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卷一傳八延興寺僧基尼
僧基。本姓明。濟南人也。綰髮志道秉願出家。母氏不聽。密以許嫁。祕其聘禮。
迎接日近女乃覺知。即便絕糧水漿不下。親屬共請意不可移。至於七日母呼女婿。婿敬信。 見婦殆盡。謂婦母曰。人各有志不可奪也。母即從之。
因遂出家。時年二十一。內外親戚皆來慶慰。競施珍華爭設名供。州牧給伎郡守親臨。
道俗咨嗟歎未曾有。基淨持戒範精進習經。數與曇備尼名輩略齊。
樞機最密善言事議康。皇帝雅相崇禮。建元二年皇后褚氏為立寺於都亭里通恭巷內。名曰延興。基居寺住。徒眾百餘人。當事清明道俗加敬。年六十八。隆安元年卒矣
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1.8 (Tsai no.8) Seng-chi
The nun Seng-chi (Foundation of the
Sangha) (ca. 330-397) of Increasing Joy Convent
Seng-chi's secular surname was Ming, and her family
was originally from Chi-nan [in northeast China].
When Seng-chi was still very young, she had already
fixed her mind on the way of Buddhism, holding fast to her wish to leave the
household life and become a nun. Her mother, however, would not hear of it and
secretly betrothed her, hiding the engagement gifts. Thus the daughter knew
nothing about it until the wedding day drew close [but as soon as she found
out] she immediately refused to eat or drink a thing. Even though all her
relatives tried to get her to change her mind, she would not be moved.
After Seng-chi had fasted seven days her mother
summoned the bridegroom, a man of devout faith, who, when he saw that his bride
was in danger of death, said to his prospective mother-in-law, "Each person has
his own will that cannot be forced." The mother then acceded [to her daughter's
wishes], and consequently Seng-chi left the household life. At that time she
was twenty-one years old. Relatives from both sides of the family came to
express their best wishes, and they vied with one another to give fine banquets
and other precious gifts in honor of her becoming a nun. The provincial
magistrate presented gifts, and the commandery administrator attended in
person. Monastics and householders alike marveled [that this degree of honor
given her] was most unusual.
Seng-chi kept the monastic rules in great purity,
and she diligently studied the scriptures. When compared to the nun T'an-pei
(no. 6), her reputation was nearly equal. Her mental faculties were most
concentrated, and she was good at deliberation and decision making.
The Emperor K'ang (322-343-344) often paid respects
to her,
and, in the second year of the chien-yüan reign period (344), the Empress Ch'u
(324-384), consort of K'ang, built for her a convent named Increasing Joy in
T'ung-kung Lane in Chien-k'ang, the capital of Chin.
Seng-chi took up residence
there, and more than a hundred disciples came to her.
Because in her management of all affairs she was
clear and intelligent, both monastics and householders respected her more and
more. She was at least sixty-eight years old when she died in the first year of
the lung-an reign period (397).
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