神僧傳 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

Shi Dao'an was surnamed Wei and was a native of Fuliu in Changshan. His family had been scholars for generations. Having lost his parents at an early age, he was raised by his cousin of the Kong family. At seven years of age, he could recite texts from memory after reading them only twice, which amazed the people of his hometown. At twelve, he renounced household life. He was sagacious and acutely perceptive, but his appearance was extremely uncomely, so he was not held in high regard by his master. After several years, he finally requested scriptures from his master. The master gave him one scroll of the Bianyi jing, about five thousand words. Dao'an took the scripture into the fields and read it while taking breaks. Returning in the evening, he gave the scripture back to his master and requested another. The master said, 'You have not read yesterday's scripture, yet you ask for another today?' He replied, 'I have already committed it to memory.' Although the master was amazed, he did not yet believe him. He then gave him one scroll of the Chengju guangming jing, no fewer than ten thousand words. Dao'an took it as before and returned it to his master in the evening. The master held the scripture and checked it, finding not a single word missing or mistaken. Greatly astonished, he revered him as extraordinary. Later, he bestowed the full precepts upon him and allowed him to travel and study freely. Dao'an arrived in Ye, where he met Fotudeng and served him as his master. When the Shi clan was about to fall into chaos, he crossed the Yellow River and traveled south with more than four hundred disciples, including Huiyuan. While traveling by night, they encountered a thunderstorm and advanced by the flashes of lightning. Moving ahead, they reached a household and saw a horse-tethering post inside the gate, with a feed basket holding about one hu hanging between the posts. Dao'an instructed them to call out for Lin Baisheng. The master of the house came out in shock; his surname was indeed Lin and his given name Baisheng. Baisheng considered him a divine being and received him with great generosity. Later, when his disciples asked how he knew the man's name, Dao'an said, 'Two trees (mu) make a forest (lin), and the basket held one hundred sheng (baisheng).' Having arrived in Xiangyang, he once again propagated the Buddhadharma. At that time, Xi Zuochi of Xiangyang possessed an eloquence of heavenly freedom that overshadowed the age. Having long known Dao'an's lofty reputation, upon hearing that Dao'an had arrived, he went to visit him. Once seated, Xi Zuochi proclaimed, 'Xi Zuochi of the Four Seas.' Dao'an replied, 'Shi Dao'an of the Vast Heavens.' The people of the time considered this a celebrated repartee. Dao'an wrote commentaries on various scriptures, but fearing they might not accord with reason, he made a vow: 'If what I have explained does not stray far from reason, may an auspicious sign appear.' Thereupon he dreamed of a Daoist whose hair was white and eyebrows long, who said to Dao'an, 'The scriptures you have commented upon accord remarkably well with the principle. I have not been able to enter nirvāṇa and reside in the Western Regions; I shall assist you in making them widely understood. You may prepare offerings of food for me from time to time.' Later, when the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya arrived, Master Huiyuan realized that the one in his master's dream was Piṇḍola. Later, on the twenty-seventh day of the first month in the twenty-first year of the Jianyuan era of the Qin (385 CE), a strange monk of very ordinary and humble appearance suddenly arrived at the monastery requesting lodging. Because the monastic quarters were cramped, he was accommodated in the lecture hall. At that time, the karmadāna was on duty in the hall and saw this monk entering and leaving through the rear window at night. He hurried to inform Dao'an. Dao'an rose in shock, bowed, and inquired about the purpose of his coming. The monk replied, 'I have come for your sake.' Dao'an said, 'I consider my transgressions to be deep; how could I be delivered?' The monk replied, 'You can certainly be delivered.' Dao'an inquired about the place of his future rebirth, whereupon the monk waved his hand toward the northwest of the sky; the clouds immediately parted, and Dao'an beheld the wondrous and supreme recompense of Tuṣita. The monk also said, 'You must bathe the holy monks so that your wish may be fulfilled,' and showed him the bathing methods in detail. Later, Dao'an prepared a bath and saw several tens of small boys enter the monastery; shortly thereafter, only the sound of water being used in the bathhouse could be heard, and after a while, they disappeared. Opening the room, the towels were wet and the water reduced. On the eighth day of the second month of that year, Dao'an suddenly announced to the assembly, 'I must depart.' That day, after finishing his midday meal, he passed away without illness. He was buried within the city at Wuji Monastery. This was the tenth year of the Taiyuan era of the Jin.

2.3

Tanyou

2.4

Zhu Tanyou, also called Fayou, was a native of Dunhuang. In his youth he practiced austerities and trained in meditation (dhyāna). Later he traveled east of the Yangzi River and stayed at Shicheng Mountain in Shan, where he begged for food and practiced meditation. Once, he went to the house of someone practicing witchcraft (gu) to beg for food. When Tanyou finished his prayer of blessing, he suddenly saw a centipede leap out of the food. Tanyou ate it heartily without any harm. Later he moved to a stone chamber on Chicheng Mountain in Shifeng to practice meditation. Several tens of fierce tigers crouched before Tanyou, but he recited scriptures as before. One tiger alone fell asleep, and Tanyou tapped its head with a ruyi scepter, asking why it was not listening to the scripture. Soon after, all the tigers departed. After a while, large serpents vied to emerge, ten spans in circumference; they coiled round and round, raising their heads toward Tanyou, and after half a day, they departed. Another day, a spirit manifested its form, came to Tanyou, and said, 'Dharma Master, as your awe-inspiring virtue is profound and you have come to dwell on this mountain, this disciple would like to yield the chamber to offer it to you.' Tanyou said, 'This poor monk came seeking the mountains wishing to meet with others; why should we not live together?' The spirit said, 'It is not that this disciple does not wish to do so, but my subordinates have not yet been reached by the Dharma's transformation and are difficult to restrain abruptly. Travelers from afar might be intruded upon or offended. The ways of humans and spirits differ, which is why I am leaving.' Tanyou asked, 'What spirit were you originally? How long have you lived here? Where do you intend to move?' The spirit said, 'This disciple is the son of an emperor of the Xia, having resided on this mountain for more than two thousand years. Hanshi Mountain is ruled by my maternal uncle; I shall go dwell there, and soon return to the shrine at Shanyin.' Upon bidding farewell, he took Tanyou by the hand and presented him with three boxes of incense. Thereupon, beating drums and blowing horns, he soared into the clouds and departed. Mount Tiantai has sheer cliffs towering high, its peaks piercing the sky. According to ancient lore, there is a fine vihāra at the summit where those who have attained the Way dwell. Although there is a stone bridge spanning the ravine, a horizontal stone blocks the way, and the blue moss is slippery; from antiquity to the present, none have been able to reach it. When Tanyou reached the stone bridge, he heard a voice in the air saying, 'I know you are sincere, but today you cannot cross. Ten years from now, you will naturally be able to come.' Tanyou felt regret in his heart and retreated. Passing a stone chamber on his way, he paused inside to rest. Shortly thereafter, clouds and mist merged in darkness, and the inside of the chamber resounded loudly. Tanyou's demeanor remained undisturbed. The next morning, a man wearing an unlined robe and cap appeared and said, 'This is my dwelling. Yesterday I was away, which led to a commotion in my household; I am deeply ashamed.' Tanyou said, 'If this is your home, I ask to return it to you.' The spirit said, 'My household has already moved. Please remain and stay.' During the Taiyuan era of the Jin, an ominous star appeared. The Emperor issued a general decree to the virtuous śramaṇas of all domains to diligently carry out Buddhist rituals and perform repentance to avert the calamity. Tanyou prayed with sincerity and had a spiritual response: at dawn on the sixth day, he saw a small boy in green clothing arrive to confess, saying, 'We have troubled the Dharma Master in vain.' That evening, the star receded. At the end of the Taihe era, he passed away in the mountain chamber. His corpse looked as it had in life, but his entire body was green. Later, people who entered the mountain and climbed the cliffs saw that Tanyou's corpse had not decomposed.

2.5

Tanyi

2.6

Shi Tanyi was surnamed Yao and was of Qiang descent. At sixteen, he renounced household life and served Master Dao'an as his teacher at Tanxi Monastery. Teng Shezhi, the prefect of Changsha under the Jin, donated his residence in Jiangling to make it a monastery. He informed Dao'an and asked for a monk to oversee it. Dao'an said to Tanyi, 'The gentry and common people of Jing-Chu are just beginning to take refuge in the teachings; who else but you can accomplish their conversion?' Tanyi then took up his staff, journeyed south, and constructed the monastery. Later, when the rebel Yue Yi raided south of the Han River, the entire region of Jiangling fled to Shangming to seek refuge. Tanyi built another monastery there. After the bandits were wiped out, he returned to Jiangling and restored Changsha Monastery. Praying with sincere devotion, he was granted a response and obtained a relic, which he placed in a golden vase set on the altar of the vegetarian feast. Tanyi made prostrations and vowed, 'If this is truly the diamond-hard remains, may it emit light!' In the middle of the night, five-colored radiance gradually emerged from the vase, illuminating the entire hall. The assembly was astonished, and all revered Tanyi's spiritual attunement. Later, he went to Mount Jun in Baling to fell timber, where he encountered several tens of white snakes lying across and blocking the path. Tanyi withdrew to his lodging and said to the mountain spirit, 'I am felling timber to build a monastery; I hope you will share in this merit.' That night, he dreamed of a divine being who told him, 'Since you, Dharma Master, require it for the Three Jewels, I especially rejoice in it. But do not allow others to cut down timber at will.' When he went again the next day, the road was completely clear and level. Thereupon he felled timber and floated it downstream. Among the laborers, there were inevitably those who engaged in theft. When they arrived back at the monastery, Tanyi's timber was intact, while the timber stolen by others was entirely seized by the officials. Such was his sincere response. Tanyi often lamented that although the monastery had been founded and monks were sufficient, images were still few: 'The depictions, appearances, and divine marvels made by King Aśoka are mostly distributed across various regions; why am I lacking in attunement that I cannot summon them?' He then focused his mind with earnest sincerity to beseech a genuine response. On the eighth day of the second month in the nineteenth year of the Taiyuan era of the Jin, the jiawu year (394 CE), an image suddenly appeared to the north of the city, its brilliant marks reaching the sky. At that time, the monastic assembly of Baima Monastery had gone first to welcome it, but were unable to move it. Tanyi went to bow and pay reverence, saying to the assembly, 'This must be King Aśoka's image descending upon our Changsha Monastery.' He then had three disciples lift it; it rose effortlessly, and they escorted it back to his monastery. Monastics and laypeople rushed forth, carriages and horses crowding the roads. Later, the Dhyāna Master Saṅghananda of Kapiśa came down from Shu, entered the monastery to pay homage, saw the Sanskrit letters above the halo of the image, and said, 'This is an image of King Aśoka; when did it come here?' Only then did those who heard this realize that Tanyi had not been mistaken. He passed away at the age of eighty-two. On the day of his death, the image's round halo suddenly vanished through a miraculous transformation, and no one knew where it went. Monastics and laypeople all considered this the result of Tanyi's spiritual communion.

2.7

Tanshi

2.8

Shi Tanshi was a native of Guanzhong. From the time he renounced household life, he exhibited many miraculous signs. At the end of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin, he took several tens of works of sūtras and vinaya to Liaodong to preach and convert, openly conferring the three vehicles and instituting refuges and precepts. Early in the Yixi era, he returned to Guanzhong to guide the Sanfu region. Tanshi's feet were whiter than his face, and even when he walked barefoot through mud and water, they were never soiled or wet; everyone under Heaven called him the 'White-Footed Master.' At that time, Wang Hu of Chang'an had an uncle who had died several years earlier; the uncle suddenly manifested his form, returned, and led Hu on a journey throughout hell to display the various karmic retributions. When Hu took his leave to return, the uncle said to him, 'Since you now know karma, you should serve the White-Footed Aranya.' Hu visited monks everywhere, but only saw Tanshi whose feet were whiter than his face, and so he served him. At the end of the Jin, Helian Bobo of the Xiongnu of Shuofang sacked Guanzhong, massacring countless people. At that time, Tanshi also met with peril, but the blades could not harm him. Bobo marveled at this and issued a general pardon to the śramaṇas, ordering that none of them be killed. Tanshi then went into seclusion in the mountains and marshes to practice the dhūta austerities. Later, Tuoba Tao captured Chang'an again, exercising tyrannical power over the Guan-Luo region. At that time, Cui Hao of Boling had studied heterodox arts in his youth and was jealous of the Buddhist teachings. Since he held a high ministerial position and was trusted by Tao, he spoke together with Heavenly Master Kou [Qianzhi] to Tao, arguing that Buddhist conversion was of no benefit and harmed the welfare of the people, advising him to abolish it. Tao, deluded by their words, destroyed the Buddhadharma in the seventh year of the Taiping era of Northern Yan. He dispatched troops to burn and plunder monasteries, ordering all monks and nuns within his territory to return to lay life. Those who fled into hiding were pursued and captured; whenever caught, they were beheaded, so that within the entire realm not a single śramaṇa remained. Tanshi alone withdrew into seclusion in the deep wilderness where the troops could not reach. Toward the end of the Taiping era, Tanshi knew that the time for Tao's conversion was drawing near; on the day of the New Year's court assembly, he suddenly arrived at the palace carrying his staff. An official reported, 'There is a Daoist whose feet are whiter than his face, entering through the gate.' Tao ordered him to be executed repeatedly according to military law, yet he was not harmed. They hurried to inform Tao. Tao was furious and personally struck him with his own sword, but Tanshi's body showed no injury, with only a mark like a thread where the sword had touched. At that time, tigers were kept in cages in the northern park; Tao ordered Tanshi to be fed to them, but the tigers cowered and never dared approach. When they tested this by bringing the Heavenly Master near the cage, the tigers roared. Tao finally realized that the Buddhist teachings were exalted and beyond the reach of Huang-Lao. He then invited Tanshi to ascend the hall, prostrated at his feet, and repented of his transgressions. Tanshi preached the Dharma for him, clearly expounding cause and effect. Tao felt great shame and fear, and subsequently contracted a virulent leprosy; Cui and Kou in turn fell ill with malignant diseases. Where Tanshi ended his days is unknown.

2.9

Faxian

2.10

Shi Faxian's secular surname was Gong. He was a native of Wuyang in Pingyang. He had three elder brothers, all of whom died in childhood. Fearing that misfortune would reach Faxian as well, his father had him ordained as a novice at the age of three. He lived at home for several years, but fell gravely ill and was near death. He was therefore sent back to the monastery, and after staying for two nights, he recovered and was unwilling to return home again. When he was ten, he suffered the loss of his father. His uncle, considering that Faxian's widowed mother was helpless and destitute, pressed him to return to secular life. Faxian said, 'I did not renounce household life on account of having a father. It was solely because I wished to leave dust behind and depart from the worldly that I entered the Way.' His uncle commended his words and ceased pressing him. Soon after, his mother died; his innate devotion surpassed that of ordinary people, and as soon as the burial was completed, he immediately returned to the monastery. Once, he was harvesting rice in the fields with several tens of his fellow students. At that time, hungry bandits came, intending to seize their grain. All the novices ran away, and only Faxian remained alone. He spoke to the bandits, saying, 'If you need grain, take as much as you wish. However, it was because in the past you did not practice dāna that you have incurred hunger and poverty; now, if you rob people again, I fear that in future lives it will be even worse. This poor monk is only worried on your behalf in advance.' Having finished speaking, he returned, and the bandits abandoned the grain and departed. None among the monastic assembly failed to sigh in admiration. When he received the full precepts, his aspiration and conduct were clear and keen, and his deportment was orderly and strict. Constantly lamenting the errors and lacunae in the sūtras and Vinaya, he took a vow to go in search of them. In the third year of Long'an of the Jin dynasty, together with his fellow student Huijing and others, he departed from Chang'an and crossed the drifting sands to the west. Along the way there were frequent scorching winds and evil ghosts; anyone who encountered them invariably died. Entrusting himself to conditions and resigning his life to fate, Faxian passed directly through the perils and arrived at the Congling Mountains. Snow accumulated there winter and summer alike, and there were venomous dragons that spewed poisonous wind, rain, sand, and gravel. The mountain roads were treacherous and steep, with cliff faces rising sheer for thousands of fathoms; altogether they crossed more than seven hundred such places. Next, arriving at the Little Snow Mountains, they encountered a violent outbreak of cold wind. Huijing trembled and shivered, unable to proceed. He said to Faxian, 'I shall surely die; you should go forward, and let us not perish together.' With his words ended, he passed away. Faxian stroked him and wept, saying, 'Our original plan has not come to fruition—it is fate, what can be done?' Straining with his own strength, he proceeded alone and eventually crossed the mountain perils, passing through more than thirty countries in total. When he was about to reach Tianzhu, more than thirty li from Rājagṛha, there was a monastery, and he passed by it as dusk approached. Faxian wished to visit Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain. The monks of the monastery remonstrated with him, saying, 'The road is exceedingly treacherous and blocked, and furthermore there are many black lions that have repeatedly devoured people. How could you possibly reach it?' Faxian said, 'Having traveled tens of thousands of li from afar, I vowed to reach Vulture Peak. Life and body cannot be counted upon, and an out-breath is not guaranteed; how could I allow the sincerity accumulated over years to be abandoned just as I have arrived? Though there be dangers and hardships, I am not afraid.' The assembly could not stop him and sent two monks to escort him. When Faxian reached the mountain, the sun was about to set, and he intended to stay the night. The two monks were terrified; abandoning him, they returned. Faxian remained alone on the mountain, burning incense and paying homage, his earnest devotion stirred by the ancient traces as though beholding the holy countenance. When night fell, three black lions came, crouched in front of Faxian, licked their lips, and wagged their tails. Faxian recited the sūtras without ceasing, single-mindedly recollecting the Buddha. The lions then lowered their heads, drooped their tails, and prostrated themselves before Faxian's feet. Faxian stroked them with his hand and recited an incantation, saying, 'If you wish to harm me, wait until I have finished my recitation; if you have come to test me, you may now withdraw.' After a long while, the lions departed. The next morning he started on his return journey; the road was utterly secluded and blocked, with only a single path running through. Before he had gone more than a li, he suddenly met a man of the Way who was about ninety years of age, whose appearance and clothing were coarse and plain, yet his spiritual bearing was exceptional and profound. Faxian, although sensing that his demeanor was lofty, did not realize he was a divine being. Later he met a young monk and Faxian asked, 'Who was the elder just now?' The monk replied, 'He was the great disciple of Mahākāśyapa the Dhūta.' Only then did Faxian feel great regret and sorrow. Arriving in Central Tianzhu, at the Temple of the Heavenly King to the south of King Aśoka's stupa in the city of Pāṭaliputra in Magadha, he obtained the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya. He also obtained a manuscript of the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya, the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, the Sūtra of the Thread, and the Vaipulya Nirvāṇa-sūtra, among others. Remaining for two years, he further obtained the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya, the Dīrgha-āgama and Saṃyukta-āgama, and the Kṣudraka-piṭaka, all of which were not present in the land of Han. Subsequently, he boarded a merchant's large ship and returned by sea. On the ship were about two hundred people. Encountering a violent storm, everyone was terrified and immediately took sundry goods and threw them overboard. Faxian, fearing they would throw away his sūtras and images, single-mindedly recollected Avalokiteśvara and took refuge in the monastic assembly of the land of Han. The ship drifted with the wind and avoided damage or destruction. Faxian then traveled south to the capital. At DaChang Monastery, together with the foreign dhyāna master Buddhabhadra, he translated the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, the Vaipulya Nirvāṇa-sūtra, and the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra, amounting to nearly one million words. Faxian, having produced the Great Nirvāṇa-sūtra, disseminated it to convert others, causing all to see and hear it. There was a family whose name is lost, residing near the Zhuque Gate, who for generations had revered the correct teaching; they copied a fascicle themselves to read, recite, and make offerings to, without a separate sūtra room, keeping it in a room with miscellaneous books. Later, wind and fire suddenly arose and spread to their house; their wealth and goods were completely destroyed, yet the Nirvāṇa-sūtra remained intact and complete, untouched by the ashes and cinders, with the color of the scrolls unaltered. In the capital it was widely told, and all marvelled at the divine wonder. The remaining sūtras and Vinaya were not translated. Later, he went to Jingzhou and died at Xin Monastery at the age of eighty-six.

2.11

Fakuang

2.12

Shi Fakuang's surname was Gao. He was a native of Xiapi. Residing in Wuxing, he lost both parents at an early age. He served his stepmother and was renowned for his filial piety. When his stepmother died, he performed the mourning rites fully according to proper ritual. After the mourning period ended, he renounced household life and served the śramaṇa Zhu Tanyin as his teacher. Yin once fell gravely ill, and Kuang prayed with sincerity and practiced repentance day and night for seven days. On the seventh day, a radiant light was suddenly seen illuminating the doors of Yin's room. Yin felt as if someone were striking him with a hand, and his suffering was thereupon cured. Later, Kuang took leave of his teacher to travel far and wide, broadly seeking the essentials of the sūtras. Returning, he stayed in a stone cave on Mount Qingshan in Yuqian. Emperor Jianwen of the Jin dynasty dispatched Qu An, the Grand Administrator of Tangyi, to convey an imperial edict from afar inquiring after his health, and also to consult him about an inauspicious star, requesting Kuang to apply his spiritual effort. Kuang thereupon undertook fasting and repentance together with his disciples, and after a short time the calamity was extinguished. Many common people of the eastern region contracted pestilence, and whenever they prayed to him, they were immediately cured. One who could see ghosts said that wherever Kuang went or stayed, there were constantly several tens of ghosts and spirits guarding him before and behind. People of the time all marveled at this. In the first year of Yuanxing, he died at the age of seventy-six, with fifty-two monastic years.

2.13

Huiyuan

2.14

Shi Huiyuan's original surname was Jia. He was a native of Loufan in Yanmen. From childhood he was fond of books. At the age of thirteen, he accompanied his maternal uncle of the Linghu clan to study in Xuchang and Luoyang, and thus in his youth became a classicist scholar, broadly mastering the Six Classics and being especially adept in Zhuangzi and Laozi. His natural disposition was grand and broad, and his discernment and bearing were clear and outstanding; even veteran scholars and prominent talents all submitted to his profound insight. At the age of twenty-one, wishing to cross east of the Yangtze to join with Fan Xuanzi in study, he met with the death of Shi Hu and the turmoil of bandits in the Central Plains; the southern routes were blocked, and his intention could not be realized. At that time, the śramaṇa Shi Dao'an had established a monastery at Mount Heng in the Taihang range, broadly propagating the semblance Dharma, and his fame was exceedingly prominent. Yuan thereupon went to take refuge with him; at their first meeting he paid utmost reverence, considering him truly to be his teacher. Later, hearing Dao'an lecture on the Prajñā-sūtra, he had an awakening and, together with his younger brother Huichi, cast aside his hairpin, shaved his head, and entrusted his life to receive instruction. Once he had entered the Way, he was austere and stood out from the crowd, always wishing to take charge of the overarching guidelines and making the Great Dharma his personal responsibility. Reflecting deeply and reciting with devotion, he continued through the night into the day. Traveling in poverty without provisions, he was constantly lacking in padded clothing; yet the brothers were respectful and diligent, unflagging from beginning to end. There was a śramaṇa named Tanyi who frequently provided him with the expense for lamps and candles. Master Dao'an, hearing of this, was pleased and said, 'The gentleman of the Way truly knows people.' At the age of twenty-four, he began to give lectures. A guest listening to a lecture once raised an objection concerning the meaning of true reality; they went back and forth for a long time, only increasing doubt and obscurity. Yuan then cited the meaning in the Zhuangzi to make an analogy, and the matter became clear to the perplexed listener. After this, Master Dao'an specially permitted Huiyuan not to abandon secular texts. Dao'an had disciples named Fayu and Tancheng, both of whom possessed brilliant talent and a pure, keen commitment to their pursuits; both admired and deferred to him. Later, he followed Master Dao'an on a journey south to Fan and Mian. In the ninth year of Jianyuan of the illegitimate Qin, the Qin general Fu Ping invaded and annexed Xiangyang. Dao'an was detained by Zhu Xu and could not leave; he therefore dispatched his disciples in various directions according to their destinations, giving instructions to all of them. Yuan alone did not receive a single word. Yuan then knelt and said, 'I alone have received no instruction or encouragement; I fear I am not counted among human beings.' Dao'an said, 'For someone like you, how could I worry?' Yuan thereupon went south to Jingzhou with several tens of disciples and stayed at Shangming Monastery. Later, wishing to go to Mount Luofu, when he reached Xunyang he saw that the peak of Mount Lu was pure and tranquil, sufficient to calm the mind, and first stayed at the Longquan Vihāra. This place was originally far from water, so Yuan struck the ground with his staff and said, 'If this place can be a dwelling, let a spring burst forth from the decaying earth.' When he finished speaking, a clear stream welled up and flowed deep to form a creek. A short time later, Xunyang suffered a severe drought; Yuan went to the side of the pool and read the Sāgara-nāgarāja-sūtra. Suddenly, a giant serpent flew up from the pool into the sky, and in a moment a great rain fell, resulting in an abundant harvest. The vihāra was therefore named Longquan Monastery. When Tao Kan was stationed in Guangzhou, a fisherman saw a divine light in the sea; every evening it shone brightly, growing ever more brilliant over ten days. Wondering at this, he reported it to Kan. Kan went to look closely and found it was an image of King Aśoka; he immediately brought it back and sent it to Hanxi Monastery in Wuchang. The abbot of the monastery, Sengzhen, once went to Xiakou and dreamed at night that the monastery caught fire, yet this image hall alone was surrounded by dragons and spirits. Awakening, Zhen rushed back to the monastery; the monastery had burned down completely, with only the image hall remaining. Later, when Kan moved his command, because the image possessed awe-inspiring spiritual power, he sent an emissary to receive it. Several tens of people carried it to the water, but as soon as it was placed on the boat, the boat capsized; the emissary was terrified, returned it, and in the end could not secure it. When Yuan founded his monastery and it was completed, he prayed with sincere devotion to welcome it, whereupon it became light and buoyant, traveling back and forth without hindrance. Thereupon, he led the assembly in practicing the Way, unceasing day and night. The remaining teaching of Śākyamuni was revived here. From the time Yuan chose to dwell on Mount Lu for more than thirty years, his shadow never left the mountain and his footsteps never entered worldly places. Whenever he saw guests off on their walk, he always took Tiger Creek as the boundary. In the beginning of the eighth month in the twelfth year of Yixi of the Jin dynasty, he died at the age of eighty-three.

2.15

Kumārajīva

2.16

Kumārajīva, translated here as "Youth of Long Life" (Tongshou), was a native of Tianzhu. He was skilled in the Sūtras, Vinaya, and Abhidharma, and his teaching flourished in the Western Regions. When he traveled east to Kucha, the King of Kucha made a golden lion throne for him to dwell upon. At that time, Fu Jian had usurped the imperial title in Guanzhong. The king of the Former Division of the Western Regions and the younger brother of the King of Kucha both came to court to pay homage to Fu Jian. Fu Jian granted them an audience. The two kings persuaded Fu Jian, saying, "The Western Regions produce many rarities and treasures; we ask that you dispatch troops to pacify them so that they may submit and pledge allegiance." In the first month of the thirteenth year of the Jianyuan era, the Grand Astrologer submitted a memorial stating, "A star has appeared in the astrological station of the foreign kingdoms; a person of great virtue and wisdom is destined to enter and assist the Middle Kingdom." Fu Jian said, "We have heard that there is a Kumārajīva in the Western Regions; could it be him?" He then dispatched an envoy to seek him. In the ninth month of the eighteenth year, Fu Jian dispatched the valiant general Lü Guang at the head of seventy thousand troops to attack Kucha in the west. As Lü Guang was about to depart, Fu Jian held a farewell banquet for him at the Jianzhang Palace and addressed him, saying, "Monarchs govern in accord with Heaven and take loving the common people as their children as fundamental. How could it be that I attack them out of greed for their territory? It is precisely for the sake of one who embraces the Way. We have heard that in the Western Regions there is a Kumārajīva who deeply understands the characteristics of dharmas and is well versed in yin and yang, being a master revered by later scholars. We long for him greatly. A worthy sage is a realm's supreme treasure; as soon as you overcome Kucha, dispatch him by post-horse immediately." Before Lü Guang's army arrived, Kumārajīva said to the King of Kucha, Bo Chun, "The fortunes of the state are declining; a formidable foe will arrive from the east. You should respectfully receive them and not resist their spearhead." Bo Chun would not comply and gave battle. Lü Guang then crushed Kucha, killed Bo Chun, and enthroned Chun's younger brother, Zhen, as ruler. After obtaining Kumārajīva, Lü Guang took him along in his carriages on the return journey. Mid-way, he bivouacked his army beneath a mountain, and the officers and soldiers had already gone to rest. Kumārajīva said, "This will not do. Remaining here, you will surely face disaster. You should move the army up onto the ridge." Lü Guang did not heed him. That night, a great downpour indeed fell; flash floods rose abruptly to several fathoms in depth, and several thousand men perished. Only then did Lü Guang secretly marvel at him. Kumārajīva said to Lü Guang, "This is a place of ruin and death; it is not fitting to linger here. Calculating through astrology and divination, you should quickly return home. Mid-way there will surely be an auspicious land fit to dwell in." Lü Guang complied. Upon reaching Liangzhou, they heard that Fu Jian had already been murdered by Yao Chang. Lü Guang and his three armies donned plain white mourning dress and performed a great lamentation south of the city. Thereupon he usurped the title outside the Pass, styling his reign era Da'an. In the first month of the second year of Da'an, a great gale blew in Guzang. Kumārajīva said, "An inauspicious wind; there shall be treachery and rebellion, but without any toil it will settle itself." Soon afterward, Liang Qian and Peng Huang rebelled in succession, and shortly they were also exterminated. In the second year of Lü Guang's Longfei era, the Lushui Hu Juqu Nancheng and his younger brother Mengxun of Linsong in Zhangye rebelled and supported Duan Ye, the Grand Administrator of Jiankang, as their leader. Lü Guang dispatched his secondary son, Lü Zuan, the Inspector of Qinzhou and Duke of Taiyuan, to lead a force of fifty thousand to suppress them. Contemporary opinion held that Duan Ye and his faction were a mere rabble, whereas Lü Zuan possessed an awe-inspiring reputation and would inevitably score a complete victory. Lü Guang consulted Kumārajīva on the matter. Kumārajīva said, "Observing this expedition, I see no advantage in it." Soon afterward, Lü Zuan suffered a crushing defeat at Heli. Shortly thereafter, Guo Mo also raised a revolt; Lü Zuan abandoned the main army and returned lightly accompanied, only to be defeated by Guo Mo, barely escaping with his life. Lü Guang's Palace Cadre Director Zhang Zi was gentle and elegant in literary composition, and Lü Guang held him in very high regard. When Zhang Zi fell ill, Lü Guang sought widely for a remedy. A foreign master of the Way named Luosha claimed he could cure Zhang Zi's illness. Lü Guang was delighted and bestowed upon him very generous gifts. Kumārajīva knew that Luosha was deceitful and fraudulent, and told Zhang Zi, "Luosha can do nothing; he will only waste your resources in vain. Although the workings of hidden fate are obscure, they can be tested by means of an event." He then took threads of five colors to make a cord, tied it in a knot, burned it to ash, and threw it into water: "If the ashes emerge from the water and return to the form of the cord, the illness cannot be cured." In a short while, the ashes gathered, floated to the surface, and resumed the cord's original form. Soon Luosha's treatment proved ineffective, and a few days later Zhang Zi died. Shortly thereafter, Lü Guang also passed away, and his son Lü Shao succeeded to the position. Several days later, Lü Guang's secondary son, Lü Zuan, murdered Lü Shao and set himself up as ruler, styling his reign era Xianning. In the second year of Xianning, a sow gave birth to a piglet with one body and three heads. A dragon emerged from a well in the eastern wing and coiled itself before the palace hall; at daybreak it had vanished. Lü Zuan took this to be a propitious omen and named the main hall the Dragon Soaring Hall. Soon after, a black dragon ascended at the Jiugong Gate in the south, and he named it the Dragon Rising Gate. Kumārajīva memorialized, "Recently, a hidden dragon came out to wander, and a monstrous pig has displayed an anomaly. Dragons belong to the category of yin; their appearances and disappearances have their proper times. Yet now they appear repeatedly, which indicates that disasters will arise. There will surely be an uprising of subordinates plotting against superiors. You should subdue yourself and cultivate virtue to respond to Heaven's warning." Lü Zuan did not heed him. He was playing a board game with Kumārajīva, and upon capturing a piece he said, "I hack off the barbarian slave's head!" Kumārajīva said, "You cannot hack off the barbarian slave's head; the barbarian slave is going to hack off someone's head!" There was a hidden meaning in these words, yet Lü Zuan never realized it. Lü Guang's younger brother Bao had a son named Chao, whose childhood name was Hunu ("Barbarian Slave"). Later, Chao indeed murdered Lü Zuan, cut off his head, and enthroned his elder brother Lü Long as ruler. Only then did the people of that time confirm Kumārajīva's words. Kumārajīva remained in Liangzhou for many years. Since Lü Guang and his son did not promote the teaching of the Way, Kumārajīva concealed his deep understanding and had no opportunity to proclaim the teaching. Fu Jian had already died, so they never met after all. When Yao Chang usurped rule over Guanzhong, he too admired Kumārajīva's high renown and humbly invited him. The Lüs, considering that Kumārajīva had much wisdom and understanding and fearing he might devise strategies for the Yaos, did not permit him to travel east. When Yao Chang died and his son Yao Xing succeeded to the throne, Yao Xing again dispatched envoys with earnest invitations. In the third month of the third year of the Hongshi era, trees with intertwined branches grew in the ancestral temple courtyard, and scallions in the Xiaoyao Garden turned into sweet flag; these were regarded as propitious omens, portending that a wise man was about to enter. In the fifth month, Yao Xing dispatched Shuode, the Duke of Longxi, to wage a western campaign against Lü Long. Lü Long's army was utterly routed. In the ninth month, Lü Long submitted a memorial offering surrender; only then was it possible to welcome Kumārajīva through the Pass. On the twentieth day of the twelfth month of that year, he arrived in Chang'an. Yao Xing treated him with the courtesy due to a State Preceptor and showed him exceptional favor and honor. Earlier, when the monk Beidu was in Pengcheng, hearing that Kumārajīva was in Chang'an, he sighed and said, "It has been more than three hundred years since I playfully parted with this fellow; distant and uncertain, I look forward only to meeting him in a future life." A few days before Kumārajīva's demise, he felt that his four elements were unwell, so he recited three divine spells from his mouth and ordered his foreign disciples to recite them to rescue himself. Before their efforts could take effect, he felt his condition turning increasingly critical. Thereupon, exerting himself through illness, he took leave of the assembly of monks, saying, "Having met through the Dharma, I have not yet fully expressed my heart. Facing yet another rebirth, what grief can words express? In my own dim ignorance I have improperly occupied the role of translator. In all, I have translated over three hundred fascicles of sūtras and treatises; only the single work of the Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya has not yet had its redundancies abridged. Its original purport has been preserved without error. I pray that all that I have proclaimed and translated will circulate in future generations and be universally propagated. Now, before the great assembly, I make a truthful vow: If my translations are free from error, then after my body is cremated, may my tongue not be scorched or rot away!" On the twentieth day of the eighth month of the eleventh year of Hongshi, he passed away in Chang'an; this was the fifth year of the Yixi era of the Jin. Thereupon, in the Xiaoyao Garden, his corpse was cremated according to foreign custom. When the firewood was consumed and his form shattered, only his tongue had not turned to ash.

2.17

Fa'an

2.18

Śramaṇa Fa'an, also named Ciqin, was of unknown origin. He was a disciple of Master Huiyuan. He was skilled in upholding the vinaya practices, lecturing on the various sūtras, and also practicing the work of dhyāna. He was well able to instruct the ignorant and deluded, plucking them from heterodoxy and returning them to the correct. During the Yixi era of the Jin dynasty, there was a plague of tigers in Xinyang County. The county had a large altar tree under which a spirit shrine was built. The residents around it numbered in the hundreds; every night one or two people were killed by tigers. Fa'an once traveled through that county and lodged in this village at dusk. The people, fearing the tigers, had closed their gates early. Fa'an went straight beneath the tree and sat in dhyāna throughout the night. Toward dawn, he heard a tiger carrying a person arrive and cast him to the north of the tree. Seeing Fa'an, it appeared both pleased and startled, leaping and crouching before Fa'an. Fa'an preached the Dharma and conferred the precepts upon it; the tiger crouched on the ground without moving, and after a while it left. At daybreak, the villagers tracking the tiger reached the base of the tree and were greatly astonished to see Fa'an, taking him to be a divine person. The news then spread throughout the county, and gentry and commoners alike revered him. The tiger plague ceased as a result. Consequently, they transformed the spirit shrine and invited Fa'an to remain and establish a monastery, relinquishing the surrounding fields and gardens to become communal property. Later, wishing to make painted images, he needed copper green (verdigris) but was distressed at being unable to obtain any. At night he dreamed of a person approaching his bed, who said, "Under here are bronze bells." Upon waking, he dug there and indeed found two of them; he thus used their verdigris to complete the images. Later, he used one bell to assist Master Huiyuan in casting a Buddha statue; the remaining one was borrowed by Xiong Wuhuan, the Grand Administrator of Wuchang, to view, who then kept it. Fa'an's ultimate end is unknown.

2.19

Tanhuo

2.20

Śramaṇa Tanhuo was of unknown origin. During the time of Tufa Rutan, he arrived from Henan carrying an iron khakkhara, and made people kneel, saying, "This is the eye of prajñā; honoring it, one can attain the Way." The people of the time all marveled at him. Someone gave him garments; he accepted them and threw them into the river, and on a later day returned them to their original owner without any stain upon the clothing. He walked as swiftly as wind and clouds, and said that people's life and death, nobility and lowliness, did not err by a hair's breadth. Someone once hid his khakkhara; Tanhuo wailed aloud several times, closed his eyes for a moment, then arose and retrieved it. All marveled at his divine anomalies, and none could fathom him. Because of this, very many people served the Buddha. Lilugu had a younger brother named Rutan, who held the acting rank of General of Chariots and Cavalry, wielding supreme power in that illegitimate state; he was suspicious and jealous, and harmed many people. Tanhuo said to Rutan, "You should cultivate goodness and serve the Buddha, making it a bridge for future lives." Rutan said, "My ancestors never served the Buddha. If I serve the Buddha now, I fear I would violate the intentions of my ancestors. If you, venerable sir, can go without eating for seven days with your complexion unchanged, that would be the divine efficacy of the Buddha's Way, and I will serve it." He then had men confine and guard him for seven days, yet Tanhuo showed no signs of hunger or thirst. Rutan dispatched the śramaṇa Zhixing to secretly bring cakes and offer them to Tanhuo, but Tanhuo refused to eat. Rutan marveled at him all the more. Tanhuo constantly said to Rutan, "If you can sit in tranquility and do nothing, the world can be pacified and your lineage will flourish. If you exhaust military power and are fond of killing, misfortune will overtake yourself." Rutan was unable to comply. When Rutan's daughter became gravely ill, he requested Tanhuo to treat her. Tanhuo said, "A person's life and death have their own fixed time; even sages cannot turn misfortune into fortune. How could Tanhuo prolong her life? I can only know whether it will be sooner or later." Rutan persistently implored him. At that time, the inner palace gates were closed. Tanhuo said, "Quickly open the rear gate! If the gate is opened in time, she will live; if not in time, she will die." Rutan ordered it opened, but it was not in time, and she died. Later, amidst military upheavals, his whereabouts became unknown.

2.21

Tanyong

2.22

Śramaṇa Tanyong, surnamed Yang, was a native of Guanzhong. In his youth, he served the illegitimate Qin as General of the Guards. He was eight chi tall and possessed heroic martial prowess surpassing ordinary men. In the eighth year of the Taiyuan era, he accompanied Fu Jian in invading the south, and was defeated by the Jin army. Upon returning to Chang'an, he renounced household life under Master Dao'an. After Master Dao'an passed away, he also served Master Huiyuan. Later, in the southwest of the mountain, he built a thatched hut and, together with his disciple Tanguo, clarified his thoughts in the gates of dhyāna. Once, Tanguo dreamed of a mountain deity seeking to receive the five precepts; Tanguo said, "My teacher is here; you may go inquire and receive them from him." A short time later, Tanyong saw a man wearing an unlined robe and cap, of upright and graceful deportment, accompanied by some twenty attendants, requesting to receive the five precepts. Tanyong, knowing from Tanguo's earlier dream that this was the mountain deity, expounded the Dharma and conferred the precepts upon him. The deity offered foreign-made spoons and chopsticks as a donation, bowed, bid farewell, and vanished in an instant. When the day of Master Huiyuan's demise arrived, Tanyong rushed there, wailing and leaping in lamentation. Later, he traveled to Jingzhou and passed away at the Zhulin Monastery.

2.23

Senglang

2.24

Shi Senglang: his clan and ancestry are unknown; he was a person of Jingzhao. In his youth, he traveled abroad, inquiring into the Way in Chang'an, and then returned to Guanzhong, devoting himself solely to lecturing and expounding. Once, when traveling with several companions to attend an invitation, on reaching midway he suddenly told his fellows, saying, "The clothing and articles in your temples seem to be being stolen." When they returned according to his words, there were indeed thieves. Later, he established a separate vihāra in Jinyu Valley on Mount Kunlun, founding and constructing chambers and rooms, with dozens of inner and outer dwellings. Over one hundred people who heard of his repute came to him. Lang untiringly instructed and guided them, never complaining of weariness. Fu Jian, King of Qin, revering his pristine virtue, sent an envoy to make offerings to him. Later, when Jian purged the monastic assembly, he issued a special edict, stating: "Dharma Master Lang's precept virtue is pure as frost and ice, and his disciples are pure and eminent. The entire mountain of Kunlun is exempt from the reckoning of dismissal." In the valley there had formerly been the scourge of tigers, so that people would always carry staves and travel in groups; but when Lang came to dwell there, the fierce beasts submitted, so that whether traveling at dawn or going by night, both monastics and laity were unimpeded. The common folk marveled and praised his goodness boundlessly, and therefore to this day it is called Master Lang's Valley. Whenever people came to visit Lang, no matter how many or few, he always foresaw it a day before they arrived, and would order his disciples to prepare food and drink for them; and they inevitably arrived just as he had said. All marveled at his perspicacity of foresight. Later, he passed away on the mountain at eighty-five years of age.

2.25

Buddhayaśas

2.26

Buddhayaśas—translated here as "Juming" (Renowned for Awakening)—was a native of Kapiśa, of brāhmaṇa lineage. For generations his family had served non-Buddhist traditions. Once, a śramaṇa came to his house begging for food, and his father, in anger, ordered someone to beat him. The father's hands and feet consequently became crippled and lame so that he could not walk. He then questioned a spirit-medium, who replied, "This was caused by spirits because you offended a worthy man." He immediately invited this śramaṇa and made wholehearted repentance, and in a few days he recovered. He then had Yaśas renounce household life to become the śramaṇa's disciple, being thirteen years old at the time. He frequently accompanied his master on distant travels. In an open wilderness they encountered a tiger; his master wished to flee, but Yaśas said, "This tiger is already sated and will surely not harm anyone." Shortly after, the tiger left, and upon walking forward they indeed saw the remnants of its prey; his master secretly marveled at him. By the age of fifteen, he recited two to thirty thousand words of sūtras every day. Because the monastery where he stayed always required piṇḍapāta outside, his recitation and study were disrupted. An arhat, respecting his intelligence and keenness, constantly begged food to provide for him. By the age of nineteen, he recited several million words of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras. Only at the age of twenty-seven did he receive full ordination. Later, he arrived in the kingdom of Kashgar (Shāle). At that time, the king of the country was unwell and invited the monks for a feast; the crown prince saw him, was delighted with him, and asked him to remain in the palace to receive offerings. When Kumārajīva arrived later, he in turn studied under Yaśas and revered him greatly. Later, Kumārajīva went to Kucha and was captured by Lü Guang. Yaśas remained for over ten years, and then went east to Kucha, where his Dharma transformation flourished greatly. At that time, Kumārajīva was in Guzang and sent an envoy to invite him. When he wished to leave, the people of the country detained him for about a year. Later, he said to a disciple, "I wish to seek out Kumārajīva; you may secretly pack our clothes and set out without letting anyone know." The disciple said, "I fear that if they pursue us tomorrow, we will inevitably be brought back." Yaśas then took a bowl of pure water, cast medicine into it, chanted several tens of words of incantation over it, and washed his and his disciple's feet with it. They then set out by night, and by dawn they had traveled several hundred li. He asked the disciple, "What did you feel?" The disciple answered, "I only heard the sound of rushing wind, and tears flowed from my eyes." Yaśas again gave him incanted water to wash his feet and rest. Next morning, when the people of the country pursued them, they were already several hundred li off and could not catch up. Traveling on, he reached Guzang, but Kumārajīva had already entered Chang'an. Having heard that Yao Xing coerced Kumārajīva with concubines and urged him to uncanonical conduct, Yaśas sighed, "Kumārajīva is like fine silk—how could he be cast into a bramble thicket?" Hearing that he had reached Guzang, Kumārajīva urged Yao Xing to welcome him, but Xing did not heed it at first. Shortly after, Xing ordered Kumārajīva to translate the scriptural canon. Kumārajīva said, "To propagate and declare the Dharma teachings, one should ensure that text and meaning are completely harmonious. Although this poor monk can recite the text, he has not mastered its subtle principles. Only Buddhayaśas deeply penetrates the profound purport; he is now in Guzang, and I pray you issue an edict to summon him. We should deliberate three times over every single word before setting brush to paper, so that the subtle words are not lost and will command trust for a thousand ages." Xing complied, and immediately sent an envoy to invite him, presenting lavish gifts, but Yaśas declined them all. Smiling, he said, "Since the enlightened decree has descended, I ought to ride forth at once. Yet if the dānapati treats scholars generously only to place me in the same situation as Kumārajīva, I dare not obey the command." The envoy returned and reported this in full. Xing marveled at his prudence. When he arrived in Chang'an, Xing went out in person to greet and inquire after him, building a separate new chamber for him in the Xiaoyao Garden and providing the four requirements of offerings; but he accepted none of them, merely engaging in piṇḍapāta for a single daily meal when the hour arrived. Yaśas had previously recited the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya from memory. The usurping Director of Retainers, Yao Shuang, requested that he produce it. He first tested Yaśas by having him recite Qiang medical prescriptions and registers, amounting to roughly fifty thousand words. After one day, holding the text to check against his recitation, not a single word was mistaken. The multitude submitted to his powerful memory. Thus, in the twelfth year of the Hongshi era, he translated the Four-Part Vinaya in forty-four fascicles, and also translated the Dīrgha Āgama and other texts. The monk Zhu Fonian of Liangzhou translated them into the Qin language, and Daohan wrote them down. In the fifteenth year, the translation assembly concluded. Xing offered Yaśas ten thousand bolts of cloth and silk, all of which he declined; Daohan and Fonian each received a thousand bolts of cloth and silk, and five hundred monks of renowned virtue were all richly presented with offerings. Later, Yaśas took his leave to return to foreign lands. Upon reaching Kapiśa, he obtained one fascicle of the Ākāśagarbha Sūtra, which he sent with traveling merchants to transmit to the monks of Liangzhou. Later, his whereabouts remained unknown.

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