北山錄 8.4.4

8.4.4

[Whether] subordinated to holy beings in temples of transcendent immortals, could those dwelling in official monasteries rather decline to handle human affairs? If there are temples of transcendent immortals, none of us are able to go to them (such as Mount Wuzhong in Dayi County of Qiongzhou, where five hundred arhats dwell, the sacred lamp of Mount Sanxue, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva on Mount Emei, and so on; or as in the Gantong zhuan, where an anonymous monk reached the bamboo grove temple of immortals, and so on—all of these). Formerly, Zhu Danyou went to Tiantai, Yuantong of Chicheng went to the east of Ye, and Huibao of Shigu stayed overnight in a rock chamber (these are all temples of immortals); in none of them were there not teachers and elders, and solemn deportment. When [the visitors] wished to lodge their physical form, [the immortals] would not allow them to stay. Therefore, among humankind one often hears of the sounds of bells, Sanskrit chanting, divine lamps, and wondrous images from sheer cliffs and deep forests: these serve as verification. For this reason, in the monastic dwelling, on each occasion of reciting the precepts and on the day of releasing the summer retreat, one cannot but purify and solemnize the Dharma hall, and respectfully align the assembly, solemn and dignified as if in the presence of the Holy One. The *Mahāyāna-avatāraka-śāstra* says that the sixteen great arhats, such as Piṇḍola and Rāhula, reverently received [the Buddha's] bequeathed entrusted care, and thereupon walked among the villages of mortals (after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, the venerable Nandimitra under King Jeta of Kaśmīra singled out the sixteen great arhats for his sake). In recent generations, in Zitong commandery there was a great elder, the Vinaya master of the Hu clan, who was also of this kind of spiritual resonance. To the south border of the commandery was Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Hu led his disciples in the summer retreat and recited the precepts. At night, the count of persons was settled, yet the tally sticks always exceeded [the count]; the assembly did not understand why it was so (every night of the fifteenth and the final night of the month, the monks have one person recite the prātimokṣa and must distribute tallies, first counting how many monks and how many novices there are, so as to know the total tally sticks). When the summer drew to a close, there were two or three foreign śramaṇas who emerged from the mountain to the roadside, waving their hands to bid farewell to the reapers. The Vinaya master heard of it and rushed over; his disciples galloped in all four directions to check, for their departure was not far off, yet none could see them. The mind of the holy ones originates from our human minds; the efficacy of ghosts and spirits originates from our human spiritual efficacy (utmost sincerity moves the divine and luminous). Huixuan suffered from the lack of water in his lecture dwelling; when he was about to move, the local mountain spirit gushed a flow for him (for instance, the Huiyi Monastery of Zizhou had no water; there was a monk named Shenxiao who recited the Diamond Sūtra, setting a term of seven days, and when the time arrived, a springing fountain indeed burst forth, which is visible today). Sengfan, on the night of reciting the precepts, lodged at another temple; observing that those putting forward doctrinal debates had neglected the practice, the spiritual deities grew wrathful and struck him down. Truly, sincerity and discipline must not be transgressed! When Huichao of the Liang served as Great Rector, he was fond of mountains and waters, and the sound of his retinue was heard for several miles. In his dwelling, he arrayed child servants; seeing that even princes and marquises did not rival him, how could he be deemed a Rector? Now, a Rector must rectify himself so as to govern; if he is not incorrupt, how can there be rectitude? When Daoda served as Rector of South Yanzhou, upon leaving office he had only five bundles of used paper—how could his incorruptibility and the turbidity [of others] be compared on the same level? (A level is like an equalizer, which evens out bushels and peck measures). Sengmin would not hold great assemblies. He addressed his disciples, saying: 'Although a great assembly has the merit of momentarily inspiring people, I am deficient in manual laborers. With rice, firewood, vegetables, and soup, trampling, pouring, and roasting, the harm caused to living beings is extremely great. If one borrows official power, though the laborers are numerous, it is even more difficult to fulfill one's intention. Therefore, I will not do it.' Critics say: 'Those who are quiet excel in their movement; those who are active excel in their quietude. Such are the persons of comprehensive relief (the principle where a hasty disposition cherishes quietude and a gentle nature loves firmness; also like the meaning of using leniency to temper severity). If one is quiet and merely practices quietude, then the ordinary mind will be desolate and virtue will not shine forth (because their traces are hidden and obscure). If one dwells in activity and becomes excessively active, then the physical world will become overly prominent, and the Dao and virtue will become superficial and false. Therefore, the worthy treads between movement and quietude, and reaches beyond being and non-being; they subsume the myriad goods into non-action (wuwei), yet there is no good that they do not perform. Now, Great Yu made his palace modest yet exhausted his strength on ditches and watercourses; he was frugal in food and drink yet devoted his filial piety to the ghosts and spirits. How could it be that he loved having calloused hands and feet and hairless shins? (When Xia Yu regulated the waters, his feet were without hair and his shins were hairless; Wei Zhao says *ba* refers to the small hairs on the thighs). It was simply that he did not prioritize his own ease, but wished to bestow merit upon the world. The elder's son Śāntamati established a great assembly of giving (expounded in the *Vimalakīrti Sūtra*); the Sage was pleased and instructed him, revealing that when extensive giving relieves the multitude, the merit reaches far along with the mind, and its joy is boundless. Therefore in the Western Regions there is the *pañcavārṣika* (namely, the great offering assembly); those of superior wisdom practice it. Accumulating yet able to disperse, kindness returns to oneself, and wealth returns to others. When Chen Xi gave distributions all around, in reality it doubled the blessings (Chen Huanzi heavily bestowed gifts upon the people using larger bushels, qu, and measures, providing for all; ultimately this led to his descendants prospering in Qi). Now, if a Great Being genuinely benefits living beings, even if it brings harm to oneself, he does not avoid it; how much less so when it is not harmful! (When a bodhisattva practices, his body becomes mountains of flesh and fish and rice; wishing to walk the great road, why look back at small pathways?) If one considers that generating meritorious undertakings harms sentient life, then from whence would the sin arise for banners, stūpas, clay, wood, ceremonial images, robes, and provisions? When Śāriputra begged for food, he observed insects in the air, falling like driving rain, thick as millet in a vessel; thereupon he did not eat for many days. The Great Sage addressed him, saying: 'What is seen with the fleshly eye may indeed be eaten.' Lingyu instructed his students: regardless of whether they were noble or base, young or old, he always stated his own name and addressed them as 'benevolent one,' entirely doing away with scolding and beating; yet if someone spoke contrary to what is right, he was sure to reprove them. Why did his application reach such an extent? This may perhaps be recounted, but cannot be sustained as a rule. The *Odes* say: 'I cherish your illustrious virtue, not displayed in loud sounds or [wrathful] countenance' (meaning King Wen did not issue loud voices or show anger in his countenance; it also says: 'Without conscious knowledge, he accords with the patterns of the Sovereign on High'). Zhongni said: 'Voice and countenance are trivial matters in dealing with people' (displaying awe and an intimidating countenance is of the lowest order). Now, governing without punishment is esteemed by all the world. But people of today fear awe and disrespect virtue (awe overcomes kindness); even the sages abhorred this. The *Odes* say: 'If the gentleman is moved to anger, the disorder will surely be swiftly checked' (meaning if the gentleman is angry, the disorderly rabble will certainly disperse). It also says: 'The king rose in blazing wrath, and thereupon assembled his forces.' This speaks of using awe to halt disorder. A fine horse must rely on its bit and whip; a beautiful bird must await trimming and pruning; fine timber must depend on the chisel and gouge. There has never been one who cast these aside and was able to achieve beauty by himself. The *Changes* say: 'The petty person is not ashamed of non-benevolence, nor does he fear unrighteousness. If he sees no advantage, he is not encouraged; if awe is not shown, he is not chastened. Chastened in small things, he takes great warning' (chastening means reproving; that is, reproving the offenses of injury, damage, and waste).