神僧傳 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

Dharmakṣema, also called Tanmoxian, was a native of Central Tianzhu. At the age of six, he suffered the loss of his father and lived alone with his mother. Seeing the śramaṇa Dharmayaśas, he took Dharmakṣema as his disciple to study the Hīnayāna. Later, he encountered a white-haired meditation master and thereupon pursued the Mahāyāna as his vocation. By the age of twenty, he could recite over two million words of both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna scriptures. Dharmakṣema's cousin was skilled at training elephants; while riding, he accidentally killed a great white-eared elephant ridden by the king. Enraged, the king had him executed and issued an order saying, 'Whoever dares to look upon him shall have their three clans exterminated!' None of the relatives dared to go, but Dharmakṣema wept and buried him. Enraged, the king wished to execute Dharmakṣema. Dharmakṣema said, 'Your Majesty killed him on account of the law; I buried him on account of kinship. Neither violates great righteousness. Why be angry with me?' The bystanders shivered in fear for him, but his composure was serene and self-possessed. Marveling at his resolve and courage, the king retained him and made offerings to him. Dharmakṣema was brilliantly versed in incantations; wherever he turned, they were efficacious. The Western Regions called him the Great Master of Incantations. Later, he accompanied the king into the mountains. The king was thirsty and needed water but could not find any. Dharmakṣema secretly chanted an incantation over a stone to make water flow out, and then praised him saying, 'It is the resonance of the Great King's benevolent favor that has caused dry stone to bring forth a spring.' Those in neighboring countries who heard of this all sighed in admiration at the king's virtue. At that time, the rainfall was very timely, and the common people sang his praises. The king was delighted with his arts of the Way and showered him with generous favor. After a short while, the king's affection waned slightly and he treated him with gradual coldness. Feeling that his prolonged stay had bred weariness, Dharmakṣema took his leave and went to Kapiśa. Wishing to expound the Mahāyāna, he found that it did not suit that country, so he went east to Kucha (pronounced Qiuci). After a short while, he advanced further to Guzang and stayed in a postal relay station. Fearing the loss of his scripture manuscripts, he slept using them as a pillow. Someone pulled him down to the ground. Dharmakṣema woke up with a start, thinking it was a thief. This happened for three nights. He heard a voice in the sky say, 'This is the Tathāgata's treasury of liberation; why use it as a pillow?' Dharmakṣema awakened in shame and placed them separately in a high position. At night, thieves tried to steal them; repeatedly attempting to lift them, they could not move them at all. The next morning, Dharmakṣema carried the scriptures away without considering them heavy. The thieves saw this, considered him a holy person, and all came to bow and apologize. At that time, Juqu Mengxun, King of Hexi, illegitimately occupied the Liang territory. Dharmakṣema once told Mengxun, 'There are ghosts entering the settlements; there will surely be many disasters and epidemics.' Mengxun did not believe it and wished to see it for himself as proof. Dharmakṣema immediately applied his arts to Mengxun; Mengxun saw them and was terrified. Dharmakṣema said, 'You should purify your sincerity, observe the fast and precepts, and drive them away with divine incantations.' He then recited incantations for three days and said to Mengxun, 'The ghosts have departed.' At that time, someone at the border who could see ghosts said that he saw several hundred epidemic ghosts fleeing in haste. The entire domain was brought to peace. At that time, the Wei barbarian Tuoba Tao heard that Dharmakṣema possessed arts of the Way and sent envoys to welcome him. As Mengxun had served Dharmakṣema for a long time, he could not bear to let him go. Later, [Tuoba Tao] sent another comforting message to summon him. Mengxun begrudged letting Dharmakṣema go, yet felt pressured by the might of the Wei. In the third month of the third year of Mengxun's Yihe era, Dharmakṣema asked to travel west to seek the latter portion of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]. Resentful that he wished to leave, Mengxun secretly plotted to harm Dharmakṣema. Feigning to dispatch him with provisions, he lavishly gifted him with precious goods. On the day of his departure, Dharmakṣema wept and told the assembly, 'My karmic retribution is about to arrive; all the sages cannot rescue me. Yet because of my original heartfelt vow, righteousness does not permit me to halt.' Shortly after he set out, Mengxun indeed sent assassins who killed him on the road, at the age of forty-nine. This was the tenth year of the Yuanjia era of the Song. Far and near, all grieved together. Subsequently, Mengxun's attendants frequently saw ghosts and spirits striking Mengxun with swords in broad daylight. In the fourth month, Mengxun fell ill in bed and died.

3.3

Beidu

3.4

As for Beidu ("Cup-Crosser"), his surname and personal name were unknown. Because he often crossed waters riding in a wooden cup, people called him by this name. At first, in Jizhou, he did not cultivate minor disciplines. His divine power was extraordinary, and people of the world could not fathom its origins. Once, in the north, he lodged at a family's house. The family had a golden image, which Du stole and carried off. When the master of the house realized it, he pursued him; he saw Du walking leisurely, yet even pursuing him on a galloping horse, he could not catch him. When Du reached the Mengjin River, he floated his wooden cup on the water and, relying upon it, crossed the river; without depending on wind or oars, he was light and swift as if flying. In a short while he reached the bank and arrived at the capital. At the time he was seen, he was about forty years of age; tied with ropes, his clothes were tattered and barely covered his body. His speech would vanish and reappear, and his joy and anger were erratic. Sometimes he would break the bitter ice to bathe; sometimes he would wear shoes when climbing mountains; sometimes he would walk barefoot into the marketplace. He carried only a single reed hamper and had no other belongings. He once stayed with the man of the Way Fayi of Yanxian Monastery, and [Fa]yi accommodated him in a separate room. Later he wished to go to the Guabu River. At the riverbank, he approached a boatman asking to cross, but the boatman was unwilling to carry him. Du then placed both feet together in his cup, looked about, and chanted verses; the cup flowed naturally and crossed directly to the northern bank. Heading toward Guangling, he encountered an eight-precept retreat held at the house of a Mr. Li in a village. Having had no prior acquaintance, he went straight into the retreat hall and sat down, placing his reed hamper in the middle of the courtyard. Because of his ragged appearance, the assembly had no reverence in their hearts. Seeing the reed hamper blocking the way, Li wished to move it beside the wall, but several men lifting it could not move it. When Du finished eating, he picked it up and walked away, laughing and saying, "The Four Heavenly Kings of the Li family!" At that time, a servant boy peeked into the hamper: there were four small boys, all several inches tall, with upright features and clean, fresh clothing. Thereupon they pursued and searched for him, not knowing his whereabouts. Several days later, he was seen sitting under a dense grove of trees in the western region. Li bowed in homage and invited him to return to his house, making offerings to him day after day. Du did not strictly observe the dietary precepts; he drank wine and ate meat, even eating pungent herbs and minced raw fish, being no different from the vulgar. When the common people offered things to him, he might accept or not accept. Liu Xingbo of the state of Pei was the Regional Inspector of Yanzhou; he sent an emissary to invite him, and Du came carrying his hamper. Xingbo had men lift and inspect it, but more than ten men could not lift it. Xingbo looked inside himself and saw only a ragged cassock and a wooden cup. Later he returned to Li's house and stayed for another twenty-odd days. One clear morning, he suddenly said that he wished to obtain a kāṣāya and ordered it to be prepared by noon. Li immediately set about making it, but by noon it was not yet finished. Du said, "I will go out for a while," and did not return by nightfall. The entire region smelled an extraordinary fragrance; suspecting it was something strange, they searched for Du everywhere. They then found him beneath the northern cliff, lying dead on the ground upon his spread-out ragged kāṣāya. Lotus flowers grew both in front of his head and behind his feet, extremely fresh and fragrant, which withered overnight. The district joined together to bury him. Several days later, someone coming from the north said that he had seen Du carrying his reed hamper walking toward Pengcheng. Thereupon they jointly opened the coffin; only his boots and shoes were there. After arriving in Pengcheng, he met a layman named Huang Xin, who deeply believed in the Buddha-Dharma; seeing Du, he bowed in homage and invited him to return to his house. The family was extremely poor, having only barley rice. Du enjoyed it with contentment and stayed for half a year. Suddenly he said to Xin, "You may seek out thirty-six reed hampers; I need to use them." [Xin] replied, "Here we can have only ten; being poor, I have no means to buy them, so I fear I cannot prepare them all." Du said, "Just search your house; they should be there." Xin then searched thoroughly and indeed found thirty-six hampers. He lined them up in the courtyard; although the number was complete, many were broken and ruined. By the time Xin looked closely at them one by one, they were all new and intact. Du sealed them tightly and told Xin to open them; [Xin] then saw that they were all filled with coins and silk, worth about a million. Those with discernment said that these were the offerings Beidu had obtained by dividing his body into other lands, which he diverted to bestow upon Xin. Xin accepted them and used them entirely for merit. After about a year, Du took his leave. Xin prepared provisions for him. The next morning, he saw the provisions completely intact, but did not know where Du was. Later, traveling east, he entered Wu Commandery. On the road he saw a fisherman and approached him to beg for fish. The fisherman gave him a rotten one. Du played with it in his hands, turning it over and over, and threw it back into the water; it swam away alive. He also saw a net fisherman and again begged for fish from him. The net fisherman was angry, reviled him, and would not give any. Du then picked up two small pebbles and threw them into the water. In a short while, two water buffaloes fought inside the net; after the net was shredded to pieces, the buffaloes were seen no more, and Du had also vanished. Reaching the Song River, he turned a parasol upside down in the water, rode it, and crossed to the other bank. Passing through Kuaiji and Shan County, he climbed Mount Tiantai, returning to the capital after several months. In his wandering and dwelling, he was unpredictable; when invited, he might go or not go. At that time, in the southern prefecture, there was a Chen family that was quite well-off in clothing and food. Du went to their home and was received with great honor. Hearing that there was another Beidu in the capital, the five members of the Chen father and sons did not believe it, and went to the capital to look. He was indeed like the Beidu in their home, identical in appearance. The Chen family offered a box of ginger in honey, a knife, frankincense, hand-towels, and so forth. Du immediately ate up all the ginger in honey, while the other items remained as before in front of his knees. The five father and sons feared that he was the Beidu of their home, so they left two younger brothers behind in the capital to watch him, while the other three returned home. The Beidu at home was just as before, with incense, a knife, and the other items also in front of his knees, differing only in that he did not eat the ginger in honey. He then said to Chen, "The knife is blunt; you can sharpen it for me." The two younger brothers returned to the capital and said that that Du had already moved to Lingjiu Monastery. The [Du at their] home suddenly asked for two sheets of yellow paper to write a document; the writing did not form characters, and the backs were joined together. Chen asked, "Venerable Sir, what kind of deed are you writing?" Du did not answer, and in the end no one could fathom it. At that time, Zhu Lingqi, a person from the Wu region, was sent as an envoy to Gaoli. On his return, his ship encountered a storm and drifted for nine days, arriving at the shore of an island. On the island was a mountain, which was very tall and large. Entering the mountain to gather firewood, they saw a path trodden by people. Lingqi then led several men along the path to beg for alms. Walking for ten-odd li, they heard the sound of a chime stone and saw fragrant smoke. Thereupon they jointly recited the Buddha's name and bowed in homage. Shortly after, they saw a monastery that was extremely bright and magnificent, mostly adorned with the seven treasures. They also saw ten-odd stone men; thereupon they jointly bowed in homage and turned back. Walking a short distance, they heard the sound of preaching. They stopped and went back to look again, but they were still stone men. Lingqi and the others said to one another, "These are holy monks; we, being sinful people, cannot see them." Therefore, they jointly expressed utmost sincerity in repentance. Going back again, they then saw real men, who prepared food for Lingqi and the others. The taste of the food was vegetables, but its fragrance and deliciousness were unlike worldly food. When finished, they kowtowed and bowed in homage together, begging to return swiftly to their homeland. A monk said, "This place is more than two hundred thousand li from the capital; if you only have a sincere mind, do not worry that it will not be swift." He then asked Lingqi, "Do you know the man of the Way Beidu?" He replied, "I know him very well." [The monk] then pointed to a vase hanging on the northern wall with a pewter staff and an alms bowl, saying, "This is the dwelling place of Beidu. Now, by your means, I give the bowl to him, and also write a letter to put in a case." There was also a green bamboo staff. He said to Lingqi, "Just throw this staff into the water in front of the boat, close up the boat, and sit quietly; without expending any labor, it will certainly cause you to arrive quickly." Thereupon they bid farewell. He ordered a novice to see them off to the gate, saying, "Going seven li by this path, you will reach the boat; you need not follow the former road." Just as he said, turning west and walking about seven li, they reached the boat, and everything was done as shown. They only heard the boat passing over the mountain peaks and treetops, not seeing any water at all. After three days, it stopped at the Huai River at Shitou, and the whereabouts of the bamboo staff were no longer seen. The boat entered the Huai River and reached Zhuque; there they saw Beidu riding the railing of the Great Pontoon Bridge, striking it with a stick and saying, "Horse, horse, why don't you walk?" The onlookers were very numerous. Lingqi and the others paid homage to him from afar in the boat. Du then came down to the boat himself to take the letter and the bowl. Opening the letter to look at it, none of the characters were recognizable to anyone. Du laughed loudly and said, "Are they making me return?" He threw the bowl into the clouds and caught it back, saying, "I haven't seen this bowl for four thousand years!" Du stayed mostly at Yanxian Monastery with Fayi. At that time, the world considered this bowl a miraculous object and vied to go see it. A maidservant of Yu Chang stole goods and fled. After pursuing her in four directions without capturing her, they asked Beidu. He said, "She is already dead, in an empty grave by the river in Jincheng." Going to look, it was indeed as he had said. Kong Ningzi was then a Gentleman Attendant at the Yellow Gate; suffering from dysentery at home, he sent a messenger to invite Du. When Du finished his incantation, he said, "It is difficult to cure; I see four ghosts, all wounded and severed." Ningzi wept and said, "Formerly, during Sun En's rebellion, my family was destroyed by soldiers; both my parents and my uncle suffered cruel deaths." Ningzi indeed died. There was also the wife of Qi Xie, née Humu, who was ill; many treatments failed to cure her. Later they invited monks to hold a retreat; at the retreat seats, a monk urged them to welcome Beidu. Once Du arrived, with a single incantation the patient immediately recovered. Qi Xie submitted to him, served him as his master, and thereupon wrote a biographical record. His divine anomalies from the past cannot all be recorded. In the ninth month of the third year of Yuanjia, he bid farewell to Xie to go east; he left behind ten thousand coins and goods, entrusting them to Xie to ask him to hold a retreat. Thereupon he departed. When he reached Lake Chishan, he fell ill and died. Xie immediately held a retreat for him, and also retrieved the corpse, burying it at Mount Fuzhou in Jiankang. In the fourth year, there was Shao Xin of Wuxing, who was very devoted to the Dharma. Stricken with typhoid fever, no one dared to attend to him; he then wept sorrowfully and was mindful of Avalokiteśvara. Suddenly he saw a monk come, who said he was a disciple of Beidu. He told him, "Do not worry; my master will soon come to see you." [Xin] replied, "Du has been dead for a long time; how could he possibly come?" The man of the Way said, "What difficulty is there in his coming?" Thereupon, from the end of his belt, he took out about a box of powder and gave it to him to take; the illness was immediately cured. There was also Du Seng'ai, who lived beneath Nangang; he had previously served Beidu. His son became critically ill, and he thought with regret that he could not have Du recite divine incantations for him. The next day, he suddenly saw Du arrive, speaking as usual; he immediately incanted for the sick boy, and he recovered. In the third month of the fifth year, Du came again to Qi Xie's house. Lü Daohui heard of it and was astonished; Du Tianqi, Shuiqiu Xi, and others all saw him and were greatly startled, immediately standing up to pay homage. Du said to the crowd, "The year will bring great calamity; you should diligently cultivate meritorious karma. The man of the Way Fayi is of great virtue; you may go to him and restore old monasteries to avert disasters." In a short while, there was a monk at the gate calling Du; he then took his leave, saying, "This poor monk must head toward the region between Jiao and Guang, and will not come again." Qi Xie and the others bowed and saw him off earnestly, and thereupon his traces ceased. In recent generations, people also say that someone occasionally sees him.

3.5

Dandi

3.6

Shi Tandi's surname was Kang. His ancestors were people of the kingdom of Kangju. During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han dynasty, they moved and affiliated themselves with China. Amid the turmoil at the end of the reign of Emperor Xian, they moved and settled in Wuxing. Di's father, Rong, once served as the attendant officer (biejia) of Jizhou. His mother, Lady Huang, was taking a midday nap and dreamt she saw a monk calling her mother. He left with her a chowry and two openwork iron paperweights. When she awoke, she found both objects fully present. Thereupon she became pregnant and gave birth to Di. When Di was five years old, his mother showed him the chowry and the other item. Di said, "They were a gift from the King of Qin." His mother asked, "Where did you put them?" He answered that he did not remember. When he reached ten years of age, he renounced household life. In study, he did not follow a master; his enlightenment arose naturally from heaven. Later he followed his father to Fan and Deng, where he happened to meet the monk Master Lue from Guanzhong. He suddenly called Lue by name. Lue said, "Why does a child call a senior elder by his name?" Di said, "Just now I spoke unawares. Your Reverence was Di's śrāmaṇera, who gathered vegetables for the community of monks and was injured by a wild boar. Involuntarily the words slipped out." Lue had once been a disciple of Dharma Master Hongjue, and while gathering vegetables for the monks had indeed been injured by a wild boar. At first Lue did not recall, so he went to Di's father. Di's father recounted the matter from beginning to end and showed him the paperweights, chowry, and other items. Lue then realized, wept, and said, "You are indeed my late master, Dharma Master Hongjue! The master once lectured on the Lotus Sūtra for Yao Chang, and this poor monk served as the chief respondent (dujiang). Yao Chang presented the master with two items, and now they are here!" Calculating back to when Hongjue relinquished his life, it was precisely the day the items were left. Recalling as well the incident of gathering vegetables, his sorrow and veneration grew all the deeper. By nature he loved forests and springs. Later he returned to Wuxing and entered Mount Kun in Guzhang, living in leisure and drinking from mountain torrents for more than twenty years. At the end of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, he passed away in the mountains at the age of over sixty.

3.7

Guṇavarman

3.8

Guṇavarman is translated here as "Armor of Merit" (Gongde'ai). He was originally of the kṣatriya caste. For successive generations, his family had been kings ruling in the kingdom of Kapiśa. At the age of fourteen, his keen perception was sharp and penetrating, and his depth of insight was profound. His benevolence was broad and all-embracing; he exalted virtue and applied himself to good. His mother once required wild meat and ordered Guṇavarman to obtain it. Guṇavarman said, "Among all creatures endowed with life, none does not covet life. Snuffing out the life of another is not the way of a humane person." At the age of twenty, he renounced household life and received the precepts. He thoroughly understood the nine genres of scriptures, was widely versed in the four collections, and could chant over one million words of sūtras. He profoundly mastered the Vinaya sections and subtly entered the essentials of dhyāna. People of the time called him Tripiṭaka Dharma Master. When he reached thirty years of age, the king of Kapiśa died without leaving any heir. All discussed, saying, "Guṇavarman is an offspring of the royal house, and is both talented, wise, and eminent in virtue. We may request him to return to lay life and succeed to the kingdom's throne." Several hundred ministers repeatedly and firmly besought him, but Guṇavarman would not accept. He then took leave of his master, parted from the assembly, dwelled in the forest, drank from the valleys, walked alone through the mountains and wilds, and hid his traces from the human world. Later he reached the kingdom of Javadvīpa. One day before he arrived, the mother of the king of Javadvīpa dreamt at night of a religious master flying in a ship into the country. The next morning, it was indeed Guṇavarman who arrived. The queen mother venerated him with holy rites and received the five precepts from him. The mother then admonished the king, saying, "By past karmic affinity we were able to become mother and son. I have already received the precepts, yet you do not believe. I fear the cause of future lives will be forever severed from the fruit of the present." Pressured by his mother's command, the king obeyed the order and received the precepts. After long immersion, his dedication gradually deepened. Soon after, neighbouring troops invaded the borders. The king said to Guṇavarman, "The foreign bandits rely on their might and wish to invade and insult us. If we fight them, there will surely be much injury and death; if we do not resist, danger and ruin are at hand. Now I take refuge solely in your Venerable Reverence, not knowing what course to take." Guṇavarman said, "When violent bandits attack, it is indeed necessary to defend. But you should only give rise to a mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and not arouse intentions to do harm." The king led the troops in person to face them. As soon as the banners and drums clashed, the bandits dispersed in retreat. The king was struck by a stray arrow and wounded in the foot. Guṇavarman washed it with incanted water, and in two nights he recovered. Later, when building a vihāra for Guṇavarman, the king personally carved timber and injured his toe; Guṇavarman treated it again with incantations, and after a short while he recovered. At that time, eminent śramaṇas of renown and virtue in the capital, such as Huiguan and Huicong, admired his lofty style from afar and longed to visit and receive instructions. In the ninth month of the first year of the Yuanjia era, they petitioned Emperor Wen requesting him to welcome and invite Guṇavarman. The Emperor issued an edict to the inspector of Jiaozhou, ordering him to dispatch a ship to invite and bring him. Guan and the others also dispatched the śramaṇas Fachang, Daochong, Daojun, and others thither to beseech him. Emperor Wen learned that Guṇavarman had already reached the South Sea, whereupon he again ordered the provinces and commanderies to supply provisions and dispatch him down to the capital. Along the way, he passed through Shixing and remained there for about a year. In Shixing was Mount Hushi, whose form towered aloft with peaks high and extraordinary. Guṇavarman considered it reminiscent of Gṛdhrakūṭa, and so renamed it Vulture Peak (Lingjiu). Outside the mountain monastery, he established a separate meditation chamber, several li away from the monastery, where the sound of the stone chime could not be heard. Yet whenever the wooden mallet was struck, Guṇavarman had already arrived. Sometimes he braved the rain without getting wet; sometimes he walked through mud without being soiled. At that time, none among the monastic and lay assembly failed to revere him with heightened respect. The monastery had the Baoyue Hall. On the north wall of the hall, Guṇavarman personally painted an image of Rāhula, as well as the depiction of the youth Megha (Dīpaṃkara's former life) spreading his hair on the ground. After the painting was completed, it emitted light every evening, which only ceased after a long time. Cai Maozhi, the grand administrator of Shixing, held him in deep veneration. Later, when Maozhi was near death, Guṇavarman went in person to see him, expounding the Dharma to comfort him. Afterwards, his family dreamt that Maozhi was in the monastery lecturing on the Dharma with the monastic assembly. This mountain originally had many calamities caused by tigers. Since Guṇavarman came to dwell there, he traveled by day and night; whenever he encountered a tiger, he would press its head with his staff, push it aside, and proceed. Guṇavarman once practiced dhyāna in a separate room and did not emerge for days on end. The monastery's monks dispatched a śrāmaṇera to inquire after him. The śrāmaṇera saw a white lion standing against a pillar, and throughout the room blue lotus blossoms were blooming in abundance. The śrāmaṇera cried out in terror; when he looked again, the lion had completely vanished. Before his passing, he composed beforehand thirty-six lines of testament in verse, recounting his karmic affinities and stating that he had already attained the second fruit (sakṛdāgāmin). He personally sealed it and handed it to his disciple Aśoka (Ashaluo), saying, "After my passing, you may take this text and show it to the monks of Tianzhu, and you may also show it to the monks of this realm." After his passing, he remained seated cross-legged on a corded couch, his facial appearance unchanged, appearing as if he had entered samādhi. More than a thousand monastics and laypeople gathered, all smelling a rich and fragrant scent. Everyone saw an object resembling a dragon or snake, about one bolt in length, rise from beside the corpse and ascend straight into the sky, though none could give it a name. Thereupon, in front of the precept altar of the Nanlin Monastery, they cremated him according to the foreign custom. His years were sixty-five.

3.9

Sengliang

3.10

Shi Sengliang: it is not clear where he came from. He was renowned for his strict adherence to the precepts. Wishing to cast a sixteen-foot golden statue, he heard that there were many bronze vessels in the temple of Wu Zixu in Xiangzhou. Liang informed the inspector Zhang Shao and asked to borrow one hundred robust men and ten large boats. Shao said, "Since the temple is efficacious, anyone who violates it is certain to die. Moreover, it is guarded by indigenous tribesmen. How could it be attained?" Liang said, "If it brings about merit, I will share it with you, the dānapati; if there is blame, I shall bear it myself." Shao then provided him with men and boats. In three days, they reached the temple. In front of the temple were two caldrons with a capacity of over a hundred hu. Inside was a huge serpent, over a hundred feet long, which emerged to block the way. Liang held his khakkhara staff and recited incantations over it, and the serpent immediately vanished. Soon after, a person holding a tablet emerged and said, "Having heard of the master's extraordinary religious cultivation and that he is undertaking a great deed of merit, I now especially rejoice in accordance." Thereupon, he had men transport and take the temple's bronze. There being so much, they took only one-tenth, yet the boats were already filled. When returning, they encountered very favorable winds and waters, so that although the tribesmen alerted one another, they could not catch up. After returning to the capital, the casting of the statue was completed, but the flaming halo was not yet ready. Emperor Wen made a gilded round halo for it and enshrined it in Pengcheng Monastery. During the Taishi era, Emperor Ming moved the statue to Xianggong Monastery.

3.11

Daosheng

3.12

Zhu Daosheng's original surname was Wei, and he was a native of Julu. From birth he was sharp, discerning, intelligent, and sagacious as if divine. His father knew he was no ordinary vessel, cherishing and marveling at him. Later he met the śramaṇa Zhu Fatai, whereupon he abandoned secular life and took refuge. When he reached the age of fifteen, he already ascended the lecture seat; his discourse, questions, and debates had words as pure as pearls and jade. Even elderly, venerable scholar-monks and eminent scholars of the day found their arguments thwarted and words exhausted, none daring to respond or resist. By the time he received full ordination, his capacity and discernment deepened daily. At first he entered Mount Lu and lived in seclusion for seven years. Always regarding wisdom and understanding as the basis for the essential path of entering the Dharma, he assiduously researched all the sūtras, traveling ten thousand li to follow masters without dreading weariness or hardship. Later he traveled to Chang'an to receive instruction from Master Kumārajīva; the monastic assembly of Guanzhong all praised his divine comprehension. He returned and resided at Qingyuan Monastery. Emperor Wen, Taizu of the Song dynasty, deeply praised and esteemed him. Later, Taizu held a feast, and the Emperor personally joined the assembly, dining on the ground mats. The food had been served for quite a while, and the assembly all suspected it was past noon. The Emperor said, "It has just reached midday." Sheng said, "The bright sun adorns the sky; since Heaven says it is just noon, how could it not be noon?" He then took his bowl and ate, whereupon the entire assembly followed suit, all marveling at his timely and fitting expedient. At that time, the latter section of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra had not yet arrived. Sheng said, "Icchantikas will all attain buddhahood; it is only that this sūtra has not yet fully arrived." Thereupon, literalist masters falsely accused Sheng of being heterodox, ostracized him, and drove him out. Sheng declared an oath before the assembly, saying, "If what I say does not accord with the meaning of the sūtra, I pray that in this very life I immediately experience evil retribution; if it truly tallies with the Buddha's mind, I vow that when I relinquish life, I shall occupy the lion's seat." Thereupon, he shook his robes and entered Mount Huqiu in Wu. He set up stones as his disciples and lectured on the Nirvāṇa-sūtra. When he reached the part where icchantikas possess Buddha-nature, he asked, "Does what I have said tally with the Buddha's mind?" The stones all nodded in assent. In the summer of that year, thunder struck the Buddha hall of Qingyuan Monastery; a dragon ascended into the sky, and its radiant shadow appeared on the western wall. Consequently, the monastery's name was changed to Longguang Monastery. People of the time sighed and said, "Since the dragon has departed, Sheng must surely leave!" Soon afterwards, he went to Mount Lu, blending his silhouette into the crags and ravines; the monks in the mountain all revered and submitted to him. Later, when the large edition of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra reached the Southern Capital, it indeed stated that icchantikas all possess Buddha-nature, fitting Sheng's words like two halves of a tally. Once Sheng obtained this scripture, he immediately expounded it. In the eleventh year of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, he ascended the Dharma seat on Mount Lu to lecture on the Nirvāṇa-sūtra. As he was about to conclude, suddenly the chowry fell from his hand; sitting upright with composed dignity, he leaned against his armrest and passed away.

3.13

Dharmamitra

3.14

Dharmamitra means 'Prosperous in the Dharma'. He was a man of Kapiśa. By the age of seven, his spiritual perception was pure and upright; whenever he witnessed Buddhist services, he was naturally elated. His parents, loving him and marveling at his difference, permitted him to renounce household life. Kapiśa brought forth many holy and accomplished masters; he often encountered enlightened teachers. He was broadly versed in various scriptures and particularly profound in dhyāna practice. The essential teachings he attained were all utterly subtle and profound. He was a person of deep reserve and had great insightful understanding; his demeanor and decorum were meticulous and correct. He was born with connected eyebrows, so the world called him the 'Eyebrow Dhyāna Master'. In his youth, he was fond of traveling abroad, vowing to disseminate the teachings. Traversing various lands, he eventually arrived in Kucha. One day before he arrived, the king dreamed of a deity who informed him, saying, 'A person of great fortune and virtue will enter your state tomorrow; you ought to provide for him.' The next morning, the king immediately commanded his external officers that if any extraordinary person entered the realm, they must rush to report it. Shortly thereafter, Dharmamitra indeed arrived. The king personally went outside the suburbs to welcome him and invited him into the palace. He then received the precepts from him and offered the four requisites of support with utmost ritual respect. Dharmamitra was content yet able to move on, unattached to material benefits. After dwelling there for several years, he secretly harbored an intention to depart. The deity again sent a dream, saying, 'The person of fortune and virtue has abandoned the king and left.' The king awoke in alarm and fright. Soon after, the ruler and ministers tried firmly to detain him, but none could stop him. He then crossed the shifting sands and proceeded to Dunhuang. In a vacant and open land, he established a vihāra, planted a thousand apple-plum trees, and opened an orchard of a hundred mu; the rooms, pavilions, pools, and groves were exceedingly adorned and pure. Shortly thereafter, he went to Liangzhou, where he repaired halls and residences at an old monastery belonging to the government offices; his students gathered in great numbers, and dhyāna practice flourished greatly. Always cherishing the royal capital of Jiangyou, he resolved to transmit the Dharma there. In the first year of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty (424 CE), he traveled stage by stage and reached Shu. Soon after, he left the gorges and halted in Jingzhou. At Changsha Monastery, he built a dhyāna pavilion. With fervent sincerity and deep grief, he prayed for relics. After more than ten days, a vessel suddenly sprang up, making a sound and emitting light that filled the chamber. Among his disciples, monastics and laypeople alike, none failed to redouble their vigor, each person increasing their determination a hundredfold. Shortly after, he sailed down the river east to the capital. At first, he stayed at Zhongxing Monastery; later, he rested at Jetavana Monastery. Dharmamitra's reputation in the Path was long established, and his transformative influence had reached neighboring states. As soon as he arrived in the capital, the entire city poured out to pay respects and inquire after him. From Empress Yuan of Emperor Wen of Song down to the crown prince and princesses, none failed to set up vegetarian feasts in the cinnamon palaces and request the precepts in the pepper apartments; the envoys sent to attend and inquire upon him were in sight of each other daily. Right at Jetavana Monastery, he translated the Dhyāna Sūtra, The Essentials of Dhyāna Practice, The Contemplation of Samantabhadra, The Contemplation of Ākāśagarbha, and others. He constantly taught the way of dhyāna; the four assemblies from a thousand li around consulted and received instruction from him, and people near and far all called him the 'Great Dhyāna Master'. Meng Yi of Pingchang, the grand administrator of Kuaiji, had deep faith in the correct Dharma and took the Three Jewels as his own responsibility; he was long fond of the taste of dhyāna and held an earnest and reverent mind. When he took office east of the Zhe River, he invited Dharmamitra to travel with him, whereupon they established a stūpa and monastery on the mountains of Mao County. The old customs of the eastern regions mostly favored shamans and sorcerers; but when transformed by wonderful conversion, household after household returned to the correct path. From west to east, none failed to submit with their whole mind. In the tenth year of the Yuanjia era (433 CE), he returned to the capital and stayed at Lower Dinglin Monastery on Mount Zhong. Dharmamitra was by nature tranquil and quiet, with an elegant love of mountains and waters. Seeing Mount Zhong as a guardian peak equaling the beauty of Song and Hua, he often lamented that the foundations of the lower monastery faced a ravine and were low and sloping. Thereupon, ascending high to examine the ground and divining the lay of the mountain, in the twelfth year of the Yuanjia era (435 CE) he cut timber, carved stone, and built Upper Dinglin Monastery. Scholar-officials and commoners admired his style, offering continuous gifts; dhyāna chambers and palace halls stood lofty in multistoried structures. Thereupon, those who set their minds at rest gathered from ten thousand li; their chanting was solemn and harmonious, and people were converted merely upon catching wind of him. Dhyāna Master Da of Dinglin was his foremost disciple, who propagated his style and teachings so that his renown shook monastics and laypeople alike. Thus, the pure transformation endured long without declining, and the sublime enterprise was exalted without lapse; this was indeed the lasting merit of Dharmamitra. From the Western Regions down to the southern lands, wherever his feet trod, there was none where he did not initiate dhyāna assemblies and expound the teachings of the Dharma. When Dharmamitra first set out from Kapiśa, the spirit king Kapila escorted him. When he reached Kucha, the deity wished to return midway, so he manifested his form and took leave of Dharmamitra, saying, 'Your divine powers are transforming and unobstructed, and you travel wherever you please; I shall not accompany you to the south.' Having finished speaking, he withdrew his shadow and vanished. When Dharmamitra came from afar to the capital, he had an image of the spirit painted on the wall at the upper monastery. Down to the present day, there are still verifications of sounds and shadows; whoever prays for blessings with pure sincerity never fails to obtain their wish. On the sixth day of the seventh month in the nineteenth year of the Yuanjia era (442 CE), he passed away at the upper monastery at the age of eighty-seven.

3.15

Guṇabhadra

3.16

Guṇabhadra means 'Virtuous in Merit'. He was a man of Central Tianzhu. Because he studied the Mahāyāna, the world called him 'Mahāyāna'. He was originally of the brahman caste. In his youth, he studied the Five Sciences and various treatises. Later, he encountered the Abhidharma-saṃyuktahṛdaya-śāstra; upon perusing it, he had an awakened realization and subsequently deeply venerated the Buddha-Dharma. His family had served non-Buddhist traditions for generations and banned śramaṇas; he then abandoned his family, fled in secret, and sought a master far away. Thereupon he discarded his hairpins, shaved his hair, and devoted himself with single-minded resolve to study. When he received the full precepts, he became broadly versed in the Tripiṭaka. When he arrived in Siṃhala and other kingdoms, they all relayed provisions and offerings for him. Since he had karmic affinities with the East, he boarded a ship and sailed the ocean. Midway, the wind ceased and the fresh water was exhausted; the entire ship was filled with anxiety and dread. Guṇabhadra said, 'You may unite your minds and join your efforts to be mindful of the Buddhas of the ten directions and call upon Avalokiteśvara; where would there not be a response?' He then recited dhāraṇī sūtras in secret and performed reverent repentance with utmost sincerity. In a short while, a favorable wind blew up violently, dense clouds sent down rain, and the entire ship was saved. Prince of Nanqiao, Liu Yixuan, the Chancellor of the Song, garrisoned Jingzhou; he founded halls and chambers and invited him to lecture on the Avataṃsaka and other sūtras. But Guṇabhadra considered that his mastery of the Chinese language was not yet skilled, harboring shame and lament in his heart. Thereupon, morning and evening he performed repentance and prayed to Avalokiteśvara, begging for a dark response. He then dreamed of a person wearing white clothes holding a sword and carrying a human head, who came before him and said, 'Why are you grieved?' Guṇabhadra answered by detailing the matter. The person replied, 'There is nothing to worry about.' He immediately used the sword to exchange the head, affixing a new head, and told him to turn it around, saying, 'Does it hurt?' He replied, 'It does not hurt.' With sudden clarity, he woke up, his mind joyful. Rising in the morning, he understood the meanings of words completely and possessed a full grasp of Chinese. Thereupon he undertook the lecture. At the end of the Yuanjia era, Prince Qiao repeatedly had strange dreams. Guṇabhadra answered, 'There will be disaster and rebellion in the capital.' In less than a year, the Yuanxiong (Liu Shao) plotted treason. When it came to the beginning of the Xiaojian era, Prince Qiao secretly plotted rebellious betrayal. Guṇabhadra's expression was sorrowful and grim, and before he could speak, Prince Qiao asked him the reason. Guṇabhadra remonstrated urgently and earnestly, and then, weeping, walked out, saying, 'There is surely no hope; this poor monk cannot accompany you.' Prince Qiao, because Guṇabhadra was trusted by the sentiments of the people, forced him to go down the river together with him. After the defeat at Liangshan, the fire ships pressed ever closer; they were far from the bank, and there was certainly no hope of rescue. He only single-mindedly called upon Avalokiteśvara, holding a bamboo cane, and threw himself into the river. The water came up to his knees; he prodded the water with the cane, and the current was deep and swift. He saw a boy following behind who approached and took his hand. Turning back, he said to the boy, 'How can you, a small child, ferry me across?' In a daze, he felt himself walk ten or more steps, and still managed to reach the riverbank. He immediately took off his patched robe wishing to reward the boy, but looking around, he could not see him; his body's hairs stood on end. At that time, Wang Xuanmo was supervising the army at Liangshan; Shizu (Emperor Xiaowu) ordered that if they caught 'Mahāyāna' in the army, they must treat him well and send him to the palace by postal relay. Soon after, they found him and ordered boats to convey him to the capital. Shizu granted an audience at once, inquiring after him in detail and saying, 'I have looked forward to meeting you for a long time; today we finally meet.' Guṇabhadra said, 'Having been stained by guilt and offense, my lot should have been to be ground to dust; now that I am received in audience, I am deeply indebted for this gift of life.' The Emperor asked if he had been treated on par with the rebels. He replied, 'A renunciant does not participate in military matters. However, Zhang Chang, Song Lingxiu, and others all coerced this poor monk; what is clear is that I never expected my past karma would lead me to encounter this matter.' The Emperor said, 'There is nothing to fear.' That day, he ordered him to reside in the Rear Hall, providing him with robes and items, and giving him attendants and vehicles. When Zhongxing Monastery was completed, he was ordered to move and reside there. Later, he built a monastery to the west of the Phoenix Tower within the borders of Moling; every night at midnight, there was someone pushing the doors and calling out, but looking around, no person was seen; the assembly repeatedly suffered from nightmares. Guṇabhadra burned incense and made a prayer of vow, saying, 'Your past karma is here, and I have now built a monastery; practicing the Path, paying homage, and repenting are always done on your behalf. If you wish to stay, become good protective deities of the monastery; if you cannot stay, let each follow what is peaceful for them.' Soon after, more than ten monastics and laypeople dreamt on the same night that thousands of ghosts and spirits, all carrying loads on shoulder poles, moved away. The monastery assembly thereupon found peace. In the sixth year of the Daming era (462 CE), the empire suffered an extreme drought; prayers to mountains and rivers for successive months yielded no verification. Shizu asked him to pray for rain, requiring that there must be a response: 'If there is no result, there is no need to see me again.' Guṇabhadra said, 'Relying upon the Three Jewels and Your Majesty's heavenly majesty, I hope that rain will surely fall; if it is not obtained, I shall not see you again.' He immediately went to the Fishing Terrace on the North Lake, burned incense, and prayed; he ate no more food, silently recited sūtras, and secretly added esoteric dhāraṇīs. The next day at the申 hour (late afternoon), clouds arose in the northwest; at first like a chariot canopy, while the sun was in the mulberries and elms, the wind shook, the clouds joined, and rain fell for consecutive days. Ordinarily, he held an incense burner in his hand without ever setting it down; whenever he ate, flying birds would gather on his hand to take food. In the era of Taizong (Emperor Ming), ritual offerings to him were magnificent and abundant. In the first month of the fourth year of the Taishi era (468 CE), feeling his body unwell, he bid farewell to Taizong, the ministers, and others. For three days before his death, he stretched his neck and gazed into the distance, saying that he saw heavenly flowers and holy images. At midday, he passed away at the age of seventy-five.

3.17

Huida

3.18

Shi Huida was of the Liu family, named Suhe. He was originally a Ji-Hu barbarian of Dingyang in Sancheng, northeast of Xianyang. Formerly he did not serve the Buddha and was illiterate. Later, due to illness at a drinking party, his life came to an end, and he witnessed the signs of the manifold sufferings of hell in their entirety. Thereupon, he renounced household life and became a monk, residing in Wancheng Commandery. In the first year of the Taiyan era of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei (435 CE), as his work of circulating conversion was nearly complete, he undertook his return to the west. Traveling until he reached the northeast of Fanhe Commandery in Liangzhou, he gazed toward the Imperial Valley and bowed to it from afar. None of the people understood this, so they asked him the reason. Huida said, 'An image will appear on this cliff. If the miraculous marks are complete, the world will be joyful and the era peaceful; if there are deficiencies, the world will be disordered and the people will suffer.' Eighty-seven years later, at the beginning of the Zhengguang era (520 CE), there were suddenly heavenly winds, rain, and thunderclaps, and the mountain split open; a stone image sprang forth, its entire body eighteen feet high, with upright and dignified marks, only without a head. Immediately, stone was selected and craftsmen were ordered to carve a separate head; after it was placed, it fell off again. Thereupon they ceased. The virtue of the Wei declined, proving his words verified. Reaching the first year of the Northern Zhou (557 CE), when Liangzhou was governed, a light suddenly appeared in a ravine seven li east of the city, penetrating and illuminating the dark and visible worlds; those who watched were amazed. It was the head of the image. They immediately conveyed it to the mountain cliff and installed it; it fit seamlessly like a tally. The marks and signs were complete, and great peace resided there. In the first year of the Baoding era (561 CE), it was designated Ruixiang Monastery (Auspicious Image Monastery). Those of understanding only then realized his foresight. Later, Huida traveled until he died in a ravine seven li west of the city wall of Jiuquan County in Su Prefecture; his bones were shattered into pieces the size of sunflower seeds, which could be threaded together. Now, in the ancient monastery west of the city, his sculpted image still exists.

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神僧傳 — Classical Chinese