釋氏要覽 1.54

1.54

師範也。大簡小之言也○佛稱三界大師者○瑜伽論云。能化導無量眾生令苦寂滅。又云。摧滅邪穢外道。出現世間。故號大師。若凡夫比丘。蒙勅賜號者○僧史略云。肇自唐懿宗咸通十一年十一月十四日。延慶節。內道場談論。左街。雲顥賜三慧大師。右街僧徹賜淨光大師。可孚賜法智大師。重謙賜青蓮大師此為始也○瑜伽論云。略有大師。五種功德。一於諸戒行終無誤失二善建立法三善制所學四於善立善制中隨所疑惑等皆能善斷五教授出離。

"Great master" (dàshī) means an exemplar. "Great" distinguishes him from the small. The Buddha is called the Great Master of the Three Realms. The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "Because he is able to transform and guide immeasurable sentient beings, bringing their suffering to extinction, and because he demolishes corrupt heretics and appears in the world, he is called the Great Master." If ordinary monks receive this title bestowed by imperial decree, the Sengshilüe states: "This began on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month in the eleventh year of the Xiantong era of Emperor Yizong of the Tang dynasty (870 CE), on the Festival of Prolonging Celebrations. During debates in the inner palace chapel, Yunhao of the Left Street was bestowed the title Great Master of Threefold Wisdom; Sengche of the Right Street was bestowed the title Great Master of Pure Light; Kefu was bestowed the title Great Master of Dharma Wisdom; and Chongqian was bestowed the title Great Master of the Blue Lotus. This was the beginning of it." The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "In brief, a great master possesses five kinds of virtues: 1. having no error or lapse in all moral conduct; 2. skillfully establishing the Dharma; 3. skillfully instituting what is to be trained in; 4. being able to resolve skillfully all doubts regarding what has been skillfully established and instituted; and 5. instructing [sentient beings] in emancipation."