宋高僧傳 4
English (machine translation) 4
- Language
- English
4.1
Compiled by imperial decree by the purple-robed śramaṇa Zanning, Grand Master Tonghui of Tianshou Temple in the Left Precincts of the Song, and others.
4.2
Section Two, Part One: Exegetical Understanding (twenty-one primary biographies, with seven appended)
4.3
Biography of Kuiji of Great Cien Temple in Jingzhao of the Tang
4.4
Śramaṇa Kuiji, whose courtesy name was Hongdao, had the secular surname Yuchi and was a native of Chang'an in Jingzhao. The ancestors of the Yuchi clan arose alongside the Later Wei, known as the 'Yuchi Tribe', akin to the feudal states of China; upon entering China, they took their tribal name as their surname. Yue, the Wei General Who Pacifies the East, was the ancestor six generations before Mengdu, who fathered Luojia, a western garrison commander of Daizhou under the Sui; Luojia was Ji's grandfather. His deceased father was named Zong, a Tang General of the Left Chin-wu Guards, Area Commander of Songzhou, and Founding Duke of Jiangyou County. De, the Duke of E, was his uncle, who has a biography in the Book of Tang. Ji's mother, Lady Pei, dreamt that she held the lunar disc in her palm and swallowed it; she awoke to find herself pregnant. When her full term was fulfilled and he was born, he was unlike ordinary children; as he grew older, he recited and studied, his spiritual comprehension acute and lucid. Master Xuanzang first saw him on the road, with refined brows and bright eyes, his demeanor unconstrained, and said: 'Seed of a general's house—it is truly no mistake! If cause and condition should align to ordain him as my disciple, then my Dharma will have someone to entrust it to.' He further recalled that during his journey back from India, he had consulted a Nirgrantha for divination and obtained an exceedingly auspicious hexagram: 'The Master needs only to return east, and a wise talent will be born.' He then called upon the General of the North Gate, subtly urging that he be allowed to leave home. The father said: 'His nature is coarse and unruly; how could he bear your instruction?' Xuanzang said: 'Such capacity and bearing could not be born but of the General, and could not be recognized but by myself.' Although the father assented, Ji also adamantly refused. Being urged and encouraged repeatedly, he bowed to comply with the command, boldly raising his voice to say: 'Allow me three conditions, and only then will I vow to leave home: not cutting off sexual desire, [eating] meat and blood, and [eating] past noon.' Xuanzang first led him on with desire so that he might later enter the Buddha's wisdom, and pretended to consent. On journeys, carriage after carriage carried what he previously desired; hence in the Guanzhong region there was the saying, 'the Three-Cart Ācārya'. This was in the twenty-second year of Zhenguan. Another account notes that Ji's own preface states: 'At the age of nine I suffered bereavement, and gradually grew detached from worldly vanity.' If this was so, the tale of the three carts is a gross slander. At the age of seventeen, he finally entered the monastic ranks. Upon entering the Dharma, by imperial decree he became Master Xuanzang's disciple, initially residing at Guangfu Temple. Soon, receiving a special decree, those of brilliant and exceptional intellect were selected to enter Great Cien Temple. Attending upon Master Xuanzang in person, he studied the languages of the Five Indias; he resolved perplexities and untied knots, organizing everything systematically. None who heard or saw him failed to sigh in admiration. The hundreds of skandhakas and vargas—with a single glance he mastered them without error; why would he need to recall them a second time? At the age of twenty-five, he answered the imperial decree to translate scriptures, lecturing on and mastering over thirty texts of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna teachings. Exercising originality and devoting his mind, he composed writings diligently; asking with earnestness and reflecting on what was near at hand, his standard was not far off. He authored commentaries that totaled around a hundred fascicles. In Xuanzang's translation of the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi-śāstra, he initially received it together with four others—Fang, Shang, and Guang—for polishing, brush-holding, textual checking, and compiling doctrinal meanings. After a few mornings, Ji sought to withdraw. Xuanzang asked him about it, and he replied: 'In the evening one dreams of the golden visage, and in the morning one hastens to the White Horse; though one might obtain the dross of the Dharma gate, one loses the purity of the profound source. I do not wish to establish merit through mixed compilation. If one single definitive work is composed according to your intention, the responsibility will have a single person to return to.' Xuanzang then granted this. Sending the three worthies away on reasonable grounds, he entrusted it solely to Ji; this was truly conferring responsibilities according to capacity. Ji then recorded what he heard as he received it, and when the lectures concluded, the commentary was completed. Before long, Dharma Master Woncheuk of Ximing Temple, also an eminent talent, bribed the gatekeeper at the lecture site of the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi-śāstra with gold, concealed his form, and listened closely to piece together [the teachings], also elucidating the treatise's principles. With only a few sessions remaining, Woncheuk struck the mallet to assemble the monks at Ximing Temple and announced he would lecture on this treatise. When Ji heard of it, he felt ashamed to come behind him and was exceedingly downcast. Xuanzang encouraged him, saying: 'Although Master Cheuk has authored a commentary, he has not attained Hetuvidyā.' He then lectured on the treatises of Dignāga for him; Ji became grandly proficient in the 'three parts of a syllogism', freely establishing and refuting, composing treatises and setting up chapters, unequaled by any before him. It is also said that he requested Master Xuanzang to lecture on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra solely for him, but Master Cheuk again eavesdropped as before and lectured on it first. Xuanzang said: 'The doctrine of the five natures—only you will circulate it, no one else.' Later he traveled in person to Mount Wutai, ascended Taihang, and lodged in an ancient Buddhist shrine in Xihe. He dreamt that he was halfway up a mountain; below the crags were countless people crying out in suffering, in the dark and dim, unbearable to hear at first. On foot he climbed those tiered peaks, all of lapis lazuli color, commanding a full view of all lands. Looking up, he saw a city, from which a voice said: 'Halt, halt! Ah, Master Ji should not have reached here.' In a moment, two divine youths came out of the city and asked: 'Do you see the sentient beings suffering for their sins beneath the mountain?' He replied: 'I hear their cries, but do not see their forms.' The youths then threw him a sword hilt, saying: 'Cut open your belly and you will see.' Ji cut open his own belly; when it opened, two rays of light illuminated the base of the mountain, revealing countless people enduring extreme suffering. Then the youths entered the city, took out two scrolls of paper and a brush, threw them down to him, and after he received them in his hands, they departed. When dawn arrived, his wonder did not cease. The following night, there was a light in the temple that did not extinguish for a long time. Upon searching for it, among several scrolls emitting light, he reached in and obtained the Sūtra on Maitreya's Rebirth Above. He then recalled his former dream: 'Surely Maitreya is commanding me to compose a commentary to clarify its principles.' Then, as he took up the brush, fourteen grains of śarīra dropped from the brush tip, about the size of Wu cherries, of a lovely red color. Next, others fell scatteringly, shaped like grains of yellow millet. Another account says that when he traveled to Taiyuan to propagate the Dharma, three carts followed him: the front cart carried boxes of scriptures and treatises, the middle cart he rode himself, and the rear cart carried singing girls, maidservants, and fine food. Along the way he met an old man who asked who rode [with him]. He replied: 'My family.' The old man said: 'Your understanding of the Dharma is exquisite, yet bringing your family along is perhaps not fitting for the teaching.' Hearing this, Ji immediately repented of his former error and traveled on alone with detached ease. The old man was in fact the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. This is also idle gossip. When attending Xuanzang in participating in translations at Yuhua Palace, where would the three carts have been placed? Wherever Ji went to convert disciples, those who benefited were numerous. Traveling east to Boling, he was invited to lecture on the Lotus Sūtra, whereupon he composed the Great Commentary. Upon returning to his original temple, he constantly associated with old acquaintances from the translation bureau. He repeatedly visited Vinaya Master Daoxuan. Daoxuan was often attended by messengers of the heavenly kings on duty, or received secret reports on various matters. On that day, Ji left just as they arrived. Daoxuan reproached them for being late, and they replied: 'Just now a Mahāyāna bodhisattva was here, accompanied by many escorting good deities; our divine powers were restrained by them, which is why it was so.' In the first year of Yongchun, renwu, he displayed illness, and on the thirteenth day of the eleventh month he passed away in the Translation Cloister of Cien Temple, at the age of fifty-one; his dharma age is unrecorded. He was buried on the northern canal of Fan Village, interred beside the tomb mound of the Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang. His disciples wept with grief; those who held the funerary cords and attended the funeral from near and far, monastics and laypeople alike, filled the mountains and valleys. In his life Ji was always vigorous; he made an image of Maitreya, and before the image he recited the Bodhisattva Precepts once each day, aspiring to be reborn in Tuṣita to fulfill his vow. Thereupon a miraculous light shone from his entire body, brilliant and magnificent to behold. He also made a jade-stone image of the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī on Mount Wutai, and after transcribing the Prajñā Sūtra in gold characters, it also emitted a miraculous light. His disciples successively took Ji as their arbiter, regarding him as if Xuanzang were still present. On the guiyou day of the seventh month in the fourth year of Taihe, gengxu, his pagoda was relocated to Pingyuan; the śramaṇa Lingjian of Great Anguo Temple inspected the pagoda pavilion, and moving the coffin, he saw that Ji had forty teeth unbroken, like jade. The crowd snapped their fingers, proclaiming it to be one of the marks of a Buddha. Today, portraits of him in Buddhist temples throughout the realm are titled 'Portrait of the Master of a Hundred Commentaries', with a eulogy composed by Emperor Gaozong the Great. Another account says Xuanzong. Ji was tall, robust, and dignified, with the martial bearing of a brave warrior; yet his compassionate and beneficent heart and his untiring instruction of others were innate. As for his auspicious signs, he carried a jade occiput at the nape of his neck, his facial features were grand, and when his ten fingers were clasped, they resembled a mudrā. As for the first character of his name appearing inconsistently, it is because the Biography of Cien states: In the third year of Longshuo, when Master Xuanzang finished translating the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra at Yuhua Palace, on 'the twenty-second day of the eleventh month of that year, he ordered Mahāyāna Ji to submit a memorial requesting an imperial preface. On the seventh day of the twelfth month, the Receptionist Feng Yi proclaimed it.' From this, some call him 'Lingji', the Kaiyuan Catalogue has 'Kuiji', and some say 'Chengji', which is mistaken. That work calls him 'Mahāyāna Ji' probably because Huili and Yancong did not use his full name out of respect, hence calling him 'Mahāyāna Ji', just as one might say 'Buxing Tai' [for Shengtal], or just as 'respectfully dispatched Mahāyāna Guang to submit a memorial' is used. Today he is called Dharma Master Cien throughout the realm.
4.5
The appraisal states: The doctrinal approaches of 'nature and characteristics' only achieved complete culmination in the Tang dynasty. Master Xuanzang was the founding patriarch who initiated Yogācāra and Vijñaptimātra, while Ji was the leading master who preserved the texts and produced treatises. Only the 'founding patriarch' and the 'leading master' are granted offerings unending for a hundred generations! For their merit and virtue covered sentient beings, being both vast and great. If Xuanzang had lacked Ji, who would have propagated his learning as a master? Who would have opened the eyes of the people of the world? The two masters established merit and composed words, both remaining immortal. Thus Ji, nephew of the Duke of E and disciple of Master Xuanzang, was what is called one coming from a family of generals to become a commander of the Dharma—a singular person in a thousand years. Hence the Book of Documents has it: 'When the father has cleared the ground, will his son be unwilling to sow the seed? How much more then should he be willing to reap the harvest?' Does this not refer to the Master of a Hundred Commentaries!
4.6
Biography of Daoshi of Ximing Temple in the Tang Capital
4.7
Shi Daoshi, whose courtesy name was Xuanyun, had the surname Han. His ancestors were people of Yique, but his family had become residents of Jingzhao across generations on account of official service. At birth he was graceful and moistened [with favor], and as he grew he became perceptive and quick. Soon he grew weary of worldly dust and thought of joining those who save ants. His parents doted upon him and denied his plea, but after a long while his wish was granted. At the age of twelve, he underwent pravrajyā at Qinglong Temple. Following [masters] he held the water vessel, and staying near [the virtuous] he gladly looked up to them. He thoroughly investigated the vinaya tradition, drilled deeply into the texts, especially aspired to the Supreme Vehicle, and thoroughly illuminated the true nature. At the time his fame was immense, and the three auxiliary commanderies revered and turned to him. During the Xianqing era, as the scriptures and treatises translated by Master Xuanzang [were completed], Daoshi was soon summoned to the imperial palace by decree of Gaozong; he was also selected when the Great Virtues of Cien Temple took turns to perform the rites without interruption throughout the seasons. When Ximing Temple was constructed for the Crown Prince, he was summoned to enter that temple on account of his outstanding erudition. At that time Vinaya Master Daoxuan was actively promoting the vinaya; Daoshi also expounded it alongside him. Together they drove the chariot of the five schools and jointly guided the tracks of the three vehicles; none could equal them, and their renown in the Dao was fragrant and flourishing. Furthermore, in the intervals between lecturing and reciting, he perused the most profound parts of the Tripiṭaka. Thinking that throughout ancient and modern times many people had produced writings, yet though their intentions were elegant and their diction fine, they were insufficient as historical records, he thereupon plucked the blossoms of the literary groves and inhaled the campaka fragrance of the great teachings, compiling them by category under the title Fayuan zhulin, comprising one hundred chapters bound into ten cases. It begins with the "Measures of Kalpas" and ends with "Miscellaneous Records"; before each section and category, he provided a separate preface and discussion. He enabled students and readers to follow each gate and section to examine and summarize what they sought to know, just as if lifting a net by its main cord or holding a coat by its collar. Daoshi's diligent efforts spanned a full ten years, and the work was completed in rolls in the first year of the Zongzhang era. Li Yan, Gentleman of the Orchid Terrace, composed a general preface for it, and this text circulated throughout the realm. He also wrote Shan'e yebao and Xinfu lun in a total of twenty-three fascicles, Daxiaocheng chanmen guan and Dacheng guan in a total of eleven fascicles, the Shoujie yishi and Lifo yishi in a total of six fascicles, the Sifen lü taoyao in five fascicles, the Sifen lü nichao in five fascicles, and the Jingang jing jizhu in three fascicles, totaling ten works in one hundred and fifty-three fascicles. Daoshi composed a great many works. His end is unknown. Because his personal name avoided the temple taboo of Taizong, his courtesy name was widely used, and so he was called Xuanyun in his day.
4.8
Biography of Puguang of Great Cien Temple in Tang Jingzhao
4.9
Shi Puguang—it is unknown where he was from. He was bright and perceptive by nature; selecting his roost, he requested to serve Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang. In his diligence and reverence, none of his peers could match him. As for his intellectual comprehension, it could be likened to an endless ring: he heard little yet realized much, which Master Xuanzang tacitly approved. Later he took part in the translation work, standing out head and shoulders above those around him; for the Tripiṭaka Master's excellence, Puguang truly contributed merit. Earlier, Xuanzang disliked the older translations of the Abhidharmakośa for their many deficiencies in meaning, and having personally obtained the Sanskrit text, he retranslated the authentic words. He then secretly transmitted them to Puguang, mostly consisting of his recollection of the oral explanations of Sarvāstivāda masters of Western India. Puguang consequently composed a commentary to explain and analyze them. One account says that his commentary was later abridged by Yuanhui into ten fascicles, just like the Han River branching into the Tuo. He also once accompanied Xuanzang to Yuhua Palace to translate the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, where his contribution lay in assisting and supporting; he was called "Mahāyāna Guang" at the time. Consider that from the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era when he began translating until the first year of the Linde era when he passed away at Yuhua Palace, Xuanzang produced over twenty years seventy-five works of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras in one thousand three hundred and thirty-five fascicles; seven or eight tenths of these were transcribed by Guang's brush, who was variously called Jiaguang or Puguang. If one checks who participated in the translation work alongside Bianji, it was indeed Puguang.
4.10
Biography of Fabao of Great Cien Temple in Tang Jingzhao (Shengzhuang)
4.11
Shi Fabao was also an accomplished disciple who studied the Dharma under Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang. His nature was sharp and keen, foremost among his peers. When Xuanzang had just finished translating the *Vibhāṣā-śāstra*, Bao harbored doubts and requested further clarification regarding the "delusions of view in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception." Xuanzang separately added sixteen characters into the treatise to ward off objectionable arguments. Bao addressed Xuanzang, saying, "Were these two phrases and four sentences present in the Sanskrit text or not?" Xuanzang said, "I formulated them according to my assessment of the intended meaning." Bao said, "How can the Master use mundane words to add to the valid cognition of the sage's words?" Xuanzang said, "I already know that this argument of yours will not stand." From then on he vigorously contended and held his ground within Xuanzang's school; regarding the meaning of the "six kinds of compound analysis" (ṣaṭ-samāsa), the Kośa school regarded Bao as the standard authority. Master Puguang often conformed with the extra words in the texts of other Kashmiri masters. At that time, Dharma Masters Guang and Bao were like Daorong and Sengrui in the school of Kumārajīva. Later he became exceptionally proficient in doctrinal studies, and his fine reputation was firmly established. In the third year of the Chang'an era, at Fuxian Temple and the capital's Ximing Temple, he participated in Yijing's translation bureau; Bao served as verifier of meaning alongside Fazang, Shengzhuang, and others. At that time he showed conspicuous eminence, and none could rival him!
4.12
Biography of Yuance of Ximing Temple in the Tang Capital (Bochen, Lingbian)
4.13
Shi Yuance's clan name is not known. From youth he was bright and quick, his insightful comprehension expansive and versatile. When Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang was lecturing on the newly translated Vijñaptimātratā-śāstra for Master Ji of Cien Temple, Yuance bribed the gatekeeper to listen in secret, returning afterward to weave and compose doctrinal essays. When Xuanzang was about to conclude his lectures, Yuance struck the bell at Ximing Temple to assemble the congregation and announced that he would lecture on the Vijñaptimātratā. Ji felt aggrieved that someone had preempted him, but nevertheless conceded to Yuance's lectures and instructions. When Xuanzang lectured on the Yogācārabhūmi, Yuance again secretly listened to and received it as before, yet he was not behind Ji either. Towards the end of Gaozong's reign and the beginning of the Heavenly Empress's era, having responded to the selection for exegetical understanding, he entered the translation institute, where the assembly all deferred to him. When scriptures such as the Mahāyāna-abhidharma-samuccaya were translated, Yuance served as verifier of meaning, running abreast alongside Bochen, Lingbian, and Jiashang. The Weishi shuchao he composed explained sūtras and treatises in detail and circulated throughout the realm.
4.14
Biography of Yuankang of Anguo Temple in the Tang Capital
4.15
Shi Yuankang's clan and family name are not known. During the Zhenguan era he traveled to study in the capital, gaining a reputation for being unconventional. His physique was swollen and short, yet his temperament was bold and brave; hearing little he understood much, and his contemporaries praised and deferred to him. Formerly he had lived in the mountains and wilds, constantly devoting himself to intoning and reciting the Avalokiteśvara [text], praying for the enhancement of his insightful comprehension. Thereupon he supernaturally summoned a deer whose antlers branched into eight forks, of exceedingly extraordinary appearance. Seeing it, Kang stroked and tamed it, and then reared it; he rode it to travel great distances without ever showing fatigue. He loaded texts of the Three Treatises onto its back and tied a small roller to its tail, dragging it into the imperial capital with playful intent: "Those who speak of existence do not realize emptiness; I shall grind them with this light roller to make them realize the true principle." Furthermore, he wore coarse cloth, trailed a napa, and donned a bamboo hat twelve feet wide. His attire was bizarre, and all who saw it were astonished. After entering the capital, he saw a Dharma master holding a large gathering to lecture on the scriptures and guide people. Kang went up to his mat, approached his seat, and raised questions regarding the principles being lectured on. Over several hundred words of exchange, everyone was amazed at Kang's eloquence. He then teased the Dharma master, saying, "Sweet peaches bear no fruit; bitter plums weigh down the branches." The lecturer replied, "A wheel-turning king has a thousand sons; a eunuch has no grandsons." This was to mock Kang for having no students. Kang said, "That which stores cinnabar turns red; that which stores lacquer turns black. Those who follow your redness do not become light vermilion or crimson; those who enter your blackness do not become lead or ink." The entire assembly said, "His diction and reasoning are clear and free—could he not be a Great Being who has manifested a trace?" Hearing of this, the emperor rejoiced and said, "In what era has there been no such man?" He decreed that Kang enter Anguo Temple to lecture on these Three Treatises. Kang then composed commentaries explaining the principle of Madhyamaka. Separately he authored the two-fascicle Xuanzhu, comprehensively clarifying the fundamental tenets of the Madhyamaka-śāstra, Śata-śāstra, and Dvādaśanikāya-śāstra. Later his end was not known.
4.16
Appraisal: Why did Master Kang trail a napa? In reply: In Sanskrit it is called lipa, which in Chinese means an 'abdomen-wrapping garment,' also called a 'belly wrapper.' Its form is like an open-shouldered robe; a single width of cloth just allows the hand to pass through, and the shoulder sleeve is not wide. It is worn on the left side with ties attached to the right, and is mostly stuffed with cotton floss. However, it is an attire for resisting cold; in hot countries it is not used, and its use is also a sage-granted allowance. When transmitted to the eastern lands, it changed into colored silk, with cut strips of cloth attached to the left and right sleeves, hanging and trailing down to signal: 'I am thoroughly versed in scriptures and treatises.' For one text mastered, one strip was trailed; the more texts mastered, the more were trailed. It is unknown with whom this practice began in antiquity. Today, to call it simply pa omits the character li; it completely departs from the intention of resisting cold and has turned instead into 'garments of pride.' Since its original purpose was lost and it has been widely abused, I set forth the sacred teachings separately to await future worthy men; beyond this, no deviant forms should be introduced to disorder the great moral order. The Book of Odes says: 'When clothing is not fitting, it brings disaster upon oneself.' Alas!
4.17
Biography of Jingmai of Fuju Temple in Jianzhou of the Tang
4.18
Shi Jingmai was a man of Zhitong. In his youth he was modest and reserved, and as he grew up his aspirational conduct was lofty, especially plumbing the subtleties of sūtras and śāstras through thorough study. His temperament was steady and profound; he did not make casual associations, and whenever he traveled he chose his destination carefully, eventually arriving in the metropolitan capital. During the Zhenguan era, coinciding with Xuanzang's return from the west, an imperial decree ordered that Guangfu Temple be constructed in the capital for Empress Taimu, where Xuanzang was to carry out translation. All clerical assistance required was discussed with Fang Xuanling so as to ensure generous provision. Consequently, eleven Great Virtues who verified meaning, practiced in Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna scriptures and treatises and respected by the times, were summoned; Jingmai was included among those chosen and resided at Cien Temple. Together with Xixuan of Puguang Temple, Mingjun of Guangfu Temple, Bianji of Huichang Temple, and Daoxuan of Fengde Temple on Mount Zhongnan, he held the brush and composed the text, translating the Itivuttaka in seven fascicles. Later, Jingmai and Shenfang served as scribes at Yuhua Palace and the Translation Court of Cien Temple, where both were praised for adapting to circumstances, and thus they gained deep mastery of the scriptures. Later he authored the four-fascicle Yijing tuji, evaluating and arranging ancient and modern scriptural catalogues, the names and ranks of translators, single translations, retranslations, apocrypha, and other categories, all properly ordered, which is now included in the Tripiṭaka. During the Kaiyuan era, Zhisheng continued its headings.
4.19
Biography of Sungyeong of Silla of the Tang
4.20
Śramaṇa Sungyeong was a man from Lelang commandery. The clans of his native land and the lineages of the Eastern Barbarians are difficult to ascertain in detail. His ability to learn the sage's teachings through re-translation arose purely from natural endowment. Moreover, as for the study of hetuvidyā, Master Xuanzang had refined and investigated it, yet among the Chinese monks he transmitted it to, few had thoroughly mastered it. That Sungyeong was able to comprehend it—were it not for the power of his past cultivations, from what could he have reached this? Having obtained Xuanzang's "syllogism of true consciousness-only", he constructed the "inconclusive syllogism of contradictory opposition". In the Qianfeng reign era, he sent it via tribute-bearing envoys. At that time, Master Xuanzang had already passed away for nearly two years. His syllogism ran: "The well-established visible form in the ultimate sense / is definitely separate from the eye-consciousness / because, by its own thesis, it is subsumed under the first three and not subsumed under the eye / just like the eye-faculty." Truly, because the Tripiṭaka Master's formulation was concealed and comprehensive, no one without great wisdom could clarify it. Sungyeong formulated as his thesis: "It is not separate from the eye-consciousness / because, by its own thesis, it is subsumed under the first three and not subsumed under the eye / just like the eye-consciousness." In this way, he effectively established the other proposition. When Mahāyāna Ji inspected this work, he immediately saw what Sungyeong failed to understand. Nonetheless, he ultimately admired the understanding and insight of this monk from the frontier, and so sighed in praise, saying: "Dharma Master Sungyeong of Silla: his fame resonates throughout the Tang and Tibet; his learning encompasses the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. In practice, he venerates Kāśyapa, exclusively holding to the dhūtas; in mind, he emulates Bakkula, constantly winning renown for few desires. Having amassed his art in the Western Xia, he transmits illumination to the Eastern Barbarians. His name and path daily renew; monastics and laity bow in admiration. Although dragon-elephants are not few there, overseas he was once acclaimed as peerless, and yet he formulated this 'contradictory opposition' against this syllogism." Master Ji reflected that a man from a distant land possessed such sharp wisdom, yet assaulted Master Xuanzang, unwittingly triggering an insight that rather perfected the Tripiṭaka Master's formulation—what a pity! Sungyeong wrote considerably in his home country, and some of his writings were transmitted to the Central Plains; his doctrinal foundation was the "definitive Mahāyāna teaching of Dharma characteristics". Seeing that the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states that one attains Buddhahood right from the initial aspiration, he gave rise to slander and disbelief. Some say: "When he opened his hands and feet and bid his disciples to support him down to the ground, the earth slowly cracked open, and Sungyeong's body suddenly plummeted." It was said at the time that he sank alive into hell. Even now there is a pit, over a zhang across, a sunken chasm in truth, called the "Sungyeong Naraka".
4.21
The appraisal says: One cannot speak of the Dao to a narrow-minded scholar because he is bound by his training. Therefore, those who prefer white regard black as defilement, while those who prefer black regard white as defilement. Sungyeong's mind of wrath was especially heavy; his fierce karmic potency mounted like an arrow loosed, plunging him into hell in an instant. Ranked among the tiers of eminent monks, is this bringing up filth to defile oneself? In resolution, one says: "The Dharma that is difficult to believe easily invites swift slander and mockery; could slander and mockery come from only one person? Causing one who is widely known to sink straight into the three destinies makes us realize that Sungyeong was truly an exoteric bodhisattva. Moreover, Zhao Dun endured infamy for the sake of the law, whereas a bodhisattva loses his life for the sake of the Dharma. What is strange about this? Do you not see that the Nirgrantha heretics slandered the Buddha one by one, yet Devadatta alone was made to sink down alive, and later received the prediction of Buddhahood in the assembly of the Lotus Sūtra? Reflect quietly upon this."
4.22
Tang Biography of Jiashang of the Great Cien Temple in Jingzhao
4.23
Śramaṇa Jiashang was of unknown origin. His wisdom was an innate gift, and his bearing extraordinary; he held firmly to the rules and precepts, conquered the characteristics and nature [of Dharmas], was diligent in his cultivation, and dedicated to translation. From afar he set his heart upon Tripiṭaka Xuanzang's gate, seeing the wealth of the ancestral temples and peeping at the splendor of the apartments. Having long investigated the Yogācārabhūmi, the essential tenets of the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra, and the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi, he profoundly grasped their essential points. Accompanying Xuanzang to the Yuhua Palace to translate the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, he served to verify the meaning and compose the text, excelling with many talents. When the Tripiṭaka Master fell ill, he ordered Jiashang to compile a complete catalog of the translated scriptures and treatises, amounting to seventy-five works in 1,335 scrolls in all. He also recorded one thousand painted banners of Koṭi [statues], the making of ten Koṭi statues, the copying of scriptures, releasing living beings, and lighting lamps, having Jiashang read it aloud. Xuanzang folded his hands in joy and said: "This is the wish in my heart; by proclaiming it on my behalf, I may pass away without regret." After Xuanzang died, Jiashang wrote commentaries and subcommentaries, compiled miscellaneous collections, and his doctrinal analyses were numerous. In the court of the Heavenly Empress, together with Baochen, Lingbian, and others, he participated in the translation arena verifying meanings, his accomplishments becoming all the more extensive. When Jiashang first attended Master Xuanzang translating scriptures at Yuhua Palace, reaching the "Chapter on Purifying and Adorning Buddha Lands" of the First Assembly, which speaks of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas using supernatural and vow powers to fill the trichiliocosm with the most marvelous treasures, wonderful fragrances and flowers, and the delightful five sense objects born of intention to make offerings and adorn the place of Dharma preaching, he and the monastery rector Huide saw at night the interior of Yuhua Temple expansive, serene, and filled with instrumental music. They also heard three halls expounding the Dharma. The next day they reported it to Xuanzang, who was delighted by the corroboration. It is not known where Jiashang ended his days.
4.24
Tang Biography of Huizhao of Zizhou (with Dayuan and Chenwai)
4.25
Śramaṇa Huizhao was of unknown origin. In his youth he was alert and intelligent; when he first joined the ranks of scholars and relied on the schools, his recitation and study were thorough and comprehensive. Entering the Dharma to cultivate himself, he did not transgress the disciplinary models, and so was hailed in popular parlance as "Ācārya Zhao". Next, he attacked the difficulties in the scriptures and treatises, being adept in translation and transmission. From the time Tripiṭaka Xuanzang arrived in the capital, he constantly probed the innermost depths. Later, he grew close to Master Mahāyāna Ji, becoming even more refined and erudite. When Bodhiruci translated the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra at Chongfu Temple, Huizhao was chosen to serve as certifier of the meaning; Dharma Master Seungjang of Silla took up the brush, and the śramaṇas Dayuan and Chenwai were both outstanding talents of the era and dragons and elephants of their day. At that time, Wu Pingyi served as imperial commissioner, while Lu Zangyong and Lu Jingchu all participated in this translation arena. When Vice Director of the Secretariat Cui Shi came to the translation hall while offering incense, he sighed: "The purest stream is all gathered here; how could I be kept apart?" Thereupon he memorialized requesting to assist together in polishing the new scriptures. Earlier, when Huizhao verified the meaning in Yijing's translation arena, he made many corrections; errors of wording and discrepancies of meaning all followed his determinations, and no one dared deviate. Later, he composed various commentaries on meanings, and was known as Zhao of Zizhou.
4.26
Tang Biography of Yancong of the Great Cien Temple in Jingzhao
4.27
Śramaṇa Yancong was of unknown origin. At the end of the Zhenguan reign era, he traveled to inspect the capital and sought the Dharma at the gate of the Tripiṭaka Master. However, his talent did not match Shengguang and Fabao; he only excelled extensively in composition and study. In the undertakings of the Daoist mysteries and Confucianism, he displayed considerable subtlety. His ability in literary prose far surpassed his peers. There was a śramaṇa of the Western Temple of the State of Wei named Huili, who was spirited and vehement, taking the protection of the Dharma as his personal responsibility. He authored a biography in five scrolls, specifically recording the Tripiṭaka Master's glorious teaching career starting from the Zhenguan era and the perils and hardships he traversed in the Western Regions, entitling it the Cien zhuan, deriving it from the temple's name. When he finished paring the bamboo slips, fearing that many virtues might be omitted, he concealed it in an underground cavity. When his illness became critical, he ordered his disciples to excavate the earth, take it out, and then passed away. Its copies were scattered elsewhere for several years, only obtained after searching and purchasing. The disciples ordered Yancong to arrange the sequence and compose a preface; where the wording was inadequate or events somewhat missing, he elucidated them anew, which was called "annotating and relating" (jianshu). This was modeled on the Agricultural Minister Zheng's commentary upon the glosses of the Mao edition. Someone bantered with him, saying: "How far are you from Yancong of the Sui?" He replied: "As for Ci [Zigong], how could he dare hope to equal Hui [Yan Hui]? Though Changqing [Sima Xiangru] admired Lin [Xiangru], 'Xincong's' admiration for 'Yucong' likewise has its reason." The Book of Songs says: "When I think of the gentleman, he is gentle like jade"; he also considered himself a man like Yan Hui. The person assented. It is not known where Cong ended his days.
4.28
Tang Biography of Uisang of Silla
4.29
Shi Uisang's secular surname was Bak, and he was a native of Gyerim Prefecture. He was extraordinarily gifted from birth, and when grown he renounced the world. He entered the Way with ease and freedom, his nature being spontaneous. Approaching the age of twenty, he heard that the doctrinal traditions were flourishing in the Tang land. Sharing the same aspiration with Dharma Master Wonhyo, he traveled west. When they reached the boundary of their native country's Haemun and Dangju, they planned to find a large vessel and cross the blue waves. Suddenly on the way they encountered heavy rain, so they sheltered by the roadside in an earthen niche to escape the winds and wetness. When dawn came and they looked at each other, [they saw] it was next to the bones of an ancient tomb. The sky was still drizzling and the ground muddy, so that moving an inch forward was difficult, and they lingered unable to proceed. Again they lodged among clay bricks. Before the night was half over, ghost-beings suddenly manifested strange apparitions. Master Wonhyo sighed and said, "When lodging before, I thought it was an earthen niche and was at peace; staying the night here, I relied on a realm of ghosts and many baleful spirits arose. Thus I know that when the mind arises, various dharmas arise; when the mind ceases, the niche and the tomb are not two. Furthermore, the three realms are mind-only, and the ten thousand dharmas are consciousness-only. Outside the mind there is no dharma; what need is there to seek elsewhere? I will not enter Tang." Carrying his bag, he turned back to his country. Uisang, however, journeyed on as a solitary figure, vowing not to turn back even upon death. In the second year of Zongzhang [669 CE], he boarded a merchant ship and reached the coast of Dengzhou. Going on alms-round, he came to the house of a faithful layman. Seeing Uisang's commanding and outstanding appearance, [the layman] detained him under his gate for a long time. There was a young maiden, finely robed and beautifully adorned, named Shanmiao, who skillfully and seductively tempted him, but Uisang's mind was like a stone that could not be turned. Finding her overtures unreciprocated, the maiden suddenly gave rise to the aspiration for bodhi. In front of him, she made a great vow, saying, "Life after life, age after age, I take refuge in the Upādhyāya, to study the Mahāyāna and accomplish the great matter. I, your disciple, will surely serve as your dānapati to supply you with material support." Uisang then went straight to Mount Zhongnan in Chang'an, to the place of the Tripiṭaka Master Zhiyan, to study the Avataṃsaka Sūtra comprehensively. At that time, National Preceptor Fazang of Kang was his fellow student. He indeed discerned the subtle and the manifest, having order and grasp of essentials. When his vase of virtue was filled and he had roamed the sea of the canon, he resolved to return home to transmit the Dharma and instruct [the people]. He arrived again at Wendeng at the house of his former dānapati to thank them for their several years of offerings and alms, and then enlisted a merchant vessel, preparing to untie the moorings. The maiden Shanmiao had previously prepared for Uisang a collection of Dharma robes and various utensils, filling trunks and hampers, and had brought them to the seashore. Uisang's ship had already sailed far. The maiden prayed, "I originally had a true heart to make offerings to the Dharma Master; may this hamper of clothes leap into the ship ahead!" Having spoken, she threw the hamper into the surging waves. After a moment, a swift wind blew it like a wild goose feather, and from afar it was seen leaping directly into the ship. The maiden made another vow: "May this body of mine transform into a great dragon to support and flank the vessel, so that it reaches his homeland to transmit the Dharma." Thereupon she rolled up her sleeves and threw herself into the sea. Indeed, the power of vows is hard to thwart, and utmost sincerity moves the spirits: she indeed extended her form, leaping and winding gracefully, and the ship was calmed at its bottom and reached the other shore. After Uisang entered his homeland, he traveled throughout its mountains and rivers. In a place where Goguryeo and Baekje had no dealings with one another, he said, "The land here is numinous and the mountains refined; this is truly a place for turning the wheel of the Dharma." Before long, provisional traditions and heterodox factions gathered disciples numbering about five hundred. Uisang quietly thought: "The great Avataṃsaka teaching cannot flourish unless in a place of blessings and goodness." At that time, the Shanmiao dragon, constantly following as a protector, secretly knew this thought. She then manifested a great supernatural transformation in the open air, turning into a giant boulder a li across, which hovered over the roof of the saṅghārāma as if about to fall without falling. The assembly of monks was terrified, not knowing where to turn, and scattered in all four directions. Uisang then entered the temple and expounded this sūtra. Like winter sun and summer shade, many came unsummoned of their own accord. The king honored him and bestowed fields, estates, and servants upon him. Uisang said to the king, "My Dharma is impartial; high and low are treated equally, and noble and base share the same measure. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra lists the eight impure properties; how can there be fields and estates? What use are servants? This poor monk takes the dharmadhātu as home and plows with an alms-bowl while awaiting harvest; the Dharmakāya and wisdom-life arise depending on this." Uisang's lecture-tree blossomed, and the grove of his discourse bore fruit. Those who entered his hall and beheld the inner depths included several persons such as Jitong, Pyohun, Beomche, and Dosin; they were all garuḍa birds that pecked open giant shells and flew forth. Uisang prized "practicing in accordance with what is taught." Beyond lecturing and expounding, he practiced and trained with diligent effort, adorning the oceans of kṣetras without fearing heat or cold. He also constantly practiced Yijing's method of washing away filth, using no cloth or towel, but only stopping once dryness was naturally achieved. He kept the three Dharma robes, and apart from a water bottle and alms-bowl, he had nothing else. Whenever disciples requested instruction, they did not dare act rashly, but waited until he was at peace and ease before asking. Uisang would then resolve their doubts and remove their hindrances, ensuring that no impurities remained. From then on, he wandered like a cloud without fixed abode; wherever suited his mind, he planted his staff and dwelt there. Students swarmed like bees; some held brushes to write on their sashes, or carried lead pencils to write on leaves, transcribing as if compiling an assembly of teachings and recording as if writing historical records. Such doctrinal portals were named after disciples, such as the Chapter on Dosin. Others were named after places, such as the several chapters of the Awl Hole Questions and Answers. His commentaries all clarified the ocean of the nature of the Avataṃsaka, and the doctrinal paradigms of Vairocana's boundless sūtras. Uisang passed away in his native land, and his stūpa still remains there; he is called the First Patriarch of the Avataṃsaka of Haedong.
4.30
Biography of Yizhong of Great Cien Temple in Jingzhao of the Tang
4.31
Shi Yizhong's surname was Yin, and he was a native of Xiangyuan in Lu Prefecture. When he was only nine years old, because of his predispositions cultivated in past lives, he resolved to become a monk. He took Master Zhao of Zizhou as his teacher, like a young phoenix chick born in a phoenix nest. From youth he maintained extraordinary conduct, and his insightful understanding was peerless. Master Zhao taught him the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra when he was thirteen years old. He recited all forty rolls consecutively; the assembly was astonished and called him the "Miraculous Child of the Emptiness Gate." At twenty he took the precepts, studied the Four-Part Vinaya, and thoroughly mastered its principles. Concurrently he studied two versions of the Twelve Gate Treatise, and was immediately able to lecture on them. Master Zhao knew he was a thousand-li steed, and fearing his study might miss its opportune time, he heard that Master Ji of Chang'an had newly composed commentaries and treatises, students were filling his gates, and his renown shook the empire. Master and disciple thus went together to Ji's lecture hall. In less than five years, he had mastered two sūtras and five treatises, namely the Lotus, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, and the Hundred Dharmas, Hetuvidyā, Kośa, Cheng weishi lun, and Weishi dao. Henceforth he opened his teaching, his disciples multiplied, his lecture tree branched out with distinct luxuriance, and the portals of doctrine opened lateral apertures. He then authored the Essentials of the Cheng weishi lun, the Commentary on the Cheng weishi lun in thirty rolls, the Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra in twenty rolls, and the Commentary on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra in twenty rolls. His Commentary on the Hundred Dharmas Treatise was the most essential and appropriate; he moved the explanation of the "two kinds of selflessness" to the end, thereby surpassing the verbosity of Cien [Ji]. To this day, nothing in circulation surpasses Zhong's version. It was indeed a display of jade arrays and strung flowers, jades adorning a forest of jeweled trees, flowers embellishing the brocades of Shu looms. His peers submitted to him, and his fame resonated far and wide. While Master Ji shone directly like the sun, Zhong held the dragon candle alongside; his fair reputation spread in all directions, and those whose hearts turned to him from a thousand li away were beyond count. He transmitted and maintained [the teachings] without indolence for more than fifty years, lecturing on the various teachings an estimated seventy-odd times. When he reached seventy-two, he suddenly longed for his native land and returned to Zhaoyi, where, as in early summer, he recited the precepts and practiced the Way. Every time he sat, he faced northwest and looked up at Tuṣita Heaven, focusing his mind on the inner court, wishing that when shedding his lifespan he might see the Lord of Heaven, forever leave behind worldly defilements, and ultimately achieve the transformation of the basis. One day, after rising in the morning and bathing, he adjusted his robes and bearing, bowed toward the sky, and seemed to offer a mournful prayer. Shortly thereafter, he sat in the lotus posture, and having finished entrusting the propagation of the teachings, an extraordinary fragrance suddenly filled the room, and colorful clouds hung in the sky. Zhong joined his palms, looked up, and said, "How could a defiled and weak monk trouble the Great Sage to come in person to guide and receive him?" With these words, he passed away. Locals, monastics and laity alike, built a stūpa to make offerings to him; his whole body remained undecayed, and it still exists today on a high hill in his native village of Hedong.
4.32
Biography of Wonhyo of Hwangnyong Temple in Silla of the Tang (Da'an)
4.33
Śramaṇa Wonhyo, surnamed Seol, was a native of Sangju in the Eastern Sea. In the years of his boyhood tufts, he graciously entered the Dharma. Following masters to receive training, he had no fixed dwelling. Valiantly storming the bastions of doctrinal debate and boldly sweeping across the literary array, he was vigorous and stalwart, pressing forward without retreating. Indeed, having thoroughly mastered the threefold learning, he was called in that land a match for ten thousand men; his penetrating insight was marvelous like this. He once set out for the Tang with Dharma Master Sang, admiring the lineage of Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang and Ci'en. But when their conditions fell through, he ceased his intention to travel there. Soon after, his words became wild and erratic, and his conduct departed from standard decorum. Together with laypeople he entered wine shops and brothels, like Master Baozhi holding his golden knife and iron khakkhara; or he composed commentaries to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra; or he strummed the zither to make music at shrines; or he lodged in humble lanes; or he sat in meditation amid mountains and waters. Giving free rein to his intent and adapting to occasions, he had no fixed standard of conduct at all. At that time, the king of the country instituted a great assembly of one hundred seats for the Benevolent King Sūtra, searching everywhere for eminent virtues. His home province recommended him for advancement based on his prestige, but the other venerables despised his character and slandered him to the king, so he was not admitted. Before long, the king's consort suffered from an ulcer on her head, and physicians had no effect. The king, princes, and ministers prayed at spirits' shrines among mountains and rivers, leaving no place unvisited. A shaman said: 'Only if someone is sent to another country to seek medicine will this sickness then be cured.' The king thereupon dispatched an envoy to cross the sea to the Tang to recruit their medical arts. In the midst of the vast sea, an old man was suddenly seen leaping out from the surging waves. Boarding the boat, he invited the envoy to enter the sea. Observing that the palaces were ornate and magnificent, he met the Dragon King. The king was named Qianhai, and he said to the envoy: 'Your country's queen is the third daughter of the Blue Emperor. In my palace there has long been the Vajrasamādhi-sūtra, which completely penetrates the two awakenings and reveals the bodhisattva practices. Now, relying on the queen's illness as a predominant condition, I wish to entrust this sūtra to emerge and be disseminated in that country.' Thereupon he handed over thirty-some sheets of unbound and scattered sūtra pages to the envoy. He added: 'While crossing the sea with this sūtra, I fear it will suffer from demonic interference.' The king ordered someone to take a knife and slit open the envoy's calf muscle, placing it inside, wrapping it with waxed paper, and smearing it with medicine; the calf was restored as before. The Dragon King said: 'You should have the holy one Da'an collate and stitch it together, and invite Dharma Master Wonhyo to compose a commentary and lecture on it; the queen's illness will be cured beyond doubt. Even the power of the agada medicine from the Snow Mountains could not surpass this.' The Dragon King escorted him back to the surface of the sea, whereupon he boarded the boat and returned to his country. When the king heard this, he was delighted, and first summoned the holy one Da'an to collate and paste it. Da'an was an unfathomable person whose appearance and clothing were extraordinary. He was always in the markets, striking a copper bowl and crying out with the sound: 'Da'an, Da'an [Great peace, great peace]...', which was why he was so named. The king summoned [Da]'an, but [Da]'an said: 'Just bring the sūtra here,' unwilling to cross the threshold of the royal palace. Once [Da]'an received the sūtra, he arranged it into eight chapters, all conforming to the Buddha's intent. [Da]'an said: 'Quickly deliver it to Wonhyo to lecture on; others will not do.' When Wonhyo received this sūtra, he happened to be in his native Sangju. He said to the envoy: 'This sūtra takes original awakening and initial awakening as its cardinal principles. Prepare for me an ox cart, bring a table, and place the writing brush and inkstone between the two horns.' From beginning to end, he composed the commentary upon the ox cart, completing it in five scrolls. The king invited him to fix a date to expound it at Hwangnyong Temple. At that time, a base fellow stole the new commentary. Reporting the matter to the king, he was granted a three-day extension and recorded it again into three scrolls, entitling it the Abbreviated Commentary. When the king, ministers, monks, and laity crowded like clouds into the Dharma hall, Wonhyo spoke with dignified deportment, resolving doubts in an exemplary way; they praised him, snapped their fingers, and the acclaim boiled up to the sky. Wonhyo further declared boldly: 'In the past, when gathering the one hundred rafters, I did not join the gathering; this morning, where a single ridgepole is laid across, only I alone am capable.' At that time the eminent virtues bowed their heads in shame and submissively repented. At first, Wonhyo's manifestations were unfixed, and his conversion of people was unpredictable: sometimes throwing a plate to rescue the multitude, sometimes spouting water to extinguish a fire, sometimes manifesting his form in several places, or announcing his passing in the six directions. Was he not of the same ilk as Beidu and Baozhi? As for his understanding of the nature of things, there was nothing he looked upon that he did not comprehend. His commentary had both an extensive and an abbreviated version, both of which circulated in his homeland. The abbreviated version flowed into China, and later a scripture-translating Tripiṭaka master altered it into a treatise.
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Linked texts (1)
- 宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese