廣弘明集 29
English (machine translation) 29
- Language
- English
29.1
Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoxuan of Ximing Monastery of the Great Tang
29.2
As for 'Expanded Propagation and Clarification', this means propagating and protecting the net of the Dharma and enlightening sentient beings. From the preceding nine sections, laid out according to their times and weighing the rational principles, the conditions are quite comprehensive. However, regarding where the will directs itself, this has not yet been observed in detail. If songs of praise are not displayed, where could they be anchored? Therefore, I have arranged this next to serve as an earnest mirror for near and far. Moreover, when the Dharma King ruled the world, songs and eulogies marked the very beginning; Brahmā kings, heavenly lords, śrāvakas, and bodhisattvas all made use of verses and praises to express their deep sincerity. There is no sūtra that lacks them, making them manifest to sight and hearing. The rulers and ministers of the Eastern Xia did not stray from this path when making comparisons; the virtues of emperors and the beauties of the state were all praised in this manner. That by which one expresses nature and emotion and unites what is scattered and disordered lies precisely here. Yet since the Jin and Song dynasties, among the several hundred collections of various authors who believed in and revered the Buddhist gate, all presented verses and summaries; but when it comes to gathering and collecting them, not one in a hundred remains. I now briefly list several items to present for wide viewing.
29.3
Liang Dynasty Hongming ji, Contents of the Section on Unified Convergence:
Shi Sengyou: Treatise on Clarifying and Propagating [the Dharma];
Shi Zhijing: Denunciation of Māra;
Shi Baolin: Public Proclamation on Defeating Māra.
29.4
Tang Dynasty Guang hongming ji, Section 10: Unified Convergence, Part One
29.5
Rhapsody on Pure Karma by Emperor Gaozu of the Liang;
Rhapsody on Filial Thoughts by Emperor Gaozu of the Liang;
Rhapsody on Visiting the Seven Mountain Monasteries by Emperor Xuan of the Liang;
Rhapsody on Staying Overnight at a Mountain Monastery by Wang Xi of the Liang;
Rhapsody on the Deer Park by Gao Yun of the Wei;
Rhapsody on the Mahāyāna by Li Yong of the Wei;
Rhapsody on Elucidating the Profound by Shi Huiming of Xiancheng of the Liang;
Rhapsody on Lecturing in the Garden of Mysterious Cultivation by Xiao Ziyun of the Liang;
Rhapsody on a Dream by Shi Zhenguan;
Rhapsody on Mourning a Young Son by Jiang Yan of the Liang;
Treatise on Non-Action;
Imperial Edict and Letter of Denunciation on Smiting Māra (with Māra's Reply);
Memorial on the Public Proclamation Pacifying the Mind (by Śramaṇa Xingyou of Pujiu Monastery in Puzhou of the Tang).
29.6
Rhapsody on Pure Karma (with preface)
29.7
Emperor Wu of the Liang
29.8
In my youth I loved mountains and rivers and harbored fond thoughts of hills and valleys, but constrained by worldly snares I was unable to fulfill my intent. It diverged from the conduct of solitude and went against my wish for carefree abandon. Consequently, I entered official service to attend to royal affairs. Meeting with a time fraught with troubles, the ways of the world were obstructed and fraught with hardship. Engaged in military campaigns, there was scarcely a peaceful year. Above, the governance was dark and tyrannical; below, vile scoundrels were treacherous and rebellious. The way of the gentleman waned, and the way of the petty person waxed. The likes of Yuli Yingchi, Mei Chong'er, Ru Fazhen, Yu Lingyun, and Feng Yongzhi were what Master Zhi called "those whose heads are worn in chaos." Master Zhi was the śramaṇa Baozhi. His appearance and clothing were unpredictable, and his manifestations were without fixed form. At that time, petty men suspected his divine marvels and detained him in the outer quarters of Hualin Park. The master was also indignant, saying: "Heads worn in chaos! Heads worn in chaos!" Each took hold of the levers of power, and every person issued orders. Influence and favor were dispensed at will; life and death hung upon their words. Loyal and good men suffered massacre and beheading; meritorious ministers underwent execution without guilt. Their dress and colors were uniform, yet they galloped in different directions; all styled themselves the emperor's masters, each declaring himself supreme. Employing their deceits, they confused and disturbed the minds of the multitude. In their comings and goings on excursions of pleasure, they forgot dawn and dusk; in clearing the capital city, day and night were not spared. Those gasping their last breath expired by the roadside, their sons having no time to weep; those near full term gave birth along the paths, their mothers having no time to embrace them. The common people trembled as though their very horns were crumbling. The King Xuanwu of Changsha had great merit in the state, yet instead of receiving righteous recompense, a cruel disaster suddenly befell him, and even his younger brothers and nephews suffered that calamity. Thereupon, six or seven light emissaries including Huan Shen and Du Bofu were dispatched to Yongzhou to approach the various military leaders and plot harm against me. Because the hearts of the multitude were not with them, the plot did not succeed. Later they dispatched Liu Shanyang, openly intending to take me with valiant warriors fierce as tigers and bears, and sharp armor and weapons. [Against one's] sovereign and parent there is no contention; I was on the verge of binding myself to await execution. Yet this violence stemmed from petty minions. One fears being crushed and drowned, two of the three deaths not to be pitied—how much more so from treacherous scoundrels? To go quietly to death would make one the laughingstock of all under heaven. Shortly after, when Shanyang reached Jingzhou, he was seized by Xiao Yingzhou, who at once sent horse post-couriers along the post-roads to Yongzhou. Thereupon, I made a resounding declaration, raising the banners and erecting the standards. The four quarters were of one mind, answering like an echo to a sound. In the first month of the second year of the Yongyuan reign of Qi, we set out from Xiangyang. The righteous and brave gathered like clouds; our warships shadowed the Han River. Cao Zong, the governor of Jingling, and Yin Chang, commander of the cavalry, each led horse and foot along both banks to welcome us. The waves flowed against the current for forty li, stopping only when they reached the vessel I rode. A pair of white fish leapt into the boat's prow—an omen righteous as that at Mengjin, an event tallying with unseen response. Clouds stirred and heaven moved; thunder roared and the wind sped. Yingcheng was captured; Jiangzhou submitted. The armored troops at Gushu dispersed upon catching wind of us; the lay practitioner Li at Xinting bowed his head and surrendered. Once the solitary tyrant was removed, the myriad people breathed again. Thereupon I wished to return my intent to the gardens and forests, abandoning myself to the marshes and fields. Yet below I was pressed by the people's will, and above I stood in awe of Heaven's mandate. With matters having no other recourse, I succeeded to the Great Treasure. As if approaching a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice, I still wished to abdicate the throne to await one who was capable. Had I yielded, things would surely have collapsed once more like a scattered shoal of fish, not merely leading to my death and disgrace, but also burdening both the unseen and the manifest. Thereupon I made a poem: / Day and night I constantly ponder, / Cycling through thoughts until exhausted. / Following it to the end, one might attain detachment; / But with detachment, it surely cannot be sustained. / Backing the imperial screen and presiding over court, wearing the beaded crown over the four seas, / from early dawn diligent and striving, into the dusk vigilant as if facing peril. / Guiding six horses with rotten reins / is no comparison for this. Commentators of the world compare me to Tang and Wu. Yet I cannot be compared to Tang and Wu, nor can Tang and Wu be compared to me. Tang and Wu were sages, whereas I am an ordinary person; in this, I cannot be compared to Tang and Wu. Furthermore, the duty between ruler and minister was not yet broken for Tang and Wu when the events of Nanchao and the white flags occurred; whereas for me, the duty between ruler and minister was already severed, after which I swept away the solitary tyrant to rid the world of affliction. By these two accounts, we cannot be compared. When I was a commoner, I knew only propriety and righteousness and knew nothing of faith and refuge. I slaughtered sentient beings to entertain guests, eating meat according to whatever was served, knowing not the taste of vegetables. When I came to face south and possess the wealth of the realm, rare delicacies from distant lands were presented in unbroken succession, and there was no singular dish from within the seas that was not brought. Platters ten feet square filled the space before me; the hundred flavors brimmed upon the sacrifice tables. Yet just as I was about to eat, I would lay down my chopsticks and weep facing the table, lamenting that I could not provide this nourishing warmth and morning-and-evening care to my parents. How could my heart alone find sweetness in such meals? Because of this, I took to a vegetarian diet and did not consume fish or meat. Although I practiced this internally, I did not let it be known outside. As for banqueting the ministers, the delicacies were served as usual. Not yet accustomed to a vegetable diet, my body became excessively yellow and emaciated. Only then did some in the court gradually come to know of it. Xie Fei, Kong Yanying, and others repeatedly urged me to give up the vegetarian diet; their loyalty was supreme, yet they did not understand my heart. I thought to myself: possessing the realm was originally not my lifelong wish. Du Shu once said, "Cutting open my heart and throwing it to the ground, it is merely a few pieces of flesh." I rely on the perceptive gentleman to understand my original intention. Who knows that I do not covet the realm? I must simply practice what others cannot practice, so that the realm may know my heart. I also ceased sexual relations, no longer dwelling in the same room with concubines and attendants, for over forty years now. At that time, my four limbs were slightly unwell, and I asked the Imperial Medical Bureau masters Liu Chengzhi and Yao Puti about the cause of the illness. Liu Chengzhi said, "I know it is caused by an excess of eating and drinking." I replied to Liu Chengzhi, "When I was a commoner, I indulged my mouth in rich and fatty foods." Liu Chengzhi said, "How could the food that Your Majesty ate in former days match the food of today?" Yao Puti smiled and shook his head, saying, "Only I know: Your Majesty's sexual relations are excessive, and that is why you have reached this state." At that time, I had long ceased eating fish and meat, and had also severed sexual relations. Because their knowledge was not like that of He and Huan, and their skill lacked that of Bian Que and Hua Tuo, I remained silent and did not interrogate them further. Still, I let them treat it. Liu Chengzhi prescribed wine; Yao Puti prescribed pills. After taking them, the illness grew ever more severe. Because they knew nothing, I took no more of their medicines. Consequently, whenever I had an illness, I always devised my own prescriptions and took no medicine from doctors, also for over forty years now. Originally, I was not vigorous in practice. Yet having ceased to eat sentient beings, there is no further killing; this obstruction being removed, and having ceased sexual relations, there is no further obstruction of desire and aversion. With these two obstructions removed, the mental consciousness gradually grew clear, and upon reading internal and external scriptures, I immediately understood and was awakened. From that time on, I began to know where to take refuge. The Liji states: "That a person is calm at birth is the nature of Heaven. Stirred by things and moving, this is the desire of one's nature." When there is movement, the mind is defiled; when there is calm, the mind is pure. Once external movements cease, the internal mind is also illumined. Only then did I awaken to myself, and from nowhere could troubles and entanglements arise. Thereupon I composed this "Rhapsody on Pure Karma."
29.9
Contemplating the innate nature of human life: / Holding subtle pneuma, it is limpid and still. / Stirred by external things, desires are aroused; / The mind clings to conditions, bringing about defects. / Faults constantly arise from external dusts; / Entanglements inevitably stem from the scenes before us. / Like an echo answering in an empty valley, / Or a shadow accompanying a moving form. / Harboring greed without satiation, / Giving rein to inner thoughts to run wild. / The eyes change in accordance with form; / The gaze shifts as it pursues appearances. / Viewing the dark and yellow among the five colors, / Admiring the dazzling variety of the seven treasures. / Clinging to the grace of beauty, / Indulging in the seductive allure of charms. / Unrelinquished in sleep and waking, / Forgetting weariness day and night. / Like ripe plums awaiting the picking, / Or a swift steed bridled by reins; / Like the white sun adhering to the sky, / Never waning through the years. / Consider the ear-consciousness loving sounds: / It is like flying birds returning to the forest. / Lingering upon strings and bamboo pipes, / Gathering richly amid the five notes; / Continuing unbroken through dawn and dark, / Succeeding one another across the four seasons. / It troubles the feelings and confuses the thoughts, / Deceiving the ears and blocking the mind. / As when fragrant odors rise in abundance, / Striking the nose and generating consciousness: / Tarrying and pursuing, / Swirling without end; / Orchid and musk flank like a bird's two wings, / Yet it is like drinking poison when thirsty, or donning thorns when cold. / As for the tongue discerning flavors, nonexistent among the objects: / Great bitterness, saltiness, and sourness—all are sweet to the mouth. / Devouring living beings, / Cruelty extends to birds and beasts. / Finding the day too short, they drink wine through the long night; / Confounding clear conduct, they heed not hidden retributions. / As for the body receiving tactile sensations to appease itself: / Beautiful eyes and bright glances, skillful smiles and moth-like eyebrows; / Slender waists and delicate hands, tender bones and pliant flesh; / Clinging to the body, fragrant and clean, touching the flesh, smooth as fat. / The wild mind is confused, / Inverted thoughts deceive itself. / As for the mental consciousness clinging to conditions: / Stray thoughts are boundless; / Harboring no wholesome thoughts, / All arise as snares of evil. / Thus the six dusts together obstruct the wholesome path, / Like purple usurping vermilion, or wind laying low the grass. / Born embracing delusion, one grows old alongside it; / Following behind ignorance, there is nothing that is not affliction. / Reincarnating in the burning house, sinking in the ocean of suffering; / Clinging stubbornly through the long night, ultimately unable to change. / Misfortunes follow one another; calamities and anomalies arise by turns. / Harboring heterodox beliefs within, indulging in licentious sacrifices without; / Squandering emptiness and taking lives wrongfully, meeting with sudden and violent death. / Falsely expecting divine blessing to summon fortune; / But when the axle of the front cart breaks, the rear carriage overturns in its tracks. / Bringing disaster to the state, bringing ruin to the clan, losing one's life and cutting off sacrifices— / Never at first reproaching oneself within, examining one's conduct and reflecting upon oneself. / August Heaven has no favorites; it only accords with the good. / Outwardly purifying the sensory realms of the eye, inwardly cleansing the dust of the mind: / Unstained and ungrasping, without desire and without anger. / Like jade possessing lustre, like bamboo having skin; / Like the lotus in the pond, / Like the fragrant orchid born in spring: / Silt cannot defile its body, / Deep darkness cannot conceal its truth. / When mists and dew gather, pearls flow; / When the bright wind stirs, fragrance arises. / Doing much good as the years accumulate, / Clear conduct in action renews day by day. / Constantly accompanying virtue, / Ever neighboring the Way. / Seeing the beloved fruit of pure karma, / Taking non-killing as the cause; / Free from desire and evil, cultivating oneself, / Hence there is no hindrance to the spiritual nature. / Troubles and burdens removed, obstacles and hindrances purified; / Like water long settled, like a mirror newly polished. / Outwardly reflecting myriad images, inwardly discerning all afflictions. / Once adventitious defilements are removed, one returns to one's own nature. / Severed forever from the three wretched paths, the eight difficulties eternally destroyed. / Supreme goodness having been cultivated, wholesome deeds without flaw. / The single pure path has no divergent track. / Only the wise person can bare his heart, / Like a stone cast into water, meeting no resistance in the mind. / The mind is clear and cool as ice; / The will is bright and pure as snow. / Entanglements having been removed, / Worries and fears likewise destroyed. / Parting forever from attachment and affection, / Looking upon birth and death in eternal farewell. / Viewing the unrestrained youths of the present, / Contemplating the brilliant children of the future: / Harboring the jade of Chu before it is cleaved, / Containing the divine vessel within oneself. / Cultivating holy deeds without cease, / Truly accumulating goodness without end. / Spreading glorious renown for eternal kalpas, / Bequeathing a pure breeze to ten thousand generations. / Is it by subduing the strong that one is called brave? / It is by the Way triumphing that one becomes a hero.
29.10
"Rhapsody on Filial Thoughts"
29.11
Emperor Gaozu of Liang (Commentary by Liu Zhilin, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, mostly omitted)
29.12
Conceptions arise conditioned by feelings, and feelings arise conditioned by conceptions; that kinds of things resonate with each other is indeed naturally so. Whenever I read the *Biographies of Filial Sons*, I never fail to lay down the scroll, cease reading, beat my breast in sorrow and regret, and sob aloud. Before I had lost my baby teeth, within the household I lost my mother upon whom I relied; my lingering breath tottered along, and foster-nurses raised me. When my years had passed twenty, outside the household I lost the father upon whom I depended. Bound by my official duties in Jingman, I was forced to neglect attending him morning and evening. The journey along the Yangzi was distant and far-off, and from home there came no definite news. Vague rumors on the road said that my late father was unwell in body. By day I abandoned food, and by night I went without sleep; my heart was troubled and distraught, with nowhere to shelter my body. Thereupon I submitted my resignation, resigned my post, and took to the road home. At that time, Prince Zilong of Suijun in the Qi dynasty, who was pacifying and governing Shaanxi, sent repeated and urgent messages commanding me to stay for one night, so that he could go out early the next morning to the river ferry to bid me farewell. But with my heart in such pressing dread, I could not obey his command. I was only able to secure a small boat and set out by the light of the stars. Braving the wind and waves by night, I had no leisure for rest. On the way, pausing at Dingling, the boat was further wrecked and damaged. At that time my retainer Zhou Zhonglian was garrison commander at Quetou; through him I was able to borrow a vessel and traveled day and night, repeatedly braving dangers, barely managing to cross. When I finally reached my destination, he was already gone beyond reach. My five viscera felt torn asunder, my liver and heart shattered to pieces. I wished then to withdraw myself below the mountains and conclude my days by the burial mound. But my eldest brother took pity on me and would not permit me to go alone. Soon after, wily northern invaders raided the borders. The court, knowing that my late father's lingering love was bound to the people, and that all remembered the past such that his former retainers still numbered several thousand, had general Wu Qingzong command them and remain in defense. An edict was then issued ordering me to defend Shouchun; the affairs of the king permitted no slackening, and my requests to decline could not be granted. The regional inspector Cui Huijing harbored treacherous intentions; he recruited fugitives from afar and gathered many lawless villains. Great knaves and vicious scoundrels gathered like clouds, including the likes of Peng Pen and Han Yuansun, too numerous to count. Marching at double speed like lightning, they arrived abruptly at the Huai and Fei rivers. The vicious mob became suspicious and alarmed, leading each other into flight and dispersal. Commanders of the central court's army such as Xu Xuanqing and Fang Boyu wished to launch a surprise attack on Huijing, but I firmly restrained them, and only then was conflict averted. That year, while the Qi Emperor Ming was serving as chancellor and deliberation remained unsettled, I secretly dispatched a memorial urging him to summon Huijing: if summoned with a simple slip of paper, he would surely not disobey or resist, and by then sending him back again, his mind would be reassured. Once the rogue leader departed, along the borders there was nothing to fear. Within ten days to a month, Huijing returned to his post. Thereupon I laid down my armor and returned to the capital. Driven onwards like this, I was unable to halt or rest. The allotted time met with great calamities, and the hour coincided with thunderous upheaval. Dispelling chaos and restoring right governance, I ultimately came to possess all within the four seas. I recall when Zilu met Kong Qiu and said: 'When You served his two parents, he constantly ate food of goosefoot and pigweed, and carried rice on his back from over a hundred li away for his parents. After his parents passed away, he traveled south to Chu, with a hundred carriages following him and ten thousand zhong of grain accumulated, sitting upon layered mats and dining before rows of cauldrons. Yet when he wished to eat food of goosefoot and pigweed and carry rice on his back for his parents, it could never be had again.' Whenever I am moved by these words, though alive I seem dead. How can the kindness of parents ever be repaid? Their compassion is like the rivers and seas; my filial piety is like a drop of dust. Today, being the lord of all under heaven, I am yet too late to make offerings to them. It is like having the seven treasures in a year of famine: when hungry one cannot eat them, and when cold one cannot wear them. Wailing aloud in eternal yearning, how can my sorrowful longing be dispelled? Thereupon, at the foot of Mount Zhong I founded the Grand Aijing Monastery, and by the side of Qingxi I constructed the Grand Zhiduo Monastery, to express my boundless feelings and fulfill my longing for those who have passed away. Still unable to banish the grief of the *Liao'e* ode, I further erected the Hall of Utmost Reverence within the palace, exhausting the skill of artisans and using every wonder of the worldly realm. Streams and stones wind and flow, and fragrant trees cluster thick. Yet constrained by state affairs, I also cannot attend their meals morning and evening; only on the new and full moons can I personally present offerings and libations. Though I am able to present rare delicacies, there is none to look up to. Within, my heart collapses, burning and scorching. With my feelings so keen within, the matter finds expression in words, and so I have composed this 'Rhapsody on Filial Thoughts'.
29.13
Moved by the shifting of the four seasons, / I behold the transformation and maturation of the ten thousand things. / Receiving the harmony of Heaven, their destinies differ; / Endowed with the virtue of Earth, their flourishing is equal. / I observe the midges on the mosquito’s eyebrows, / And gaze upon the Leviathan and Roc in the northern sea. / All possess consciousness, yet their perspectives differ; / Together they possess form, yet their shapes are diverse. / Though the ten thousand kinds are so numerous, / Only humanity is the most spiritual. / Rites and righteousness distinguish them from flying and running beasts; / Speech and words differentiate them from parrots and apes. / Pondering the swiftness of [a white steed] passing a crevice, / I grieve over the flowing river that never ceases. / Treading upon frost and dew, I am struck with sorrow; / Cherishing [memories of] fire and grain, my tears fall. / Concealing this grief, it does not depart; / Nor is there a day I do not pine. / Zhongyou thought of the dried fish and yearned forever; / Qiuwu was moved by the wind-blown trees and grieved perpetually. / Though one may reach the utmost and lay down one's life, / When can one ever serve one's two parents again? / Thoughts are born of feelings; / Feelings arise from thoughts. / Channeling the source of feelings to flow and pour down, / Guiding the thinking mind without end. / Having harbored sorrow throughout life, / One bears grief to one's dying day. / Constantly dwelling in leisure to ponder forever, / Alone I beat my breast and lament myself. / In vain I climb the wooded hill with nothing to see; / Fruitlessly I ascend the bare hill—toward what can I look? / Tears flow crisscross and mingle together; / Blood wells up boiling and stains my garments. / Examining the righteousness of Earth, I blame myself, / Fearing that destroying one's nature violates proper norms. / Looking up to the Supreme Ultimate in lingering thoughts, / I proclaim my grief to the azure heavens. / Hoping that August Heaven might be moved, / How vast and uncertain is the recompense! / At dawn my heart shatters in a hundred pieces at the palace gates; / At night my innards are severed ten thousand times within. / Mind connects to mind in succession; / Thought follows thought without end. / In the morning I sit alone, wrapped in knots; / In the evening I dwell alone, pacing in distress. / Breath choked with sorrow as if gagging; / Thoughts accumulated in the heart as if mad. / When the new year shines its radiance / And the spring sun waxes warm, / Trees scatter a hundred blooms and herbs line up numerous fragrances; / Confronted with this joyful season, I have no happiness, / But am touched to grief by all my eyes meet. / The vermilion brightness opens the season, and the white sun shines in the morning; / Trees hang low with sweet fruit, and branches offer cool shade. / No joy enters my breast, / Only boundless sorrow entangles my heart. / The reeds are lush and green, the white dew turns to frost; / Cool air penetrates the garments, a chilling wind stirs the clothes. / With no diversion, the heart is pained of itself; / Without being provoked, feelings are wounded alone. / When cold ice has formed and cold branches have snapped, / Yellow leaves fly in the forest and white snow piles upon the mountains. / The traveling geese cry out in mournful sorrow; / The north wind blows and roars with fury. / Whatever meets the eye is shattered; / The heart is severed with every emotion. / Not for a single breath is the pining eased; / Through all four seasons it remains perpetually keen. / Years slip away swiftly, never to return; / Time flashes like lightning in the blink of an eye. / Remembering the loving countenance of the past, / I grieve that it can never be seen again. / Pained that their nurturing has received no recompense, / Looking back, there is not even a shred of repayment. / Sorrow and regret arise together; / Tears mingled with blood fall like sleet. / Swallows fly unevenly in the green spring; / Wild geese soar in the pale autumn. / Departures and arrivals mark the seasonal changes; / Flying and crying answer yin and yang. / Why is it not so with me, / In disharmony with the two cosmic forces? / Constantly enduring cruelty in endless cycles, / Passing through days and nights without forgetting. / Looking at red, it turns to green; / Seeing white, it appears yellow. / Nature and feelings are disturbed and overturned; / Spirit and thoughts are muddled and bewildered. / Thinking of the crying crane, my soul is severed; / Hearing the orphaned chick, my heart dies. / Wailing to the end of my days without a father to depend on; / Crying out all my life without a mother to rely on. / Look upon Ridi of the Xiutu: / How could moral instruction have reached him? / Yet seeing the portrait at Ganquan, / He would bow down and weep each time. / Suddenly stirred at heart with unease, / He hurried into the imperial palace to attend the Emperor; / When Heluo rose in rebellion, / He seized him and threw him upon the zither. / Surpassing the name of ordinary royal ministers, / He stood foremost in sincerity and courage, a peerless man. / There are many ways to conduct oneself: / Consider how Shi Tuo showed adaptability; / Though he died, his fame spread far, / Fulfilling both loyalty and filial piety. / Look at Ding Lan, what manner of man was he? / His home was at Yewang in Henei. / Just when he reached the age of fifteen, / Barely a youth, his parents passed away. / He carved a wooden mother to serve, / Constantly attending her morning and night. / Liu Zhen had no leisure while caring for his mother; / Constantly drawing water from afar, his strength was meager. / His bitter devotion moved the unseen spirits, / And a sweet spring welled up beneath the hearth. / Look upon Linxiang in Changsha, / Where Dao Shi of the Gu family lived; / When his father died and was not yet buried, / A neighbor's fire suddenly broke out; / He threw himself over the coffin and wailed aloud, / A sudden rain arrived, and the fire died down. / And so too was He Qi: / Alone, the coffin room remained intact. / As for Wang Xiang, a yellow sparrow entered his curtain; / With Kui Tong, a crosswise stone sprang up on its own. / Sheng Yan opened his mother's eyes; / Xing Qu made teeth grow in his father's mouth. / Reviewing such matters, they are very numerous, / And difficult to record in full. / The spiritual serpent held a pearl in its mouth to repay virtue; / The filial crow feeds its parents in return to repay its kin. / Even among insects and birds it is so; / How much more for human beings among the Three Powers! / The root of governance returns to the three greats; / The people's lives are exhausted in the five filial duties. / Placed between Heaven and Earth, virtue overflows; / Extending across the four seas, it is never exhausted. / To walk this path yet fail to practice it— / Alas, what then did the school of Confucius teach?
29.14
Rhapsody on Visiting the Seven Mountain Monasteries
29.15
Emperor Xuan of the Liang
29.16
How vast and desolate are these mountains and streams! At a time when the sky was high and the air was still, the path leisurely, expansive, clear, and splendid, the place sequestered in seclusion and towering remarkably, exhausting the ultimate excellence west of the Zhe River and reaching the consummate scenery under heaven, following the seasonal mood, I mounted and crossed, lingering awhile to ride and gallop. Fully pursuing the refined delight of ascending and overlooking, I took joy in the temporary banishment of clamour and noise. Consequently, with linked bridles and yoked teams of four, side-by-side canopies and abreast boats, ten thousand steeds marshalled together and a thousand oars vied to float. All were the extraordinary talents of the southeast, like the gems and jades of Yu's Cave. In varying ranks their companions assembled, strolling and leisurely joining their peers. In the lanes there were no harnessed horses left behind, and on the roads few abandoned carriage-poles. Exhaustively roaming and touring all about, they gave full rein to amusement and wandered freely. Thereupon, emerging sideways along the woods, light skiffs drifted upstream, passing the former paths of the King of Qin and tracing the ancient roads of Yue Lake. Looking toward Mount Tu, they wound slantwise around it, crossing back across the South Lake. Linked to the splendid ridges of Tiantai, leading into the long-flowing streams of Ruoye, now floating and drifting to gaze into the distance, now scaling peaks to glance back once. Thereupon, passing Happy Grove, they ascended southward, climbing Fahua to gaze west. There were rushing torrents noisily clamouring, and further, meandering long brooks, both limpid and bright as a mirror, through which one could see to the bottom without silt. The tracks were precipitous and steep, climbing upward like a ladder. They clutched creepers and hauled up vines, relying also on companions to pull one another along. Exhausting the coils of the sheep's intestines path, reaching the crests and valleys of the Horse Ridges, the mist was murky and vast, and the wind blew gustily and chill. Looking at the vast river, it seemed like a sash; viewing the great sea, it was like a jade sceptre. Holding jade and silk at this place, they assembled the feudal lords and held an audit. Imagining the flourishing branches of the dredged river, recalling the bewilderment over the giant bones, they passed down great excellence to this peak and spread enduring models to the common people. Having thus viewed the ancient traces of past worthies, admiring the lingering customs of their lofty nobility, they trod the overgrown weeds of the thoroughfares and pushed through dense underbrush and thick weeds. The famed peaks stood majestically and loomed, while the steep valleys were deep, distant, and hollow. The spring groves were azure-tinted and all jade-green, and the autumn pools were clear as the open void. Linked together in succession, they were also densely crowded without end. Truly a resting place for the brilliant and extraordinary, in truth an exalted dwelling where flocks gather to alight. Beside the high crests monasteries were built, and girding the ridges palaces were formed. Spirits and deities by turns became subtly manifest; immortals and sages mutually consorted. Over the crags mist drifted and vapor arose; trees spread out, branching into thickets. Auspicious flowers grew before and behind them, and fine grasses were planted to their west and east. One viewed the dazzling vermilion doors and gazed upon the exquisite jeweled halls, resembling the monastery of the Great Forest, equalling the multi-storied lecture hall. Both airy and dry were the meditation chambers, spacious and open were the splendid rooms. Straddling the winding brook to make rooms, encircling the twisting ridges to build walls. Evening clouds arose from windows and casements, and the morning sun shone upon eaves and beams. Indeed, adapting to crevices and turns they attained beauty, illuminated by the sunlight and shedding radiance. The melodic cadence of pure Sanskrit chanting flowed, and the clanging resonance of mallet and chiming stone sounded. The architecture was intricate, splendid beyond measure, pure streams winding around on four sides and discharging long spouts, winding corridors and gates alongside steep terraced moats. Water-mills matched those of the Golden Valley; soaring pavilions resembled those of Jianzhang Palace. As for their assembly of followers, now wandering, now staying, some were worthy, some were holy. All had their hearts set on dhūta practices, all diligent in ascetic penance. Striving against dozing, they chanted and recited; all arose early in reverent devotion. Recognizing the swift flow of suffering and emptiness, begrudging the racing rush of morning shadows, they retired into deep caves to attain mastery of learning, or hid in secluded wilderness to cultivate rectitude. Some burned their bodies as a spiritual achievement, and some turned their bodies to ash to enter samādhi. Perfumed with dense clouds of famed incense, all flew their staffs, reflecting one another. Some brandished fly-whisks in lofty discourse; some dwelt at leisure, seated listening. The meditation monks seemed like lacquered wood; the men of wisdom were like suspended mirrors. This was truly the flourishing of the Śākya teaching, the majestic proclamation of the Wheel of Dharma. As the monasteries were built relying on the mountains, so the mountains numbered seven on account of the monasteries. It is indeed where auspicious clouds arrive, and where remarkable scholars emerge: it yields the lingering brook of the dragon swords, and traverses the remnant arts of the deer-table. Welcoming the arriving phoenix leisurely and at ease, the winds of Zheng turned back desolate and chill. There were both ripples of pure brooks and surging overflow of cascading waterfalls. Remarkable trees flourished into groves, and rare fruits blossomed in many varieties. Planted were the twin pomegranates of the mountains and seas; sown were the two tangerines of Danlu. Plum blossoms were dazzling as frost; yellow oranges emerged bright as the sun, blooming brilliantly in summer and hanging heavy with fruit in winter. The mountains abounded in precious curiosities, and the earth yielded fine gems. Gold and jade were produced on their sunny slopes; fu-stone came forth from their shady sides. Spiritual columns stood solitary and steep; immortal targets shone white and solitary above. Who knows whether the year will be rich or barren? Seeing their darkness or whiteness, all is verified. Inscribed stones recorded the virtue of the Qin; opening maps brought understanding of the mind of Yu. Overhanging cliffs measured a hundred fathoms, their straight trunks rising a thousand cubits. Lofty and expansive, towering and rugged! The trees were tall and soaring, the crags steep; the springs flowed violently, and the water was deep. Looking up, the view grew more indistinct; gazing sideways, one saw their solemn depths. Vast and boundless, distant and without edge! Faraway mountains rose jaggedly in between; nearby trees towered close together. Crags seemed about to collapse yet had not fallen; peaks entered the Milky Way yet still hung suspended. Viewed in unbroken succession, they eclipsed the sun; seen in bewildering breadth, they met the sky. There was the wondrous shape of the Stone Sail, resembling the flying torrent of a waterfall. Encountering the crags, it gathered mists; touching the stones, it turned into smoke. Rising majestically and casting shade, it was also towering and stretching unbroken. Girding the rivers and seas afar, it bordered villages and fields nearby. Looking back, it overlooked towns and cities; glancing aside, it surveyed markets and lanes. Known as the guardian ridges of the Divine Land, they are truly the famed waterways under heaven. As for Penglai, it is trodden by holy traces; the peaks of Wu are marked by immortals; Mount Heng is heard of in the Xia Tributes; Mount Song is weighted in the Zhou odes. How could they compare in beauty, how could they equal this loveliness? Furthermore, there is an extraordinary, divine well, clear and calm for ten thousand years. Drawn from, it does not empty; replenished, it does not brim over. Though frequently roiled, it is never turbid; though repeatedly stirred, it remains clear in the end. Passing through deep winter, it is warm and mild; enduring sweltering heat, it is crisp and cool. Different from the flying fire of Chengdu, how could it be merely the display of sincerity at Shule? Matching the sweet spring in dispelling disease, equalling the Zi River in reflecting form. There are also the Daoist master of the Isolated Pool and Lady Jiaoli, dwelling alone to savour the Dao, severed in silence from friends and guests. Feeding on rosy clouds throughout long days, sitting quietly for a thousand springs, on the thoroughfares there are no footprints, and the roads grow thorns and brambles. Both toiling diligently toward the Dao and aloof and carefree, forgetting the dust of the world, now wandering at ease and chanting poems, now clasping their knees and reciting at length. Matching Master Dong in transmitting prophecies, learning Master Liang's illuminating admonitions, they keep company with Song and Qiao, and grow intimate with Yan and Wei. The groves and thickets are deeply dense; winged tribes vie to return. Apes link arms to drink below; birds fly in flocks wing to wing. Wild swans gather, reflecting one another; white pheasants shine brightly, shedding radiance, ruffling their frosty feathers glisteningly, flapping their plain quills abundantly. There are also rare birds and fierce beasts reposing by the brook banks. Tigers cherish benevolence and do not harm; bears hide in the trees and grow fat. Giant elephants measure several fathoms; mighty serpents span ten arm-spans. Does and deer readily approach, and tame rabbits snuggle close together. Just like Peng Keng's immortal chamber, unlike the seabird that knew when to flee. Medicinal herbs grow in clusters, dispelling illness and halting old age; the soil brings forth longevity, and the hamlets abound in aged elders. Like the ravines of the Southern Mountains, matching the treasures buried in the well. Seeing off the Five Elders of Liu, how do they differ from the Four Whiteheads? There are also achyranthes, chickweed, bird's-head, swallow-grass, sweet chrysanthemum, magnolia, sophora, wild jujube, aster, gastrodia, polygonatum, boerhavia, asparagus-root, lycium-bark, meat-mushrooms, and stone-brain. Shennong tasted them, and the immortals' scriptures recorded them. The white rabbit consumed them and attained spiritual communion; Master Lupipi ate them and achieved the Dao. As for the fruits, there are quince, tree-dates, carambola, and bayberry; red mandarins flourish in winter, and yellow lotuses open in autumn. Hawthorns and pears are both robust; persimmons and apples vie in excellence. Raisin-trees are planted in rows to make thickets; brambles brush the grasses, spreading wide. Apples equal duckweed fruit; sweet pears match the Imperial Terrace. Red raspberries, wild grapes, car-plums, and silverberries; green chestnuts offered in winter, purple taro coming in autumn. Pinellia forms plots, planted together in spring; loquats, pear-beans, and chestnuts are all present. Some are dazzling vermilion fruits; some are trailing green shoots. Resisting fierce winds, they grow ever more charming; striking severe frost, they are not broken. There are both lush wutong trees and graceful tall bamboos. Slender reeds confuse their kinds; fine bamboos differ in their varieties. Reflecting through eaves and casements, crisscrossing, encircling rooms and corridors, richly fragrant, putting forth leafy shade over pure springs, their roots knotting together in deep valleys. Where spiritual trees naturally grow, where auspicious birds roost and dwell. Truly a fine ground to disperse one's thoughts and admire, in truth gladdening the heart and refreshing the eyes. As for the cool autumn of the ninth month, when the hundred plants flutter and fall, the air is chill and perpetually piercing, the wind soughs and constantly rises. Melancholy cicadas chirp upon the southern mounds; border birds sing in northern courtyards. Crickets cry mournfully, heard from afar; solitary baboons shriek, letting their calls resound. Cold wild geese honk into the night; partridges chatter and cry sorrowfully. This enhances the carefree unconstraint of recluses and stirs the lingering longings of wandering scholars. All have their hearts set on going off alone; all fix their minds on washing their cap-strings. Truly a fine gathering for men of understanding, through which one may fully expand one's wandering gaze. Thus Xiaoxian went and attained reality, and Qingxu passed through and abandoned the worldly. Relying on strange rocks for pillows, washing feet in the Canglang River, this is what past worthies held in common, and the lofty learning of former scholars. My heart's yearning since days of old has always harboured thoughts of the far-distant. Often have I lingered by the Waves and Cassias; frequently have I tarried at famous peaks. Bearing in mind the profound kindness of my family and state, I delayed the solitary departure along their footsteps. Wishing to pluck out my hairpin yet not having done so, I lodge my admiration for now in this rhapsody.
29.17
Rhapsody on Lodging at a Mountain Monastery
29.18
By Wang Xi of the Liang
29.19
I greased the carriage and spurred the four-horse team, coming to roam at dusk. Entering the boundary road, it opened broad and clear; resting beneath the Jetavana trees, I lingered long. Looking at the site of the foundation, it was indeed open, spacious, and placed high. Extending tiered verandas far into the distance, connecting wide galleries that pace leisurely about. Jagged embroidered brackets supported curved eaves; lined vermilion columns bore the corners. Thereupon I ascended flying stairs on steep trails and climbed covered walkways to the highest crest. Rising and descending midway to heaven, I clutched the clouds to roam and gallop. The buildings were shady, peaceful, and vast; the steps were solemn, hollow, and still. The wondrous sound of the magnificent bell rang bright; the pure shadows of radiant lamps shone forth. As for the chambers, their windows opened at the treetops, their pillars floating amidst mountain groves. Drawing in the clear moon holding light, admitting gentle breezes from afar. Relying on the brightness, my eyes reached the farthest limit; leaning upon the height, my view opened wide. The flat plains were boundless; the linked mountains were endless. I discerned the arising of smoke within the ravines, and gazed upon rows of trees among the crags. The trees reached perilous heights in lush beauty; smoke came from afar, floating into the void. My feelings drifted far over the open plains; my mind ranged free within the curtains. The night was deep—how far had it gone? The dew was heavy and gradually fell. I enjoyed a firefly drifting on a single leaf, and listened to cranes crying across the nine wilds. Washing in the spring and reclining on fragrant pollia, entering the valley and wearing luxuriant orchids, I whistled softly to dispel troubled thoughts, and went off alone to wander at will. Truly a single branch is easy to rest upon—how could the myriad things disturb it? Approaching the thin curtain, I slept peacefully, and lay on a high pillow till the stars faded.
29.20
Rhapsody on the Deer Park
29.21
Gao Yun
29.22
He established a profound foundation in the northern lands, continuing the grand lineage of Xuanyuan. Through martial virtue he received the Mandate of Heaven to become ruler, brightening the great radiance to govern the world. He sprinkled spiritual moisture so that it flooded forth, and fanned the benevolent breeze so that it reached far and wide. Following in the footsteps of King Wen of Ji, he built the park, encompassing mountains and marshes to institute regulations; planting the myriad creatures to fulfill provisions, and remitting the regular taxes of the four classes of commoners. Coming to our Emperor's accession to the lineage, he was born endowed by Heaven with luminous sagacity. Recalling the Deer Park of old, he revived the lofty doctrine of the Three Turnings [of the Wheel of Dharma], awakening the profound lineage that had long lapsed, so that across a thousand years it found a place to rest. Thereupon he commanded master artisans and selected craftsmen to chisel into these western ridges. Pouring forth sincerity and right thoughts, they looked up to model the divine image, hoping to approximate the true countenance, blazing with the resplendent brilliance of golden light. Adapting to the numinous cliff, they constructed the halls, ascending straight up for a hundred fathoms, stretching flying beams over floating pillars, and arraying lotus blossoms in patterned caissons. They depicted them in myriad forms, joining them in pristine eternity. It is as if one were gazing directly upon Jetavana; what path to the bodhimaṇḍa could be remote? How marvelous is this construction of divine power, surpassing all antiquity in outstanding excellence! Truly the spiritual deities gave harmonious support; thus it preserves its integrity and maintains good fortune. They hollowed out immortal caves to dwell in dhyāna, and opened tiered staircases to provide passage. They clarified the pure air at the lofty verandas, and awaited lingering fragrances in the royal chambers. Luxuriant flower trees spread their fragrances, and gushing sweet springs overflowed. Praying to the Dragon Palace to send down rain, it matched the rich moisture of the Pleiades. As for the companions who investigate the Way, their conduct is pure and simple. Longing for his virtue and cherishing his influence, they came leaning on staffs to walk here. They keep the strict prohibitions of the worthy ones, and relish the profound canons of the Tripiṭaka. Some pace the woods in walking meditation; some sit in solitude in upright repose. Gathering the assembly of goods, they arrive together; pushing aside the five difficulties, they discard them completely. The Way seeks to hide yet becomes ever more manifest; fame seeks to be ruined yet grows ever more illustrious. Whenever the imperial carriage graciously visits, his mind is always set upon this magnificent garden. Delighting in the quiet and spaciousness here, he built a detached palace. Relying on the high and dry ground, he raised his lofty dwelling, rising above the elevated terrain of the plain. Tranquil in that which the benevolent and the wise cherish, he looked upon the mountains and waters to feast his eyes. Taking pleasure in the patterned groves to let his thoughts wander, he halted the racing pursuits of hawks and hounds. Looking with care upon the elderly to broaden virtue, he gave free rein to the living creatures to extend good fortune. Kindness and love grew profound within, while his golden voice rang forth outside. His merit delivered all under Heaven, yet he did not boast of his goodness. He still consulted the worthy to inquire of the Way, and asked woodcutters to make up for deficiencies. Offering utmost reverence at the numinous monastery, he paid homage observing the new and full moons. Upholding pure precepts through the end of day, he persevered through the six periods of the day and night. How perfected was his utmost sincerity! Truly nine kalpas could be transcended! Alas, the far-reaching plans of the sage king: how could he merely follow the ordinary in clarifying the teachings? Aspiring to the ascendance of Jinyun, he admired the lofty strides of Mūrdhaka. Thinking of leaving the dust behind to surpass the vulgar, he stepped into the profound secrets of the mysterious gate. Abdicating the throne to the Heir Apparent to assume his proper place, he accepted the venerable title of Grand Supreme [Emperor]. Preserving the non-existent while governing the existent, he also held fast to stillness to settle the restless. Beholding the heavenly compass of today, he sought out the bequeathed decrees of former philosophers. Realizing the double shade of the two Qian trigrams, he examined the twin illumination of the radiant Li. Below, he brought peace and deliverance to the myriad folk; above, he brought glory to the seven ancestral temples. Uniting the myriad states to follow his influence, he led all living beings as their guide. Facing due south in non-action, he forever lodged his mind in the subtle and profound. The transformation of the Way is indeed difficult to encounter, yet fortunate is my humble self to have met with it. Meeting the first opening of Fusang, encountering the dawn of the long night, I look back on my declining years with sorrow in heart, pondering my unworthiness with trepidation and fear. I dare to spread out my heart to display my sincerity, offering these humble words to express myself.
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Linked texts (1)
- 廣弘明集 — Classical Chinese