續傳燈錄 28.85

28.85

上曰。好好。師奏曰　太宗皇帝又嘗見一僧問云。卿是何人。僧云。塔主　太宗皇帝云。既是朕塔。因甚是卿作主。其僧又無語。臣亦代語云　聖恩普被　上首肯。久之忽聞窓外報未牌。師奏曰　陛下日應萬機。臣不敢久留恐勞　聖聽。謝恩下殿。九年四月二日有　旨。四月八日宣入內觀堂齋。齋罷同眾起居　上問曰。相將結夏。師奏曰。此乃叢林成規。西天於結夏日鑄蠟人藏土窟中。結夏九十日。戒行精潔則蠟人氷。不然則蠟人不全。故號為僧蠟。

His Majesty said, "Good, good!" The Master memorialized, saying, "Emperor Taizong also once saw a monk and asked, 'Who are you?' The monk said, 'The master of the pagoda.' Emperor Taizong said, 'Since it is Our pagoda, why are you acting as its master?' That monk again had no words. I also offered a word in his place, saying: 'The sacred favor is universally bestowed.'" His Majesty nodded in agreement. After a long while, the striking of the wei hour was suddenly heard outside the window. The Master memorialized, saying, "Your Majesty attends to myriad affairs daily. I dare not linger long, lest it weary the Imperial ears." He gave thanks and descended from the hall. On the second day of the fourth month in the ninth year, an imperial decree was issued. On the eighth day of the fourth month, he was summoned into the palace to the Contemplation Hall for a vegetarian banquet. When the banquet concluded, he paid respects together with the assembly. His Majesty asked, "Summer retreat is approaching." The Master memorialized, saying, "This is an established rule of the monasteries. In India, on the day of the summer retreat, a wax figure is cast and stored in an earthen cave. During the ninety days of the summer retreat, if one's monastic conduct is pure, the wax figure remains intact like ice; otherwise, the wax figure is incomplete. Therefore, it is called 'monk's wax' [monastic seniority]."