廣弘明集 19
English (machine translation) 19
- Language
- English
19.1
Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoxuan of Ximing Temple in the Great Tang
19.2
Chapter 4: Principles of the Dharma (Part Two of Two)
19.3
Preface to the Inner Canon, by Shen Yue of Qi
Commentary on the Explication of the Lecture by the Crown Prince of Qi, by Shen Yue
Commentary on the Opening of the Lecture by the Prince of Jingling of Qi (with panegyric), by Shen Yue
Commentary on the Explication of the Lecture by the Prince of Jingling of Qi (two pieces), by Shen Yue
Letters to Liu Qiu, Recluse of Jingzhou (three pieces), by the Prince of Jingling of Qi
Petition Requesting the Founding Emperor of Liang to Lecture on the Golden-Lettered Prajñā (with six exchanges of replies), by Gang, Crown Prince of Liang
Preface Describing the Imperial Lecture on Prajñā, by Lu Yun of Liang
Account of the Imperial Lecture on the Meaning of Prajñā, by Xiao Zixian of Liang
Petition of Thanks on the Conclusion of the Imperial Lecture on Prajñā, by the Crown Prince of Liang
19.4
Preface to the Inner Canon
19.5
Composed by Shen Yue, in obedience to the command of the Prince of Jingling, Minister of Education of Qi
19.6
How remote indeed is the origin of all sentient beings! Its meaning lies hidden beyond the three piṭakas; its reality is not something the Two Vehicles can discern. Since consciousness first arose, [all beings] have rushed forth together, receiving retribution in accord with their conditions. Humans and devas have different courses; flying and crawling creatures belong to distinct orders. Suffering and joy overturn each other; folly and wisdom succeed one another. None do not dwell in the fire[-driven] chariot, galloping wildly, shifting like leaping flames and fierce storms. Through the fleeting daylight of a mere inch of shadow, they race along the remote path of eternal kalpas. Their spirits rise and fall amid myriad strands and thousands of designations. When the Tathāgata brought forth his beginning from ordinary ranks, he too was among those who possessed life; when it came to racing neck and neck, he was originally no different from them. But coming to the tipping of the first basket at the beginningless start and the completion of success at the end of the short counting-slips, the road was long and the practice extended, the wonderful carriage reaching far. Accumulating brilliance and amassing wisdom, his numinous awakening alone comprehended [the truth]. The great four-and-eight marks illumined the great thousandworlds; the honored two-and-nine dharmas enveloped what is beyond external limits. The practice of the six perfections was profound; the merit of the ten powers was naturally far-reaching. He saved living things through skillful means and subdued māras without force. The wonderful Dharma-wheel turned, and amṛta parted the mist. He served as boat and carriage for the six destinies, and as ford and bridge across the five paths. Ascending the long thoroughfare of the four crossroads, he proceeded by the broad road of the One Vehicle. These matters filled the Vaipulya scriptures; their meaning pervaded the divine palace. Coming down to the great provisional avatars assisting transformation, proclaiming and exalting the ultimate principle: giving oneself for living beings began in compassion, and casting away the body was rooted in selflessness. Their practices conformed to the four immeasurables; their path ascended the ten grounds. As for those whose numinous natures were exceptionally penetrating, obtaining it from within their own breasts: their spiritual efficacy and wondrous power required no study to attain. Galloping alone on a solitary spur, none knew their limits; tangled habituated defilements were instantly resolved in accord with their awakening to principle. There were also those who abandoned passions and eliminated thoughts, their bodies and minds devoid of desire. Wearying of the long toil of birth and death, looking yearningly to quiescent cessation, they turned their carriages [toward it]; comfortably self-possessed, their defilements vanished like smoke. Furthermore, the ways to direct the mind and reach the Dao do not rely on a single practice. Although merging in principle and sharing a common source, the sprout of inclination may differ. Therefore, elevated minds and lofty deeds take divergent paths toward the same goal; forgetting mental grasping and casting off desire, different routes reach the same destination. Some bruised their bodies upon grasses and stones, casting their bones into forests and marshes, inwardly devoid of physical form, outwardly taming wild rhinos and tigers. Some walked, stood, sat, or lay down without diverging in traces from the multitude; yet in their dhyāna practices and samādhi gates, never failing for an instant. Their patient endurance was as solid as metal and stone; their conduct in precepts had the pure lustre of precious jewels. Though autumn birds arrived in their season and spring sturgeons ran at their time, they remained steadfast in long-term vegetarian practice, with anxious vigilance ever in mind. The wondrous traces were not far off; the spiritual path was intimately close. Wherever there was awakening, there was comprehension; by proceeding along it, they arrived. Therefore, they could rely on wisdom to probe emptiness and mount the mind to illumine principle. Their modest inner feelings merged completely without attachment. Dwelling together in the three realms, they roamed alone with the spirit. Embracing the four heavens, they rolled up and unfurled myriad kalpas. Hearing a single phrase, they ascended the bodhimaṇḍa; receiving one word, they reached the other shore. Before the long night opened, the portal of their minds enlightened itself. Lingering along the sacred traces, they reposed their spiritual radiance. They carried book-bags to follow masters, and also dwelt in forests to organize their studies. Their feet trod the gate of wisdom, and their learning mastered the dragon treasury. Their wondrous lion-roar resounded afar, and their luan-bird voice carried to the distance. As for kneeling with crossed hands and focusing the mind, seeking sincerity rather than outward traces: they guided forth spiritual efficacy, illuminating and initiating the unawakened. The beauty of chanting and preaching shared in this significance. Reaching the differing customs of the nine lands and the diverging habits of the eight directions: whatever their roaming transformations encompassed arose from magnificent encouragement. All was sufficient to transfer radiance to the pure realm and elevate deportment to the precious land. They also renounced vanity, pruned adornments, severed love, and bid farewell to their kin. Striking the oars in the stream of non-arising, they aligned their carriage with the road beyond the mundane. They had indeed received the crowns of their heads stroked by a thousand Buddhas, and equaled the merits of the seventh abhimukhī ground. As for pure-believing laymen and laywomen who planted affinities across vast kalpas: though their attire remained unchanged, the virtue of precepts burgeoned within. Looking toward Vaiśālī, they raised their reins; gazing toward Persia, they turned their carriages. They drove through the far reaches of the four dhyānas, and drifted across the distant expanses of the eight liberations. Then there is the veneration of the Ten Epithets, and the three vidyās without obstruction: although the Dharmakāya has no material existence, it permanently resides in the person. The compassionate and capable Śākyamuni left provisional traces at the four gates, which was not the true beginning of his awakening to the Dao; his apparent extinction between the twin trees—how could it be an exhaustion like wood turning to ash? Yet devas and humans gaze up in yearning, feelings arising in their faint memory. They carve gold and mold jade to portray his countenance and depict his likeness. Numinous images outshine the sun; precious monasteries rise to the clouds. Some deploy the labor of spirits and ghosts; some draw upon the strength of bone and marrow. Crafted not by human artisans, they are completed through the synthesis of jewels. None lack the dragon-like adornments of eight colors and the jade blossoms of nine hues. Even his teeth and hair transmit spiritual efficacy, and his robes and shoes leave enduring proof. Sacred traces shine brightly, daily radiating over Jambudvīpa; divine lights glisten, numerous as stars over the pure realm. If one mounts this straightforward mind, sincerely proceeding in secret, then within half a breath one can overtake it, and within a single thought one arrives. Spiritual responses descend in variety, drifting like clouds and gathering like mist. These are further illumined in foreign translations and displayed on silk scrolls. Now, holding the tablets to record events has a long history: it is the means to record past traces and radiantly narrate far-reaching fame. Though seal scripts and bell inscriptions differ in style, and Central Asian and Chinese writings vary in rules, yet when it comes to expressing minds and spirits and modulating instructions and meanings, internal and external teachings indeed share the same standard, and humans and spirits follow a single track. The ancient classics of the Sanfen, Wudian, Baxuo, and Jiuxiu are the historical annals of the realm; the accounts of the Buddha's original arising and descent to be born are the chronicles outside the realm. Spoken of comprehensively, they have never been different. But scriptures and records are vast and complex, their lineages branching and scattered. The beginning and end of a single matter are divided across different cases and rolls. Words and meanings are broken off, or texts overlap with one another. No sooner has one stepped into a later passage than what was read earlier is obscured. Tracing the source and following the stream, one knows not where to turn. Although exquisite principles clarify the mind, if one stops at individual lines and verses, many among initial realizers and beginning students will be led into confusion. Moreover, the various sages of both inside and outside [the Buddhist teaching] have all recorded instructions and canons. Although their teachings have distinct portals, their principles share the same destination. Therefore, the two classes of books—the true and the conventional—mutually assist and encourage one another. Confucius brought forth their beginnings; the Buddha exhausted their ultimate reaches. Removing the net and casting away the guide-rope, benevolence and grace are present herein. Changing the people and transforming customs must be achieved gradually; whether refined or coarse, restrained or guided, each has its reason. Therefore, minutely discerning the mind and spirit, lodging the heart in the wondrous scriptures, yielding to the expositions of emptiness and existence, and comprehensively synthesizing the books that forget both: gathering the multitude of currents, I have compiled this classic. Matters are classified by categories, and meanings are grouped according to principle. For economy of effort and breadth of awakening, nothing surpasses this. One may seek by principle to prove and realize the wondrous fruition. If mounting a south-pointing chariot is still praised for preventing disorientation, and ingesting the four-glowing herb enables one to be free of delusion, how much more so when the six horses share a single bridle and the myriad streams flow into a single course! The sun and moon traversing the sky cannot compare to this; how could rivers and oceans girding the earth be enough to mention? This is indeed the trap and snare for entering the Dao, whereby all sentient beings may attain awakening.
19.7
Memorial of the Crown Prince of the Southern Qi on Concluding the Lecture
19.8
Shen Yue
19.9
On the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the fourth year of the Jianyuan era, the Crown Prince gathered prominent monks of the Mahāyāna in the Xuanpu Garden. Their retreat took place around the precious pond of the imperial park. He fully provided the offerings: precious terraces and patterned pavilions, donated to the Buddha and the saṃgha. He sounded the profound note through the six skies, and proclaimed the subtle words across eternal kalpas. The three vidyās declared their wondrous fruition; the ten abodes praised their auspicious conditions. Stepping through the two seasonal vapors, his practice ascended; completing the ninety days, his merit was accomplished. When the full moon of the seventh month had passed, he respectfully renounced his precious body, along with his chariots and crowns, down to the tassels, totaling ninety-nine items. He vowed that through this power, [grace] would universally cover the dark and the bright: that the imperial house would possess the stability of Song and Hua, and that the black-haired commoners would enjoy the blessings of benevolence and longevity. If there are those sinking in the sea of suffering, may they awaken according to principle; may those who have fallen onto the soaring paths return before straying far. May the ten directions and the three times all bear witness to these words: should this vow be breached, may I never attain correct awakening.
19.10
Memorial of the Prince of Jingling of Qi on Initiating the Lecture (with Encomium)
19.11
Shen Yue
19.12
Great indeed is the wondrousness of Wondrous Awakening! Signless and non-physical, its emptiness cannot be plumbed to the limit. Yet establishing words and leaving instructions, it uses guidance as its method. Although the waves of compassion and waters of wisdom can irrigate, none know their source. The numinous scriptures and precious texts were collected from afar in the dragon treasury, which cannot be expressed in words. As for their meaning pointing beyond the Tianshan Mountains and their texts hidden beyond Jiaohu, they are not something that broken counting-slips can calculate. Coming down to the wondrous roar at the Jetavana and the Āmrapālī Grove, the correct exposition of the Four Truths and the One Vehicle: when translated into the central land, they are no more than one sand-grain of the Gaṅgā. The source of words is as vast as the sea, and the path of principle as profound as the clouds. Though lineages of graphs follow their resonance, myriad carriages tend toward the same goal; yet when branches and leaves are scattered, and sentences and phrases are divided, one cannot encompass even one ten-thousandth of it. His Highness the Prince of Jingling has a spirit transcending the superior grounds, and his virtue surpasses innate knowledge. He plants precious karma in the obscure ford, and concentrates correct understanding in modest contemplation. As for the numinous depths of the Vaipulya and the profound mystery of amṛta, there is none of their paths he has not traversed, and none of their chambers he has not opened. The secret treasuries that reached the eastern realm are fully assembled without exception. All have been copied on precious silk and inscribed in splendid seal script, concentrating radiance in jade cases and dazzling with luster on jasper bindings. Desiring to propagate subtle words and brightly inspire the unawakened, on the eighth day of the second month in the first year of the Yongming era, he established a lecture platform in his prime residence and assembled renowned monks from the imperial capital. All of them deeply distinguished the ultimate and conventional, profoundly probing names and characteristics, resolving subtleties without obstruction, and resolving doubts as clearly as dawn. Gathering together in the Faxun Hermitage within the mansion, they expounded the profound note throughout the six skies, opening the Dharma gate for a thousand years. How magnificent! This was truly a grand event spanning generations. From the Dharma Master downward to the listening monks, their names are recorded on the left to commemorate this affair. Thereupon the encomium says:
19.13
The Ten Epithets are spiritually quiescent; / The three vidyās are empty and profound. / Traces arose through the Sage's concealment; / The teaching was proclaimed through compassion. / Luxuriant is the transmitted Dharma; / Brilliant are the bequeathed traps. / Raising the fame of the wondrous abode; / Soaring in splendor on the precious lotus. / Literature unfolds from the dragon treasury; / Meaning overflows in Madhyadeśa. / The Prince alone received illumination; / His Dao surpasses the layered jade. / Stars gather around the precious canopy; / Clouds part for the Brahma feast. / Thoughts gallop like spring steeds; / Principles are analyzed like autumn cicada wings. / The numinous ground pursues splendor; / The waters of rectitude raise ripples. / Mounting this superior fruition, / May it forever guide fragrant conditions.
19.14
One Memorial of the Prince of Jingling on Concluding the Lecture
19.15
Shen Yue
19.16
Manifesting transformation through bodily form must rely on the path of entrusted breath; guiding principle according to locality must conform to the quality of resembling Heaven. Therefore, displaying numinous portents and profound omens, the Sage was born in the royal palace. Halting the colors of the celestial signs, he paused the radiance of the sun and moon. Thus he could amass compassion to become a sage, and accumulate subtleties to realize emptiness, smoothing the bright road at the bodhimaṇḍa, and pulling out the roots of delusion on the shore of suffering. Disciple Xiao Ziliang has cleansed the worries of his troubled breast and lodged his feelings in the correct karma. Reverently gathering eminent monks, he respectfully unfolded the wisdom scriptures. From the secret treasury and profound texts, clouds opened and rain scattered. Now, as the moon begins its path in the red celestial highway, on the first day of the waxing moon, meditating on the seven steps, his thoughts adhere to empty brightness. Although the spiritual traces are gradually distant, the bequeathed dust remains here. Thereupon, decorating the mat in the ornate hall, and unfurling curtains in the grand residence, with pure sincerity and reverent service, he established this precious assembly. Like an orchid spring surging with waves, fragrant mists swirled like clouds. Probing the minute in secret principles, the profound bestowals were far-reaching. The primary tenets having been raised, the exhaustive merits are fully accomplished. In the debate hall, the seats are rolled up; the Dharma drum halts its sound. Mounting these fragrant conditions, we shall ascend to the superior abode. May the ten directions and three times bear witness without fail.
19.17
Another Memorial of the Prince of Jingling on Concluding the Lecture
19.18
The wondrous reaches the ultimate of all phenomena; profound contemplation will surely penetrate. Principle surpasses all realms; wherever there is a resonance, it responds. Since the luan-bird voice ceased chanting and the complete halo concealed its radiance, the appearance of falling flowers has not been passed down, and the omen of leaping from the earth is already remote. Entering the Dao through a single word is difficult in an instant; stepping into emptiness through a single awakening shows no effect in a mere moment. If one does not accumulate fine hairs to form an elevation of eight cubits, or gather sparks to produce brightness, there is no way to align with the gate of wisdom or moor the boat at the shore of the Dharma. For this reason, your disciple was vigilant from dusk till dawn, feeling that the days were insufficient. Therefore, I respectfully gathered renowned monks to reverently expound the profound scriptures, awakening subtleties and rousing the stagnant, moving the wheel and swirling like clouds. In the month corresponding to the musical pitch, on the day of the waxing moon, the amṛta having been exhausted, speech ceased on the precious seat; rolling up the texts and packing the mats, robes and shoes moved along. Looking up, I contemplate the late Queen Mother: endowed with the numinous virtue of Chang'e, her radiance matched the standard of the Yellow Emperor. Her virtue was carried like Mount Hua, her transformation pervading south of the Fen River. Early she departed the orchid palace, long since leaving the pepper-scented chambers. A thousand chariots cannot pursue her; ten thousand vessels of grain cannot reach her. Grief spanning the heavens cannot be sustained across short years; the sincerity to repay her desires to expand across eternal kalpas. I respectfully renounce bodies and clothing to provide for offerings. Relying on this subtle communication, I direct my feelings to the Wondrous Awakening. I respectfully pray that her sacred spirit may swiftly ascend to the precious throne, transcending beyond the four heavens, and recording the honor of the Ten Epithets. May the three times all bear witness to this; I dare to swear with sincere loyalty, aspiring to match the bright sun.
19.19
Letter to the Hermit Liu Qiu of Jingzhou
19.20
Xiao Ziliang, Duke Wenxuan of Qi
19.21
Liu Qiu served initially as magistrate of Fuyang and later as assistant governor of Nanjun. Soon afterwards he resigned of his own accord, beginning to shake off worldly dust; he was then thirty-two years of age. Commentators compared him to Shu Guang and Bing Han of the Han dynasty. Thereupon he abstained from cereals and renounced grains, taking atractylis as food and wearing hempen cloth. In coarse garments and straw sandals, in a thatched hut with earthen screens, he performed prostrations, recited scriptures, observed the long fast, and never missed the six periods of devotion. He no longer cultivated or compiled secular classical books, and utterly cast aside minor arts such as weiqi and calligraphy. He devoted himself exclusively to investigating the subtleties of Buddhist principles, expounding the doctrines that goodness does not incur retributive rebirth and that one attains Buddhahood through sudden enlightenment; at that time none could confute him. He annotated the *Lotus Sūtra* and other texts, and lectured on the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, the Large and Small Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, and so on. In the early Jianyuan era of the Qi, an imperial edict summoned him to be Palace Attendant and Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, but he did not take up the post. Prince Wenxuan deeply promoted the wondrous Dharma; because Liu Qiu was refined in Buddhist principles, he invited him to come down east, sending him a letter that read: 'The jade candle marks a fruitful year, and the metal tone of autumn is in the pitch-pipes. As warmth and coolness begin to exchange, in motion or stillness may you be at peace. You diligently relish the flavour of the Way and fortunately abide by your refined aspirations; is this not delightful? I am truly most fortunate. The common people are of one heart, and sentient beings suffer no sickness; every house could be enfiefed—what more then could one seek? Yet good books are kept to myself alone, and fine discussions find no analysis; longing for you, sir, truly aches my heart. Thus, regardless of a thousand li, I send a foot-long letter to convey my feelings. Ever since purity and limpidity parted and flimsy decadence took their place, methods of seclusion and public life have varied, and paths of silence and speech have been tangled. Some adorn wisdom to astonish the simple; some stir up purity to offend the vulgar; some soil themselves to attain dark communion; some sing erratic songs to illumine the Way. Slaughtering sheep or dealing horses could not grind away their firmness; feigning madness or acting like fools, how could it blacken their purity? Holding office in Chu or enfeoffed in Wei, their unworldly aura grew ever more distant; entering Han or wandering in Liang, their worldly sentiments grew ever more scant. When weighing their relative gravity and grading their merits and flaws, then with a profound mind and penetrating appreciation, could they ever be matched? Long have I nurtured leisure in my breast and ever yearned for the transcendent spirit; my tracks tread the dust of jade tallies and ribboned seals, but my heart wanders free among rivers and lakes. Even before meeting you I felt an innate intimacy, hearing of your style as if an old friend. Yet the wish to turn your carriage hither has stirred in vain, and there are no means to show the rites of bowing at your gate. Truly, I have long stood resting against the carriage-axle from the bottom of my heart, and emptied my baskets onto the distant road. You stand out distinct and aloof, resolute and hard to uproot; your pure aspirations are as boundless as white clouds, and your lofty sentiments share their freshness with green pines. Explicating and practicing the plain and the refined, the withered monkish forest puts forth new shoots; clearly discerning emptiness and existence, the obstructed River joins again in a torrent. Those called men who have forgotten words may discuss the juncture of Heaven and man; how could you, like soaring phoenixes and wheeling cranes, harbor any calculating intent to gather together? Rising high above the ocean of craving, you walk in step along the thoroughfares of dhyāna; tasting the dark excursions of the Hao and She rivers, you bring into your fold the Dharma-companions of Jetavana and Gṛdhrakūṭa. You open up the three vehicles to the impoverished son, and reveal the two truths to the confused and ignorant. With such conditions, how exhilarating it is! Today the imperial influence is entirely harmonious, and the supreme Way is vastly spread. The four seas do not overflow, and the five sacred peaks are free of dust. The imperial academies have begun to be renovated, and the scriptural Dharma is broadly unfurled. People hold pearls and gems in low regard, and households practice propriety and deference. Gathering firewood and hay follows the seasons, so suburban forests are utterly lush; casting nets has its limits, so fish and birds soar and swim together. As for towering peaks and severed ravines encircling the imperial domains, fertile fields and rich plains stretch out of sight without obstruction. It is truly fit to beckon those of the reclusive fold to dwell and lodge their exquisite sentiments. Thus Wenju built his dwelling by the bend of the Zhicheng, and Cizong planted a hedge at the foot of the Western Hills; Ge Hong made his home amid the sea-facing crags, and Shi Huiyuan reposed in seclusion in the depths of Mount Zhong. Whenever I tread their lingering tracks, deep laments of the Nine Springs always arise. If your lofty steps could be deflected hither, why should we long further for those four masters? In antiquity, Confucius met Boxue, and Mañjuśrī went to Vimalakīrti; did they not understand the way of forgetting each other? Surely there was good reason for it! Before we meet face to face, take care of yourself for the sake of the Way. The details are entrusted to the mouth of Lingju, delivering the words of Wang Yuanzhang.'
19.22
The prince also wrote to the governor of Nanjun, Liu Jingren, saying: 'Last winter, through you, I sent a letter to Layman Liu. This spring I received his reply; its phrasing is lively and full of literary brilliance, truly possessing the brush and paper of Ziyun and the correspondence of Yuanyu. Rereading it with sighs of admiration, my reverence and longing grew even greater. This gentleman embraces truth and holds uncarved jade, his tone harmonizing with the clouds and mist. Turning his back on the vulgar to dwell in seclusion, he lodges his joy among forests and sandbanks. Nurturing his aspirations in southern Jing, his value rivals the jade of Bian He; concealing his brilliance in the garb of Chu, his radiance matches the pearl of Sui. Though the leisurely ease of Yan and Duan and the tranquil serenity of Yang and Zheng be taken, when compared with this man, they can truly be spoken of in the same day. Moreover, his nature in the Way is naturally vast, and his dhyāna mind is inherently calm. Deeply delighting in the ninefold division of scriptures, he relishes the three vehicles. For a householder bodhisattva to practice it is not difficult; for a white-robed layman to approach it is easy. He has vowed to illumine the darkness and haze with the torch of wisdom, to rescue those sinking and drowning with the bridge of the Dharma, to fan the lingering wind of the sacred crags, and to mirror the peerless form of the chaste forest. Since my aspirational lodging is the same as his, our affinity of heart is all the deeper. Yet the expansive imperial parks are separated by rivers and mountains; even if spiritual powers allow distant communion in the dark, how could that compare to baring and unravelling our innermost thoughts at dawn, clarifying the obscure purports, discussing the middle path of arising and cessation, and investigating the true truths of the ultimate and the conventional? Therefore, I send another separate letter, inviting him to come to the metropolitan capital. When you inquire after his health in the Way, please urge and invite him fully. These orchid mountains and cassia waters are ample for wandering at ease; companions of Confucianism and the dark doctrine also visit in abundance. This is not to add a single rank of nobility, nor is it merely a token of summon with flags and reeds; it is simply pouring out my sincere feelings in the dark, hoping he will surely understand mystically. Should he suddenly deign to come, I trust you will provide him with travel expenses in due time.'
19.23
He also sent Liu Qiu's fellow countryman, Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel Yu Gaozhi, to convey a letter explaining his intentions, which said: 'The Minister over the Masses, the Prince of Jingling, exerts himself in the spiritual, which transcends words and forms; in dealing with affairs, he is looked up to by both far and near. Bells and stone chimes are not the root of ritual and music; caps and hemp robes, how could they denote court and wilderness? I imagine your feelings of unreserved trust will not be hindered by bodily forms. One day you registered at the Liang residence to attend personally upon his spoken words; my longing for your pure countenance has already accumulated for years. Considering that an elder is not glorified by gifts of lambs and wild geese, he dispensed with the formal rites of rush mats and silks; committing his hopes to mystical communion, he truly awaited a meeting of minds. The Prince has made his abode in the outskirts, girdled by streams and mounds; in prominence he does not pursue fame, in obscurity he does not flaunt his tracks. Strolling at ease between society and the wilderness, he fully exhausts the purports of both. Moreover, holding the mind of broad protection, he widely spreads the ultimate and conventional truths. Longing to hear what lies beyond the cords of words, he wishes to dissect all subtleties with you. Setting banquets at the mountain bend and opening empty lodges by the river bank, he truly hopes for your glorious arrival to slightly requite his sideways leaning wait. Formerly, the Prince of Dongping took delight in goodness, honoring Jun Da at the eastern pavilion; the wise king loved purity, inviting our master to the Western Hills. Was this not splendid? A hundred years pass like a fleeting gust, and entanglements arise from things themselves; a meeting once in a thousand years depends on oneself to practice humaneness. Moreover, braving the snow and preparing the way is not the effect of erasing tracks; when the great bell is sounded, how can it be a way to swallow sound? Having already shown the marks of an extraordinary man, you therefore have the labors of being one with all things. How could mountains and waters be without feeling, responding to you through opportune meetings? Loving leisure depends on oneself; wherever one touches, all is desolate. Why be closer to Mount Heng and more aloof to Mount Zhong? I trust your expansive thought will reside here, without waiting for many words.'
19.24
Liu Qiu's mind was already firmly decided within, no longer to be moved by external things. In the early Jianwu era, he was summoned to be Erudite of the National University. In the winter of the second year, when his illness grew severe, he moved to Jiangzhou. White clouds hovered as if entering the eaves and doors; an extraordinary fragrance and the sound of lithophones in the air arose, and thereupon he passed away at the age of sixty. His disciples mourned him as if for a father, yet wore no mourning garments. Several hundred monastics and laypeople attended the funeral. His remaining treatises formed a collection of twenty-four fascicles. In the third year of the Datong era of the Liang, his sons consulted the rules for posthumous names. The lofty man Yu Shen said: 'To have virtue and wide learning is called *Wen* (cultivated); this can be advanced as his posthumous name.' Chen Shi said: 'Culture serves as a model for the world; conduct serves as a norm for scholars.' Thereupon he was given the posthumous title Master Wenfan (Cultural Model). Ren Yansheng, governor of Nanjun, said: 'Although the Master and I were close in years and generation, separated by several thousand li between Jing and Wu, I never had the chance to walk humbly in his breeze and receive his remaining discourses. How could this merely cause indignation in that age? It is truly a deep regret for all antiquity. Yet when Shuye described Qianlou, or Han Zhuo admired Juzhong, they did not necessarily receive their radiance or behold their demeanor; they simply yearned toward distant principles and thought longingly over a thousand years. But that man was noble in himself; even if one were to carry scriptures and hold a broom day and night at his gate, one would never perceive an inch of a thousand fathoms or a trickle of ten thousand acres. In the end, though face-to-face across ten thousand ages, none could reach his threshold. Therefore I use this to dispel the regret of a thousand years.' Yu Xiaojing, the Master of Reclusive Integrity, said: 'His son Zhida served as Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in the Liang; he was on good terms with me. He sought out the lingering writings of his late father and arranged them to compile this biography.'
19.25
Petition requesting an imperial lecture (with imperial reply)
19.26
Crown Prince Gang of the Liang
19.27
Your subjects Gang, Lun, and Ji state: Your subjects have heard that the Purple Palace adorns the heavens, making the mysterious signs clear and bright; the Xuanyuan Terrace stands upon the sacred mountain, hearing fine writings from afar. Therefore, as the Way becomes more exalted, the rituals become more elaborate; as virtue becomes more pervasive, affairs become more peaceful. This clearly manifests the dignity of supreme governance and is the root of shepherding the living people. Humbly we consider that the Hall of Great Radiance and Dignity matches the divine patterns, piercing the heavens to open up its spaces; its achievement exceeds the Great Splendor and its circumstances accord with civil brilliance. Modeling on the celestial polar star, it establishes the ultimate; reaching to the clouds, its structure opens up. Shining with the three luminaries, its vastness surpasses a hundred spans. All regard it as the manifestation of the flower of the mind, and no longer the work of skilled craftsmen; revealed by spiritual powers, it does not rely on the arrival of children to be completed. Being truly a pure land, it is thoroughly free from the secular rites of building-consecration; transcending the Śākya palace, in principle it has no banquet of the Deer Cry. We humbly reflect that in the Hall of Wondrous Victory, our original Master uttered the lion's roar; in the Jewel Palace, the Tathāgata likewise expounded the Dharma-sound. We humbly hope that You will personally descend in Your radiant countenance to sprinkle the sweet dew (amṛta)—billowing wisdom-clouds and pouring merciful rain—to illumine this magnificent enterprise and guide those living multitudes. Treading the heavenly dwelling to preach marklessness is to identify with the ultimate; establishing Buddhist works to encompass all lands is to transform the secular. Identifying with the ultimate and transforming the secular—how supreme! With a single action, two beauties are made manifest; how could it not be great? How could the summit of Mount Xing, the foot of Fuyan, the phoenix of the western capital, or the yuezhuo bird of Mount Qi's sunny slopes be spoken of in the same day? We dare to reveal our sincere ignorance and humbly await Your gracious consent. Presumptuously encroaching upon Your imperial gaze, we tremble and perspire with awe. Respectfully submitted.
19.28
I have examined the petition. That you wish for me to lecture fully conveys your intentions. The Book of Documents says: 'In one day, in two days, there are myriad affairs of state.' Today they are even more numerous. Old of age and ripe in the faculties, my energy and strength are declining. Bearing this imperial throne exceeds a heavy burden. At midday I may obtain one meal, or sometimes not eat at all. The Duke of Zhou spitting out food and holding his hair cannot be considered toil; the King of Chu dining late is not pressing compared to today. Before dawn I seek my robes, and till late I find no rest. Toiling by day and pondering by night, my vitality is already exhausted. Engaged in many affairs of calculations and statecraft, I have not yet attained to leaving my garments hanging in non-action. Furthermore, state affairs cannot be entrusted to others; how could I sit and converse? We must wait until the Way prevails and the people are at peace before this can be discussed. Imperial decree.
19.29
Renewed petition requesting an imperial lecture (with imperial reply)
19.30
Your subjects Gang, Lun, and Ji state: The other day we presumptuously dared to submit our petition, wishing for You to bestow the Dharma-rain. The heavenly mirror reflects from afar and has not yet deigned to grant our request. Being pre-allocated equally like medicinal herbs and trees, we are truly like water in different vessels; merely admiring the spring blossoms, we also pity the autumn pulse. Humbly we reflect that
19.31
Your Majesty's virtue surpasses the receiving of celestial charts, and Your Way is exalted in matching the profound words. The four, the three, the six, and the five cannot illustrate it; ten Yaos and nine Shuns cannot match it. Yet when the autumn wind stirs the branches, You still give rise to unceasing care; if a single creature loses its place, You still harbor the benevolence of feeling as if falling into a ditch. You are currently lingering over thoughts of the imperial hall, and have not yet considered lecturing in the Stone Canal Pavilion. Humbly we consider that what is manifested by spiritual powers handles myriad affairs in a single instant; what is enacted by great expedient means responds to the three secrets in due time. While dwelling in dhyāna serenity, You project shadows in the ten directions; once You initiate a bodhimanda, it already encompasses eight assemblies. How could You be equated with the toils of Mount Xiong and Mount Xiang of the ruler who regulated the pitch-pipes, or pressed by the affairs of wind and rain of the sovereign who cast the cauldrons? We humbly pray that You will act with the compassion of the Tathāgata through equal wisdom, and for the sake of delivering the multitude of living beings, grant this rare event, causing the court to be filled with the One Vehicle and all minds to practice the ten good deeds. May each person hold the jewel of wisdom and the torch of the Dharma, and every household look forward to the fourfold patience and the five vidyās. Respectfully risking the heavenly majesty, we submit this petition once more. Lifting our sincere hearts in eager longing, we humbly hope for Your assent, so that the northern region of Ji will lack mountains—how could they have stood high only in days of old?—and the sun will turn its light back upon Nanyang, no longer blocked off only in the present. Respectfully submitted.
19.32
I have examined the renewed petition. That you still wish for me to lecture fully conveys your intentions.
19.33
I have examined your second petition. You still desire that I deliver a lecture, and fully understand your sentiments. Yet it is no different from my previous reply. The frontiers have not submitted, and the state treasuries are largely deficient. Such matters constantly require planning and investigation, and the remaining complex details cannot be stated in full. The whole realm is not at peace; those who feed on wild herbs are numerous, while submissions and surrenders follow in succession. Rewards and distributions have not been comprehensive; those who harbor resentment are many, and those who cherish gratitude are few. In the Han dynasty, when the empire was unified, Jia Yi nevertheless shed bitter tears; under the Wei house, when there was no external threat, Yang Fu still spoke of sorrow. How much more so now, when dependable ministers of the claws and fangs, of the belly and heart, and also gentlemen who deliberate on the Dao within the inner tent [are troubled]? The four hearings are not open, and the roads to the eight quarters are blocked. Though kings and marquises are many, the protective screen of the city cannot be relied upon. Vigilant by day and fearful by night, it is like treading upon frosted blades; to drive six horses with rotten reins is hardly an adequate comparison. Does not the *Book of Odes* say: 'Those who know me say my heart is sorrowful; those who do not know me say, what am I seeking?' The present is truly not a time for discussion. If you insist on having it so, you may naturally order the monks to speak on the doctrine within Chongyun Hall. Imperial Edict.
19.34
Another Petition Requesting an Imperial Lecture (with Imperial Reply)
19.35
Your subjects Gang, Lun, and Ji state: Daring to presume upon Your Majesty's favor and grace, we have repeatedly importuned your hearing and examination. Twice the divine intention has descended, yet Your Majesty has not condescended to shine your light upon us. We humbly observe that the imperial governance broadly spreads, and the heavenly canopy extends afar; the seas and rivers are tranquil and serene, and the sun and moon are steadfast and luminous. By the Luo River there are Hu barbarians who call themselves vassals; at Baoxiang there are captives who yield allegiance. The spring weapons have already been sheathed; the autumn dust does not fly. The locust trees and thorns match the ode on 'many scholars'; the sable tails and cicada plaques have the panegyrics of 'gaining worthy men.' Your sage virtue is humble and yielding; you toil diligently until the sun declines, yet you still feel that the times have many laments like Yu's and that things do not yet accord with Yao's intention. The hundred ministers are filled with shame and trepidation; all the officials are struck with awe. Some of your subjects have not heard of the three excellences, or in our single offices have produced no effect: craving abalone, we meet with the Prime Minister's reprimand; learning frugality, we receive the Adjunct's mockery. Yet having our roots within the celestial park, we presumptuously hold ourselves above past ages. Therefore, not fearing to defile [Your Majesty], we dare again to report upward. We humbly pray that with delight in expounding great benevolence, you will specially grant your gracious consent, radiating light and shaking the earth, without letting the Dharma impede mundane affairs; and adapting the medicine to the capacity, not discarding words because of the person. May all sentient beings throughout the entire realm find the flowers of their minds turning into trees to together transform the six sense objects, and find the jewel within the mirror to jointly open up the three hindrances. As for our sincere wish, what could be more fortunate? Having repeatedly risked the imperial majesty, our trembling and anxiety are redoubled. Respectfully submitted.
19.36
I have examined the petition from you and the others, and again fully understand your sentiments. You have not understood the hardships of sowing and reaping; how can you comprehend the heavy burden of all under heaven? The reason mediocre rulers and young monarchs were overthrown in succession is entirely that in times of peace they did not think of danger—how much more so when things are not yet at peace? The mirror of the Yin is not far off; it lies in the preceding dynasty. What I practice today, though different from past days, would, if I only know how to deliver lectures and care nothing for affairs of state, lead to the same ruin through a different path. The *Book of Changes* states: 'Its ruin is bound to a cluster of mulberry shoots.' Only through diligent and fearful effort by day and night can one narrowly escape. Reflect upon this. Every detail is as in the previous edict. Imperial Edict.
19.37
Petition of Thanks for Condescending to Open the Lecture
19.38
Your subject Gang submits: The Gentleman of the Palace Attendance Xu Yan has reverently proclaimed:
19.39
The Imperial Edict: 'Unobstructed great benevolence does not violate original vows. In the first month of the coming year, the *Three Wisdoms Sūtra* shall be opened and expounded.' Having reverently received the palace edict, my body and mind leap with joy. Being starving and receiving the royal repast cannot surpass this; being destitute and obtaining a precious jewel is not comparable to this. We humbly observe that as the new year's felicitations flow and the rite of the great fur coat is completed, the cloud of wisdom continues to moisten, and the Dharma rain descends unceasingly. The great supramundane kindness spreads its moisture together with the spring warmth, causing these sentient beings to grow in accordance with the medicinal trees. The joy is shared by ten thousand states, and blessings pervade the nine realms. How could it merely be this foolish subject who attains what has never been before? I have respectfully proclaimed the commanding edict and hastened to inform Lun and Ji. In accordance with your intentions, we are speechless to express our gratitude. Respectfully submitted.
19.40
Petition Reverently Requesting His Majesty to Open a Lecture (with Imperial Reply)
19.41
Your subject Gang states: I have humbly observed that true suchness is beyond words, yet without a snare one cannot awaken; the supreme fruition does not respond of itself, but through focused yearning it communicates. Thus, only when a vessel possesses the condition of water does one see the reflection of the round sun; only when medicine contains the nature of growth can it receive the downpour of the cloud of wisdom's benevolence. We humbly contemplate that Your Majesty, residing in the imperial chambers of jade-mirror clarity, drives the golden wheel to govern the world. Manifesting traces in the conditioned realm, you stoop to preserve and benefit things. Never violating your original vow, you guide and illuminate the foolish and ignorant, urging the ten directions toward the Mahāyāna and guiding myriad states to benevolence and longevity. How could this merely be like cultivating fields and grain with merit equal to creation, or opening rivers and digging channels to shape all under heaven? Your wisdom surpasses nine Yaos, and your brilliance outshines ten Shuns. You have repeatedly moved your imperial carriage to send down the rain of amṛta; devas and humans dance with joy, and sentient beings receive benefit. Therefore, turning our backs to the worldly current we know to return; lost at the shore we recognize our destination. Since I have presumptuously had the privilege to hasten forward and hear, my thirsty yearning has been insatiable. One day I dared to present my sincere devotion, humbly hoping you would again turn the wheel of the Dharma. The grace of listening to the lowly has not yet turned back; the wish of this foolish subject has still been severed. With a sincere and humble heart, I dare once more to open my prayer. I humbly pray that you specially send forth the single voice and graciously grant our three requests, spreading the subtle words at Rājagṛha and gathering the sublime meaning at the jewel monastery. The sage mind regards sentient beings equally, just like an only son. To grant your subject's request is precisely to extend it universally without bound. If our request is granted, the hopes of the multitude will also be satisfied. How could carrying it on both shoulders be an adequate comparison? Unable to bear my humble wish, I respectfully present this matter for your examination. Respectfully submitted.
19.42
I have examined your petition and fully understand your sentiments. Since Dharma matters are virtuous, how could I not rejoice in them? But my inner and outer conditions are manifold; worries and toils are complex and tangled, leaving no leisure even for eating or resting. To discard affairs of state and discuss the Dao is something for which I have no spare time. What you are doing does not show understanding of the state. Imperial Edict.
19.43
Petition of Thanks for Condescending to Open the Lecture
19.44
Your subject Gang submits: With sincere devotion and earnest intent, your subject has repeatedly dared to approach the imperial screen, truly hoping that the rain of amṛta would descend and universally shower the three thousand [worlds]. The celestial hearing was exceedingly remote and had not yet condescended to grant it. How could the parched sprouts longing for moisture compare to this self-pity? How could the bird scorched by heat yearning for the forest equal this thirsty longing? Recently, through the Great Sangha Leader Huiling, I humbly dared to entreat again. An imperial edict has descended, condescending to permit the title of the golden-letter *Prajñā Sūtra* to be opened in the second month of the coming year. This extraordinary favor graciously answers my foolish request. Reverently listening with bows, I cannot contain my leaping joy. My body and mind are joyful, as if touched by the light of benevolence; my hands and feet dance, a demeanor unlike any other practice. I humbly observe that in the Fragrant City, the sublime exposition truly relies on the divine text; its moisture is comparable to clouds and rain, and its brightness exceeds the sun and moon. It can cause those on lost paths to recognize the correct way, and the great dream to break into dawn. Non-Buddhists arrive in awe, and deva-māras pay homage from afar. What Devadatta heard, we are now able to hear; what Sadāprarudita sought now reappears in this rare era. Its benefit is profound and boundless; the nine regions attain awakening, and the ten directions receive illumination. Even though consciousness arises from the initial flow and the mind exhausts the subsequent thought, we shall soon together abandon the five hindrances and jointly illuminate the single emptiness. Lofty and vast, it is difficult to find an analogy for it. Your subject will further invite Huiling to continue expounding this scripture. That the Mahāyāna is universally guided is truly due to the sage's benevolence. Prostrating my brush to exhaust my words, how could I adequately express my gratitude? Unable to bear my humble feelings, I respectfully submit this matter in thanksgiving. Respectfully submitted.
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Linked texts (1)
- 廣弘明集 — Classical Chinese