佛祖統紀 50.46

50.46

如來聖人。以開權顯實開迹顯本之道化天下後世者。謂之佛。佛弟子以次傳道為世宗主者。謂之祖。其實一道爾。故如來之將息化也。以無上大法付之飲光。飲光任持二十年。以付慶喜。慶喜持法宣化亦二十年。以付商那。下而至於十三世曰龍樹。始以文字般若著所證三觀之道。曰中觀論。暨譯傳東夏。於是北齊以宿悟已證立為觀法。以授南岳。南岳承其旨。悟法華淨六根。以授天台。天台始立五時張八教。用明法華開顯之妙。而大暢乎境觀之旨。時則有章安。執筆載為疏論。其道遂大明。法華天宮繼世講演。嗣其法者唯左溪。左溪門學。獨荊溪能承正統。述諸記以贊祖謨。則清涼異議為之寢息。以文字廣第一義諦。則莫若茲時之盛。以故世之學者取龍樹至例為九祖以奉清祀。其有由矣。自荊溪以來。用此道以傳授者。則有興道（邃師）至行（修師）講道不絕。會昌多難教卷散亡。正定妙說高論（外琇竦二法師）三世。唯傳止觀之論。迨乎螺溪。法運將泰（寂師）天假吳越（錢忠懿王）求遺書於海東。於是教籍復還。寶雲嗣興。敷揚二紀。而四明法智。以佛所生子垂迹海隅。一家教部毘陵師未記者。悉記之。四種三昧人所難行者。悉行之。斯慈雲之極言也。當是時有為異說者。如昭圓諸師。世方指為山外。而法智獨擅中興教觀之名。自興道訖四明凡八世。所以紹隆正統而顯揚大教者。有在於是。是宜等而上之用陪位於九祖。以尊大其道為可爾。然則今之宗門列剎。凡所以講天台四明之道者。有能起龍樹至法智。通祀為十七祖。以並為之位。誠有見於後學尊祖重道之心也。謹議。

The sage Tathāgata, transforming all under heaven and future generations by the path of opening the provisional and revealing the real, opening the trace and revealing the origin, is called the Buddha. The Buddha's disciples who successively transmit the path and serve as leaders for the world are called patriarchs. In reality, it is one single path. Therefore, when the Tathāgata was about to cease his transforming work, he entrusted the supreme Great Dharma to Piṇḍola. Piṇḍola upheld it for twenty years and entrusted it to Ānanda. Ānanda upheld the Dharma and propagated the transformation also for twenty years, entrusting it to Śāṇavāsa. Descending to the thirteenth generation, named Nāgārjuna, he first expounded in textual prajñā the path of the three contemplations that he had realized, titled the Madhyamaka-śāstra. When this was translated and transmitted to the eastern realm, the Northern Qi [master Huisi], through past awakening and present realization, established it as a method of contemplation and transmitted it to Nanyue. Nanyue received its purport, awakened to the Lotus, and purified the six senses, transmitting it to Tiantai. Tiantai first established the five periods and unfurled the eight teachings, using them to illuminate the wonder of the Lotus's opening and revealing, and broadly clarifying the purport of object and contemplation. At that time there was Zhang'an, who took up the brush to record them as commentaries and treatises, and the path thereupon became greatly illuminated. Fahua and Tiangong successively lectured across generations; the only one to succeed to their dharma was Zuoxi. Among Zuoxi's disciples, Jingxi alone was able to inherit the orthodox lineage, composing various commentaries to extol the ancestral designs, so that the divergent opinions of Qingliang were laid to rest. In using texts to propagate the supreme ultimate truth, nothing matched the flourishing of this period. For this reason, later scholars take [the line from] Nāgārjuna down as nine patriarchs to venerate with pure sacrifices; there is good reason for this. From Jingxi onward, those who transmitted by means of this path included Xingdao (Master Dao Sui) and Zhixing (Master Xiu), whose lecturing on the path never ceased. During the Huichang era, when catastrophes were numerous and the doctrinal texts were scattered and lost, across the three generations of Zhengding, Miaoshuo, and Gaolun (the two Dharma masters Xiu and Song of the Shanwai faction), only the treatise of the Zhiguan was transmitted. Coming down to Luoxi (Master Ji), the fortune of the Dharma was about to prosper; Heaven aided Wuyue (King Zhongyi Qian) to search for lost texts in the eastern seas, whereupon the doctrinal scriptures were restored. Baoyun succeeded and flourished, propagating it for two twelve-year cycles. Then Fazhi of Siming, as a son born of the Buddha who manifested his trace in a corner of the sea, fully commented on all parts of our school's teachings that the Master of Piling had not yet commented on. What others found difficult to practice among the four kinds of samādhi, he practiced entirely. This was the highest praise of Ciyun. At that time there were those who advanced heterodox theories, such as Master Zhaoyuan and others, whom the world then designated as Shanwai, whereas Fazhi alone possessed the reputation of reviving the teachings and contemplations. From Xingdao down to Siming, there were eight generations in all; that which sustained the orthodox lineage and glorified the great teaching resided in this. It is proper to elevate them step by step to accompany the ranks of the nine patriarchs, so as to venerate and magnify their path—this may well be done. If so, then among the various monasteries of our school today, whenever they lecture on the path of Tiantai and Siming, if they are able to venerate the seventeen patriarchs in collective sacrifice, from Nāgārjuna to Fazhi, and assign them equal seats, this indeed reflects the mind of later students to revere the patriarchs and honour the path. Respectfully deliberated.