歷代三寶紀 2.2

2.2

As for the succession of imperial reigns: Liu Bang, styled Ji, was a man of Feng in Pei Commandery. His mother, the Old Woman, rested by the Great Marsh and dreamed that she had intercourse with a spirit. Becoming pregnant from this, she gave birth to Ji. His head bore a dragon's countenance, his forehead had a high nose bridge, he was magnanimous and benevolent with a handsome beard and whiskers, and between his left thigh and groin he had seventy-two black moles. Thereupon, relying on the tyrannical Qin, he stirred his hidden wings; having swallowed strong Chu, he then unleashed his cloudy vapor. In all, he passed through seventy-two battles before the realm was settled. The response of the black moles found its auspicious omen here. Since he distantly carried on the Zhou, he accordingly called [his dynasty] Han. He renamed Xianyang as Chang'an and made it his capital. From the opening of creation, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Xia, Yin, Zhou, and Qin down to before Wen and Jing, all marked their years by imperial reigns without establishing separate era titles. Coming to the reign of Emperor Wu, era titles were first instituted, such as Jianyuan and Yuanshou. In the second year [of Yuanshou], Huo Qubing campaigned against the Xiongnu, crossed Mount Juyan, captured King Xiutu, and obtained his golden statues, taking them to be great spirits. They were arranged in the palace, and incense was burned in reverence to them. This was the first arrival of statues. In the third year, the Kunming Pool was excavated; everywhere below it was completely filled with grey soot. The Emperor questioned Dongfang Shuo about this matter. Shuo respectfully answered, saying: 'It is not known to your minister; Your Majesty may inquire of the barbarians of the Western Regions.' Thereafter, Zhang Qian returned from his mission to Da Xia, and the Han first came to know of the country of Shendu. Furthermore, in the reign of Emperor Ping, Grand Master Liu Xiang stated of himself: 'As I perused the classics and records, I repeatedly saw Buddhist scriptures.' And when abridging the Liexian zhuan (Biographies of Immortals), he said: 'Having obtained hidden books, I distantly searched the Grand Scribe's initial compilation of the Liexian tu (Illustrations of the Immortals); from the Six Eras down to the present, there were over seven hundred persons. When Xiang verified the real from the false, he definitively settled on one hundred and forty-six persons. Seventy-four of them had already appeared in Buddhist scriptures.' Inferring from this, are these not examples of the scriptures found in the Han-era scripture catalogues and the old and ancient catalogues recorded by Dao'an, such as the scripture of the Twelve Worthies? The remaining seventy-two persons alone formed the Liexian zhuan. This was indeed a man of broad learning discerning their great outlines. From this it may be known that the Śākya scriptures had long circulated in the Zhou era; since people's understanding was not yet ripe, those who converted and believed were few. Although the Qin burnt and eliminated them, under the Han they revived and re-emerged. Thus it caused Liu Xiang to search hidden books and see them, as recounted anew in the Liexian zhuan. Moreover, in the reign of Emperor Ai, during the Yuanshou era, Jing Xian went on a mission to the Da Yuezhi country and received the Futu jing (Buddhist Scripture). Verifying what Xiang had sought, it is truly recorded. Wang Mang, styled Jujun, was a man of Yuancheng. He served as Han's Grand Marshal, assisting Emperor Ping. In the fifth year of Yuanshi, a yi-chou year, the Emperor died. Mang enthroned Emperor Xuan's great-great-grandson Ying, styled Ruzi (the Infant), while Mang served as Chancellor. He held the regency for three years and reigned as true emperor for fifteen years, totaling eighteen years, though in fact it was only seventeen years. Mang was destroyed by Emperor Jing's seventh-generation descendant Liu Xuan, styled Shenggong, who proclaimed the first year of Gengshi. Xuan was enthroned for two years and was in turn killed by the Red Eyebrows. Liu Xiu, styled Wenshu, was a ninth-generation descendant of Gaozu, an offspring of King Ding of Changsha. He resided in Baishui Township of Nanyang. His father was Magistrate of Jiyang, and gave birth to Xiu in the county. There was an auspicious omen of red light; that year, fine grain bore nine ears on a single stalk, so he was named Xiu. He had a high nose bridge and solar forehead-horns, a large mouth, long eyebrows, a handsome face, beard, and whiskers. By nature kind and benevolent, he arose in Nanyang, eradicated the Red Eyebrows, and settled the realm. This was Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han. He moved the capital to Luoyang and named his era title Jianwu. I have heard the old worldly saying: 'Guangwu arose in Nanyang, and Nanyang had no base scholars.' I used to think this was baseless, but seeing what the scriptures now state—that Śākya appeared in Tianzhu, and Tianzhu has many sages—it only now verifies this as true. Coming to the seventh year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming, he suddenly felt a spiritual dream; upon waking he was delighted and ordered envoys to travel west. Thereupon setting his mind to roam toward the realm of blessings, he once leisurely asked his younger brother, Prince of Dongping, Liu Chu: 'Dwelling at home, what is the greatest joy?' The Prince of Dongping was tall and grand, his belt spanning ten arm-spans; he immediately replied: 'Doing good is the greatest joy.' The Emperor praised him, saying: 'These words are very grand, fully sufficient to match the Prince's waist and belly.' Later, when the envoys returned, an imperial decree ordered the translation and propagation [of the scriptures]. The source sprang from this and has flowed down to the present; the ocean of Dharma is inexhaustible, and the dark river never runs dry. Combining both Former and Later Han together with the Xin king, there were twenty-six rulers and four hundred and twenty-five years; this records the imperial reigns of the Eastern and Western Capitals.