觀無量壽佛經義疏 1.11.4

1.11.4

Can one fail to follow the Dharma words of ancient sages? The above five gates have briefly indicated the essentials; the rest, not being exhausted here, will be detailed in the commentary on the text. According to the *Kaiyuan Record*, this sūtra had two translations in all; the earlier version is already lost, and the present version was translated by Kālayaśas. The *Biographies of Eminent Monks* states: 'Kālayaśas, translated here as Shicheng, was a person of the Western Regions. He was upright and unyielding in character, with few desires, and was thoroughly conversant in the Tripiṭaka. At the beginning of the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty, he arrived at the capital. Emperor Wen greatly sighed in admiration and decreed that he reside at Daolin Monastery on Mount Zhong. Seng Han requested him to translate this sūtra together with the *Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Two Bodhisattvas Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata*, with Han acting as the recorder. Later he traveled to Min and Shu, and returning, died in Jiangling.' Furthermore, there were several interpretations in previous generations: Dharma Master Huiyuan of the Sui dynasty and Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai both had commentaries, and Preceptor Shandao of the Tang dynasty also established *The Profound Meaning*, which circulate together in the world; but each favored their own sectarian traditions and mutually engaged in acceptance and rejection. Therefore, what is explained now chooses the good and follows it; where there are errors, they are certainly corrected.