宋高僧傳 30.45

30.45

Someone said: 'The Continued Biographies altered the title: on what ancient precedent was this based?' I reply: 'It modeled itself on Ban Mengjian's addition of the Miscellaneous School among the Nine Streams. If its doctrines and its personages do not exclusively belong to Yin-yang, do not specialize in the penal laws, but perhaps combine the School of Names and the Mohists, or dabble in the School of Strategists, then they may be designated as the Miscellaneous School. The Book of Han introduced changes, picking up what the Grand Scribe had left out; Chengzhao established this title, rectifying the bias of Huijiao of the Liang.' Someone said: 'Have you not heard that Yang Ziyun detested its miscellaneous nature?' I reply: 'He despised the fact that Huainan and the Grand Scribe did not take Confucius as their master and lacked pure virtue. Here, however, it is miscellaneous because it ought to be miscellaneous; there is absolutely no fault in this variety! Those who compose biographies today are like Yan You and Zixia: observing its hidden beginnings and lamentable end, how would they dare add a single word?' Someone said: 'Why suddenly change "Guiding Recitation" into "Vocal Resonance"?' I reply: 'The function of sound is great indeed! Truly, the Buddha-lands individually employ a single sense-realm to awaken beings. Only this sahā world esteems sounds most of all, using them to perform the Buddha's work. When Avalokiteśvara spoke of complete penetration, the World-Honoured One praised it precisely because it is infused through hearing. Thus, like the ṛṣi Vimalanetra, or the world of Fragrance Accumulation, music does not delight the ears of the seabird yuanju, nor does a round peg fit into a square mortise. Therefore, King Bimbisāra halted the vanguard of his elephants and horses, and the Śākya son with his begging bowl moved the gathered humans and devas. Those whose souls returned reached their homes following the sound of chanting; those of pure radiance heard the sound of chanting and were filled with joy. This may truly be called the five notes of the Buddhadharma, the bells and chimes of heavenly sound, sorrowful without wounding, joyful without wantonness, leading them into the realm of compassion and exhorting them to leave the field of bonds. If one's apprehension and practice are not refined and one's abilities are unworthy of adoption, one cannot be called possessed of vocal resonance. Now we have gathered virtues that attract neighbors and assembled talents that excel in multiple disciplines; the masters among three men are seen here—facing a land beset on all four sides, who would dare attack? Are they not adorned in robes of the five colors and imbued with the eight winds to make music? Thus there were those who climbed Tianzhu to perform the gibbon-like chanting, or shook the pagoda bells to pierce the rainbows. Answering the celestial invitation, the presiding lecturers followed; divining the site's geomancy, the ministers responded. Avalokiteśvara patted their crowns, and Maitreya made appeal to their thunder deities. First converting the Japanese people, dying in seated meditation while raising a finger, seeing the kindly countenance without anger, or composing the Shishi to steady dhyāna. They were not startled by the giant python, and the mountain demons submitted in terror; approaching the divine mirror, they knew beforehand of the purge; bowing to the heavenly crown, they vowed to hide their wondrous traces. Breaking the pot to let fly the crow, toiling their bodies to take the place of beasts. Wearing grass on Mount Heng, illuminating the mind at the Yu Temple, keeping themselves whole by raising a young girl, and preserving their lives when encountering poisoned brew. Their virtue matched Chanyue, their bodies crossed the desert sands. Some possessed piercing eloquence; some had flowing, resonant voices. How magnificent these eminent virtues! How splendid these masters! Like the mutual functioning of the sense faculties, or the simultaneous enactment of the five matters, they are arbitrarily designated as "Miscellaneous". When campaka is grafted onto a sandalwood tree, its fragrance is multiplied many times; when hawks and falcons are reared in the nest of a garuḍa, their fierce power is multiplied a thousandfold. Ah, you companions on the Path, listen to these straight words! If as a monk you do not correspond to the ten categories, serving the Buddha will merely waste a hundred years. If you can take eminence as the root, virtue as the branches, practice as the blossoms, and realization as the fruit, and then spread wide your branches into a canopy, growing dense to form shade that covers the three-thousand great-thousandfold world, this can truly be called the Great Bodhi Tree!'