew and ashes flew, and the fire blazed in the furnace, two plumes of auspicious smoke emerged from the highest point of the stupa's harmikā rings, slowly shooting upward like a rainbow. Ten thousand people stretched their necks to gaze upon it, as the five colors soared and surpassed, their mutual resonance manifesting like this, and faith responding to the stroke of the drum. This stupa was a place where King Aśoka had enshrined relics (śarīra). At the beginning of the Dahe reign-period, Meng Cuodian, the Southern Man barbarian, plundered and entered the city of Yizhou. He quartered the barbarian soldiers along the corridors and verandahs inside the temple, where they boiled, roasted, and smoked meat, causing all the monks to flee. At that time, four plumes of thick smoke issued from the top of the stupa, branching into distinct tails and rising straight into the empty sky until nightfall. When the Man and Dan barbarians witnessed this extraordinary sign, they prohibited defilement. This stupa had formerly stood more than forty paces to the northwest. At the end of the Tianbao era, when Administrative Assistant Zhangchou Jianqiong was traveling to take up his post and reached Jianmen, he saw a person over ten feet tall holding a halberd and blocking the road. Jianqiong asked in surprise, and the figure answered: 'I am the stupa-protecting deity of Dashi Temple. I have come especially to welcome you, and I also have a small request to make of the Grandee. Because the stupa of Dashi Temple is in the southwest, it is not in the most auspicious position; I now request that you move it forty-two paces to the northeast. I humbly hope that you will dig down through the stone beneath it to preserve the relics.' Jianqiong said: 'This is easy.' The figure then vanished. A few days after arriving at the prefecture, [Zhangchou Jianqiong] ordered that the site be measured. When they first excavated, they indeed found a massive rock whose depth was boundless. He urged several tens of stonemasons to chisel away at it, but whenever night fell, it would be completely refilled. He sent men to secretly watch, and they saw several tens of white pigs pushing stone dust with their snouts to block the holes, then licking it with their tongues so that it became as firm as an iron seal. Zhangchou stopped them from chiseling, and so the stupa was moved to its present location, which is the old foundation of Jinhua Temple. Dingguang's bell was also moved into the new temple.
27.7
The biography of Zhengan of Jiahe in Wujun under the Tang
27.8
The śramaṇa Zhengan, whose secular surname was Wu, was a man of Yunzhong. His spiritual bearing was lofty and far-reaching, and he devoted himself to dhyāna and silence. Dragging his staff, he walked alone, traveling south to seek holy sites. When he reached Guzhang, there was Kunshan Temple with its lush forests and springs; it was where the Song-dynasty monk Zhitandi had once built his hermitage, relishing the Way and exalting conversion for more than twenty years, and its foundations still remained. During the Yuanjia reign-period, it was built into a great saṅghārāma. When Emperor Wuzong suppressed the Buddhist teachings, the temple was abolished. Zhengan arrived and stayed here, and together with Lord Lu Xi of Fanyang, he revived the celebrated site of Dharma Master Hongjue's second incarnation. When the temple was completed, the Jinshi Yao Fu composed a poem about it. Later Zhengan traveled to present-day Changshui in Xiuzhou, where he saw Lingguang Temple and learned that the local people wished to erect a massive hall. At that time, Magistrate Lu was reassigned to govern the people of that district, and they met with delight; Zhengan had known of this beforehand in all details. Some said he had attained the supernormal powers of reading others' minds and knowing past lives. The magistrate then requested that Zhengan take the lead in chanting the invocation. Zhengan, however, disliked the clamor of the guest rooms, so he stayed behind the foundation of the hall, weaving rushes into a crude shelter to dwell in. Benefactors from the four directions arrived on their own without being summoned. Together with the monks Linggong, Jundao, and others, it took several years to complete the present hall. Its height and breadth were rarely matched in the realm. Once the task was done, he picked up his worn bag, shook his old staff, and returned to the north; none knew how he ended.
27.9
The biography of Daozun of Mount Zhixing in Suzhou under the Tang
27.10
The śramaṇa Daozun, courtesy name Zongda, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a man of Wuxing. From early on he maintained extraordinary conduct and was praised by men of pure integrity; worldly glory was insufficient to move his mind, and sensory dust never stirred his nature. When he reached the age of twenty, he went to Vinaya Master Yiwai at Tianzhu [Temple] to receive the full precepts (upasampadā), serving Master Xing of Bao'en Temple—who was first to take the vinaya as his school to transmit the teachings. Later, Daozun studied the Tiantai Dharma gate of the threefold contemplation in one mind, desiring to widely copy the Lotus Sūtra, establish a bodhimaṇḍa, and open a sūtra cloister. On the first day he gave rise to the aspiration; on the second day he laid out its foundations; the construction did not exceed the planned sequence, and the work was brought to completion, situated in the blessed land of Zhixing. In the first year of the Dali era, Regional Commander Wei Yuanfu, Minister of War Liu Yan, Attendant Censor Wang Yuan, Prefect of Kaizhou Lu Xiang, Palace Attendant Censor Lu Xun, and Court Consultant of the Court of Judicial Review Zhang Xiang vied with one another to bring forth their sincere minds, jointly reaping extraordinary results. They then joined in submitting a memorial to the throne, and an imperial decree specially designated it as a Lotus Bodhimaṇḍa. East of the Yangtze River there were seventeen such places in total, all founded following Daozun's initiative. Fourteen great virtuous monks of refined practice were selected to constantly uphold this sūtra in order to repay the sovereign's benevolence. He cast images of Rocana and Vairocana, erected a Prabhūtaratna stupa, cultivated the karma for rebirth in the Pure Land, and made an image of Amitābha Buddha. He also transcribed: 'The Tiantai teachings bring benefit to the bodhimaṇḍa.' He established two permanent estates. In ordinary times he lectured on the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, the Tiantai Ceasing and Contemplation, and the Four-Part Vinaya Commentary; when mounting the ordination platform to ordain people, he transmitted the mind and promulgated the vinaya, his disciples filling the tally-cave. During the Tianbao era, at the Lingyan bodhimaṇḍa, while practicing the Lotus Samādhi, he suddenly beheld a great light illuminating the sky above—his own body was in right mindfulness, solemnly seated in the light. Later he asked Jingxi [Zhanran], and Master Zhanran said: 'The radiant light of wisdom flows from the mind; is it not brought about by refined devotion?' Again, in his own temple, while entering the Lotus bodhimaṇḍa, he saw his body seated in empty space. Those who had already attained realization knew that this was a sign of cleansing defilements. In that year he was seventy-one years of age and had forty-six saṅgha years (saṅgha age). On the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month in the first year of the Xingyuan era, he passed away at Zhixing Shan Temple. The monks Master Yi and Master Han both dreamed on the same night that the main hall collapsed, and indeed Daozun entered extinction. His disciples Linghan, Fasheng, Daoxin, and his nephew Lingyuan yearned after him without end, erecting a stupa to manifest his virtue.
27.11
The biography of Hanguang of Da Xingshan Temple in Jingzhao under the Tang
27.12
The śramaṇa Hanguang's origins are unknown. In his youth he perceived worldly clamor and swiftly sought simplicity and tranquility. During the Kaiyuan era, seeing that the Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra enjoyed high esteem in the times, he attached himself to him. When Amoghavajra returned to the Western Regions, Hanguang followed him like a shadow, not fearing hardships or dangers, thinking only of seeking the sacred sites. When they set out, they sailed across the sea and encountered a giant fish that glared at their ship with the intention of swallowing it. Twice they encountered the anomalies of black winds and the monster Tianwu. Having weathered these calmly, they soon reached the country of Siṃhala. It happened that the venerable Ācārya [Samantabhadra] had erected a Great Compassion Garbhadhātu maṇḍala, and he permitted Hanguang along with Huibian to receive the five-division abhiṣeka method together. In the sixth year of the Tianbao era, he returned to the capital. When Amoghavajra was translating scriptures, Hanguang participated in deliberating between the Chinese and Sanskrit, until his master passed away. Later, Emperor Daizong revered Hanguang as though seeing Amoghavajra, and imperially entrusted him to go to Mount Wutai to cultivate merit. At that time, Zhanran of the Tiantai school clearly understood dhyāna contemplation and had thoroughly obtained the rich essence of Zhiyi. He once entered the realm of Qingliang with more than forty monks from the Jiang and Huai regions. When Zhanran met with Hanguang, he asked about the transmission of the Dharma in the Western Regions. Hanguang said: 'A monk from a certain kingdom, who understood the emptiness teachings experientially, asked about the teachings of Zhiyi. The Sanskrit monk said: "I have heard that these teachings determine the correct from the perverse, clarify the partial and the complete, and illuminate ceasing and contemplation; in merit they are reckoned foremost." Again and again he urged me that if circumstances should bring me back, I should translate them from Chinese into Sanskrit and bring them along, and he would willingly receive and uphold them. Repeatedly clasping my hand, he gave me this instruction. Considering that in South India the views of the Nāgārjuna school are widely practiced, he thus had this wish to circulate them.' It is not known how Hanguang ended.
27.13
The appraisal states: We have not heard of China expounding and writing on the Buddhist teachings and transmitting them in reverse back to the Western Regions; has this really occurred? To resolve this: In the past, in the time of Emperor Wu of the Liang, the envoy of the Tuyuhun Qaghan Kualü came to seek Buddha images and sūtras and treatises in fourteen matters. The emperor gave him one hundred and three rolls of his own commentaries on the Nirvāṇa, Prajñā, and Golden Light sūtras. To trace the matter, the envoy must have been proficient in Chinese; having mastered the sounds and graphs, upon returning he translated the Chinese into the barbarian language using the speech of that land, only then allowing understanding. That land also had monks, who must have progressively translated and transmitted them, reaching the kingdoms north of the Congling Mountains from Qinghai in the west, and before long they were circulating equally in the Five Indias, without any doubt. Therefore, Gushi had the Mao Poetry, the Analects, and the Classic of Filial Piety, establishing official instructors and disciples to teach one another; even though they studied and recited them, these were all in the barbarian tongue—this is an example of it. Furthermore, under the Tang, when the Western Regions requested the Book of Changes and the Daodejing, an imperial decree ordered Buddhist monks and Daoists to translate from Chinese into Sanskrit. The two teachings disputed whether 'bodhi' was 'the Way', wrangling ceaselessly, and the project was abandoned midway. Had they been able to translate and transmit them thither, so that those people could behold the profound and subtle scriptures of this realm, would that not have been beautiful! Moreover, the Western Regions are the roots and trunk of the Buddha Dharma; the Eastern Xia is the branches and leaves transmitted hither. What worldly people know is to recognize the branches and leaves without recognizing the roots and trunk; yet they do not realize that when the branches and leaves are planted in the soil, they too give birth to roots and grow into trunks, just as with the nyagrodha tree. How do we know the sharpness and agility of the people of the East? The people of Qin prefer conciseness, which is verified by their speaking little yet understanding much. How do we know the simple rusticity of the people of the Western Regions? India prefers verbosity, which is proven by their having to repeat words before awakening. Viewed from this perspective, the people of the Western Regions are sharp in their retentive nature, while the people of the East are sharp in their understanding nature. For example, the teaching of formless emptiness originated with Nāgārjuna, yet Zhiyi expounded it in such a way that the Western Regions admired it. The Middle Way teaching arose with Maitreya, yet Cien (Kuiji) explained it to an extent that one doubts the Western Regions could seldom equal. One should know that when the previous two schools were planted in the soil of Zhiyi and Cien, they were branches and leaves; yet once entering the soil, they distinctly gave birth to roots and trunks—this is clear! Those who are skilled in grafting, upon seeing it, do not recognize it, yet upon hearing of it, they find it delightful. Furthermore, it is like the pearls of Hepu: when people of the northern lands obtain them, they fashion hairpins and adorn caps and pendants; when the people of the Southern Sea see them, they do not recognize them, yet upon hearing of them, they find them delightful. When the silkworm women's silk is obtained by the family of a skilled artisan, they embroider garments and produce elegant robes; when the old women who reel the silk see them, they do not recognize them, yet upon hearing of them, they find them delightful. How magnificent are Zhiyi and Cien! How could the masters of the Western Regions fail to revere them!
27.14
The biography of Jiran of the Dhyāna Cloister on Mount Wozhou in Shan under the Tang
27.15
The śramaṇa Jiran, whose secular surname was Bai, was of unknown origin. His moral integrity was remarkably singular from the first, and he followed in the footsteps of the four noble lineages, hence he was called an ascetic (dhūta). In the second year of the Dahe era, shaking his staff to view the regions, he visited the scenic sites of Tiantai and arrived in Shan.
27.16
Mount Wozhou lies to the north of Tianmu Peak, facing Mount Tiantai's Huading and Chicheng peaks; looking north toward Siming, Mount Jinting and Mount Shigu lie between them; to the northwest lies Zhidun Ridge, with Horse-Breeding Slope and Crane-Releasing Peak nearby. Since the Jin and Song dynasties, this mountain has been opened up. At first, the arhat Bai Daoyou—who was said to have come from the Western Regions—arrived and stayed on this mountain. Next, Zhu Faqian and Zhi Daolin lived here. Lofty men and eminent scholars dwelt here in close succession. Even Dai Kui, Wang Xizhi, Xi Chao, Sun Chuo, and Xu Xun roamed and rested among these peaks!
27.17
Seeing that the scenery here was extraordinary and hearing that many renowned gentlemen had resided here, Jiran felt as though he had returned to his old hometown; enamored, he could not bring himself to leave. As he put the transformation through the Way into practice, dhyāna disciples gathered in great numbers. When Yuan Zhen, Chancellor and Surveillance Commissioner of Zhedong, heard of this, he first divined and constructed a dwelling for him. Next, Vice Censor-in-Chief Lu, when governing Yue, learned of it and assisted in repairing and completing it. In three years a great cloister grew abundantly, and in five years Buddhist affairs flourished. Jiran constantly spoke of the essential points of the mind to the dhyāna companions who came and went, and later he ended his days at the mountain cloister. In the seventh year of the Dahe era, when Bai Letian (Bai Juyi) was in Henan defending the peace, he composed a record of it, and Liu Yuxi, Adviser to the Heir Apparent, wrote it out.
27.18
Tang: A Biography of Pu'an of Futian Temple on Mount Tiantai (Quanliang and Weiyue)
27.19
Shi Pu'an was surnamed Cai and was a native of Handong. In his youth, he was extraordinarily clever and quick-witted, with exceptional features, and by nature he had no craving for meat or pungent food, while continuously holding the wish to leave the mundane world. His father was stern and resolute, teaching him the classical texts. He gradually mastered their meaning, and whenever he took up a brush to write, his prose was remarkably elegant. Once, on entering a monastic lodging, he briefly held a scripture scroll and sighed, saying, "The Buddha's Dharma is profound and subtle; it cannot be attained in haste!" He firmly resolved to take leave of his parents. At that time, Chan Master Huaihai resided on Mount Baizhang, where patched-robe monks packed shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot, so that it was known as the "Great Monastic Grove." Pu'an knocked at his gate, and Huaihai received him. By day he followed the general calls to manual labour, and by night he alone held a candle to recite scriptures, never shrinking from toil, and finally succeeded in shaving his head and dyeing his robes. When he ascended the ranks of full ordination, he immediately practiced dhyāna, sitting facing the wall and forgetting fatigue, constantly making the contemplation of the mind his task. Just as the campaka flower follows the wind and its fragrance travels far, or the striped cat encounters wild beasts and roars high, students surrounded him in circles, requesting him to sit in the bodhimaṇḍa at the Shoushan Cloister in Anlu. In this manner, more than four hundred people gathered around him, holding their vessels to listen to his exposition like that of Ghoṣa, and casting their tallies awaiting his deliverance like that of Upagupta. He greatly benefited the various capacities of beings, and many attained the Way. During the Dahe era, he said to the assembly, "I have not yet wearied of wandering among mountains and waters; let none of you detain me. At Chicheng on Tiantai, Daoyou once rested; at Huading and the Stone Bridge, Zhiyi of old subdued Māra! I intend to travel there." Winding his way from Xiangyang, he entered the western gate of Tiantai from Wozhou and Tianmu, where he reached an open plain. The peak within the valley was named Dashe, also known as "Pingtian" (Level Field). Observing the mountain, its four slopes were lush and verdant, and at the stone gates of its eastern and western mountains there were the Three Wells and Dragon Pool. Entering east to the Sacred Temple of the Stone Bridge, this was where the venerable green-bodied Daoyou had built a thatched hut and dwelt. Shortly thereafter, he saw a roaring tigress suckling her cubs, glaring at Pu'an. Pu'an pressed her head with his staff and said, "This poor monk has heard that this mountain is the abode of immortals and the retreat of arhats. I now wish to lodge here and settle in dhyāna; patron, do not disturb me." Passing the night, she led her cubs away. On the twenty-seventh day of the tenth month in the seventh year of the Dahe era, a guichou year [833], he built an abbot's quarters, taking only one novice attendant to supply firewood and water. In the spring of the eighth year, Chan companions flocked like spokes to a hub, and through the shared efforts of the assembly they completed this cloister, naming it Pingtian. During the Kaicheng era, it was indeed a great bodhimaṇḍa. In the seventh month of the third year of the Huichang era [843], he announced to the assembly that he would enter extinction, at the age of seventy-four. He ordained his disciple Quanliang, whose secular surname was Chen; having awakened to his master's Way, he was the sole feather of the phoenix—one person alone! As for Weiyue, he entered extinction in Shangyuan, and his fleshy body did not decay. Pu'an's stūpa was relocated to the front of this mountain. This temple established a Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats, and Chief Administrator Quan Yi of Yongjia painted the five hundred likenesses. Whenever an invitation was made, incense had to be burned through the night at the Stone Bridge, banners, canopies, conches, and cymbals readied, and they were guided into the hall, borne by a fragrant wind. The array of flags and banners bent forward, stopping as soon as they entered the gate. The Sacred Temple of the Stone Beam was located inside the Stone Bridge. Just as Sanskrit chanting began, the misty incense began to drift. First, golden birds flew and soared, and later, beside the forest trees and rocks, Sanskrit monks were seen, either walking or sitting, some gesturing as if beckoning, some reclining in midair, undergoing thousands of transformations in the twinkling of an eye. The Qian clan, Kings of Hannan, offered provisions year after year, and auspicious omens were exceedingly plentiful. In the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era of our current sovereign [978], in the Zifu Hall, an imperial inquiry was addressed to Zanning, Chief Saṅgha Rectifier of Liangzhe, concerning the length and breadth of the Stone Bridge; all was reported faithfully, and the Emperor sighed in admiration for a long time. In the eighth year [983], because the practitioner Zixun of Futian Temple vowed to sever his wrist and burn it, begging for the reconstruction of this temple, an imperial decree was issued commanding the Palace Attendants of High Rank, Wei Shaoqin and Zhang Chenggui, to overhaul the old structures, which appeared as if transformed into a heavenly palace. At present, Master Pu'an's portrait hall stands to the right of the temple.
27.20
Tang: A Biography of Weize of Fengci Temple in the Capital
27.21
Shi Weize rose above worldly customs with lofty resolve, resting his spirit beyond material things; whenever he undertook wholesome works, people followed him like waves. He often said, "Images are a potent condition for engendering goodness, and one must set up many of them. At the initial contemplation, it is like facing an austere lord. Next, one's mind is not distracted; midway, the contemplation gate forms naturally. Finally, it is like suchness itself, vast and boundless—how could samādhi fail to appear before one? Therefore, when our sort exhorts and transforms the deluded populace, how could we not use this as the primary guide?" Consequently, whether carved or sculpted, statues stood arrayed like a forest. He constantly engaged in cultivation and advancement, giving special encouragement throughout the imperial capital. During the Yuanhe era, when the Grand Empress Dowager Guo of Emperor Xianzong sought to dedicate blessings for her mother, the Senior Grand Princess of Qi, by building the Fengci Monastic Abode, she searched for and selected those of renowned virtue; Ze was among those selected to dwell there. Before long, he heard that on Mount Mao in Siming there was a King Aśoka stūpa, which Liu Sahe of the Eastern Jin had sought and brought to light, and he went specifically to pay homage to it. With craftsman's ingenuity, he ground the seven treasures into powder and used lacquer and moulds to cast a reproduction, making it an exact likeness. Carrying it on his own back from Yongdong, he returned to Fengci Temple to make offerings to it; the people of the capital all looked up to it and took refuge with faith.
27.22
Tang: A Biography of Mingzhun of Chanding Temple in Chang'an
27.23
Shi Mingzhun's lineage is unknown. His origin was in the Lingxu bodhimaṇḍa of Mount Tiantai; leaving the worldly life, he traveled far and wide. Reaching the capital, he observed that of old, the divine monk Zhiyuan on the northern mountains of Fanyang had carved the scriptures into stone and poured iron [to seal them] in order to await the descent of Maitreya and avoid the perils of flood and fire. Furthermore, the Changshou Temple in the Eastern Capital of Luoyang carved the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Shengshan Temple carved the Lotus Sūtra, and Mount Song's Yuesi Temple carved the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, all engraved upon fine stone, all seeking imperishability. In the spring, the first month of the wuyin year of the Zhenyuan era [798], Zhun saw the monks of the temple chiseling the mountains and quarrying stone, but the stones were all stubbornly flawed; he realized the craftsmen lacked reverence and the mountain spirits were secret and stingy. Thereupon Zhun composed a prayer to the unseen spirits, asking them to assist in the wholesome task. Soon, in samādhi, he saw several scrolls containing countless stones; in the darkness, as if cut and dressed, they were all carved with characters inside. At that time, the Regional Commander, Lord Cui of Boling, encouraged his administrative assistants each to write out a chapter, from the "Introductory" to the "Exhortation [of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra]," twenty-eight chapters in all. The circular corridor stood upright, and the work was completed in less than a year. Zhun's transformation of people was generally of this kind. This occurred in the middle of the eighth month of the first year of the Yuanhe era [806]. Later, the place of his death was not known.
27.24
Tang: A Biography of Youxuan of Baoli Temple in Hongzhou
27.25
Shi Youxuan, whose secular surname was Liu, was a native of Youzhou. From an early age he harbored the wish to leave worldly life, and only upon reaching his twentieth year did he fulfill his former intention, going to Chan Master Xian of Bingzhou to comprehend the profound tally. In the second year of the Yuanhe era [807], he shook his staff toward Jiangzuo and arrived at Dayun Temple in Kuaiji, where he saw that the monks of the three trainings were hindered in their turning of the food-wheel, utterly lacking material provisions. As soon as Xuan spoke, patrons responded like echoes and provided sustenance. Before long, he moved to the ancient Miaoxi Temple on Guishan in the middle of the lake. In the ninth year [814], when Meng Jian of Pingchang was stationed in Yuyue, he went out of his way to come and inquire about the Way, and subsequently constructed a large cloister. In the twelfth year [817], he climbed the Southern Peak again and resided on the topmost summit. In the thirteenth year [818], the Prefect of Yuzhang, Shang You, deeply venerated his Way and instructed him to reside at Dongming Temple, which had been built during the reign of Emperor An of the Eastern Jin, where the monastic assembly had grown dense. During the Baoli era, he petitioned to have it renamed Shifu, and established an ordination platform, followed by an imperial decree changing its name to Duseng Temple. The images within it were all created through Xuan's guidance. In the first year of the Dahe era [827], Vice Censor-in-Chief Shen Chuan further placed his faith in him. To the south of the cloister, Xuan separately built a five-story Buddhist pavilion. When the work was accomplished, he said to his disciples, "Blessing-bringing works are endless, but a lifetime has its term; where items are lacking, later generations will provide them. After I pass away, you may apply lacquer and cloth to my corpse and place it beneath the pavilion." Having spoken, he transformed. His disciples specially erected a stūpa beside it.
27.26
Tang: A Biography of Zhiyun of Mount Wutai
27.27
Shi Zhiyun was a native of Zhongshan. Leaving his parents in his youth, he came to the Shanzhu Pavilion Cloister on Mount Wutai, where he bowed to Xianlin as his master. Reciting the scriptures according to the required standard, he attained ordination. His spirit was crisp and elevated, his demeanor loftily upright, and regarding worldly wealth, he had few desires and knew contentment. Coarse food filled his belly and rough garments warded off the cold; if he had a scrap of cloth to spare, he never failed to relieve the poor and sick. Wandering to study and investigate, he attended various lecture seats. He transmitted the two scriptures, the Lotus Sūtra and the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, plumbing their source and exhausting their principles. Later, he hung his staff on a high peak, setting his mind at rest and shutting out the world. Around the Yuanhe era, the assembly appointed him as General Overseer and Acting Senior Monastic of Mount Wutai. Yun moved with the times; though he firmly declined, it was not permitted, and so he assumed this office. Later, when a famine occurred, the temple buildings became desolate. There was the Huayan Temple, an abode where the Great Sage dwelt in truth, where visitors were quite numerous, but donations were sparse; its cloisters and halls were deteriorating, and uniformly deemed inadequate. The assembly requested him to serve as General Donor-Master of Huayan Temple. At that time, virtue was not isolated: Fazhao, Wuzhuo, and Chengguan had appeared in the world. When Master Guan composed his Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the ocean-like assembly gathered like clouds, they invited Yun to be the lecture master, providing daily for a thousand monks. For more than ten years, provisions were never exhausted. All said, "There is an inexhaustible store of rice and flour," and as the years passed, it appeared quite bountiful. A monk of a neighboring cloister, Yiyuan—also a great master of the age—thought that Yun had long managed the permanent monastic property and privately slandered him, claiming he lacked an impartial mind and was greedy. At night, a spirit told Yuan, "The Senior Monastic is one among the thousand Buddhas, yet you utter disparaging words. If you do not repent, you shall fall into the evil paths." The next morning, Yuan kissed his feet in repentance and apology; such was his verification. When the purge under Emperor Wuzong arrived, Yun hid in the mountain valleys, never abandoning the realm of Mañjuśrī's transformation. Less than a year later, Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, decreeing that the various temples of Wutai ordain fifty monks, imperial gifts of robes were offered, and the mountain gates reopened. Yun served as Senior Monastic of the ten temples and General Donor-Master for construction across the mountain gates. In the seventh year of the Dazhong era [853], together with travelers from across the realm, he established an unrestricted assembly for the fourfold assembly, providing exquisite and wondrous offerings. After one month, he said to the great assembly, "I wish to rest my frail bones for a time, calming my mind and withdrawing my traces. As for assisting in the affairs of the community, I can do no more; I entrust it to the capable and wise to follow in my footsteps." He then sat peacefully in a pure chamber and passed away, at the age of seventy-seven, with a monastic age of fifty-eight.
27.28
The appraisal states: Monastic offices are like the main cord of a net, or the ridgepole of a building! Beginning with the Yao Qin establishing the Rectifier (Zheng), the Wei era electing the Chief (Du), the Northern Qi dividing responsibilities among the Ten Directors (Shitong), and the Tang era commissioning the Saṅgha Rectifiers (Senglu). What differs from what is commonly heard is that at Mount Wutai, beginning in the Zhenyuan era, Zhiyun was first titled Senior Monastic (Sengzhang)! It is just as fish, salt, and clams need someone to guard and look after them.
27.29
Tang: A Biography of Wenzhi of Mount Lühoushan in Kuaiji
27.30
Śramaṇa Wenzhi, whose secular surname was Zhu, was a distant descendant of Shangqiu, and a native of Xujiang in Quzhou. His uncle was a monk named Weikuan, whose learning encompassed many sūtras and treatises. Kuan was summoned by imperial decree to Chang'an, where he resided at Daxingshan Temple. He was summoned again to enter the Inner Place of Practice, and was additionally requested to receive the Bodhisattva Precepts. Zhi accompanied Kuan into the palace. At the age of fifteen, he recited such scriptures as the Lotus Sūtra, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, and the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa. At twenty-three he received the upasampadā. In seven days he recited the entire prātimokṣa, and after two summer retreats he was lecturing on the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya (Four-Part Vinaya). At twenty-seven, he lectured on and mastered the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra. Over forty years, he gained an exquisite understanding of various great sūtras and treatises; later, he engaged in discipline under the two Chan masters Dapei and Yuji, inquiring into the essentials of the mind. Having attained wide understanding, he returned to Zhuji, where he led disciples at Fale Temple. At that time, a tiger came to listen to his exposition of the Dharma; Zhi stroked its head, and it went away. Later he went to Yongjia, and when he met with the searches and purges of Huichang, he hid himself away in Great Furong Mountain of Yuecheng County, simply practicing embryonic breathing. When [Buddhism] was restored in the Dazhong era, the prefect Lord Wei repeatedly invited him, but he did not come; the prefect forced him onto a couch and had him carried out to reside at the Kaiyuan Temple of the prefecture. Lay donations arrived in continuous succession, which he redirected to build a great Buddha hall, along with a lecture hall, cloisters, statues, and the transcription of the entire canon of scriptures, all fully furnished without omission. Vice Minister Shen, the surveillance commissioner of Yuezhou, instructed him to reside at the Lühoushan cloister—the old place of conversion of the former Chan Master Ningben. Zhi merely dwelt in a thatched hut and nothing more. On the fourteenth day of the tenth month of the second year of Xiantong, he bade farewell to the assembly. On the fifteenth day, he passed away sitting upright, at the age of eighty-four, with a saṅgha age of sixty-two. He was entombed in Yungou, where a stūpa was erected. Duan Shi, the prefect of Yuezhou, composed an account of his conduct.
27.31
Biography of Zongliang of Guoning Temple in Mingzhou under the Tang
27.32
Śramaṇa Zongliang, whose surname was Feng, was a native of Fenghua. His family dwelt near Mount Yue, and he was later called the "Moon Monk." During the Kaicheng era, Liang shaved his head and took the monastic vows. He then devoted himself to the vinaya, complying with the four deportments, and his conduct was without fault. He would say, "I was not born under an auspicious star, for I met with the disaster of the Huichang [persecution]"; he then hid in the deep crags and caverns of his home mountains. When Guoning Temple was re-established in the Dazhong era, pure and lofty individuals were selected to be registered, and Liang was among the abbots. Li Pin, the prefect of Jianzhou, wrote in a stele inscription for the temple: "Among those whose minds were pure and whose conduct was unstained, twenty-eight persons were obtained to fill the quota. As for broadly managing the monastery, there were only the vinaya monk Zongliang and the Chan monk Quanyou." The Guoning scripture collection was subsequently transcribed again; he personally sought authentic editions, selected paper and ink, gathered donations, and built the three gates, the repository cloister, and various meritorious corridors and halls—all through Liang's efforts. In his later years, he devoted himself exclusively to Chan contemplation and never stepped outside the temple gates. The retired scholar Fang Gan presented him with a poem, which said:
'A pool of autumn water always shows its bottom;
A mountain-torrent pine of a thousand feet sprouts no branches.
How many study the Buddha in the Emptiness Gate?
He who has completely shaved the flowers of the mind is only you, Master.'
He died at his temple at the age of eighty. Liang constantly met with the śramaṇas Guanshuang, Qiwu, Buying, and dozens of others, all of whom maintained pure and remarkable conduct, enjoyed gathering in turns for literary assemblies, and formed friendships among the groves. He composed the 'Stele of Yuelin Temple', and his collection of around three hundred poems along with praises and encomia circulated widely in his day. Toward both fields of merit and respect, his earnest mind grew ever more profound. Liang was greatly admired by Luo Yin, a scholar of Jiangdong. Sun He of Le'an esteemed him most deeply; when composing the *Record of Talents and Fame of Siming Commandery*, beyond introducing various Confucian scholars and noble men, he specifically wrote: "Śramaṇa Zongliang was widely emulated and looked up to by literary scholars and senior worthies."
27.33
Biography of Tanxiu of Kaiyuan Temple in Yuezhou under the Tang
27.34
Śramaṇa Tanxiu, whose courtesy name was Defu, was surnamed Li. His capacity and demeanor were broad and expansive, and his resolve and conduct were well-disciplined. From the time he took the monastic vows, he never allowed the slightest defect. He mastered the gradual teachings, reaching great subtlety and refinement. In the Xiangbu commentary tradition on the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya, he became an abundant repository of learning; beginners who sought his instruction all reached profound heights. In the intervals of his lecturing and instructing, Tanxiu supervised the affairs of the temple. This temple had been founded under the Liang dynasty, and four hundred years had elapsed; though its towers and pavilions stood lofty, the brackets and king-posts were leaning and loose. Tanxiu was skilled at reforming the old; his constructions were free of defects, made especially magnificent—grand and splendid! Moreover, the State-Protecting Sūtra Tower and the various halls and buildings were all renovated. Next was the temple's gate tower—which had originally been initiated in the fourth year of Chang'an by the late Vinaya Master Tanyi—which had subsequently fallen into ruin; he rebuilt and re-roofed it, restoring it entirely as originally founded. Furthermore, displeased that the hall seat for the manifestation body of Dharma Master Kang Senghui from the Yonghui era was low and mean, he solicited people to alter the old structure during the Xiantong era. At a single word from Xiu, the faithful patrons responded like an echo. Later he passed away at his resident temple, which is present-day Dashan Monastery.
27.35
Biography of Zhiguang of Kaiyuan Temple in Yazhou under the Tang
27.36
Śramaṇa Zhiguang, whose surname was Cui, was of unknown origin. The vessel of his virtue was inherently complete, and the roots of his Dao were firm; his teaching flourished in Hongya, and he manifested extraordinary traces. Whenever people suffering from any of the hundred illnesses came to him, he would take a piece of bamboo as a staff and point to the source of their pain, or give it a strike, and none failed to be immediately cured. It went so far that paralytics stood up and the lame ran; as for other minor ailments, how were they even worth mentioning! In the beginning of the Qianning era, when the Wang clan first pacified Chengdu, the prefect of Yajun, Luo (given name lost), was relieved of his post and brought Guang to pay respects [to the ruler]. The Shu ruler of the Wang clan had long known of his extraordinary arts, and called him only the "Holy Master"! Before this, during the Xiantong era, the Southern Barbarian King and Tanchuo came to besiege Chengdu, and the prefecture nearly fell. At that time, a Heavenly King manifested in the form of a śramaṇa, about fifty feet tall, his eyes shooting beams of light, and the barbarian army immediately retreated. Therefore, the people of Shu erected a fifty-foot monk statue at Baoli Temple north of the city. Later, when Minister Niu was preparing to demolish it, warfare and arson followed in succession, and there was only fear that [the statue of] Vaiśravaṇa would collapse. Wang then said to Guang: "Master, your extraordinary arts and moral virtue move people. Taking advantage of this, could you look after the Heavenly King? Formerly, Minister Wu Xinglu dreamed that he was ordered, 'Repair my image'; just as he was undertaking the management, his letter of dismissal suddenly arrived. I request your Dharma power to accomplish it." Guang simply followed his orders, moving to the base of the Heavenly King pavilion, where he lived in a corner with nothing more than a small couch. The next day, sick people clogged his gate, and each day he collected two to three hundred thousand cash in donations. He also spoke out urging people to provide timber, and within ten days it was all transported and piled up, which he had the three temple officers oversee. Earlier, when Guang was in the Jiadi Spirit Hall of his home temple in Yajun, he lived in half of the room, with a low gate and a rush mat, not permitting women to approach the gate. He had only a single bamboo basket. At every vegetarian feast, whenever he received an alms-gift of twenty coins, he would certainly throw them into the basket. When it was full, he placed it in the Buddha hall, sounded the bell to assemble the community, and distributed it equally among himself and others. On ordinary days, when lay families invited him to a feast, they also accommodated Guang's wishes, offering only twenty coins, pure rice, vegetables, and fermented-soybean broth; beyond this, not a single item was permitted. If the alms-gift was larger, he would not take it; when he finished eating he would depart without even offering words of farewell. Thereafter, his supernatural efficacy grew even greater: sometimes when he met a sick person, with a single slap and a shout they would immediately rise. Sometimes he had people burn paper money or offer and scatter food and drink. Or when he encountered someone in severe pain, he would twist paper, dip it in water, and stick it on them, and they would also recover. In the first year of Guanghua, the renovation of the Heavenly King pavilion was nearing completion; he then walked along the Jiangdu Pool, chanting incantations over food to feed the fish. After one night, fish measuring two feet or more, numbering hundreds of billions, all floated on the water's surface and expired. This was just like Jalavāhana saving the ten thousand fish, who were all reborn together in Trāyastriṃśa.
27.37
Biography of Fazang of Baotai Temple in Fuzhou under the Tang
27.38
Śramaṇa Fazang was of unknown clan and family. His nature was upright and proper, and he delighted in performing acts of charity toward others. He once rallied people in Weichuan to build a temple; the Buddha halls and monastic quarters were all solemn and magnificent, adorned with florid carvings, which were regarded as a magnificent sight in Fuzhi. Zang happened to fall gravely ill and died suddenly. He arrived at a refined hermitage, adorned with the seven jewels, such as does not exist in the human world. Outside the gate was a monk whose Indian features were remarkable and extraordinary; he proclaimed, "Fazang, your building of the monastery is not without wholesome retribution, but why do you have the transgression of mutual misapplication of the property of the Three Jewels? How can you wash it clean?" Zang confessed it, and the monk said, "If you simply copy the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and constantly apply yourself to receiving and upholding it, how could your sins not be extinguished? It will also lengthen your lifespan." Having finished speaking, [Fazang] revived. He personally copied the scripture and recited it aloud at midnight. When Zang passed away, his age was said to be one hundred and ten years. The people of Diaoyin revere and believe in him to this day.
27.39
Biography of Haiyun of Mount Wutai under the Tang (Shoujie)
27.40
Śramaṇa Haiyun was of unknown clan and native place. He came to visit the sacred traces, and initially chose a sheer, precipitous peak and a secluded, remote forest valley beside the Southern Terrace to dwell alone. In his bitter asceticism and delight in the Dao, his frugality was difficult to emulate. Those who followed him were few, without a crowd. When he entered extinction, his disciple Shoujie sifted his śarīra and erected a stūpa. In ancient tradition, it was said that Yun was an earthly manifestation of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. His disciple Shoujie was the son of Gao Lishi; he followed his master in ascetic frugality, advancing without retreat. Yun instructed him, saying: "In the imperial capital there is Chan Master Wolun; though he lives in obscurity, he truly propagates the seal of the Sixth Patriarch, which is difficult for people of the time to fathom. His manner of conversion and guidance is like the shrike nourishing its seven young equally. Hurry and go follow him." When he met Lun, after only a short inquiry, [Lun] told him, "Your master Haiyun has already entered extinction." Hearing these words, Jie felt bitter grief, and rushed back, finding it just as had been said. He then stepped into his master's shoes and followed his traces, and his flourishing conversion flourished continuously. When he was about to manifest extinction, sorrowful clouds gathered thick, and ghosts and spirits wailed in grief; a stūpa for him remains.
27.41
The critical appraisal says: Was Haiyun a manifestation of Samantabhadra, or was he not? The reply: "When a bodhisattva descends to transform beings, he is not bound to a fixed form; 'to those who should be saved by a monk, he immediately manifests and preaches the Dharma.'" If that is so, why disturb Mañjuśrī's domain, making host and guest undistinguished? The reply: "If viewed according to your question, it is ordinary people who make distinctions! How could a sage be constrained by what I seek?"
27.42
Biography of Faxing of Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai under the Tang
27.43
Śramaṇa Faxing was a native of the western capital, Luoyang. He went forth from the household at seven years of age and did not mingle with the common vulgarity. Holding towels and carrying washbasins, he did not shirk toil and hardship. He recited the Lotus Sūtra, completing the entire set of fascicles in a year. He also recited the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa in not more than ninety days. In his monastic discipline and ritual demeanor, he observed everything and violated nothing. He came to seek the sacred traces, delighted in dwelling among the forests and springs, and was registered at Foguang Temple. His moral integrity was extraordinarily outstanding, and as for the material wealth he received, he did not manage it personally. Entrusting it to his disciples, he immediately performed meritorious deeds, constructing a three-story, seven-bay Great Pavilion of Maitreya, ninety-five feet high. Statues of the seventy-two sages and worthies, as well as the eight great dragon kings, were all fully adorned. The oceanic saṅgha of Mount Tai, speaking with different tongues but in one voice, requested him to serve as the rector of the mountain monastery. This was because under his administrative leadership, with norms and standards maintained, there was harmony and absence of dispute. In the spring, in the first month of the second year of Dahe, a voice was heard in the sky saying, "The time to enter extinction has arrived; the retinue of Tuṣita Heaven now comes to welcome and guide you." Thereupon, he bathed, burned incense, and entered extinction sitting upright. A stūpa was erected for him about one li northwest of the temple.
First 43 of 51 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese