景德傳燈錄 3.13

3.13

Xuanzhi, hearing the gāthā, was overcome with both sorrow and joy. He said: "May the Master long dwell in the world to transform and guide all beings." The Master said: "I am about to pass away and cannot remain long. Capacities and natures are ten thousandfold disparate, and many troubles are encountered." Xuanzhi said: "I do not know who it is. Your disciple can eliminate them for the Master." The Master said: "I transmit the Buddha's secret to benefit those on deluded paths. To harm them for my own peace—there is certainly no such principle." Xuanzhi said: "If the Master does not speak, how can you manifest the power of penetrating transformation and contemplative illumination?" The Master, having no choice, then gave a prophecy, saying: "A river raft divides jade waves; / A tube torch unlocks a golden padlock. / Five mouths travel together; / For ninety, there is neither other nor self." Hearing these words, Xuanzhi could not fathom their meaning; he silently memorized them in his heart, bowed in farewell, and departed. What the Master prophesied, though unfathomable at the time, was verified in all respects later. At that time, the Wei dynasty venerated Buddhism, and Chan talents were like a forest. Vinaya Master Guangtong and Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci were phoenixes among the saṅgha. Seeing the Master expound the Way, refuting appearances and pointing to the mind, whenever they debated with the Master, disputes arose like spearpoints. The Master distantly shook the profound tradition and universally bestowed the Dharma rain, but their narrow capacities could not endure it. Competing to give rise to malicious intent, they repeatedly administered poison. By the sixth time, because the conditions for transforming others had ended and the transmission of the Dharma had found its recipient, he no longer counteracted it, but sat upright and passed away. This was on the fifth day of the tenth month in the nineteenth year of Taihe, a bingchen year, under Emperor Xiaoming of the Later Wei. (According to the Continued Record of the Dharma, the fifth day of the tenth month was the first year of Yong'an under Emperor Xiaozhuang, which corresponds to the second year of Datong, a wushen year, under the Liang. That year was the first year of Wutai under Emperor Ming. In the second month, Emperor Ming died; in the fourth month, Emperor Zhuang ascended the throne and changed the era name to Jianyi; in the ninth month, it was changed again to Yong'an. Later it says: "Your lord has already grown weary of the world," referring to the passing of Emperor Ming in that year. According to the Transmission of the Lamp, the bingchen year corresponds to the second year of Datong under Emperor Wen of the Western Wei, the third year of Tianping under Emperor Jing of the Eastern Wei, and the second year of Datong under the Liang, which completely contradicts the statement about "growing weary of the world." Furthermore, the nineteenth year of Taihe fell under Emperor Wen of the Later Wei, which corresponds to the second year of Jianwu, an yihai year, under Emperor Ming of the Southern Qi, which is far apart.) On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month of that year, he was buried at Mount Xiong'er, and a stūpa was erected at Dinglin Monastery. Three years later, Song Yun of the Wei, returning from his mission to the Western Regions, encountered the Master at the Pamir Mountains (Congling) and saw him carrying a single shoe in his hand, striding away alone. Yun asked: "Where is the Master going?" The Master said: "Going to the Western Heavens." He also said to Yun: "Your lord has already grown weary of the world." Hearing this, Yun was bewildered; he took leave of the Master and journeyed east. When he returned to report his mission, Emperor Ming had already passed away, and Xiaozhuang had ascended the throne. Yun memorialized the affair in detail. The Emperor ordered the grave to be opened; there was only an empty coffin, with a single leather shoe remaining inside. (If according to the Continued Record of the Dharma, then three years later was the third year of Yong'an under Emperor Zhuang, a gengxu year, corresponding to the second year of Zhongdatong under Emperor Wu of the Liang. In the twelfth month of that year Emperor Zhuang only then died; when the envoy returned, the emperor was still alive. If according to the Transmission of the Lamp, then three years later was a jiwei year, which is the fifth year of Datong under Emperor Wen of the Western Wei, the first year of Xinghe under Emperor Jing of the Eastern Wei, corresponding to the fifth year of Datong under Emperor Wu of the Liang. If so, how could there still be an Emperor Xiaozhuang? Moreover, stating that Song Yun met the Master at the Pamir Mountains is an even greater error. When Song Yun returned from his mission to the Western Regions, it was already during the Zhengguang reign of Emperor Ming of the Wei. Thus, the one who met the Master at the Pamir Mountains must have been a different envoy sent to the Western Regions at the end of the Wei who returned. [...] It should simply say: Three years later, an envoy of the Wei returning from the Western Regions encountered the Master at the Pamir Mountains, seeing him carrying a single shoe in his hand, striding away alone. He asked where the Master was going, and the Master said: "Going to the Western Heavens." He also said to the envoy: "Your lord has already grown weary of the world." The envoy, hearing this, was bewildered; he took leave of the Master and journeyed east. When he reported his mission, Emperor Ming had already passed away, and Xiaozhuang had ascended the throne. The envoy memorialized the matter in detail; the Emperor ordered the grave opened, and there was only an empty coffin with a single leather shoe remaining inside.) The whole court was amazed and astonished, and by imperial decree the left-behind shoe was retrieved and venerated at Shaolin Monastery. By the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan of the Tang, a dingmao year, it was stolen by a believer of the Way and taken to Huayan Monastery on Mount Wutai; its whereabouts are now unknown. Formerly, when Emperor Wu of Liang met the Master, the conditions were not in accord. Later, hearing that his teaching was flourishing in the state of Wei, he wished to compose an inscription for the Master himself, but had no leisure. Later, upon hearing of the Song Yun affair, he finally completed it. Emperor Daizong bestowed the posthumous title "Great Master of Perfect Awakening" (Yuanjue), and his stūpa was named "Contemplation of Emptiness" (Kongguan). From the Master's passing in the bingchen year of the Wei until the first year of Jingde of the August Song, a jiachen year, there were four hundred and sixty-seven years. (It should be said: from his passing in the gengzi year during the Wei until the first year of Jingde of the August Song, a jiachen year, there were four hundred and seventy-five years. All such discrepancies in chronology are due to errors in the Baolin zhuan, which Duke Yang Wen did not further investigate.)