Master Fayun: Flowers Rain on the Lecture; He Taught This Sutra in the Days of Dipankara Buddha
Person:Fayun
Period:Liang dynasty (467–529)
Fayun of Guangzhai Monastery, one of the three great Liang-dynasty masters together with Sengmin and Zhizang.
Reading preferences
事見《法華經顯應錄》「高僧」門「金陵雲法師」條(夾注「續高僧傳」),並見《法華經持驗記》梁朝「梁釋法雲」條。以下白話譯註以《顯應錄》詳本為主。
故事
法雲法師,陽羨人,俗姓周。母親生他之時,見雲氣滿室,因此以「雲」為小字。七歲出家,立名法雲,俊朗英秀,卓絕於當時。亮法師見到他就歎道:「我的神明智慧,實在不及此子;這孩子必是佛法的棟梁。」
法雲三十歲時,開講《法華經》《淨名經》,機辯風生,學徒從四方聚集。梁武帝敬重他,敕命他住持光宅寺。
他從沙彌之齡,便雅好《法華》,研精累思。曾往幽深的巖谷,獨自講說此經——排列石頭作為徒眾,折下松枝作為拂子,自唱自導,兼通難問;而文疏稠疊,前後輝映。
又曾在一寺講敷此經,忽然感得天華,狀如飛雪,滿空而下,延入堂內,升空不墜,直到講畢才散去。
當時誌公道超方外,或來法雲處,說:「我想請法師解『師子吼』。」法雲即升座剖析。誌公彈指讚歎:「善哉,微妙啊!」
武帝一日因天旱,問誌公:「有何計策能得雨?」誌公說:「雲能致雨——可請雲法師講經。」法雲講《法華》,講到「其澤普洽」(恩澤普潤)之句,天即大雨滂沱。
儀同袁昂家中有一位長年供養的僧人,發願要得如法雲一般的慧解。夜裡忽然夢見一位僧人對他說:「雲法師在燈明佛的時代,就已經講這部經了——你怎麼可能一下子敵得過他?」
編者省思
法雲是六朝講經藝術的巔峰代表。本則連用三層感應為他的講經作證:天華如雪(講壇現場的瑞相)、「其澤普洽」致雨(講經內容與天時的呼應——這是文學性極高的一筆:雨恰恰落在經文說到「澤」的句子)、燈明佛時已講此經(把他的講經生涯回溯到無量劫前,與《法華經》本身「日月燈明佛說法華」的經文結構暗合)。
「雲能致雨」是本則的詩眼——他的名字成了讖語。列石為徒、折松作拂的獨講場景,則為我們保存了古代山中法師最孤絕也最浪漫的一幅畫像。全條無往生語,本站歸入「現世安樂/吉祥瑞相」。
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