英語訳
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He was granted the status of "bright classics graduate" (mingqing chushen) to become a monk. At that time the Master achieved first place in the examination. On the same day he received ordination and resided at Tianzhu Temple. In the beginning of the Yongtai era, he received full ordination from Vinaya Master Congtou at Lingguang Temple. He was then twenty-six years old. His observance of vinaya was strict and careful, never daring to transgress. He managed Buddhist temples for over ten years. His reputation blazed brighter daily and his followers grew more prosperous daily. The Master established several qing of fields, annually harvesting ten thousand hu of income. He devoted this to the inexhaustible treasury, sharing it with the community. During the Zhenyuan period, weary of the complications of temple affairs, he separately established a dwelling below West Ridge, calling it the Grass Hall. He practiced the Way and sat in meditation, completely cutting off worldly affairs. He also used literary composition as recreation. His poetry rivaled the great ancient authors. Ruzhou of Wu region and Lingche of Guaiji were good friends with the Master, composing and responding to each other amid mountain scenery and water light, especially bringing their feelings and interests to perfection. Contemporary expressions can be seen in Ruzhou's biography. Famous officials and great ministers of the time, such as Secretariat Drafter Bai Juyi and Suizhou Prefect Liu Changqing, also delighted in associating with the Master. They would converse all day long, their words flowing like scattered jade dust. On the seventh day of the sixth month of the third year of Changqing, he passed away in his place of seclusion. He lived to be eighty-four. His dharma age was fifty-eight. That winter on the third day of the tenth month, he was buried in the old mountain. His dharma-heir disciples included Rubin, Ruming, Xingjian, Shengyan, Changjian, Zhiyou, Ritiao and several others. The Master long resided at West Ridge, and the people of Hangzhou respected him without using his name, simply calling him "West Ridge Master." In the fifth year of Kaicheng, Zheng Suqing erected a stele to commemorate his virtue.
The eulogy says: According to old histories, Lu Yu of Jingling always revered the Master's virtue and Way. He once sighed saying: "The sun, moon, clouds and mists serve as standards for Heaven; mountains, rivers, grasses and trees serve as standards for Earth; sages, worthies and heroes serve as standards for humanity. Promoting
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ability and returning to excellence serves as a standard for virtue; dwelling in quietude and approaching stillness serves as a standard for the Way." Ah! The ultimate in evaluation - to invoke Heaven, Earth and humanity for comparison - then one can know this person.
**Biography of Vinaya Master Tanqing of Hengyue Temple**
The Vinaya Master's name was Tanqing. It is unknown what region he was from. He was a fourth-generation successor of Great Master Chengzhao. From youth he left the mundane world. His talent and thinking were transcendent. He studied under Vinaya Master Daoheng at the Northern Cloister in Wu and was good friends with Shenggong of Tonglu. Soon he remained at Hengyue, teaching students. During the Yuanhe period, when establishing boundaries at Longxing Temple in Langzhou, Master Yisong was expounding Huaisu's new commentary. He then cited the Mahāsāṅghika Vinaya saying: "When seven trees are aligned at such distance, one who performs karman there is called 'one who performs karman well.'" Based on this, all four sides should take sixty-three steps each. At that time the Master extensively raised objections without cease. He therefore went through the provincial government to reach the imperial audience. An edict ordered both streets to convene the three schools to determine the new and old commentaries. Master Song's explanation truly lacked principle. Vice Director of Ceremonies Linghu Chu wrote in his judgment: "According to the words of the Great Virtues who transmit vinaya from both streets, they declare Tanqing's established doctrine to be correct." The Master authored *Revealing School Records on Vinaya Commentary* which circulated in the world. This is also one of the sixty schools.
The eulogy says: There are two types of boundaries: ritual boundaries and natural boundaries. Let us set aside ritual boundaries for now. Natural boundaries have six aspects. Let us also set aside five of them. The one called "indistinguishable settlement" is what the two Masters Song and Qing debated. However, I have not yet examined Master Qing's established doctrine. Secretly examining the Mahāsāṅghika Vinaya, it says: "Five cubits make a bow's measure; seven bows plant one amra tree. When seven amra trees are aligned at such distance, one who performs karman there is called 'one who performs karman well.' Though different assemblies see each other, there is no fault of separate assemblies."
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This means seven trees with six intervals yields sixty-three steps. What is called "different assemblies seeing each other" refers to two places conducting dharma. This is Nanshan's judgment. Therefore the Supplemented Commentary says: "Each of the two assemblies has thirty-one and a half steps on one side. Combining both assemblies yields sixty-three steps. Now if there are no people outside the boundary, then body and face each have thirty-one and a half steps - this is proportional natural boundary. If there are people, just ensure the different boundary's natural [area] is outside our natural boundary area, without the fault of confusion, and all dharma matters succeed." Now practitioners fear having separate assemblies, so merely for deep prevention they double each half on all sides. Actually speaking, each is half-reduced. This is why Master Qing is already called a fourth-generation successor of Nanshan. Then his established doctrine's meaning must surely accord with his ancestor's principles. Otherwise would all the Great Virtues of both streets consent to promote and praise him?
**Biography of Vinaya Master Qingche of Longxing Temple in Zhongling**
The Vinaya Master of Longxing Temple was named Qingche. History has lost record of his surname. After leaving home and receiving full ordination, he traveled around lecture halls and studied vinaya. However, his learning had no constant teacher - he simply devoted himself wherever excellence was found. Soon hearing that Vinaya Master Daoheng was teaching at Kaiyuan Temple in Wu, he urgently went to study under him. His attainments were profound and far-reaching, and his splendid reputation and great virtue were looked up to by monastics and laypeople. In the eighth year of Yuanhe, he gathered the essential and appropriate explanations of various schools to explain the Vinaya Commentary, authoring *Collected Meanings Records* in twenty volumes. By the tenth year it was completed. Many lecturers in Yuzhang, Wuchang and Jinling transmitted and recited it. The Master was also one of the sixty schools.
**Biography of Vinaya Master Guangxiong**
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The Vinaya Master's name was Guangxiong. His ancestral region is unknown. His clear wisdom manifested early. After leaving lay life and receiving full ordination, he studied under Vinaya Master Daoheng of Kaiyuan Temple. He became famous for his precision in vinaya. He compiled *Commentary Records on Vinaya* in several volumes. The Master was also one of the sixty schools.
**Biography of Vinaya Master Xicao of the Central Cloister at Mount Heng**
The Vinaya Master's name was Xicao. His lay surname was Zan. It is unknown what region he was from. After tonsure and receiving full ordination, he studied under Master Zhao of Huayan, Master Zhi of Jingzhou and others. He then emerged at the Central Cloister of Mount Heng and vigorously sounded the dharma drum. Students came to depend on him. Beyond proclaiming the Way he was diligent in construction work, rebuilding halls to the utmost magnificence. When he passed away he was fifty-seven years old. The disciples he produced were very numerous, such as Weiyuan, Daoying, Linggan, Weizheng, Huichang, Jieying and others. Even Zen Master Weiyan of Yaoshan and Vinaya Master Shencou of Xingguo once received full ordination from the Master. Twenty-seven years after his death, Liu Zongyuan of Hedong composed a stele inscription for the Master. The preface briefly states: "The Master spent thirty-one years leaving Confucianism for Buddhism. He presided over vinaya and ordained people for twenty-six assemblies. The precept dharma for nuns in the south was damaged but restored to correctness - it greatly flourished through the Master. The Buddhist temples of Hengyue were destroyed but rebuilt - they remained unchanged through the Master. Therefore among the scholars of that age, someone like Prime Minister Li Mi, whose Way had never been compromised, bowed his head upon seeing the Master and honored him without using his name. Among transcendent scholars, those like Master Shilin and Master Zan, whose words had never taken form, sighed when meeting the Master and promoted him as Dharma Protector. Therefore when he began establishing merit, thunder and great winds showed the omens. When his traces were about to disappear, falling stars and dark vapors announced the time. This was supernatural and immeasurable..." and so on.