法苑珠林 85
English (machine translation) 85
- Language
- English
85.1
Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple
85.2
Section on the Six Pāramitās, Part Eighty-Five, Subsection Six
85.3
Division Six: Wisdom (This contains three separate subdivisions)
85.4
Subdivision on Stating the Meaning
Subdivision on Citing Proofs
Subdivision on the Benefits of Wisdom
85.5
Subdivision One: Stating the Meaning
85.6
Now, of the two kinds of adornment, wisdom is called supreme; of the sequence of the three grades, knowledge is said to have none superior. Therefore the sūtra states: 'The five pāramitās without wisdom are like being foolish and blind.' Hence prajñā surpasses the mundane and destroys all forms of existence. The Commentary also states: 'The Buddha is the mother of sentient beings, and prajñā can give birth to Buddhas.' Thus wisdom is the grandmother of all sentient beings. Therefore external books state: 'Farsighted, sagacious, reverent, and enlightened' are used to praise the virtue of Fangxun; benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are said to be the way of Xuanni. One must reflect that the Dharma of wisdom cannot be left uncultivated, and the cause of transcending the world ought not to be unpracticed. It can dispel immense darkness, like the full moon illuminating the three bad destinies; it skillfully expels all poisons, like moxibustion and medicine removing the myriad evils. How could one let oneself be submerged in impermanence and adhere to this perpetual delusion? Clinging to marks becomes tangled, and the mind of self is entangled; one constantly abounds in craving for existence and is ever rich in ignorance. Failing to grasp causes and conditions, one does not cultivate antidotes. Thus the gloomy mountain of pride rises nearly higher than Mount Hua, and the billowing waters of craving broaden into the vast ocean. Some arbitrarily grasp annihilationism or eternalism, onesidedly debating identity or difference; worshipping yellow spirits and white spirits, clinging to 'my view' and 'my knowledge.' Some constantly stand on one leg, or long scorch themselves with five fires; eating grass to imitate cows, or devouring dung like dogs. Some grandly discuss inferior truths—how could they know the principle of the Middle Way? Some remain stubbornly bound to the four Vedas—how could they awaken to the purport of the Mahāyāna? Some assert that from primal darkness awakening is born, completely unaware of it, holding that the world is permanently fixed and valuing this alone. Others say that the non-ideational is the realization of nirvāṇa, or suppose that Maheśvara can create the world. They are foolish, muddled, ignorant, crude, dull, and negligent. Looking at the finger to seek the moon, watching the stump to wait for a hare; still unable to tell a camel from a horse, how could they distinguish beans from wheat? Though knowing laughter, they are no different from monkeys; though understanding speech in vain, they are no distinct from apes. This is truly because they do not understand the principle of emptiness and constantly dwell in ignorance; all inverted minds are called wrong views. The five entrenching afflictions have not diminished by a fraction; the hundred and eight fetters remain densely present. Therefore, the great beings do not begrudge body or life for the sake of seeking eight characters, fearing that amidst the fetters they would retreat when encountering suffering; thus they master their minds to solidify their resolve.
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Subdivision Two: Citing Proofs
85.8
As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: When a bodhisattva, for the sake of seeking the Dharma, was able to find one who could bestow the Dharma, that person spoke these words: 'If you can throw your body into a fire pit seven fathoms deep, I shall give you the Dharma.' Hearing this, the bodhisattva was immeasurably rejoiced and reflected thus: 'For the sake of the Dharma, I do not begrudge even my physical life, and would endure immeasurable suffering in Avīci hell and the various evil destinies; how much more so entering a tiny fire pit in the human realm to obtain the hearing of the Dharma!' According to the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Accumulating All Merits, Śākya[muni] in the distant past was an immortal with the five superknowledges named Supreme. According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra, when Śākyamuni Buddha was originally a bodhisattva named Delight in the Dharma, at that time there was no Buddha in the world and good words were not heard. He sought the Dharma in the four directions with unflagging diligence, yet could not obtain it at all. At that time, Māra transformed into a brāhmaṇa and spoke to him, saying: 'I have a gāthā spoken by the Buddha. If you can make paper of your skin, a pen of your bone, and ink of your blood to transcribe this gāthā, I shall give it to you.' Delight in the Dharma immediately reflected: 'Throughout lifetimes, I have lost my body countlessly without gaining this benefit.' He at once peeled off his skin and dried it in the sun, intending to transcribe the gāthā. Māra then made his form disappear. At that time, the Buddha, knowing his devoted resolve, welled up from the lower direction and expounded the profound Dharma for him; [the bodhisattva] thereupon attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas.
85.9
Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: For the sake of the Dharma, a bodhisattva gouged out [flesh from] his body to make lamps, wrapping his skin and flesh in fine cloth, pouring oil over them, and burning them as wicks. The bodhisattva at that time underwent this great suffering, rebuking his own mind with these words: 'Such suffering does not amount to even one part in a hundred thousand myriad of the suffering in the hells. Over immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you have undergone great afflictions without any benefit whatsoever. If you cannot endure this light suffering, how will you be able to rescue suffering sentient beings in the hells?' When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva made this contemplation, his body did not perceive suffering, and his mind was non-retrogressing, unmoving, and unswerving. At that time the bodhisattva should deeply know within himself: 'I will surely attain anuttarasambodhi.' At that time, the bodhisattva was fully possessed of defilements that had not yet been severed, yet for the sake of the Dharma he was able to bestow his head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, blood, and flesh upon sentient beings, drive iron nails into his body, and throw himself off cliffs into fire. Although the bodhisattva at that time underwent such immeasurable myriad sufferings, his mind was non-retrogressing, unmoving, and unswerving. The bodhisattva should know: 'I now definitely possess an unretrogressing mind, and shall attain anuttarasambodhi.'
85.10
Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra states: For the meaning of a single character or a single phrase, a bodhisattva can offer the precious gems of the worlds of the ten directions to the Dharma King; for the cause of a single verse, he will cast away his life. Though one were to practice dāna for kalpas as numerous as the sands of immeasurable Gaṅgā rivers, it would not equal the joy that arises in the mind upon hearing of bodhi once. If one delights in hearing and delights in preaching the saddharma, one will always be kept in mind by all the buddhas and all the devas. By the power of mindfulness, one will be able to penetrate all the scriptures, books, and treatises of the world.
85.11
Furthermore, the Sūtra of Great Expedient Means for Repaying Kindness states: A bodhisattva constantly and diligently seeks good spiritual friends. For the sake of hearing the Buddhadharma—even a single phrase, a single verse, or a single principle—the afflictions of the tridhātu all wither away. When a bodhisattva earnestly seeks the words of the Buddha, his thirst for the Dharma is so profound that he does not spare his life; even if he must tread upon ground of hot iron and fierce fire, he does not regard it as harm. If a bodhisattva for the sake of a single verse still does not spare his life, how much less for the twelve divisions of scriptures? If for the sake of a single verse he still does not spare his life, how much less for other possessions? Because of the benefits of hearing the Dharma, his body attains ease and comfort, and he generates deep faith, an upright mind, and right view. He regards one who preaches the Dharma as he would his parents, his mind devoid of arrogance. For the sake of sentient beings, he listens to the Dharma with dedicated focus, not for profit or support; for the sake of sentient beings, not for his own benefit; for the sake of the saddharma, he does not fear peril from kings, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, tigers, wolves, fierce beasts, robbers, or thieves. First he tames his own defilements and sense faculties, and only then listens to the Dharma.
85.12
Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra states: When a bodhisattva employs such expedient means to seek the Dharma, of all his precious treasures there are none he values or begrudges, conceiving no thought of difficulty regarding these things. If he obtains a single phrase of the Dharma not heard before, it surpasses obtaining a three-thousand-great-thousandfold world full of precious gems. To get to hear a single verse surpasses attaining the station of a wheel-turning sage king, of Śakra Devānām Indra, or of a Brahmā king. The bodhisattva reflects: 'To receive a single phrase of the Dharma, even if the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world were filled with great fires, I would throw myself down into it from the Brahmā heaven, how much more so for a small fire? I should still seek the Dharma even if I had to undergo all the sufferings of all the hells, how much more so for the minor distresses among humans!' For the sake of seeking the Dharma, he arouses such a resolve. In accord with the Dharma he has heard, his mind always rejoices and he is fully able to contemplate it correctly. The Adbhutadharma-sūtra states: Formerly, at Mount Xituo in the state of Bima, there was a jackal that was pursued by a lion and fell into a deserted well. After three days had passed, his heart cleared and he resigned himself to death, speaking these verses of his own accord:
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"All things are impermanent;
I regret only that I did not feed the lion.
Alas, that I should die in a deserted well,
Clinging to life and dying without merit!
Dying without merit is already regrettable,
And now I pollute the water used by humans.
I repent before the buddhas of the ten directions,
Praying that they look down and illuminate my mind:
May all bad retributions from previous lives
Be paid in full in the present life;
From this, may I meet an enlightened teacher,
And through practice, completely attain buddhahood."
85.14
Śakra heard this, and together with eighty thousand devas came to the side of the well, saying: 'Not having heard the sacred teachings, we have long remained in darkness. What you just spoke is no ordinary matter; we pray you proclaim the Dharma again.' The jackal replied: 'The Heavenly Lord lacks courtesy and does not understand proper propriety: the Dharma master is below, while you place yourself above, asking for the essentials of the Dharma without first showing respect.' Śakra then caught him up with a heavenly robe, bowed his head, and repented, recalling: 'In the past I saw worldly people first set out a high seat and only then invite the Dharma master.' The devas then each took off their precious robes and piled them up into a high seat. The jackal ascended the seat and said: 'There are two great causes and conditions: first, preaching the Dharma transforms devas and humans, yielding immeasurable merit; second, to repay the kindness of offering food.' The Heavenly Lord addressed him: 'To be spared the calamity of the well is a great retribution of merit; how is that kindness not equal to it?' The jackal answered: 'Birth and death each have their propriety: some crave life, while others delight in death. There are foolish people who do not know that after death one is reborn again; transgressing and straying far from the Buddhadharma, never meeting an enlightened teacher, they crave life and fear death, and upon dying fall into the hells. There are wise people who revere and serve the Three Jewels, encounter an enlightened teacher, reform evil, and cultivate good; such people loathe birth and delight in death, and upon dying are born in the heavens.' The Heavenly Lord said: 'As your honor instructed regarding preserving life without merit, we wish to hear of the offering of food and the offering of the Dharma.' He replied: 'Giving food to the hungry saves life for a single day; giving precious gems saves from deprivation for a single lifetime, but increases birth and death. One who preaches the Dharma to teach and transform can lead sentient beings to the supramundane path, to attain the fruits of the three vehicles, escape the three evil destinies, and receive the pleasures of humans and devas. Therefore the Buddha taught that making a gift of the Dharma yields immeasurable merit.' The Heavenly Lord asked: 'Is the Master's present form a karmic retribution, or is it a responsive manifestation?' He replied: 'It is due to sin, not a manifestation.' The Heavenly Lord said: 'I thought you were a sage, but only now hear it is a retribution for sin. I do not know the reason; I wish to hear the cause and condition.' He replied: 'Long ago I was born in the city of Padmumā in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī as the son of a poor family. Of the kṣatriya caste, I was naturally bright from childhood and especially fond of study. At the age of twelve I followed a teacher into the mountains without missing the proper seasons. Over fifty years, there were none among the ninety-six varieties of scriptures that I did not master—all through the kindness of my upādhyāya, whose merit is hard to repay. Because of my former learning and wisdom, I know my past lives. Because I later assumed the royal throne, indulged in luxury, and was attached to pleasure, when my retribution was exhausted and my life ended, I was born into the hells and animal realm (what follows is extensive and is summarized without being related).'
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At that time Śakra and the eighty thousand devas received the ten virtues from him. [Śakra asked:] 'We now return to the heavenly palace; when will the Upādhyāya relinquish this retribution of sin and attain rebirth in heaven?' The jackal said: 'After seven days I shall cast off this body and be born in Tuṣita Heaven. You should vow to be born in that heaven, where there are many bodhisattvas preaching the Dharma and teaching.' When the seven days ended, his life concluded and he was born in Tuṣita Heavenly Palace, where he again recollected his past lives and practiced the path of the ten virtues.
85.16
Furthermore, the Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra states: When the Buddha was in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, in a grove by a marsh he clearly preached the wondrous Dharma for the devas, humans, and the four assemblies. At that time, a flock of five hundred wild geese in the sky heard the Buddha's voice, took deep delight in it, and circled around wishing to descend. A hunter spread a net, and the geese fell into it; killed by the hunter, they were born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Resting upon their parents' laps like eight-year-old boys, extraordinarily handsome and radiating light like golden mountains, they reflected: 'By what cause was I born here?' They immediately recognized their past lives and the retribution of their love for the Dharma. Together holding flowers, they descended to Jambudvīpa, arrived at the place of the World-Honoured One, bowed at his feet, and said: 'Relying upon the sound of the Dharma, we were born in a wondrous heaven; we pray you instruct us once more.' The Buddha preached the Four Truths, and they attained the fruit of srotāpanna, then immediately returned to heaven.
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Section 3: Benefits
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Furthermore, the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra states: A bodhisattva of the sixth stage cultivates wisdom and has ten further dharmas not shared with the two vehicles. What are the ten? First, contemplating and discerning the root of samādhi and prajñā. Second, contemplating not abandoning the two extremes of annihilationism and eternalism. Third, contemplating the dependent arising of all dharmas. Fourth, contemplating the non-existence of sentient beings, self, person, or life span. Fifth, contemplating the non-existence of dharmas going, coming, or abiding in the three periods of time. Sixth, contemplating that there is no initiation of practice, yet not severing cause and effect. Seventh, contemplating that dharmas are empty, yet planting goodness without indolence. Eighth, contemplating signlessness, yet not abandoning the saving of sentient beings. Ninth, contemplating wishlessness, yet not departing from the pursuit of bodhi. Tenth, contemplating non-action, yet not relinquishing the manifest assumption of a body. Such wisdom is not shared with śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
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Furthermore, the Candrapradīpa-samādhi-sūtra states: The Buddha said: If a bodhisattva is able to practice prajñā, there are ten kinds of benefits. What are the ten? First, relinquishing everything without entertaining the notion of giving. Second, upholding the precepts without breach, yet not relying on precepts. Third, abiding in the power of forbearance, yet not abiding in the notion of sentient beings. Fourth, practicing vigor, yet being detached from body and mind. Fifth, cultivating dhyāna-samādhi, yet having no abiding. Sixth, King Māra Pāpīyas being unable to perturb him. Seventh, his mind remaining unmoved by the doctrines of others. Eighth, being able to reach the bottom of the ocean of birth and death. Ninth, arousing sovereign compassion toward all sentient beings. Tenth, taking no delight in the path of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
85.20
Furthermore, the Buddha said: If a bodhisattva faithfully delights in learning much, there are ten kinds of benefits. What are the ten? First, knowing the supports of defilement. Second, knowing the supports of purification. Third, leaving doubt and confusion far behind. Fourth, producing upright view. Fifth, leaving improper paths far behind. Sixth, dwelling securely in the right path. Seventh, opening the door of the deathless nectar. Eighth, drawing near to the Buddha's bodhi. Ninth, acting as a illumination for all sentient beings. Tenth, having no fear of the evil destinies.
85.21
Furthermore, the Ṣaṭpāramitā-saṃgraha-sūtra states: There are further four kinds of wisdom endowed with wisdom. What are the four? First, not abiding in the view of annihilationism. Second, not entering into the view of eternalism. Third, comprehending the twelve links of dependent origination. Fourth, enduring the practice of non-self.
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The bodhisattva further has four kinds of guarding the Dharma endowed with wisdom. What are the four? First, guarding the Dharma master as if he were one's own sovereign. Second, guarding all roots of goodness. Third, protecting and caring for the world. Fourth, guarding the benefit of others. The bodhisattva further has four kinds of insatiable practices endowed with wisdom: First, delighting in hearing much without satiety. Second, delighting in preaching the Dharma without satiety. Third, practicing wisdom without satiety. Fourth, practicing knowledge without satiety.
85.23
Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra states: Sons of the Buddha, all buddhas have ten kinds of never missing the proper time. What are the ten? All buddhas never miss the proper time in attaining equal and perfect enlightenment. All buddhas never miss the proper time in [the fruition of] the karmic retribution of roots of goodness. All buddhas never miss the proper time in bestowing prophecies upon bodhisattvas. All buddhas never miss the proper time in manifesting spiritual powers in response to sentient beings. All buddhas never miss the proper time in manifesting the body of a Tathāgata. All buddhas never miss the proper time in practicing equanimity in all things. All buddhas never miss the proper time in entering cities and settlements. All buddhas never miss the proper time in gathering in joyful sentient beings. All buddhas never miss the proper time in not abandoning sentient beings difficult to transform, in order to tame them. All buddhas never miss the proper time in manifesting inconceivable, sovereign spiritual powers. Sons of the Buddha, these are the ten kinds of never missing the proper time of all buddhas.
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The verse says:
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The three paths obstruct and sever; / the six perfections are the common principle.
Giving, discipline, forbearance, and vigor, / dhyāna and wisdom enlighten the unenlightened.
The four immeasurables shine with benevolence; / the three trainings grieve with compassion.
These blessings and benefits alone / are truly exalted by the mind.
Defilement or purity follows feeling; / taking up or setting aside rests with oneself.
Understanding arises or is lost; / stop exhausting yourself in self-delusion!
The six obscurations have long blocked the way; / the eightfold right path is empty and harmonizing.
When merit and wisdom are both evoked, / principle and cognition are both penetrated.
85.26
Sympathetic Resonance Circumstances (briefly citing seven proofs)
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The tested proof at the shrine of the spirit of Lake Ting in the Jin;
Monk Shi Zhizhan of the Wei;
Monk Shi Huiyin of the Tang;
Monk Shi Huileng of the Tang;
Monk Shi Famin of the Tang;
Monk Shi Kongzang of the Tang;
Lady Xiao, wife of the Grand Master of the Siyuan of the Tang.
85.28
During the Jin dynasty, by the riverside in Yangzhou, there was the deity of Tinghu Lake, who was severe, harsh, and exceedingly wicked. At that time there was a visiting monk, a brāhmaṇa named Fazang, who was adept at reciting dhāraṇīs to ward off all kinds of evil poisons, with unfailing efficacy. There was another junior monk who studied mantras under Fazang; after several years, his studies were accomplished, and he too could subdue all malignant poisons. He therefore went to the temple of the Tinghu deity to lodge for the night, reciting mantras to subdue the god. That night he saw the god, and consequently died. When Master Zang heard that his disciple had died reciting mantras, he became resentful, came himself to the deity's temple that night, and recited mantras with an angry mind. The god appeared, and [Fazang] himself also met his death. In the same monastery was a monk who constantly upheld the Prajñā[pāramitā]. Hearing that both master and disciple had perished, he went to the god's abode and recited the Diamond Prajñā[pāramitā] at the temple that night. In the middle of the night, he heard a tremendous sound of wind. In an instant he saw a being: its form was immense, towering up terrifyingly, strange and fearsome, with long, sharp fangs and eyes like lightning, displaying manifold divine transformations beyond complete description. The scripture master sat upright in correct mindfulness, reciting the scripture without a moment's slackening; his mind had no fear, completely untroubled and unworried. Seeing his composure, the god withdrew his fierce majesty, came before the master, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms in reverence, and listened to the scripture to the end. The master asked the god, "What divine spirit is the dānapati, that you came so fiercely at first and later were so calm?" The god replied, "Because of evil karma, this disciple has received retribution like this; I am the god of this lake. Yet I deeply revere and have faith in the scripture master." [The master] asked again, "If you revere [the Dharma] with faith, why did you beat the previous two masters to death?" He answered, "The previous two masters died because they were unable to uphold the Mahāyāna scriptures. Reciting mantras with anger in their hearts, seeing this disciple arrive they hurled curses in defiance, exclusively chanting malignant words in an attempt to subdue me. I would not submit. At that time, seeing this disciple's terrifying form, the two monks naturally died of fright; it was not that this disciple intentionally slew the two monks." When the local clergy and laity saw the previous two monks killed, they thought the scripture master must also be dead and went together to look; they saw him safe and sound, his demeanor joyful and relaxed. The people of the time found it extraordinary and vied to ask the reason. He answered fully according to what had happened. Indeed, this was due to the power of the Prajñā[pāramitā], for the sacred teaching is not in vain. Many people thereupon resolved their minds to uphold the Prajñā[pāramitā].
85.29
Under the Wei, there was the monk Zhizhan of Xiancao Temple on Mount Rentou in Mount Taiyue. He was a native of Shanren county in Qizhou, and a disciple of Master Lang's great-grand-disciple. His conduct was genuine and solid; he simplified his affairs and spoke little. He lived at Xiancao Temple, which had been founded by Guṇavarman of the Song. He roamed among birds and beasts without alarming them, and constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra as his regular practice. On the day he was about to pass away, the śramaṇa Baozhi reported to Emperor Wu of Liang: "The monk of Shanzhuang county in the north who lives at Xiancao Temple is a srotāpanna noble one; today he enters nirvāṇa." When the clergy and laity of the capital of Yang[zhou] asked Zhi, he sent them all to pay remote homage. [Zhizhan] expired sitting upright, each of his hands extending one finger. A monk from Western India explained: "If he were a noble one of the second fruit, each would extend two fingers; Zhan extending one finger certainly means he is [of] the first fruit." He was buried on Mount Rentou and a stūpa was built to inter him; birds and beasts do not defile it, and it still stands today. Furthermore, in Yongzhou there was a monk who also recited the Lotus Sūtra and lived in seclusion on Mount Bailu; he moved a boy [spirit] to constantly attend upon him. When he died, his corpse was placed beneath a cliff; the rest of the bones dried and decayed, but his tongue remained uncorrupted for many years. Also, during the reign of Wucheng of Northern Qi, someone beside Mount Dongkan in Bingzhou dug the earth and found a patch of soil whose colour was yellowish-white, different from the surrounding area. Digging further, he found an object shaped like two human lips, with a tongue inside that was fresh vermilion-red. This was reported to the throne. When all the monks were questioned, none could explain it. The śramaṇa Master of the Great Bureau memorialized: "This was one who upheld the Lotus Sūtra, which keeps the six sense-faculties uncorrupted; reciting it attentively a thousand times will surely produce this sign." The Emperor then decreed to the Secretariat Drafter Gao Zhen: "You are a man of faith; go and see it yourself. There must be a spiritual anomaly. It should be transferred to a pure place and offerings made with a vegetarian feast." Receiving the imperial decree, Zhen went there, gathered śramaṇas who upheld the Lotus Sūtra, each holding an incense burner, purified their bodies and circumambulated it, praying: "The Bodhisattva's nirvāṇa is far in the past; as the semblance Dharma circulates, we uphold it without error. We pray that you manifest a spiritual sign." No sooner had the voice sounded than the lips and tongue began to move together; though no sound reached them, it seemed as if it were reciting. None of those who witnessed it failed to have their hair stand on end. Zhen reported the circumstances to the throne, and an imperial decree was issued to store it in a stone casket and move it to a mountain chamber. Also, in the first years of the Taihe era of the Wei, a court eunuch in the northern capital of Dai lamented that his mutilated body could not compare to other men. He soon memorialized asking to enter the mountains to cultivate the Way, and an imperial decree was issued granting it. He then took a copy of the Avataṃsaka, recited it day and night, and bowed in repentance without slackening. He returned to the mountain at the beginning of summer; by the end of the sixth month, his beard and moustache had fully grown, his male organ reappeared, and his manly appearance was completely restored as before. When the details were reported to the throne, Gaozu's faith increased and the inner palace was astonished. From this time on, the Avataṃsaka flourished even more in the land of Northern Dai. (The above two confirmations are seen in Hou Junsu's collection.)
85.30
Under the Tang, the monk Huiyin of Dazhuangyan Temple in the Western Capital had the secular surname Yu and was a native of Haiyan in Wujun. Naturally endowed with warmth and broad-mindedness, his discernment was pure and his understanding reached far. Later he went to Dharma Master Bian of Changgan [Temple] to study the Three Treatises, fathoming the subtle words of the dharmatā and propagating the profound purports of the complete teachings. Just like pouring water from one vessel into another, his green exceeded the indigo. After Bian retired in quietude to the mountains and forests, he entrusted his students to [Huiyin]. His disciples numbered more than five hundred, continuing the legacy and passing the lamp for nearly thirty years. In the eighth year of the Taijian era of the Chen, at the beginning of the rains retreat, he suddenly received an unseen emissary who said, "The King invites the Dharma Master." An entourage clamoured, and string and wind music resounded together. Immediately, his breath stopped as if his lifespan were relinquished, though his body remained as usual. After seven days had passed, he arose as if from deep samādhi. When his students asked about it, he said, "Look inside the chest to see what is there." Upon examination, two bolts of silk were found. Yin said, "These are sacrificial offerings." When asked again the reason, he said, "With delusions and inversions, what would one not do? I was summoned by King Yama. During the summer retreat I recited the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā; in the underworld it seemed as if three months had passed. I also saw all the aspects of the hells and the five torments in succession." Were it not that his compassion extended to the unseen and the manifest, and his practice reached the utmost sympathetic resonance, how could he have answered that prayer from the netherworld and spiritually journeyed to another realm? On the twelfth day of the second month of the first year of Zhenguan, he passed away at Dazhuangyan Temple at the age of eighty-nine.
85.31
Under the Tang, the monk Huileng of Zijin Temple in Xiangzhou had the surname Shentu. Whenever there was a doctrinal debate, he was always made to repeat and expound it; his speech was simple and plain, while his discourse on principle was penetrating and subtle. His contemporaries jointly called him "Leng Who Grasps the Meaning." By the middle of the first month of the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, Dharma Master Chang of Gantong Temple in Xiangzhou said, "I dreamed that King Yama invited Master Leng, wishing [him] to lecture on the Three Treatises, and Master Chang to lecture on the Lotus Sūtra. How about it?" Leng said, "Splendid! Huileng has made a vow always to abide in the hells to teach and transform sentient beings, expounding the Mahāyāna scriptures. Now that there is this sign, this vow shall be fulfilled." Towards the end of the ninth month, King Jiang, seeing Leng's vitality weakening, sent two ounces of milk from Shaozhou and urged him to take it. That evening, [Leng] dreamed of a man in robes and cap who said, "Do not take this milk. King Yama's adornment of the bodhimaṇḍa is already complete; there is milk medicine in great abundance." Around dusk in the middle of the tenth month, he felt unwell. He told his disciples, "My five internal organs have collapsed; there is no specific place of pain." Rising and sitting up at the fourth watch, he told the abbot Baodu, "I recall that at the age of eight, I went to Longquan Temple to borrow the Avalokiteśvara [Sūtra]; before reaching Gṛdhrakūṭa I had already lectured on it three times, as clearly as if it were before my eyes." Before his words were finished, a loud voice outside called, "Dharma Master, rise early and burn incense! The emissary has arrived." Du said, "Who is it?" The voice answered, "King Yama's emissary has come to welcome Dharma Master Leng." He immediately arose, burned incense, bathed, made repentance, and bowed to the Buddha. Returning to his room, he bid farewell to Du. Before he finished eating his gruel, he took his lifelong personal notes and burned them, saying, "If others read these private notes, they will not grasp their essential meaning." At the time of the morning meal, an extraordinary fragrance suddenly wafted in; Leng composed his expression and passed away. This was the sixteenth day of the tenth month of the fourteenth year; he was sixty-five years old.
85.32
Under the Tang, the monk Famin of Jinglin Temple in Yuezhou had the surname Sun and was a native of Danyang. His lectures on the Lotus Sūtra and the Three Treatises were unceasing. In the first year of Zhenguan, he left and returned to Danyang, where he lectured on the Avataṃsaka and Nirvāṇa scriptures. In the second year, Area Commander Tian of Yuezhou summoned him back to Yiyin Temple; when he lectured, several thousand monastics and laypeople celebrated this joyous gathering. In the nineteenth year, the gentlemen and commoners of Kuaiji invited him to Jinglin to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Towards the end of the sixth month, right as the assembly gathered for the lecture, there was a snake whose upper half hung above Min's crown; it was about seven feet long, golden in colour, and emanated five-coloured light, vanishing only when the lecture concluded. At the end of the summer, he returned to Yiyin Temple. At night, two men in red garments paid homage to Min and said, "The Dharma Master's lectures on the four great scriptures have immeasurable merit. You must go to another realm to teach and transform; thus we have come from the east to welcome the Dharma Master." Several tens of disciples all saw this sign. On the seventeenth day of the eighth month—the preceding three days and three nights having been inexplicably dark and murky—just as he was about to pass away, a great light suddenly shone forth, bright as day in the night. Thereupon he passed away at the age of sixty-seven. When his corpse was kept for seven days, the extraordinary fragrance did not dissipate.
85.33
In the Tang, there was Shi Kongzang of Huichang Temple in the capital. His family name was Wang. His ancestors were from Jinyang, and they now lived in Xinfeng County, Yongzhou. When his mother first conceived him, she naturally refrained from wine and meat, and did not taste pungent roots. Considering him comparable to Śāriputra, she secretly marvelled at it. After his birth, his spiritual insight showed itself day by day, and his temperament and purpose were lofty and far-reaching. Chanting the scriptures and treatises, he held in mind the salvation [of beings]. In intelligence and diligence he was peerless, chanting ten thousand words a day. When he grew up, he had memorized in total more than three hundred scrolls of scriptures and treatises. He compiled the essential Mahāyāna passages of various sūtras into more than ten scrolls, which circulated throughout the world. Daily he bowed once through the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa. In spring and summer he practiced the Vaipulya [repentance], always sitting without lying down; his vigorous diligence was hard to surpass, not wasting an inch of time. On the twelfth day of the fifth month in the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, he passed away at Huichang [Temple], at the age of seventy-four. His body was deposited by the side of Longchi Temple, where his bones were gathered and a stupa erected. The bones of his cranium were open between the two ears; there were twin apertures at the crown, and the eye sockets joined in apertures, three on each side. His disciples, recalling him after his departure forever, erected a stele at Huichang Temple; Yu Zhining, Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and Duke of the State of Yan, composed the inscription. There was also Shi Yiyu, who constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra more than a thousand times. At the beginning of the Zhenguan era, when he was nearing his end due to illness, he left instructions to his friend Huikuo, saying: 'Lately, although I have recited the scripture, my wish was to behold a spiritual verification. After my body dies, do not expose my corpse; bury it for ten years, and then please dig it up to see whether the organ of my tongue has rotted. If indeed it is not decayed, build a stupa for it to demonstrate the efficacy of the scripture.' Having finished speaking, he died. He was buried according to his instructions. In the eleventh year of Zhenguan, Huikuo and close friends went to the grave and opened it. The flesh of the body was entirely gone; only the tongue had not decayed. The men and women of the whole county all looked upon it with reverence. Enshrining the tongue in a casket, they erected a stupa and inscription for it on the southern bank of the Xinggu River north of Yanglu. Those who understood held it in reverence, gave rise to faith, and recited the sūtras. There was also Shi Hexhi of Shenan Village, south of the Fushui River in Fenggu Township, west of the capital. In his youth he cherished virtuous thoughts and constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra. At the time of his death, by sympathetic resonance there was an extraordinary fragrance, hovering densely throughout the whole village. Ten years after his burial, when his wife died, they opened the grave to bury them together; they saw that his tongue was fresh and bright, extraordinarily red. Moreover, the elder brother of Xiao, Vice Director and Duke of the State of Song, was the Chief Minister of the Court of the Imperial Treasury. His honor and rank were lofty and noble, and the national history records his biography in full. Gladly cherishing the work of the Way, he wasted not an inch of time, having recited the Lotus Sūtra from memory more than ten thousand times. The two brothers each produced a thousand sets of the Lotus Sūtra, having scholars transcribe them with purity and collation free of errors. Decorating them and enclosing them in caskets, they distributed them for circulation. They recorded a copy of the names of the persons who requested and received them, personally bowing in reverence once each day and night. The Duke of Song himself compiled a sūtra commentary in more than ten scrolls, extensively collecting from various masters over nearly half a lifetime, gathering their quintessence and blending it with his own reflections. When free from duties throughout the four seasons, he would ascend the seat and constantly lecture. Whenever he began expounding the title, he would always invite the celebrated and virtuous as well as court and regional dignitaries of the capital, attending the seats in person to fulfill the duties of host and guest. His elder brother, the Chief Minister, was fond of chanting and reciting. He personally collated the thousand sets of the Lotus Sūtra he had copied. Every day at morning audience, he would certainly have his attendants hold the scripture before him; whenever there was leisure amidst official duties, he would collate and read it himself, reciting it once a day as his constant practice. The spiritual auguries and signs are quite difficult to record; his lineage was exalted and lofty, and did not like having such matters transmitted. (These four verifications above are from the Tang Biographies of Eminent Monks.)
85.34
The Tang lady née Xiao was the wife of Cui Yiqi, Grand Master of Siyuan. She was the daughter of Xiao Keng, and Keng was a nephew of the Vice Director. Lady Xiao was jealous and prone to anger by nature, fond of beating bondservants, and did not believe in karmic retribution. In the first year of Linde, she accompanied the imperial entourage to Luoyang, and in the first month of the second year she died, ending up in hell. Under Lady Xiao there was a maidservant she had always favored, named Runyu, about eighteen years of age. Although she was a Liao bondmaid, her appearance was upright and handsome, and her nature and intelligence were sharp; she had faithful joy in the Buddha's Dharma. In the second month, the family held a third-seven-day vegetarian feast for the lady. At the time when the monks were eating, the lady came of herself, wearing a cangue on her neck and chains around her waist, escorted by hell lictors, to view the feast. Other people did not know of it; only this maidservant saw it. The lady's spirit possessed this maidservant to speak, and her voice was no different from the lady's voice during her lifetime. She had her convey a message to all the family, great and small, saying: 'Since I married into the Cui family, by nature I was prone to anger, gave way to groundless jealousy, loved to beat bondservants, and moreover did not believe in cause and effect. Now I have arrived in hell and am suffering exceedingly heavy punishment, undergoing all kinds of torments that cannot be fully spoken of. Hearing that the household is holding a feast for me today on the third seventh day, I requested the hell magistrate to grant me one day's leave to come briefly to view the feast. Tell your sons, daughters, and the entire household, great and small: since I lived together with you, I committed the three bodily, four verbal, and three mental poisons of wrath, being fond of getting angry and beating you, as well as being jealous of my husband and the maidservants and concubines he looked upon, committing all kinds of unwholesome deeds. Having set in motion evil karma, I now receive suffering retribution, which cannot be recounted in full. May you, my sons and daughters, the entire household great and small, inner and outer relatives, accept my repentance and grant me gladness. However, you, my sons and daughters, remembering the kindness of my nursing and feeding you, quickly renounce and donate the goods and articles I used during my life to cultivate blessings, hoping to deliver me from the dark torments. When you hold a feast for me on the seventh seventh day, cause this merit to be swiftly accomplished. When my feast day arrives, I will ask the magistrate again in hopes of being able to come once more. Tell my husband, sons, daughters, and the rest: during his life, my husband has been hot-tempered and prone to wrath; he must not excessively beat the bondservants in anger. Exhort him to believe in the Three Jewels, to revere high and low, and to practice the vegetarian fast, precepts, giving, and patience without cessation.' When she was about to leave, she said to her sons and daughters: 'I will take Runyu away for a while, to let her see in hell what my punishment and agony are like. After five or six days, I will release her back, to let you, my sons and daughters, know the reality of my punishment and agony.' After she spoke these words, Runyu died immediately. Only the area above her heart remained warm while the rest of her body was cold; she lay on the ground, and they did not dare bury her. When this maidservant reached hell, she saw the courtyard gate of a grand hall, guarded by strict troops, which was said to be the King's hall, into which she dared not peer. Walking to the eastern courtyard, she saw another hall with a high official in it, who was said to be the magistrate who judges crimes. Passing further to the east of the courtyard hall, there were hells with all kinds of instruments of torment, exactly as in paintings. The lady said to the maid: 'Look at the misery of my punishment.' After she spoke these words, all sorts of hell lictors and rākṣasas immediately tossed and threw the lady, butchering and cutting her flesh, and boiling her in cauldrons of soup. After being boiled, she returned to life; after returning to life, she further went through various hells where iron tongs drew out her tongue and iron birds pecked it; she was also laid on an iron bed, where flying birds and fierce fires struck her body all at once. After dying, she returned to life, and after returning to life, she again suffered various torments that cannot be recounted in full. When the lady revived, she immediately saw her father, Xiao Keng, soaring through the sky seated upon a purple-gold lotus throne. Throughout his lifetime and through all his official posts, Keng had never consumed wine, meat, or pungent roots; he constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra, once every day, revered the Three Jewels, and bowed and chanted without neglect during the six periods of the day and night. Now born in a good realm, seeing his daughter suffering, he came to rescue her. He then said to his daughter: 'During my lifetime, I constantly exhorted you to generate faith and cease wrath, but you would not heed my words, bringing about this disaster today. Why, moreover, have you brought this maidservant here?' The daughter replied to her father, saying: 'Because during my life I did not believe and am now suffering punishment, I therefore brought this maidservant to see the severity of my punishment, so that she may convey it to the sons and daughters of the household and cause them to generate faith.' Hearing this, the father gave his approval, and said to his daughter: 'Although I have been born in a good realm, I cannot wholly save you from your misery. Strive diligently to encourage yourself to arouse the aspiration, and moreover rely on the household's blessings and goodness to assist you together; then you may firmly hope to get out and ascend to human or heavenly rebirth.' After he spoke these words, suddenly a brāhmaṇa master, youthful and handsome, also came flying through the air, and said to the lady: 'Because you did not believe in cause and effect, you now suffer punishment. I do not know how this maidservant's faculties and intelligence are; I wish to teach her to recite sūtras, so that she may transmit them to the household and cause worldly people to generate faith.' The lady replied, saying: 'Please, Master, simply teach her; this maidservant is clever and can manage to recite the sūtras.' The master then first taught her to recite the Diamond Prajñā; when she first received two or three lines, she forgot one or two phrases, but as he continued to instruct her, she gradually managed half a page and a full page, and in a short while recited it without forgetting. He further taught her to recite the Bhaiṣajyaguru and the Lotus Sūtras, which she did not forget once received. All three of these texts were in Sanskrit sounds, not in the Chinese language; the diction was standard and correct, the pronunciation and rhythm clear and bright, and the passages thoroughly memorized. She was then released to return. When she was about to leave, he said: 'When you arrive home, recite them for whoever you meet. The Chinese, whether clergy or lay, do not distinguish your sounds; have them seek a brāhmaṇa skilled in Sanskrit, and let him listen to your recitation; only then will they know its quality. Many people in the world believe in heresy and serve Daoism, not taking joy in the Buddha's Dharma. Once they see that you, a Liao bondmaid, can still recite three Sanskrit sūtras, how could they fail to generate faith? If even one person can be turned from error into correctness, not only will the lady attain blessings, but your own future retribution will also not fall into the three evil destinies.' Having received these words, she was released. Arriving home, she regained consciousness, was as before, and immediately gathered the household, high and low, to recount in full the lady's suffering in hell. Still fearing that the master and young gentlemen would not believe, she lay down on the ground and acted out the lady's suffering in hell: at times saying, 'Watch the lady swallowing hot iron balls,' opening her mouth to swallow them, her mouth red and belly burning like fire; at times saying, 'Watch the lady undergoing the iron plow tilling her tongue,' sticking out her tongue two or three feet; at times saying, 'Watch the lady suffering the iron bed,' her body turning red and hot vapor rising like fire. Having thus manifested all kinds of agony, she then revived. She further recounted the matter of seeing the lady's father admonishing her, and recounted seeing the brāhmaṇa teach her to recite the scriptures, intending for the lady to escape hell and ascend to heavenly retribution. This maidservant then sat upright for the household and recited, phrase by phrase and sentence by sentence, all in Sanskrit sounds, her voice clear and resonant, causing people to listen with joy. When the household, great and small, saw this spiritual verification of good and evil, the likes of which had rarely been heard, the lady's sons, daughters, great and small, threw themselves to the ground, weeping and wailing with sorrow and grief, exceeding the pain of her initial death. Clerics, laypeople, and commandery officials who heard of it all exhorted one another, changed their minds to take refuge and believe, and observed the vegetarian fast and precepts without cessation. In the first year of Linde, four brāhmaṇas from the Western Regions came to present the Buddha's cranial bone relic. On that occasion, a vegetarian feast was held in the household of their relative, General Xue Rengui, where all relatives gathered. The various officials conferred together, saying: 'Although this maidservant can recite Sanskrit sūtras, none of us can distinguish them. Let us therefore invite and request these four brāhmaṇas to come to the general's residence for the feast, and also summon this maidservant; do not tell the four monks that she learned to recite in hell, but merely deceive them by saying that another brāhmaṇa recited these three sūtras to her, to test secretly whether it is true or false.' Thereupon, facing the Western monks, they had the maidservant recite. When she had recited the Diamond Prajñā, the four brāhmaṇas all stood up at once, joined their palms in wondrous praise at this rare and unprecedented marvel: 'For what reason can a Chinese person achieve this?' When she further recited the Bhaiṣajyaguru and Lotus Sūtras, they were even more delighted and revered her like a teacher. They then conveyed through an interpreter, saying: 'For what reason does this girl possess such skillful pronunciation and diction? The sentences are canonical and correct, and her mastery of the texts is without error. Even among those in our Western Regions who are skilled at recitation, none can match this. This is not something an ordinary person could achieve!' Only then did the officials tell them the truth. The Western monks wept tears, [saying]: 'Were it not for the dark assistance of holy power, how could her words and diction be so canonical and correct?' The officials, clerics, and laypeople who witnessed this grieved with sighs, deeply believed in the Buddha's Dharma, and did not dare treat it lightly. Because of seeing this matter, the general memorialized it upward to reach the Emperor. The Emperor issued an edict to the hundred officials: 'Know with faith that the Buddha's Dharma is superior to all the holy ones and aided by dark protection; who could fail to believe?' The hundred officials bowed in thanks, celebrating what they had never heard before: 'It is truly because the great blessings and kindness of the Three Jewels are profound, and their compassionate shade covers the four kinds of born beings, which is not something the foolish minds of subjects can fathom. Since both holy and ordinary benefit from it, how could one not believe?' (Grand Master Cui also died in the second year of Linde. His residence was on the south side of the grand avenue of the west gate of Yishan Ward, east of the palace city in the Western Capital. A monk on the road visited his house, saw the maid reciting the scriptures, and recounted it in full like this.)
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- 法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese