五祖賢首法師。賢首，諡號也，諱法藏。其先康居國人。天冊萬歲元年，詔沙彌康法藏於太原寺開示華嚴宗旨。方緒經題，感白光昱然自日而出，須臾成蓋停空久之，萬眾歡呼歎異。都講僧恒奏其事，則天悅，有旨命京城十大德為藏授滿分戒，賜號賢首，詔入大遍空寺參譯經。是歲詔賢首法師法藏於東都佛授記寺講《新華嚴經》。至華藏世界，感大地震動，逾時乃息。即日召對長生殿，問帝網十重玄門海印三昧，參合六相總別同異成壞之義。藏敷宣有緒、玄旨通貫，則天驟聞茫然驚異，伸請再三。藏就指殿隅金師子為曉譬之，至所謂一毛頭師子百億毛頭師子，則天豁然領解，由是集其語。目為《金師子章》。初雲華寺儼尊者傳杜順華嚴宗旨，藏執侍儼，盡傳其教。及儼去世，藏以巾幘說法。於是京城耆德連名抗表，乞度為僧。凡藏落髮受具，皆則天特旨。又嘗為則天以十圓鏡置八隅上下皆使相向，中安像佛，然燭炤之。則鏡鏡現像互相攝入，及觀之者交羅齊現，以表剎海十界普容無盡之旨。藏沒，清涼國師澄觀宗其教，天下學者宗之，目為一念圓融具德宗，謂之賢首開宗判教。是為五祖。
Fifth Patriarch, Master Xianshou Fazang. "Xianshou" is his posthumous title; his personal name was Fazang, and his ancestral homeland was Kangju.
In the first year of the Tiancui Wansui era (695 C.E.), the Empress Wu Zetian ordered the novice monk Kang Fazang to expound the principles of the Avatamsaka Sutra at Taiyuan Temple. As he began explaining the sutra's title, a bright white light suddenly shone down from the sun, transformed into a canopy, and hung still in the sky for a long time. The vast crowd cheered in wonder. The lecturer, Monk Heng, reported this event to the throne. Wu Zetian was delighted and decreed that ten great monastics of the capital should administer full ordination to Fazang. She granted him the title "Xianshou" and commanded him to enter the Great Biankong Temple to participate in scripture translation.
That same year, she ordered Xianshou Master Fazang to lecture on the *New Avatamsaka Sutra* at the Temple of the Buddha's Prophecy in the eastern capital of Luoyang. When he reached the chapter on the Flower Store World, the earth shook violently and did not stop for a considerable time. That very day, she summoned him to the Changsheng Hall and asked about the ten profound gates of the Indra's Net, the Ocean Seal Samadhi, and the meaning of the six characteristics: totality and distinction, identity and difference, and completion and destruction. Fazang explained in an orderly fashion, and the profound principles were thoroughly connected. At first, Wu Zetian was bewildered and amazed, so she repeatedly asked him to elaborate. Pointing to a golden lion at the corner of the hall, Fazang used it as an analogy. When he reached the point about each single hair of the lion containing billions of hairs, Wu Zetian suddenly grasped the meaning. Her words were then compiled into a text titled *The Golden Lion Treatise*.
Earlier, the Venerable Yanshou of Yunhua Temple had transmitted the Avatamsaka teachings of Dushun. Fazang served Yanshou closely and received the complete transmission. After Yanshou passed away, Fazang continued to teach while still in lay clothing. Consequently, the eminent elders of the capital jointly submitted a petition requesting that he be ordained as a monk. It was only by Wu Zetian’s special decree that Fazang finally shaved his head, received full ordination, and took the monastic vows.
On another occasion, for the Empress, Fazang placed ten circular mirrors in eight directions, as well as above and below, all facing each other. He installed a Buddha image in the center and lit a lamp to illuminate it. As a result, each mirror reflected all the others, and all the images interpenetrated and appeared together — a vivid demonstration of the principle of the boundless, all-containing realm of the ten directions.
Upon Fazang’s death, the pure and cool master Chengguan succeeded and propagated his teachings. Scholars throughout the land studied them, naming this tradition the "One Contemplation Perfect and Complete School," calling it the Xianshou tradition of establishing the doctrine. This is the Fifth Patriarch.