華嚴經傳記 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.1

Compiled by the monk and śramaṇa Fazang of Chongfusi in the capital

Shi Huijue of Wudesi in Bingzhou, Tang dynasty
Shi Famin of Jinglinsi in Yuezhou, Tang dynasty
Shi Huitiao of Shenzusi in Xiangzhou, Tang dynasty
Shi Daoying of Puqisi in Puzhou, Tang dynasty
Shi Dao'ang of Hanlingsi in Xiangzhou, Tang dynasty
Shi Lingbian of the Great Cien Monastery in the capital, Tang dynasty
Shi Zhiyan of Zhixiangsi on Mount Zhongnan, Tang dynasty

3.4

Shi Huijue, whose secular surname was Fan, was a native of Qi. His far-reaching capacity and penetrating discernment were rarely matched by his peers. His appearance was lofty and prominent, being over seven feet tall; his eyebrows and eyes mirrored the beauty of mountain peaks; his robes were fresh and clean, and his deportment was warm and grand, dignified and resonant. All scholars and gentlemen traveling on the road would turn to gaze at him and follow him with their eyes. Although broadly learned in many scriptures, he mostly took the Avataṃsaka as paramount. He was invited to Gaoyang, where he served as a lecture master for a long time. His listeners numbered over a thousand, filling the halls to overflowing, yet those coming never ceased. Consequently, he had to suspend his Dharma lectures. Thereupon, a donor immediately built for him a lecture hall for a thousand people, the construction of which was completed in less than a month. When he ascended the Dharma seat, the assembly gathered and filled it completely; at that time, everyone marveled at the grandeur of the Dharma gathering. He composed commentaries on the Avataṃsaka, the Ten Grounds, the Vimalakīrti, and other texts. In the third year of Wude, Huijue felt a slight pain in his chest and said to his disciples: 'I am about to depart.' He then provided from his own personal funds to offer a meal to the monks and bid farewell to the assembly. Thereupon, through the whole night, he maintained right mindfulness until the signs of dawn just appeared, when he quietly passed away at the age of ninety.

3.5

Shi Famin, whose secular surname was Sun, was a native of Danyang. At the age of eight he left home and served Chan Master Ying as a disciple. He entered Mount Mao to listen to Dharma Master Ming on the Three Treatises, and also listened to Shi of Goguryeo lecture on Mahāyāna sūtras and treatises. Personally serving as the southern-seat challenger, he carried on debates for three cycles. In the first year of Zhenguan, he returned to Danyang and lectured on the Avataṃsaka and Nirvāṇa. In the second year, Area Commander Tian of Yuezhou summoned him back to Yiyinsi to continue turning the wheel of Dharma. At that time, more than eight hundred śramaṇas studying doctrinal principles from all four directions, twelve hundred local monks, three hundred nuns, and an uncountable number of gentry and laypeople gathered; it was celebrated as a joyful assembly of Dharma rejoicing. In the nineteenth year, the gentry and laypeople of Kuaiji invited him to reside at Jinglinsi to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Towards the end of the sixth month, during the lectures, there was a snake with half its body suspended above Famin's crown, about seven feet long, golden in color, emitting five-colored light; only when the lecture ended did it disappear. When the summer retreat concluded, he returned to Yiyinsi. At night, two men in red robes bowed to Famin and said: 'Dharma Master, you lecture on the four great scriptures, and your merit is immeasurable. You must go to other realms to teach and transform; thus we have come from the east to welcome the Dharma Master.' Several tens of disciples saw this together. On the seventeenth day of the eighth month, he passed away. For three days and three nights prior to that, it had become inexplicably pitch dark; just as he was about to pass away, a great light suddenly shone forth, bright as day through the night, and a wondrous fragrance did not fade. None failed to marvel and sigh in admiration. Monastics and laypeople in formal procession escorted him to the mountains of Long'an. He authored a seven-fascicle commentary on the Avataṃsaka.

3.6

Shi Huitiao, whose secular surname was Zhuang, left home at an early age and took Hīnayāna as his practice, winning renown along the Yangzi and Han rivers. Hearing that Master Xiangwang Zhe was lecturing on the Three Treatises at Longquan, he felt unbearable indignation in his heart and said: 'The Three Treatises elucidate emptiness; the lecturer is attached to emptiness.' No sooner had he spoken than his tongue protruded three feet, and blood flowed from his nose, eyes, and both ears; for seven days he could not speak. A Dharma Master Fu, hearing of this, said: 'You are utterly foolish! Slandering the scripture with a single word incurs a sin exceeding the five heinous offenses. Only by having faith in the Mahāyāna can you escape it.' He then had him repent, whereupon his tongue withdrew to its original place. He was then brought to Master Zhe's dwelling to listen solely to the Mahāyāna. When Zhe passed away, Huitiao established a Vaipulya retreat of the seven places and eight assemblies for him. When the hundred days were completed, he went directly to Shenzusi on Mount Xiang. His feet did not cross the threshold; he constantly practiced Mahāyāna, lecturing on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra through the four seasons to express his repentance. In the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zhenguan, while sitting in meditation in a pine grove, he saw three persons of refined appearance and attire requesting to receive the bodhisattva precepts. After receiving them, they said: 'Chan Master, you have sharp faculties. Had you not changed your mind and believed in the Mahāyāna, even with the appearance of a thousand Buddhas, you would still be in hell.' Appalled by this stern admonition, with tears and blood flowing together, he wept bitterly and returned to the monastery. In front of the lecturer's room, rolling on the ground and sobbing, he could not speak. Sprinkled with water to revive him, he wept even more bitterly, circumambulating the Buddha and repenting, making this his regular practice. He also diligently converted gentry and laypeople, copying one hundred copies each of the Avataṃsaka and the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā. In the third month of the thirteenth year, bowing in repentance before the Buddha, he serenely passed away while seated. He was over eighty years of age. For seven days after his passing, the forest trees turned white, returning to normal only after that. This shows that knowing one's error and being able to correct it is truly commendable. The monastery was fifty li from the city; more than seven thousand people who had received the refuges and precepts from him filled the mountains and rivers, establishing a great vegetarian feast for him. At the burial site, thirty Dharma Masters each expounded one scripture to ferry his spirit across.

3.7

Śramaṇa Daoying, whose secular surname was Chen, was a native of Yishi in Puzhou. When he was eighteen years old, his parents valued him and took a wife for him. For five years they shared the bed, but he vowed never to touch her. Later, he traveled to Bingzhou and studied under Dharma Master Ju, listening to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and other scriptures. In the tenth year of Kaihuang, he was finally admitted to the monastic robes. He then entered Baiti Temple on Mount Taihang to practice calming and insight (śamatha-vipaśyanā), and suddenly attained great comprehension. Later, he resided at Shengguang Temple in the capital and studied the Mahāyānasaṃgraha under Meditation Master Tanqian, who held him in exceptional esteem. In the leisure hours after hearing lectures, he always tended to monastic chores. By presenting the principle through practical tasks, he disciplined his mind, often saying, "When I sit in meditation with eyes closed, it is as though I have attained something; yet when I open my eyes, I return to mundane consciousness. Therefore, regarding affairs and tasks, by wandering in contemplation and exerting the mind, I cause both emptiness and existence to remain unhindered." When he usually sat in meditation, he opened his eyes only like a thread, remaining unmoved for more than two nights, never once dozing off. Later, when he entered meditative absorption (dhyāna-samādhi), he gradually displayed miraculous signs. Once, when someone disputed over land with him, he suddenly manifested as a stiff corpse: his breath ceased, his complexion changed, and soon his body began to swell. When the other person turned his heart in repentance, [Daoying] spoke and laughed as normal. He also entered a pool for six nights and lay in the snow for three evenings, merely saying that it was as hot as roasting fire or dusty dirt; his [inner state] was truly difficult to fathom. One day, while lecturing on the Awakening of Faith, when he reached the Gate of Suchness, he abruptly fell silent. Wondering at this, people went to see him: his breath was cut off and his body cold. The assembly realized he was in the cessation of conception, so they left him alone. Only after several nights did he arise from samādhi. Once there was a severe drought, so he lectured on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra to pray for sweet rain. Two old men, somewhat different from ordinary people, each with two attending boys, constantly came to listen. Daoying found them unusual. Later, when he inquired into their origin, they answered, "We are sea spirits. Because we love this sūtra, we came to listen." Daoying said, "Since I am now lecturing on the sūtra for the donors, please send down a gentle rain." The spirit instructed the two boys, who then went out through the window. In a moment, rain poured down copiously, and people far and near all depended upon it. The two old men bowed in gratitude and vanished in an instant. When his end drew near, he asked for water, shaved and washed, sat back down, put on his robe, and told his disciples, "Impermanence has arrived. Just do not deceive yourselves." He then ordered them to lecture on the "Verses of Xianshou" from this sūtra. When his final breath was about to fade, he told the attendants to recite the Buddha's name, and he suddenly passed away in spirit. It was the ninth month of the tenth year of Zhenguan; his age was eighty. Just before his passing, tens of thousands of birds were moved to utter mournful cries around his room. Two boys dressed in blue held flowers and entered, and a purple vapor like radiant light emerged from Daoying's body, its flames rising several tens of feet. When morning came, mist gathered for twenty li around, and people and things lost their luster; it ceased only after three days. Companions in practice from the mountains and rivers of Pu and Jin gathered in grief as if they had lost a dear parent. Furthermore, the monastery's ox was moved to bellow and shed tears unceasingly, refusing water and grass for seven days. When they were about to bury him, at the first strike of the hoe, the earth suddenly shook violently for fifteen li around, filling everyone with great awe. There were also two white rainbows reaching from afar to encircle the niche, and two white birds soared and called out, following and escorting [him] to the place of the niche. Carefully considering how Daoying's path opened beings to awakening and his intuitive wisdom penetrated the divine, he obtained auspicious signs in rich abundance, gathering them in life and death alike. To have lived without failing his body or the world—was he truly not such a person?

3.8

Śramaṇa Dao'ang: his secular surname is not known; he was a native of Weijun. His spiritual disposition was clear and penetrating, soaring high above the worldly realm. His intuitive wisdom matured early, barely needing awakening. At first, he turned to Dharma Master Lingyu and went forth from the household life. Having bathed in his pure transforming influence, he served him intimately with love and reverence. As the years went by, his footsteps equaled the highest ranks. At the temple on Mount Hanling, he frequently harmonized the initial teachings; the sun shining upon the high mountain was happily realized in this. In lecturing on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, he truly surpassed former masters. Also, once on the night of giving a lecture, there was ordinarily no lamp or candle; Dao'ang raised his palm high to show it, and it emitted a halo of light, brightly illuminating the hall. When the great assembly saw the auspicious sign, they wondered where it came from. Dao'ang said, "This light is constantly present in my hand; what is there to marvel at?" His merit was profound indeed and truly beyond measure. In the remaining years of transforming beings, his aspiration was set on the Western region, and he constantly vowed to be born in Sukhāvatī. Later, knowing that his lifespan had reached its limit, he announced it in advance to those with whom he had affinity, but at the time no one could fathom his words. When the expected month arrived, he showed no signs of illness at all. He asked whether the time for the midday meal had arrived; as the sunlight reached the south, he mounted the high seat, his body bearing wondrous signs and the incense burner giving off an extraordinary fragrance. He then led the fourfold assembly to receive the bodhisattva precepts; his words and principles were incisive and essential, piercing the hearts of the listeners. At that time, the sevenfold assembly surrounded him, partaking of the taste of the Dharma. Dao'ang raised his eyes and looked up high, whereupon he saw celestial beings in colorful array and a rich ensemble of strings and pipes. From among them a voice spoke to the assembly, saying, "The musical sounds of the Tuṣita Heaven have descended to welcome you." Dao'ang said, "The heavenly realm is the root of birth and death; it has never been my vow. I have always prayed in my heart for the Pure Land; how could this sincerity not be fulfilled?" Having said this, he watched the heavenly music soar upward and disappear in a moment. Then he saw the incense, flowers, and heavenly music of the Western region surging forth and circling above his crown; the entire assembly saw this. Dao'ang said, "Great assembly, stay well! Now the auspicious signs have come to welcome me, and I must depart." Having said this, the incense burner was seen falling from his hand, and he passed away on the high seat. His age was eighty-nine; it was the eighth month of the seventh year of Zhenguan. Monastics and laypeople observed this together, weeping and wailing like collapsing mountains. When he was about to be laid in the casket, characters such as "Hall of Universal Light" appeared on the soles of his feet. Unless one's realization matches the sacred scriptures and one's conduct accords with those close to sagehood, how could such an auspicious response be displayed? He was sent to Mount Hanling, where a cave was carved out for his resting place. Passing through spring, his body did not decay, sitting upright and dignified.

3.9

Śramaṇa Lingbian, whose secular surname was Li, was a native of Dao in Longxi. His grandfather, Longxiang, served as Sima of Xiangzhou during the Northern Qi. His father, Laṅkā, served as Administrative Officer in Luozhou and thus took up residence in Luoyang. Lingbian was born with his radiance concealed, taciturn as if dull. He began to speak only at the age of eight, and whenever he spoke he was intelligent; his clan found him extraordinary, so they named him Guangbian ("Broadly Eloquent"). Later, because this shared a taboo name with Emperor Yang, it was changed to his present name. At the age of ten he lost his father, mourning with grief that exceeded ritual propriety. His paternal uncle, Dharma Master Gan, took pity on him, personally raising him and teaching him righteous principles. At the age of thirteen he was able to go forth from the household life and resided at Shengguang Temple. Gan had always had an intimate and fragrant friendship like orchids with Meditation Master Tanqian, and so he had [Lingbian] attend him personally and inquire about rare teachings. Lingbian investigated thoroughly night and day, soon ascending to the inner sanctum. At eighteen, he lectured on treatises such as the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi and the Awakening of Faith, as well as scriptures such as the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra and the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa. After receiving the full precepts, his virtue was renewed day by day. He also lectured on the Humane Kings Sūtra, the Daśabhūmika, the Bodhisattvabhūmi, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, and other treatises. However, considering that the wondrous purport of the Ekayāna did not surpass the Avataṃsaka, he suspended his lectures and, at the place of Dharma Master Zhizheng of Zhixiang Temple on Mount Zhongnan, tasted and studied this scripture. Having completed the labor of master and disciple, he undertook the duty of transmitting the lamp. Drawing together numerous sūtras and seeking divergent meanings, he composed a commentary in twelve fascicles, notes in ten fascicles, and essays in three fascicles, all of which circulated in his time. When Ci'en Temple was newly established and the finest talents were being selected, Lingbian's crane-like fame reached the heavens, and he was chosen for this post. His mind and reputation were upright and lofty, admired by both monastics and laypeople. He frequently administered the precepts at the Chengsheng Palace, Helin Temple, Deye Temple, and Baifu Hall. Monks and nuns from the capital and various prefectures who received the refuges and precepts from him numbered more than one thousand. In total, he lectured on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra forty-eight times. Later, while lecturing at Bodhi Temple, he felt unwell, and soon returned to Ci'en Temple, where he shortly passed away. His age was seventy-eight; it was the fifth day of the ninth month of the third year of Longshuo. Lingbian's filial piety was pure and utmost, arising from his natural disposition. Whenever he came to passages on the great kindness of parents during his lectures, he never failed to choke with tears for a long while, sometimes even suspending the lecture on account of it. He had never paid any attention to music or markets throughout his life. From youth to old age, he sewed and washed his own inner robes and foot wraps himself, never burdening his disciples. When four or more disciples came to pay their respects morning and evening, if instruction was needed, he would tell them to sit; if there was no business, they would stand up and leave. When questions had to be addressed, they referred to themselves by their own names. This was truly a fine model of reverence, instruction, and respect.

3.10

Shi Zhiyan, surnamed Zhao, was a native of Tianshui. His great-great-grandfather Hong was lofty in his ambitions. His father Jing was an administrative officer (lushi canjun) of Shenzhou. When his mother first conceived, she dreamt that an Indian monk holding a pewter staff said to her, "You should quickly observe the precepts and purify your body and mind." She then awoke with a start, smelled an extraordinary fragrance, and became pregnant. When Yan was several years old, he was markedly distinct from ordinary boys. Sometimes he would pile up clumps of earth to make stupas, or weave flowers into canopies, or lead his peers as an audience while acting as Dharma master himself. His innate wisdom planted in past lives was entirely of this kind. At the age of twelve, there was the divine monk Dushun, who without prior notice suddenly entered his house. Stroking Yan's head, he said to Jing, "This is my son; you may return him to me." His parents, knowing that Dushun possessed the Way, were delighted and did not begrudge him. Shun immediately entrusted Yan to his senior disciple, Dharma Master Da, ordering him to instruct him. Day and night Yan recited and upheld texts, never needing to ask a second time. Later, two Indian monks happened to visit Zhixiang[si]. Seeing that Yan was exceptionally spirited, they taught him the Sanskrit script, which he mastered in no time. The Indian monks said to the assembly of monks, "This child will become a master craftsman in propagating the Dharma." At the age of barely fourteen, he already entered the clerical ranks. At that time, the Sui dynasty's fortunes were drawing to a close, and the people were starving. Although Yan was still a youth, his resolve was all the more resolute. Later, he relied on Dharma Master Chang to listen to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. In less than several years, his verbal comprehension became refined and subtle. Often, when dragons and elephants (great monks) gathered in abundance, Master Chang had him establish the thesis. At that time there was Dharma Master Bian, who was the standard of the arcane gate. Wishing to observe Yan's extraordinary vessel, he personally challenged and debated him. In repeated inquiries and cross-examinations, Yan's words and reasoning became all the more paramount. All admired his insightful awakening, calling him a sage endowed by Heaven. After receiving full ordination, he heard the Four-Part Vinaya, the Kātyāyanābhidharma, the Satyasiddhi, the Daśabhūmika, the Bodhisattvabhūmi, the Nirvāṇa, and other scriptures. Later, at the place of Dharma Master Lin, he extensively studied the examination of mind, searching into the hidden and exploring the subtle, and was acclaimed at the time for grasping their purports. Considering the Dharma gates to be manifold and vast, and the ocean of wisdom fathomless, Yan felt like one attempting to align a compass without knowing where to place it. He thereupon went before the canon of scriptures, bowed, made a vow, and drew at random with his hand, obtaining the first fascicle of the Avataṃsaka. He immediately listened to and received this scripture under Dharma Master Zhizheng of that monastery. Although reviewing what he had previously heard, he constantly harbored new insights. Though hot and cold seasons repeatedly shifted, his doubts were not yet resolved. He then comprehensively examined the canon of scriptures, investigating the various commentaries. Coming upon the commentaries by Vinaya Master Guangtong, they slightly opened up an extraordinary path, indicating that the Distinct Teaching of the Ekayāna is inexhaustible conditioned arising; he was delighted and appreciative, having gained a rough outline. Later he met an extraordinary monk who came and said to him, "If you wish to attain an understanding of the Ekayāna meaning, do not take lightly the doctrine of the six characteristics within the ten grounds! You should collect yourself in quiet contemplation for one or two months; then you will understand it naturally." Having finished speaking, he suddenly disappeared. Yan was startled and awed for a long time. Thereupon he refined and investigated it, and before many months had passed, he experienced a great opening. He thereupon established the teachings and classified the lineages, composing a commentary on this scripture, being twenty-seven years of age at the time. Furthermore, he practiced the Way for seven nights, praying for confirmation of what was right and wrong. Whereupon he dreamt of a divine youth who bestowed profound seal of approval. Yet he lingered in the grassy marshes, not competing in his generation. Only when he reached old age was he prevailed upon to propagate the teachings. The imperial heir, formerly enfeoffed as the Prince of Pei, personally acted as the host of the lectures, repeatedly commanding his princely bureau to make abundant provisions; thus the wheel of Dharma was turned without cease, thanks to his support. Furthermore, Yan was adept in various affairs, rich in literary talent and multifaceted skills. He produced a painting of the Padmagarbha World, which was something unheard of from ancient times to the present east of the Pamirs. In the first year of the Zongzhang reign era (668), he dreamt that the Prajñā Terrace of the monastery collapsed. His disciple Huixiao also dreamt of ascending a high banner that reached up to the clouds, the jewel atop the banner shining as bright as the morning sun; gradually it moved, entering the capital, and then collapsed. Yan, aware himself that the time for his spirit's departure had come, told his disciples, "This illusory body of mine arises from conditions and lacks intrinsic nature. Now I shall temporarily go to the pure realm, and later wander in the Padmagarbha World. All of you who follow me should also share this aspiration." Soon after, on the night of the twenty-ninth day of the tenth month, with his demeanor as normal, he lay on his right side and passed away at Qingjingsi, at the age of sixty-seven. At that time, there was someone cultivating the pure realm who, that night, heard fragrance and music in the sky coming from the west and returning after a brief while; he took it to be evidence of a person of great blessings and virtues being reborn there. Inquiring the next morning, he indeed found that it corresponded. The doctrinal commentaries authored by Yan explaining various scriptures and treatises numbered more than twenty works in all; all were concise in sentences and phrases, yet revealed the luminous and novel; therefore, those who could enter his gate were few indeed. His disciples included Huaiji and Xianshou. Recently, in the Yonglong reign era (680–681), Guo Shenliang, a native of Chang'an County in Yongzhou, whose brahma-conduct was pure, suddenly suffered an acute illness and died. Various devas led him to the Tuṣita Palace to pay homage to Maitreya. There was a bodhisattva who said to Liang, "Why do you not uphold the Avataṃsaka?" He replied, "Because there is no one lecturing on it." The bodhisattva said, "Someone is currently lecturing on it; why do you say there is no one?" Liang later revived, and fully recounted this matter to Dharma Master Bochen. Appraising it by this, [Xian]shou's magnificent turning of the wheel of Dharma follows in the footsteps [of his master] and participates in the subtle. Huaiji flowered but bore no fruit, departing early to the nether realms. The Sagely and Divine Emperor of the Great Zhou planted the seeds of the Way for dust-speck kalpas, deservedly acclaimed by hundreds of millions. Receiving the prophecy in the Great Cloud, she turns the golden wheel to govern; corresponding to the records of the River Chart, she strikes the jade drum to oversee. Being holy and divine, she wields the six supernormal powers inexhaustibly; being utterly good and utterly beautiful, she unfolds the transformation of the ten virtues without limit. Loosing the nets and weeping for the guilty, she surpasses the Xia and outstrips the Yin. Thereupon she tours the earthen mounds of Xiangcheng along the Fen River, while comparing the sun of wisdom to mere drams and grains. Therefore, from rubbing the crown to touching the heels, she directs her energy to the Ten Powers; grasping her hair and spitting out her food, she entrusts herself to the Four Refuges. Casting bronze and carving sandalwood, she reflects the rosy glow across thousands of gates; riding bowls and shaking pewter staffs, [monks] gather like mists within the ninefold palace. Even the extraordinary responses under the Han and Wei, or the profound faith under the Liang and Qi, how could they be sufficient to compare? As for opening the jewel treasury of the Dragon Palace and welcoming the heroic and eminent through the elephant doors, days and months follow one another, seasons and years never ceasing. Praising the Buddha's virtues and singing the Dharma words, strings and pipes overflow, brush and ink pile up in profusion. On the night of the seventh day of the first month in the first year of the Yongchang reign era (689), she decreed the monks and others to erect an Avataṃsaka high seat and eight-assembly bodhimanda at the North Gate of Xuanwu to expound the subtle scripture of the Vaipulya. On the eighth day, several thousand monks and nuns jointly held a vegetarian feast. At that time, the officials storing ice obtained a block of auspicious ice, inside of which appeared twin pagodas. Over a foot high, their tiers were naturally formed, white-silver in color, complete in shape and features, and luminously transparent. By imperial decree it was shown to the monks, and the great assembly marvelled in astonishment, prostrating with tears of joy, all proclaiming it to be evoked by sagely virtue, truly a rare and auspicious omen. The sovereign thereupon composed a poem on listening to the Avataṃsaka together with a preface, which read: "Taking a brief respite from affairs, I listened to the lecture on the Avataṃsaka, observing the vastness of debating wisdom and witnessing the pacing of dragons and elephants. Having aided my cultivation and suddenly resolved deep doubts, I express what I cherish in my heart and compose this short piece." The poem ran: "The Dharma seat opens the Vaipulya; / Monks in black fill the splendid banquet. / The holy assembly gathers like clouds; / Heavenly flowers shine fresh in the sun. / The seat unfolds flowers of a thousand petals; / Incense draws smoke light as six zhu. / The bell's sound is heard in the Highest Heaven (Bhavāgra); / Sanskrit tones resonate without end. / With one voice the subtle meaning is proclaimed; / In seven places it is propagated again and again. / Mind-only illumines the eight assemblies; / Purifying the vessel, one embodies the three dhyānas. / Having awakened to neither arising nor ceasing, / One ever rejoices in the Buddha appearing before oneself." Thereupon in the Padmagarbha World, the surges of the sāgaramudrā pour forth; in lands of fine dust motes, the net of Indra is entered. In the midst of myriad state affairs, Her Sagely Majesty takes pity on the multitude, brightening the seven limbs of awakening to awaken those at the confused ford, and brandishing the four unobstructed knowledges to startle worldly customs. Reaching the peak of the arcane gate, she stands uniquely prominent across the realm; her refined comprehension entering the spiritual, she stands solitary beyond the bounds. Expounding the subtle with one voice, it is truly what has never been heard before; propagating across seven places, it is truly what has never been seen before. How could this be mentioned in the same breath with Empress Ma's praise of the Changes or Empress Deng's mastery of the Odes?

3.11

Dharma Master Tanwuzui of Rongjuesi in the Wei capital of Luoyang
Dharma Master Yi of the Northern Terrace under the Wei (wrote a commentary, number of fascicles unknown)
Dhyāna Master Sengyuan who tended the stupa at Mount Lushan under the Qi
Dharma Master Seng of Qixiasi on Mount She under the Qi
Dharma Master Tanzun of Yezhong under the Qi (commentary in seven fascicles)
Dharma Master Huishun of Zongchisi in Ye under the Qi
Dharma Master Xuanchang of Qixingsi on Mount Qihou in Shu Commandery under the Qi
Dharma Master Daoping of Baoshansi west of Ye under the Qi
Dharma Master Quan of Zhiguansi on Mount She under the Chen
Dharma Master Falang of Xinghuangsi in the Yang capital under the Chen
Dharma Master Huixiang of Dachancongsi in the Yang capital under the Chen
Dharma Master Anlin of Qishe'ersi on Mount Zhong under the Chen
Dharma Master Hongzun of Daxingshansi in the Western Capital under the Sui (commentary in seven fascicles)
Dharma Master Tanqian of the Chanding Bodhimanda in the Western Capital under the Sui (authored a commentary on the "Clarifying Difficulties" chapter)
Dharma Master Huiyuan of Jingyingsi in the Western Capital under the Sui (had a commentary in seven fascicles, unfinished and unlectured)
Dharma Master Jingyuan of the Zhixiang Bodhimanda on Mount Zhongnan under the Sui
Dharma Master Huijue of Huirisi in Jiangdu under the Sui
Dharma Master Jizang of Yanxingsi in the Capital under the Tang
Dharma Master Zhiju of Jian'ansi in Changzhou under the Tang
Dharma Master Zhizheng of Zhixiangsi on Mount Zhongnan under the Tang (commentary in eleven fascicles)
Dharma Master Huichi of Hongdaosi in Yuezhou under the Tang
Dharma Master Huize of Qingchansi in the Capital under the Tang
Dharma Master Huixuan of Guangfusi in Xiangzhou under the Tang
Dharma Master Guangjue of Puguangsi in the Capital under the Tang (commentary in ten fascicles)

3.12

The various virtuous masters above all synthesized the myriad arts and concurrently propagated this scripture. Some falsely feigned modesty and concealed their practice, while others had aspirations they could not fulfill. Since this was neither their sole specialization nor accompanied by auspicious omens, they are directly recorded and appended here, so that those who cherish this Way may know that its orchid fragrance has never ceased.

3.13

Records of the Transmission of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Fascicle Three

3.14

In the middle of the first month of the twelfth year of Bun'ei (wood-boar, 1275), while staying temporarily at Kōzan-ji in Togano'o to listen to the thirty lectures on the Treatise on the Five Teachings (Wujiaozhang), I borrowed five fascicles of the punctuated text of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra [Biography] from the hands of the resident monk of that monastery, Nichibō Benshō. Filled with joy engraved upon my heart, after going down to the Southern Capital, I commissioned skilled scribes to copy it. Within these biographies, as for the present fascicle: for the front text, I commissioned Chō'yu of Jōkakubō in Nakagawa; for the back text, I commissioned Kakugen of Gan'ninbō at Shion'in at the foot of Mount Kasuga to copy it. The director of that cloister, Nyōenbo Chōkai, had already added kana and indicated surnames. These notes on kana and surnames on the reverse were recorded by Lord Akitada, the Lay Monk and Provisional Major Counselor of Tsuchimikado. Copying it directly from that Zen layman's own punctuated manuscript, this may serve as an peerless authoritative exemplar, nothing more.

3.15

On the first day (sheep hour) of the sixth month of the first year of Kenji (wood-boar, 1275), at the New Maitreya Hall of Sonshō-in at Tōdai-ji, the manuscripts and other texts were respectfully read through to completion. Former Provisional Sōjō Gyōnen. Audience: Ryōgyō Tokugyō, Dharma Master Keijitsu. After the doctrinal discussion, this was immediately recorded at the new study hall of this cloister for future inspection. The brush held by Gyōnen, a half-monk of the later generations of the Avataṃsaka school, aged seventy-four, with sixty-two monastic years.

3.16

Moreover, this paper was bestowed by Emperor Go-Saga in the late autumn, the ninth month, of the third year of Bun'ei (1266). While unexpected imperial favor overwhelmed my person, I gradually brought it out to copy essential writings such as this.

Linked texts (1)

華嚴經傳記 — Classical Chinese