佛祖統紀 47.41

47.41

三年二月。駕幸上天竺禮敬大士。問住山若訥曰。大士之前合拜不合拜。師曰。不拜則各自稱尊。拜則遞相恭敬。上欣然致拜。又問歲旦修光明懺之意。師曰。佛為梵釋四王說金光明三昧之道。囑其護國護人。後世祖師立為懺儀。於歲旦奉行其法。為國祈福。此盛世之典也。上說。授右街僧錄復賜錢。即道翌法師故居建十六觀堂。命內翰樓鑰作記○三月勅於禁中建內觀堂。一遵上竺制度○日本遣使致書四明郡庭問佛法大意。乞集名僧對使發函讀之。郡將大集。緇衣皆畏縮莫敢應命。棲心維那忻然而出。日本之書與中國同文。何足為疑。即揖太守褫封疾。讀以爪掐其紙七處。讀畢語使人曰。日本雖欲學文不無疎繆。遂一一為析之。使慚懼而退。守踊躍大喜曰。天下維那也。

In the third year, in the second month: The imperial carriage visited Upper Tianzhu to pay homage to the Great Being. He asked the abbot, Ruone: 'Before the Great Being, is it appropriate to bow or not?' The Master said: 'If you do not bow, each claims superiority; if you bow, you show mutual respect.' The Emperor joyfully bowed. He also asked about the meaning of cultivating the Golden Light Repentance on New Year's Day. The Master said: 'The Buddha preached the path of the Golden Light Samādhi to Brahmā, Śakra, and the Four Heavenly Kings, entrusting them to protect the country and protect the people. In later generations, the ancestral masters established it as a repentance ritual, practicing this method on New Year's Day to pray for blessings for the state; this is a ritual of an era of flourishing peace.' The Emperor was pleased, conferred the title of Monastic Scribe of the Right Street, and further bestowed money. In the former residence of Dharma Master Daoyi, he built the Sixteen Contemplations Hall, commanding Hanlin Academician Lou Yue to compose an inscription. In the third month, an edict ordered the construction of an Inner Contemplation Hall in the palace, following the exact system of Upper Tianzhu. Japan sent an envoy to deliver a letter to the prefectural office of Siming asking about the general meaning of the Buddhist Dharma, requesting that famous monks be gathered to open the letter and read it before the envoy. The prefect assembled them, but the monks all shrank back and dared not respond. The karmadāna of Qixin came forward joyfully, saying: 'The writings of Japan share the same characters as the Central Kingdom; why should there be doubt?' He immediately bowed to the prefect, tore open the seal, and read it rapidly, pinching the paper with his fingernails in seven places. When he finished reading, he said to the envoy: 'Although Japan wishes to study literature, there are not a few errors,' and explained them one by one. The envoy withdrew in shame and fear. The prefect leaped with great joy and said: 'A true karmadāna of the world!'