法苑珠林 10.8

10.8

長安西明寺道宣律師者。德鏡玄流。業高清素。精誠苦行。畢命終身。早得從師。五十餘年。栖遑問道。志在住持。但一事可觀。資成三寶。緝綴儀範百有餘卷。結集高軌。屬有深旨。粵以大唐乾封二年仲春之節。身在京師城南清宮故淨業寺。逐靜修道。年至桑榆。氣力將衰。專念四生。又思三會。忽以往緣幽靈顧接。病漸瘳降。勵力虔仰。遂感冥應。時有諸天四王臣佐。至律師房門。似人行動蹀足出聲。律師問言。是誰。答言。弟子張瓊。律師又問。何處檀越。答言。弟子是第一欲界南天王之第十五子。王有九十一子。英略神武各御邦都。所統海陸道俗區分。持犯界別。並親受佛教護持善惡。使遺法載隆積殖其功也。依經即是護世四王南方毘留離王之子。常加守衛不徒設也。律師又問。檀越既不遺德劣故來相看。何故門首不入。答云。弟子不得師教不敢輒入。律師云。願入就座。入已禮敬伏坐。律師又問。檀越既篤信三寶。又受佛屬護持。善來相看。何不現形。答言。弟子報身。與餘人別。光色又異。驚動眾心。共師言論足。得不勞現身。律師又問。貧道入春已來氣力漸弱醫藥無効。未知報命遠近。答云。律師報欲將盡無煩醫藥。律師又問。定報何日。答云。何須道時。但知律師不久報盡。生第四天彌勒佛所。律師又問。同伴是誰。答云。弟子第三兄張璵。通敏超悟信重釋宗。撰祇桓圖經百有餘卷。列峙天宮無聞地府。律師承此告。及踊思尋之請述用開道俗。又有天人韋琨。亦是南天王八大將軍之一臣也。四天王合有三十二將。斯人為首。生知聰慧早離欲塵。清淨梵行修童真業。面受佛囑弘護在懷。周統三洲住持為最。亡我亡瑕。殷憂於四部。達物達化。大濟於五乘。所以四有佛教。互涉頹綱。僧像阽危無非扶衛。屢蒙展對。曲備嘉猷。歎律師緝敘餘風。聖迹住持刪約撰集。於是律師。既承靈囑。扶疾筆受。隨聞隨錄合成十卷。律師憂報將盡。復慮天人將還。筆路蒼茫。無暇餘事。文字亦復疏略。但究聖意不存文式。所有要略住持教迹不決者。並問除疑以啟心惑。合有三千八百條。勒成十篇。一敘結集儀式。二敘天女偈頌。三敘付囑舍利。四敘付囑衣鉢。五敘付囑經像。六敘付囑佛物。七敘結集前後。第八第九（此二不成闕於名字）十敘住持聖迹。律師既親對冥傳。躬受遺誥。隨出隨欣耳目雖倦不覺勞苦。但恨知之不早文義不周。今依天人所說。不違三藏教旨。即皆編錄。雖從天聞還同佛說。始從二月迄至六月。日別來授無時暫閑。至初冬十月三日。律師氣力漸微香幡遍空。天人聖眾同時發言。從兜率天來請律師。律師端坐。一心合掌。斂容而卒。臨終道俗百有餘人。皆見香華迎往昇空。律師是余同學。昇壇之日同師受業。雖行殊薰莜好集無二。若見若聞。隨理隨事捃摭眾記。簡略要集編錄條章。並存遺法住持利益也。

Vinaya Master Daoxuan of Ximing Temple in Chang'an: His virtue was a mirror to the mysterious currents, and his conduct was lofty, pure, and plain. Sincere in his ascetic practices, he dedicated himself to them until the end of his life. Having early on followed a teacher, for over fifty years he traveled restlessly inquiring into the Way, his aspiration set on the maintenance of the Dharma. If only a single matter was worthy of note, it was used to support the Three Jewels. He compiled and edited over a hundred fascicles of norms and models, collecting lofty standards that were all imbued with profound meaning. / In the Great Tang dynasty, during the mid-spring season of the second year of the Qianfeng reign era [667 CE], he was at the former Jingye Temple of Qinggong south of the capital city, seeking quietude to cultivate the Way. Having reached his twilight years and his vigor on the wane, he focused his thoughts on the four modes of birth and also reflected on the three assemblies [under Maitreya]. Suddenly, owing to past karmic affinities, hidden spirits visited and looked after him; his illness gradually abated. Striving with reverent devotion, he elicited a mysterious response. / At that time, heavenly beings, ministers and aides of the Four Heavenly Kings, came to the door of the Vinaya master's room, their footsteps sounding like a person walking. The Vinaya master asked, "Who is it?" / The reply was: "The disciple Zhang Qiong." / The Vinaya master asked again, "From where does the dānapati come?" / The reply was: "The disciple is the fifteenth son of the Southern Heavenly King of the first desire realm. The king has ninety-one sons, heroic, strategic, and divinely martial, each governing lands and capitals. The seas and lands they oversee distinguish the monastic from the secular, and their boundaries for keeping or breaking the precepts are demarcated. All have personally received the Buddha's teaching to protect good and evil, causing the bequeathed Dharma to flourish ever more and accumulating their merit." According to the sūtras, this is the son of King Virūḍhaka of the South, one of the Four World-Protecting Kings; they constantly maintain watch and ward, not set up in vain. / The Vinaya master asked again, "Since the dānapati has not disregarded my deficient virtue and has come to visit me, why remain at the door and not enter?" / He replied: "Without the master's instruction, the disciple would not dare enter arbitrarily." / The Vinaya master said, "Please enter and take a seat." After entering, he paid homage and sat down respectfully. / The Vinaya master asked again, "Since the dānapati has deep faith in the Three Jewels, has received the Buddha's entrustment to protect them, and has kindly come to visit, why do you not manifest your form?" / He replied: "The disciple's retribution body is different from that of ordinary people, and its radiance and color are also extraordinary, which would startle the minds of the multitude. Conversing with the master is quite sufficient; there is no need to trouble to manifest my body." / The Vinaya master asked again, "Since the start of spring, this poor monk's strength has gradually weakened, and medicines have been ineffective. I do not know how much longer my retribution life will last." / He replied: "The Vinaya master's retribution [span] is nearly exhausted; there is no need to trouble with medicine." / The Vinaya master asked again, "On what precise day will my retribution end?" / He replied: "Why is there any need to state the time? Just know that before long the Vinaya master's retribution will be exhausted, and you will be born in the Fourth Heaven, in the presence of Maitreya Buddha." / The Vinaya master asked again, "Who are your companions?" / He replied: "The disciple's third elder brother, Zhang Yu. Thoroughly perceptive and transcendent in awakening, he deeply reveres the Śākya clan's tradition. He composed the *Illustrated Sūtra of Jetavana* in over one hundred fascicles; it is displayed high in the heavenly palaces, but unheard of in the underworld." / Upon receiving this notification, the Vinaya master leaped with joy and requested him to relate it so as to enlighten monastics and laypeople. / There was also a heavenly being, Wei Kun, who was likewise an aide among the eight great generals of the Southern Heavenly King. The Four Heavenly Kings have thirty-two generals in total, and this person is the foremost among them. Endowed with innate intelligence, he early on abandoned the dust of desires, observed pure brahmacarya, and cultivated the practice of youthfulness (kaumārabhūmi). Personally receiving the Buddha's entrustment, the propagation and protection [of the Dharma] are held in his heart; universally overseeing the three continents, he is foremost in the maintenance of the Dharma. Free from self and free from flaw, he deeply cares for the four assemblies; understanding things and transformations, he greatly delivers the five vehicles. Therefore, wherever the Buddha's teaching exists within the four modes of existence, when the declining guidelines are mutually compromised and the saṃgha or images are in peril, he unfailingly assists and defends them. / The master repeatedly received audience with him, where excellent counsel was fully provided. He praised the Vinaya master for chronicling the remaining traditions, abridging and compiling the maintenance of holy traces. Thereupon the Vinaya master, having received the spirits' entrustment, braved his illness to take brush in hand, recording whatever he heard, completing ten fascicles in total. The Vinaya master worried that his retribution span was nearly exhausted, and also feared that the heavenly beings would soon return; the path of his brush was hurried, leaving no leisure for other matters. The writing was also rough and abridged; he sought only to exhaust the holy meaning, paying no heed to literary style. All essential points regarding the traces of the teachings on the maintenance of the Dharma that were unresolved, he asked about them to eliminate doubts and illuminate perplexities of mind. Totalling 3,800 items, they were arranged into ten sections: 1. Recounting the Rituals of the Council; 2. Recounting the Gāthās of the Heavenly Maiden; 3. Recounting the Entrustment of the Śarīra; 4. Recounting the Entrustment of the Robe and Bowl; 5. Recounting the Entrustment of the Sūtras and Images; 6. Recounting the Entrustment of Buddha Objects; 7. Recounting the Before and After of the Council; 8 and 9 (these two were unfinished and lack titles); 10. Recounting the Holy Traces of the Maintenance of the Dharma. / The Vinaya master, having personally met and received the transmission from the unseen realm, directly received the bequeathed instructions. As each was produced he rejoiced; though ears and eyes were weary, he felt no fatigue. He only regretted not knowing it sooner, and that the literary sense was not thorough. Now, in accordance with what the heavenly beings explained, not conflicting with the teachings of the Tripiṭaka, they are all compiled and recorded. Although heard from devas, it is still the same as the Buddha's preaching. / Starting from the second month until the sixth month, they came daily to transmit them, without a moment's pause. On the third day of the tenth month, at the beginning of winter, the Vinaya master's vigor gradually ebbed, and fragrant banners filled the sky. The holy assembly of heavenly beings spoke at once, coming from Tuṣita Heaven to invite the Vinaya master. The Vinaya master sat upright, single-mindedly joined his palms, composed his countenance, and passed away. At the time of his passing, more than a hundred monastics and laypeople all saw fragrant flowers welcoming him as he ascended into the sky. / The Vinaya master was my fellow student; on the day we ascended the ordination platform, we studied under the same master. Although our practices differed like fragrant herbs and weeds, our fondness for compiling was identical. Whatever was seen or heard, following the principle or the matter, we gathered from numerous records, abridging and assembling the essentials into compiled articles, all to preserve the bequeathed Dharma for the benefit of its maintenance.