[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [釋氏要覽](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127) › 1.279 # 釋氏要覽 1.279 釋氏要覽 1.279 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.279](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1.279) 此非五部衣色。乃是國朝賜沙門故今尚之。僧史略云。按唐書。則天朝有僧法朗等九人。重譯大雲經畢。並賜紫袈裟。銀龜袋。此賜衣之始也。自後諸代皆行此賜。至大宋太平興國初。許四海僧入殿庭。乞比試三學。下開封府。差僧證經律論義。十條全通。乃賜紫衣。號為手表僧。以其面手進表也。尋因功德使奏。今天下一家。不須手表求選勅依自此每遇　皇帝誕節。親王宰輔。節度下至正刺史。得上表薦所知僧道紫衣惟兩街僧錄所薦得入內是日授門下牒。給紫衣。四事。謂之簾前紫。此最榮觀也。然此衣。以國恩故得著。極不容易。皆形相分。按東觀奏記云。大中年。大安國寺僧修會能詩應制。才思清拔。一日聞帝乞紫衣。帝曰。不於汝怪但觀汝相有闕未賜也。及賜著歸寺。忽暴病而卒。近代亦屢有此人焉。 > This is not the robe color of the five schools, but rather was bestowed upon śramaṇas by the imperial court; therefore it is prized today. The Brief History of the Saṅgha states: "According to the Tang Documents, during the reign of Zetian, the monk Falang and nine others completed the retranslation of the Great Cloud Sūtra, and were all bestowed purple kaṣāyas and silver fish-purses. This was the beginning of the bestowal of robes. Thereafter, subsequent dynasties all practiced this bestowal. In the early Taiping Xingguo era of the Great Song, monks from across the realm were permitted to enter the palace courtyard to request testing on the three trainings. An edict was sent down to the Kaifeng Superior Prefecture to dispatch monks to examine them on the meaning of the sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras. If they fully understood all ten topics, they were bestowed a purple robe and designated as 'petition-in-hand monks,' because they presented petitions in person by hand. Soon after, the Commissioner of Merits memorialized: 'Now the realm is one family; there is no need to seek selection by petition in hand.' An edict approved this. From then on, whenever it was the Emperor's birthday, imperial princes, grand councilors, military commissioners down to prefects could present petitions to recommend known Buddhist and Daoist monks for purple robes; only those recommended by the Monastic Rectors of the Two Streets could enter the inner palace. On that day, an official diploma from the Chancellery was conferred, and the purple robe and the four requisites were bestowed; this was called the 'purple before the curtain,' which was the most glorious spectacle. However, regarding this robe, because it is worn through national grace, it is extremely difficult; it all depends on one's physiognomic destiny. According to the Dongguan zouji, during the Dazhong era, the monk Xiuhui of Da'anguo Monastery was skilled at composing poetry on imperial command, and his talent was clear and outstanding. One day, hearing the Emperor, he begged for a purple robe. The Emperor said: 'I find no fault with you, but observing your physiognomy, there is a deficiency; it has not yet been bestowed.' When it was bestowed and he returned to the monastery wearing it, he suddenly fell violently ill and died. In recent times, there have frequently been such people as well." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.278](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1.278) - [Next: 1.280](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1.280) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127~en-mt.1.279) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [大宋僧史略](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2126.3.10) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1.279](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2127.1.279) · Pramāṇa