二諦義 1.2

1.2

The three fascicles of the Chapter on the Meaning of the Two Truths composed by Great Master Jiaxiang [Ji]zang have circulated in our country for barely more than a thousand years; they were treasured away in old famous monasteries and not widely transmitted for a long time. Formerly, the venerable Ryuuhou Yo happened to obtain the upper and lower volumes, and straightaway carved them on woodblocks to distribute them throughout the realm. But like a precious tripod missing one leg, was this not regrettable? Recently, a certain bookseller fortunately obtained a complete old exemplar and came to request that I once again apply Japanese readings to it and transmit it down through a thousand years. Thereupon, comparing the two exemplars, Master Yo's text not only lacked the middle fascicle, but also had more than twenty sheets missing from the upper fascicle; moreover, errors like mistaking 'pig' for 'hai' or 'phoenix' for 'wind' were ubiquitous. Sighing deeply, I exclaimed: 'I had previously heard its name without obtaining the text, like a thirsty man hearing of plums. Yet even though it was occasionally transmitted, for how many years was it deficient and incomplete! Now, having fortunately seen the complete text, that which was previously called thirst is completely quenched. If this is so for me, who else would not feel the same? If it is now to be widely circulated throughout the realm, how could I shrink from the toil of this undertaking?' This is why I forgot my own narrow unrefinedness and did not dare refuse his request. Now, for the upper and lower fascicles, I directly used Master Yo's carved version without re-carving, and wherever there were scribal errors, differences between the two exemplars, unresolved doubts, or where I feared a certain character must be missing, I noted them all in the top margin of the fascicle, never once altering them according to my personal opinion, striving solely to preserve antiquity. Thereupon, it may truly be said that the precious tripod has once again become a whole vessel—how delightful! Since this is so, how do we know that the Great Master who authored the chapter is not smiling faintly in joy within his nāga-samādhi, and how do we know that Master Yo is not leaping with joy beneath the earth? This is the preface.