法苑珠林 10.8

10.8

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.