出三藏記集 15.6

15.6

Shi Dao'an was originally surnamed Wei, and was a native of Fuliu in Changshan. He left home at the age of twelve. Although his inner spirit was intelligent and quick, his physical appearance was exceptionally ugly, so he was not esteemed by his master. He was sent to work in the fields for three years, yet he undertook his strenuous duties and bore hard labor without the slightest look of resentment. Sincere and devoted in his vigorous progress, he observed the fasting precepts without lapse. Only after several years did he address his master to request a sūtra. His master gave him one scroll of the Bianyi jing (Sūtra on the Questions of Debate), containing some five thousand words. Dao'an took the sūtra into the fields and read it during his breaks. In the evening, when he returned, he gave the sūtra back to his master and requested another sūtra. The master said, 'You did not read the sūtra from yesterday, and now you ask for another?' He replied, 'I have already memorized it.' Although his master found this extraordinary, he did not yet believe it. He gave him another sūtra, one scroll of the Chengju guangming jing (Sūtra of Complete Luminance), of just under ten thousand words. Dao'an took it as before, and in the evening returned it to his master. His master held the text and tested him on it; he did not miss a single character. His master was greatly amazed, respected him, and marveled at him. Later, he had him receive the full precepts and permitted him to travel where he wished. When he arrived in Ye, he entered the Central Monastery and met Fotudeng. Fotudeng marveled at him upon seeing him and spoke with him the entire day. Seeing that his appearance did not match his renown, the assembly looked down upon him and found him strange. Fotudeng said, 'This man has far-reaching insight; he is not of your kind.' Previously, although the sūtras had circulated for a long time, old translations were often erroneous, causing profound meanings to remain obscure and inaccessible. Whenever it came to expounding the texts, people merely narrated the general gist or chanted the words, nothing more. Dao'an thoroughly examined the sūtras and śāstras, fathoming their depths and bringing out their far-reaching subtleties. In his commentaries on various sūtras such as the Prajñā, Daoxing, Guhyaka, and Ānāpāna, he investigated the text sentence by sentence, determining the underlying logic of their beginning and ending sections, resolving doubts, and discerning clear interpretations, totaling twenty-two scrolls. His prefaces were profound and rich, thoroughly exhausting the subtle tenets; once the structure was systematically organized, the literary style and principles coalesced, and the sūtras' meanings became brilliantly clear. This truly began with Dao'an. Moreover, from the Han to the Jin dynasty, the sūtras arriving had gradually increased, but the names of those who transmitted the texts were often unrecorded, so later people tracing them could not ascertain their dates. Dao'an thereupon assembled all titles, identified the figures of each period, evaluated the new and old, and compiled a catalogue of sūtras. That the various sūtras possess verifiable provenance is truly due to his merit. Scholars from the four quarters vied to go and take him as their teacher; more than five hundred disciples received instruction, including Fatai and Huiyuan. When the turmoil of the Shi clan arose, he said to his assembly, 'Now there are natural disasters of drought and locusts, and bandits run rampant. If we remain together, we cannot survive; yet to disperse entirely is not permissible.' He then led his assembly into Mount Wangwu and Mount Nüji. Shortly afterward, he crossed the Yellow River again to rely on Mount Luhun, living on wild fruit and cultivating his studies. Soon Murong Jun passed through Luhun, whereupon Dao'an went south to flee to Xinye. He held counsel again, saying, 'Now we encounter bad years; unless we rely on the ruler of a state, the affairs of the Dharma can hardly be established. Moreover, the body of teaching and transforming should be broadly distributed.' Everyone said, 'We will follow the Master's instructions.' He then ordered Fatai to go to Yangzhou, saying, 'There are many gentlemen there who admire refined pursuits.' He sent Fahe into Shu, saying, 'The mountains and waters are suitable for cultivating serenity.' Dao'an and more than five hundred disciples, including Huiyuan, crossed the river and traveled by night. Encountering a thunderstorm, they advanced by the flashes of lightning. Ahead, they reached a homestead and saw within the gate a pair of horse-troughs, between which hung a horse nose-bag capable of holding about one hu. Dao'an then called out, 'Lin Bosheng!' The host came out startled, and was indeed surnamed Lin and named Bosheng. Believing Dao'an to be a divine man, he received and entertained him with great generosity. Afterwards, the disciples asked, 'How did you know his surname and personal name?' Dao'an said, 'Two pieces of wood (mu) make a Lin (forest); a nose-bag holds a sheng (measure).' He then settled in Xiangyang. When Xi Zuochi heard of him, he went to visit him. Having taken his seat, Xi said, 'Xi Zuochi of the Four Seas.' Dao'an said, 'Shi Dao'an who fills the heavens.' People of the time all considered this a famous exchange. Xi Zuochi once sent Dao'an several tens of pears. As Dao'an was just holding a lecture, he cut and distributed them with his own hands; the pears were finished exactly when everyone had received one, without anyone being left out. Xi Chao of Gaoping sent a messenger with a thousand shi of rice, and wrote a letter several pages long expressing deep devotion. Dao'an replied, 'Receiving the rice makes me feel all the more acutely the burden of having material needs.' Xi Zuochi wrote a letter to Xie An, saying, 'Coming here, I met Shi Dao'an, who is indeed far superior and extraordinary. The teacher and his disciples number several hundred; their fasting and lecturing are unflagging. He has no magical arts of transformation to bewilder the ears and eyes of ordinary people, nor has he heavy authority or great power to regulate the discrepancies of lesser men; yet the teacher and pupils are solemn and mutually respectful, dignified and harmonious. He is a person the likes of whom I have never seen before. His intellectual disposition is straightforward and sincere, and he is broadly learned; he has skimmed through and read nearly all external and internal writings, and is also fully versed in yin-yang and astronomy/numerology. The Buddhist sūtras are naturally his greatest specialty. In producing commentaries, he resembles the likes of Falan and Fazu; comprehending everything through the Great Non-being, he does not stoop to merely equalizing things, yet his intellect gallops freely within standard limits. I only regret that you cannot see him; he also often speaks of wishing to meet you.' Such was the high esteem in which he was held by the worthy of his time. Dao'an spent fifteen years on the Fan and Han rivers. Every year he regularly lectured twice through the Fangguang jing (Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra), never failing or omitting it. Huan Chong invited him to come out to Jiangling; later, when Zhu Xu was garrisoned in the west, he again invited him back to Xiangyang. Fu Jian had long heard of his renown and often said, 'Xiangyang has Shi Dao'an, who is a vessel of extraordinary renown; I am about to summon him to assist my own person.' Later, when Fu Jian attacked Xiangyang, Dao'an and Zhu Xu were both captured by Fu Jian. Fu Jian said to his Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, Quan Yi, 'With an army of a hundred thousand, I took Xiangyang, but I only obtained one and a half persons.' Quan Yi said, 'Who are they?' Fu Jian said, 'Master Dao'an is one person, and Xi Zuochi is half a person.' When Dao'an arrived, he resided in the Wuzhong Monastery within the city of Chang'an, where the monastic assembly numbered several thousands, and he greatly propagated the Dharma's transformation. Originally, śramaṇas of the Wei and Jin took their master's clan name as their own surname, and thus their surnames were all different. Dao'an considered that among the origins of the Great Teacher, none was more venerable than Śākya, and so he took Shi as his surname. Later, when the Ekottarika-āgama was obtained, it indeed stated that when the four rivers enter the sea, they no longer retain the names of rivers, and that when the four castes become śramaṇas, they are all called of the Śākya clan. Since this coincided so remarkably with the sūtra, it subsequently became the standard model for later generations. Dao'an was well-read in various secular texts and was skilled in composition. The refined youths of Chang'an who composed poetry and rhapsodies all associated with him to gain acclaim. When he discussed the Feng and Ya odes with the student Yang Hongzhong, it was all reasoned and profound. Earlier, Fu Jian had inherited the turmoil of the Shi clan; by this time, the population was wealthy and prosperous, and the four quarters were largely pacified, with only the southeast corner not yet submitting. Whenever Fu Jian conversed with his attendants, he never failed to express a desire to unify the region east of the Yangtze; he intended to make the Jin emperor Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Xie An a Palace Attendant. Fu Jian's younger brother, the Duke of Pingyang Fu Rong, as well as court officials Shi Yue and Yuan Shao, all earnestly remonstrated with him, but in the end could not turn him back. Because Dao'an was respected and trusted by Fu Jian, Shao and the others jointly beseeched Dao'an, saying, 'The Sovereign is about to undertake a campaign in the southeast; how could you, Master, not say a word on behalf of the common people?' It happened that Fu Jian went out to the Eastern Park and commanded Dao'an to ascend the imperial carriage to ride with him. The Vice Director Quan Yi remonstrated, 'I have heard that when the Son of Heaven takes his ceremonial chariot, the Palace Attendants ride along. Dao'an has disfigured his form; how could he take a place in the imperial carriage?' Fu Jian sternly changed his countenance and said, 'Master Dao'an's virtue is venerable; I would not exchange him for the entire realm. Although the glory of the imperial carriage is great, to him it is mere rotten stench.' He immediately ordered Quan Yi to assist Dao'an in mounting the carriage. Shortly after, looking back at Master Dao'an, he said, 'I shall travel south with you to Wu and Yue, organize the Six Armies to conduct an imperial tour of inspection, climb Mount Kuaiji and gaze upon the vast sea; would that not be delightful?' Dao'an replied, 'Dānapati, in accord with Heaven you govern the world, possessing the wealth of the eight provinces; residing in the Central Plains, you control the four seas. You ought to rest your spirit in non-action and match the majesty of Yao and Shun. Now you intend to seek out the infertile land of the lowest grade with an army of a million men. Moreover, the land in the southeast is low-lying and the pestilential air is severe. In antiquity, Shun and Yu traveled there and did not return; the First Emperor of Qin went there and never came back. In my humble view, this does not meet with my foolish approval. The Duke of Pingyang is your close kin, and Shi Yue is an important minister; both considered it impermissible, yet were still rebuffed. I am base and shallow, and my words will certainly not be accepted; but having received your generous treatment, dare I not offer my utmost sincerity?' Fu Jian said, 'It is not because my territory is not broad or my people are insufficient to govern; it is to examine the Mandate of Heaven and clarify where the Great Cycle resides. To conduct tours of inspection according to the seasons is also recorded in the ancient canons. If it were as you say, would emperors have no texts about inspecting the provinces?' Dao'an said, 'If the imperial carriage must move, you may temporarily visit Luoyang, display your might, nurture your strength, and transmit manifests across the southern river. If they do not submit, it will not be too late to attack them.' Fu Jian did not heed him. He then sent Fu Rong, the Duke of Pingyang, and others with an elite force of 250,000 as the vanguard, while Fu Jian personally led 600,000 infantry and cavalry. When they arrived, Jin dispatched General Who Subdues the Caitiffs Xie Shi and Inspector of Xuzhou Xie Xuan to resist them. Fu Jian's army suffered a major collapse, and the Jin army pursued the fleeing troops for more than thirty li; the dead were piled upon one another. Fu Rong's horse fell, and his head was severed; Fu Jian fled on a single horse, just as had been cautioned. Soon afterwards, Fu Jian was besieged by Murong Chong. At that time, Dao'an was also inside the city of Chang'an. On the eighth day of the second month in the twenty-first year of the illegitimate Jianyuan era (385 CE), having finished his vegetarian meal, he passed away without illness. He was buried in the Wuji Monastery. Prior to his demise, Wang Jia went to visit Dao'an. Dao'an said, 'Worldly affairs being like this, disaster is about to reach men. Shall we depart together?' Wang Jia said, 'It is as you say; but before traveling together, I have a small debt that is not yet settled, so I cannot leave with you.' When Yao Chang took Chang'an, Wang Jia was still inside the city. Yao Chang and Fu Jian had been stalemated for a long time; troubled by this, Yao Chang asked Wang Jia, 'Will I obtain the realm or not?' He replied, 'Lüe de (you will obtain it through Lüe / you will roughly obtain it).' Yao Chang said in anger, 'If I am to obtain it, say that I will obtain it; what do you mean by "lüe"?' He thereupon had him beheaded. This was what Wang Jia had meant by 'owing a debt.' After Yao Chang died, his son, Yao Lüe, was finally able to kill Fu Jian and declare himself emperor; this was what was meant by 'obtaining it through Lüe.' Wang Jia, styled Zinian, was a native of Longxi. His physical appearance was crude and ugly, appearing deficient; he was witty and fond of jokes, yet he did not eat the five grains, practicing breath-control in purity and lightness. All revered and served him. When people went to inquire about good and bad fortunes, Wang Jia answered accordingly; his words were laughable, like teasing, and his phrasing resembled prophetic verses, impossible to understand, but after events passed, they all proved accurate. On the day Wang Jia died, someone saw him on the Long mountains. The subtle communion of the Dharma Master with divine men was entirely of this sort. Earlier, when Dao'an heard that Kumārajīva was in the Western Regions, he wished to analyze the subtle teachings together with him. Dao'an urged Fu Jian to bring him. Kumārajīva also heard of Dao'an's reputation from afar, considering him a sage of the East, and constantly bowed to him from afar. Earlier, when Dao'an was born, on his left arm there was a piece of skin about an inch wide adhering to the arm like a bracelet, which could move up and down, but could not come off past his hand. People of the time called him the 'Bodhisattva with the Sealed Hand.' Dao'an passed away more than twenty years before Kumārajīva finally arrived. Kumārajīva lamented that they had not met, feeling profound sorrow and regret. Dao'an was deeply devoted to the scriptural texts, making it his mission to propagate the Dharma. He invited foreign śramaṇas such as Saṅghabhūti, Dharmanandin, and Saṅghadeva, who translated various sūtras totaling more than one million words. He frequently examined and determined phonetics and characters together with the śramaṇa Fahe, carefully verifying the purport of the texts; the newly translated scriptures thereby attained correctness. In his Lunmu of Famous and Virtuous Śramaṇas, Sun Xinggong wrote: 'Shi Dao'an was erudite and multitalented, thoroughly versed in the sūtras and eminent principles.' Such was how he was described in his time. Fahe was a native of Jizhou. Quiet and principled in his conduct, he had received instruction under the same master as Master Dao'an in his youth. He was skilled in clarifying the main threads of treatises and dispelling doubts and perplexities. Whenever Master Dao'an obtained scriptures, they always collated them together. Later he traveled to Luoyang and also invited Saṅghadeva to re-translate texts such as the Vibhāṣā. Residing in Yangping Monastery, when he was over eighty years of age, he was invited by the illegitimate Duke of Jin, Yao Xu, to assemble the monks for a fast and lecture. He instructed his disciples, saying, 'Within worldly life, afflictions, suffering, and burdens are manifold; impermanence is great joy!' He then straightened his robes, circumambulated the stūpa, made prostrations, returned to his seat, covered his head with his robe, and suddenly passed away. People of the time said that he knew his destiny.