English
English version: Someone said, 'Today we have caught a monk who is ruining the Dharma.' The Master asked, 'What is it?' Dharma Master An overturned the incense table and left. The Master considered him to have great potential. One day, Dharma Master An was reading the *Avatamsaka Sutra* (Flower Garland Sutra), and when he reached the passage 'There is nothing to grasp in the body, nothing to be attached to in practice, nothing to abide in in the Dharma; the past is extinguished, the future has not arrived, and the present is empty and still,' he suddenly entered into *samadhi* (meditative absorption). After more than ten days, he emerged from *samadhi*, feeling refreshed in body and mind, and suddenly developed profound secrets. Dharma Master An considered the commentary on the *Avatamsaka Sutra* by Layman Li (Li Tongxuan) to be profound and subtle, so he combined the sutra with the commentary, creating one hundred and twenty volumes, which became widely circulated. King Zhongyi (Qian Chu) admired the Master's virtue and reputation, and ordered him to reside at Qingtai Temple in Yuezhou (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). Dharma Master An did not like to go, and only sat in meditation in his room, as if entering great *samadhi*. One day, in *samadhi*, he saw two monks leaning against the railing of the hall, with heavenly beings surrounding them and listening attentively. After a long time, suddenly an evil ghost spat and cursed, and then swept away the footprints. When he inquired about the reason from the monks leaning against the railing, he learned that they had initially discussed the Dharma, but later discussed worldly matters. Dharma Master An said, 'Even idle talk is like this, how much more so when those who preside over the Dharma beat the drum and ascend the hall, speaking useless things?' From then on, he never spoke of worldly matters for the rest of his life. After Dharma Master An passed away and was cremated, his tongue remained intact, soft like a red lotus petal. (From the popular edition of the *Transmission of the Lamp*) Chan Master Mingjiao Song, a native of Tengzhou (present-day Teng County, Guangxi). After being ordained, he often wore an image of *Avalokiteshvara* (Guanyin), and recited the name of *Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva* one hundred thousand times a day. Therefore, he was able to understand the world's scriptures without studying them. He obtained the Dharma from Chan Master Dongshan Cong. During the Qingli period (1041-1048), he arrived at Lehu Mountain in Qiantang (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), where he rested. His room was empty of possessions, and he sat quietly all day long. Those who were not of noble character could not approach him. The Master's Dharma was so profound that scholars of shallow understanding could not comprehend it. The Master did not lower his standards to accommodate them. He sighed, 'How can one use a round tenon to fit a square mortise?' He had heard that the actions of sages and worthies were that if they achieved their aspirations, they would practice their *dharma*; otherwise, they would simply speak of it. Words and actions should be consistent, this is the law for all ages, so that scholars throughout the world can recognize and cultivate enlightenment, stay away from evil paths, and travel the right path. Why must they see it with their own eyes to believe that it comes from themselves?' Therefore, he closed himself in to write books. After the books were completed, he took them to the capital and presented them to Emperor Renzong through the *Neihan* (Academician of the Imperial Academy) Wang Gongsu. Emperor Renzong also wrote a preface for the books. The Emperor read 'Your subject acts for the sake of the *dharma*, not for fame; for the sake of the *dharma*, not for the sake of the body,' and praised and loved his sincerity. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
旌以明教大师。赐其书入藏。既送中书。时韩魏公琦览之。示欧阳文忠公。公方以文章自任。以师表天下。又以护宗不喜吾道。见其文谓魏公曰。不意僧中有此郎。黎明当一识之。魏公同往见。文忠与语终日。遂大喜。自韩丞相而下莫不延见尊重之。由是名振海内。遂买舟东下。大觉琏公赋白云谣以将师之行。白云人间来。不染飞埃色。遥烁太阳辉。万态情可极。嗟嗟轻肥子。见拟垂天翼。图南诚有机。去当六月息。宁知絪缊采。无心任吾适。天宇一何寥。舒卷非留迹。归老于永安精舍。示化茶毗得六根不坏者三。顶骨出舍利。红白晶洁。状若大菽。呜呼。使其与夺之不公。辩说之不契乎道。则何以臻于是矣。(石门行业) 终南山宣律师。初生齐朝。名僧护。居越之剡。镌弥勒像。次生梁。名僧祐。后生隋。名道宣。其祖湖州人。父为陈吏部尚书。随驾入长安。生于京兆。母氏梦月贯怀而娠。又梵僧语其母曰。仁所怀者即梁祐律师。宜令出家弘宣佛教。及下发。克苦励志。唯求圣法。尝戴宝函绕塔行道。愿求舍利降于函中。七日果获感应。由是益精其志。日唯一食长坐不睡。乐入禅定。贞观四年在清官寺行般舟定。感天龙给侍。乏水示以白泉。于安居日尝发诚祷。若坐夏有功愿垂异相。后庭中果生芝草。师因 劳苦发疾。天王授以补心药方。因告师曰。今当像末。诸恶比丘广造伽蓝。不修禅慧。亦不读诵。纵有智者。千有一二。后在西明寺深夜行道。足跌前阶。圣者扶足。师问是谁。答曰北天王之子来令侍卫。师曰贫道修行无烦太子。太子威力自在。天竺有可作佛事者却愿致之。太子曰我有佛牙长三寸阔一寸宝之久矣。密授与师宜加保护。师乃昼藏地穴。夜捧行道。人莫得知。唯弟子纲律师密见其踪。欲扬之。师曰。信根浅薄谓吾妖妄。唯我与子乃可知耳。师与天神往来甚众。喜问灵踪圣轨。随问随录。集为感通传记。干封二年春二月有神告曰。师将报尽。当生弥勒内宫。并留香一袅。此天上棘林之香。帝释所焚者。是年冬十月有三日空中天乐花香迎请而逝。(别传等记) 智者顗禅师。姓陈。颍川人。生有重瞳。年十五于长沙像前誓求出家。于礼佛时恍然如梦。见山临海。山顶有僧招手曰。汝当居此汝当终此。既寤精诚愈至。年十八投湘州果愿寺法绪出家。逮受具戒。精通律藏兼修禅定。时慧思禅师。武津人。名行高重。遥餐风德不啻饥渴。其地乃陈齐兵刃所冲。重法轻生涉险而去。思曰。昔日灵山会上同听法华。宿缘所追。今复来矣。即示普贤道场。说四安乐行。于是昏晓苦到。如教研心。于时勇于求法。贫于 现代汉语译本 劳累过度而生病。天王授予他补心药方，并告诉禅师说：‘现在正当末法时期，许多恶劣的比丘大肆建造寺庙，不修习禅定智慧，也不读诵经典。即使有聪明的人，一千个中也只有一两个。’后来，禅师在西明寺深夜绕佛经行时，脚被门槛绊倒，一位圣者扶住了他的脚。禅师问他是谁，回答说：‘我是北方天王毗沙门天（Vaiśravaṇa）的儿子，奉命前来侍卫。’禅师说：‘贫道修行，不敢劳烦太子。太子威力自在，如果天竺（India）有可以做佛事的人，希望您能去帮助他们。’太子说：‘我有一颗佛牙，长三寸，宽一寸，已经珍藏很久了，现在秘密地交给您，希望您能好好保护它。’于是禅师白天将佛牙藏在地下，晚上则捧着佛牙绕佛经行，没有人知道这件事，只有弟子纲律师偷偷地看到了他的踪迹。纲律师想要宣扬这件事，禅师说：‘人们的信心浅薄，会认为我是妖怪。只有我和你才知道这件事。’禅师与天神交往非常频繁，喜欢询问灵异的踪迹和圣贤的规范，随问随记录，汇集成《感通传记》。唐高宗干封二年（667年）春天二月，有神告诉禅师说：‘您的寿命将尽，将会往生到弥勒菩萨（Maitreya）的内院。’并留下了一炷香，说：‘这是天上棘林之香，是帝释天（Indra）所焚烧的。’这年冬天十月，有三天，空中出现天乐和花香，迎接禅师往生。（见《别传》等记载） 智者顗禅师（Zhiyi），俗姓陈，颍川（Yingchuan）人，生下来就有双瞳。十五岁时，在长沙（Changsha）的佛像前发誓要出家。在礼佛时，恍惚如梦，看见山临近大海，山顶上有僧人招手说：‘你应该住在这里，你应该终老在这里。’醒来后，更加精进虔诚。十八岁时，投奔湘州（Xiangzhou）果愿寺的法绪（Faxu）出家。等到受了具足戒后，精通律藏，兼修禅定。当时，慧思禅师（Huisi），武津（Wujin）人，名声高尚，遥远地仰慕他的风范，就像饥渴一样。当时那里是陈朝（557年-589年）和北齐（550年-577年）交战的地方，慧思禅师为了重视佛法而轻视生命，冒险前往。慧思禅师说：‘昔日在灵山会上，我们一同听闻《法华经》，这是宿世的因缘所追逐，今天又来了。’于是就指示他普贤道场，宣说四安乐行。于是智者顗禅师日夜勤苦，按照教导来研究心性。当时，他勇于求法，贫于
English
English version He became ill from overwork. The Heavenly King gave him a prescription for a heart-strengthening medicine and told the master, 'Now is the end of the Dharma age. Many wicked bhikshus (monks) are building monasteries extensively, not cultivating meditation and wisdom, nor reciting scriptures. Even if there are wise ones, there are only one or two in a thousand.' Later, while walking around the Buddha image at night in Ximing Temple, he tripped on the front step. A holy being supported his foot. The master asked who it was, and the reply was, 'I am the son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa (guardian deity of the north), here to serve as a guard.' The master said, 'This poor monk's practice does not require the trouble of the prince. The prince's power is free and at ease. If there are those in India (Tianzhu) who can perform Buddhist deeds, I hope you will go and assist them.' The prince said, 'I have a Buddha tooth, three inches long and one inch wide, which I have treasured for a long time. I will secretly give it to you, and you should protect it well.' So the master hid the tooth in a hole in the ground during the day and held it up while walking around the Buddha image at night. No one knew about it except his disciple, the Vinaya Master Gang, who secretly saw his tracks. He wanted to publicize it, but the master said, 'People's faith is shallow, and they will think I am a demon. Only you and I know about this.' The master had many interactions with gods and liked to ask about miraculous traces and the norms of the saints, recording them as he asked. He compiled them into the 'Records of 感通 (Gantong)'. In the second year of the Ganfeng era (667 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, in the second month of spring, a god told him, 'Your life is about to end. You will be reborn in the inner palace of Maitreya (future Buddha).' He also left a stick of incense, saying, 'This is the incense of the thorny forest in heaven, burned by Indra (king of the gods).' In the tenth month of that year, for three days, heavenly music and fragrant flowers appeared in the sky to welcome his passing away. (See 'Separate Biography' and other records) The Zhiyi (wise one) Chan Master, whose surname was Chen, was from Yingchuan. He was born with double pupils. At the age of fifteen, he vowed to become a monk before a Buddha image in Changsha. While bowing to the Buddha, he had a dreamlike vision in which he saw a mountain near the sea, and a monk on the mountaintop beckoned to him, saying, 'You should live here, you should end your life here.' After waking up, he became even more diligent and sincere. At the age of eighteen, he joined the order under Faxu at Guoyuan Temple in Xiangzhou. After receiving the full precepts, he became proficient in the Vinaya (monastic rules) and also cultivated Chan meditation. At that time, the Chan Master Huisi, a man from Wujin, was highly respected. He admired Huisi's virtue from afar, as if he were hungry and thirsty. The area was a battleground between the Chen (557-589 AD) and Northern Qi (550-577 AD) dynasties. Huisi valued the Dharma more than his life and went there at risk. Huisi said, 'In the past, at the assembly on Vulture Peak, we listened to the Lotus Sutra together. Driven by past karma, you have come again.' He then showed him the Samantabhadra (universal worthy) practice place and explained the Four Peaceful Practices. Thereupon, Zhiyi Chan Master worked diligently day and night, studying his mind according to the teachings. At that time, he was courageous in seeking the Dharma, poor in --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
资供。切柏代香。卷帘进月。月没则燎之以松柏。尽则继之以栗。经二七日诵法华。至药王品诸佛同赞是真精进是名真法供养如来。到此一句身心豁然入定。持因静发。照了法华。若高晖之临幽谷。达诸法相。似清风之游太虚。将证白师。师更开演自心所悟及从师受。四夜进功。功逾百年。思叹曰。非尔莫证。非我莫识。所入定者法华三昧前方便也。所发持者法华旋陀罗尼也。纵令文字之师千群万众。寻汝之辩不可穷矣。于说法人中最为第一。后为仪同沈君理请住瓦官。未几谢。遣门人曰。昔南岳轮下及始济江东。法镜屡明。心弦数应。初瓦官四十人共坐二十人得法。次年百余人共坐二十人得法。又次二百余人共坐十人得法。其后徒众转多得法转少。妨我自行化道可知。吾闻天台地记。称有仙宫。若息缘兹岭。啄峰饮涧。展平生之愿。陈太建七年秋入天台。有一老僧引之而进曰。师饮造寺山下有基舍以仰给。师曰。正如今日草舍尚难。况办寺乎。僧曰。今非其时。三国成一有大势力人当起此寺。寺若成。国即清。当呼为国清。有定光禅师异人也。居山三十载。迹晦道明。易狎难识。有所悬记多皆显验。其夕宿定光草庵。光曰还忆招手时否。及观所住之处。宛如昔梦。因炀帝遣使诏师至石城。乃曰吾知命在此。不须进前 现代汉语译本： 资供（提供资财供养）。切柏代香（用柏树代替香）。卷帘进月（卷起帘子让月光进来）。月没则燎之以松柏（月亮落下后就用松树和柏树点燃照明）。尽则继之以栗（烧完后就用栗木接替）。经过二十七天诵读《法华经》，至《药王品》中‘诸佛同赞是真精进，是名真法供养如来’一句时，身心豁然开朗，进入禅定。凭借禅定中生发的智慧，照亮了《法华经》的真谛，如同太阳照耀幽深的山谷；通达了诸法的实相，如同清风游荡在广阔的天空。将要向白师（具体指哪位白师需要根据上下文判断）印证自己的领悟，白师进一步开示自己所领悟的以及从师父那里所接受的教诲。经过四个夜晚的精进修行，其功力超过了一百年。思禅师感叹道：‘不是你，我无法证明；不是我，你无法认识。’所进入的禅定是《法华三昧》的前方便，所生发的智慧是《法华旋陀罗尼》。即使有成千上万精通文字的法师，也无法穷尽你的辩才，你在说法的人中是最为第一的。后来应仪同沈君理的邀请，住在瓦官寺。不久之后，思禅师告别大众，派遣弟子说：‘过去在南岳慧思禅师的座下，以及刚到江东的时候，我的法镜屡次明亮，心弦多次相应。当初在瓦官寺，四十人一起坐禅，二十人得法；第二年一百多人一起坐禅，二十人得法；又过一年二百多人一起坐禅，十人得法。此后，徒众越来越多，得法的人却越来越少，可以知道这妨碍了我自己修行和教化众生的道路。我听说天台山的地志记载，那里有仙宫。如果能在那里止息尘缘，在山岭间生活，以山峰为食，以山涧为饮，就可以实现我平生的愿望。’陈太建七年（575年）秋天，思禅师进入天台山。有一位老僧引导他进去，说：‘禅师饮水造寺，山下有基舍可以用来供给。’思禅师说：‘正如今天草舍尚且难以建造，何况是建造寺庙呢？’老僧说：‘现在不是时候，三国归一之后，会有大势力的人来建造这座寺庙。寺庙如果建成，国家就会清明，应当称之为国清寺。’有一位定光禅师，是位奇异的人，在山中居住了三十年，行迹隐晦，但道行高明，容易接近却难以认识，他所预言的事情大多都应验了。当天晚上，思禅师住在定光禅师的草庵里。定光禅师说：‘还记得招手的时候吗？’等到观察所居住的地方，宛如过去的梦境。因此隋炀帝派遣使者诏令思禅师前往石城，思禅师说：‘我知道我的命运就在这里，不必再往前走了。’