法苑珠林 27.57

27.57

唐蒲州普救寺釋道積。河東安邑縣人也。俗姓相里。名子才。既莅玄門更名道積。其先蓋鄭大夫子產之苗裔矣。昔子產生初執拳而出。啟手觀之文成相里。其後因而氏焉。父宣恢廓有大志。用好學該富宗尚嚴君。積早習丘墳。神氣爽烈博通經論。大小洞明成匠道俗。並潤朱藍。結宗慈訓遠近通洽。而深護煩惱重慎譏疑。尼眾歸依初不引顧。每謂眾曰。女為戒垢聖典常言。佛度出家損滅正法。尚以聞名污心。況復面對無染。且道貴清顯不參非濫。俗重遠嫌君子攸奉。余雖不逮請遵其度。由此受戒教授沒齒未登。參謁諮請不聽入室。斯則骨梗潔己清貞高蹈。河東英俊莫與同風。先是沙門寶澄滿。初於普濟寺創營大像百丈。萬功纔登其一。不卒此願而澄早逝。鄉邑耆艾請積繼之。乃惟大像造之未成也。引七貴而崇樹之。修建十年彫莊都了。道俗慶賴欣喜相并。初積受請之夕。寢夢崖傍見二師子於大像側連吐明珠相續不絕。既寤惟曰。獸王自在。則表法流無滯。寶珠自涌。又喻財施不窮。冥運潛開功成斯在。即命工匠圖夢所見於彌勒大像前。今猶存焉。其寺蒲阪之陽高爽華博。東臨州里。南望河山。像設三層巖廊四合。上坊下院赫奕相臨。園磑田蔬周環俯就。小而成大。咸積之功。揮空樹有皆積之力。而弊衣蔬食輕財重命普救慇贍。退靜歸閑為而不恃。即處幽隱。天懷抗志頓絕人世。不令而眾自嚴。不出而物自往。僕射裴玄寂寵居上宰。欽其令問頻贈香衣。刺史杜楚容知人之重。造展求法。其感動柔靡皆此類也。往經隋季𢺠閉。河東通守堯君素鎮守荒城。偏師肆暴。時人莫敢竊視也。欲議諸沙門登城守固。敢諫者斬。玄素同憂無能忓者。積憤歎內發不顧形命。謂諸屬曰。時乃盛衰法無隆替。天之未喪其文斯在。且沙門塵外之賓。迹類高世。何得執戈擐甲為禦侮之卒乎。遂引沙門道愻神素等。歷階厲色。而諫曰。貧道聞之。不畏死不可以死怖之。今視死若生。但懼不得其死。死而有益。是可甘心。計城之存亡公之略也。世之否泰公之運也。豈在三五虛怯而能濟乎。昔者漢欽四皓天下隆平。魏重干木舉國大治。今欲拘繫以從軍役。反天常以會靈祇。恐納不祥之兆耳。敢布腹心。願深圖之無宜空肆。一朝自傾於後為天下笑也。貧道等但依聖誠言行道禮誦。為國崇福冥益百姓。神鬼護助寧可索頭。與頭仍為本願。必縱以殘生逼充步甲者。則不知生為何生死為何死。積陳此語傍為寒心。素初聞諫重積詞氣厲。但張目直視曰。異哉。值斯人乎。何為心氣太重之壯耶。因捨而不問放還本寺。後知其屈詣積陳懺。堯素以殺戮無度騁其毒心。加又舉意輕陵。雖復當時獲寢而禍作其兆。卒為城人薛宗所害。但積性剛勇志決不迴。遇逢瞋忿動為魚肉。既出家後呵責本緣挫拉元情。轉增和忍。歲登耳順此行彌隆。習與性成斯言不爽。以貞觀十年九月十七日。終于本寺。春秋六十有九。初積云疾的無可。自知將委。告門人曰。吾今七十有五卒今年矣。其徒曰。師六十九矣。何遽辭乎。告曰。死生法爾。吾不懼也。且吾將年七十。刺史貌吾增為六歲。故其命在旦夕。宜深剋勵。視吾所行。又曰。經不聞乎。世實危脆無牢強者。去終三日。鍾不發聲。逝後如舊眾咸哀歎慕惜罕疇。

"Those who do not fear death cannot be intimidated with death." Today, we view death as life, fearing only not meeting a worthy death. If dying brings benefit, we are sweet-heartedly willing. The preservation or ruin of the city depends on your plans, My Lord; the prosperity or adversity of the world depends on your fortune, My Lord. How could it be aided by a few frail and timid men? In the past, the Han revered the Four Whiteheads and all under heaven was peaceful; the Wei respected Duan Gumu and the entire country was well governed. Now you wish to arrest and force us into military servitude, rebelling against heaven's constant norms and offending the divine spirits. I fear this will bring about an ominous omen! I dare pour out my heartfelt thoughts. I hope you will consider this deeply and not give rein to empty arrogance. Should you collapse in a single morning, you will be ridiculed by the world hereafter.' We, the poor monks, only abide by the sacred words, practicing the Way, worshiping, and reciting, in order to cultivate blessings for the realm and secretly benefit the common folk. With the protection and aid of gods and ghosts, could one demand our heads? To offer our heads would fulfill our original vow. But if you force this remaining life to serve as infantry, we would not know why we lived or why we died.' As Ji spoke these words, the bystanders shuddered with fear. When Su first heard the remonstrance, he was struck by the severity of Ji's speech and demeanor; he merely opened his eyes wide, stared straight at him, and said, 'Remarkable! That I should encounter such a man! Why is your spirit so exceedingly robust?' He then let the matter drop without further question and released them back to their temple. Later, realizing his mistake, he visited Ji to confess his error. Yao Su, with his boundless slaughter, gave vent to his venomous heart, and added to it an attitude of arrogance and contempt. Although the matter was temporarily dropped, the omens of disaster were already set in motion, and he was ultimately slain by Xue Zong, a man of the city. Yet Ji's nature was resolute and courageous, his determination uncompromising. In the face of anger, he acted without fear of being butchered. After renouncing the world, he reproved his original nature, crushed his primal passions, and increasingly grew in gentleness and forbearance. Reaching sixty years of age, this practice became all the more elevated; the saying 'Habit becomes nature' was truly not in error. On the seventeenth day of the ninth month of the tenth year of Zhenguan, he passed away at his home temple at the age of sixty-nine. Earlier, Ji said of his illness that nothing could cure it. Knowing he was about to pass away, he told his disciples, 'I am now seventy-five, and I will die this year.' His disciples said, 'Master, you are only sixty-nine, why do you take leave so hastily?' He replied, 'Death and life are the nature of things; I have no fear. Moreover, I was nearing seventy, but the prefect recorded my appearance by adding six years. Therefore my life is at its dawn or dusk. You should diligently strive and observe how I have acted.' He also said, 'Have you not heard from the scriptures? The world is truly precarious and fragile; nothing is firm or strong.' Three days before his passing, the bell failed to make any sound. After he passed, it rang as before. The congregation all grieved and lamented, cherishing him with rare comparison.