弘贊法華傳 7.29

7.29

During the Sui dynasty, there was a man of Bingzhou named Gao Shoujie. His family had believed in and revered [the Dharma] for generations, and Shoujie was exceptionally dedicated. When he was sixteen or seventeen years old, he once traveled to Daidu. On the road he met a śramaṇa, around sixty years of age, who called himself Haiyun. Conversing with him, the monk asked: "Son, can you recite sūtras?" He replied: "That is truly my original wish." Haiyun then took him toward Mount Wutai. Arriving at a place, he saw three thatched huts, barely large enough to hold a person. They stayed there, and the monk taught him to recite the Lotus Sūtra, while going outside to beg in order to supply him with food and clothing. Shoujie repeatedly saw a foreign monk arrive and talk and laugh with his master, departing in the end. Haiyun would always ask: "Do you recognize the foreign monk just now?" He answered: "I do not." Haiyun said as if in jest: "He is Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva." Although Shoujie repeatedly received this statement, he did not grasp its import. Later, Haiyun suddenly sent Shoujie down the mountain to a village to fetch some goods, yet admonished him: "Women are the root of all evils; they ruin the path of bodhi and destroy the fortress of nirvāṇa. When you go into the human world, you must be extremely cautious." Shoujie respectfully agreed, accepted the instruction, and went down the mountain. On the road, he saw a woman of fourteen or fifteen years, dressed in fresh, bright clothing, with an elegant and beautiful appearance. Riding a white horse, she headed straight toward him, bowed her head to Shoujie, and said: "I have an urgent ailment and must dismount. The horse likes to leap about, and I cannot control it. I hope you, sir, will support and help me, saving this humble life." Shoujie then recalled his master's words and never once looked back. The woman pursued him for several miles, speaking in earnest and sorrowful words, but Shoujie held firmly to his resolve as before. Soon she was nowhere to be seen. Upon returning to his place, he recounted the matter in detail. His master said: "You are a true man! Nevertheless, that was Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva." Shoujie still did not realize it, still taking it for a joke. Thus, he recited the sūtra there for a total of three years, mastering the entirety of the Lotus Sūtra with great purity. Later, hearing that ordinations were being granted in Chang'an, he wished to shave his head. Morning and evening, seeking an opportunity, he consulted his master about wishing to leave. The master said: "Having recited the Lotus Sūtra, the seed of the Great Vehicle is now complete in you. If you must go, you should seek out a good master. After this parting, it will be difficult to see each other again. In the capital, at the Chanding Bodhimanda, you may rely on Chan Master Wolun." Shoujie entered the capital to seek ordination, but did not attain his wish. He then went to Master Lun's place. Lun asked: "Where do you come from?" He answered: "I come from Mount Wutai. My upādhyāya sent me to become your disciple." Lun asked: "What is your upādhyāya's name?" He answered: "His name is Haiyun." Lun was greatly amazed and sighed, saying: "Mount Wutai is where Mañjuśrī dwells. Bhikṣu Haiyun is none other than the third great spiritual friend of the youth Sudhana in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra! Why did you abandon such a sage? Across a thousand or ten thousand kalpas, there is no way to encounter him again. How mistaken you were!" Shoujie only then realized his origins and regretted that he had not crushed his own flesh and bones [in devotion]. Yet his foolish affection lingered, and he still hoped to see him again. He took leave of Lun and retraced his steps, racing day and night. When he arrived at the former place, he saw nothing at all.