神僧傳 2.2

2.2

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.