法華傳記 4

English (machine translation) 4

Language: English

4.1

Superlative Benefits of Chanting and Reciting, Part Two of Eight.

Shi Tansui, one / Zhu Fachun, two / Shi Sengsheng, three / Shi Fazong, four / Shi Daojiong, five / Shi Huiqing, six / Shi Puming, seven / Shi Fazhuang, eight / Shi Huiguo, nine / Shi Huijin, ten / Shi Hongming, eleven / Shi Huiyu, twelve / Shi Chaobian, thirteen / Shi Fahui, fourteen / Shi Senghou, fifteen / Shi Zhizhan, sixteen / The Monk of the Five Nobles, seventeen / Monk Fachang, eighteen / The Tongue of Bingzhou, nineteen / Shi Huichao, twenty / Shi Huixian, twenty-one / Shi Shanhui, twenty-two / Shi Huida, twenty-three / Shi Facheng, twenty-four / Shi Huiquan, twenty-five / Dharmodgata, twenty-six / Shi Faxu, twenty-seven / Shi Sengyi, twenty-eight / Shi Zhicong, twenty-nine / Shi Zhini, thirty.

4.3

Jin: Shi Tansui of Baima Temple in Ayin, one.

4.4

Shi Tansui: it is not known where he was from. He went forth from the household life when young and stayed at Baima Temple in Ayin. Eating vegetables and wearing cloth garments, he recited the Lotus Sūtra, usually once every day. Furthermore, he was thoroughly versed in the sūtra's meaning and also explained it to others. Once in the middle of the night, he suddenly heard a knock at the door saying that they wished to invite the Dharma master to explain the Dharma for ninety days. Tansui did not consent; when they repeatedly pleaded, he then went. Yet this was still during sleep: by the time he awoke, he was inside the spirit shrine of Baima Embankment together with one disciple. From then on he went there secretly day by day, and none of the others knew. Later, temple monks passed before the shrine and saw two high seats, with Tansui in the north and his disciple in the south, as if there were the sounds of chanting, reciting, and lecturing; they also smelled the scent of extraordinary incense. Thereupon clergy and laity spread the word together, all saying it was a divine anomaly. When the summer ended, the spirit presented as an offering one white horse, five white sheep, and ninety bolts of silk. After the blessing of vows was completed, they parted. It is not known where Tansui ended his days. (The Biographies of Eminent Monks, fascicle twelve, says that he recited the Zheng fahua jing; because it is the same original text, the miraculous anomalies are completely identical, as verified by examining its text.)

4.5

Jin: Zhu Fachun of Xianyi Temple in Shanyin, two (also named Hui'ang).

4.6

Zhu Fachun: it is not known where he was from. He went forth from the household life when young, stayed at Xianyi Temple in Shanyin, and practiced austerities. Having virtue, he was skilled in reciting the Guanyin Chapter of the Lotus Sūtra and the old Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra. During the Yuanxing reign-period of the Jin, on behalf of the temple he went up to Lanzhu to purchase old buildings. Returning at dusk upon the lake, he encountered a violent storm, and the boat was small. Fachun single-mindedly relied upon Avalokiteśvara, reciting the Universal Gate Chapter with his mouth without ceasing. Soon he saw a large drifting boat; boarding it, he was saved. Reaching the shore, he inquired about the boat, but it had no owner, and in an instant it was seen no more. Clergy and laity all sighed in admiration at the divine resonance. It is not known where he ended his days.

4.7

Jin: Shi Sengsheng of Sanxian Temple in Shu, three.

4.8

Shi Sengsheng, whose surname was Yuan, was a native of Pi in Shu Commandery. He went forth from the household life when young and achieved renown for his austerities. Song Feng and others of Chengdu invited him to be the abbot of Sanxian Temple. Day and night he recited the Lotus Sūtra and also practiced meditation. When reciting the Lotus Sūtra in the mountains, a tiger came and squatted before him, departing only after the recitation of the sūtra was finished. Later, whenever he chanted and recited, he would always see four people to his left and right acting as attendants and guards. Although he grew old and frail, his diligence became all the more earnest. Later he fell slightly ill, and said to his attendant: 'A heavenly boy has come to welcome me, saying, "By the power of reciting the sūtra, you shall be reborn in Tuṣita. The appointed time has arrived; I am about to depart." After my death, you may cremate my body. If blue flowers sprout where my body is cremated, take it as verification.' The disciples followed his testamentary instructions and cremated his body; it was indeed as he had said. The multitude wept, marvelling at it.

4.9

Song: Shi Fazong of Fahuatai in Shan, four.

4.10

Shi Fazong was a native of Linhai. When young he was fond of hunting. Once in Shan, he encountered and shot a pregnant doe, causing her to miscarry. Holding the arrow in her mouth, the mother doe still approached the ground to lick her fawn. Fazong then repented and had an awakening, knowing that clinging to life and loving one's offspring is shared by all sentient beings. Thereupon he broke his bow, snapped his arrows, went forth from the household life, and practiced the path. He always sustained himself by begging for food, observed the rule of taking a single meal, and ate bitter vegetables throughout the six periods of the day to repent his past transgressions. He recited the Lotus Sūtra and the Vimalakīrti. He frequently mounted a terrace to chant and recite, the resonance being heard far and wide. The gentry and commoners who received the refuges and precepts from him numbered more than three thousand. He then expanded his dwelling into a vihāra, naming it Fahuatai after his recitation. From time to time there was extraordinary light, turning the dark night into day, and people all marvelled at it. It is not known where Fazong ended his days. The terrace temple still exists today; if any sick persons lodge within it, pray, and maintain mindfulness, they immediately recover.

4.11

Song: Shi Daojiong of Nanjian Temple in the Capital, five.

4.12

Shi Daojiong, whose surname was Ma, was a native of Fufeng. When he first went forth from the household life, he was a disciple of Daoyi. When Yi fell ill, he once sent Daojiong and four others to Mount Huo in Henan to gather stalactites. Entering the cavern for several li, they straddled timbers to cross the water; three people drowned, and their torches went out. Daojiong judged that there was no way to be saved. Daojiong had long recited the Lotus Sūtra, so he relied with utmost sincerity solely on this practice and also kept Avalokiteśvara in mind. After a short while, he saw a light like a firefly; pursuing it without catching up, he finally made his way out of the cavern. Thereupon he advanced in cultivating meditation practice, his moral conduct becoming ever fresher. He observed the Samantabhadra retreat several times, and each had auspicious omens: sometimes he saw an Indian monk enter and sit, or saw a man riding a horse arrive; before any greetings could be exchanged, they suddenly disappeared. Later, together with four fellow students, he travelled south to the Supreme Capital to observe its customs and manners. At night, crossing a river over ice, the ice broke midway, and three people sank and died. Daojiong again took sincere refuge in Avalokiteśvara and recited the Lotus Sūtra; he then felt beneath his feet something supporting him, and again saw a red light in front. Following the light, he reached the shore and arrived at the capital, staying at Nanjian Temple. He regularly made ferry service his vocation. Once, in the middle of the night, having finished reciting the sūtra, he entered meditation; suddenly he saw four people driving a carriage arrive at his room, calling on him to board. Daojiong was abruptly unaware [of moving], and already saw himself between the commandery and the Shen Bridge. He saw a man sitting on a folding chair on the road, with several hundred attendants. Seeing Daojiong, the man rose in surprise and said: 'It is a meditator!' That man then said to those around him: 'I only ordered you to let him know the place above; why did you abruptly trouble the Dharma master?' Thereupon he bowed, took his leave, and had someone escort Daojiong back to the temple. He knocked at the gate, which opened only after a long time. Entering the temple, he found his room still locked, and the multitude could not fathom how it had happened. In the twentieth year of the Yuanjia reign-period of the Song, Prince Kang of Linchuan, Yiqing, took him to Guangling, where he died.

4.13

Song: Shi Huiqing of Mount Lu, six.

4.14

Shi Huiqing was a native of Guangling. He went forth from the household life when young, stayed at Mount Lu Temple, and had learning that penetrated the scriptures and vinaya, possessing pure moral conduct. He recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Daśabhūmika, and other texts. Whenever he chanted and recited at night, he would always hear the sound of snapping fingers and praise in the dark, saying: 'You chant and recite the Lotus; / We give rise to deep joy. / You are certain to achieve the Buddha path; / We pray only that your recitation does not cease.' Once at Xiaolei he encountered wind and waves, and the boat was about to capsize; Huiqing simply recited the Lotus Sūtra without ceasing, and felt the boat amid the waves as if someone were towing it, arriving at the shore in an instant. Thereupon he applied himself with even greater diligence. He passed away at the end of the Yuanjia reign-period of the Song at sixty-two years of age. An extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and delicate music was heard in the sky; people all said that by the meritorious power of reciting the sūtra he attained welcoming into the Pure Land.

4.15

Song: Shi Puming of Linzi, seven.

4.16

Śramaṇa Puming, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Linzi. He left household life at an early age. His nature was pure and simple. Eating vegetarian food and wearing hempen robes, he took repentance and recitation as his practice, reciting the two sūtras, the Lotus Sūtra and the Vimalakīrti. Whenever it was time for chanting and recitation, he had separate clothes and a separate seat, and was never sullied by any impurity. Whenever he came to the 'Encouragement [of Samantabhadra]' chapter, he would invariably see Samantabhadra riding an elephant and standing before him. When reciting the Vimalakīrti-sūtra, he also heard heavenly music sounding in the air. Moreover, he was skilled in divine dhāraṇīs; whomever he sought to save was healed. Wang Daozhen, a fellow countryman, had an ailing wife and invited Ming to come and chant spells. As Ming entered the gate, the woman fell unconscious. Shortly after, a creature resembling a wildcat, several feet in length, was seen coming out from a dog hole. She was healed because of this. Once, Ming was passing by a riverside shrine; the spirit mediums and shamans said among themselves that when the spirits saw him, they all fled in disarray. He died at the age of eighty-five.

4.17

7. Śramaṇa Fazhuang of Daochang Temple in the Capital under the Song

4.18

Śramaṇa Fazhuang, whose secular surname was Shen, was a native of Huainan. He left household life at the age of ten, becoming a disciple of Huiyuan of Mount Lu. In his youth he was renowned for his austere discipline; in his later years he traveled to Guanzhong, receiving instruction and study from Master Rui. In the beginning of the Yuanjia era, he went to the capital and resided at Daochang Temple. His nature was simple and plain, and he took only a single meal a day at noon. He recited the Mahāparinirvāṇa, the Lotus Sūtra, and the Vimalakīrti. Whenever he chanted and recited the Lotus Sūtra in the latter part of the night, those in neighboring rooms always heard what sounded like weapons and an escort of guards outside Zhuang's door. In truth, heavenly spirits had come to listen to his recitation of the sūtra. Sympathetic responses and transformations such as this occurred more than once. He died in the beginning of the Daming era of the Song at the age of seventy-six.

4.19

8. Śramaṇa Huiguo of East Waguan Temple in the Capital under the Song

4.20

Śramaṇa Huiguo was a native of Yuzhou. From his youth he applied himself to austere vegetarian living. In the beginning of the Song, he traveled to the capital and resided at Waguan Temple, reciting the Lotus Sūtra and the Daśabhūmika. Once, at a privy, he saw a ghost who paid homage to Guo, saying: 'In the past I served as karmadāna for the saṅgha, but committed minor infractions against the Dharma, and fell among the dung-eating ghosts. Master of the Dharma, your virtue has long been lofty and luminous, and your intention is also compassionate; I pray that you aid me with a means of deliverance.' He also said: 'In the past I had three thousand coins buried beneath the roots of a persimmon tree. I pray that you take them to make merit.' Guo thereupon informed the assembly and dug them up, indeed obtaining the three thousand. For [the ghost's] sake he produced a copy of the Lotus Sūtra and held an assembly. Later he saw this ghost in a dream, who said that he had already obtained rebirth in another realm, vastly superior to former days. Through the power of his chanting and recitation, Guo attained minor supernatural powers. He died in the sixth year of the Taishi era of the Song at the age of seventy-six.

4.21

9. Śramaṇa Huijin of Gaozuo Temple in the Capital under the Qi

4.22

Śramaṇa Huijin, whose secular surname was Yao, was a native of Wuxing. In his youth he was courageous and robust, unrestrained in nature and acting as an errant knight. At the age of forty, he suddenly awakened and his mind opened of itself, whereupon he renounced the secular world and resided at Gaozuo Temple in the capital. Eating vegetarian food and wearing plain garments, he vowed to recite the Lotus Sūtra. Straining his mind and laboring with hardship, whenever he held the scroll he would immediately fall ill. Thereupon he made a vow: he vowed to produce one hundred copies of the Lotus Sūtra to repent of his prior hindrances. Initially, he gathered one thousand six hundred coins. At that time, bandits came and asked Jin if he had any possessions. He replied: 'There are only the coins for producing the sūtras kept at the Buddha's seat.' Hearing this, the bandits left in shame. Thereupon he gathered faithful offerings and was able to complete the sūtras, fulfilling the full hundred sets. After the sūtras were completed, his illness also eased somewhat. He recited a complete copy of the Lotus Sūtra, fulfilling his heartfelt vow. Having fulfilled his heartfelt vow, his disciplined conduct became ever more resolute. He constantly dedicated all his meritorious deeds, vowing to be born in Sukhāvatī. Shortly before his passing, he suddenly heard a voice in the air saying: 'What you vowed has already been fulfilled; you will certainly be born in the Western Realm.' In the third year of the Yongming era of the Qi, he passed away without illness at the age of eighty-five.

4.23

10. Śramaṇa Hongming of Bailin Temple in Yongxing under the Qi

4.24

Śramaṇa Hongming, originally surnamed Lei, was a native of Shanyin in Kuaiji. He left household life at an early age, upright and austere, possessing strict vinaya discipline. He resided at Yunmen Temple in Shanyin, reciting the Lotus Sūtra and practicing dhyāna meditation. Diligent and devoted in worship and repentance, he did not cease throughout the six periods of the day. Every morning, his water bottle would fill itself; in truth, heavenly youths served as his attendants. Once, while sitting in meditation and reciting sūtras at Yunmen, Ming saw a young boy come to listen to his recitation. Ming asked: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'In the past, I was a śrāmaṇera in this temple. Because I stole food and drink, I have now fallen into the privy. Hearing of your religious practice, Venerable Sir, I came to listen to your sūtra recitation, praying that you will aid me through expedient means to be freed from this burden.' Ming immediately preached the Dharma to instruct and transform him; only after the boy grasped and understood did he vanish. Also, a tiger once entered Ming's chamber and crouched before his bed; seeing Ming and hearing the sūtra, it remained upright and motionless, only leaving after a long time. Later, while entering samādhi at the Old Stone Crag in Yongxing, a mountain spirit came to trouble Ming. Ming seized it and bound it with his waist cord. The ghost apologized humbly and begged for release, saying: 'Hereafter I dare not return.' When it was untied and released, it vanished without a trace. Ming died in the midst of the Yongming era of the Qi.

4.25

11. Śramaṇa Huiyu of Linggen Temple in the Capital under the Qi

4.26

Śramaṇa Huiyu was a native of Huanglong. He came to travel in the capital and resided at Linggen Temple. From his youth he applied himself to study, visiting all the masters far and wide; he was skilled in discussion and had an admirable demeanor. Whenever he heard others praising or criticizing people, he would invariably stop his ears and not listen, or at times he would use other words to put a stop to it. His water bottle and robes were simple and plain, and he sustained himself with a single meal at noon. Diligent in his resolute discipline, he made rescuing the suffering his foremost priority. He recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, and others. He also practiced dhyāna, being proficient in the five gates. Once, while resting, he saw three people come and knock at his door, all with pristine garments and caps, holding flower canopies. Yu asked: 'Whom are you seeking?' They replied: 'The Dharma Master is due to die; therefore we have come to receive you.' Yu said: 'There are minor matters not yet settled. Can it be postponed for one year?' They replied: 'It may be so.' When the next year completed one full cycle, he died. It was the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Qi; he was fifty-seven.

4.27

12. Śramaṇa Chaobian of Upper Dinglin Temple under the Qi

4.28

Śramaṇa Chaobian, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Dunhuang. In his youth his spiritual insight manifested singularly, and his conduct and self-cultivation were deep and profound. He recited the Lotus Sūtra and the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā. Hearing that the Buddha Dharma flourished in the capital, he crossed over the Western River road and, by way of Ba and Chu, reached Jianye. Shortly thereafter, he went east to Wu and Yue to view the mountains and rivers, staying for a short time at a temple beside the city of Shanyin. Later he returned to the capital and took up residence at Upper Dinglin Temple, living in seclusion to nourish his simplicity and complete his life. Within the mountain gate he recited the Lotus Sūtra, setting a daily limit of one recitation; his mind was agile and his mouth followed with ease, always having energy to spare. He paid homage to the thousand Buddhas for a total of more than 1,500,000 prostrations. For over thirty years his feet never went outside the gate. In the tenth year of the Yongming era of the Qi, he passed away at the mountain temple at the age of seventy-three. He was buried south of the temple. The śramaṇa Sengyou erected a stele east of the tomb site, and requested Liu Xie to compose the text.

4.29

13. Śramaṇa Fahui of Tianzhu Temple in Shanyin under the Qi

4.30

Śramaṇa Fahui's original secular surname was Xiahou. From his youth he held firm to his resolve; his austere monastic conduct was as strict as ice. At the end of the Daming era of the Song, he traveled east to the Cave of Yu and lived in seclusion at the temple on Mount Tianzhu, reciting one copy of the Lotus Sūtra. Eating vegetarian food and wearing hempen robes, his mind delighted beyond the human world. He dwelt in his upper chamber without coming down for more than thirty years. Kings and nobles would halt their carriages and, after merely paying homage at his room, return. Only Zhou Yong of Runan, on account of his deep faith and understanding, was granted personal communion with him. When from time to time there were those who admired his virtue and longed to pay homage, they would occasionally be granted a single meeting through Zhou Yong's mediation. He died in the second year of the Jianwu era of the Qi at the age of eighty-five.

4.31

14. Śramaṇa Senghou of Hougang in the Capital under the Qi

4.32

Śramaṇa Senghou, whose secular surname was Gong, was a native of West Liangzhou. At the age of eighteen, he began eating vegetarian food and performing repentance rites. After receiving full ordination, he traveled about converting people. In the beginning of the Xiaojian era of the Song, he came to the capital and recited the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakīrti, and others, regularly completing one recitation every two days, continuing thus for over sixty years. When Xiao Huikai went to Shu, he invited Hou to travel together. Later, when Huikai supported Yijia and returned to the court bearing guilt, Hou thereupon returned to the capital and built a stone chamber at Hougang to serve as a place for calm meditation. From the time he gave up worldly affection until he laid down his life, fish, meat, and pungent roots never touched his teeth. If the shadow of his foot shifted even slightly past noon, he would simply observe a fast without eating. In the first and second years of the Yongming era of the Qi, he felt slightly unwell. When noon came, he was unable to eat; he then asked for water to rinse his mouth, joined his palms, and passed away at the age of eighty-nine. (The above fourteen accounts are from the Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks, fascicle 12, and the Record of Inner Canonical Works, fascicle 10, etc.)

4.33

15. Śramaṇa Zhizhan of Licao Temple on Mount Rentou of Mount Tai under the Wei

4.34

Śramaṇa Zhizhan was a native of Shanren in Qizhou. He was a disciple of the great-grand-disciple of Master Lang. His conduct was pure and solid; he was spared from mundane affairs and spoke little, taking benevolent aid as his task. Whenever he wandered among birds and beasts, the flocks and herds did not become frightened or disordered. He resided at Licao Temple in a deep ravine of Mount Rentou; this temple was originally founded by Guṇavarman of the Song. Reading and reciting the Lotus Sūtra was his constant occupation. On the day he was about to die, the śramaṇa Baozhi reported to Emperor Wu of the Liang: 'The sacred monk who attained the fruit of srotāpanna, a native of Shanren County in the north who currently resides at Licao Temple, enters nirvāṇa today.' When the clergy and laity of the capital of Yangzhou heard Zhi's pronouncement, they all paid homage from afar. Thus, when Zhan passed away, he was entirely free of any residual affliction. Upright, his breath ceased, with one finger extended on each hand. A monk from Western India explained: 'If one attained the second fruit, two fingers would be extended; this proves that Zhan attained the first fruit.' He was brought back and buried on Mount Rentou; a stūpa was constructed to enshrine him, plastered with lime and mud, so that birds and beasts dared not desecrate it. It still exists today. (Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, fascicle 28)

4.35

16. The Monk of Wuhou Temple in Fanyang

4.36

The monk of Wuhou Temple has lost his name, nor is it known where he was from. In strict and austere discipline, he constantly took the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra as his practice, having no other aims. Gradually reaching old age and infirmity, he died in his temple. At the time of his initial death, his disciples hastened to inter him beneath an embankment. Later, when they moved his remains for reburial, his skeleton was entirely withered, yet his tongue alone remained undecayed. People all said that it was because he recited the Lotus Sūtra that his tongue did not decay.

4.37

17. The Monk Fachang of Yongzhou

4.38

The monk Fachang single-mindedly recited the Lotus Sūtra, finding no joy in human society. Constantly wandering among the mountains and forests, he eventually secluded himself on Mount Bailu. Reciting constantly day and night, he moved a young boy to come regularly and provide him with cakes, cooked rice, and the like, which appeared spontaneously. When his end drew near, purple clouds towered over the mountain, and a wondrous fragrance filled the mountain. His corpse was placed beneath a cliff. After many years passed, the rest of his skeleton withered and rotted, but his tongue remained as before. Those who saw it rejoiced in it.

4.39

18. The Sūtra-Reciting Tongue in Bingzhou under the Northern Qi

4.40

During the reign of Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi, on the eastern side of Kanshan in Bingzhou, someone digging the earth found a patch of soil that was yellowish-white in color, different from the surroundings. Upon searching, he found an object shaped like two human lips, inside of which was a tongue, fresh and crimson red. When this matter was reported, the Emperor inquired among all the monks, but none could explain it. The Great Controller of Śramaṇas, Fashang, memorialized: 'This is the retribution of the non-decay of the six sense faculties of one who upholds the Lotus Sūtra. Could it be a miraculous verification of completing one thousand recitations?' The Emperor then decreed to the Secretariat Drafter Gao Zhen: 'You are a person of sincere faith; go yourself and look at it. There will surely be a numinous marvel. It is fitting to move and place it in a pure site, hold a vegetarian feast, and make offerings.' Receiving the decree, Zhen went there, gathered śramaṇas who upheld the Lotus Sūtra, held an incense burner, kept the pure fast, circled around, and incanted: 'The Bodhisattva's parinirvāṇa has been distant in time. As the Semblance Dharma is current, for those who uphold it without error, please manifest a sympathetic response!' Just as his voice began to sound, these lips and tongue stirred and moved together at once; although no sound was produced, it was just like chanting and reading. All those who witnessed it together had their hair stand on end. Zhen reported the condition to the throne. An edict was issued to send a stone casket to store it and transfer it to a mountain chamber, so it is said.

4.41

19. Śramaṇa Huichao of Wuzhen Temple in Langu of Mount Zhongnan under the Tang

4.42

Shi Huichao, whose secular surname was Fan, was a native of Jianyuan in Danyang. By nature gentle, generous, and benevolent, at a tender age he wearied of the mundane and left home on his own accord. Later, he recited the Lotus Sūtra. Hearing that Dhyāna Master Huisi of Mount Dasu in Guangzhou had uniquely awakened to the One Vehicle and clearly illuminated the three contemplations, he, together with Master Zhiyi of Tiantai and Master Ming of Xiancheng, resolved to seek him out in seclusion. For years he requested instruction; his practice was superior, his wisdom far-reaching, and his virtue crowned the worthies of his day. Huisi said to the assembly: 'The spiritual seat of Chao is that of a person who has attained forbearance.' When [Huisi] traveled to the peaks of Mount Heng, [Huichao] accompanied him along the way, remaining to recite the sūtra and keep its cases through the passing of the seasons. Once peace was broadly established at the beginning of the Sui, he went north to Mount Gaocheng, consuming medicinal herbs and practicing sitting meditation, hoping to end his days there. The Sui Crown Prince Yang Yong summoned illustrious and virtuous monks together to the imperial capital; because Chao’s practice was exceptional, he was specially retained and offered support. Yet he was reverent, cautious, collected, and took no regard of worldly glory. When Yong was deposed, he was entirely uninvolved. Later he moved to Dingshui, widely making his virtuous reputation known. Monastics and laypeople took refuge in his tradition and looked up to his model of precepts. It happened that Master Jingye had chosen to dwell at Wuzhen Monastery in Lantian Valley; revering Chao as a man of the Dao, he personally went to invite him. Together they lived in seclusion for eight years, doubly striving in the three kinds of wisdom and the Mahāyāna. In succession, at the founding of the Chanding [Monasteries], an imperial decree was issued inviting him to enter to practice the Way; he repeatedly declined on grounds of illness, and later was permitted to return to the mountain. His virtue moved worldly feelings, and he was quite devoted to guiding others. In Sichuan, the eminent families and the officials and commoners of the entire county all presented themselves, devotedly requesting him to transmit the fragrance of virtue, and together they founded a saṅghārāma and continuously provided grain offerings. At the beginning of the Great Tang, his honors were even greater than before. Famous monks of the capital such as Huiyin and Baogong, yearning in their hearts for seclusion, all came to stay with him. Sheltered by pines and reclining on rocks, they discussed and examined the principles of the Way, all saying, 'This is truly the joy of the essential path to transcendence!' Later he suffered an illness. Shortly before [his passing], his disciples knelt and asked about him; he replied, 'This is my normal condition. I do not rejoice in long life, nor do I grieve at death in the evening.' Then, sitting upright facing the west, he said, 'The pure intellectual contemplation of the emptiness of the supreme truth—' as if entering samādhi, he suddenly departed forever. His age was seventy-seven, on the sixth day of the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Wude era (622 CE). His exposed remains lay on the pine rocks for more than a month, and his complexion did not change. The Supreme General of the Tiance heard of this, declared it extraordinary, and sent someone to view it; [Huichao] was sitting upright with folded hands as if alive. From the age of nine, when Chao entered the Way, he recited the Lotus Sūtra for more than fifty years, totaling more than ten thousand times. His spiritual inspirations and auspicious portents cannot be recounted in full. His disciples Facheng and others built a white stūpa for him on the northern peak of the monastery.

4.43

Shi Huixian of Dana Mountain Monastery in the Kingdom of Baekje, twenty-first

4.44

Shi Huixian was a man of the kingdom of Baekje. He left home in his youth and, with a diligent and focused mind, took the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra as his vocation. He prayed for blessings and made vows, most of which were fulfilled. Hearing lectures on the Three Treatises, he went to listen and receive them; once the Dharma tinged his spirit, his resolve grew all the more. At first he dwelt at Sudeok Monastery in the northern part of his country; whenever there was an assembly, he would lecture, and when there was none, he would recite clearly. People near and far heard of his reputation and crowded the mountain in clamorous gatherings. He then went to Mount Dana in the south. The mountain was extremely deep and perilous, with layered precipices and solid crags; even if people wished to visit, the climb was arduous and dangerous. Xian sat quietly within it, his focused practice remaining as before. He eventually ended his life there. His fellow students carried his corpse and placed it in a stone cave. Tigers devoured his body and bones entirely, leaving only his cranium and tongue. After three weeks, his tongue became even redder, soft and supple beyond the ordinary. Only afterward did it turn purple and hard as stone. Monastics and laypeople marveled at it and revered it, and together sealed it in a stone stūpa. He was fifty-eight years of age, which was the first year of the Zhenguan era (627 CE).

4.45

Shi Shanhui of Jinliang Monastery on Mount Li under the Tang, twenty-second

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Shi Shanhui, surnamed Gou, was a native of Wen in Henei. Widely versed in various texts, he commanded both literature and meaning; even down to the Nine Chapters [of Mathematics], the pitch pipes, calendars, and the waxing and waning of the seven luminaries, he grasped them all thoroughly as if clapping his hands in complete accord. Yet worldly affairs would ultimately end in the mire; so he cast off his coarse garments, removed his hairpin, and first entered the ranks of the Saṅgha. At first, he recited the Lotus Sūtra and listened to lectures on the She dasheng lun (Mahāyānasaṃgraha) at Pengcheng Monastery in Xuzhou. At that time he encountered bandit insurrections, where warfare and famine encroached on each other. Yet Hui bore hunger, encouraged himself, and served the Dharma without fatigue, washing away impurities and guarding cleanliness with ever-increasing diligence. In those days, the clerics and scholars of the border towns made errors in the written characters, and when it came to pronunciation and glosses, opinions were clamorously divided. Although vernacular usage was current, Hui’s intention was to adhere to elegance and correctness. He inquired widely among the enlightened, yet came back with his former doubts. Thus in the closing years of the Daye era, carrying his tin staff, he went west. He repeatedly encountered bandit groups and his clothes were stripped nearly bare, with only a piece of cloth to cover himself; yet he still held his broken flask to serve always for pure use. Having reached the customs pass, he lacked travel documents; thereupon, holding right mindfulness, he advanced straight ahead and crossed through the gate. At that time, weapons were lined up outside and inside, yet no one stopped him. In the first month of winter, the tenth month, he first arrived at the capital. He happened upon the monk Jizang lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra, which deeply accorded with his original intention, so he took refuge and listened. His appearance and clothing were wretched and ragged, and the assembly would not admit him. He then swept the snow to sit upon the ground, with only a single hem to cushion his seat. As soon as the lector began to chant, he inclined his ear to each phrase, verifying the sūtra text. As Jizang expounded, he received the teachings with a courageous heart, hoping that principle would penetrate the meaning. Striving for both [letter and spirit], he had no time to bear the cold, smiling with joy as if a merchant acquiring a jewel; he remained thus throughout the winter. Only then did the assembly admire him. When they questioned him on the purport of the words, he set them forth without forgetting anything. Hearing the Dharma, he belonged together with the monk Faxi of Chanding Monastery, who took off his robe to welcome him and led him into his room. Their wise contemplation was unadulterated; Hui took Xi as his teacher, and both fostered the fragrant standards. In the early years of the Wude era, he moved to reside at Jinliang Monastery in Lantian. The local customs were originally those of the Lirong, mutually obstinate and perverse; he guided and transformed them so that nine out of ten households were reformed. Furthermore, he loved the talented and worthy by nature and took pleasure in inviting them; from west to east for more than a hundred li, he established meditation cloisters in famous groves and scenic places, so that recluses relied on them to live in peace. In the first month of the ninth year of the Zhenguan era (635 CE), he passed away in the Liangquan Hermitage on the southern slope of Mount Li, at the age of forty-nine. When Hui first cast aside secular classics to attend to this profound model, his words never reverted to worldly matters; he concentrated his mind on the work of the Way, sparing with words and moderate with food, embracing the vinaya and cherishing benevolence, welcoming and housing travelers. He deeply valued the sūtra teachings, among which he recited the Lotus Sūtra without altering his purpose. If there were texts he had never seen, he insisted on viewing them personally; if he encountered essential practices, he would chant and recite them for days on end as the foundation of his karmic habituation.

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Shi Huida, a monk of Taiyuan under the Jin, twenty-third

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Shi Huida was a native of Taiyuan. He recited the Lotus Sūtra more than five thousand times; whether walking or sitting, in all deportment, his voice never ceased. He was especially mindful of the lives of living beings; looking straight ahead with lowered gaze, if there were insects or vermin on the ground, he would turn his body aside to avoid them and did not dare step over them. When someone asked about it, he replied, 'Between them and myself, saṃsāra is uncertain. Might they not attain correct enlightenment before me? How could one rashly slight them?' In the fourth month of the eighth year of the Zhenguan era (634 CE), he sat cross-legged, reciting the Lotus Sūtra, and passed away. People thought he had entered samādhi, and left him for five nights; since it seemed he had departed forever, yet there was no foul decay, they placed him, couch and all, inside a cave.

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Shi Facheng of Wuzhen Monastery on Mount Zhongnan under the Tang, twenty-fourth

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Shi Facheng, surnamed Fan, was a native of Wannian in Yongzhou. Leaving home in his childhood, he stayed at Wangxiao Monastery in Lantian and served the monk Senghe. He was also esteemed by the ministerial families, who venerated him like a sage. Once someone wanted to harm him; coming to his room at night, the intruder saw fierce flames rising up inside the door, and immediately retreated in repentance. By nature [Senghe] drank from pure springs, valuing cleanliness; someone playing a trick on him secretly sank a sheep bone in the water. He was completely unaware, yet upon drinking he immediately vomited: his subtle perception and latent knowledge were like this. Cheng respectfully received his instructions and recited the Lotus Sūtra as his constant task. He also visited Dhyāna Master Xiang of Chanlin Monastery to inquire into the practice of meditation; his virtue was flourishing among the schools of his time, his learning was superior, and the assembly revered him. Later he resided at Yunhua, managing and ordering the saṅgha. Emperor Wen of the Sui revered his virtue and requested to follow his model of precepts; Cheng submitted a memorial firmly declining, treating the invitation lightly. He then carried his book boxes on a long journey, visiting famous peaks and pursuing virtuous companions, all of whom accorded with his aspiration for the Way. Having met Master Chao dwelling in quiet seclusion, he made a pact with him to dwell in Lantian Valley. The place was cramped and narrow, only large enough for a single bed; when turning around in walking meditation, one feared tumbling into the deep gorge. Thereupon he leveled paths, cleared the forest, parted the clouds, caught the sunlight, thatched a roof with grass, and built a dwelling with jar-rim windows and sparse eaves; their feelings and tasks accorded with each other, harmoniously unified. This is what is now called Wuzhen Monastery. With eager resolve he practiced the Lotus Samādhi; he bathed inside and outside, and was gentle and reverent morning and evening. In a dream he was inspired by Samantabhadra, who encouraged him to write down the Great Teaching. Cheng said: 'The Great Teaching is the Mahāyāna, the wisdom of the Buddhas, which is called prajñā.' He also copied the Lotus Sūtra by hand. While doing so in the open air, he had to leave for some business and had not gathered it up when a torrential downpour burst forth, the gullies and torrents rushing in waves. He went to look: the entire desk was completely dry, while all around was flooded. Once, leaning back on a fallen pine, he fell down a cascading stream; before reaching the ravine below, without realizing it, he had already ascended the high bank without harm to a single hair. In the late summer of the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era (640 CE), he suddenly felt a residual illness and knew his time had come, making a vow to be reborn in Tuṣita. He asked for water, bathed, and then asked for a bier, inspecting it himself from the side and not permitting any lavish display. Just at the end of the month, when the morning light was about to appear, he said without warning: 'If you wish to come, just enter; there is no need for stringed music and songs.' Looking at his attendants, he said: 'I have heard that all conditioned things are impermanent, arising and ceasing without staying, and that rebirth occurs in the nine grades. These words are now verified. Now there is a boy welcoming me, who has been outside the gate for a long time. I am now leaving the world; you have the Buddha's correct precepts—do not violate them and bring about later regrets.' Having spoken, light issued from his mouth, illuminating the room; an extraordinary fragrance arrived with rich scent. They saw him sitting upright in solemn reflection, unaware that his spirit had already departed. His age was seventy-eight. As for Cheng’s recitation, during one summer retreat he set a quota of five hundred recitations of the Lotus Sūtra; on other days he both read and recited, while also practicing, still achieving two recitations a day. Even if someone visited and he had to speak with them, he spoke of nothing other than what pertained to the sūtra. In an approximate calculation of ten years of effort, he recited it more than ten thousand times.

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Shi Huiquan of Dazhuangyan Monastery in the Tang Capital, twenty-fifth (with the affair of Lord Song of Zhizheng appended)

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Śramaṇa Huiquan, surnamed Xiao, was a nephew of the current Specially Promoted Duke of Song, [Xiao] Yu. His father served under the Sui as the Duke of Liang, and his grandfather was Emperor Ming of Liang. By nature he was magnanimous and simple, with an intent and bearing that were serene and pure. His paternal aunt was Empress [Xiao] of Emperor Yang of the Sui. From his youth through adulthood he was constantly in the palace, yearning for transcendence from the worldly realm, but having no means to achieve it himself. Once he had capped his hair upon coming of age, the Emperor had him marry the daughter of Prince Xiao of Qin; this was not according to his wish, yet having no choice in the matter, he lived for a time as a couple. Only after his wife passed away was he finally able to fulfill his longtime aspiration: taking tonsure beforehand in the Eastern Capital under Zheng's [regime]. In the early years of the Wude reign period, he returned to the capital and took up residence at Zhuangyan Temple. He listened widely to the various Piṭakas, yet took the Lotus Sūtra and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha as his heart. He composed a fair number of literary pieces and was especially skilled in cursive and clerical scripts; whatever flowed from his brush was adopted as a model. Consequently, for temple nameboards and sūtra inscriptions, everyone looked up to him. Furthermore, his younger brother Zhizheng left household life to dwell with him, and recited the Lotus Sūtra fluently; he was the son of the Minister of the Court of the National Granaries, the elder brother of the Duke of Song. Zheng passed away soon after his elder brother Quan. Because their household had believed in and revered [the teaching] for generations, they devoted themselves especially to propagating the Lotus Sūtra, and both the venerable and lowly of the clan were able to recite it from memory. Thus, among the monastics and laity of the Xiao family, knowledge of the Lotus was acclaimed as profound. The Specially Promoted [Duke Xiao Yu] composed a commentary, gathering together more than ten different masters; picking out the essential points and blending them with his own understanding, he compiled it into several fascicles and regularly expounded it himself. From time to time, he would summon famous monks of the capital to point out its flaws and shortcomings. Alternatively, he would assemble monastics from among his relatives, nearly twenty in number, and supply them with wisdom in due season, never flagging in providing the four necessities. Thus, whatever his fief and stipends reached was dedicated solely to broad relief. As for the Minister of the Court of the National Granaries, he prioritized reading and recitation by inclination; thus, from birth until the end of his life, his recitations exceeded ten thousand times, and he hired people to copy out a total of a thousand sets. Every day at morning court audience, he invariably had an attendant hold the sūtra in front of him; whenever there was a brief pause in official duties, he would turn to revolving and reciting it. His peers at court looked up to him, regarding him as peerless. Ever since the transformation of Śākyamuni spread east, its nourishing flavor has reached ever further, yet those in the world who receive, uphold, read, and recite it are rare indeed. The single house of the Xiao family may truly serve as a model for the entire realm! (The ten accounts above are from the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, fascicle 28.)

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26. Śrāmaṇera Dharmodgata of Huanglong under the Song

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During the Yongchu reign period of the Song, there was a śrāmaṇera of Huanglong named Dharmodgata, who chanted the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra and purely cultivated ascetic practices. Together with twenty-five companions, he set out to seek the lands of the Buddha. Having traversed desolate perils, his resolute aspiration grew all the firmer. When they arrived at Śrāvastī in India, they encountered a herd of wild mountain elephants along the road. Dharmodgata held the sūtra, recited, and took refuge by invoking the name. A lion emerged from the forest, and the elephants fled in terror. Later, a herd of wild oxen came charging and bellowing, about to do them harm. Dharmodgata again took refuge as before; a great vulture flew down, and the oxen scattered in panic, so that he was able to escape harm. Such was the resonance of his sincere heart, overcoming perils and achieving deliverance (Regarding this account, masters such as Jiaxiang cited it as an efficacy of the Avalokiteśvara Chapter. Looking now into the Biographies of Monks, this Avalokiteśvara Sūtra is not the Avalokiteśvara Chapter, but the Avalokiteśvara-vyākaraṇa-sūtra. In order to make the difference known, it is nevertheless recorded and compiled here).

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27. Śramaṇa Faxu of Mount Shishi in Shu under the Jin

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Śramaṇa Faxu was surnamed Hun, a native of Gaochang. His moral conduct was pure and scrupulous; he ate a vegetarian diet and cultivated dhyāna. Later he entered Shu, practicing dhūta among the mountain ravines at Master Liu's graveyard, where tigers howled without harming him. He recited the Lotus, Vimalakīrti, and Suvarṇaprabhāsa sūtras, always staying within a rock chamber, alternating between dhyāna and recitation. In the height of summer, he relinquished his life inside the chamber; for seven days there was no foul odor, and from the left side of the corpse a fragrance emanated, dissipating only after ten days. Every night a light was emitted, illuminating for several leagues around. The villagers then built a grave and stupa over the corpse.

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28. Śramaṇa Sengyi of Mount Fahua in Shanyin under the Song

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Śramaṇa Sengyi was originally a native of Yuhang in Wuxing. From youth he possessed faith and understanding, early showing a demeanor that rose above the dust of the world. When he first left household life, he resided at Mount Lu Temple, where he relied upon Huiyuan to cultivate and study, keeping a strict vegetarian and ascetic discipline, and was held in high esteem by his fellow disciples. Later he went to Guanzhong, where he again studied under Kumārajīva, participating in and studying sūtras, vinaya, and abhidharma treatises; he also recited the complete Lotus Sūtra. In the thirteenth year of the Yixi reign period of the Jin, together with the śramaṇa Tanxue, a fellow of like mind, he traveled around Kuaiji to visit its mountains and waters; arriving at Qinwang, looking to the northwest, he saw five peaks standing side by side, resembling the shape of Gṛdhrakūṭa. Thereupon he tied thatch into a hut, calling it the Lotus Hermitage. The commandery governor Meng Yi and the wealthy man Chen Zai both devoted their hearts, admired his virtue, and assisted in its completion. Yi ate vegetables and drank from the ravine for over thirty years; his merit from reciting the Lotus was unsurpassed. In the dead of night there was a bright light: it was Samantabhadra appearing before him. He passed away in the twenty-seventh year of the Yuanjia reign period of the Song at the age of seventy. A stele was erected at the mountain temple to commemorate his surviving virtue.

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29. Śramaṇa Zhicong of Qixia Temple on Mount She in Runzhou under the Tang

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Śramaṇa Zhicong's native place is unknown. Formerly he resided at Baima Temple in the capital Yang[zhou], and later at Zhiguan Temple. After the Chen fell, he crossed the Yangzi River and resided at Anle Temple in Yangzhou. After the Daye reign ended in collapse, having no way to return, he hid among the rushes by the river and recited the Lotus Sūtra, going for seven days without hunger. There were consistently four tigers circling him, yet they did not devour him; up to that point ten days had passed. Cong said, "My life hangs in the balance; if you need to, you may eat me." The tigers replied, "Since the creation of heaven and earth, there has never been such a principle." Suddenly an old man appeared, around eighty years old, carrying a boat under his arm, and said, "If the master wishes to cross the river to dwell at Qixia, you may board the boat at once." Tears fell from the eyes of the four tigers simultaneously. Cong said, "Rescuing from peril and assisting in distress is needed precisely today; please welcome the four tigers as well." Thereupon they crossed smoothly and reached the southern shore; the boat and the old man were gone without a trace. Cong led the four tigers and went together to Qixia. To the west of the śarīra stupa, he practiced walking and seated meditation, vowing never to lie down to sleep. His eighty disciples all remained within the monastery grounds. Whenever an ominous event was imminent, one tiger would enter the temple and make a loud roar to inform the assembly; alerted and alarmed by this, they took it as a regular sign. Because the mountain forest was remote and grains were difficult to obtain, Cong gathered three hundred lay believers in Yangzhou to provide rice charity: each person gave one picul, delivered annually. Due to this, provisions on the mountain were continuously supplied, benefiting all, from monastics and laity down to birds and beasts. On the eighth day of the fourth month of the twenty-third year of the Zhenguan reign period, after a light morning meal, he went to Zhiguan Temple, paid homage to the spiritual image of the Great Master, and holding an incense burner, made prostrations everywhere. He then went to the tomb of [Master] Xinghuang, made prostrations, and returned to his own room, where he passed away while sitting serenely. A wondrous fragrance filled the air. More than three thousand monastics and laity who had received the precepts in the single city of Danyang rushed in their mountain attire, weeping with grief in the forest and fields. He was ninety-nine years old at the time.

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法華傳記 — Classical Chinese