宋高僧傳 8

English (machine translation) 8

Language: English

8.1

Compiled under imperial order by the Śramaṇa Zanning, Grand Master Tonghui, Recipient of the Purple Robe, of Tianchou Temple on the Left Avenue, and others

8.2

Chapter 3, Part 1: Practitioners of Dhyāna (Fifteen primary biographies, three secondary biographies)

8.3

Biography of Hongren of Mount Dongshan in Qizhou under the Tang

Shi Hongren's surname was Zhou. His family resided in Xunyang, Huaizuo, though one account says he was a native of Huangmei. Both his grandfather and father sought fame without success, retiring gracefully to their country estate. When his mother first conceived him, after a month had passed, light illuminated their courtyard and chambers, turning the entire night bright as day. When he was born, the brilliant radiance was just as before, a wondrous fragrance wafted over everyone, and the whole family was filled with joy and wonder. By the time he could speak, his words and manner were unlike those of the neighboring children. Once he reached boyhood, he completely renounced frivolous play. His father doted on him and made him recite books, but indeterminate karmic traces could hardly obstruct his past cultivation, and his true mind early on sprouted its realized presence. One morning, he stepped out into the light, pacing about as if waiting for something. Just then, Chan Master Xin of Dongshan arrived by chance. He asked him, "What is your surname and name?" His replies to the questions were lucid and unhindered, his distinctions apt, the principles unfolded along with his speech, and his voice answered like an echo. Master Xin gazed closely at him and sighed with admiration, saying: "This is no ordinary boy! Judging by his bodily form, he lacks only seven marks of a great man to equal a Buddha. If he enters the stream of the Dharma, after twenty years he will surely perform great Buddha-deeds and prove fully capable of bearing the entrusted burden." He then dispatched someone to accompany him back to his dwelling, fully inform his parents, and urge them to let him enter the monastic life. His parents were delighted and said: "The Chan master is a great dragon of the Buddha-dharma, whose light spreads near and far. The outstanding talents of the black-robed sangha flock to you like clouds. How could this little simpleton ever be worthy of your instruction? Yet if you condescend to receive him, we certainly have no reluctance in letting him go." He was seven years old at the time. When he arrived at Shuangfeng, he trained in the monastic vocation, never shirking hardship. At night, he would compose his expression and sit, abiding peacefully in tranquility. When he received the full precepts, his observance and discipline were pure and rigorous. Xin continually tested him daily and examined him monthly with the principles of the sudden and gradual approaches. Hongren, hearing his words, discerned their principle, forgetting ordinary sentiments whenever encountering phenomena, just as a mute experiencing dust, or a parched man drinking water. Xin knew he was capable of receiving the teaching, and transmitted his complete Way to him. He then ordered him to build a stupa; when the work was completed, he secretly entrusted the dharma robe to him as a pledge. This was indeed chewing the rich grease of the Snow Mountains to churn it into the finest ghee, and feeding on the adamantine gem of the ocean depths to topple the giant tree. Companions wearing patch-robes flocked to him in swarms and unbroken succession; merchants did not halt at the conjured city, and the poor maiden threw wide open the precious treasury. Those who entered his lineage were called the "Dongshan Dharma Gate." On the twenty-third day of the tenth month in the second year of the Shangyuan reign era of Emperor Gaozong, he announced his extinction, having reached the worldly age of seventy-four. On that day, a dismal mist and gloom descended, and rocks collapsed from the mountain. His disciples Shenxiu and others reverently interred his whole body on the ridge of Dongshan. Earlier, at the beginning of the Xianheng reign era, Hongren ordered two or three of his Chan followers to express their intentions; Shenxiu presented a verse first, and Huineng matched it. Hongren then transmitted the dharma robe to Huineng, who received the robe and converted people in Shaoyang. Shenxiu propagated the Dharma in Jingmen and Luoyang; the Northern and Southern lineages began from this point. Furthermore, Chan Master Xin once looked toward Shuangfeng from Jiujiang in the distance and saw purple clouds resembling a canopy, beneath which was white vapor branching into six forks. Xin said to Hongren, "Do you know what this means?" Hongren replied, "A side branch will issue from the Master's Dharma, continuing for six generations." Xin thoroughly agreed with him. When Farong later taught at Mount Niutou in Jinling, laying down plans for his spiritual successors, down to Huizhong there were six individuals in total, called the Six Patriarchs of Niutou; this was another branch diverging from the Fourth Patriarch's Dharma. Yet compared to Hongren, Farong was merely like a concubine's offspring; how could he rival the legitimate heir? During the Kaiyuan reign era, the Prince's Erudite of Literature Lüqiu Jun composed an inscription for his stupa. Emperor Daizong posthumously bestowed on him the title of Chan Master Daman, and his stupa was named Fayu. From the late Tang onward, Qichun was partitioned into regional hegemonies; before the imperial army pacified Jiangnan in the yihai year of the Kaibao reign era, blood-red tears fell like beads from Hongren's physical body. The monks could not fathom it, but it was an omen of the fall of the Li clan's state. Nowadays, every year in the first month of winter, people from the prefecture and neighboring districts rush to gather and hold a memorial vegetarian feast, which remains very bustling. When the day of his death approaches, it is invariably overcast and bleak with rain and fog, or else sleet and snow fall together, but on the day itself, it turns clear and bright.

8.5

Biography of Huineng of Shaozhou in the Tang (now Nanhua Temple)

8.6

Shi Huineng was surnamed Lu and was a native of Xinxing in Nanhai; his ancestors had lived for generations in Fanyang. His deceased father, whose taboo personal name was Xingtao, was banished during the Wude era to live among the common folk of Xinzhou and died in his place of exile. Recounting the family lineage in brief is to avoid [confusing him with] the dullness of the island barbarians of the Luting. He was born in the wuxu year, the twelfth year of Zhenguan. Of pure, good, and open nature, his insightful character stood out from time to time. Although the local Man customs and Lao traditions did not deeply contaminate him, his unconventional conduct and diminutive form were mixed and difficult to gauge. Having lost his father early, while his mother lived as a widow, the household was repeatedly destitute and possessed no fertile estate. Huineng carried firewood on his back, daily selling his shoulder-pole loads. By chance, hearing the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra being recited in a marketplace shop, Huineng concentrated his mind and listened closely through the wall, lingering long without leaving. He asked, "From whom did you study and receive this sūtra?" The person answered, "From Dhyāna Master Ren at Mount Fengmao in Huangmei of Qizhou, who urges upholding this teaching, saying that one thereby immediately sees one's nature and achieves buddhahood." Hearing this explanation, Huineng was like a parched man drinking cold nectar; he hurried home, provided what was necessary, and left it to support his aged mother. During the Xianheng era, he went to Shaoyang and met Liu Zhilüe. Zhilüe had an aunt named Wujinzang who constantly read the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra. When Huineng listened, he forthwith analyzed the internal meaning for the nun. Surprised that Huineng could not read the graphs, she questioned him, and he said, "The principles and doctrines of the buddhas: if taken to be mere written characters, that is not the intention of the buddhas." The nun deeply admired and submitted to him, referring to him as an exemplary practitioner (xingzhe). Some urged him to cultivate the Way at the ancient Baolin Temple. He said to himself, "My original vow was to seek a teacher; yet if I covet dwelling in a temple to grasp the Way, how is that different from walking backward to return home?" The next day he departed, arriving at the stone cave west of Lechang County, where he relied upon Dhyāna Master Zhiyuan and attended his seat to discuss the esoteric. Yuan said, "The practitioner is certainly no ordinary dragon among men; I do not know, exceedingly I do not know [your measure]!" He advised him to proceed to the Fifth Patriarch in Qichun for certification: "I myself shall ultimately request instruction from you in a subordinate position." Before long he arrived there. Master Ren, seeing that Huineng's appearance and demeanor were unimposing, tested him, asking, "Where have you come from?" He replied, "I have come from beyond the Ridges to pay homage, seeking only to become a buddha." Ren said, "People from south of the Ridges have no buddha-nature." Huineng said, "Persons have north and south, but buddha-nature has no north or south." Ren asked, "What merits do you wish to perform?" He replied, "I wish to exhaust my strength clinging to the pestle-stone to pound rice and simply supply the assembly." Thus toiling at the well and mortar, he took the lead ahead of the lay servants (kappiya-kāraka); understanding birth and death, he saw them as equal to nirvāṇa. Although Ren nurtured him impartially, what could an ordinary mind discern? When Shenxiu was made to lead the singing, it prompted Huineng to harmonize in response. The verses were inscribed on the wall; their views diverged, and as wading deep or shallow differs, the superficial and the profound were thereby distinguished. Ren secretly entrusted him with the robe of the Dharma, saying, "From ancient times my ancestral teachers transmitted it in succession; how could it be a trifling matter? Alas! In future generations, the life of whoever receives my robe will hang by a thread. Young man, mark this well!" Huineng planned his return to his native place and hid between Sihui and Huaiji, gradually revealing his sharp acumen. Going to the grand gathering on the Nirvāṇa-sūtra held by Dharma Master Yinzong of Nanhai, when discourse arose regarding the wind and the banner, Yinzong's arguments were exhausted and his spirit yielded; he then shaved Huineng's topknot at Faxing Temple. Huineng received the complete precepts from Vinaya Master Zhiguang, ascending the very ordination platform that had been constructed by the Tripiṭaka Master Guṇavarman during the Southern Song dynasty. Guṇavarman had already attained the fruit of sagehood and left a predictive prophecy, saying: "Later, a bodhisattva in his flesh-body will receive the precepts here." Furthermore, at the end of the Liang, Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha had planted a bodhi tree with his own hands beside the platform, telling the assembly: "One hundred and twenty years after this is planted, an enlightened being will expound the Supreme Vehicle beneath it and deliver immeasurable beings." When Huineng settled here and indeed opened the East Mountain teaching under the shade of the tree, both earlier prophecies were verified. During the Shangyuan era, as he was expounding the ancestral wind, he suddenly looked mournful and displeased. The great assembly asked, "Why are you feeling so melancholy?" He replied, "The ceaseless cycle of transience, arising and ceasing without permanence: my master has now returned to quiescence!" When the sorrowful notice arrived, his words were confirmed. Thereupon he moved to reside at Baolin Temple. At that time, Prefect Wei Ju invited him to come out to Dafan Temple; declining firmly, Huineng entered Caohou Creek on the Twin Peaks. The great dragon suddenly arose, spreading showers of moisture to bestow it everywhere, so that all living things were nourished, benefiting according to their roots and stalks. Monks in patchwork robes packed his gates; guests of the four assemblies encircled his seat. At times he expounded esoteric verses, or cited sūtras; all were universally suffused, all hearing the Elephant Treasure; simultaneously gaining wealth, all holding the serpent's pearl. All proceeded along the direct path, completely returning to the ultimate roundness. For this reason, whenever the world spoke of the way of dhyāna, Caoxi was on everyone's lips. When this reached the hearing of the Nine-fold Palace, feelings were stirred across ten thousand li, longing to publish imperial favor and receive him respectfully, wishing to take refuge and fulfill their aspirations. Empress Dowager Wu and Emperor Xiaohu both dispatched imperial rescripts summoning him to the capital, which were occasioned by the memorial recommendation of Dhyāna Master Shenxiu. Next, the palace official Xue Jian was sent with a summons, but Huineng again pleaded illness and declined to rise. How could the mind of Zimu dare forget the Phoenix Gate, or Master Huiyuan's feet fail to cross Tiger Creek? He firmly declined on this basis, not to play hard to get with the ruler. The court then bestowed an anointment patchwork robe (mona kāṣāya), a bowl, a sūtra-cover woven with threaded pearls, a flower-patterned cotton cloth with green ground and red halo, and five hundred bolts of silk to provide for his offerings. Furthermore, his old residence in Xinxing was donated to become Guo'en Temple. In the third year of Shenlong, it was decreed that the Buddha hall and abbot's quarters of the temple where Huineng resided in Shaozhou should be restored with strict magnificence, and the name plaque was altered by imperial favor to Faquan. In the seventh month of the first year of Yanhe, he instructed his disciples to erect a stūpa at Guo'en Temple, urging them to finish it quickly. On the third day of the eighth month of the second year of Xiantian, he suddenly manifested illness; an extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and a white rainbow connected with the ground. Having finished his meal, he bathed, changed clothes, snapped his fingers ceaselessly, and with faint breath and closed eyes, his entire physical form passed away forever. At that time, mountain rocks collapsed, streams and springs dried up, birds wept in continuous mournful tones, and gibbons wailed with heartbroken choked sobs. Some cried aloud, saying, "The eye of the world has vanished; on whom shall we rely?" His age was seventy-six. In the eleventh month of that year, his seat was relocated to the plain of Caoxi. His disciple Shenhui was to him what Yanzi was to the Confucius school; Huineng diligently gave him instructions, the account of which is in the biography of Shenhui. Shenhui erected Huineng's portrait hall at Heze Temple in Luoyang. Vice Minister of War Song Ding composed an inscription for it. Shenhui arranged the ancestral lineage, in which, aside from the patriarchs of the Western Regions descending from the Tathāgata, there were six patriarchs in the land of Cīna, all of whose likenesses were painted. Grand Defender Fang Guan composed the Preface to the Chart of the Six Leaves. Moreover, because Huineng's erect form did not decompose, looking as if he were entering dhyāna absorption, it was later covered with lacquered cloth. Furthermore, the Shu monk Fangbian sculpted a small replica image, which was identical to his former appearance. Huineng had once said, "After my passing, a virtuous man will surely take my head; do not blame him." Remembering these words, they wrapped iron bands around his neck. In the eleventh year of Kaiyuan, a man of Ruzhou indeed accepted payment from a Silla guest and stealthily applied a blade to the head, wishing to enshrine it in a casket and take it back to Korea for worship. Hearing the sound of iron being struck, they captured him. Beneath his stūpa was preserved an uttarāsaṅga made of kucī-cloth; its color was bluish-black, lined with jade-green thin silk, not a thing of the human realm. Stolen away several times, the thieves were baffled, walked backward, and returned it. During the Zhide era, Shenhui sent his disciple Jinping to deliver an ivory back-scratcher. He was held in high esteem by prominent court officials: Song Zhiwen visited Huineng and composed a lengthy piece; Zhang Yue, Duke of Yan, sent ten catties of incense together with a poem through Wu Pingyi, the poem saying: "The Great Master has renounced the world and departed; / in vain his Dharma-body remains! / We wish to send unhindered incense / to follow our thoughts to Nanhai." Because the disciple Huairang cast a giant bell, Duke Wu composed an inscription and praise for it, which was brushed by Song Zhiwen. Later, Song Jing, Military Commissioner of Guangzhou, came to pay homage at his stūpa and asked the disciple Lingtao about the meaning of the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti). Hearing the Dharma, Duke Song rejoiced, and prayed toward the stūpa for an auspicious sign. In an instant, a gentle breeze gradually arose, an extraordinary fragrance suffused people, and a misty drizzle fell only encircling the one temple. Miraculous omens were somewhat numerous, but to avoid verbosity they are not recorded. Later, Emperor Suzong issued a summons to Huineng's disciple Lingtao; Tao pleaded illness and did not go, but sent Mingxiang carrying the inherited Dharma-robe and bowl to present to the emperor, which were returned after the presentation. Emperor Xianzong posthumously granted him the posthumous title Great Mirror (Dajian), and named his stūpa Yuanhe Zhengzhen. When the Liu family claimed imperial authority in Panyu during the late Tang, whenever they lit lanterns at the Shangyuan festival, they welcomed his true body into the city to pray for the people's blessings. After the Great Song pacified Nanhai, the bandit Zhou Siqiong of Shaozhou rebelled and burned down the temple and its stūpa, the fire threatening to spread. In ordinary times, the flesh-body could not be lifted except by several men; as the smoke and flames approached, two monks lifted it together, as light as a dry-lacquer cloth image. In the third year of Taiping Xingguo, our present sovereign decreed the rebuilding of the stūpa, and the name was changed to Nanhua Temple.

8.7

The appraisal states: "How did the Fifth Patriarch recognize a mere layman and immediately transmit the robe to him?" The appraisal explains: "With a single word he understood his mind, without any further doubt or hesitation. Moreover, he knew the wheel of his mind as clearly as the palm of his hand." Since Master Ren expounded the single-flavor Dharma, why was the robe and bowl given to a layman? For Master Shenxiu, this was not the case. The appraisal explains: "How could this Dharma discriminate between monastic and lay? It is transmitted to whoever attains it. When King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed the feudal lords, he distributed ritual vessels, distinguishing those of the same surname from those of different surnames. The ancestral master discerned the refined from the crude, using the robe as a pledge of trust. It is like three warriors shooting at an adamantine target: the shot of the first, a Magana, hits it but does not pierce it; that of the second, a Praskandhi, pierces it but does not pass through; that of the third, a Nārāyaṇa, pierces it and further penetrates other objects. It is not that the adamantine target has strength or weakness; it is solely due to the differing force of the shots. Huineng of the South can be called one whose shot was like Nārāyaṇa's, and thus he obtained the reward." Since the robe of trust was not transmitted after Huineng, does this not resemble Yu of Xia turning the world into a family estate? The appraisal explains: "Master Ren said that the life of whoever received the transmission of the robe would hang by a thread; such was Ren's intention. Furthermore, while Shenhui was more than adequate in receiving the ancestral teachings, he was deficient in conducting pastoral transformation. Therefore, the subsequent arrival of the equal-ranks controversy subsequently verified Master Huineng's prescience; not transmitting the robe incurred no blame of selfish withholding. Thus it is said: 'Knowing others is wisdom.' Ah!"

8.8

Biography of Shenxiu of Dumen Temple on Mount Dangyang in Jingzhou under the Tang

8.9

Shi Shenxiu, whose secular surname was Li, was a native of present-day Weishi in Dongjing. In his youth he read widely in the classics and histories, acquiring comprehensive and vast learning. Soon thereafter he resolved to leave the dust [of the world], shaved his head, dyed his robes, and received the Dharma. Later, he met Master Ren, the Fifth Patriarch of Dongshan Temple on Mount Shuangfeng in Qizhou. Seeing that he took seated meditation as his primary task, Shenxiu sighed in admiration and said, 'This is truly my master.' Resolute in his bitter asceticism, he served in fetching firewood and drawing water, thereby seeking the master's Path. Formerly, at the end of the Wei dynasty, an Indian śramaṇa named Bodhidharma obtained the wondrous Dharma of the Chan lineage, which had been transmitted from Śākyamuni Buddha down through generations, using the robe and bowl as a token of verification; passing it on through successive generations, he came across the sea. Emperor Wu of Liang questioned him on matters of conditioned meritorious deeds, but Bodhidharma valued only transmitting the direct and essential teaching of the mind. Faculty and teaching being mismatched, it was like throwing water upon a rock. He then went to Wei and lived in seclusion at Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, and passed away soon after. In that same year, the Wei envoy Song Yun saw him at the Congling Mountains. His disciples opened his tomb and found only his robe and shoes. He transmitted the Dharma to Huike; Ke transmitted it to Sengcan; Sengcan transmitted it to Daoxin; and Xin transmitted it to Hongren. Because Hongren and Daoxin both resided at Dongshan, their Dharma was called the Dongshan Dharma Gate. After Shenxiu came to serve Hongren, Hongren tacitly recognized him, held him in deep esteem, and said to people, 'I have liberated many people, but when it comes to untrammeled understanding and perfect illumination, none surpasses you.' Hongren passed away during the Shangyuan era, and Shenxiu then went to Mount Dangyang in Jiangling to reside there. Monks from across the four seas followed him like grass bending before the wind; the fragrance of his reputation for the Path broadly perfumed and inspired all. When Empress Dowager Zetian heard of this, she summoned him to the capital, where he ascended to the palace hall in a shoulder-carriage, and she personally prostrated before him. His offerings in the inner sanctuary were abundant, and she inquired about the Path from time to time. She issued an imperial order to establish the Dumen Temple at the mountain where he had previously resided, in order to manifest his virtue. At that time, from princes and dukes down to the gentry and commoners of the capital, people vied to pay him courtly visits; gazing upon his dust, they bowed and prostrated, numbering tens of thousands each day. When Emperor Xiaohe (Zhongzong) ascended the throne, he favored and honored him even more. Secretariat Director Zhang Yue once inquired about the Dharma and observed the etiquette of a disciple; stepping back, he said to others, 'The Chan master is eight feet tall, with bushy eyebrows and refined eyes; his majestic virtue is lofty, a vessel fit for kings and hegemons.' Earlier, Shenxiu's fellow student Chan Master Huineng was equal to him in virtuous conduct, and they promoted one another without partiality in the Path. Shenxiu once memorialized Empress Dowager Zetian, requesting that she summon Huineng to the capital, but Huineng earnestly and steadfastly declined. Shenxiu also wrote a personal letter setting forth the imperial intention to recruit him, but Huineng ultimately could not be moved to depart, and said to the envoy, 'My appearance is uncomely; if the people of the northern lands see this short and coarse exterior, they might not revere the Dharma. Moreover, my late master predicted that I have an affinity with Lingnan; it must not be contravened.' He never crossed the Dayu Ridge until his death. Their paths were disseminated across the empire, Shenxiu's tradition being called the Northern, and Huineng's tradition the Southern. The names of the Two Schools, Northern and Southern, originated from this. Shenxiu passed away in the second year of Shenlong. Gentry and commoners all came to attend his funeral, and an imperial decree conferred the posthumous title 'Chan Master Datong.' Furthermore, the Bao'en Temple was built at the former residence of Prince Xiang. Prince Fan of Qi, Duke Zhang Yue of Yan, and the recruited scholar Lu Hong each composed stelae and eulogies. Eminent scholars and prominent officials who wore mourning dress for the master could not be counted. His disciples Puji and Yifu were both held in high esteem by court and country, all because they adhered to their late master's Path.

8.10

The appraisal states: Sweet and bitter contend with one another, their tastes differing in character. When sweet does not overcome bitter, pure bitterness dominates the season; when bitter does not overcome sweet, pure sweetness takes charge. In treating illnesses with medicine in this way, one-sided emphasis will surely lead to estrangement. Formerly, when Bodhidharma passed away, the subtle words ceased; when the Fifth Patriarch died, the great meaning diverged. Shenxiu wiped clean [the mirror] to clarify the mind, while Huineng rejected both and proclaimed the Path. When their teachings were disseminated, the north esteemed diligent cultivation; diverging from this, the southern region gave rise to the doctrine of the sudden gate. Thence did Heze [Shenhui] operate in the central plains. Using the sudden gate to ward off the troubles of gradual cultivation, the boulder was yet unmoved; rushing the notes of zither strings on an elephant-leather soundboard, he merely wasted an anxious mind. This caused each to hold dear their own kin and band together with their own partisans, leading to Lu Yi's impeachments and Shenhui's exile—all of which stemmed from the fault of applying treatment based exclusively on a single flavor. Thus was seen the verification of sweet and bitter contending with each other. Before the illness could be effectively treated, discord and rivalry arose first. One should solely value a person for the sake of the Dharma; why go so far as to damage the Dharma on account of a person? When the two disciples were scrubbing and massaging their master's foot, before the dirt was washed away, they broke his leg. Is this not a fitting metaphor for this?

8.11

Tang Dynasty: Biography of Huiming of Mount Meng in Yuanzhou

8.12

Shi Huiming, surnamed Chen, was a native of Poyang. He was originally a grandson of Emperor Xuan of the Chen dynasty; after the fall of the state, he was dispersed among the common folk. In his youth, Huiming went forth from the household at Yongchang Temple; longing deeply for the Path, he sought the Dharma of Mount Shuangfeng. During the reign of Gaozong, he attended Chan Master Hongren's Dharma assembly, investigating and inquiring with the utmost effort, yet at first had no awakening, resembling a stray dog without a home. Suddenly hearing that the Fifth Patriarch had secretly conferred the robe and bowl upon Layman Lu [Huineng], he led several tens of like-minded men to follow the trail in hot pursuit. Reaching the Dayu Ridge, Ming was the first to spot him, while the others had not yet caught up. Seeing him, Patriarch Huineng cast down the kāṣāya. Ming said, 'I have come for the Dharma, not out of hope for the robe and bowl.' Thereupon, at the crest of the ridge, Patriarch Huineng immediately gave him instruction and verification. Ming penetrated it entirely. With grief and joy welling up together, he asked Huineng, 'Where should I go?' Huineng predicted to him, 'When you meet Meng, you should abide; when you encounter Yuan, you may halt.' Ming bowed twice and departed; he then changed his name, as he had formerly been called Daoming. Descending the ridge, he deceived the other monks, saying, 'I just climbed the precipitous heights, but looking into the distance, there was no trace of him.' The monks then turned back. Another account says: The layman cast down the robe and bowl upon a boulder, saying, 'This robe is a token of faith; how could it be contended for by force? You may pick it up at will.' Ming then lifted it with his hands, but it felt as heavy as thirty thousand catties, and he could not budge it at all. Folding his hands and standing respectfully, he let it go. This was in the fourth year of Xianheng. Because Ming had served in various imperial guards before renouncing the household, he was called 'General.' Qin Zhuo, the Prefect of Yichun, memorialized requesting a posthumous title for him.

8.13

Tang Dynasty: Biography of Shenhui of Heze Temple in Luoyang

8.14

Shi Shenhui, surnamed Gao, was a native of Xiangyang. While still in his youth, his nature was earnest and luminous. Receiving instruction in the Five Classics from his master, he was able to penetrate their profound subtleties. Next he explored Zhuangzi and Laozi, whereupon his spiritual mind opened wide. Reading the Hou Hanshu, he came to know the teachings of the Buddha. From this he turned his attention to the Buddhist teaching, losing all desire to pursue an official career. Bidding farewell to his parents, he went to Dharma Master Haoyuan at Guochang Temple in his home prefecture and went forth from the household. Intoning and chanting various sūtras was as easy for him as turning over his hand. Perfect in the great vinaya rules, he did not crave lecturing. Hearing that Chan Master Huineng of Caohou Creek in Lingbiao was grandly propagating the way of the Dharma and that students were rushing thither, he emulated Sudhana's visits to the south: tearing his garments to wrap his feet, he regarded a thousand li as mere paces. When they met, Huineng asked Shenhui, 'Where have you come from?' He replied, 'I have come from nowhere.' Huineng said, 'Are you not going back?' He replied, 'There is nowhere to go back to.' Huineng said, 'You are too adrift.' He replied, 'My physical circumstances keep me on the road.' Huineng said, 'Then you have still not arrived?' He replied, 'I have now arrived, and furthermore I have no attachment or delay.' He stayed at Caoxi for several years, and later traveled extensively to famous sites. In the eighth year of Kaiyuan, an imperial order assigned him to reside at Longxing Temple in Nanyang. Subsequently, he extensively practiced the Chan Dharma in Luoyang, his fame and brilliance shining forth. Prior to this, the region between the two capitals had all revered Shenxiu, like fish and sturgeon in a clear pool gathering around a marsh dragon. From the time they saw Shenhui clarifying the mind, the style of the Sixth Patriarch swept away their path of gradual cultivation. Only then were the Two Schools, Northern and Southern, distinguished, causing Puji's assembly to go from full to empty. During the Tianbao era, Censor Lu Yi aligned himself with Puji and falsely memorialized that Shenhui was assembling followers in a suspicious manner that could breed harm. Xuanzong summoned him to the capital; the imperial retinue was then visiting Zhaoying, and Shenhui was granted an audience by the hot springs. His words and reasoning being fully satisfactory, an imperial decree ordered him transferred to reside in Junbu. In the second year [thereafter], an imperial decree transferred him to reside in the Prajñā Courtyard of Kaiyuan Temple in Jingzhou. In the fourteenth year, An Lushan of Fanyang raised troops against the interior; the two capitals were thrown into turmoil, and the emperor's carriage fled to Ba and Shu. Vice Marshal Guo Ziyi led troops to pacify and eradicate them, but provisions for supply transport were utterly depleted. Following a provisional plan proposed by Vice Director of the Right Pei Mian, grand prefectures each set up ordination platforms to ordain monks; the levy on monks was called 'incense water money,' which was gathered to supply military needs. Initially, when the capital of Luoyang first fell, Shenhui fled to the weeds and marshes; at that time, Lu Yi was killed by the rebels, and the assembly agreed to invite Shenhui to preside over the ordination platform. At that time, Buddhist monasteries and Daoist temples were all reduced to ashes. A courtyard was expediently erected, thatched with rushes throughout, with a square altar built in the center; the wealth and silk obtained from this immediately supported military expenditures. When Daizong and Guo Ziyi recovered the two capitals, Shenhui's provision of supplies was quite effective. Emperor Suzong issued an edict summoning him into the palace for offerings, and ordered the Grand Master of Palace Construction to combine all labor and efforts to build a Chan sanctuary for him within Heze Temple—which is this very place. Shenhui's exposition clearly revealed the lineage style of Patriarch Huineng, leaving Shenxiu's gate desolate. In the first year of Shangyuan, bidding farewell to his disciples, he stepped down from his seat, prostrated facing empty space, and returned to the abbot's quarters. That night he manifested extinction, having lived ninety-three years, on the thirteenth day of the Jianwu month. His stūpa was moved to Baoying Temple in Luoyang; by imperial decree, the posthumous title 'Great Master Zhenzong' was conferred, and the stūpa was named Prajñā.

8.15

The appraisal states: To cultivate their teachings without altering their customs, and to regulate their administration without altering their suitability—this values gradual progress. Master Shenhui came from the south to the north and practiced the Dharma of Caoxi, flourishing all the more in Luoyang. If he could have avoided setting himself apart, external protection would already have been accomplished, and all would have been well. How much more so when there was no wheel of power at his side, and people were full of perversity—could one hope to avoid banishment? Some might ask, 'His fault was not great; why did this happen so suddenly?' Tong replies, 'Offending the taboos of the times does not require a great crime. Losing one's suitability does not require a deep fault. Those who look upon this in later times should swiftly understand the affairs of the times! For this reason, the Buddhas study preaching and transforming for myriad kalpas, knowing that preaching and transforming are difficult. Let not one's stubbornness damage the Dharma; be cautious of this!'

8.16

Tang Dynasty: Biography of Tancui of Zhulin Temple in Runzhou

8.17

Shi Tancui's secular surname was Gu, and he was a native of Wujun. From the very founding of the state, his was a prominent clan whose renown grew ever brighter. A prime minister [among his ancestors] had the merit of assisting the dynasty's mandate, and a minister had the repute of outstanding succour. Wearing robes and caps as an eminent lineage, they rose as high as the peaks of Mount Tai; of noble renown and illustrious model, they stood like the Yangzi and Han rivers as a standard for the southern realm. The constellations sent down their essence, and the spiritual deities demonstrated good fortune; virtue was fully cultivated through prenatal instruction, and fragrant omens matched dream portents. The dark jade sceptre matched the auspicious signs of the ancient sages, and the divine treasure harboured the atmospheric resonance of the He and Fen regions. Distinctly endowed with extraordinary marks, he was extraordinary from birth. While still in swaddling clothes, ignorant children came to seek [guidance from him]; when of the age to wear an ivory bodkin, he forgot his body and devoted himself to the Way. Harmonious and perceptive yet pure and plain, gentle and reverent yet lucid, his vessels of divine capacity were early revealed, and his refreshing breeze gradually fanned out. Thereupon, exerting his resolve to transcend worldly dust, he lodged his mind beyond mundane things. From the golden sūtras and the secret canon, he could read ten thousand words in a single day; before the passage of a year, he was profoundly conversant in the great scriptures. Subsequently, in his later years, cherishing memories of master craftsmen of the lineage, he began serving Great Master Rong of Mount Niutou. Rong was pure, virtuous, magnificent, and heroic—a Bodhidharma of the Eastern Xia! A pillar of the Sanskrit banner and a jewel column, a ford and bridge across the great sea, he regarded [Tancui] as having superior faculties and instructed him, saying: 'Form and sound are deadly poisons to the unarisen; sensation and perception are pitfalls for the perfected man. The road that leads afar has much mud; will you not apply yourself?' Cui was silently discerning; giving free rein to his reins, he advanced alone. He tasted the flavour of amṛta and drank grape nectar, just as the garuḍa does not feed on other species and Śakra does not dwell with demons. Thereupon, he concealed his traces on Mount Zhong, cut off the habits of out-flows, nurtured the vajra-samādhi, and aspired to the stage of the Great Capable One, wearing patched robes in the empty forest for many years. At that time, Chan Master Jue of Guangling, leader of Huainan, and Dharma Master Ru of Jianye, of renowned virtue east of the Yangzi, both came from afar leaning on their khakkharas, submitting their minds to the essential reality; grasping jewels and cherishing treasures, they came empty and returned filled. When Empress Dowager Zetian ruled the court, she reverently performed Buddhist services, held his practice of the Way in high esteem, and repeatedly sent earnest imperial decrees. At that time, Dharma Master Yue of Qixia, an outstanding figure of the Buddhist fold, personally came to urge him to attend court, fearing that disobeying the sovereign's imperial decree would be impermissible. Cui said: 'Zhibo declined to be teacher to Emperor Shun; Duanmu Ganmu refused the command of Marquis Wen; Xuanchang resisted the Song ruler on account of his sound treatises; and Huiyuan did not descend the mountain, displaying lofty detachment before the Qi empress. What kind of men were they!' Thereupon, he fled to the northern mounds and crossed the eastern ridges, building his simple dwelling amidst gloomy clouds. Later, he stayed in the seclusion of Zhulin [Temple], repairing a hut and using simple vessels to announce his retirement. Subsequently, he carried on the grand emblems of the array of sages, continued the capable deeds of former worthies, assisted and illuminated the imperial Sanskrit teachings, and preserved the peace of gods and humans. Suddenly, he sat upright and entered samādhi, passing away after seven days at the age of sixty-two. This was on the sixth day of the second month in the third year of the Tianzhou reign era. On the following day, he was cremated according to the Indian method; his cremated bones were gathered and ashes collected to build a stupa. Gentry and commoners were filled with grief, and all wept aloud. His disciples Senggan, Sengyun, and others carved a stone to record these events, reverently fulfilling the rites for their teacher. The Grand Master of Closing Court, Emissary Bearing Credentials and Prefect of Runzhou, Duke Sheng of Ru'nan, gazed towards his noble style in long contemplation, rejoiced for a long time, praised his virtue, esteemed his worthiness, and aided in bringing his excellence to completion.

8.18

Biography of Fachan of Yanzuo Temple in Jinling under the Tang

8.19

Shi Fachan's secular surname was Zhang, and he was a native of Jiangning in Runzhou. His appearance was harmonious and solemn, and his skin and body were extremely sleek. In his youth he abandoned the secular life, and when grown he served enlightened teachers. His innate faculty was stirred within, and the waves of consciousness were calmed without. At the age of thirteen, having heard of Great Master Ren of Huangmei, he went specially to pay homage to him; he was granted the demonstration of the Dharma essentials and comprehended their profound mystery. Later he returned to Qingshan and served Chan Master Fang anew, gaining an even clearer understanding of the ultimate principle of the school. [Fang] bade him enter his chamber, transmit the lamp to continue the radiance, succeed to the traces of the mountain monastery, and broadly proclaim the transformation of the Way. After Fang left the mountain, all learners sought his guidance on the essentials of mind; his fame and prestige soared afar, known throughout the realm within the seas. Within a few years, the fourfold assembly relied upon and admired him. When [the master of] Huangmei relinquished conditions and passed away, he said to his disciple Xuanze: 'Among those who will transmit my Dharma in the future, there may be ten men; Fachan of Jinling is one of them.' From this it is known that the Chan lineages of the two places succeeded one another across generations. Later, he entrusted the Dharma-eye to his disciple Zhiwei. On the fifth day of the ninth month in the second year of the Chang'an reign era, he passed away at Yanzuo Temple. His testament instructed that his corpse be exposed beneath the pines to feed the birds and beasts, so that those who ate his flesh and drank his blood might arouse the mind of bodhi. On that day, several divine banners appeared in the sky, coming from the west and encircling the mountain several times. The multitudes all saw this. In his former residence, the Youqi precinct, the bamboo grove turned white. His lifespan was sixty-eight.

8.20

Biography of Daoliang of Yunmen Temple in Yuezhou under the Tang

8.21

Shi Daoliang's surname was Zhu, and he was a native of Yuezhou. His deceased father had formerly served as governor of Kuaiji Commandery. Liang left home at the age of eight and was thoroughly conversant in the study of the sūtras. After receiving full upasampadā, he studied the 'Three Treatises of Hezhong' and also lectured on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Soon after, he entered a deep valley, clad his body in tattered garments, sustained his life on wild greens, and did not engage in worldly affairs, maintaining pure celibacy directly. In the first year of the Shenlong reign era, Emperor Xiaohuai decreed that Liang and ten lineage masters of the Dharma assembly enter the Changle Palace to hold the summer retreat. At that time, the Emperor ordered that he receive the bodhisattva precepts. Ruizong and the empress consort sent unique brocade quilts and felt mats. In the second year, an imperial decree summoned him to the Western Garden to inquire about the Way, and the court held him in high esteem and honour. Area Commander-in-chief Li Xiaoyi, Minister of Works Zhang Xi, Director of the Imperial Academy Cui Rong, Director of the Palace Library He Zhizhang, and Prefect of Muzhou Kang Shen together admired him with one mind, inquired about the mind of Chan, and mostly formed teacher-disciple bonds or transmitted incense and fire. He died at the age of eighty-two. His disciple Huiyuan and others erected a stupa, and Wan Qirong composed an inscription to record his deeds.

8.22

Biography of Daojun of Bijian Temple in Jingzhou under the Tang

8.23

Shi Daojun was a native of Jiangling. He resided at the Bijian hermitage in Zhijiang, practising the Dharma-door of non-arising of the East Mountain, which was the method of transformation taught by the two patriarchs Xin and Ren. Diligent and pure in ascetic practice, he did not set foot outside the temple for over forty years. His room was near yet the man was remote; none dared to seek audience with him, for he engaged only in silence and seclusion. His renown having thus reached the ears of the throne, the two courts of Empress Dowager Tianhou and Emperor Zhongzong held monks of noble conduct in high esteem, and Jun, along with Hengjing, responded to imperial summons to enter the palace to receive offerings. In the Jinglong reign era, he requested to return to his native place. The Emperor bestowed an imperially composed poem upon him, and together with Zang and Jing, he returned to Zhijiang, passing away in his home temple.

8.24

Biography of Xuanjue of Longxing Temple in Wenzhou under the Tang

8.25

Shi Xuanjue, courtesy name Mingdao, had the secular surname Dai. He was a ninth-generation descendant of Duke Yan, the fifth son of Duke Kan at the end of the Han dynasty; his ancestor named Lie crossed the Yangzi River and thereby became a person of Yongjia. Xuanjue left home in his youth and shaved his head at an early age. His mind-source was originally pure, and his wisdom-seal was fully complete; measuring what is unthinkable, he understood the profoundest meanings. He constantly and firmly knew self and no-self; he completely saw both emptiness and non-emptiness. Having left behind the four sicknesses, he also wore the three robes. He bathed his body in the water of virtue, and was thus pure; he treated his eyes with good medicine, and was thus luminous. His elder brother, Dharma Master Xuan, was also a famous monk. Along with two nephews, all entered the clerical ranks. Xuanjue originally resided at Longxing Temple; his whole household turned in faith, linked in shadow through diligent effort. His root of samādhi was firm and unshakeable; the tree of doubt was suddenly destroyed of itself. Utterly relinquishing the notion of self, he was not defiled by adventitious dust. Observing that there was another excellent scenic spot beside the temple, he built a Chan hut for himself beneath a cliff. The vast sea washed his breast, and the green mountains embraced his back; immortals of Penglai came and went over the months and years, while mists and clouds of Huagai gathered morning and evening. When his merit was accomplished, the Buddha-treasure flourished grandly; a divine bell came vibrating, and a wondrous dwelling manifested as if by transformation. While Xuanjue dwelt therein, he did not wear silk for clothing, nor did he plough to eat; how could Zhuangzi's coarse cloth garments compare to this, when he naturally had Ānanda's amṛta for food? Xuanjue, considering that solitary study leads to ignorance and that there is always a teacher among three people, travelled side by side with Chan Master Ce of Dongyang, journeying to inquire into the Way. He had an audience with Chan Master Neng of Shaoyang and attained his import. Some say: 'Xuanjue shook his khakkhara, encircled the hut, and responded'; the words are in a separate record. As for the school of Shenxiu, he had travelled far to inquire into its Dharma, but in the end he attained the mind-ground at Caoxi. Having resolved his doubts, Neng retained him for one night, giving him the moniker 'Yisu Jue' (Enlightened Overnight), akin to being half-purified. On the seventeenth day of the tenth month in the second year of the Xiantian reign era, he sat upright in samādhi in the separate cloister of Longxing Temple, serene and motionless. The monastic assembly wept and wailed. On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month of that year, he was interred on the southern slope of the Western Mountain, at the age of forty-nine. Earlier, before Xuanjue died, when he was in seclusion at the Western Cliff, he looked toward his monastery and sighed with regret, saying: 'Throngs of people and horses, flourishing flower carriages—what is the use of them!' Several of his disciples, Master Xing of Wuxing and Master Xuan of Silla, heard this together, but none could comprehend it. Soon he remarked to them: 'In the past, there was a Chan master who, while roaming and enjoying the sights with his disciples, gazed from afar at a mountain and suddenly called out: "How numerous are the people!" The disciples could not comprehend it either. Not long after, this master ended his lifespan and was interred at the place he had gazed upon.' The Western Mountain was over a li away from the temple; those escorting the funeral crowded closely and people swarmed about—such was the resonance he evoked. Moreover, before his end, over a thousand wild geese flew to the west of the temple. An attendant said: 'Where are they coming from?' A voice in the sky said: 'Because it will be the master's tomb, they have come from the sea.' His disciples Huicao, Huite, Dengci, and Xuanji all transmitted their master's Dharma and were esteemed by the times. Later, Li Yong of Beihai, while serving as prefect of Kuazhou, arranged Xuanjue's biography as a stele inscription, titled 'Spirit Road'. Xuanjue's preaching and guiding were clear and manifest, detailing cultivation, realization, and awakening; Wei Jing, Prefect of Qingzhou, compiled them into what is known as the Yongjia ji. Formerly, Xuanjue had a spiritual fellowship with the Venerable Lang of Zuoxi. Lang sent a letter inviting Xuanjue to dwell in the mountains. Xuanjue, reflecting that Lang was attached to the views of mountain dwelling and constrained by affections for lecturing, replied with a letter to stimulate and encourage him. Its words were gentle and elegant, and its principles were clear and distinct. It enabled him to realize that the mountains and the secular world are one suchness, and that noise and quietude can be used interchangeably; the intention of entering the Way was subtly elucidated therein, and those who understood deemed it right. Eventually, an imperial edict posthumously granted him the title 'Wuxiang' (Formless), and his stupa was named 'Jingguang' (Pure Light).

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宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese