華嚴經傳記 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Fazang of Chongfu Temple in Jingzhao.

Shi Faye of Nanlin, Eastern Jin
Guṇabhadra of Zhongxing Temple in the Capital, Liu Song
Ratnamati of Central India, Northern Wei
Shi Zhiju of Beitai, Northern Wei
Shi Huiguang of Dajue Temple in Ye, Northern Qi
Shi Sengfan of Dajue Temple in Ye, Northern Qi
Shi Tanyan of Zhizhou, Northern Qi
Shi Lingyu of Yankong Temple in Xiangzhou, Sui
Shi Huizang of Kongguan Temple in Xijing, Sui
Shi Linggan of Da Zanding Temple in Xijing, Sui

2.4

The clan and family origins of the monk Faye are unknown. In his youth he possessed a demeanor that transcended the worldly, casting aside dust and defilement like worn slippers. Leaving household life when young, his bearing was refined and upright. In learning he had no fixed teacher; widely erudite and of profound reflection, he was esteemed by his contemporaries. Although he had read through all the various collections, he always considered that in illuminating the ultimate and plumbing the subtle, he was still delightfully unsatisfied. Later, meeting the Indian śramaṇa Buddhabhadra, he requested the translation of the Avataṃsaka [Sūtra], personally acting as scribe and consulting with him on the doctrinal principles without lapse day or night. After several years, he had a vast awakening. Turning to his friend, he said, "The south-pointing compass of the sacred teachings lies right here!" Having received the Sanskrit text in person and being exquisitely refined, people came in succession day after day to honor the lineage and inquire into teachings. Thereupon he expounded the profound import, becoming a preeminent master. Several hundred monks, including the śramaṇa Tanbin, submitted themselves with reverence and respectfully received his elegant instructions. The grand teaching's first source began with Faye. Because the rare sound was only just beginning to open, he had no leisure to exhaust every detail, but merely set forth the broad outlines. He composed the Zhigui (Aim of the Doctrine) in two fascicles, which circulates in the world. Later, his end was unknown. The ancient worthies omitted his pure example, which is lamentable indeed.

2.5

Guṇabhadra—here translated as "Virtue-Auspicious"—was a native of Central India. Because of his study of the Mahāyāna, the world called him Mahāyāna. He was originally of Brahmin lineage. At first he studied the treatises of the five sciences, and in celestial texts, arithmetic, medical prescriptions, and incantations, there was nothing he did not master widely. Later, happening upon the Abhidharma-saṃyuktatattva[-hṛdaya-śāstra], he read it and was startled into awakening, coming to revere the Buddha-Dharma deeply; he then cast away his hairpin, removed his ornaments, and devoted himself with single-minded diligence to study. Upon receiving full ordination, he became broadly versed in the Tripiṭaka. After a while, taking leave of his Hīnayāna master, he went to study under a Mahāyāna master. The Mahāyāna master tested him by having him draw a sūtra box at random, and he drew the Avataṃsaka. The master rejoiced and praised him, saying, "You have profound affinities with the Mahāyāna!" Thereupon he chanted and expounded it, and none could match or challenge him. Advancing further, he received the bodhisattva precepts. Soon, having karmic connections with the East, he boarded a ship and sailed the ocean. Encountering peril halfway, he vigorously recollected the Buddhas of the ten directions and recited Avalokiteśvara's name; the entire ship was saved. Such was his sincere resonance. In the twelfth year of the Yuanjia reign, he arrived in Guangzhou. The regional inspector Che Lang presented a memorial to the throne, and Emperor Taizu of the Song dispatched messengers to welcome him. Once he arrived in the capital, the emperor ordered the eminent monks Huiyan and Huiguan to hold a reception in the suburbs at Xinting. Seeing that his spiritual bearing was bright and penetrating, there was none who did not venerate him. Although they communicated through translation, they were as joyful as old friends meeting by chance. At first he resided at Jetavana Monastery (Qihuansi). Soon Taizu invited him and treated him with profound esteem. Yan Yanzhi of Langya, a man of versatile genius and vast learning, adjusted his sash and came to his gate. Thereupon, from near and far in the capital, carriage caps looked upon one another in procession. The General-in-Chief, King Yikang of Pengcheng, and the Prime Minister, King Yixuan of Nanjiao, both served him as their master. After a while, the assembly of monks jointly requested him to produce sūtras. At Jetavana Monastery, Dong'ansi, Danyang Commandery, and other places, more than seven hundred śramaṇas of doctrinal study were assembled; what was produced before and after totaled over one hundred fascicles. King Jiao wished to invite him to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, but Bhadra reflected that his Chinese was not yet skilled, harboring shame and regret. Thus, morning and evening he performed repentances, prayed to Avalokiteśvara, and pleaded for a hidden response. Then he dreamed of a man dressed in white carrying a sword and holding a person's head, who came before him and said, "Why do you worry?" Bhadra replied by detailing the matter, and [the man] said, "No need to worry so much." He immediately exchanged heads using the sword and mounted a new head, telling him to turn it around and asking, "Does it hurt?" He replied, "It does not hurt." He suddenly woke up with a joyful mind, and had fully mastered the Chinese language. Thereupon, monastics and laypeople far and wide submitted to his spiritual resonance and requested him to give lectures; he subsequently lectured on the Avataṃsaka dozens of times. At the end of the Yuanjia era, King Jiao repeatedly had frightening and strange dreams. Bhadra answered, "There will soon be turmoil in the capital." In less than a year, the prime malefactor plotted rebellion. As for the Prime Minister's secret plot, [Bhadra] presented in advance the outline of three remonstrances. When Shizu gazed from afar, [Bhadra] foreknew the talk of a single strange portent. Planting his staff in the river, a divine boy suddenly arrived; burning incense beneath the tower, the mountain ghost departed of itself. Ascending the imperial seat, he was treated with equal honor; staying at the fishing terrace, he rescued living beings. Such moving virtues cannot be recounted in detail here. From his youth onward, he constantly held an incense burner, never letting it leave his hand. At every meal he set aside a portion to feed flying birds, and the birds became so tame that they would gather on his hand to feed. Coming to the first month of the fourth year of the Taishi reign, feeling unwell in his body, he bid farewell to Taizong, the ministers, and lords. On the day of his passing, he stood waiting and gazed afar, saying he saw heavenly flowers and holy images. At midday he passed away. His age was seventy-five. Taizong deeply grieved and conferred lavish posthumous gifts. The lords and ministers gathered for the funeral, with all labor and mourning fully paid.

2.6

Ratnamati—in Wei [Chinese] called Baoyi ("Treasure Mind")—was a native of Central India. Vastly wealthy in learning, he penetrated both principle and phenomena. He recited one hundred million verses, each verse having thirty-two syllables. He was especially clear on the methods of dhyāna, his mind set on traveling and transforming [beings]. In the fifth year of the Zhengshi reign, he first arrived in Luoyi, translating twenty-four fascicles of treatises such as the Daśabhūmika[-śāstra]. From the beginning, his spiritual insight was uniquely distinguished and his wisdom and comprehension were peerless; he understood and checked the Wei language, penetrating all its subtle corners. The emperor repeatedly ordered him to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra; his exposition and unravelling brought awakening, his refined meaning continuously emerging. One day, while properly seated upon the high seat, suddenly there appeared someone holding a tablet and a roster, shaped like an officer of the grand palace, who said, "The Heavenly Emperor has commanded me to invite the Dharma Master to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra." [Ratna]mati said, "This Dharma assembly has not yet paused; wait until the sūtra text is finished, and I will follow your order. However, the requirements of a Dharma service cannot be accomplished alone: the chief chanter (dujiang), the incense burner, the karmadāna (weina), and the chanter of Sanskrit hymns (fanbai) are all needed. Please summon them now." The envoy acted according to his words; all the monks in the lecture assembly witnessed this together. Soon, as the Dharma service was nearing completion, the former envoy was seen again, saying, "Receiving the Heavenly Emperor's command, I have come down to welcome you." [Ratna]mati smiled gently, bid farewell to the assembly in peaceful delight, and suddenly passed away upon the Dharma seat. The chief chanter and other monks also died at the same time. Throughout the borders of Wei, all who heard or saw this marveled at it.

2.7

The monk Zhiju, surnamed Liu, served the spiritual monk Tanwuzui in his youth. His capacity and caliber were harmonious and brilliant, his learning and arts superior and broad. He had previously read the Avataṃsaka Sūtra several tens of times, but regarding its doctrinal import, he became increasingly dimmed and confused; constantly harboring dissatisfaction, he intensified his earnestness morning and evening. Then he dreamed that the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, riding a white elephant and radiating light, came and said to him, "Follow me south, and I will give you medicine to enable you to understand deeply." Suddenly waking, he told this to a like-minded companion, lamenting that he had not asked the location in the south. The companion said, "The holy one directed you south; simply follow the command. Why worry that you will not reach it?" Thereupon he packed his bags and set off swiftly. After traveling for three days, he saw a clear pond containing calamus, whose stems and leaves were extraordinarily magnificent. Delighted, he dug it up; its roots were entwined several feet around, barely fitting the hub of a cart. Zhiju's heart opened up, thinking it was a sacred gift, and he ingested it. For several days, his brilliance and comprehension doubled the ordinary; the doubts and blockages of past years became clear and transparent in a single morning, and his sublime entry into spiritual intent was exceptionally superior to that of earlier worthies. He then traveled around lecturing on it more than fifty times, producing a commentary in ten fascicles. At age seventy, he died at Beitai.

2.8

The monk Huiguang, surnamed Yang, was a native of Lu in Dingzhou. At age thirteen he accompanied his father to Luoyang. On the eighth day of the fourth month, he went to Buddhabhadra's place and received the three refuges from him. [Buddha]bhadra was struck by his eyes radiating light like flames, deeply considering that he must possess extraordinary virtue; he earnestly invited him to stay and had him chant sūtras. Guang held the scroll and read the text as if he had practiced it of old; he comprehended the profound meanings on the side and fully mastered the subtle import. At the end of the summer, he was ordained and left household life. The sūtras and teachings he had studied, he then explained for others; his phrasing was elegant and clear, and his principles were lofty and lucid. People of the time called him the "Holy Śrāmaṇera." However, the offerings he obtained he turned over to benefit others; when praise or blame arrived, his demeanor showed no fault. The assembly esteemed his far-reaching caliber all the more. [Buddha]bhadra said, "This novice is no ordinary man. When he receives the full precepts, he should first listen to the Vinaya. The Vinaya is the foundation of wisdom; without wisdom it does not emerge." For this reason, he practiced many Vinaya deeds. When he advanced to receive the full ordination, he broadly listened and put it into practice. As four summer retreats approached, he lectured on the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya. Only then did he take up brush and paper to record what he had heard, also evaluating it with his own thoughts to correlate and explain it. [Buddha]bhadra secretly saw his writing on another day, called him over, and told him, "When I ordained you, I hoped you would transmit the holy fruit; why should you fussily engage in worldly words right now? You can become a lofty and brilliant Dharma master, but clerical affairs are not your lot." It happened that Buddhabhadra and Ratnamati had just translated the Daśabhūmika[-śāstra]; Guang began the chapters and explained them, his merit being the foremost. Furthermore, the single work of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Sifen lü) was also drafted by him. Later, listening further to the Avataṃsaka, he profoundly awakened to its refined essence; delving into the subtle and amassing contemplation, he passed through many hot and cold seasons. Having traced its vestiges and sought its hidden meanings, he wonderfully exhausted its every corner, becoming the primary master who constantly lectured in person. Guang considered that the foundation of the correct teaching did not surpass this scripture; whenever he expounded it, he paid full respect and solemnity. Every time he lectured, he was completely pure inside and out, and the listening assembly followed suit: outside the steps where shoes and boots were taken off together, each prepared fragrant flowers and joined their palms in awe. Such diligence in revering the Dharma has rarely been matched in a thousand years. He wrote a commentary in four fascicles, establishing the three teachings of sudden, gradual, and round to classify the various scriptures; taking the Avataṃsaka as the round teaching began with him. Works such as the Nirvāṇa, Vimalakīrti, Daśabhūmika, and Bodhisattvabhūmi were all annotated by him for their profound meanings, being esteemed by the age. High-ranking worthies of the Qi dynasty, such as Minister of Education Gao Jiao, Left Vice Director Gao Longzhi, and court officials like Sima Linghu Ziru, revered him like a sage. Once encountering a severe drought, it was reported to Guang; he went to the edge of the pond on Mount Song, burned incense, and prayed for rain. Soon a downpour moistened the plains and marshes to their benefit. Such was his hidden and visible efficacy. At first in the capital he served as National Buddhist Registrar (guo sengdu), and soon was transferred to National Controller (guo tong). On the day before his passing, he rode in a carriage toward the office; as he went out through the monastery gate, the roof ridge split on its own. While sitting and deciding affairs, a piece of earth fell before his brush; searching for where it came from, there was no source, and he knew it was a sign of his end. Because of this, he was unwell for more than forty days, and suddenly passed away at Dajuesi in Yecheng at the age of seventy. He had always vowed to be born in a Buddha-realm without fixing the direction, but when his breath was about to cease, he saw a great heavenly palace descending, and thereupon devoted his sincere faith to Sukhāvatī, quietly passing away thereafter. He authored the Xuanzong lun (Treatise on the Profound Tenet), Dacheng yili (Mahāyāna Doctrinal Vinaya), Renwang qijie (Seven Admonitions of the Benevolent King), and Sengzhi shiba tiao (Eighteen Regulations for the Sangha), all of which were clear and solemn in text and meaning, and were esteemed by his contemporary era.

2.9

Shi Sengfan, surnamed Li, was a native of Pingxiang. In his youth he studied widely among the various books, and by age twenty-three he was thoroughly versed in the classifications and summaries of literature. As for the seven luminaries, the nine chapters [of mathematics], astronomy, and divination, none could rival him. Over a thousand people studied under him. Yet in his youthful prime and fine appearance, he had no mind for marriage at all. Longing to commit himself to the Dharma gate, he burned his fingers to make an offering. At age twenty-nine, hearing a lecture on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, he tried listening once and thereupon realised the ultimate profundity of the Buddhist scriptures. He then went to Ye to take tonsure under a monk, thus becoming a monk. At first he studied the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, aspiring to master its teachings completely. Later he went to Luoyang to study under Master Xian, listening to the Lotus Sūtra and the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. He also went to the śramaṇa Huiguang to adopt further insights. After some time, he travelled to transform others, bringing benefit and peace throughout Qi and Wei. Each time he raised a Dharma seat, his audience numbered over a thousand. Du Bi, the regional inspector of Jiaozhou, invited Sengfan to give a winter lecture at the Xianyi Temple in Ye. When he reached the Sixth Ground of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a wild goose suddenly flew down, circumambulated the stupa from the east, and entered the hall. Facing the high seat directly, it prostrated and listened to the Dharma; when the lecture dispersed, it slowly went out, circumambulated the stupa to the west, and only then took flight and departed. Again, during a summer lecture at this temple, a sparrow came and prostrated to listen at the southwest of the seat, remaining until the end of the ninety days. Furthermore, when he once stayed in Jizhou, a duck likewise flew in to listen and departed only when the lecture was over. Such auspicious omens and responses were numerous. Had his virtue not matched the unseen realm, how could this have been so? Formerly, while he was lecturing on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a monk happened to slander it. That night a spirit specially gave him a flogging; he died and revived, on account of which all who saw or heard of it became deeply reverent. Once, staying overnight at another temple, it happened to be the poṣadha day. A monk ascended the seat intending to establish a doctrinal thesis, saying: 'Establishing debates on the characteristics of phenomena accords deeply with the sage words; why bother reciting the precepts, which the saṅgha always hears anyway?' Suddenly, a spirit over ten feet tall, of extraordinarily imposing appearance, was seen to come before the seat. He asked the monk who established the thesis: 'What day is today?' He replied: 'It is the poṣadha day.' The spirit struck him with his hand and dragged him beneath the seat, leaving him utterly exhausted and near death. He next asked the elder monk of the assembly, striking and dragging him likewise. From this Sengfan urged himself on, and until his end, whether for saṅgha matters or personal affairs, he never once declared intent by proxy. Even when gravely ill, he was carried on a litter to join the saṅgha. On the day he was about to pass away, he invited Daozhang into his room, stepped down from his bed, and knelt in repentance, only confessing past transgressions. Exactly at noon, he gave his final admonitions and died at the East Dajue Temple in Ye. His age was eighty; it was the second day of the third month in the sixth year of the Tianbao era. Originally, when Sengfan turned away from Confucianism to enter Buddhism, his veneration and faith grew daily. Restfully meditating on the gate of emptiness, he permanently cast aside his former habits. His words never touched upon personal gain, and his countenance showed neither joy nor anger. He always kept his mind on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as his karmic cause for future recompense, and nightly bowed to the Thousand Buddhas as constant provision for his single lifetime. In his final years, when his age was already advanced and his physical strength uneven, he still bowed his head upon his pillow in accord with the six intervals of the day. Since the emergence of outstanding and eminent masters, rare were those who could run abreast with him. He composed a five-fascicle Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra; on the Daśabhūmika, the Bodhisattvabhūmi, the Vimalakīrti, and the Śrīmālādevī, he also had commentaries and notes for each.

2.10

Shi Tanyan, surnamed Xiahou, was a native of South Yanzhou. When first born, his teeth were already complete. At age seven he began his studies, of extraordinary brilliance. At eighteen he was recommended as an abundant talent. Coming across Master Huiguang's Dharma seat and listening, he immediately received the refuges and precepts. At age twenty-three he turned to Huiguang and went forth from home; Huiguang immediately conferred the precepts upon him. He had no spare time while listening and studying, even cutting back on food and rest. Yet, having doubts about the teachings of the canon, he inquired of great scholars, but all of them in turn were enlightened by his own intention, none able to resolve them for him. Thereupon he broadened his scope, composing a seven-fascicle Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. He continuously conducted lectures, assisting and praising the profound principles, his voice and eloquence powerful and clear, his words suited to the capacities of the time. From Qi and Zheng to Yan and Zhao, all walked under his Dharma conversion. Those following him in doctrinal studies constantly numbered over a thousand monks, while householders who took ordination under him were nearly five hundred. After Huiguang's death, the great teaching of the Avataṃsaka flourished once again through him. Gao Yuanhai, King of Zhaojun, and Du Bi, the regional inspector of Jiaozhou, both noble kin and important ministers of the Qi court, paid him sincere respect and devotion. Zu Xiaozheng, the Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, memorialised for him to become Monastic Chief of the State, to harmonise Buddhist administration and maintain the profound web intact. On the eighteenth day of the third month in the first year of the Kaihuang era, he suddenly told his attendants: 'Impermanence has arrived.' He then recited the name of Maitreya Buddha, and his voice and breath ceased together. It was just noon; the monks by his side watched together as his complexion appeared joyous and calm. His age was seventy-nine. Whenever Tanyan relieved people with wealth, the poor and sick came first; wherever the Dharma reached, those who practised were instructed first. Whenever he saw a sūtra or an image, he unfailingly paid reverent homage, welcoming and seeing them off. When meeting the poor and base on the road, he unfailingly wept in pity and compassion. Furthermore, he always delighted in listening to the precepts, never neglecting their observance in coming or going. He never laid eyes upon pungent, raw, or foul things. Whenever bad breath or bodily gas pressed forth, he stepped outside the room so that the pure monastic chambers would not be tainted. Before his death, someone dreamed of seeing Tanyan in crimson robes and spiral hair, with sideburns hanging down his back, attended by two youths as he ascended into the sky and soared high away to the northwest. Soon afterwards he passed away. At the time, people collectively considered this to be the appearance of Vāsanti, the night goddess, who was the thirty-second good spiritual friend sought by the youth Sudhana in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.

2.11

Shi Lingyu, whose secular surname was Zhao, was a native of Quyang in Julu. When he was a young child, whenever he saw images or monks, he knew to perform dedication of merit; when he heard the sounds and sights of slaughter, he was saddened and his expression changed. At the age of six, he followed his mother in receiving the precepts; his father tried to stop him by force, but he vowed that in his mind he would never violate them. At the age of seven, he asked his father's permission to leave the household, but out of parental affection, his father did not allow it. Yu sighed privately, saying, "If I do not leave the household at seven, my whole life will be ruined!" He then followed his teachers' instruction, and his studies advanced day by day. At fifteen, he suffered the loss of his father; he mourned upon the straw mat and earth clod, becoming so emaciated that he could only rise with a cane. When the mourning period ended, he silently went to Yingjue Monastery in Zhao Commandery and approached Dhyāna Master Bao, seeking to leave the household. Bao observed his spiritual bearing and declined, saying, "I can be a condition for you, but I cannot be your teacher. You should go to an extraordinary place." He thereupon went to Dingzhou and received full ordination. He recited the two codes of vinaya—the Four-Part Vinaya and the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya—and copied their texts himself; within eight days, both his copying and recitation were completed. Later, he traveled south to Zhanglong, where under Venerable Yin he studied the Four-Part Vinaya comprehensively. Furthermore, relying on Venerable Ping, he listened exclusively to the Daśabhūmika [Sūtra/Śāstra]. Examining the subtle depths morning and night, bringing forth marvels and cutting through with new insights, all acclaimed and yielded to him. Regarding the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and the Daśabhūmikabhāṣya, he broadly searched ancient interpretations while excavating new marvels. The Mahāsaṃnipāta and Prajñāpāramitā alone came from innate knowledge, and as for the Abhidharmahṛdaya and Tattvasiddhi, he thoroughly reached their very nests. During his twelfth summer retreat, he first began to lecture in the capital of Ye. His fame and integrity were already prominent, and his expressions and directives seemed fresh. Those who took part in his lectures and took refuge in him thereupon called him "Bodhisattva Yu." All received the precepts from him, and the great Dharma of the Three Clusters of Precepts spread far and wide from this point onward. As for the single work of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, he applied his mind even more deeply to it, investigating and discerning its purports and objectives, so that he was hailed by his contemporaries as an exemplary master of it. It happened that the empress of Qi fell ill and wished to hear this scripture; Zhaoxuan and the various overseers recommended Yu to undertake the task. At that time, there was a rooster that always followed the assembly to listen; when the lecture dispersed, it crowed loudly and flew high onto a tree to the southwest, where it died after a single night. Shortly afterward, her illness was cured; this too was a clear response of spiritual resonance. Because of this, the inner palace donated three hundred kāṣāya robes, which Yu received and distributed. Lou Rui, the Prince of Andong of Qi, was paying respects to the various monks; when he came before Yu, he unconsciously broke into a sweat with fear. Upon retreating and inquiring, he realized Yu's extraordinary stature, and immediately honored him as his precept master. Baoshan Monastery was initiated by Yu, and Rui served as the donor, completely emptying his treasury of gold and utensils; his hidden virtue moving others was also like this. When the Zhou eradicated Qi, the two teachings [Buddhism and Daoism] were submerged and lost. He then concealed his form in the secular realm, wearing coarse mourning garments of three-sheng cloth, with a hemp fillet on his head and a hemp belt around his waist, as if mourning his own parents, vowing to resume his former attire only when the Buddha's Dharma was reborn. Leading more than twenty companions dressed in secular garb, he dwelt in a settlement, discussing the correct principle by night and reading secular books by day. When the great Sui dynasty arose, the Buddhist teachings prospered once more. As Yu's virtue shone among the foremost elders, he was promptly selected and promoted. The Emperor issued an edict: "Respectful inquiries to Dharma Master Lingyu of Daci Monastery in Xiangzhou: We revere the Three Jewels, and Our inclination toward them is profound. We desire to propagate the Mahāyāna and protect the true Dharma. The Dharma Master's pure conduct is refined and deep, and his understanding of principles and meanings is profound and far-reaching; he promotes the sacred teachings and guides the deaf and blind. Both monastics and laity admire him, wishing to make him a field of merit. The capital is looked up to by all under Heaven, where all from the four quarters converge. Therefore, We summon the Dharma Master from afar to jointly conduct deeds of merit. Be aware of Our intention and enter the capital promptly." The Dharma Master then walked into Chang'an at the age of seventy-four. An imperial decree dispatched attendants to greet and comfort him, ordering him to reside at Xingshansi. The authorities were further commanded to assemble widely the monks of great renown to assess and establish the National Overseer (Guotong); the consensus of the assembly fell upon him, with none dissenting. Yu firmly declined, resolute and unyielding, and submitted a memorial requesting permission to return. The Emperor granted it. The Vice Director of the Left Gao Jiong and others submitted another memorial requesting that he be detained; the Emperor then issued a decree ordering that he remain here. Yu said, "The ruler of a state must never speak with two voices. Now he detains me again, which does not accord with my intention." He then told his disciples, "With monarchs and ministers close at hand, an oath has long been made: to advance is to invite disrespect for oneself and contempt for the Dharma; to withdraw is not without remote reverence. Therefore, I weigh whether to accept or decline." Soon afterward, three more decrees firmly invited him, but Yu remained firm as before. The Emperor said to Su Wei, "We know that Master Yu is unyielding and upright, an unbound man; he truly cannot be made to bend his principles." He then decreed the Vice Director of the Left Gao Jiong, the Vice Director of the Right Su Wei, and other nobles to proceed to the monastery to proclaim the imperial decree, receiving the precepts and repenting transgressions on behalf of the Emperor, and sending three hundred bolts of patterned damask and silk cloth to assist in building the mountain monastery. The Emperor personally inscribed the plaque, naming it Luquan Monastery. After he returned to his home region, imperial inquiries arrived repeatedly. Later, upon hearing voices crying out in Ye, he knew that his departure from this world was near. He then gave instructions on good and evil, admonished his disciples, took up a brush, and composed two poems on mourning the swift approach of the end and sorrowing over the eternal demise. At the third watch, an extraordinary fragrance suddenly filled the room, startling all within and without. Entering still contemplation, with his mouth mindfully reciting the Buddha's name, he continued without interruption until dawn, when he suddenly passed away at Yanxong Monastery. He was eighty-eight years old, on the twenty-second day of the first month of the first year of Daye. The grief moved the mountains and the world; he was buried beside Lingquan Monastery on Mount Baoshan, where a stūpa was erected to honor him. From the beginning, Yu maintained pure integrity and kept himself chaste, his upright energy soaring to the clouds; his lofty mountain conduct served as a model in every action. Once, when his mother was gravely ill, he hurried to attend to her, but she had already passed away, so he turned back midway; such was his severing of worldly affection for the sake of propagating the Way. Once, he went to a place and had expounded the teaching halfway when he suddenly noticed that the host of the lecture still kept a leek garden. Yu said, "The beginning of propagating the Dharma is to eliminate the sources of transgression. If unwholesome karma is not uprooted, where is the pure Way? This lecture cannot continue; it must be dispersed at once." Taking up his staff and holding his robes, he immediately took leave and departed. The host of the lecture said, "Please continue your lecture, Dharma Master; this karma can be easily eliminated." He immediately borrowed plowing tools from the villagers and plowed under forty mu of leeks all at once. This can be called putting the teaching into practice upon hearing it. Sometimes, when eminent elders gathered and bantered playfully among themselves, as soon as Yu took his seat, none failed to conduct themselves with solemn restraint, preferring quietude to clamour. For this reason, the nuns of lower rank did not dare to consult him face to face. His nature was resolute and formidable, and his robes were coarse and worn; he treated the noble and eminent exactly the same as the humble, receiving both alike. Departures and arrivals were entirely up to the other party; he never went out to greet or see off anyone. Therefore, a proverb in Ye went: "Dharma Master Yan subdues the monastics but not the laity; Dharma Master Yu subdues both monastics and laity." This was truly because his responses were spontaneous and his utterances formed definitive treatises. In his practicing of giving from first to last, compassion and respect were combined; his gifts of kāṣāya robes exceeded a thousand. Wherever disease and suffering struck, his medical assistance was manifold. Whenever he received rich food, he always ordered it to be offered to the Saṃgha first; although he was among their ranks, he kept not the slightest reserve. When lecturing, he faced directly west. Throughout his entire life, he never spat or blew his nose on the ground. His body committed no improper acts, and his mouth uttered no careless words. In instructing humans and training animals, he completely renounced scolding and beating. Even when reproving youths and admonishing disciples, he always addressed himself by his own name and referred to the other as "benevolent one"; his earnest words cut so deeply that none failed to shed tears. If anyone's speech or conduct was contrary [to the Dharma], he would not dwell with them; what was not permitted by the Vinaya could not remain within the monastery's rules. He vowed never to administer the precepts to women or nuns, nor did he allow them to set foot in his dwelling room; such was his grand design to discipline and set a standard for later generations. When a novice received the full precepts, the preceptor's virtue was difficult to fulfill; hence throughout his whole life he would not act as one, though he served as the other certifying masters when the assembly gathered. As for transmitting the Three Clusters of Precepts, since it is to be transmitted to all seven assemblies of disciples, he only permitted women into the monastery when the Dharma was being propagated; they entered after the others and left before them, going directly without lingering. For this reason, his Dharma assemblies were so pure and solemn that their fame spread throughout the realm, and novices were not involved in providing services. His clothing was pure and austere; he wore neither patterned silk nor damask. His lower robe hung four fingers above the ankles, and his shirt sleeves were just level with the elbows. His saṃkakṣikā was at most long enough to reach the shins. If he mistakenly saw a garment that exceeded the prescribed measure, he would cut it in the presence of the assembly. Therefore, square skirts, back-covers, large felt covers, mattresses, leather items, fine coins, and precious goods never entered his room. His five-panel saṃkakṣikā had always been made of coarse cloth; even if he received silk or satin, he ultimately gave it to others, keeping only worn-out rags for himself. From the age of thirty, he was engaged in writing; he composed a commentary and a guide to the purports of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, in nine fascicles altogether. His other commentaries, treatises, and records, both internal and external, totaled more than a hundred fascicles, which are in circulation in his time. Thus, among the streams of the Dharma in the Eastern Xia and the differing standards of their converting manner, when it comes to establishing teachings and implementing practices that win trust for a thousand years, Yu is certainly one of them.

2.12

Shi Huizang, whose secular surname was Hao, was a native of Pingji in Zhao State. He left the household at eleven, and before receiving the full precepts, he had already lectured on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Later, he listened to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, the Daśabhūmika [Śāstra], the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Prajñāpāramitā, and other texts; among those of broad learning, few failed to yield to him. When his age exceeded forty, he went into seclusion in the Qianque Mountains, pillowing his head on stones and rinsing his mouth with streams, purifying his mind in the profound mystery. He constantly studied and savored the various scriptures, taking the Avataṃsaka as his foundation. Although he thoroughly penetrated its hidden subtleties, he remained humble and modest; looking up to the sacred assistance, he hoped for a sign indicating whether he was right or wrong. Immediately, a spiritual response descended during the night: a voice in the sky said, "Right! Right!" Having heard this proclamation, he accordingly composed a commentary on the meanings and propagated it in person. Those who came to join his school were all nourished and absorbed by it. Emperor Wucheng of Qi issued a letter inviting him to the Daji Hall to expound this scripture. The Dharma companions gathered like dense clouds, and the gentry all assembled; contemporaries shared in the honour, regarding it as a grand and magnificent sight. From then on, he focused exclusively on propagating this text, and its transmission and practice spread even further. During the Zhou's destruction of the scriptures and the Way, he wiped away his traces from the human realm, resting amid mists and clouds, safeguarding his dark monastic robes. At the beginning of the Sui, when the Dharma was revived, he resumed his monastic status. Emperor Wen had long revered the reputation of his virtue, and dispatched an envoy from afar to summon him. The carriage with rushes wrapped around the wheels having descended, he was granted audience with the Emperor in the Chengming Hall, where he set forth the profound mystery, fully according with the imperial intention; he was thus made one of the Six Great Virtues. An imperial decree bestowed special honors upon him, which continued through the four seasons without interruption for two decades. On the twenty-ninth day of the eleventh month of the first year of Daye, he fell ill and passed away at Kongguansi. He was eighty-four years old. Facing death, he instructed that his corpse be left exposed. His disciples respectfully observed his final instructions, placing his body in the forest at the foot of the mountains; they then interred his bones, constructed a stūpa, and erected it on the peak in front of Zhixiangsi on Mount Zhongnan.

2.13

Shi Linggan, whose secular surname was Li, was a native of Didao in Jincheng. His grandfather was enfeoffed in Shangdang as a minister, and [the family] subsequently relocated following the fief. At the age of ten, his aspiration was to hear the Dharma and his mind rejoiced in leaving secular life behind; his parents did not oppose him. At fourteen, he went to Da Zhuangyan Monastery in the capital of Ye to become a disciple of Dharma Master Yan. Day and night he respectfully served him without wasting an inch of time, and whenever he entered the lecture hall, he imagined himself dwelling in a heavenly palace, no different. At eighteen, he repeated the lectures on the Avataṃsaka and the Ten Grounds. When he first opened the fundamental teachings, everyone praised him in unison. When Emperor Wu of the Zhou suppressed the Dharma, he remained at home upholding the precepts. When the Sui dynasty revived the sun of the Buddha, he was among the distinguished choices. Whenever Linggan lectured on this sūtra, he would often extend through the cold and heat; people gathered and formed bonds from all four directions, following one after another in a continuous stream of dust. In the seventh year of Kaihuang, by imperial decree he was ordered to reside at Xingshansi as a śramaṇa who certified the meanings for translation of sūtras. In the seventeenth year, he fell ill and fell unconscious, but his heart alone remained warm, so they did not yet dare to inter him. Later he awoke and said: 'I went to Tuṣita Heaven and saw the two Dharma Masters Xiu and Yuan, sitting together on lotus pedestals, their radiant light surpassing the world. They said to me: "You and all my disciples will later all be reborn here."' On this account he was awakened and further redoubled his past practice. Uprightly engaging in contemplative practice, he severed interactions with worldly people. In the third year of Daye, the Da Chanding [Monastery] was established, and by imperial decree he was promoted to be the sthavira (senior monk) of the bodhimaṇḍa. The assembly of monks flourished for a time, and his work in guiding and delivering them was meritorious. In the first month of the eighth year, he passed away at the monastery at the age of seventy-eight. He was cremated on the northern slopes of Mount Zhongnan. Initially, Linggan had resolved to uphold the Avataṃsaka, always relying on the text of the sūtra to perform the contemplation of the Padmagarbha-alaṃkāra-lokadhātusamudra and the contemplation of Maitreya's heavenly palace. When his illness became severe, his pupils turned upward and he did not respond to people. After a long while he returned to normal. Śramaṇa Tongzhen was inquiring about his illness by his side. Linggan said to Zhen: 'Just now I saw a boy in blue robes leading me to Tuṣita heavenly palace. But heavenly pleasures do not last long; in the end one falls back into saṃsāra. The Padmagarbha is what I aspire to.' Soon after, his breath ceased. In a moment it returned again. Zhen asked, 'What did you see?' Linggan said, 'I saw great waters filling everywhere, and a flower like a chariot wheel. I sat upon it; my wish has been fulfilled.' Immediately thereafter, he passed away.

2.14

Records of the Transmission of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Fascicle Two

2.15

In the middle of the first month of the twelfth year of Bun'ei (wood-boar year [1275]), while temporarily residing at Toganoo Kōzan-ji to listen to thirty lectures on the Wujiaozhang, I borrowed the five-fascicle Transmission of the Avataṃsaka from the resident monk of that monastery, Nichibō Benshō. While collating the text, my heart was deeply inscribed with joy. After heading down to the Southern Capital, I commissioned those skilled in calligraphy to copy it. Within this transmission, this fascicle was commissioned to be copied on both front and back by Nakagawa Honjōbō Ācārya Ryōritsu at the same place.

2.16

The abbot of Shion'in at the foot of Mount Kasuga, Nyōenbō Chōkai, was requested to append kana glosses and indicate surnames. These kana and surname endorsements were recorded by the Tsuchimikado Great Counselor who entered the novitiate (Lord Akitada). Copying directly from that lay-monk's own brush-annotated exemplar, it may be regarded as a peerless authoritative text.

2.17

On the twenty-eighth day of the fifth month (hour of the monkey) in the first year of Kenji (wood-boar year [1275]), at the New Maitreya Hall of Sonshō'in at Tōdai-ji, the copies and other materials were completely read aloud. Former Provisional Junior Prelate Gyōnen. Audience: Ryōgyō Tokugyō. After the doctrinal discussion, in the new academy of this cloisters, this was recorded for future perusal. Scribe: Gyōnen, a monk of the later lineage of the Avataṃsaka school; age seventy-four, monastic age sixty-two.

2.18

Furthermore, this paper was granted and bestowed by Retired Emperor Go-Saga in the late autumn, the ninth month, of the third year of Bun'ei [1266]. An unexpected imperial favor; as this body was suddenly graced with honor, I gradually brought it out to copy such essential texts as this.

Linked texts (1)

華嚴經傳記 — Classical Chinese