神僧傳 7.26

7.26

Jinpyo was a native of Baekje. His family lived at Mount Geumsan and had engaged in hunting with halberds for generations. Later, he entered the deep mountains, severed his hair with a knife, and repented with utter exertion, throwing his whole body to the ground, single-mindedly seeking the precept transmission and making a vow of determination, [saying,] 'May Maitreya Bodhisattva confer the precept transmission upon me!' By night he doubled his daytime efforts, circumambulating, bowing, and prostrating, his mind uninterrupted and every thought ardent. After seven nights, at daybreak, he saw Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva holding and shaking a golden khakkhara, inspiring and encouraging Jinpyo, teaching him to give rise to the conditions for the precepts, and serving as the expedient means prior to reception. Moved by this auspicious response, his vigor surpassed that before. When two seven-day periods were completed, a great demon appeared with a terrifying form and pushed Jinpyo off a precipice. His body was unharmed. He crawled back up onto the stone altar. In addition, demonic apparitions did not cease, arising in a hundred and a thousand varieties. At daybreak on the third seven-day period, an auspicious bird cried out, saying: 'The Bodhisattva has arrived!' Then he saw white clouds like steeped rice flour; there was no longer high or low, and the mountains and rivers were flattened, turning into a silver world. The Lord of Tuṣita Heaven approached smoothly and at ease, his retinue splendid and arrayed around the stone altar. Fragrant wind and flower rain converged simultaneously. In a moment, the Benevolent One [Maitreya] walked slowly to the altar site, lowered his hand, and stroked Jinpyo's crown, saying: 'Excellent, great hero! Seeking the precepts in this way, again and again—even Mount Sumeru could be pushed away with a sweep of the hand, but your mind would never retreat!' He then conferred the Dharma upon him. Jinpyo's body and mind were harmonious and joyful, just like the mental consciousness in the third dhyāna corresponding with the faculty of pleasure. Forty-two thousand rivers of merit constantly flowed with all virtues, and he soon attained the divine eye. The Benevolent One personally conferred upon him the three Dharma robes and an earthenware bowl, and further bestowed upon him the name Jinpyo. Furthermore, from beneath his knee, he produced two objects, neither ivory nor jade, fashioned as divination tallies. One was inscribed with 'Nine' and the other with 'Eight', each with two characters. Handing them to Jinpyo, he said: 'When a person seeks the precepts, they must first repent of their sins; sin and merit constitute the nature of maintaining and transgressing [the precepts].' In addition, there were one hundred and eight tallies inscribed with the names of the one hundred and eight defilements. 'When the Tathāgata enjoins people to precepts, they practice repentance with utter exertion and vigor for ninety days, forty days, or three seven-day periods. When the period ends and the limit is reached, take the two tallies of Nine and Eight and mix them with the one hundred and eight. Facing the sky before the Buddha, cast the tallies down to the earth to verify whether their sins have been eradicated or not. If the one hundred and eight tallies fly and scatter to the four sides, and only the two tallies of Eight and Nine stand upright at the center of the altar, they attain the superior-upper precepts. If, although the multitude of tallies are distant, one or two touch the tallies of Nine and Eight, pick them up and examine what defilements they name, and bid the person repent once again. Once they have done so, take the tally of the repented defilement together with Nine and Eight, and cast it; if that defilement tally departs, it is called the middling precepts. If the multitude of tallies bury and cover Nine and Eight, then the sins are not eradicated and the precepts are not obtained. If they undertake further repentance and exceed ninety days, they obtain the lower precepts.' The Great Benevolent One reiterated his instruction, saying: 'The Eight represents newly perfumed [seeds]; the Nine represents innate [seeds].' After he had finished entrusting him, the great retinue turned back, and the clouds parted over the mountains and rivers. Jinpyo then held the divine robes and took the divine bowl, like a monk of five rains-retreats. Following the road down the mountain, the grasses and trees drooped low for him to cover the path, with no distinction between ravines and heights. Flying birds and beasts of prey walked tamely before him. Moreover, voices were heard calling from the sky to the villages and towns, saying: 'The Bodhisattva has come out of the mountain; why do you not welcome him?' At that time, men and women of the populace spread their hair to cover the mud, took off their clothes to cover the road, offered woolen rugs and carpets to receive his feet, and laid flowered mats and fine mattresses to fill the hollows. Jinpyo accommodated everyone’s feelings and stepped on each one. A woman held out half a bolt of white cotton cloth to cover the path, but Jinpyo showed a startled and anxious expression, avoiding it to walk another way. The woman wondered at his lack of impartiality. Jinpyo said: 'It is not that I lack equal compassion. Just now I observed that within the cotton cloth were all young pigs. Fearing to harm life, I avoided mistakenly treading on them.' In fact, that woman came from a butcher's family and had obtained this cloth through trade. From then on, two tigers constantly followed him on his left and right. Jinpyo said to them: 'I will not enter the city walls; you may guide me.' When they arrived at a place suitable for cultivation, they walked at a slow pace; after thirty li or so, they came to a mountain slope and squatted before him. At that time, he hung his staff on a tree branch, spread grass, and sat upright. Faithful men and women from all around came without being urged, and together they built a monastery called Geumsansa.