歷代三寶紀 12.88

12.88

右一部合三十一卷。大興善寺沙門成都釋僧琨集。琨即周世釋忘名之弟子。俗緣鄭氏。性沈審善音聲。今為二十五眾教讀經法主。搜括群經卷部連比。准諸雜論篇軸參差。引經說云。欲知智者意廣讀諸異論。緣是採摭先聖後賢所撰諸論。集為一部稱曰論場。譬世園場則五果百穀。戲場則歌舞音聲。戰場則矛甲兵仗。道場則幡華寶蓋種種莊嚴。今此論場。譬同於彼無事不有。披袟一閱覽覩百家。自利利人物我同益也。

The above one work comprises thirty-one fascicles in total. Collected by Śramaṇa Shi Sengkun of Chengdu, Daxingshan Temple. Sengkun was a disciple of Shi Wangming of the Northern Zhou. His secular surname was Zheng. By nature he was composed and prudent, and skilled in vocal intonation. At present he is the Dharma master teaching scriptural chanting for the Twenty-five Assemblies. He searched through various scriptures, arranging fascicles and chapters side by side; modelled upon the varying lengths of assorted treatises, he cited scriptural teachings saying: 'If one wishes to know the mind of the wise, one should read widely among the various different treatises.' For this reason, he gathered the treatises composed by earlier sages and later worthies, and assembled them into one work entitled 'Arena of Treatises'. To take a worldly analogy: an orchard has the five fruits and the hundred grains; a theatre has song, dance, and music; a battlefield has spears, armour, and weapons; a bodhimaṇḍa has banners, flowers, jeweled canopies, and various kinds of adornments. Now this Arena of Treatises is analogous to those: there is no matter that it does not possess. Unrolling a wrapper and perusing it once, one sees a hundred schools. Benefiting oneself and benefiting others, self and other gain equal profit.