開元釋教錄 5.5.2

5.5.2

博貫群經特深禪法。所得之要極其微奧。為
人沈邃有慧解。儀軌詳整。生而連眉。故世稱
連眉禪師焉。少好遊方誓志宣化。遊歷諸國
遂適龜茲。未至一日王夢神告曰。有大福德
人明當入國。汝應供養。明旦即勅外司。若有
異人入境必馳奏聞。俄而蜜多果至。王自出
郊迎延請入宮。遂從稟戒。盡四事之供。蜜多
安而能遷不滯利養。居數年蜜有去志。神又
降夢曰。福德人捨王去矣。王惕然驚覺。既而
君臣固留莫之能止。遂度流沙進到燉煌。於
曠野之地建立精舍。植㮈千株開園百畝。
房閣池林極為嚴淨。頃之復適涼州。仍於公
府舊寺更營堂宇。學徒濟濟禪業甚盛。常以
江左多民志欲傳法。以元嘉元年展轉至蜀。
俄而出峽停止荊州。於長沙寺造立禪館。翹
誠懇惻祈請舍利。旬有餘日遂感一枚。衝器
出聲放光滿室。門徒道俗莫不更增勇猛人
百其心居頃之沿流東下至于建業。初止中
興寺。晚憩祇洹。其道聲素著傾都禮訊。自
宋文袁皇后及皇子公主莫不設齋。桂宮請
戒。椒掖參候之使旬日相屬。從元嘉元年
甲子至十八年辛巳。譯虛空藏神呪等經一
十二部。常以禪道教授學徒。凡所歸投不遠
千里。四輩遠近皆號大禪師焉。會稽太守孟
顗深信真諦。以三寶為己任。素好禪味敬心
慇重。及臨浙河請與同遊。乃於酇縣之山建
立塔寺。東境舊俗多趣巫祝。及妙化所移比
屋歸正。自西徂東無思不服。後還建業憩定
林下寺。禪師天性凝靜雅愛山水。以為鍾山
鎮岳特美嵩華。常歎下寺基構未窮形勝。於
是乘高相地揆卜山勢。斬石刊木營建上寺。
殿房禪室肅然深遠。實依俙鷲巖髣髴祇樹
矣。於是息心之眾萬里來集。諷誦肅邕望風
成化。爰自西域至于南土。凡所遊履。靡不興
造檀會敷陳教法。初禪師之發罽賓也。有迦
毘羅神衛送。遂至龜茲。於中路欲反。乃現
形告辭禪師曰。汝神力通變自在遊處。將不
相隨共往南方。語畢即收影不見。遂遠從至
于楊都。故仍於上寺圖像著壁。迄至于今猶
有聲影之驗。潔誠祈福莫不享願。以元嘉十
九年七月六日卒于上寺。春秋八十有七。道
俗四部行哭相趨。仍葬于鍾山宋熙寺前。
無盡意菩薩經六卷（初題云大集經中無盡意所說不可盡義品第二十二亦直云無
盡意經亦名阿差末經第四出與法護阿差末等同本見李廓錄）
法華三昧經一卷（法華支流見長房錄）
廣博嚴淨不退轉輪經四卷（第三出或六卷或直云廣博嚴淨經亦直云不
退轉法輪經與法護阿惟越致遮經等同本元嘉四年出見宋齊錄及僧祐錄）
四天王經一卷（見僧祐錄及高僧傳）
普曜經八卷（第三出或六卷或四卷與蜀普曜竺法護普曜及唐譯方廣莊嚴並同本見宋齊錄及僧
祐錄高僧傳等）
淨度三昧經一卷（初出見長房錄）
菩薩瓔珞本業經二卷（第二出見長房錄）
生經五卷（第二出與法護出者同本房云見別錄）
善德優婆塞經一卷（見長房錄）
阿那含經二卷（見長房錄）
右一十部三十一卷（四天王經上四部一十二卷見在普曜經下六部一十九
卷闕本）。
沙門釋智嚴。西涼州人弱冠出家。便以精勤
著稱。納衣宴坐蔬食永年。每欲博事名師廣
求經誥。遂周流西國進到罽賓。入摩天陀羅
精舍。從佛馱先比丘諮受禪法。漸染三年
功踰十載。佛馱先見其禪思有緒特深器異。
彼諸道俗聞而歎曰。秦地乃有求道沙門矣
始不輕秦類敬接遠人。時有佛陀跋陀羅比
丘。亦是彼國禪匠。嚴乃要請東歸欲傳法
中土。跋陀嘉其懇至遂共東行。踰越歲時達
于關內。恒相依附共止長安。頃之跋陀橫為
秦僧所擯。嚴與西來徒眾並分散出關。仍憩
山東精舍。坐禪誦經力精修學。晉義熙十三
年宋武西伐姚泓。剋捷旋旆塗出山東。時始
興公王恢從駕遊觀山川至嚴精舍。見其同
志三僧各坐繩床禪思湛然。恢乃彈指。三人
開目。俄而還閉。不與交言。恢心敬其奇。訪諸

He broadly mastered the diverse sūtras and was especially profound in the methods of dhyāna; the essentials that he attained were supremely subtle and profound. As a person, he was deep and reserved, possessing wisdom and understanding. His deportment was meticulous and orderly. He was born with joined eyebrows, and so the world called him the "Continuous-Eyebrow Meditation Master." In his youth, he was fond of traveling abroad, vowing to disseminate and transform [beings]. Journeying through various countries, he eventually went to Kucha. One day before his arrival, the king dreamed of a deity who told him: "A person of great blessing and virtue will enter your realm tomorrow; you should make offerings to him." The next morning, the king immediately ordered the outer officials: "If an extraordinary man enters our territory, you must hasten to present a report." Shortly thereafter, [Dharmamitra] indeed arrived. The king personally went out to the suburbs to welcome him and invited him into the palace. He thereupon received the precepts from him, offering him the four requisites to the fullest. Mitra was content [with his lot] yet capable of moving on, never becoming attached to profit and offerings. After he had dwelled there for several years, Mitra intended to depart. The deity again sent a dream [to the king], saying: "The man of blessing and virtue has abandoned the king and departed." The king awoke in alarm and dread. Thereafter, though ruler and ministers persistently tried to detain him, none could stop him. He then crossed the flowing sands and proceeded to Dunhuang. In the open wilderness, he established a vihāra, planted a thousand crabapple trees, and cleared a hundred mu of garden. Its rooms, pavilions, ponds, and groves were extremely ornate and pure. Shortly after, he went to Liangzhou again, where he built further halls and chambers at an old temple of the commandery office. His disciples were numerous, and their dhyāna practice flourished greatly. Always considering that the region south of the Yangzi had many people and wishing to transmit the Dharma [there], he traveled in stages to Shu in the first year of Yuanjia. Soon, he left the [Yangzi] gorges and halted in Jingzhou. At Changsha Temple, he erected a dhyāna hall. With utmost sincerity and heartfelt devotion, he prayed for a relic. After ten-odd days, one indeed responded to him; striking the vessel, it emitted a sound and shed light filling the chamber. Among his disciples, clergy, and laity, there was none who did not redouble their courage, every man feeling a hundredfold resolve. After dwelling there for a short time, he went downstream toward the east and arrived at Jianye. At first, he stayed at Zhongxing Temple, and later he rested at Zhihuan [Temple]. His reputation for the Way had long been illustrious, so that the entire capital turned out to pay homage and inquiries. From Empress Yuan of Emperor Wen of the Song to the imperial princes and princesses, none failed to host vegetarian feasts. Requests for the precepts came from the palace; envoys offering inquiries from the inner quarters followed one after another day after day. From the first year of Yuanjia, jiazi, to the eighteenth year, xinsi, he translated twelve works in seventeen fascicles, including the Ākāśagarbha Dhāraṇī Sūtra. He regularly instructed his disciples in the way of dhyāna; those who took refuge in him did not consider a thousand li too far. The fourfold assembly near and far all called him the Great Meditation Master. Meng Yi, the Governor of Kuaiji, had deep faith in the True Truth and took the Three Jewels as his personal responsibility. Long fond of the flavor of dhyāna, his reverent heart was deep and earnest. When he took office overlooking the Zhe River, he invited him to travel together. Thereupon, he built a stūpa and temple in the mountains of Can County. The old customs of the eastern region were mostly inclined toward shamans and mediums, but when transformed by his sublime teaching, household after household turned to the correct. From west to east, none failed to submit. Later, he returned to Jianye and rested at the Lower Dinglin Temple. The Meditation Master's natural disposition was tranquil and serene, and he had an elegant fondness for mountains and waters. He considered Mount Zhong an anchoring peak, exceptionally superior even to Mounts Song and Hua. He often sighed that the structural foundation of the Lower Temple had not fully exhausted the beauty of the landscape. Thereupon, ascending the heights to survey the land and divining the lay of the mountain, he cut stones and felled timber to construct the Upper Temple. The halls, chambers, and meditation rooms were solemn and deeply secluded; they truly resembled Vulture Peak and appeared like the Jetavana grove. Thereupon, those who set their minds at rest gathered from ten thousand li away. Their chanting was solemn and harmonious, and they were transformed upon catching wind of his fame. From the Western Regions to the Southern Lands, wherever his footsteps trod, there was none that did not see the founding of donative assemblies and the expounding of the doctrinal teachings. At the beginning, when the Meditation Master departed from Jibin, the deity Kapila guarded and escorted him until they reached Kucha. Mid-journey, wishing to return, [the deity] manifested his form and bade farewell to the Meditation Master, saying: "Your spiritual powers transform freely, and you wander at will. Will you not let me accompany you further to the south?" Having finished speaking, he immediately concealed his shadow and was seen no more. Yet he followed him from afar all the way to Yangdu. Therefore, they painted an image of him on the wall of the Upper Temple; down to the present day, there are still efficacious responses of sounds and shadows. Those who pray for blessings with pure sincerity never fail to receive their wishes. On the sixth day of the seventh month of the nineteenth year of Yuanjia, he died at the Upper Temple at the age of eighty-seven. The four assemblies of clergy and laity hurried weeping as they walked, and he was accordingly buried in front of Songxi Temple on Mount Zhong.
Akṣayamati-bodhisattva-sūtra, six fascicles (The early title says: "The Inexhaustible Meaning Chapter, the Twenty-second, Spoken by Akṣayamati in the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra"; also simply called "Akṣayamati Sūtra"; also named "Achamò Sūtra"; fourth translation; identical text with Dharmarakṣa's Achamò, etc.; seen in Li Kuo's catalogue).
Fa hua sanmei jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Lotus of the Dharma), one fascicle (A branched stream of the Lotus Sūtra; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Guangbo yanjing bu tuizhuan lun jing (Sūtra on the Wheel of Non-Retrogression, Vast, Adorned, and Pure), four fascicles (Third translation; also in six fascicles; or simply called "Guangbo yanjing jing"; also simply called "Butuizhuan falun jing"; identical text with Dharmarakṣa's Aweiyuezhizhe jing, etc.; produced in the fourth year of Yuanjia; seen in the Song and Qi catalogues and Sengyou's catalogue).
Si tianwang jing (Four Heavenly Kings Sūtra), one fascicle (Seen in Sengyou's catalogue and the Gaoseng Zhuan).
Lalitavistara (Pu yao jing), eight fascicles (Third translation; also in six fascicles or four fascicles; identical text with the Shu Pu yao, Zhu Fahu's Pu yao, and the Tang translation Fangguang zhuangyan; seen in the Song and Qi catalogues, Sengyou's catalogue, the Gaoseng Zhuan, etc.).
Jingdu sanmei jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of Pure Crossing), one fascicle (First translation; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Bodhisattva Necklace Original Action Sūtra, two fascicles (Second translation; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Sheng jing (Jātaka Sūtra), five fascicles (Second translation; identical text with that produced by Fahu; Fang says it is seen in the Classified Catalogue).
Shande youpose jing (Sūtra on Upāsaka Shande), one fascicle (Seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Anahan jing (Anāgāmin Sūtra), two fascicles (Seen in Changfang's catalogue).
The above ten works in thirty-one fascicles (The four works in twelve fascicles above the Si tianwang jing are extant; the six works in nineteen fascicles below the Pu yao jing are lost texts).
Śramaṇa Shi Zhiyan was a native of Western Liangzhou. Having left household life in his youth, he became known for his diligence. Clothed in patched robes, sitting in quiet contemplation, and eating a vegetarian diet for many years, he always wished to serve renowned teachers broadly and seek sūtras and teachings widely. Thereupon, he traveled through the western countries and proceeded to Jibin. Entering the Matandhara Vihāra, he inquired about and received dhyāna methods from the monk Buddhasena. Gradually steeped in them for three years, his achievement exceeded ten years [of ordinary effort]. Buddhasena saw that his meditation practice had clear structure, and held him in exceptionally high esteem. The local clergy and laity heard of this and sighed, saying: "The land of Qin indeed has a śramaṇa who seeks the Way!" Thenceforth, they no longer disparaged those of Qin kind, but respectfully received people from afar. At that time, there was the monk Buddhabhadra, who was also a meditation master of that country. Yan invited him to return east, wishing to transmit the Dharma to the central land. Bhadra appreciated his earnest sincerity and traveled east with him. After more than a year, they reached Guannei. Always keeping each other company, they dwelled together in Chang'an. Soon after, Bhadra was unjustifiably expelled by the monks of Qin. Yan and the assembly that came from the west dispersed and went out beyond the passes. He then rested at a vihāra in Shandong, sitting in meditation, chanting sūtras, and vigorously exerting himself in cultivation and study. In the thirteenth year of the Yixi reign era of the Jin, Emperor Wu of the Song campaigned west against Yao Hong. Having achieved victory, he turned his banners back, his route passing through Shandong. At that time, Duke Wang Hui of Shixing accompanied the imperial entourage to tour the mountains and rivers, and arrived at Yan's vihāra. He saw three monks of like mind each sitting on a corded chair, their meditation serene. Hui snapped his fingers; the three men opened their eyes, and shortly closed them again without speaking to him. Hui respected their marvel in his heart, and inquired of them