(312-386 A.D.)
Today I will introduce a High Monk who is singularly outstanding. His name was Dharma Master Dao’an. He lived during the Jin Dynasty. His home was at Changshan (常山) and his family name was Wei (衛). This High Monk was unlucky from birth on, for his father and mother both died shortly after his birth. He was raised by his cousin, whose surname was Kong (孔). When he was seven, he began to read, and it was found that he could recite books from memory upon having read them twice through. He had total recall, and was particularly quick in his studies. The villagers all knew that this child was very unusual, gifted with genius. After he became a novice, at the age of twelve, he dwelt in Chang’an in Wuji Monastery (五級寺). His intelligence then increased even more.
But no one is 100% perfect. If this aspect of you is good, then some other aspect of you is not so good. With him, he was so incredibly ugly that everyone was repulsed just by looking at him. Women, in particular, didn’t like him, and as soon as they caught sight of Dharma Master Dao’an, they quickly turned their heads away in disgust. This had its good points, however, because no woman ever bothered his practice. He, in turn, didn’t have to dislike women, because they wouldn’t come near him anyway. It was easy for him to develop his skill in cultivation. The skin on his face was black, and after he left the home life, the other monks named him the “Black Man of the Way.” Because he was so ugly, they ridiculed him by choosing a word for “black” which also means “lacquer.” His facial features were so malformed that not only women but his own Teacher couldn’t stand the sight of him, so that Dao’an could never see his Teacher.
Dao’an planted the fields and did other kinds of bitter work. If he wasn’t being a “scarecrow Shramanera” and shooing the birds away, he was planting the crops. He did only hard work like this for at least three years and was never lazy. In the morning, if the time to rise was three o’clock, he would get up at two-thirty. If the time to sleep was midnight, he would retire at twelve- thirty. In general, he rose before the others and retired after them. It is not so easy to be a Shramanera, and if you want to be one, you must rise before the others and retire after them.
Dharma Master Dao’an was exceptionally diligent and never complained, “I’m the only one who does any work around here. You are all really lazy. It’s not fair! There’s no justice in a monk’s life!” He never said such things, and day by day his diligence increased. He never resorted to laziness. He also held the Precepts very thoroughly.
After five years of bowing to his Teacher, he was finally granted an audience. This ugly Shramanera had not dared to converse with his Master for all that time. What were the first words he said?
“Master, what Sutra should I read?”
His Master didn’t say a word. He took a copy of the Sutra entitled Discussion of Intention (《辯意經》), containing five thousand lines, and handed it to his disciple.
The next day Dharma Master Dao’an carried the Sutra with him most respectfully when he went into the fields to work. When people do bitter work they work for two hours and then they should rest for half an hour before returning to the task. Dharma Master Dao’an took the Discussion of Intention Sutra to the fields and during the rest periods, he would read. That night he returned the Sutra to his Teacher and asked for another.
His Master said, “I gave you that Sutra only yesterday. How can you read another one before you finish the first ?”
“I can already recite it from memory,” the disciple replied.
His Master thought, “Of all the nerve. He claims he can recite the Sutra from memory after having looked at it for only one day—he’s a little liar.” But he wasn’t interested in attending to this disciple or talking with him too much, so he just pulled out another Sutra, the Realization of Complete Light Sutra (《成具光明經》), containing ten thousand lines.
The next day, Dao’an went back to the fields to work, and once again he spent the rest periods reading the Sutra he had been given. That night he returned the volume to his Master.
His Master said, “Have you finished reading it, too?”
“I’ve finished reading it,” he said, “and I can recite it from memory.”
“Really?” his Master asked, “I don’t believe you. Come here, I’ll test you. Give the book to me.” The Master took the book, and holding it so the disciple couldn’t see, peered at it and said, “Recite.” Dao’an recited from beginning to end without a single mistake. His teacher was taken aback. “Oh! This ugly disciple is so intelligent !” That’s unusual. Now that he knew how smart his ugly disciple was, he told him to read the Sutras and study the Buddhadharma and refrain from bitter work.
Having such an excellent opportunity to study the Sutras, Dharma Master Dao’an gained a penetrating understanding of the Great and Small Vehicle, as well as the Three Treasuries of the Sutras, the Shastras, and the Vinaya. Having penetrated the Sutra Treasury, he had both wisdom as vast as the sea and unobstructed eloquence. When he was twenty, he propagated the Buddhadharma, teaching and transforming living beings. He also lectured on the Sutras and spoke the Dharma.
Next he went to draw near to Master Fotucheng, a Sage with great spiritual penetrations who had been certified to the fruit of Arhatship. As soon as Master Fotucheng saw Dharma Master Dao’an, he was particularly pleased and said, “Oh, you’ve come. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” This proves that Dharma Master Dao’an was no ordinary person. He and Master Fotucheng began to talk and both of them were bubbling with interest. They talked for a whole day and night without stopping to eat or even take a drink of water. And with that, the disciples of Master Fotucheng became jealous.
“He’s such an ugly monk. What in the world are you talking to him about?” the disciples asked their Master.
Master Fotucheng said, “You don’t match up to that ugly monk. He’s not an ordinary person.”
Even though he explained it to them, the several hundred Bhikshus and Bhikshunis who had drawn near to him were jealous upon seeing Master Fotucheng being so good to Dharma Master Dao’an. Why is it that people who cultivate do not certify to Sagehood and become enlightened? It is because of jealousy. If they weren’t jealous, they would not be far from enlightenment and certification to the fruit.
Sometimes when Master Fotucheng lectured on the Sutras and spoke the Dharma, he would tell Dharma Master Dao’an to give a student’s lecture. When he lectured, although Dharma Master Dao’an’s eloquence was unobstructed, the disciples of Master Fotucheng had no respect for him. But there was nothing they could do about him. They didn’t respect him because he was a new-comer and some of them had been with Master Fotucheng for decades. So they all debated with him. When they couldn’t out-debate him, they still wanted to force the issue. They continually argued with him. But every time there was a discussion, they had to give in to Dharma Master Dao’an because none of them could match his eloquence. So he was the “Black Man of the Way Who Startled the Neighborhood.”
Although Dharma Master Dao’an’s appearance was ugly, his mind and nature were extremely beautiful, and officials and scholars took refuge with him. He was a learned man with great wisdom, and people of the time who were renowned in their own right would draw near to him and request him to lecture the Sutras and speak the Dharma. This official would request him to lecture, and then that minister would request him to lecture, until soon there was never a day when he did not lecture the Sutras and speak the Dharma.
Dharma Master Dao’an had many disciples and, at any one time, there were at least five hundred of them studying under him and who would follow him wherever he went. The Dharma seat from which Dharma Master Dao’an lectured was exceptional. It was beautifully adorned with precious canopies, streamers, golden Buddha images, embroidered Buddha images, and painted Buddha images. People who came to his lectures became reverent and respectful.
Out of the many donated Buddha images, one had been given by a foreigner. As it happened, people were not very respectful to this particular image, probably because the sculpting wasn’t too good. While the people were saying that this image didn’ t amount to much, Dao’an said, “It’ s not bad—it’ll pass.” However, the flesh cowl wasn’t made very well and so Dharma Master Dao’an asked his disciples to light incense and fix it up. When they were applying the plaster, the cowl began to emit light. At night, even without a lamp, the cowl could light up the room. Looking inside, the disciples found a sharira of the Buddha and this was the source of the light. People believed that the Venerable An knew about the sharira beforehand. At that time he received a lot of disciples, many of whom had Way-virtue. Moreover, after this incident, everybody was very respectful towards him.
At that time there was a hermit who was in seclusion, perfecting his will-power and cultivating the Way. He wasn’t greedy for anything. Moreover, he investigated the Buddhadharma. One day he went to see Dharma Master Dao’an. The hermit’s name was Xi Zuochi (習鑿齒), which means to “practice drilling teeth.” But he was not a dentist. He was just called that.
“What is your name?” Dharma Master Dao’an asked him.
“You don’t know who I am?” he replied somewhat astounded. “Within the four seas it’s Xi Zuochi.” He was thinking, “What a nerve! Everybody knows me. Why do you have to even ask?”
“Oh,” replied Dharma Master Dao’an, “so with you it’s ’within the four seas, it’s Xi Zuochi.’ Do you know who I am ?”
Xi Zuochi said, “You? You’re Dharma Master Dao’an.”
To which Dharma Master Dao’an replied, “Me? Filling the skies, it’s Shi Dao’an.” He filled the heavens, while Xi Zuochi was within the four seas. And of course, what fills the skies covers the four seas, so everyone saw it as a fine rebuttal. This became a famous conversation.
Dharma Master Dao’an travelled extensively lecturing the Sutras and speaking the Dharma, and eventually, Dharma Master Kumarajiva, who was still in India, heard that in China, there was a Dharma Master who “filled the skies,” named Shi Dao’an. Dharma Master Kumarajiva began to bow nine times to Dharma Master Dao’an every day. While in Kucha and Kashgar and the like, Dharma Master Kumarajiva continued to make obeisance to him every day. He hoped to be able to go to China to see him, but before he could arrive, Dharma Master Dao’an had gone off to rebirth.
There is another incident which occurred prior to Dharma Master Dao’an’s rebirth, and it involved a hermit whose name was Wang Jia (王嘉), who often came to see him. When Dharma Master Dao’an was about to complete the stillness, Wang Jia came, and Dharma Master Dao’an said, “We two should go together. We shouldn’t stay here any longer.”
Wang Jia replied, “Oh, you want to go? You go ahead. I still have a small debt to pay. When I have cleared my debt, I’ll come along.” After they finished speaking, Dharma Master Dao’an sat in full lotus and completed the stillness.
At that time, Yao Chang, the founder of the Yaoqin empire, held Chang’an, but Fu Deng (符登) rebelled and the ensuing struggle for power was long time, and Yao Chang asked him, “Will we gain victory over Deng?”
“Lüe (略)6 will get it,” was Wang Jia’s reply.
His answer outraged Chang. “If we are to get it, you should say, ’you’ll get it.’ How could there be anything ’in general’ about it?” He had Wang Jia beheaded. Losing his life in this way was the debt Wang Jia had been referring to. After Yao Chang died, his son, Yao Xing, took the throne and Xing’s son named Zilüe (略), continued the battle and obtained victory over Fu Deng7. It was he whom Wang Jia had been referring to. Wang Jia was also ugly. He spoke like a drunk, and yet, although none of his contemporaries believed him, his words were prophetic. At the time people simply did not understand what he said. So, Wang Jia also had considerable spiritual penetrations. A parallel can be drawn between Dharma Masters Dao’an and Wang Jia and the later Masters Hanshan (寒山) and Shide (拾得).
On the very same day after Yao Chang had Wang Jia executed, Wang Jia was seen elsewhere walking down a road. Only later did those who saw him walking find out that he had been beheaded earlier in the day in the capital. The small debt he had referred to was his own life, and that’s why he wanted to wait and undergo this retribution. So you can see, the ancients regarded the question of birth and death “both as light as a swallow’s feather and as heavy as Mt. Tai.” Although Wang Jia was an Upasaka, a layperson, he understood his past lives and wanted to straighten the books in order to dissolve his old debt.
In Buddhism, everything has its prior causes and latter effects—one gives rise to delusion, creates karma, and undergoes retribution. The arisal of delusions is just ignorance. Because you lack understanding and haven’t any wisdom, out of ignorance you create all kinds of improper, bad karma. Once you create that bad karma, you must undergo its retribution. So the arisal of delusion, creation of karma, and undergoing of retribution are interconnected. If you fear retribution you should not create karma. In order not to create karma you must constantly use your Prajna wisdom instead of your ignorance.
Earlier, one of my disciples came to me saying that he had a problem concerning Buddhism. I thought it was probably not a horrendous problem. When I asked him what was his question he admitted it was a small one. By the time he had expressed his little question, it turned out that there wasn’t anything there are all. He spoke about his desire. He kept trying to find the root of his desire, but it didn’t seem to have a root. He couldn’t find it. He couldn’t find the source of his desire and yet it kept coming up. Where does it come from?
Now I will answer you. It comes from your ignorance. If you can smash your ignorance, the desire will disappear. All such questions will cease. If you want to understand this question, first smash your ignorance. Ignorance is a barrel of black energy. If you smash the barrel of black energy, you will have broken your ignorance and will be able to see your Dharma-nature. Once you see your Dharma-nature you are in an eternal treasury of light. When you are perpetually in that great light treasury, desire cannot enter or leave, because it basically does not exist.
Now I will tell you how people who have left the home life came to use the name “Shi (釋).” Originally in China, people who had left the home life took their Teacher’s name. If the Teacher was named Zhang (張), the disciples took the name Zhang. If the Teacher was named Wang (王), the disciples took the name Wang. It was essential to have a Teacher in order to leave the home life, someone who could certify that one, in fact, had left home and received the Precepts.
Then Dharma Master Dao’an said, “We should not use our Teacher’s name, we should use the Buddha’s name. The Buddha was named Shakya, and we who have left the home life should take the name “Shi” (the first Chinese character in the transliteration of the name Shakya).
When he brought this up, no one believed he was serious. “Ridiculous!” they said, “how can we take the Buddha’s name as our own? Although it is inappropriate to use our lay names, we’re not convinced it’s right to use our teacher’s name.” Word spread, several decades passed, and still, the idea was not put into practice.
Later, a Sutra came from India called the Ekottaragama Sutra (《增一阿含經》) and it said, “When the four rivers enter the sea, they are no longer called rivers. When four varnas (classes) become Shramanas, they all take the name of the Shakya clan.” The four classes refer to the Kshatriyas, Brahmans, Vaishyas, and Sudras. When the four castes leave the home life, they all take on the surname “Shakya.” This proved that Dharma Master Dao’an’s opinion coincided with the doctrines spoken in the Sutra. After that, all those who left the home life took the surname “Shi.”
So he was, “filling the skies it’ s Shi Dao’an.” Prior to that, he had been called “Zhu” Dao’an, and some people say that Zhu Dao’an is not the same person as Shi Dao’an, but that is not the case. They refer to the same person. Within China’s Buddhism, Dharma Master Dao’an’s merit and virtue is very great. Although he was ugly, he still propagated the Dharma. His conditions with people were so great that those who previously had not believed in the Buddhadharma were converted and Bhikshus unwilling to cultivate became happy to cultivate.
Dharma Master Dao’an had many disciples, one of whom was called Shi Fayu (釋法遇). Before he left the home life, there was nothing Shi Fayu did not do. He drank, ate meat—whatever was bad, he did. This is a lot like the present day youth in America. But then, unexpectedly, he met up with Dharma Master Dao’an, who was lecturing on the Sutras at the time. As soon as he heard the Sutras he exclaimed, “This is more wonderful than anything imaginable.” Then he left the home life, followed Dharma Master Dao’an, and cultivated. He also was extremely intelligent, and soon he was lecturing on the Sutras and speaking the Dharma. In time, a great number of people began studying with him.
At that time there were some Bhikshus who did not follow the rules. Dharma Master Fayu knew of one Bhikshu in particular who kept going out to drink, breaking the Precept against using intoxicants. Once when this monk came back drunk and began to berate people, Dharma Master Fayu slapped him. He did not, however, send him away.
Eventually Dharma Master Dao’an got word of this incident and he sent his disciple a bamboo tube. Inside the tube he placed a thorn. When Dharma Master Fa Yu opened it, he knew that his teacher wished to punish him. So he struck the bell and beat the drum and called everyone together. Then he told the Weinuo (維那, the leader of ceremonies), “I have truly committed an offense. The Master is so far away.” (At the time, Dharma Master Dao’an was several hundred miles away). “I have done something wrong and caused the High Master concern. I am at fault.” Then he knelt before the Buddha and told the Weinuo to strike him three times with the incense board. After being struck three times, he cried bitterly and said, “I am truly an unfilial disciple. I have caused the Master, at such a great distance, to have to be in two places at once.” He was deeply repentant.
After his repentance, he continued to cultivate; he was in charge of a large gathering of Bhikshus. One day, he sat in full lotus and said goodbye to everyone with the words, “I have done what I had to do. I am going.” Then he sat there and departed. You have heard of a great many who sat and “left.” Which of you in the future will try it out ?
6略——roughly translates to “in general.”
7註：事見《高僧傳》卷第十〈涉公傳〉。相關記載為：「及姚萇之得長安也，嘉時故在城內。萇與苻登相持甚久，萇乃問嘉：『朕當得登不？』答曰：『略得。』萇怒曰：『得當言得，何略之有！』遂斬之。此嘉所謂負債者也。萇死後，其子興方殺登。興字子略，即嘉所謂略得者也。」（T50, no. 2059, p. 392a）其中「略得」一語，雙關後秦君主姚興（字子略）之名，故預言其實為姚興（而非其父姚萇）將擒獲苻登。