Dharma statue of Master Daoxuan

Shi Daoxuan (596-667), a monk in law of the Tang Dynasty, was an important thinker in the history of Chinese discipline thought. Also known as Nanshan Lawyer and Nanshan Master, it is known as the ancestor of law. Jingzhao people, whose common surname is Qian, have a wide range of words, and are from Wuxing (now northern Zhejiang), (a city dweller; Biography of Song Eminent Monk is a Dantu). Daoxuan studies precepts and is famous in the Western Regions. Born in the 16th year of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty (AD 596), he became a monk at the age of 16. At the age of 20, the Zhishou lawyer of the Great Zen Temple was given a vow of commitment and died in October of the 2nd year of Emperor Qianfeng of the Tang Dynasty (AD 668). He lived 72 years and fara 52 years. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the posthumous titles "Chengzhao Lawyer" and "Fahui Master" were added respectively.

Being a monk without receiving precepts is like being a couple without a marriage certificate. You can't count and won't be recognized. If a monk does not obey the precepts, it is a set of daily behavior rules, and he thinks and acts in a random way. It is obviously a wild monk and a flower monk.

During the Three Kingdoms period, people were very interested in the new thing of becoming a monk, and they did not forget to practice, but they were ignorant of the procedures of becoming a monk. During Wei Jiaping's reign, Tankojaro from India came to Luoyang and shook his head when he saw that Chinese monks only knew how to shave their heads but didn't know how to receive precepts. He immediately translated the Buddhist precepts of Maha Monk, as the yardstick for keeping the precepts, and invited an Indian eminent monk to carry out the ceremony of receiving the precepts. During the Zhengyuan period, Shamen County Di of the Sabbath (today's Iran) also came to Luoyang to translate the precepts of the Ministry of Buddhism and Tibet.

It is said that when Sakyamuni was alive, in order to restrain the monks, he made various commandments, and when Buddhism was destroyed for the first time, he announced them to his disciples by Yonaga Li. Because different sects have different understandings of the precepts, the precepts passed down are also different in appearance.

This is very annoying for Chinese monks and disciples. The intermingling of disciplines means that the basis for acting cannot be clear. Whether to burn five or six scars on the head is related to the big question of whether to die in the western paradise. It was not until the beginning of the Tang Dynasty when Daoyi came out to study law, set up a martial altar in Zhongnan Mountain, formulated a Buddhist rite of acceptance, and formed the Nanshan School of Law, which was popular in the Buddhist world, that the chaos was really solved, so that monks suddenly understood what a monk should be like.

Daoxuan, a local surnamed Qian, is from Dantu (now Dantu County, Jiangsu Province). At the age of 15, he went to Riyan Temple in Chang'an to learn Buddhism from Zhijun, a lawyer. At the age of 20, he went to the Great Zen Temple to worship the famous Zhishou lawyer as a teacher, learn various disciplines, and received sufficient precepts, which means that he was qualified to become a monk formally.

One day, after Zhishou finished his speech on "The Four Part Rule", Daoxuan's young face was full of joy. He felt that his understanding was clear and correct, and he remembered each discipline one by one, so he asked Zhishou to learn Zen meditation. But Zhishou's face sank and said:

"You just listened to me once, so you thought you had reached home?"

Daoxuan was confused, and his happiness and understanding disappeared. He was frightened and unconvinced. He knew that his origin was extraordinary: when his mother was pregnant with him, she once dreamed that a bright moon passed through his belly, and then dreamed that an Indian monk with blue eyes and purple whiskers told her: "The child in his belly is the famous lawyer of Monk You in the Liang Dynasty, and Monk You is also the reincarnation of the Monk Protector of the Yinyue Temple in Yanxi, South Qi. Your child should be born to become a monk and promote Buddhism." Daoxuan often encourages himself to study hard. He glanced at Shifu, and found that Shifu's stern eyes were staring at him. His face was red and he fell on the ground.

The temple was quiet, only the intermittent sound of rice pounding floated from the backyard.

Zhishou said: "It's good that you concentrate on worshiping Buddha and want to gain supreme wisdom as soon as possible. You also know that there is no square without rules. It's not difficult to know rules and master them. The difficulty is how to make your own actions and actions, and how to think and speak without exceeding the rules. If you have received the precepts, it only means that Master has given you an empty bowl to accumulate good and prevent evil. You should keep pouring good deeds into it. When you fill it, wisdom will naturally flow out. It's a long time coming. Let me see. You can listen to me talk about the Quadrant Law twenty times. "

This is ten years. Daoxuan understood that in the process of listening again and again, he was practicing the commandments and comprehending them.

Later, Daoxuan went to the remote Zhongnan Mountain to practice Dinghui. Sitting in a straw shed, meditating on the situation of immortality, I don't know how many obscure storms have passed.

The place where he lived was short of water. It was said that the god loved the monk who was painstakingly praying for Buddhism, so he pointed his hand to the ground and suddenly a fresh spring gushed out. After Daoxuan drank the spring water, his heart became clearer. Soon, the grass shed was covered with exotic flowers and plants, full of fragrance and colorful. Even beasts like lions and tigers ran over and sat around Daoxuan very meekly, as if they had returned to their homes. After a few days, some people came here to admire the fame, and Daoxuan built the Chongyi Jingshe to teach the precepts to those eager to become monks.

One day, when Daoxuan was meditating in the meditation hall, he suddenly heard a low voice saying, "The place in Qingguan Village, formerly called Jingye Temple, is in a good position, which is good for Taoist practice."

Daoxuan hurriedly lit up the merit incense as thick as his fingers, looked at the sky and bowed a few times, then led the people to Qingguan Village.

We worked together to pick bricks and send tiles. After several months of work, we also built a magnificent and shining temple.

At that time, all the dragons in the deep pools in Zhongnan Mountain turned into human figures and came to worship. Several dragons turned into young girls, with fluttering skirts and lotus like steps, which made several young monks upset. They couldn't help winking at those beautiful women, and an old dragon happened to see them. Old Dragon was so angry that he was about to tear the little monk to pieces. He thought again: sin, sin. This time, I came back to visit the Kaiguang of Baosha and the lawyer Daoxuan. I'm doing good to eliminate disasters. If I quickly hated him, wouldn't it be a big mistake?

There was just a well in the courtyard. The old dragon lay on the edge of the well and spat desperately, as if he was spitting out his guilt. Then he made a bow to the Taoist priest and said, "I didn't mean to be angry, but I wanted to mend my ways. I just spat all the poisonous water in the well. I hope the lawyer will forgive me." Then he led the dragons to the sky with a cry.

The little monks had already turned pale with fear. Daoxuan went to the well and looked into it. The well was filled with smoke, so he asked people to close it.

Before long, a kind of flower that no one has seen grows near the well. It is fragrant and refreshing to smell. It has not withered for several years. There is also a kind of strange fruit that no one can tell about. It is clean in color and emits sweet wisps. Later, people found that these strange flowers and fruits were all good medicine for curing diseases. They could not help sighing that Xuan's cultivation had also influenced the fierce dragons.

Daoyi is rigorous in Zhongnan Mountain, diligent in writing, and increasingly famous. Among his more than 200 volumes of works, such as Guanghongming Collection, Continuation of Eminent Monk Biography, Karma Jieshu, and Doing Money are extremely important books.

At that time, even the monks in India knew that there was a Daoxuan lawyer in China who adhered to the precepts unparalleled in the world. He only wore a coarse cloth cassock, ate only one meal of brown rice a day, never rode a bike when going out, only meditated and rested on the futon, never slept on the bed, and lice wandered around on him at will without making him frown. An Indian mage called Fearless was suspicious, so he went to Ximing Temple in Chang'an to visit Daoyi, who was the leader, to see what was going on.

One day, two people were talking about the similarities and differences between the Eastern and Western disciplines. Suddenly Daoxuan picked out a louse from his arms. He was so frightened that the louse was swollen and turned dark red. Daoxuan looked left and right, never leaving the little beast on the ground.

Daoxuan said, "Excuse me, fearless mage, do you have some silk?"

Dare to pass your handkerchief. Daoxuan took the handkerchief, wrapped the lice gently, put them on the ground, clapped his hands, and laughed: "Although this thing is ignorant, it also has feelings and desires. I'm afraid it also has some Buddha nature. How can it be ignored?"

Undaunted, he stood up in awe and repeatedly bowed, saying, "I heard from people in the sky: 'Since the death of the Buddha, he has lived like a Dharma, developed a Veneti, and only one teacher.' It really deserves his reputation. If all the children of Buddhism follow the precepts and show great compassion like lawyers, why not worry that Buddhism is not pure and bright!"

Later, monks and nuns in China followed the precepts of Daoxuan.

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