歷代三寶紀 12.69

12.69

勅旨付司訪人令翻。崛多四年方果入國。處之興善將事弘宣。五年勅旨即令崛多。共婆羅門沙門若那竭多開府高恭恭息都督天奴和仁又婆羅門毘舍達等道俗六人。令於內史內省翻梵古書及乾文等。於時廣濟寺唯獨耶舍一人譯經。至七年別勅崛多使兼翻經。兩頭來往。到十二年。翻書訖了合得二百餘卷。進畢。爾時耶舍先已歿亡。仍勅崛多專主翻譯。移法席就大興善寺。更召婆羅門沙門達摩笈多并遣高天奴高和仁兄弟等同翻。又僧置十大德沙門僧休法粲法經慧藏洪遵慧遠法纂僧暉明穆曇遷等。監掌始末詮定旨歸。其十四部本行集經七十六卷。並是餘處。十一年前崛多自翻。沙門彥琮制序皆是。其十七部法炬經等八十九卷。十二年來在大興善寺禪堂內出。沙門笈多高天奴兄弟等助。沙門明穆沙門彥琮。重對梵本。再更覆勘。整理文義。其外尚有九十餘部。見在續翻訖隨附錄。仰惟如來金口一唱異類各蒙悟解。譬若日月耀天。迦葉阿難親承梵音結集布乎皮牒。猶如炬燭朗夜。後漢迄今國俗殊別。宣譯著在文言。狀似熒燈照室。所冀石火之繼太陽以影傳光。津液法流霑潤含識。庶無斷絕。考論真偽本末。豈得同年而比校哉。

An imperial decree entrusted the matter to the authorities to seek people to have them translated. In the fourth year, Gupta finally managed to enter the realm. He was installed at Xingshan Monastery to undertake the work of extensive proclamation. In the fifth year, an imperial decree commanded Gupta, together with the Brahmin śramaṇa *Jñānagupta, the Kaifu Gao Gonggong's sons Commander Tiannu and Heren, as well as the Brahmin Viśākhadatta and others—six men in total, both monastics and laity—to translate ancient Sanskrit books and astrological/divinatory texts in the Secretariat and the Palace Secretariat. At that time, at Guangji Monastery only Yaśas alone translated scriptures. In the seventh year, a separate decree commanded Gupta to participate concurrently in translating scriptures, travelling between both locations. By the twelfth year, the translation of the books was completed, yielding a total of over two hundred fascicles; their presentation was concluded. At that time, Yaśas had already passed away. The emperor then decreed that Gupta should take exclusive charge of translation, moving the Dharma seat to the Daxingshan Monastery. He further summoned the Brahmin śramaṇa Dharmagupta and sent the brothers Gao Tiannu and Gao Heren to translate together with them. Furthermore, the monastic authorities appointed ten śramaṇas of great virtue: Sengxiu, Facan, Fajing, Huizang, Hongzun, Huiyuan, Fajuan, Senghui, Mingmu, and Tancian, to supervise and take charge of the process from beginning to end, verifying and determining the doctrinal purport. The fourteen works, including the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra in seventy-six fascicles, were all translated by Gupta himself at other places before the eleventh year; the śramaṇa Yancong wrote prefaces for all of them. The seventeen works, including the Fajü jing, in eighty-nine fascicles, were produced inside the Dhyāna Hall at Daxingshan Monastery from the twelfth year onward, with the śramaṇa Gupta and the brothers Gao Tiannu aiding him, while the śramaṇas Mingmu and Yancong checked them again against the Sanskrit originals, collated them once more, and edited the text and meaning. Beyond these, there are still over ninety works, which are currently being translated continuously and will be appended to the catalogue as they are finished. With deep reverence we reflect that when the golden mouth of the Tathāgata made a single utterance, beings of different categories each gained understanding, just as the sun and moon shine across the heavens. Kāśyapa and Ānanda personally received the Brahmā sounds, and their compilation was spread across birchbark and palm leaves, just as a radiant torch illumines the night. From the Later Han to the present, the customs of our state have been distinctly different; when proclaimed and translated into literary writing, it is like a flickering lamp illuminating a chamber. What we hope is that this spark of flint may carry on the sun's brilliance, transmitting light by means of shadows, and that the moisturizing flow of the Dharma may moisten sentient beings without cessation. When investigating their genuineness and spuriousness, their origins and branches, how could they possibly be compared and matched as if from the same era?