卷一傳三司州西寺智賢尼

智賢。本姓趙。常山人也。父珍扶柳縣令。賢幼有雅操志[既/木]貞立。及在緇衣戒行修備。神情凝遠曠然不雜。

太守杜霸篤信黃老憎[怡-台+疾]釋種。符下諸寺剋日簡汰。制格高峻非凡所行。年少怖懼皆望風奔駭。唯賢獨無懼容興居自若。集城外射堂皆是耆德。簡試之日尼眾盛壯唯賢而已。霸先試賢以格。格皆有餘。賢儀觀清雅辭吐辯麗。霸密挾邪心逼賢獨住。賢識其意誓不毀戒法。不苟存身命抗言拒之。霸怒以刀斫賢二十餘瘡。悶絕躄地。霸去乃甦。倍加精進菜齋苦節。門徒百餘人。常如水乳。及符堅偽立聞風敬重。為製織繡袈裟。三歲方成。價直百萬。後住司州西寺。弘顯正法開長信行。晉太和中年七十餘。誦正法華經。猶日夜一遍。其所住處眾鳥依栖。經行之時鳴呼隨逐云

1.3 (Tsai no.3) Chih-hsien

The nun Chih-hsien (Wise Virtue) (ca. 300-ca. 370+) of West Convent of Ssu Province in north China

Chih-hsien's secular surname was Chao. Her family was originally from Ch'ang-shan Commandery [in north China, north of the Yellow River]. ¹ Her father Chao Chen was the magistrate of Fu-liu County in the same territory. ²

While still a child, Chih-hsien was both principled and virtuous, and, after she grew up and put on the dark robe [of a Buddhist nun], her observance of the monastic rules was perfect. Her spirit was concentrated and far-reaching, encompassing all things without being confused by any particular matter.

The administrator of the commandery, Tu Pa, staunchly believed in the Taoist system known as the Way of the Yellow Emperor and Lao-tzu. ³ He detested the Buddhist monks and nuns. Because of his hatred, he issued an order that the assemblies of both monks and nuns were to be investigated [with regard to the quality of their practice, and those found unworthy] were to be sifted out. ⁴ The standards used in the investigation were very severe and could scarcely be met by ordinary persons. The younger [monks and nuns] quaked in fear; anticipating the administrator's hostility, they fled. Chih-hsien alone was unafraid and remained at ease. Only the elderly nuns dared to gather outside the city walls at the archers' practice hall where the investigation was to be held. On the day of the examination, of the able-bodied nuns, only Chih-hsien remained.

The administrator first examined Chih-hsien with regard to the monastic regulations and found that her practice was more than adequate. Because of her refined beauty and eloquent speech the administrator harbored depraved intentions, and he forced her to remain alone [with him]. Chih-hsien, recognizing his intentions, vowed not to break any of the monastic rules concerning relations between the sexes. Disregarding her own safety, she protested and resisted strongly. Angered by her rejection of his advances, the administrator stabbed her over twenty times with his dagger. She fell unconscious to the ground, not reviving until after the administrator had left.

This event behind her, Chih-hsien redoubled her zeal in the practice of vegetarian fasts and austerities. She and her disciples, who numbered more than a hundred, always dwelt in accord.

When Fu Chien (339-357-385) took the throne of the non-Chinese dynasty of the Former Ch'in (351-394), he heard of her reputation and showed her great respect. ⁵ He had made for her finely embroidered outer robes, whose preparation required three years and whose value was one million in cash.

Later she lived in West Convent of Ssu Province [in north China], where she propagated the true teaching and spread the belief and practice of Buddhism. ⁶ During the t'ai-ho reign period (366-371) of the [southern, Chinese] dynasty of Chin she was seventy-some years old.

Chih-hsien had made a specialty of chanting the Flower of the True Law Scripture.⁷ Even in her advanced age, she could still chant it in its entirety in only one day and one night. ⁸ [Another sign of her spiritual accomplishments was that] the many birds that roosted in the area where she lived would follow her, ⁹ chirping and twittering, whenever she engaged in the [ritualized] walking exercise [between periods of meditation.] ¹⁰