弘贊法華傳 10.17

10.17

釋智曄。江州人也。初出家。住廬山西林寺。高情雅量。殊有物外之風。美恣容。工轉讀。聲韻雄暢。數卷不疲。隋朝徵入日嚴。唐運召居弘福。且京都法席。接武連環。不有伊人。孰當其寄。然頗工書翰。尤好福門。日恒自厲。寫法花經五紙。年事乃秋。斯業無怠。得外利即寫此經。兼其自手。二千餘部。終日平坐繩床。異香滿室。時年八十矣。

Śramaṇa Zhiye was a native of Jiangzhou. When he first left household life, he resided at Xilin Monastery on Mount Lu. He had lofty sentiments and an elegant manner, remarkably endowed with the air of one beyond the mundane world. He was handsome in appearance, skilled in chanting, and his voice was vigorous and smooth, never tiring after several fascicles. During the Sui dynasty he was summoned to enter Riyan [Monastery], and under the Tang fortunes he was called to dwell at Hongfu [Monastery]. Moreover, in the Dharma assemblies of the capital, events followed in unbroken succession; had it not been for this man, who could have borne that responsibility? Furthermore, he was quite skilled in calligraphy, and was particularly fond of [cultivating] the gate of merit. Every day he constantly spurred himself on, copying five sheets of the Lotus Sūtra. Even as his years reached their autumn, he was never remiss in this work. Whenever he acquired external wealth, he immediately copied this sūtra; including those [copied] by his own hand, there were over two thousand sets. All day long he would sit level on a rope chair, and a wondrous fragrance filled the room. At that time he was eighty years of age.