聖果寺位於浙江杭州鳳凰山，鳳凰山位於西湖東南。自昌化竹嶺起，過西天目，直至鳳凰山，形勢飛鳳。聖果寺始建於隋文帝開皇二年（五八二），時稱「勝果」。寺山景勝，梵宇僧集，故名勝果。唐昭宗乾寧間（八九四～八九七），無著文喜禪師復興開法，寺廢頓興，即名「聖果」。吳越王錢鏐於梁開平四年（九一〇），鐫三佛及羅漢像於寺左石壁。宋仁宗景祐間（一〇三四～一〇三七），僧惠然建塔。慶曆五年（一〇四五），賜額「崇聖」。高宗南渡，廢為禁苑。孝宗淳熙十三年（一一八六）重建，德祐末（一二七五）毁。元至元二十年（一二八三）復興，至正間（一三四一～一三六八）燬。明洪武四年（一三七一）重建，永樂十五年（一四一七）立為叢林。正德九年（一五一四）僧子敬力任鼎新。嘉靖三十五年（一五五六）倭禍被焚。三十七年（一五五八）僧正因復建，所毁者四而重興者六。寺自茲以後，歷經更變。清順治年間，釋超乾居寺二載。因寺無記錄，乃修寺志一卷。首為序與圖，無目錄；以次記山，即鳳凰山也；再次記寺山舊蹟，其目有峰、巖、石、洞、塢、嶺、徑、松、澗、井、泉、池、潭、場、石像、衕等；再次記寺，即聖果寺；再次記寺舊蹟，其目有殿、堂、房、樓、閣、堂、門、亭、庵、橋、塔、碑、記、疏等。再次記歷代禪師，載唐無著文喜禪師，宋希最法師、淨梵法師，元珠明禪師，明子敬禪師；再次記歷來住持，僅載無際禪師；再次載祖塔，有無著文喜禪師塔、馬僧摩居士塔。是志體例，以山寺舊蹟為綱，採取各家題詠為之目。其歷代禪祖，敍述禪門宗派。超乾為詩僧，性慕風雅，故有此輯。雖篇幅無多，然靈光片羽，亦可珍寶。茲據清光緒七年（一八八一）錢塘丁氏刋本景印。
Shengguo Temple is located on Fenghuang Mountain in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Fenghuang Mountain lies southeast of West Lake. Stretching from the Zhuling Ridge in Changhua, past West Tianmu Mountain, and all the way to Fenghuang Mountain, its form resembles a soaring phoenix.
Shengguo Temple was first built in the second year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty (582 CE), and was initially called "Shengguo" (Superior Fruit). The mountain scenery was splendid, and the temple grounds gathered many monks, hence the name "Shengguo" (Superior Fruit). During the Qianning era of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty (894-897 CE), Chan Master Wuzhuo Wenxi revived the temple and began teaching the Dharma there. The ruined temple was suddenly restored and was then renamed "Shengguo" (Sacred Fruit).
In the fourth year of the Kaiping era of the Later Liang Dynasty (910 CE), King Qian Liu of Wuyue had images of three Buddhas and Arhats carved into the cliff face to the left of the temple. During the Jingyou era of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1034-1037 CE), the monk Huiran built a pagoda. In the fifth year of the Qingli era (1045 CE), the temple was granted the plaque "Chongsheng" (Venerating the Sacred). When Emperor Gaozong moved the court south, the temple was abolished and turned into a restricted imperial garden. It was rebuilt in the thirteenth year of the Chunxi era of Emperor Xiaozong (1186 CE), but was destroyed by the end of the Deyou era (1275 CE).
The temple was revived again in the twentieth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1283 CE), but was destroyed during the Zhizheng era (1341-1368 CE). It was rebuilt in the fourth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1371 CE), and in the fifteenth year of the Yongle era (1417 CE), it was established as a major public monastery. In the ninth year of the Zhengde era (1514 CE), the monk Zijing undertook a major renovation. In the thirty-fifth year of the Jiajing era (1556 CE), it was burned down during troubles with Japanese pirates. In the thirty-seventh year (1558 CE), the monk Zhengyin rebuilt it. The temple was destroyed four times and magnificently restored six times.
From this point on, the temple underwent many changes. During the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the monk Chaoqian resided at the temple for two years. As the temple had no records, he compiled a one-volume temple chronicle. It began with a preface and a map, but had no table of contents. It then recorded the mountain, which is Fenghuang Mountain. Next, it recorded the historical sites of the temple mountain, with entries for peaks, cliffs, rocks, caves, valleys, ridges, paths, pines, streams, wells, springs, ponds, pools, grounds, stone statues, and lanes. Following that, it recorded the temple itself, Shengguo Temple. Then it recorded the temple's historical sites, with entries for halls, assembly halls, rooms, towers, pavilions, halls, gates, kiosks, hermitages, bridges, pagodas, steles, records, and fundraising appeals. Next, it recorded the temple's successive Chan masters, including Tang Dynasty's Chan Master Wuzhuo Wenxi, Song Dynasty's Dharma Master Xizui and Dharma Master Jingfan, Yuan Dynasty's Chan Master Zhuming, and Ming Dynasty's Chan Master Zijing. After that, it recorded the successive abbots, listing only Chan Master Wuji. Finally, it recorded the ancestral stupas, including the stupa of Chan Master Wuzhuo Wenxi and the stupa of Layman Ma Sengmo.
The style of this chronicle used the mountain and temple's historical sites as its framework, adopting the inscribed poems and verses of various figures as its details. Its accounts of successive Chan patriarchs narrated the lineages of the Chan school. Chaoqian was a monk-poet with an elegant disposition, which is why he made this compilation. Although its length is not great, these surviving fragments are like precious spiritual light and can be treasured.
This text is reproduced from the woodblock-printed edition by the Ding family of Qiantang from the seventh year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1881 CE).