根本大師臨終遺言
The Last Words of Konpon Daishi [Saichō] at the end of his life
(JPN: Konpon Daishi Rinjū Yuigon)
ATTRIBUTION
Translated into English by Rev. Jikai 慈海 Tyler Dehn デイーン
©Translation by Jikai Tyler Dehn @ The Saichō Repository 最澄典藏 Project, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Available at: [insert URL of specific text page].
You may share this work freely with attribution (as above), but no modifications or commercial use is allowed without express permission from Jikai Tyler Dehn. See USE/ATTRIBUTION for more information.
Text Overview:
Master Saichō is said to have passed into Nirvāṇa during the fourth month of 822 A.D.. A number of versions of these bequeathed words have come down to us in the biographies of Saichō. Nevertheless, a remark at the end of the present version reads:
([NOTE FROM THE RECORDER:] The text is rough and messy, and the words remain unrectified. Revisions may clarify it. )
（本麤荒也, 仍文字不直也。後見可明者也）。
For this reason, the present version may be a kind of ‘un-edited version‘, likely nearer to the spoken words. In Paul Groner’s Saicho: The Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School (2000), he translates the version included in the biography known as the Eizan Daishi Den 叡山大師傳, which differs from this one in some places. It is therefore useful to read these two together.
His parting words consist in the main, of ten stipulations which he hoped his disciples would follow concerning his passing. Just as Master Zhiyi before him then, even on his deathbed Saichō was anxious that his disciples and the Tendai School might follow the Dharma. And it is important to realise that permission to ordain Tendai disciples in the manner the Great Master had proposed in the Sange Gakushō Shiki (山家學生式) (also now available as TEXT 3), had not yet been granted when he passed into extinction.
The majority of the stipulations are fairly straightforward. Nevertheless, without the aforementioned context, STIPULATION 3, forbidding women from coming into the temple confines might be misunderstood. The context for these remarks has nothing whatever to do, with the religious exclusion of women. And Master Saichō elsewhere goes to great pains to remind Japanese Buddhists of the Dragon King’s Daughter in the Lotus Sūtra. The context for this third stipulation is that Mount Hiei at this time consisted of Saichō, and his male disciples. At a time when the future of the Tendai School hung in the balance, and critiques of Saichō‘s methods were being submitted to the Court regularly, it was vitally important that the disciples of the Tendai School remain as far as possible from controversy, or decisions which could be used by outsiders to imply immorality.
Additionally, as is so often the case with Master Saichō’s works, there is an overt purpose (i.e. regulating behaviour around and after his death), as well as a “head-nod” to those “with eyes to see“. That is to say, a portion of these stipulations is a re-working of Master Zhiyi’s Requisite Conditions 具緣 for the cultivation of Śamatha Vipaśyanā 止觀 meditation. Therefore, the disciple-descendant reads these stipulations not just as the former, but also as a reminder to preserve and maintain those conditions necessary for the Study And Practise of the Tiantai/Tendai School. To observe this deeper layer, please see the opening chapter of the Smaller Calming and Contemplation 小止觀 by Master Zhiyi.
TEXT:
| ENGLISH | UNPUNCTUATED TEXT | PUNCTUATED TEXT |
|---|---|---|
| (Ten Stipulations in total.) STIPULATION (1): In the Fourth Month of the Thirteenth Year of Kōnin (822 A.D.), inform all of the disciples saying [thus]: After my extinction, all of you must not put on the garments of the laity. | （合十箇條）。 一。弘仁十三年四月。告諸弟子言。若我滅後。皆勿着俗服。 | （合十箇條）。 一: 弘仁十三年四月，告諸弟子言: 若我滅後，皆勿着俗服。 |
| STIPULATION (2): Those who would be united with me in the Dharma, should not drink alcohol. If there are those who disobey this, then they are not united with me in the Dharma, and what’s more, they are not the disciples of the Buddhas! [Such persons must be] swiftly and immediately expelled, and they are not to be allowed to remain within the boundaries of [our] Mountain Lineage (i.e. the Tendai School). Even if they use it medicinally, they cannot enter the temples of [this] mountain (i.e. Mt. Hiei). | 一。又我同法。不得飮酒。若違此者。非我同法。亦非佛弟子。早速擯出。不得令踐山家界地。若爲合藥。莫入山院。 | 一: 又我同法，不得飮酒。若違此者，非我同法，亦非佛弟子! 早速擯出，不得令踐山家界地。若爲合藥，莫入山院。 |
| STIPULATION (3): Additionally, female followers are not to come near the boundaries of the temples. How much more is this the case, for the pure grounds within the temples!? | 一。又女人輩。不得近寺側。何況院内清淨之地乎。 | 一: 又女人輩，不得近寺側。何況院内，清淨之地乎!? |
| STIPULATION (4): Furthermore, from [the time of] my birth until now, my mouth has never [spoken] harsh words, nor has my hand flogged, [in the process of] disciplining [the disciples]. [Those who would] be united with me in the Dharma, are not to strike acolytes, but out of profound gratitude to me, [they are to] exert themselves. Exert yourselves! | 一。又我自生以來。口無麤言。手不笞罸。今我同法。不打童子。爲我大恩。努力努力。 | 一: 又我自生以來，口無麤言，手不苔罸。今我同法，不打童子，爲我大恩，努力、努力! |
| STIPULATION (5): For those who would be united with me in the Dharma, [they must] firstly [adhere to] the prescribed [order of monastic] rankings. [That is,] those who received the Precepts of the Mahāyāna first, are to sit at the front. And those who received the Precepts of the Mahāyāna later, are to sit behind [them]. In the event of days wherein the [entire] assembly are gathered together [including Vinaya ordained monastics], all of you should [maintain] the conduct of the Bodhisattva internally and secretly, and externally present the visage of the Śrāvaka. [In doing this,] you may occupy those [seats which are placed] after the Śrāmaṇera (i.e. the novice Vinaya ordained monastics). The exception to this [ordering] is when another yields [their seating-place to you]. | 一。又我同法中。第一定階也。先受大乘戒者先坐。後受大乘戒者後坐。若會集日。一切之所。内祕菩薩行。外現聲聞像。可居沙彌之次。除爲他所讓者。 | 一: 又我同法中，第一，定階也。先受大乘戒者，先坐。後受大乘戒者，後坐。若會集日，一切之所，内祕菩薩行，外現聲聞像。可居沙彌之次，除爲他所讓者。 |
| STIPULATION (6): Secondly, [they must maintain the appropriate] mental comportment. [That is, they must] first enter The Abode of the Tathāgata (this is the thought of great compassion for beings). Next, [they must] don The Robe of the Tathāgata (this is the patient and forbearing heart towards beings). And finally, [they must] sit upon The Throne of the Tathāgata (this is the heart that sees all dharmas as empty). | 一。第二用心也。初入如來室。次着如來衣。終坐如來座。 | 一: 第二, 用心也。初入如來室; 次着如來衣; 終坐如來座。 |
| STIPULATION (7): Thirdly, [they must appropriately acquire their] required clothing. The superior-grade of practitioner, [wears] the pure robe [found by the] roadside (i.e. discarded rags). [One who is of the] middling-grade, [uses the robe made from] the cloth which is traded in the Eastern Lands (i.e. that which is bought). [And those who’re of the] lower-grade, [use robes made from the material] acquired from their begging-rounds (i.e. which is given to them). | 一。第三充衣也。上品人者。路側淨衣。中品人者。東土商布。下品人者。乞索隨得衣。 | 一: 第三，充衣也。上品人者:路側淨衣。中品人者: 東土商布。下品人者: 乞索隨得衣。 |
| STIPULATION (8): Fourthly, [they must appropriately acquire their] necessary food. The superior-grade of practitioner, does not seek their own [food, and yet] obtains it. The middling-grade of practitioner, [consumes] food [obtained from] pure begging. And the lower-grade practitioner, is able to receive [his sustenance] by means of the donations (dakṣiṇā). | 一。第四充食也。上品人者。不求自得食。中品人者。清淨乞食。下品人者。儭施可受。 | 一: 第四, 充食也。上品人者,不求自得食。中品人者,清淨乞食。下品人者, 儭施可受。 |
| STIPULATION (9): Fifthly, [they must appropriately acquire their] necessary lodgings. The superior-grade of practitioner, [uses for himself] the whole of a small bamboo hut. The middling-grade practitioner, [uses for himself] the whole of a 10 foot square room [within a larger building]. And the lower-grade practitioner, [uses for himself] three wood-floor rooms [within a monastery]. The materials for the construction of lodgings, [as well as] those for repairs, [should be acquired from] the Autumn Donations (dāna), the one shō (i.e. measurement of approx. 0.6 litres) of rice [received] from the various provinces (i.e. countryside), or the one mon coins [received] from the cities. | 一。第五充房也。上品人者。小竹圓房。中品人者。方丈圓室。下品人者。三間板室。造房之料。修理之分。秋節行檀。諸國一升米。城下一文錢。 | 一: 第五,充房也。上品人者, 小竹圓房。中品人者, 方丈圓室。下品人者, 三間板室。 造房之料, 修理之分, 秋節行檀, 諸國一升米, 城下一文錢。 |
| STIPULATION (10): Sixthly, [they must appropriately acquire their] bedding supplies. The superior-grade of practitioner, [makes use of] a small bamboo [bed,] and straw and so forth [for bedding]. The middling-grade practitioner, [makes use of] a straw mat, and a cushion. And the lower-grade practitioner, [makes use of] a cover, and a straw mat. | 一。第六充臥具也。上品人者。小竹藁等。中品人者。一席一薦。下品人者。一疊一席。 | 一:第六, 充臥具也。上品人者, 小竹藁等。中品人者, 一席一薦。下品人者, 一疊一席。 |
| And so, purchasing great tracts of land is not our lot; gathering excessively vast [quantities] of food, is not our lot; and the saṃghārāma managed by the Bureau of Monastic Affairs (i.e. temples amply funded and administered by the state), are not our abodes. For on the day that the Great Master Śākyamuni, Prabhūtaratna [Buddha, and Śākyamuni’s] partial-embodiments gathered together in response to the questions of Mañjuśrī (in CH.14 of the Lotus Sūtra), [The Buddha] did not allow [the Bodhisattvas-monks] to seek the counsel of those who pursue the śrāvaka path; did not permit them to abide as one in the Lecture Halls; and did not permit them to walk together on the same thoroughfares. Therefore, [when] you come [out] to beg for food in the morning, take a pinch of the food received, and offer it to the Hungry Ghosts (lit. ‘Hungry Mouthed Ones’) on the mountain. And from the donations received in Autumn, take a measure of cloth and drape it over your bare body [when] the snow falls. Beyond food and clothing, yearn for nothing, save that which you require in order to benefit beings. | 故巨畝之地價。非是我等分。萬餘之食封。非是我等分。僧統所檢天下伽藍。不是我等房。大師釋迦。多寶分身 來集之日。答文殊問不許問訊求聲聞者。不許住一講堂中。不許共行一經行處。是以。乞食朝來。受撮飯而供山中飢口。行檀秋節。納寸布而着雪下裸身。衣食之外。更無所望。但除由假利生者也。 | 故, 巨畝之地價, 非是我等分; 萬餘之食封, 非是我等分;僧統所檢天下伽藍, 不是我等房。大師釋迦、多寶、分身 來集之日, 答文殊問, 不許問訊求聲聞者、不許住一講堂中、不許共行一經行處。 是以, 乞食朝來, 受撮飯而供山中飢口。行檀秋節, 納寸布而着雪下裸身。衣食之外, 更無所望, 但除由假利生者也。 |
| ([NOTE FROM THE RECORDER:] The text is rough and messy, and the words remain unrectified. Revisions may clarify it. ) | （本麤荒也。仍文字不直也。後見可明者也）。 | （本麤荒也, 仍文字不直也。後見可明者也）。 |
原本： 比叡山實藏坊所藏古寫本全一卷。書者及年時不詳。
對校本。
一本 天台霞標所録。
編者云。本書第五條以下通稱禪庵式。
（叡山大師傳の抄出）