四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.42

2.42

七震嶺受緣。余聞有人言，此土受戒，先無從始；縱今受者，少乖緣具，理得何疑；但作奉戒之心，莫非得戒之限。忽聞斯語，不覺喟然。豈以雷霆震地，聾者不聞；七曜麗天，盲者不見；既同管識，豈妄厝言。故引用聖教，明白灼然；具緣成受，不具不得。此土受具，《僧傳》顯彰；縱緣境有濫，依法亦有明訣，如前卷〈受〉中。所言漢境受緣者，自漢明夜夢之始，迦竺傳法已來，迄至曹魏之初，僧徒極盛，未稟歸戒；止以剪落殊俗，設復齋懺，事同祠祀。後有中天竺僧曇摩迦羅，此云法時，誦諸部毘尼，以魏嘉平年至雒陽；立羯磨受法，中夏戒律始也；準用十僧，大行佛法，改先妄習，出《僧祇戒心》。又有安息國沙門曇諦，亦善律學；出《曇無德羯磨》，即大僧受法之初也。比丘尼受具初緣，至宋元嘉七年，有罽賓沙門求那跋摩，至揚州，譯《善戒》等經；又後有師子國尼八人來至，云：宋地未經有尼，何得二眾受戒？摩云：尼不作本法者，得戒，得罪。尋佛制意，法出大僧，但使僧法成就，自然得戒；所以先令作本法者，正欲生其信心，為受戒方便耳；至於得戒，在大僧羯磨時生也。諸尼苦求更受，答曰：善哉！夫戒定慧品，從微至著，若欲增明，甚相隨喜。且令西尼學語，更往中國請尼，令足十數。至元嘉十年，有僧伽跋摩者，此云眾鎧，解律《雜心》，自涉流沙至揚州。初求那許尼重受，未備而終；俄而師子國尼鐵索羅等三人至京，足前十數，便請眾鎧為師，於壇上為尼重受。出《高僧》、《名僧》、《僧史》、《僧錄》、及晉宋雜錄。故略出緣起，永為龜鏡。

Seventh, the conditions of upasampadā in China. I have heard people say: "The reception of precepts in this land originally had no beginning; even if those who receive them now slightly deviate from the fulfillment of conditions, how could there be any doubt in principle that they are obtained? As long as one has the mind to honor the precepts, none fail to fall within the limit of obtaining the precepts." Hearing these words all of a sudden, I could not help but sigh. Can it be that because thunder shakes the earth, the deaf do not hear it; or because the seven luminaries shine brilliantly in the sky, the blind do not see them? Since one has a limited view, how can one make irresponsible claims? Therefore, citing the sacred teachings, it is brilliantly clear: if conditions are fulfilled, upasampadā is accomplished; if not fulfilled, it is not obtained. Upasampadā in this land is clearly shown in the Biographies of Eminent Monks; even if there is confusion regarding conditions and objects, according to the Dharma there are also clear determinations, as in the chapter on "Upasampadā" in the preceding fascicle. As for the conditions of upasampadā in the Han territory: from the beginning with Emperor Ming of Han's dream at night, and since Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna transmitted the Dharma, down to the beginning of the Cao-Wei, the monastic assemblies flourished greatly, yet they had not received the refuges and precepts; they merely cut their hair to differ from the secular world and set up fasts and repentances, their practices resembling sacrificial rites. Later, there was the monk Dharmakāla from Central India—translated here as Fatime—who had memorized the Vinayas of various schools and arrived in Luoyang in the Jiaping era of the Wei; he established the karman method of upasampadā, which was the beginning of precepts and Vinaya in China; following the use of ten monks, he widely practiced the Buddhadharma, reformed former erratic practices, and produced the Mahāsāṃghika-prātimokṣa. There was also the śramaṇa Tan-di of the Parthian kingdom, who was also well-versed in Vinaya studies; he produced the Dharmaguptaka Karman, which was the beginning of the upasampadā method for fully ordained monks. The initial circumstances of the bhikṣuṇī upasampadā were: in the seventh year of the Yuanjia era of the Song, the śramaṇa Guṇavarman of Kashmir arrived in Yangzhou and translated sūtras such as the Bodhisattvabhūmi; later, eight nuns from the Lion Country (Sri Lanka) arrived and said: "In the land of Song there have never been nuns; how could ordination be received from both assemblies?" Guṇavarman said: "If a nun does not perform the root ritual, she obtains the precepts, but incurs an offense. Examining the Buddha's regulatory intent, the dharma originates from the fully ordained monks; so long as the assembly's ritual is accomplished, she naturally obtains the precepts. The reason she was previously ordered to perform the root ritual was precisely to generate her faithful mind as an expedient means for receiving the precepts; as for obtaining the precepts, it arises at the time of the monks' karman." The nuns earnestly begged to receive them again, and he answered: "Excellent! The grades of precepts, concentration, and wisdom go from subtle to manifest; if you wish to increase and clarify them, I rejoice exceedingly with you." He then instructed the Western nuns to learn the language, and sent again to India to invite nuns so as to complete the number of ten. In the tenth year of the Yuanjia era, there was Saṅghavarman—translated here as Zhongkai—who understood the Vinaya and the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, and had personally traversed the shifting sands to Yangzhou. At first, Guṇavarman had granted the nuns' request to receive them again, but passed away before it was completed; soon afterward, Tessarā and two other nuns from the Lion Country reached the capital, making up the previous number of ten, whereupon they invited Saṅghavarman as teacher to administer upasampadā again to the nuns on the platform. This is recorded in the Biographies of Eminent Monks, Biographies of Famous Monks, History of the Saṃgha, Catalogue of Monks, and various records of the Jin and Song. Therefore, I briefly set forth the circumstances to serve forever as a mirror.