釋氏要覽 1.54

1.54

"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."