行滿和上印信
Certification from Venerable Xingman
(JPN: Gyōman Wajō Injin)
ATTRIBUTION:
Translated into English by Rev. Jikai 慈海 Tyler Dehn
©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.
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TEXT:
| ENGLISH | UNPUNCTUATED TEXT | PUNCTUATED TEXT |
|---|---|---|
| [Composed by] the bhikṣu monk Xingman. | 比丘僧行滿。 | 比丘僧行滿。 |
| I bow my head in reverence to Great Master Tiantai [Zhiyi]! For I, Xingman, have encountered his legacy as the result of good fortune! I left-home at an early age, and vowed to study the Buddha-Dharma. And arriving at Piling during the Dali years (766 – 779 A.D.), I was able to meet my late master, Jingxi Zhanran. | 稽首天台大師。行滿幸蒙嘉運。得遇遺風。早年出家。誓學佛法。遂於毘陵。大歴年中得値荊溪先師。 | 稽首天台大師! 行滿幸蒙嘉運，得遇遺風。 早年出家，誓學佛法。遂於毘 陵，大歴年中，得値荊溪先師。 |
| He transmitted the [Dharma] Lamp by instructing me, but he could not have guessed at my ignorance and stupidity,[and so I] shamefully occupied the lowest seat [among his students]. And little by little several years had already come to pass. Later at Miaole[si Temple], I heard him preach the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], and this teaching was his last; surely this was the fruition of former karmic seeds. | 傳燈訓物。不揆暗拙。忝陪末席。荏苒之間。已經數載。再 於妙樂。聽聞涅槃。教是終窮。堪爲宿種。 | 傳燈訓物，不揆暗拙，忝陪末席。荏苒之間，已經數載。再 於妙樂，聽聞涅槃，教是終窮; 堪爲宿種。 |
| When the late master spoke of returning to Folong [on Mount Tiantai], he was already being sent to the next life, and his students scattered like raindrops, or like calves who lost their mother. No sooner had we arrived at its silver peaks, than he suddenly passed away. And just like the deranged sons when the father had gone and left the medicine in his stead, [we wondered] on what we could [now] rely!? | 先師言歸佛隴。已送餘生。學徒雨散。如犢失母。纔到銀峰。奄徙灰滅。父去留藥。狂子何依。 | 先師言歸佛隴，已送餘生，學徒雨散，如犢失母。纔到銀峰，奄徙灰滅。父去留藥，狂子何依!? |
| And so, I, Xingman, have [merely] swept the graves, cleaned the tombs, cultivated in the halls, and maintained the monastic-residences, [such that] now after the passage of more than twenty years, nothing has been accomplished. | 且行滿掃灑龕墳。修持院宇。經今二十餘祀。諸無可成。 | 且行滿掃灑龕墳，修持院宇，經今二十餘祀，諸無可成。 |
| And yet I have just now encountered the Japanese dharma-seeking envoy, the virtuous Dharma Master Saichō. He has advised me that he personally spoke with His Majesty [the Emperor of Japan], has been received for a meeting with the Crown Prince, [and has been tasked with] seeking the Sublime Dharma on [Mount] Tiantai, and studying the One Mind on these hallowed grounds (lit. ‘silver ground’- i.e. ‘sacred ground’). He has not shrunk from toil or suffering, [but rather] has crossed over the vast ocean waves, studied exhaustively in both day and night, and forgotten himself (i.e. disregarded himself) for the sake of the Dharma! In witnessing this marvellous [state of] affairs, [I wondered] in what way is this different from [the Śākyamuni’s] search for the second-half of the verse in the Snowy Mountains (i.e. Himalayas), or [His] seeking out kalyāṇamitra in the temples!? (See Nirvāṇa Sūtra). | 忽逢日本國求法供奉大徳最澄法師。云親辭聖澤。面奉春宮。求妙法於天台。學一心於銀地。不憚勞苦。遠渉滄波。忽夕朝聞。忘身爲法。覩茲盛事。亦何異求半偈於雪山。訪道場於知識。 | 忽逢日本國，求法供奉大徳最澄法師! 云親辭聖澤，面奉春宮，求妙法於天台，學一心於銀地。不憚勞苦，遠渉滄波，忽夕朝聞，忘身爲法。 覩茲盛事，亦何異求半偈於雪山，訪道場於知識!? |
| And so I, Xingman, [therefore] tip out the Dharma-wealth and pour forth the Dharma-jewels, [for] surely this is the moment to pass on [my] hundred gold-pieces! | 且行滿傾以法財。捨以法寶。百金之寄。其在茲乎。 | 且行滿傾以法財，捨以法寶。百金之寄，其在茲乎! |
| I pray that through the power of his original resolve, Great Master [Saichō] will illuminate afar with the light of mercy (maitrī), and speedily reach the borders of his own land [of Japan]. And that he will propagate our doctrines [there,] in gratitude for our careful instruction [here]. | 願得大師以本念力。慈光遠照。早達郷關。弘我教門。報我嚴訓。 | 願得大師，以本念力，慈光遠照，早達郷關。弘我教門，報我嚴訓。 |
| Generation after generation, and age after age, [may] the Lineage of the Buddhas (buddhagotra) be unbroken; may the followers of the Dharma [dwell] together in the same [Buddha-]Land; may they accomplish Bodhi; and in [Maitreya’s] Three Assemblies [beneath] the Dragon Flower [Tree], may we together ascend to the highest! | 生生世世。佛種不斷。法門眷屬。同一國土。成就菩提。龍華三會。共登初首。 | 生生、世世，佛種不斷。法門眷屬，同一國土。成就菩提。龍華三會，共登初首! |
[天台霞標所録
]
（『叡山大師傳』拔粹か）