大明高僧傳 8.29

8.29

釋禪惠即名山人也。家世業儒。屢舉不第。元符間郡守呂由誠見以僧勅戲之。遂棄儒從釋。力參祖道得大開悟。初出住邑天寧寺。出入必策馬乘輿。諸耆宿言以佛法貴乎苦行固不宜乘輿馬服綺繡。師答以偈曰。文殊駕師子。普賢跨象王。新來一個佛騎馬也無妨。凡所說法機鋒敏捷。有語錄行世。

Shi Chanhui was a native of Mingshan. His family had for generations pursued Confucianism. He repeatedly sat for the examinations without passing. During the Yuanfu era, the commandery governor Lü Youcheng, seeing him, teased him with an ordination certificate. Thereupon he abandoned Confucianism and followed the teachings of Śākya. He vigorously investigated the patriarchal Way and attained great enlightenment. When he first appeared in the world to reside at Tianning Monastery in the district, he would always ride a horse or take a sedan chair whenever going out or coming in. Various elders said that the Buddhadharma values ascetic practices and that one certainly should not ride carriages and horses or wear fine silks. The Master replied with a gāthā, saying: / "Mañjuśrī mounts a lion; / Samantabhadra straddles the king of elephants. / For a newly arrived Buddha, / Riding a horse does no harm either." / Whenever he preached the Dharma, his sharp wit was swift. He had a recorded sayings circulating in the world.