曆代法寶記 1.4

1.4

北齊朝第二祖惠可禪師。俗姓姬。武牢人也。時年四十。奉事大師六年。先名神光。初事大師前立。其夜大雪至。腰不移。大師曰。夫求法不貪軀命。遂截一臂乃流白乳。大師默傳心契。付袈裟一領。大師云。我緣此毒。汝亦不免善自保愛。可大師問和上。此法本國承上所傳囑付法者。請為再說。具如禪經序上說。又問大師。西國誰人承後亦傳信袈裟否。大師答。西國人信敬。無有矯詐。承後者是般若波羅蜜多羅承後不傳衣。唐國眾生有大乘性。詐言得道得果。遂傳袈裟以為法信。譬如轉輪王子灌其頂者。得七真寶。紹隆王位。得其衣者。表法正相承。可大師得付囑。以後四十年隱𡸣山洛相二州。後接引群品。道俗歸依不可勝數。經二十年開化時。有難起。又被菩提流支三藏光統律師徒黨欲損可大師。師付囑僧璨法已。入司空山隱。可大師後佯狂。於四衢城市說法。人眾甚多。菩提流支徒黨告可大師云。妖異奏勅。勅令所司推問。可大師。大師答。承實妖。所司知眾疾。令可大師審。大師確答。我實妖。勅令城安縣令翟冲侃依法處刑。可大師告眾人曰。我法至第四祖。化為名相。語已悲淚。遂示形身流白乳。肉色如常。所司奏帝。帝聞悔過。此真菩薩。舉朝發心。佛法再興。大師時年一百七歲。其墓葬在相州城安縣子陌河北五里。東柳搆去墓一百步。西南十五里。吳兒曹口是。楞伽鄴都故事具載弟子承後傳衣得法僧璨。後釋法琳造碑文。

The second patriarch of the Northern Qi dynasty was Chan Master Huike. His secular surname was Ji, and he was a native of Wulao. At that time he was forty years old. He served the Great Master for six years. Formerly his name was Shenguang. When he first served the Great Master, he stood before him; that night heavy snow fell up to his waist, yet he did not move. The Great Master said, "One who seeks the Dharma does not begrudge body or life." Thereupon he severed an arm, whereupon white milk flowed forth. The Great Master silently transmitted the mind-seal and conferred one kāṣāya. The Great Master said, "Because of this poison, you too will not escape [trouble]; take good care of yourself." Master Ke asked the Upādhyāya, "Regarding the Dharma that has been handed down and entrusted from above in your native country, please explain it again." It is fully as spoken in the preface to the *Dhyāna Sūtra*. He also asked the Great Master, "In the Western Countries, who will succeed later, and is the robe of verification also transmitted?" The Great Master replied, "The people of the Western Countries have faith and reverence, and are without deceit. The successor is Prajñāpāramitāra; the successor does not transmit the robe. The sentient beings of the Tang land possess the nature of the Great Vehicle, yet they falsely claim to have attained the Way and attained the fruit. Therefore, the kāṣāya is transmitted to serve as verification of the Dharma. It is like the prince of a cakravartin who receives anointment on his crown, thereby obtaining the seven true treasures and succeeding to the royal throne; obtaining this robe signifies the correct lineage of the Dharma." After Master Ke received the entrustment, he went into hiding for forty years in Mount Wang and the two prefectures of Luo and Xiang. Later he guided all classes of beings; monastics and laypeople who took refuge were beyond count. During the twenty years he was opening and transforming, difficulties arose. Again, the associates of the Tripiṭaka [master] Bodhiruci and Vinaya Master Guangtong wished to harm Master Ke. After the master had entrusted the Dharma to Sengcan, he entered Mount Sikong to hide. Later Master Ke feigned madness and preached the Dharma in city streets and markets; the multitudes of people were very numerous. The faction of Bodhiruci reported Master Ke, saying he was a bizarre sorcerer, and memorialized for an imperial decree. An imperial decree ordered the relevant authorities to interrogate Master Ke. The master replied, "Indeed, I am truly a sorcerer." The authorities knew the multitude was envious, and ordered Master Ke to reconsider. The master answered firmly, "I am truly a sorcerer." An imperial decree ordered the magistrate of Cheng'an County, Zhai Chongkan, to carry out punishment according to the law. Master Ke addressed the crowd, saying, "When my Dharma reaches the fourth patriarch, it will transform into names and characteristics." Having spoken, he shed tears of sorrow. Then he manifested his physical body flowing with white milk, with the color of his flesh remaining as usual. The authorities memorialized the emperor. Hearing this, the emperor repented of his error: "This is a true bodhisattva!" The entire court gave rise to the aspiration [for awakening], and the Buddha-Dharma flourished once again. The master was then one hundred and seven years old. His tomb is buried five li north of the Zimo River in Cheng'an County, Xiangzhou; Dongliugou is one hundred paces from the tomb, and fifteen li to the southwest is Wuer Caokou. The *Gushi of the Laṅkāvatāra at the Capital Ye* fully records this. The disciple who succeeded him, transmitted the robe, and attained the Dharma was Sengcan. Later, Shi Falin composed a stela inscription.