大明高僧傳 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

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Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Ruxing of Ciyun Chan Monastery on Mount Tiantai in the imperial Ming

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Section 2, Part 3: Interpreters of Meaning (Fourteen principal biographies, fourteen appended)

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Biography of the Śramaṇa Shi Zuni of Jingxin Monastery in Jiading, Suzhou, One (accompanied by Shishi Ying and Zhuwu Jing)

Shi Zuni, whose courtesy name was Rizhang, had the alternative style name Yongzhuo. He was a son of the Zhang family of Changshu in Suzhou. After shaving his hair, he traveled east to Siming. At that time, Venerable Wo'an Wu resided at Yanqing Monastery, and Venerable Shishi Ying lived at Yuwang Monastery; both treated him as a friend who disregarded differences in age. Later, he inherited the Dharma from Dharma Master Zhuwu Jing, appeared in the world at Yongding Teaching Monastery, and subsequently transferred to Guangxiao in Kunshan and Jingxin in Jiading. He directed the teachings in the Wu region for nearly fifty years. At the beginning of the Hongwu reign, he was chosen in the selection of those of lofty conduct. An imperial edict ordered him to explain the Dharma at Tianjie Monastery. His Majesty repeatedly summoned him into the forbidden palace; his answers to the throne were fitting and agreeable, and he was additionally granted the title Dharma Master Ciren. Later, he was granted permission to return to his home district, where he ended his days.

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Biography of the Śramaṇa Shi Xingpi of Putuo Monastery in Ningbo, Two

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Shi Xingpi, whose courtesy name was Daji, was a native of Yinxian in Ningbo. He was well-versed in both the doctrinal teachings and meditation instruction; his understanding and practice corresponded to each other. He flourished as a renowned monk of the era. Initially coming from Folong on Mount Tiantai, he rose to preside over Baotuo. He guided the assembly, preached the Dharma, restored the monastic property, and revived the monastic community. In the first month of spring in the gengxu year of the Hongwu reign, the official messenger of the Ministry of Works, Master Liu Chengzhi of Zhangzhou, carried a staff and strolled east and west with the master. The messenger said: 'This is a pure realm! Why not build a pavilion?' The master thereupon built the Pavilion of the Pure Realm upon the southern ridge of the monastery, thirty feet in length and equal in width. On the left it rested against the mountain; on the right it opened to Chaoyin Cave. Academician Song Jinglian composed an inscription for it.

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Biography of the Śramaṇa Shi Yuanzhen of Xingsheng Monastery in Songjiang, Three

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Shi Yuanzhen, whose style name was Yongzang, was a son of the Zhu family of Shanghai in Songjiang. He left household life and received the full ordination at Xingsheng Monastery, transmitting the Tiantai teachings and contemplations. His conduct in the precepts was lofty and pure, and he read broadly across many books. He diligently practiced the repentance rituals of the Lotus and Amitābha, and in his leisure time copied the Lotus and various other sūtras. Preaching according to conditions, he sat in meditation until dawn. In the yichou year of the Hongwu reign, he suffered a slight illness. Asking for a bath, he wrote a gāthā and told the assembly: / 'For forty-two years, / Neither creating nor cultivating. / There is arising and there is perishing, / A single bubble in the great sea. / The true return is no return; / The mind empty, roaming in purity.' / Sitting cross-legged, he passed away peacefully.

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Biography of the Śramaṇa Shi Huiri of Upper Tianzhu Monastery in Hangzhou, Four (accompanied by Baiziting)

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Śramaṇa Shi Huiri, titled Dongming, was a son of the Jia family of Tiantai. He was a grandson of Jia Sidao, the Prime Minister of the Song. When Sidao was demoted and exiled, the Master was still young; he resolved to seek ordination and relied upon Upādhyāya Pingshan of Guangyan Temple in that county. After a few years, he tonsured his hair and received full ordination. At the age of twenty-two, hearing that Baiziting was expounding the Tiantai teachings at Chicheng, the Master went to his seat. Before long, he was able to grasp the great essentials. Ziting sighed with admiration, saying, 'Rolling a pellet down a steep slope is insufficient to describe the swiftness of his capacity! Through you, shall our Way flourish greatly?' From then on, the Master’s learning became profound and consummate, and his renown weighed heavily in his day. Once he took a brief nap and seemed to see bamboo lying across the ground, upon which congealed white congee shone brightly. The Master lay upon the ground and ate it. When he awoke, he recounted it to Ziting. Ziting interpreted it for him, saying, 'Bamboo (zhu) and congee (zhou) share the same sound. That you ate it by going down to the ground—is your connection not destined for Upper and Lower Tianzhu?' Thereupon he crossed the Qiantang River and called upon Dharma Master Zhuwu Jing at Upper Tianzhu. The room where he resided was quite low and damp, so he composed a poem to gently hint at it. Seeing the poem, Zhuwu said to the assembly, 'This fellow is extraordinary. In the future he will preside over this mountain; one must not look down on him on account of his youth.' He therefore treated him like a honored guest and friend. Before long, he was ordered to oversee the guest hall and soon after to manage the register of monks. When Zhuwu transformed and passed away, Zhandang Cheng succeeded to his seat; he esteemed the Master’s capacity and invited him to dwell in the rear hall. After a year or so, he went out to preside over Shengshui on Mount Wu. In the fourth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan (1344), he took up residence at Jianfu. After three years, Lower Tianzhu was destroyed by fire; the Yuan minister Gaonalin requested the Master to renovate it. When the temple buildings were completed, Wang Jin wrote an inscription for it. In the fourth year [thereafter], he was transferred to Upper Tianzhu. The Master, knowing that his karmic connection lay there, was unflagging night and day. Every single rule and system in the temple was newly repaired and organized. Emperor Shundi of the Yuan, hearing of this, specially bestowed upon him the title 'Compassionate Light, Wondrous Response, Universal Salvation' (Ciguang Miaoying Puji), accompanied by a gold-woven robe as an emblem of honor. In the sixteenth year (1356), he retired into the crags and valleys of Kuaiji, where no one recognized him. The Yuan Prime Minister Daši-Temür sent an emissary, who searched for and found him, vigorously requesting him to return to the mountain. In total, he presided over Upper Tianzhu twice for twenty-five years. When it came to the second year of Hongwu of our Great Ming under Emperor Taizu (1369), an imperial edict summoned him to attend the Buddhist gathering at Mount Jiang, and the Ministry of Rites was ordered to provide him meals. The next day, he was granted an audience in the Fengtian Hall. The hundred officials were all assembled, and the monks stood like a string of fish. The Master alone had the highest dharma age, with a ruddy countenance and white eyebrows, ranking at the head of the row. His Majesty personally asked him about the way of uplifting and saving those submerged in the underworld. The Master gave a full report that pleased the imperial mind. Taizu turned and said to the assembly of monks, 'Recently, those who study Buddhism merely eat their fill and roam at leisure, letting the years slip into obscurity. Are not texts such as the Diamond, the Laṅkāvatāra, and the Heart Sūtra the essentials for gathering the mind? Why do you not investigate their meaning thoroughly? Now, whoever does not understand them should consult the White-Eyebrow Dharma Master.' From then on, when he was summoned for audiences, Taizu only addressed him as 'White-Eyebrows' without using his personal name. Once, together with Dharma Master Tong of Biefeng and Chan Master Jin Bifeng, he was granted food in the inner palace. On that occasion, he memorialized that the Waguan Temple was the place where Great Master Zhiyi of the Sui had expounded the Lotus Sūtra and should not be abandoned. Taizu ordered that separate quarters be built at Tianjie to preserve its traces, and decreed that he immediately open the mountain and preach the Dharma. In the early spring of the fifth year (1372), a great Water and Land retreat was held again at Mount Zhong; the Master was ordered to expound the Vinaya precepts, and Taizu personally led the hundred officials to attend and listen. When the matter was completed, he took his leave to return to Upper Tianzhu. He relinquished the monastery affairs and daily cultivated the Amitābha repentance to attain pure karma. One evening in the autumn, the seventh month of the twelfth year (1379), he dreamt that a blue lotus flower bloomed in a square pond with fragrance assailing his senses. Upon waking, he told the assembly, 'The auspicious sign of my rebirth in the Pure Land has appeared. My departure from the human world must not be far.' Four days later, he sat cross-legged, joined his palms, and manifested quiescence. His worldly age was eighty-nine; his dharma age was seventy-three. Ten days later, his whole body was enshrined in the Miaoying Stūpa Cloister on the temple's Western Peak. In life, the Master's stature was tall and imposing, his eyebrows were over an inch long, and his pupils flashed brightly and piercingly. Whenever the Master entered the city, everyone, young and old, would shout, 'Our White-Eyebrow Upādhyāya is coming!' and vie with one another holding incense and flowers to scatter upon him. The Master's face was stern and aloof, and he never uttered words thoughtlessly. When facing princes, dukes, and high ministers, he never produced a single flattering word. As for guiding junior students, his speech and countenance were as warm as spring sunshine; therefore, many delighted in following him to study. His dharma heirs included Siji, Xingxhu, Yunjian, Yunchong, Liangjin, Puzhi, Wenhui, Yuanxiu, Jingfan, and several others.

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Biography 5: Śramaṇa Shi Shizhang of Jiqing Temple in Hangzhou (Tianxin Ying, Juezong Ji)

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Shi Shizhang, courtesy name Yuanpu, was a son of the Wang family of Haining in that commandery. At birth, he had a hidden rhinoceros horn ridge reaching his crown, and his eyes were bright and black as dotted lacquer. From childhood, he would not take rank or pungent foods; when his parents secretly tested him, he would immediately vomit incessantly. He loved reading Buddhist books. A monk from a neighbouring temple requested of his father, saying, 'This is a seed of the Śākya clan; why not give him to me to be his master?' The father angrily said, 'My child is like a puṇḍarīka flower, not of your kind.' He then dedicated him to enter Chuanfa Temple to receive the five precepts. At that time, the Hanlin Attendant-in-Waiting Liu Guan often rested at the temple quarters; fond of the Master, he instructed him in the classics and histories, personally expounding their profound principles. When the Master heard them, they were resolved effortlessly as if meeting the edge of a blade. At the age of nineteen, he tonsured his hair and became a fully ordained monk. Dharma Master Wo'an Wu was presiding over Upper Tianzhu; the Master was about to carry his umbrella and hasten to attend him, when he suddenly dreamed of journeying to a jewel treasury, where a great bodhisattva instructed him to kneel reverently, pay homage, and orally recite repentance verses. When he woke and reflected on it, they were the verses of Samantabhadra's 'Chapter on Pure Conduct'. When he indeed met Wo'an, Wo'an looked upon him with newfound respect, and sequentially transmitted to the Master the specific chapter meanings of the Tiantai doctrinal contemplations. His mind was focused and unified, studying vigorously without weariness even unto forgetting sleep and food. Wo'an secretly took note of his diligence and constantly expected great things of him. At that time, Tianxin Ying was naturally arrogant and yielded to no one, hence the world called him the 'Tiger of Doctrine'; he too admired the Master’s conduct and agreed to share lamplight with him, daily honing and debating with him to the finest detail. The assembly called them 'the pair of jades'. After some time, Wo'an transformed and passed away. Dongming Ri succeeded to his seat to mould the scholars, selecting the Master to initiate lectures, and appointed him to manage guests and subsequently direct repentance rituals. In the thirteenth year of Zhizheng of the Yuan (1353), he received the appointment to be abbot of Qizhen. The temple neighboured the two monasteries of South Tianzhu and Yanfu; at that time, the two elders Dayong Cai and Juezong Ji resided there. The Master, feeling that his own learning was still insufficient, went daily to inquire of them. Every subtlety of doctrinal contemplation, whether provisional or complete, origin or trace, was clearly analyzed without exception. Thus he once sighed to the assembly, 'The treasury of teachings of the Buddhadharma is vast as a misty sea; it is certainly not something that self-cultivation alone can completely fathom. If I draw boundaries around myself and make no progress, how can I avoid the reproach of narrow-minded ignorance?' In the twentieth year (1360), he moved to preside over Jingde. At the end of the Yuan, the world was in great chaos from warfare; everyone planned for their own concealment. The Master alone focused his mind on temple affairs, never changing his resolve on account of the worldly difficulties. His manifesting of good and suppression of evil transformed the demeanor [of the place]. Daily he gathered the pure assembly to lecture on sūtras and commentaries, without an idle moment. When it came to our Great Ming during the Hongwu era, the seat at Jiqing fell vacant, and the Commandery Governor Lord Li requested him to expound the doctrinal vehicles there. Before long, the Central Secretariat received an imperial decree directing that the abbots of renowned monasteries across the five prefectures east and west of Zhejiang all gather in the capital, together to pave Tianjie and establish the Shanshi Bureau to govern the assembly of monks and jointly oversee its construction. The senior worthies from all quarters were all at a loss as to what to do; the Master alone brought forth strategic plans with proper order and arrangement, and the assembly of a hundred thousand all followed his model. In the sixth month of that year, after the full moon, he knew in advance that the time had arrived. He summoned his disciples and gave his final instructions. On the seventeenth day, he peacefully passed away in seated meditation. His age was forty-six; his dharma age was twenty-eight. He was jhāpita, and his disciples Yuanjue, Yiyin, Shengyuan, Keqin, and others enclosed his bones and built a stūpa to the south of Dharma Master Biancai's stūpa at Longjing. The Master’s capacity and demeanor were unconstrained, his discussions were impassioned, and he adhered to the upright path without bending to vulgar customs. Whenever he examined various monasteries, he saw that those who gathered disciples and formed factions all became reservoirs of resentment; the Master thereupon vowed not to tonsure or keep disciples. When students came seeking to attach themselves to him, he would firmly refuse them with stern words, never enrolling a single person indiscriminately.

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Biography 6: Śramaṇa Shi Ruqi of Yanfu Temple in Hangzhou

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Shi Ruqi, courtesy name Ju'an and alias Taipu, received the Dharma from Elder Juezong of Wenming Haihui. The Master's learning surpassed the elite, and his talent was pre-eminent across the three teachings. Not only the ten vehicles, three contemplations, the nine classics, and the seven histories, but all secular renowned sayings and secret scriptures were thoroughly synthesized by him. Our Taizu, the Gao Emperor, issued an imperial decree ordering him to reside at Tianjie, where he daily expounded the doctrinal vehicles with senior worthies to be prepared for imperial inquiries. He was ordered to join Zongle in editing and commentating on the Heart Sūtra, the Laṅkāvatāra, and the Diamond Sūtra, which were promulgated throughout the realm in accordance with imperial decree.

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Biography 7: Śramaṇa Shi Datong of Baolin Temple in Shaoxing (Chungu, Guhuai Zhao, Jijiang En, Huiji Tian'an Ji, Gulin Mao)

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Śramaṇa Datong, courtesy name Yiyun and art name Biefeng, was a son of the Wang family of Shangyu in Yue. His father was Youqiao and his mother was of the Chen family. When his mother was pregnant with the master for ten months, his father was sitting in the hall during the day, when he suddenly saw an extraordinary monk with long eyebrows enter shaking his ringed staff. The father rose, bowed with clasped hands, and asked, 'Where has the Upādhyāya come from?' He replied, 'From Mount Kunlun.' He then pushed open the door and hastened inside. As [the father] hurriedly gave chase, he heard the sound of a child crying in the room. The father smiled and said, 'Could my son be one who has returned?' In his youth, the master was handsome, sharp, and grasped the profound and abstruse whenever he read books. When he first practiced rhetoric and prose, they were graceful and truly magnificent to behold. Thereupon his father entrusted him with carrying on the family lineage of learning. His mother alone sighed and said, 'This child is a seed of prajñā. How could we let him be entangled and drowned in worldly toil?' She then had him enter Chongsheng Temple in Kuaiji to shave his hair. Hearing Dharma Master Chungu lecturing on the essential teachings of [National Preceptor] Qingliang at Jingde [Temple] in the prefecture, he went and relied on him, completely receiving his transmission. He also called upon the Venerable Guhuai Zhao and became proficient in the contemplation of the four dharmadhātus. When Chungu moved to preside over Baolin, he said to the master, 'Your learning is refined and broad; I fear that your mind may linger on coarse clinging, merely increasing extensive learning and remaining bound by views and knowledge. This is truly not the foundation for seeing the nature. You should cultivate in seclusion and wash them away; then you may well bring good fortune to our school.' Thereupon he ordered him to leave for Qiantang to see Chan Master Huiji Xi. Seeing him wave his whisk, the master's habituated knowledge and views acquired from the past were eradicated in an instant. Only a solitary, brilliant luminosity remained, shining upon itself. Six winters and summers passed in this manner. Huiji deeply commended his aspiration. Having also heard of the flourishing Dharma way of Zhongfeng at Tianmu, he went to visit him, immediately intending to spend his remaining days there. One day Zhongfeng summoned and encouraged him, saying, 'The Xianshou school grows increasingly distant and diminished by the day. Your capacity is sufficient to expand it; do not linger here long.' He specially wrote a verse in praise of Qingliang's portrait and conferred it upon him to send him off. The master was overjoyed and said, 'Only now do I know that the myriad dharmas originate in the one mind; I do not know which is Chan and which is the doctrinal teaching!' He returned to Baolin, attended upon Chungu again, and reported Zhongfeng's intention. Chungu immediately ordered him to share the seat and lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. At that time, former Song officials Xu Tianyou and Wang Yijian joined in praising him, and his renown grew bright and prominent. Prefect Fan, pitying Chungu's advanced dharma age and wishing to hint that he yield his seat, prepared a vegetarian meal and personally spoke to the master. The master resolutely composed his expression and said, 'What is valued in the Way is nothing other than the proper relationship between master and disciple. When the distinction is clear, it can serve as an instruction to later students. If one were to take advantage of his senility to usurp his seat, how could that be the conduct of a human being? You, illustrious sir, indeed care for me, yet causing me to fall into violation of righteousness is in truth doing me harm.' Fan unconsciously retreated from his seat, apologised, and said, 'My master is truly no ordinary man; how could I have understood this?' In the beginning of the Yanyou era of the Yuan, he emerged to preside over Jingtu Temple in Xiaoshan, and then moved to Jingde. In the Zhiyuan era, he received orders to reside at Dongta in Jiahe, which was soon changed to Baolin. However, Baolin was originally the place where National Preceptor Qingliang pursued his studies, and people all regarded the master's appointment as glorious. Yet the master reclined high and would not set out. Only after official letters from the prefecture and county arrived repeatedly to invite him did he shake out his sleeves and arise. He then modeled himself on the precedent of the Caotang [Monastery] of Mount Zhongnan, opening a secluded retreat to attract outstanding talents. Thus, scholars from across the empire all carried their umbrellas, wore straw sandals, and gathered beneath his carriage wheels. In the beginning of the Zhizheng era, he was bestowed the title 'Buddha-Mind Compassionate Deliverance and Wondrous Eloquence' along with a golden brocade saṅghāṭī robe. When the loyal Yuan official Taibuhua governed Yue, there was a severe drought, and he earnestly requested the master to pray for rain. The master burned arm incense beneath the Xuandu Pagoda, and heavy rain poured down immediately. In the closing years of the Yuan, when the world was in great chaos, the temple suffered disaster; the master vigorously planned to renovate it. When our Great Ancestor, Emperor Gao, ascended the throne, he held an unhindered great assembly at Mount Zhong, and summoned the master for an audience at the Wu Tower. As the master was eighty years old at that time, he was exempted from prostrations and kneeling. The next day, a banquet was bestowed in the palace. When the matter concluded, several yis of silver from the imperial treasury and precious goods were bestowed to honor his return. By nature the master possessed a transcendent demeanor, with a prominent rhino-horn bone spanning to the crown of his head. He had a tall, majestic figure, standing upright like jade, and was skilled in conversation. When sitting among princes and nobles, if anyone attacked or questioned the Buddhist teachings, his Dharma wheel rolled continuously; if their principles were not straight, even if axes and executioners' blocks were before him, he did not weaken his spirit in the least. If anyone tried to harm him with dangerous legal charges, he gave it no heed, only reciting the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as his daily practice, and before the day passed, the person died of themselves. The master always supported other schools without the slightest suspicion or jealousy. For example, he recommended Duanjiang En, a student of the Shaolin [lineage], to preside over Tianyi; and he persuaded Tian'an Ji, a disciple of the Tiantai school, to reside at Yuantong. When the master was traveling in Min, Gulin Mao was presiding over Baoning in Fujian and governed his subordinates with excessive severity. A rogue monk from Chu was about to file a complaint against him at the government office. The master happened to meet him at an inn, so he prepared a sumptuous meal, served him leisurely, and said, 'I do not know Gulin personally, but I have heard that he is an illustrious virtue of the Chan monastery. If you people harm him, what kind of persons will gentlemen consider you to be? You had better stop; otherwise, I fear you will bring great calamity upon yourselves.' The matter was then dropped. The master was extremely filial by nature and grieved over the early loss of his father; whenever the death anniversary arrived, he would weep incessantly. He served his mother with pure devotion, not only being compliant in demeanor and attentive to temperature, but also ensuring that her mind fed on the taste of the Way. When she passed away, his seasonal sacrifices were never lacking, and he asked famous scholars to compose an account of her conduct and erected a stele beside her tomb. The master maintained the vinaya very strictly; apart from his single bowl, he had no surplus possessions, possessing only more than five thousand fascicles of scriptures and histories. In the twelfth month of the second year of Hongwu, he manifested a slight illness. On the tenth day of the late spring month of the following year, he ascended the seat to preach the Dharma, took leave of the assembly, returned to the abbot's quarters, sat upright, and transformed. His worldly age was eighty-two; his dharma age was sixty-five. The jhāpita produced many miraculous portents. A stūpa was erected at Mount Zhu. His writings include the Tianzhu Draft and Baolin Categorised Compendium, in several fascicles each. His dharma-heir disciples were Dayan of Miaoxin, Shanxian of Gaoting, Ruolan of Gaoli, Renjing of Jingde, Mingshan of Jiangshan, Shiyi of Yanshou, Guochen of the Southern Pagoda, Dahui of Fucheng, Xingcheng of Jingfu, Daoni of Miaoxiang, Daoyue of Fayun, Fan'ao of Jingtu, and Riyi of Baolin, among others.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Shisong of Anguo Temple in Shanghai, Songjiang, Eight (Jing'an Zhen)

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Śramaṇa Shaozong, art name Suichu, was a son of the Chen family of Shanghai. When he was thirteen years old, his parents relinquished him to enter Anguo Temple in his native village. He attained the Dharma under Dharma Master Jing'an Zhen. He was endowed by nature with keen intelligence, and his vinaya practice was rigorous. He first emerged to preach the Dharma at Changqing Temple in Hangzhou, where he greatly unfurled the profound style, and monastics and laity turned to his transformation. Next he moved to Cigan Temple in Wuxing. At that time, Dharma Master Shouren of Changgan in Jinling invited him to occupy the head seat, and the whole assembly was won over. In the guiyou year of Hongwu, he answered an imperial summons concerning affairs at Mount Lu; his responses were agreeable to the imperial will, and he was bestowed a gold-threaded saṅghāṭī robe and promoted to Right Scripture Lecturer. Soon afterward, he was promoted to Right Benefactor of the World. On the fifth day of the first month of the dingchou year, he manifested a slight illness, sat upright, and transformed. When His Majesty heard of it, an imperial edict was issued dispatching a palace envoy to offer sacrifice. On the day of the jhāpita, thousands of people saw him off, and his disciples collected the śarīra and remaining bones and enshrined them in a stūpa at Anguo Temple.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Jujing of Puzhao Temple in Songjiang, Nine (Dongyuan)

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Śramaṇa Jujing, courtesy name Xinyuan and art name Lanxue, was thoroughly versed in Buddhist and non-Buddhist learning, skilled in literary composition, and strictly refined in the vinaya texts. He paid homage to Upādhyāya Yiyu of Da Bao'en Temple in Jinling and held the office of guest prefect. Later, he visited Dharma Master Dongyuan of Jiqing Temple in Hangzhou and occupied the head seat in the Repentance Hall, subsequently lecturing on the Book of Changes. In the beginning of the Yongle era, he received

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an imperial edict to collate the Great Canon and participate in the compilation of the Collected Statutes. Soon afterward, he became abbot of Guangfu Lecture Temple in Shanghai. He then moved to Puzhao in Songjiang, where he opened a Dharma assembly for thirteen years. He built the Mahāvīra Hall, the Ocean-Moon Hall, and the Threefold Gate of Liberation. The corridors, storied verandas, vihāra, and storehouse were all freshly renovated. The seven assemblies looked up to him with reverence, and his practice of the Way flourished greatly.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Puzhi of Longjing Temple in Hangzhou, Ten

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Śramaṇa Puzhi, courtesy name Wuyi and art name Yizhisou, was a son of the Chu family of Linping in Zhejiang. He left home at Longjing Temple in Qiantang, and relied on Dharma Master Dongming Ri to receive the Tiantai teachings on intrinsic inclusion. He was skilled in lecturing and preaching. He went through four major bodhimandas, greatly invigorating their traditions. In his late years, he taught at Yanqing Temple in Songjiang, where he finally spent his remaining days, exclusively cultivating pure karma without ceasing through winter and summer. On the second day of the first month of the wu-zi year of Yongle, he showed slight illness; he assembled the crowd, sat upright facing west, recited the Buddha's name, and passed away. He once compiled and annotated the Amitābha Sūtra in one fascicle.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Shanqi of Yanqing Temple in Suzhou, Eleven

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Śramaṇa Shanqi, courtesy name Dongbai and art name Xiao'an, was a son of the Yang family of Changzhou in Gusu, an official family for generations. As soon as he could speak, he was already thoroughly versed in the Buddhist scriptures as if he had known them intimately before. His parents marveled at it, recognized that he was a vessel of the Dharma, and relinquished him to leave home at Yongmao Cloister. Before long, he underwent tonsure and received full ordination. Withdrawing to Mount Long, he researched and penetrated the Great Canon, and thoroughly investigated all the hundred philosophers and various histories. In the wu-zi year of Yongle, he emerged into the world at Yanqing Temple in the prefecture. The following year, he was summoned to compile the Yongle Encyclopedia and collate the Great Canon, and was bestowed a gold-threaded saṅghāṭī robe. Notable figures of the era such as Shen Minwang, Wang Ruyu, and Qian Yuanpu were all his friends outside the secular realm. When someone argued over the differences between Confucianism and Buddhism, the master said, 'Regardless of the fact that the sages share the same principle, each simply serves his own teaching.' He also said, 'In the promulgation of the Way in Eastern Lu and the seeing of the nature in the Western Land, nothing takes precedence over reinforcing the root. Therefore, although we have left our parents, in nourishing the living and sending off the dead, we generally follow what is generous.' He was extremely fraternal with his brothers. In the guihai year of Zhengtong, he manifested quiescence, and was enshrined in a stūpa at Mount Long.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Yingneng of Shoufo Temple in Hengzhou, Guangxi, Twelve

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Śramaṇa Shi Yingneng’s false surname was Yang. In truth, he was Emperor Jianwen. As the legitimate grandson of Taizu and the eldest son of Crown Prince Yiwen, he was enfeoffed as Imperial Grandson-Successor; his taboo name was Yunwen. At his birth, his cranium was somewhat slanted. Taizu stroked him and said, "A crescent moon." When he began reading books, he was exceedingly clever. One evening, Crown Prince Yiwen was in attendance on Taizu, who ordered a poem on the new moon to be composed. The Crown Prince chanted: "Yesterday Master Yanling dropped his fishing hook; / Who has lifted it onto the head of the azure clouds? / Though it has not yet attained a full and round aspect, / Still its clear radiance shines over the nine provinces." The Imperial Grandson chanted: "Who took a jade fingernail / And notched it as a mark in the sky? / When its reflection falls into the rivers and lakes, / The flood dragons dare not swallow it." Taizu was displeased upon perusing it, for not attaining fullness and a reflection falling into the rivers and lakes were both inauspicious omens. In the thirty-first year of Hongwu, Taizu was critically ill; he then bestowed upon him a small box, closely sealed and locked, admonishing him to open it only in an urgent crisis. On the sixteenth day of the fifth month of that year he ascended the throne at the age of twenty-three. The next year the reign era was changed to Jianwen. He summoned Fang Xiaoru to serve as Hanlin Reader-in-Waiting, on duty in the Wenyuan Chamber, daily lecturing on the rites of the *Zhouguan* (*Rites of Zhou*), altering Taizu's established systems. Thereupon, many of the princes were unsubmissive. He then extended exceptional favor and courtesy to them. The Reader-in-Waiting and Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Huang Zicheng and the Minister of War Qi Tai deliberated on stripping the princes of their authority, plotting to begin with Yan. They ordered Vice Minister Zhang Bing and Regional Military Commissioner Xie Gui to spy on Yan's movements. This subsequently provoked Yan to raise the army to Pacify the Ordeal, marching south to punish Huang and Qi. On the thirteenth day of the sixth month of the fourth year of Jianwen, Jinchuan Gate was breached. The Emperor set fire to the palace. He opened Taizu's bequeathed box and looked inside: he found a ordination certificate for "Yang Yingneng," a razor, a kāṣāya, and black monastic garments. He then shaved his head, escaped via the imperial culvert, and fled to wander extensively in the four quarters. He went from Lake Xiang into Shu, and from Yunnan through Min into Guangxi, entering Shoufo Temple at the south gate of Hengzhou. He resided there for fifteen years. Whenever he ascended the seat to expound the Dharma, those who took refuge were exceedingly numerous. Wherever he arrived became a great Dharma assembly, yet no one knew that he was the Emperor. Again he went to Nanning and stayed in an austere temple. Patch-robed monks gathered like clouds, and the Master gave instructions in accord with conditions; the whole assembly was joyful. After a long while, he reached Si'en Prefecture. He stood in the middle of the road just as the Prefect was going out. The attendants shouted at him. The Master said, "I am Emperor Jianwen. Traversing from Dian through Min to this place, I am now old. I wish to send my bones back to the imperial homeland." The Regional Inspecting Censor reported this to the court, and he was bestowed the title of "Old Buddha." An order was issued to send him to the capital by courier relay. He then composed a poem: "Drifting about rivers and lakes for forty autumns, / Returning, I am unaware that snow has filled my head. / Heaven and earth hold resentment—where is home? / The Yangzi and Han are heartless—their waters flow on their own. / In the Changle Palace, cloud shadows are dark; / In the Zhaoyang Hall, the sound of rain is sorrowful. / New rushes and slender willows are green year after year; / The old rustic swallows his voice and weeps without cease." When he arrived at the capital, the court had not yet verified the truth or falsehood of it. Since the eunuch Wu Liang had previously served his meals, they sent him to examine him. Seeing Liang, the Master at once called out, saying, "Are you not Wu Liang?" He replied, "I am not." The Master said, "Formerly when I was in the informal hall, I once tossed a piece of meat to the ground, and you prostrated on the ground to lick and eat it. How could you forget?" Liang bowed his head and wept bitterly. Soon after, he was taken into the Western Palace to be supported, and he finally passed away in the palace. The commentary says: "Once Emperor Jianwen succeeded as the second in the great line, he ought to have reverently and meticulously safeguarded the established laws of Taizu with his worthy assisting ministers and remedied what they did not reach; then Emperor Wen would have been at peace in his princely estate. How could the troops of Pacifying the Ordeal ever have breached the Jinchuan Gate? Because he suddenly and mistakenly employed the likes of Fang and Huang, lecturing on the *Zhouguan* and practicing the well-field system, changing old institutions and threatening the imperial princes—how could Emperor Wen sit by and watch the Great Treasure ruined by dwarfs and stand with hands tied waiting to be bound? That the state has flourished and all under heaven has been peacefully ordered for hundreds of years today is truly reliant on that one expedition of Pacifying the Ordeal. Regarding the Jianwen affairs, the *Yanshan ji* argues deeply that once he met with disaster, there is surely no principle by which he became a monk; and having become a monk, there is surely no affair by which he returned to the palace. The certificate of Yang Yingneng was an imposture. Recorded here in reliance upon the historical anecdotes of our dynasty, the *Huangming tongzai*, the *Xianzhang lu*, the *Si'en zhi*, and other accounts, it is indeed indispensable to the biographies of monks. Let the gentleman scrutinize it."

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Biography of Śramaṇa Shi Yuanjing of Shishi Temple in Xizhou (13)

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Shi Yuanjing was a native of Lin County in Fenzhou. In his early years he left home and roamed his mind in the lecture halls of Xianshou, gaining awakening to the esoteric purports of the various sūtras. He often traveled to Shishi Temple on Mount Miaolou in Xizhou of Pingyang Prefecture, expounding the Dharma for the assembly in accord with conditions. One day he went to Wayao Slope at the north gate, excavated the earth, and constructed a hermitage, where he sat in silent meditation like a niche. Suddenly he instructed his disciples, saying, "I am about to return." The assembly asked for his date. He said, "Tomorrow." In the morning he arose, bathed, changed his three robes, burned incense, sat cross-legged, recited a gāthā, and passed away.

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Biography of Śramaṇa Shi Zuzhu of Mount Hua in Suzhou (Dazhang) (14)

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Shi Zuzhu, styled Huanyi, took Luting as his sobriquet. He was a native of Dantu, surnamed Yang. His mother, Lady Zhu, dreamt that an Indian bhikṣu entered her room, and upon waking she gave birth to the Master. From youth he was reserved and did not crave worldly conditions, delighting in performing Buddhist services. At age thirteen, his parents gave him up to enter Mount Longpan, where he relied upon Venerable Chaoyang to receive the great scriptures such as the *Lotus Sūtra* and *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*. At seventeen he underwent tonsure and dyeing of robes, and at nineteen he received full ordination, thoroughly understanding the profound significance of the various scriptures. He said to himself, "That on which waking consciousness relies does not pertain to the true limit." Thereupon, carrying his umbrella on his shoulder, he traveled to Shaoshi. He relied upon Venerable Dazhang for five years, and further went to Funiu to rely upon Gao'an for twelve summers. Both masters successively conferred mind-seals upon him. Next, he traveled to the capital to call upon Dharma Masters Song and Xiu, fully obtaining the essential purport of Qingliang. Supervising Secretary Hu of Huai'an invited him to reside at Mount Bochi, where he produced a Tripiṭaka and held an unhindered Water and Land retreat. He went to Nanjing to visit Dharma Master Wuji and occupied the second seat; whenever free from the striking of the mallet, he joined the assembly to perform manual tasks. When the duties were completed, he went to Wanshou Temple in Jingkou to expound the *Great Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra*. When he reached the "Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm," the earth shook, and from the sky rained down sweet dew and precious flowers. At that time Wuji led his disciples to participate; the two Chan monks Miaofeng and Chengyin also sat among the assembly. From then on, his reputation for the Dao rose high, and the monastic community leaned toward him in admiration. The Master's wisdom was lofty while his comportment was humble, like Sadāparibhūta; he encouraged, promoted, chanted, and guided without ever tiring. Wherever he went, it became a precious sanctuary. When the Master expounded the Forty-Eight Vows, there was an extraordinary person wearing a white cap on which was a four-legged snake who came to hear the Dharma expounded. People were astonished and questioned him; he replied, "I am a Dharma cap, and it is a contemplation of realms," and suddenly vanished. In the jiashen year of Wanli, he rested his staff below Lotus Peak in Suzhou, built a pure abode, and dwelt there. In the ninth month of the dinghai year, he suddenly manifested illness and told the assembly, "If we do not part on the twenty-second day, we may unfold the *Avataṃsaka* once again; but this old monk cannot bend to comply with human sentiments." When the day arrived, he arose early in the morning, bathed, sat cross-legged, and spoke a gāthā: "Empty space has no face or eyes; / With no position, it is forcefully arranged. / Huatou or no huatou— / Everywhere is the Tathāgata." He also said: "This year sixty-six, / Not knowing what is being done. / Hey! Everyone, fix your eyes / And look at this message! / Even if the Buddhas and Patriarchs come, / There is no use for them." Having finished speaking, he passed away. An extraordinary fragrance did not dissipate for a long period. His whole body was venerated for three days, his countenance looking just as if he were alive. Following jhāpita, his relic bones were collected and encoffined in a stupa on the north side of Lotus Peak. His worldly age was sixty-six; his dharma age, fifty-four. Wang Shizhen composed his inscription.

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Biographies of Eminent Monks of the Great Ming, Fascicle Three

Linked texts (1)

大明高僧傳 — Classical Chinese