神僧傳 3.16

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.