廣弘明集 23.11

23.11

On a certain day of the fifth month in the seventh year of the Yixi reign of the Jin dynasty, the man of the Dao Zhi Tandi passed away at the age of sixty-five. Alas! How tragic! The Dharma Master traced his origin to the Western Regions, originally born in Kangju. Deriving his clan name from his country, after respectfully receiving the instructions of his teacher, he took the Dharma surname Zhi. He moved to Qianqiu Hamlet, Duxiang, Wucheng County, Wuxing Commandery. Endowed with the unyielding qi of the autumn element and relying on the harmonious measure of yang nurturance, he was born an outstanding figure of a distant land, harmonizing with rivers and peaks to receive spiritual essence. His discernment was deep and pure, his demeanor luminous and solemn. The Dao was manifested in his heavenly-allotted lifespan, and his virtuous model shone in his plain vessel. His chaste awakening stood alone; varied heterodoxies could not stir his mind. His utmost sincerity was deep and steadfast; multiple disputations could not shake his resolve. Thus transcending the dust and reaching supreme attainments, the intentions of wisdom emerged in his youthful years. Investigating the subtle and delighting in the profound, his illumination of the Dao shone in his late years. Therefore he could stir the spiritual breeze in this divine realm and disseminate the wondrous transformation in these latter days. Continuing the purity of past sages, he brought harmony to both clergy and laity, who turned their hearts to him. Traveling through various regions, he spread the great undertaking; marvelously probing hidden subtleties, his pure conversation analyzed the profound. In addition, he was skilled in literary composition, and his discerning appreciation was widely recognized, so he harmonized with superior manners and stood out as the foremost of his time. In his middle years, he lamented that it was difficult to maintain seclusion near the city as his principle; moreover, his love of mountains and waters was naturally inclined toward the spontaneous, and his stillness outside worldly affairs was realized from his heavenly mind. Thereupon he renounced worldly ties and withdrew his traces to the crags and ravines, establishing a dwelling at Kun Mountain in Guzhang of Wuxing Commandery. Savoring the Dao and exalting transformation for more than twenty years, what he propagated through his secluded practice was capable of cleansing the mind and purging selfishness; the beauty of his words and forms was sufficient to exhaust inspiration and prolong life. Thereupon those longing for the school and returning to benevolence gathered from all directions; those admiring his breeze and harboring his aims came from afar to knock at his ford. At that time, eminent heroes of the day often invited him to vegetarian feasts and lectures. The master responded to things with an open mind, never troubling his thoughts with activity or rest; he expounded doctrines with complete sincerity, never treating clergy and laity differently. His virtue of embracing the One was also extolled near and far. Just as he was about to sweep the profound path, bind the collapsing customs, scale the wondrous ladder beyond, and emulate profound traces, alas, his life was not long, and falling ill, he passed away. Those of understanding feel deep pain at his passing; all people harbor grief at the loss of the good. Being noble without rank, honored in life and mourned in death—this indeed applies to him! Although the ultimate principle is mysteriously one, and existence and non-existence are fixed before bodily form begins; although profound discernment marvelously illumines that the bodily vessel is equal to rotting soil; nevertheless, for one whose feelings fall short within the realm of joy and sorrow, and whose mind of separation and meeting has not yet been extinguished, how could one not take loss and gain as grief and joy, or stand at the long parting with a sorrowful heart? If the dark stillness is difficult to embody, we entrust the brush to cherish his breeze, lifting the supple tip to unfold our feelings and spreading his clear radiance without end. Thereupon I compose this eulogy: