Master Daosheng: Sudden Awakening, Dying Seated upon the Lion Seat
Person：Zhu Daosheng
Period：Eastern Jin (d. 434)
Of Julu; ordained under Zhu Fatai and took his master's surname, Zhu.
Reading preferences
事見《法華經顯應錄》「高僧」門「虎丘生法師」條，並見《法華經持驗記》宋朝「宋釋道生」條。以下白話譯註以《顯應錄》為主，《持驗記》異文及高啟詩見考證。
故事
道生法師，從師姓竺。年少志學之年，談吐清新，人皆畏服。他認為入道之要，以慧解為本，所以鑽研群經，不憚勞苦。後入關中，稟承羅什之學，辯問超卓，時人咸稱「神悟」。
（《持驗記》云：生公初入廬山，幽棲七年，常誦《法華經》；後在虎丘講經，講至「闡提皆有佛性」處，頑石皆為點頭。）
一時，他住在半塘，誦《法華經》。忽然有一隻雉，常常飛來聽受。有一天雉不見了，道生還掛念著。夜裡，雉入夢說：「某因聽經，已獲改轉報身，今生在某家作兒子。待過幾年，再來奉事法師。」後來道生詢問，果然如此。孩子出家之後不久，童子之年便命終了，葬於林中。
一天夜裡，葬處忽然放光，輝照塘塢。鄉人驚異，開墓查看——得到一條舌頭，舌上生著青色蓮華。於是起塔，後來擴建成寺，就是今天的半塘寺。
道生曾立論：「善不受報，頓悟成佛。」守文墨守的舊學，把這當作邪說。道生對眾發誓說：「若我所立之義不違經旨，捨壽之時，當踞師子座。」
後來《大般涅槃經》譯出，果然與他所說相符。道生於是升座開講，聽者悟悅。法席將畢，麈尾忽然紛然墜地——道生端坐正容而逝，如同入定一般。
時人語曰：「生叡發天真」——稱讚秀出者，說的就是這樣的人。
編者省思
道生是中國佛教史上「以理抗經、終為經證」的經典案例：闡提有性、頓悟成佛，在當時皆屬離經叛道；一代新經譯出，竟全如所料。《持驗記》所記「頑石點頭」，與「踞師子座」同為中國佛教最有名的兩個「驗證」意象，本站收錄的正是後者的原典出處系統之一。
半塘舌上青蓮一節，與法志座下的聽經雉（S015）同型而異事：同是禽鳥聽《法華》得轉人身，此處更進一層——童子夭後，舌生青蓮。編者將兩則並列收錄，正見此一母題在感應錄中的反覆變奏。麈尾墜地、端坐而逝的收束，不涉往生語，本站如實歸入「現世安樂／悟入」而往生欄位作「未明言」。
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