法華玄論 1.41

1.41

This sūtra has two versions in total: First, the Zheng fahua jing, translated by Zhu Dharmarakṣa—rendered here as Fahu—of the Jin at Chang'an. Second, the Miaofa lianhua jing, translated by Kumārajīva—rendered here as Tongsou—of the Jin, who, under the illegitimate Qin on the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the fifth year of Hongshi, translated the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā at the Xiaoyao Garden in Chang'an, and later translated this sūtra in twenty-seven chapters at Caotang Monastery. These two versions have differences of modern and ancient, ornate and unadorned, broad and brief, yet their general purport is identical. Furthermore, there is the Mahākaruṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra, which broadly illuminates the virtues of loving-kindness and compassion; differing from the above two sūtras, it was produced by Dharmakṣema. Among them there are also various lotus sūtras, such as the Huashou [Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka] and Huayan, which are not just one. However, the Jin had an earlier and later period: formerly west of the river it was called the Western Jin, lasting fifty-two years, during which this sūtra was still in foreign lands. From King Yuan's crossing east of the river it was called the Eastern Jin, and up to the Yixi reign era of Emperor An of the Jin, this sūtra was first brought across. Then the Song lasted sixty years, the Qi lasted twenty-three years, and the Liang lasted forty-four years, totaling two hundred and twenty-nine years; from the Liang until now is fifty years, approaching three hundred years.