華嚴經傳記 2.8

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.