釋氏要覽 1.68

1.68

智度論云。梵語娑檀陀。秦言大德。律中多呼佛為大德○毘奈耶律云。佛言從今日從小下苾芻於長宿處應喚大德○此方比丘若宣補者。僧史略云。即唐代宗大曆六年四月五日。勅京城僧尼臨壇大德。各置十人。以為常式。此帶臨壇而有大德二字。此為始也○增輝記云。行滿德高。曰大德。

The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "In Sanskrit, it is bhadanta; in the language of the Qin, it is dàdé (great virtue). In the vinaya, the Buddha is frequently called bhadanta." The Vinaya states: "The Buddha said: 'From this day forward, junior monks should address senior, long-standing monks as bhadanta.'" Regarding monks who are officially appointed here [in China], the Sengshilüe states: "On the fifth day of the fourth month in the sixth year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty (771 CE), it was decreed that ten platform-officiating bhadantas (lintan dade) be established each for the monks and nuns of the capital as a regular institution. This was the beginning of combining 'lintan' with the two characters 'dade.'" The Zenghui ji states: "One whose practice is complete and virtue is exalted is called bhadanta."