廣弘明集 15
English (machine translation) 15
- Language
- English
15.1
Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoxuan of Ximing Temple under the Great Tang
15.2
Chapter Three: The Virtues of the Buddha
15.3
The Preface states: Now, because the benighted world causes obstruction, we depend on a sublime master of the boat. The greatest of masters is what is called a king. Therefore, 'a king (wang) is one to whom all go (wang)', just as all rivers pay court to the sea. The king takes his title by comparison with this. However, to speak generally of kings, in terms of conditions there are many, but dividing them between matters and principle, in summary there are only two. The first is called attending to matters; the second is called understanding principle. Thus, the kings who attend to matters are human kings and heavenly kings. Their guidance is carried out in matters, and matters end with the physical form. While the physical form exists, their transformation is carried out; when the physical form perishes, their transformation ceases. This reckons with the outer body and does not contemplate the inner consciousness. Hence, their teaching is termed the 'external teaching'. Second, those who understand principle are the Dharma kings and Awakened Buddhas. Their guidance is carried out in principle, and principle resides in the mind. While the mind exists, their transformation is carried out; when conceptual thoughts are extinguished, the objective realm ceases. This examines the mind within and does not cling to external realms. Hence, their teaching is termed the 'inner teaching'. Therefore, by nurturing the body one preserves life, and generation succeeds generation without end; by renouncing life one removes the emotions, and when emotions perish, illumination is tranquil. This results in the teachings of preserving the physical form being identical in etiquette across ten thousand realms, while the arts of training the mind are uniform among a thousand sages. Thus, the two teachings, worldly and Buddhist, involve entering and emerging, ascending and sinking. The worldly enters into existence and sinks the physical form, and the six realms of rebirth are perpetuated thereby. The Buddhist emerges into emptiness and ascends in stage, and the three sages have flourished from this. Since the true path flowed east, for more than six hundred years, the ranks of those who have shed delusion and followed faith have been more than one. Solitary tyrants who gave rein to cruelty and buried monks or smashed statues occurred two or three times; but enlightened sovereigns who revered the Way and erected temples and stūpas were also numerous. As for the King of Wu examining the Buddha's sagehood and understanding that to which devas and humans turn, or the Ruler of Song describing the Buddha's virtues and making plain the veneration of the court's worthies—the other benighted matters are too numerous to recount. Therefore, I introduce the auspicious signs of manifested traces, and further relate the magnificent virtues extolled in eulogies and compositions. If one examines them according to their categories, will they not illuminate the nature of the mind?
15.4
First: The Table of Contents for the Section on the Buddha's Virtues from the Liang Hongming ji
'Treatise on Clarifying the Buddha' by Zong Bing of the Jin
15.5
General Table of Contents for the Chapter on the Virtues of the Buddha in the Guang hongming ji of the Great Tang: Fascicle 15
Praises of the Images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, by the Śramaṇa Zhi Daolin of the Jin
Inscription on the Buddha's Shadow, by the Śramaṇa Shi Huiyuan of the Jin
Inscriptions and Praises of the Buddha-Dharma, by Palace Attendant Xie Lingyun of the Song
Preface to the Record of the Buddha (with imperial rescript and reply), by Shen Yue of the Liang
Signs of Resonant Response to Buddha Images since the Jin Dynasty
Edict on Exposing the Śarīra of King Aśoka, by Emperor Gaozu of the Liang
Eulogy on the Bodhi Tree (with memorial), by Prince of Jin'an of the Liang
Texts Guiding [the Multitudes] in the Buddha's Virtues (ten pieces), by Emperor Jianwen of the Liang
Petitions of Thanks for Buddhist Ceremonies (ten pieces), by Emperor Jianwen of the Liang
Various Inscriptions on Buddhist Monasteries, Stūpas, and Images (ten pieces), by Shen Yue of the Liang
Text Guiding [the Multitudes] in the Buddha's Virtues, by Wang Sengru of the Liang
Edict on Erecting Śarīra Stūpas within the Empire (with memorial of thanks for auspicious responses), by Emperor Gaozu of the Sui
15.6
Expanded Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Chapter Three: The Virtues of the Buddha, Part One
15.7
Praises of the Images of the Buddha Śākyamuni, Bodhisattvas, and Others, by the Śramaṇa Zhi Daolin of the Jin
Inscription on the Buddha's Shadow, by the Śramaṇa Shi Huiyuan of the Jin
Inscriptions and Praises of the Buddha-Dharma, by Palace Attendant Xie Lingyun of the Song
Preface to the Record of the Buddha, by Shen Yue of the Liang
Collection of Auspicious Signs of Buddha Images, by Śramaṇa of the Zhongnan Mountains under the Tang
Edict on Exposing the Śarīra of King Aśoka, by Emperor Gaozu, the Martial Emperor, of the Liang
Eulogy on the Bodhi Tree, by Xiao Gang, Prince of Jin'an of the Liang
Texts for Guiding [the Multitudes], composed while in his feudatory domain by Xiao Gang of the Liang
Vow and Pledge of Taking Refuge in the Buddha, by Wang Sengru of the Liang
15.8
Praise of the Image of Śākyamuni Buddha (with preface)
15.9
By Zhi Daolin of the Jin
15.10
The way of establishing humanity is called benevolence and righteousness. Yet benevolence and righteousness have their root: it is called the Way and virtue. In the past, at the end of the Ji-Zhou dynasty, there was a great sage named the Buddha. He was the crown prince of Śuddhodana, the Śākya king of India. His mundane clan on his mother's side had the surname of Gautama. Looking up to his divine lineage, he inherited it magnificently; relying on the lingering fragrance of those wise ones, he absorbed the generative transformation of harmonious equilibrium and was endowed with the vast purity of Śuddhodana. Born from the right rib, he was able to speak in infancy. Truly, he regarded heavenly nobility without addition as precious; sincerely, he considered leisurely emoluments without need as sufficient. Thus, he was always vigilant at night in the high seat, viewing the purple court as a traveler's lodge; he grieved in the crown prince's palace, planning to take wing beyond the realm. Soon he soared high to view the open country, opening the four imperial gates and thrice witnessing suffering. The poets encouraged him with stirring words, and he willingly accepted them without resistance. Inquiring of the great Way from those who possessed it, he lamented having tarried here so long. Thereupon, setting out at dawn on a distant journey, he reposed in seclusion. He cast off the heavy treasures of the imperial heir, hoping to rise lightly without dependence; he discarded the splendid robes of dragon-herbs and exchanged them for the humble coarse garments of the craggy peaks. The companions who escorted him turned back from the cliff. Thereupon, he held his resolve unyielding as stone, resting in benevolence like a mountain. Residing among patterned plants, he disciplined his mind and swore an oath. He ordered the breath-threads of ānāpāna, and employed the ten counts to settle his mind; he set aside the eight notes of the four tallies, and following the two kinds of pursuing, he examined and patrolled. Cutting off both extremities of sending off and welcoming, he focused on the subtle unity at the tip of his nose. He brought forth the clear illumination of the three cessations, and penetrating the four contemplations, he united and obliterated [distinctions]. The five aggregates reverted to the returning storehouse; the six senses became empty in the quiet grove. He cooled the fire of desire in the five internal organs, and broadened the vast mind of primordial simplicity. Cleansing himself in prajñā to advance his virtue, he submerged himself in the seventh abode to drink deeply of the mystery. He sought the dark fish across the six cut-offs, and once his purpose was established, he cast away the trap. Dispelling the accumulated habits of ten thousand kalpas, he was like one who has innate knowledge in his own time. Veiling the five defilements, he shone with unique radiance; succeeding the six Buddhas, he subtly transmitted [the teaching]. Greatly measuring sixteen feet, his body wore a circular halo; manifesting the moderation of the central yellow, his color was as brilliant as purple gold. His movements soared through the void, traveling far in an instant. The eight tones diffused fragrance, serenely radiating brilliance. Peering subtly into what had not yet omened, he surpassed the six lines; bringing things tortuously to completion where already manifest, his transformation exceeded the three and five sovereigns. His empty capacity was as vast as the great void; his spirit covered more broadly than Heaven and Earth. The easy and simple awaited him to form their substance; the great harmony was modeled on him to be acclaimed as noble. The round yarrow stalks resembled his spiritual stillness; the square hexagrams modeled his all-encompassing wisdom. Illuminating the lingering auspiciousness of accumulated blessings, he took past lives as the root of his creations. At times he bound them with virtue and righteousness; at times he dispersed them with empty breeze. Clear and shining, his form transformed daily with novelty; he anticipated the sublime lord who is inexhaustible. His excellence was already bluer than indigo; displaying a hundredfold smelting, he attained purity. Guiding the myriad beings to return to the source, he uprooted the external barriers of Yao and Confucius. Entrusting the eight hundred million to state the ultimate, he encompassed the ancient records to raise up the scriptures. Gathering the three absences of the Daoxing, he bound Laozi and Zhuangzi within the ancestral mystery. His spiritual transformation was manifest in the Western Regions, like the morning glow rising in the Valley of the Sun. The people looked to his light and arose to act, like melodies harmonizing with the gong and shang notes. At that time, the subtle and inaudible was far beyond the wind of Fuxi; the divine and wonderful surpassed the Yellow Emperor. His lush brilliance was tranquil and boundless compared to the Zhou and Tang; his lingering taste of eulogy exceeded that of Zou and Lu. Truly he can be called the sovereign leader of spiritual transformation, the ancestral model for august rulers. When his age exceeded following his heart's desire, he obliterated his traces in nirvāṇa. Now, the ultimate person acts at times and ceases at times; he may conceal himself here and appear there. His traces ended in the Sahā world; he returned darkly to Vipaśyin. Worldly people follow the ordinary and are startled by the extraordinary; naturally they gauge it by living and dying. As for the nature of spiritual awakening, the three fruits were ruined and withered. It was as sudden as a river collapsing, as falling as heaven crashing down. The dark-haired people shared the darkness of eternal night; the dark flow was abandoned along with the dried-up ford. The six pāramitās collapsed along with the crumbling peaks; the three vehicles uncoupled their axles and loosened their reins. The disciples wept tears of blood and mourned deeply; the hundred spirits harbored grief and their hearts trembled. Now, one whose Way is lofty responds to the lowly; one who follows along endears himself to praise. Thus, they wept without wishing to weep: is it not that forgetting all under heaven together makes it easy for all under heaven to forget one? Although his spiritual presence spread abroad to encompass the six directions, the destined cycle ended in the Red County, so that those who died later might participate in hearing of it. Looking up in admiration to his divine countenance, the matter has ended across a thousand years. Jetavana has already withered and fallen, and the jade tree has ultimately become desolate. The Way is lost and the man is gone; that time is truly finished. With my lack of talent, I look up and follow the great Way; pursuing the morning sun, I have not reached it; leaning on the mulberry and elm, I have not yet risen. My spirit races to the past, and I pray to pay reverence once more. Thereupon, taking up the brush and invoking antiquity, I express my far-reaching thoughts. The words say:
15.11
The utmost high is distant; / Tang of Yin governed heaven. / Confucius also followed Zhou; / The lodging place was thrice transmitted. / Brilliant is Śākya, / Truly he preceded the emperors. / Responding to the era with sagely action, / His transformation harmonized India. / Mutually nourishing tranquility and harmony, / He bathed in purity at the empty source. / Surpassing the tracks of worldly kings, / He presided over the origin in central mystery. / Stately is the vast model, / Displaying excellence in the round heavens. / Towering, he was born like the Kunlun peak; / In measure, he encompassed the Great Clarity. / The great image is rarely seen, / Yet it rounds its brightness. / The dark sound is seldom struck, / Adorned with the eight voices. / Blazing is the torch of wisdom, / Illuminating our night journey. / People revere his wisdom; / Who understands his profound darkness? / Gazing at him, he rises like rosy clouds; / Approaching him, he is a cloud ford. / His majesty spreads summer heat; / His gentleness is the warming spring sun. / Comparing instruments by their shapes, / He was eminent in capacity through his spirit. / Rolling up, he vanishes like smoke; / Soaring, he extends like a dragon. / Stirring the boat and the valley, / His spiritual aura is ever renewed. / Who acted together with this? / He alone operated the potter's wheel. / The three absences penetrate the mystery; / The eight hundred million reach the distant. / The two divisions having been broadened, / The twin writings serve as canonical standards. / Filled with the wondrous and rare, / Serene in the easy and simple. / Storing it within the case, / He truly made it good. / Making good the good cause, / One praises and expounds it. / Bringing about the preservation of words when he has departed, / How could it be merely an extensive explanation? / The sun and moon are constant and bright, / Revealing and hiding everywhere. / Life is like drifting mist: / Dimly coming, it has already dried away. / The ultimate person perfected transformation; / His traces grew faint along with the world. / Borrowing the name of nirvāṇa, / It is said he departed, said he returned. / His bequeathed influence fills the six directions, / Waiting with fragrance in the Red Capital. / If Xiangwang is not present, / With whom will one awaken to the subtle? / Reflecting the mind and putting brush to paper, / I hope to behold the dark light.
15.12
Praise of the Image of Amitābha Buddha (with preface)
15.13
Now, what lies beyond the six directions is not what the classical records can map; how could the spiritual paths strange to the world be measured by speculation? Therefore it is said: What people know is not equal to what they do not know. Always dwelling in the ordinary, they constantly wish to judge what they cannot understand by what they cannot see. Thus they make the frog in the well boast of its pit-dwelling, and make Fengyi boast of the autumn floods; this is only natural. Wandering through the great expanse, my mind grew weary of the boundless; thereupon, in quiet leisure, I once more unfolded these rare wonders. The Buddhist scriptures record that in the west there is a land called Peaceful Nurture. Far off and distant, the road exceeds the sands of the Ganges. Unless one is independent, one cannot travel through its territory; unless one is swift without rushing, how could one reach it quickly? Its Buddha is named Amitābha, which in the language of Jin is Measureless Life. The land has no royal governance or ranks of nobility; it takes the Buddha as sovereign and the three vehicles as teaching. Men and women are each born by transformation within lotus flowers; there is no filth of womb and gestation. The halls, dwellings, and palaces are entirely made of the seven treasures, all naturally suspended and constructed, crafted by no human artisan. The gardens, groves, ponds, and marshlands have extraordinary blossoms in lush abundance. Flying and swimming creatures roam freely in the depths and marshes; herds of beasts pass by and dwell there, all following their true nature. The palace gates have no leaves in the jeweled grove; jade resonances sound harmoniously of their own accord from pipes and flutes. The dark skies rain blossoms, covering the entire realm; a spiritual breeze brushes away the old and ushers in the new. Sweet dew manifests transformation, cloaking with sweet wine; an aromatic breeze guides virtue and diffuses fragrance. The holy voice responds to resonance with the sound of thunder; the wisdom moisture hangs like clouds, pouring down with pure clarity. The Father of Awakening draws me near and values words; the True Person darkens the origin and discards play. The five pāramitās rely on the void to enter nothingness; prajñā transforms knowledge to emerge from the mystery. The myriad wonders are grandly opened here; this is why spiritual transformation is transmitted forever. There are separate scriptural records that chronicle its excellence. In this era of the five declines in the Jin state, if there are those who uphold the Buddha's true precepts, chant the Amitābha Sūtra, vow to be born in that land, and do not abandon their sincere mind, when their lives end and their spirits depart, they will be transformed and go to that place, and seeing the Buddha they will spiritually awaken and attain the Way. Born as a remnant trace in the final age, unworthily mingled among remaining vestiges, racing my mind toward that divine realm is not something I dare hope for. Thereupon, relying on artisans, I drew and erected his divine form, looking up to behold the lofty bearing to attest to my veneration. Chanting words being insufficient, I then continued by appending a modest eulogy. The words say:
15.14
The ruler's way regulates the outer; / The divine path pacifies the inner. / August is the Perfectly Enlightened One, / Who verily combines [the roles of] ancestor and master. / In supreme stillness he halts the radiance; / Centred in yellow, of consummate posture. / Tranquillity and wisdom mutually merge; / The three penetrations are mysteriously level. / He opens his realm in the golden quarter; / Far off and remote is the road. / Meandering is that divine transformation, / Awakening and responding according to the occasion. / The five perfections whet his conduct; / The six insights investigate the subtle. / Emptiness and existence share the same aspect; / The profound gate penetrates within. / The singing of praises is flourishing; / The refined doctrine accords with the spirit. / The profound store is vast; / The three vehicles throng together. / Concealing what has passed, it models upon antiquity; / Knowing what is to come, it reflects what is new. / Which of the two talents has diminished? / Brightness and obstruction depend on man. / The domain of creation: / Cloud-built structures tower high. / Purple halls stand like the celestial constellations; / Splendid buildings are spread like stars. / Jade gates open to all quarters; / Golden ramparts reveal battlements. / Their brightness outshines the morning sun; / Their lush beauty surpasses dawn clouds. / Divine dykes wind back and forth; / The nine springs plunge deep. / In the waves, without fish-traps, all is forgotten; / The scaly creatures rarely take the enticing bait. / The marsh-wardens maintain no watches; / Startled wings cherish the woods. / A traveler drives his companions along, / Both burying their calculating minds. / Amṛta flows richly and abundantly; / Orchids and iris add their fragrance. / Transformations thicken like clouds; / Customs become pure as the wind. / Luxuriant blossoms scatter in the sky; / Divine gales sweep up petals. / The jasper forest resounds with harmony; / The eight tones complete the composition. / Alabaster and jasper shine brightly below; / Lotuses dry in the sun. / The streams clarify their purity; / The pistils scatter their fragrance. / Submerged freshness and dark flowers, / Ever lifted up, fly and soar. / Harboring radiance within the central blossom, / Congealing the spirit in secluded fragrance. / Compared to all the winds of worldly mores, / Its wonder surpasses them all in excellence. / Ten thousand tracks undergo a single change, / Sharing the same standard of sitting in forgetfulness.
15.15
Eleven Eulogies on the Bodhisattvas
15.16
Eulogy on Mañjuśrī
15.17
The Youthful Prince apprehends the profound purport; / His divine transformation is indeed long-lasting. / In the past he was the Buddha of Dragon Seed; / Now in a dream he roams the regions. / Suddenly, effortlessly, he rides the divine waves; / Striding high into the village of Vaiśālī. / He lifts up this subtle and imperceptible nature, / Illumining that empty and tranquil hall. / Encountering each category, he arouses pure meetings; / Seeing face-to-face, he penetrates and forgets both. / Brahmā and Śakra revere the auspicious assembly; / Repelling the heterodox, they take in the lingering fragrance.
15.18
Eulogy on Maitreya
15.19
The Great Man models himself on the profound measure; / While losing the feeble, he ascends and moves into emptiness. / The master's penetration depends on casting oneself aside; / Śākyamuni ascended to the secluded and serene. / Maitreya inherits the divine order; / Sacred records contain his spiritual chapters. / Riding the Qian trigram according to the Nine-Five, / The dragon flies up to Tuṣita heaven. / The Dharma drum shakes the profound palace; / Its soaring resonance resounds through the three thousand [realms]. / Brightly congealing his pure posture, / Sitting cross-legged, he shines upon the fragrant lotus. / Vast and bright, his lofty thoughts arise; / The eight tones express spontaneity. / Tranquillity and wisdom merge into the subtle boundary; / Ethereally he chants the Double Mystery. / Winding through forty-nine ages, / Responding to the times, he oversees the central jewel. / Displaying these thirty-two marks, / He shines brightly in the Flower Forest Garden. / Tirelessly the profound wheel turns, / Releasing the conditions of the past threefold.
15.20
Eulogy on Vimalakīrti
15.21
Vimalakīrti embodies the divine nature; / Surpassing transformation, he illumines the arena of responsive mechanism. / Having neither the permissible nor the impermissible, / He drifts along, entering form and name. / 'When people are agitated, then I am sick; / When people are tranquil, my breath is calm.' / Are tranquility and agitation mere form and shadow? / Form and shadow respond to the dispositions of the moment. / His profound cadence surpasses the ten disciples; / Soaring high, he proudly confronts the four heroes. / Forgetting expectations, he met the Youthful One, / Tirelessly praising death and birth.
15.22
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Śāntamati
15.23
Profound harmony exhales pure qi, / Giving birth to this youth of the era. / Ascending the terrace, he utters spring songs; / His lofty inspiration aspires to distant tracks. / Riding emptiness, he resonates with spiritual awakening; / Raising the net, he enlightens the ignorant. / The outward appearance relies on vast emptiness; / Emptiness and existence naturally merge as one. / Forgetting height, he therefore does not descend, / Lonely and desolate within a few fathoms. / Through the flowers, he entreats non-attachment; / Soaring through emptiness, the lotus blossoms scatter. / The Capable and Benevolent One expresses the profound phrase: / Form itself is naturally empty. / Emptiness and existence mutually reflect their traces; / Dark knowing lacks the merit of illumination. / Divine anticipation brings about the awakening through the trap; / Vast and open, it spontaneously communicates with the spirit.
15.24
Eulogies on Entering Non-Duality by the Bodhisattvas
15.25
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Dharmakṛtya
15.26
In the past there was an auspicious assembly; / On this day there were many spiritual beings. / Vimalakīrti sent forth a profound resonance, / Asking for the definition of the term non-duality. / Who would harmonize with this profound sound? / Dharmakṛtya followed what his feelings held. / Tirelessly the profound mind moved; / Clear and desolate, the sound and air were pure. / Coarse duality designates the arising of differentiation; / Wondrous unity is lodged in non-arising.
15.27
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Śirigupta
15.28
Śirigupta made self and other equal; / He arrived at principle through the emptiness of both. / Emptying both seems to attain the wondrous, / Yet looking without form, one returns to the coarse. / How can one cut off the traces of defilement? / Forgetting the one, return to original non-being. / What is esteemed in boundless void? / Having nothing to esteem is indeed tranquil joy.
15.29
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Animisa
15.30
Having sensation gives rise to the four depths; / The depths illustrate the vastness of the worldly path. / It is not as good as observing non-attainment; / Virtuous in things, things are naturally quiet. / Why within the empty and quiet / Do tranquillity and wisdom veil the spiritual brilliance? / Cutting off traces, one ascends the spiritual ladder; / Existence and non-existence have nowhere to gallop. / Animisa merges with profound harmony, / Resting his spirit in the realm of non-duality.
15.31
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Sunakṣatra
15.32
Embodying the spirit lies in forgetting consciousness; / Having thoughts does not exhaust principle. / Forms come and cast themselves into emptiness; / Clear echoes arise as responses turn. / Entrusting to shade, one roams the deep darkness; / When darkness is gone, shadows and traces vanish. / All diligently seek the three fruitions; / Sunakṣatra alone mysteriously obliterates [them].
15.33
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Śāntikara
15.34
Taking oneself as great to stride over the small, / The small are also terrified by the great. / That which is called the Great Way / Leaves mind outside of forms and names. / Wholly forgetting, one cuts off baseness and appropriateness; / In dark silence, one naturally communes with the profound. / Śāntikara embodies a vacant demeanor; / Vast and open, his lofty breast is at ease.
15.35
Eulogy on the Bodhisattva Pramathita
15.36
Being troubled arises from having no trouble; / Responding to stimuli, there is no thinking. / Leisurely, one does not know joy; / The penetration of things is not maintained by me. / Blending the physical form with desires of form, / What thought can reach this? / In the auspicious assembly he spoke of the profound intent; / Pramathita must have embodied this.
15.37
Eulogy on the Youth Candraprabha
15.38
The spiritual youth pacifies the divine principle; / Tranquil and harmonious, he forgets himself. / With vast norms he pities the confused world; / Unifying the substance, he is called Candraprabha. / His mind is a storehouse for heaven and earth; / His traces are a bridge for the drowning. / His heroic demeanor is prominent in India; / His name spreads across the regions of China. / Divine transformations deceive the worldly net; / The profound snare catches those who roam the quarters. / Mounds and crags accumulate ancient sickness; / Driving far, he approaches the jade hall. / Guiding and leading arouse those who wait; / Darkly returning to the field of the inexhaustible. / Folding his wings, he roosts on the high peak; / Braving the wind, he stirs up rare fragrance.
15.39
Inscription on the Buddha's Shadow
15.40
By the monk Shi Huiyuan of the Jin
15.41
The Buddha's shadow is currently in the stone chamber of an ancient ṛṣi on the southern mountain of the country of Nagarahāra in the west. Crossing the shifting sands and following the shortcut, it is fifteen thousand eight hundred and fifty li from here. Its response that moved the world is detailed in earlier records.
15.42
Those stuck in familiar ways do not comprehend rare tidings; keeping to the ordinary day after day, they seldom harbor feelings that transcend worldly affairs. This causes dust-like thoughts to constrain their profound minds, and the celestial net to ensnare their spiritual contemplation. If one uses this to exhaust one's lifespan, how could this life be surpassed? If one uses this to hope for understanding, there will be no time of breakthrough. Thereupon, aroused to indignation, one forgets sleep, one's sighs multiplied a hundredfold. In quiet contemplation during the peaceful night, principle accords with one's mind. One then contemplates being moistened by the benevolence of the nine marshes, and recites threefold the compassion that is unconditioned. One subtly traces the response of the dharmakāya, regarding as divine its wordless transformation. The transformation does not depend on what stimulated it; the compassion does not depend on what conditioned it. Harboring peace and finding self-contentment, it is like the sun and moon shining upon heaven, their light and shadow ever more luminous. The various kinds [of beings] flourish in joy, and all sentient beings follow alike. All rejoice that the hanging reflection is upon themselves, yet none realize where the subtle completion is lodged. Discourses on subtle things exhaust their merit here. Intending to simulate that obscure ultimate, so as to speak of its Way, it seems to exist vaguely, yet cannot be discussed. How is this to be clarified? When the dharmakāya moves things, it does not treat things as things to presage its beginnings, nor does it plan endings to achieve its completions. Principle is profound beyond the myriad transformations; numbers are cut off from the nameless. If one speaks of its lodging in the trap, then the Way is nowhere absent. Therefore, the Tathāgata sometimes obscured his previous traces to exalt the foundation, or manifested the path of birth to establish his form; sometimes he uniquely arose in a realm that cannot be traced, or stood in mutual dependence in an already existing place. Rising uniquely is akin to the form; mutual dependence is akin to the shadow. Examining that dark lodging, is it dependent, or is it non-dependent? Looking at it from ourselves, there is a gap within the gapless. Seeking it in the dharmakāya, originally there are no two systems. Who can demarcate the division between form and shadow? Yet those who hear the Way today all model the sacred body in an age long past, without realizing that the spiritual response is right here. In vain do they know that the complete transformation is not form, yet in their movements they liken it to its traces—is this not a distortion? In the past, when I followed my former master and served him for many years, although I received his compassionate instruction and entrusted my aspiration to profound texts, whenever I thought of rare tidings to consolidate my sincerity, I would listen to the accounts of wandering whenever I met śramaṇas from the Western Regions. Thus I knew that there was a Buddha's shadow, though the accounts were not yet clear. When I was at this mountain, I met a dhyāna master from Kashmir and a Vinaya-studying daoshi from the southern countries; their accounts agreed with what I had heard in the past, and both were places those persons had traveled through. Questioning them thoroughly in turn, there were many previous omens. Only then was it verified that the divine path has no fixed direction, lodging wherever it encounters an image. What a hundred thoughts converged upon was not the feeling of a single moment. Thereupon, my understanding penetrated its sincerity, and my response deepened its station. Intending to lead those of like accord to develop their true inclination, I therefore, together with the worthy ones who rejoiced in accord, painted it and composed an inscription.
15.43
Vast is the Great Image; / Its principle is profound and nameless. / Embodying the spirit, it enters transformation; / Casting a shadow, it departs from form. / Turning its radiance upon the layered cliffs, / Congealing its reflection in the empty pavilion. / In shade it is not obscured; / In the dark it grows ever brighter. / Gracefully stepping, it undergoes a cicada's moult; / The hundred spirits pay homage at court. / Responses are not confined to one quarter; / Its traces are severed and dark (the first). / Boundless is the desolate universe, / With none to encourage and none to reward. / Pure and empty, it portrays the countenance; / Sweeping through the void, it transmits the image. / With marks complete, the form is subtle; / The central posture is naturally luminous. / The white ūrṇā emits radiance, / Clearing the midst of dark night. / When stimulus penetrates, response occurs; / Striking sincerity calls forth a sound. / Leaving sounds to linger on the peaks, / Leading to awakening in dark appreciation. / Comprehending it, there is a convergence; / Its efficacy does not stem from the past (the second). / Turning on one's heels, one forgets reverence, / Without thought and without awareness. / The three luminaries veil their radiance; / The myriad forms become a single color. / Courtyards and halls grow dim and obscure; / The path of return cannot be fathomed. / Awaken to it through stillness; / Draw from it through effort. / Though the breeze of benevolence is distant, / Defilements are brought to rest. / Were it not for that profound contemplation, / Who could fan its ultimate reach? (the third). / The rare sound flows far, / Turning its gaze toward the east. / Rejoicing in the breeze and yearning for the Way, / Looking up to emulate the profound measure. / Subtlety exhausted at the brush's tip, / Moving subtly upon the light silk. / Entrusting color to congeal in the void, / It almost reflects through the night mist. / Traces are proclaimed through images; / Principle deepens its purport. / Rare inspiration opens the breast; / Auspicious wind leads the way. / Pure air swirls around the eaves; / Light and dark mingle before dawn. / Vaguely mirroring the divine countenance, / Dimly as if a true encounter (the fourth). / Inscribing it, depicting it— / What does one seek, what does one pursue? / The spirit listens to it; / Mirroring what you have cultivated. / May these dust-like tracks / Reflect that profound stream. / Rinsing the emotions in the spiritual pond, / Drinking harmony of the utmost gentleness. / Illumining emptiness, response is simple; / When knowledge falls away, it is all-pervading. / Deeply harboring dark reliance, / In nightly thoughts the spirit roams. / When this life ends, with one encounter, / One takes everlasting leave of the hundred sorrows (the fifth).
15.44
On the first day of the fifth month in the renzi year, the eighth year of the Yixi reign of the Jin, we jointly erected this terrace to imitate the image of the original mountain, thereby lodging our sincerity. Although its completion depended on craftsmen, no artificial effort was added to it. When the year was at the stellar marker Chifenruo, upright in the realm of Taiyin, on the third day of the ninth month, having thoroughly examined separate records, we inscribed it on stone. From its initial beginning, each person multiplied their sincerity a hundredfold; monks and laity rejoiced in it, feeling the remaining traces so as to delight their hearts. Thereupon, with their emotions responding to the origin, their affairs forgot all toil. At that time, the guests who wielded the brush all joined in chanting together, all thinking to preserve the far-reaching plan and entrust the images to rare accounts, hoping to serve as a repeated standard for future worthies. Therefore, the people of the time are fully listed at the gathering of the shadow assembly and the Great Penetration. While we genuinely sorrow over what our present life expects, yet lingering with far-reaching sighs, we have already transcended that divine realm.
15.45
Preface to the Eulogy on the Sixteen-Foot Golden Statue of Xiangyang of the Jin, composed on the occasion of Master Shi erecting a sixteen-foot statue.
15.46
In the past, the Many-Blessed descended in spirit, arising from India. Entrusting his transformation to the royal palace, he arose in the exalted realm. Revealing his traces amid layered obscurity, he opened the divine path; his bright radiance filled the universe, gloriously dwelling in the great trichiliocosm. The ten thousand streams clarified their sources; the perfect reflection was without possessor. Once awakened, he was empty and congealed, deep and placid, leaving behind his illuminating reflection. Thereupon, mounting transformation to move beings, the host of heterodoxies reformed their hearts; hesitating his divine steps to respond to the times, the flocks of doubts were together resolved. The Dharma wheel turned mysteriously; the three vehicles ran parallel. The way and the world flourished together; gods and humans had that upon which to dream. Once the pure voice resounded, its exceptional echoes flowed far; the subtle breeze fanned afar, generating virtuous teachings in the distance. In these latter years, approaching a thousand millennia, we vainly rejoice in the grand conversion, yet our fortune misses its assembly. Unable to knock at the ferry of the wondrous gate and illuminate the profound ultimate, or in shadowy silhouette behold the divine reflection and consume the supreme words, though we relish the remaining dust, the wind of the Way has departed afar. Imitating his swift steps, his mysterious traces are already remote. Constantly yearning for his radiant shadow, his semblance and deportment arise in our minds waking and sleeping, as if taking shape before heart and eye; yet silent resonance has its appointed time, and our deep sentiments cannot be voiced. Sighing, we lament ourselves, with grief and indignation finding no refuge. Thereupon, reaching afar to the tally of a hundred thoughts, careful and reverent in our longing reflection, we recall the sentiment of the eight kings of common purpose: our souls mingling in sleeping dreams, our sentiments inwardly awakened. Consequently, we commanded disciples to cast and model his image. Now, form and principle, though distinct, have gradual gradations of approach; refinement and coarseness, though truly different, also have causes for awakening. Therefore, modelling the spiritual pattern opens the heart toward the exceptional ferry; representing the divine archetype unrolls the confluence of a hundred deliberations. It causes those harboring what is distant to omen the dark root in future generations, and those preserving what is near to encounter the profound conditions of repeated eons. Thus the blessings of the Way are both widely extended, and the true traces can be trodden; the three sources reverse their flow, and the nine spirits share the same deep pool. At that time, the four classes rejoiced in heart, and monastics and laity had elevated aspirations. Those who followed the traces and responded in harmony were like a forest. For the casting and balancing, there were offerings from empty chambers, yet those coming forward to assist were not deterred by a hair's breadth. For exhortation and aid, there was exertion extending through eons, yet those who held the tasks did not plead weariness from dusk or fatigue. Following materials and employing abilities, it was completed before long; the achievement came from human effort, yet seemed as if fashioned by Heaven. Now, for clarifying the intent, nothing compares to words; for proclaiming virtue, nothing compares to eulogy. Therefore, intent is revealed through words so that achievements may be preserved; virtue is proclaimed through eulogy so that appearance may be portrayed. Were it not for words and eulogies, how could it be praised? Thereupon the eulogy was composed:
15.47
Stately was the Heavenly Teacher, / Bright was his far-reaching measure. / Surpassing the multitude and towering above the flock, / Transcendent, he was first awakened. / His grace resided in tranquility and emptiness; / His subtlety lay not in calculations. / Responding to the times he arose; / Answering the world, he fulfilled the task. / His golden countenance shone forth; / His marvelous marks spread their glow. / Solemn was his spiritual demeanor; / Fondly remembered were his divine steps. / Vast is the creation of things; / Mysterious rotation speeds in the dark. / Magnificent was Śākya, / Shifting with transformation. / In stillness, a profound silence; / In motion, followed by Heaven. / Unbroken was his distant governance; / Tireless was his enduring restraint. / Returning to the source, he is without form; / Light hidden, shadow separated. / Gazing up in longing through a thousand years, / Here we model, here we emulate.
15.48
Eulogy on the Image of Mañjuśrī
15.49
By Yin of Jin'an
15.50
Mañjuśrī's profound sagacity / Formally displayed his renown. / Probing the mystery, he emitted radiance; / Ascending the Way, he embraced brilliance. / Resounding were the three knowledges, / Bright as the sun. / Tireless were the spiritual penetrations, / In transformation, behold their form! / About to widen across the sands of the Ganges, / Moulding the multitude of beings. / The true breeze is hidden and dim; / Through a thousand years it grows ever more spiritual. / Longing to serve the wise lineage, / Words upon waking bear sincere reverence. / Severed from dust, dwelling in isolation, / Beseeching in contemplation of the great darkness.
15.51
Eulogy on the Image of Mañjuśrī (with preface)
15.52
Mañjuśrī is a bodhisattva who roams the regions. He obtained this title due to the words of abandoning defilement, yet this was not his original designation. Tracing the origin of how titles arise, they probably correspond to the supreme Way and its appearance. Why is this so? His nature of empty attraction is manifested in the five virtues; his model for the world is heard in the Kumārabhūta. When the mores of pure modesty shift, then the instruction responding to the times arises; hence he is called Ruoshou, and is also named Dharma Prince. Now, those who wish to fathom his profound import must first contemplate his vast greatness. The antiquity is distant; how could words and forms exhaust it? Across incalculable eons, his merits tower over accumulated dust; vast and far-reaching, how could it be spoken? Let me briefly narrate the outline. When this person first appeared, he came from imperial lineage and had the honorable title of Dharma King. The supreme mind was presaged in solitary awakening; the inner resonance did not fail to arise. Once he encountered the Rightly Awakened One, the spiritual pearl shone within; before the dark shadow had moved, he swiftly ascended to the position of the Way. Thereupon, the deep root was eternally laid in the empty soil, the divine branches flourished monthly with leaves and wings, the breath of compassion was fanned along with the wind of grace, and the brightness of the three knowledges shone together with the sun and moon. Embodied in all parts though in miniature, his merits were already equal to the dharmakāya. When the heavenly mechanism is about to turn, he takes spiritual penetrations as his mansions. Perfectly responding and secretly meeting, he takes non-haste as his reflection and traces. This is the reason why his motion does not depart from tranquility while encompassing the universe, and why, swiftly without constant realm, his name is foremost among those who roam the regions. When the World-Honoured One arose, he granted him the brilliance of leaping forward, revealing his hidden virtue in Gandhamādana. Relying on auspicious clouds, he went west; then, dragon-like, he appeared in this realm. Once the Dharma wheel turned, the mysterious sound was repeatedly chanted; facing the profound ultimate, he unreservedly gave voice to deep words. His path shone upon the great beings, wherefore all Buddhas praised his name; his substance transcended the dusty world, wherefore those washing their hat-strings regarded his traces as lofty. Were it not for harmonizing with heavenly concord to stand upright, inhaling the serene ether to become spiritual, unfurling the deep night to return shade, and giving utterance to virtuous sound to spread renown, who could take part in this? Wishing to stir the nature of all beings, he made his dwelling in the ultimate ancestor and attained it; laying a grand foundation with a single basket of earth, he made the sands of the Ganges into a single dwelling. If one were not to delight in the wind of Mañjuśrī in this manner, then one has not attained the infinite measure, and will forever be laughed at by the tranquility of the great expanse. Since the World-Honoured One entered nirvāṇa, it has been nearly a thousand years; his flowing light and sheltering blessings have again risen and fallen with the times. For this reason, those who darkly cherish the ancestral ultimate grieve at the loss of the source of the long ford, fearing that the wind and sun will silently damage it. Thereupon, they jointly manifested his likeness in metal and stone, continuing with written eulogies, each person wishing to exhaust themselves, hoping that clouds and dew would increase moisture. What is encountered today is that, several centuries ago, there was a wheel-turning king who ruled over Jambudvīpa, named Aśoka. Looking up to model the transcendent traces, he represented them in an image. Though the true ruler does not reside in forms, the spiritual seat seems to have a master; though the hidden officials are not sought through passion, when resonance arrives, response follows. The marvels of divine transformations have repeatedly altered the people's hearing; awakened by adversity according to the times, there truly is a source from which this comes. In my estimation, sustaining the fortunes of decadent decline is truly due to the work of the mysterious fabric; clearing the customs of darkness and obstruction is certainly not something a single principle can broaden. Therefore, the virtuous who entrust their thoughts have that upon which to lodge their reverent sincerity. Longing to reconnect the thread about to snap, drawing forth heroic minds to mark the station, they modelled afar the primal craftsman, picturing that which is pictured. The resonance coming from within, unawares they joyfully chanted in unison:
15.53
Vast is the Kumārabhūta, / In youthful age he uncovered delusion. / Embracing brilliance and giving forth excellence, / Ascending the mystery and treading the peak. / His spirit reigned through the Way; / His substance was empty and penetrative. / Carefree in conversion, roaming the regions, / He modeled his lofty tracks. / Flowing light shone veiled, / Reaching even unto this land. / Longing to face the profound craftsman, / Serene and unified, we are solely respectful. / Emptying our breasts, transcending the age, / Hoping to cast away the seal of dust.
15.54
Inscription on the Shadow of the Buddha (with preface)
15.55
By Xie Lingyun
15.56
Great Compassion broadly saves beings, connecting with them according to resonance. The conditions for connecting with beings have multiple beginnings; they are difficult to examine through form, but easy to fathom through principle. Thus they are already fully recorded in sutras and traditions, and thoroughly detailed in records and treatises. Although the boat and the ravine have long passed away, the Semblance Dharma still remains; as resonance and fortune revere its breeze, day by day it grows ever deeper. The śramaṇa Faxian arrived from Jetavana, fully recounting that the Buddha's shadow is exceptionally wondrous and spiritual: in the secluded crags and rugged cliffs, as if there were an abiding form, its deportment dignified, marks and characteristics complete, none knowing its beginning or end, constantly serene of itself. The Dharma Master of Mount Lu was delighted upon hearing the report. Thereupon, rejoicing in accord in his secluded chamber, he at once surveyed the empty crag, resting against the steep peak to the north and reflecting the Biao Torrent to the south. Modeling the bequeathed measure and entrusting it to green pigments, how could it only be fervent in picturing the form? Truly it also exhausted the transmission of mind! The śramaṇa Daobing proclaimed the intention from afar and commanded me to compose an inscription to fill the carving. When ancient inscriptions began, it was truly because meritorious deeds were widely spread; never was the ancestral Way so exalted and grand. How could such shallow thoughts and superficial learning as mine proclaim and narrate something like this? As the events have passed away, eternal longing is without end; forthwith I exhaust my inferior thinness to fulfill the promise in my heart. Of the glorious principles and secret mysteries, not one in ten thousand is depicted. I hope that by extending sincere intent, it will somewhat move all beings: may the flying screech-owl have an appointed time to reform its voice, and the icchantika obtain a path to extricate itself. We shall seek one another in the Pure Land and beam with joy in the bodhimaṇḍa. The sage does not deceive me; producing the fruit must surely bring retribution. Taking up the brush to give voice to words, my feelings are a hundredfold impassioned.
15.57
All beings, through defilement, / Are entangled in the six destinies. / The seven consciousnesses operate alternately; / Through the nine abodes they repeatedly move. / Severe are the five aggregates; / Wearying are the four conditions. / Universally causing transmigration, / The roots of suffering falter and stall. / Stalling without end, / Transmigration rests with oneself. / The four conditions gather like clouds; / The five aggregates flare like fire. / Tireless is the Rightly Awakened One; / He is the ultimate, he is the principle. / In motion, he harms not stillness; / In action, he strays not from cessation. / He enlightens your long dream; / He rectifies your sunken perversity. / With my divine brilliance, / Perfect your spiritual wisdom. / I have no 'self' of my own, / Truly receiving its meaning. / You have no 'you' of your own, / Must certainly dispel its falsity. / Since falsity takes different paths, / Meaning has many facets. / According to sound, melody is formed; / Approaching form, a smile breaks out. / Looking at the shadow, knowing is easy; / Seeking the echo is not difficult. / Outside of form and sound, / There is yet something to be viewed. / Viewed from afar, it manifests marks; / Approached closely, the shadow is dim. / Neither substance nor emptiness, / Unfathomable, ungraspable. / Leaning on the crag, shining on the forest; / Beside the deep pool, reflecting the well. / Borrowing emptiness to convey verdure; / Aroused radiance emits brightness. / The golden marks are dark and serene; / The white curl is subtle and warm. / The sun and moon run their course; / Why harbor this lament? / Once gazing toward the monks, / Embracing sincerity, awaiting the encounter. / Receiving the wind and bequeathed regulations, / Vast as if having an outline. / Reverently depicting the bequeathed tracks, / Chiseled into the steep peak. / Flowing all around, covered walkways; / Deep and secluded, chambers and windows. / Surging waves reflect on the steps; / Drawing the moon into the casement. / Clouds pass, brushing the mountain; / Wind arrives, passing through the pines. / The terrain being already beautiful, / The pictorial form is also earnest. / Light pigments float with color; / Gazing carefully, sunken awareness arises. / As if extinguished, as if nothing, / In copying, in emulating. / By virtue of its pure refinement, / It can move the spiritual and solitary. / Sincerity being verified, / Grace is also vastly continued. / Ah, you who cherish the Way, / Be careful not to fear midway! / Urged by losing one's youth, / Enslaved by icchantika-hood. / The return path is seen today; / Uncovering ignorance, beheld herein. / Strictly encourage your mind, / Time passes in swift flight. / Daring to inscribe the spiritual eaves, / Reverently informing those who shake the staff.
First 57 of 193 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 廣弘明集 — Classical Chinese