淨土往生傳 2.11

2.11

釋明贍。俗姓杜恒州石邑人。性剛介有古今學。州里舉為俊士。尋悟世幻。從飛龍山應覺寺出家焉。後依鄴下大集寺。專窮大論。宇文氏之廢佛教也。贍乃晦迹巖谷。至隋文恢復聖化。出居相州法藏寺。然贍志氣超拔不干非類。香燭之外了無他涉。開皇三年。詔住大興寺。傳譯聖文。大業二年。勅天下僧道。例形俗拜。于時殿前黃老之徒。皆奉詔旨。惟僧一門。猶懷偃蹇。帝曰。詔條久頒義。須致敬。贍對曰。陛下必使準制返道。則犬馬之誠。敢不從命。如其大法可崇。則法服之下。僧徒無以敬俗。帝曰。僧徒無以敬俗何以致敬於宋武。贍曰。宋武任威縱暴。仁德不施。苟違詔命。坐貽顯戮。陛下聖化毓物。不陷非罪。是以臣等。得盡忠言。帝允其奏。遂罷前詔。眾以贍性剛介不畏強禦。舉為京邑上座。唐太宗時。亦甞詔入。問以佛教。贍曰。佛所宗。大以慈忍為本。尋即下勅以減屠宰。行軍之處。皆置佛祠。殆其暮歲。剋念安養。或譏所修遲晚。贍曰。孰遲也。十念不忘。猶且見佛。況吾所念。其萬萬哉。真觀二年十月二日有疾。謂弟子曰。物數有終。命數有極。吾命終且極矣。又曰。吾之終也。其非安養之生乎。乃期僧俗數百人。旦日於興善寺。具齋言別。于時僕射房玄齡相國杜如晦皆會焉。日既移午。贍乃迴寺。整肅威儀。若有所待。頃之遽曰。我佛來也。須臾又曰。二大菩薩亦已至也。於是竦身合掌。欣歎而卒。

Shi Mingzhan, whose secular surname was Du, was a native of Shiyi in Hengzhou. He was resolute and unbending by nature, and was learned in both ancient and modern texts. His prefecture recommended him as an outstanding scholar. Soon he realized that worldly life is an illusion, and went to Yingjue Monastery on Mount Feilong to enter the monastic life. Later he relied upon Daji Monastery in Ye, devoting himself to thoroughly probing the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa. When the Yuwen clan abolished Buddhism, Mingzhan hid his traces in rocky valleys. When Emperor Wen of the Sui restored the sacred teaching, he emerged to dwell at Fazang Monastery in Xiangzhou. Mingzhan's aspiration and spirit were exceptionally lofty, and he never meddled with improper matters; outside of incense and candles, he had no other engagements whatsoever. In the third year of Kaihuang, an imperial edict ordered him to dwell at Daxing Monastery to translate and interpret the sacred texts. In the second year of Daye, an imperial order required monks and Daoists throughout the realm to perform worldly bows as one body. At that time, before the palace, the followers of the Huang-Lao school all complied with the imperial intention, but the gate of the Buddhist monastics alone remained upright and unbowed. The emperor said, 'The terms of the decree have long been promulgated; in duty, you must pay respect.' Mingzhan replied, 'If Your Majesty definitely requires us to return to worldly ways according to the regulations, then with the sincerity of a dog or horse, how would we dare disobey the order? But if the Great Dharma is to be venerated, then beneath the Dharma robes, the monastic assembly cannot pay respect to the worldly.' The emperor said, 'If the monastic assembly cannot pay respect to the worldly, why did they pay respect to Emperor Wu of the Song?' Mingzhan replied, 'Emperor Wu gave free rein to authority and cruelty, and showed no benevolence or virtue. If one dared disobey his edicts, one immediately incurred execution in the open. Your Majesty's sagely transformation nurtures all beings, never plunging them into unjust punishment. This is why we, your servants, can speak our full loyalty.' The emperor granted his memorial and thereupon revoked the former decree. Because Mingzhan was resolute, upright, and not intimidated by the powerful, the assembly recommended him as the elder (uparisthavira) of the capital. In the time of Tang Taizong, he was also summoned to court and asked about the Buddhist teachings. Mingzhan said, 'What the Buddha takes as fundamental is largely based on benevolence and forbearance.' Soon an imperial decree was issued to reduce the slaughtering of animals, and wherever the army marched, Buddhist shrines were established. Toward his later years, he applied his mind earnestly to Anyang. Someone mocked his practice as having begun too late, but Mingzhan said, 'Who is late? With ten unforgotten recitations, one can still behold the Buddha; how much more so with the tens of millions of times that I have recited!' On the second day of the tenth month in the second year of Zhenguan, he became ill and told his disciples, 'Things have their end, and the span of life has its limit. My life is ending and has reached its limit.' He also said, 'When I end, will it not be birth in Anyang?' He then appointed several hundred monastics and laypeople to gather the next morning at Xingshan Monastery, where a meal was prepared so he could say farewell. At that time, Vice Director of the Right Fang Xuanling and Chancellor Du Ruhui both attended. After the sun passed noon, Mingzhan returned to his monastery, straightened his deportment, and appeared as if waiting for something. Shortly after, he suddenly said, 'Our Buddha has come!' A moment later, he said again, 'The two great bodhisattvas have also arrived!' Thereupon, drawing himself upright and joining his palms, he died with joyful praise.