[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [佛祖統紀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035) › 44.48 # 佛祖統紀 44.48 佛祖統紀 44.48 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [44.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44.48) 述曰。周卜其祚得世三十。歷年七百（其後傳世三十七。歷年八百故。曰周過其歷）。漢之世以讖知故。赤伏符云。四七之際火為王（自漢高祖至光武初起之年為二百二十八。故云四七。漢以火王故云為主也）晉元渡江。筮之得百二（元帝使郭璞筮之云。享年二百後百二年而宋代晉。始寤郭氏以百二之期促故。婉辭以倒之也）。唐太宗時原州貢瑞石。成文有七佛八菩薩之記（石文云。太平天子李世民太子李治七佛八菩薩。其後至二十一世。如武宗之滅法及高祖之薄信。末年諸主當不在佛菩薩之數）。又萬回謂明皇五十年太平天子。一行記社稷終吉（明皇以國祚問一行禪師。答曰。社稷終吉後至昭宗而亡。以曾封為吉王故耳）北朝陸居士謂齊文宣十年天子猶尚可。百日天子急如火（居士陸法和題壁云。十年天子猶尚可百日天子急如火。周年天子遞代坐十年謂文宣也。百日廢帝也。周年孝昭也。後皆驗）。此皆天命人事互相參會默定於先時而不可詰也。我國家丕應休運。　太宗即位之初感　翊聖真君之降。謂國祚過於有唐。而嘉州石文誌公石記。則有趙號二十一帝之文（太宗四年嘉州貢石。有丹文云。趙二十一帝。七年舒州貢石有誌公記云。趙號二十一帝。既而誌公親降禁中。上親聞訓語）。真宗祥符初。天書降有云。趙受命世七百九九。今詳翊聖國祚過唐。誌公二十一帝。此兩義固可解。唯天書七百九九未之能諭。假使果及此數當不止二十一帝。殊不知前十四朝已三百年。自　今皇帝以下凡七傳各在位七十年。則可及五百之數也。恭惟　列聖相承德加四海。一視萬區而以民為重。並隆三教而知佛為尊。當必有聖賢護國延長世祚。則周過其歷之驗。復見清朝便須實及七百九九之年。用以仰符上天之語。為可信也。佛天聖人以宿命智預鑑未來。雖億千萬劫莫不前知。矧此千百年之近事。以之能預告者非怪誕也。 > The author remarks: When the Zhou divined its fortune, it obtained thirty generations and seven hundred years (subsequently it was transmitted for thirty-seven generations and eight hundred years; hence it is said that the Zhou exceeded its allotted span). In the Han era, events were known through prophecies; hence the Chifu talisman says: 'At the juncture of four and seven, Fire becomes king' (from Han Gaozu to the first year of Guangwu's rising was two hundred and twenty-eight years, hence it says 'four and seven'; the Han reigned by the element Fire, hence it says 'becomes lord'). When Emperor Yuan of Jin crossed the Yangtze, he divined by yarrow stalks and obtained one hundred and two (Emperor Yuan ordered Guo Pu to divine it, who said: 'You shall enjoy two hundred years.' One hundred and two years later, the Song replaced the Jin; only then was it realized that because the term of one hundred and two was short, Guo had used veiled language to invert it). In the time of Taizong of Tang, Yuanzhou presented an auspicious stone, upon which the naturally formed text had a record of seven Buddhas and eight bodhisattvas (the stone's text said: 'Emperor of Great Peace Li Shimin, Crown Prince Li Zhi; seven Buddhas and eight bodhisattvas.' Subsequently down to twenty-one generations, such as Wuzong's suppression of the Dharma and Gaozu's meager faith, the various rulers of the final years ought not to be counted among the Buddhas and bodhisattvas). Moreover, Wanhui spoke of Xuanzong as an 'Emperor of Great Peace for fifty years,' and Yixing recorded that 'the state's altars shall end in Ji' (Xuanzong asked Chan Master Yixing about the dynasty's span; he replied: 'The state's altars will end in Ji.' Later it fell under Emperor Zhaozong, simply because he had once been enfeoffed as Prince of Ji). In the Northern Dynasties, Layman Lu said of Wenxuan of Qi: 'An emperor of ten years is still tolerable; an emperor of a hundred days is urgent as fire' (the layman Lu Fahe wrote on a wall: 'An emperor of ten years is still tolerable; an emperor of a hundred days is urgent as fire; an emperor of one full year sits in succession.' 'Ten years' referred to Wenxuan; 'a hundred days' to the Deposed Emperor; 'one full year' to Xiaozhao. Later all were verified). These were all instances where the heavenly mandate and human affairs converged with one another, silently determined in advance and beyond dispute. Our dynasty has vastly responded to an auspicious destiny. At the beginning of Taizong's accession, he moved the True Lord Yisheng to descend, who said that the dynasty's span would surpass that of the Tang. Moreover, the stone text of Jiazhou and the stone record of Master Zhi contain the phrase 'twenty-one emperors with the surname Zhao' (in the fourth year of Taizong, Jiazhou presented a stone with cinnabar text that read: 'Zhao: twenty-one emperors.' In the seventh year, Shuzhou presented a stone with Master Zhi's record that read: 'Zhao is styled twenty-one emperors.' Soon after, Master Zhi personally descended into the forbidden palace, and the Emperor personally heard his admonitory words). At the beginning of Zhenzong's Xiangfu era, the descent of the heavenly book stated: 'Zhao received the mandate; the generations are seven hundred and ninety-nine.' Now examining this: Yisheng said the dynasty's span would surpass the Tang, and Master Zhi spoke of twenty-one emperors; these two meanings can indeed be explained. Only the 'seven hundred and ninety-nine' of the heavenly book cannot yet be comprehended. If it truly reaches this number, it must not be limited to twenty-one emperors. One hardly realizes that the preceding fourteen reigns have already lasted three hundred years; if from the present Emperor onward there are seven transmissions, each reigning for seventy years, then it could reach the number of five hundred. Reverently we contemplate that our successive sage rulers have inherited one another, their virtue extending to the four seas; they view the myriad regions as one and value the people as paramount; they elevate the three teachings equally and know that the Buddha is supreme. There must certainly be sages and worthies protecting the realm to prolong the dynasty's fortune, so that the verification of 'Zhou exceeding its allotted span' will be seen once again in our Pure Dynasty; then it must truly reach the years of seven hundred and ninety-nine, thereby reverently matching the words of Heaven on high, rendering them credible. The Buddhas, devas, and sages foresee the future with the wisdom of recollecting past lives; though it be hundreds of millions of kalpas, there is nothing they do not know beforehand. How much more so with recent affairs of a mere thousand or hundred years—that they are able to foretell them in advance is by no means bizarre or absurd! > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 44.47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44.47) - [Next: 44.49](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44.49) - [Up: 44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035~en-mt.44.48) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.44.48) · Pramāṇa