佛祖統紀 1.19

1.19

From the Northern Qi, which first opened the path of Nāgārjuna, down to Tiantai, who greatly propagated the Lotus, with Zhang'an compiling treatises and commentaries and Jingxi composing records to elucidate them, they inherited the teachings and contemplations and truly resided in Cīnasthāna; this is called the contemporary masters' patriarchal transmission. I have composed the Chronicle of the Nine Patriarchs of the Eastern Land in two fascicles. From Master Sui inheriting the legacy of Jingxi, master transmitting to master across the late Tang and Five Dynasties down to our present dynasty, the teachings dispersed and reunited. Reverently contemplating Fazhi of Siming, who was able to revitalize the teachings and contemplations of the single house of Tiantai with merit equal to the successive patriarchs, I have composed the Chronicle of the Eight Patriarchs under the Master Who Revitalized the Dao in one fascicle. Examining above the day Śākyamuni manifested his birth, and coming down to the year Fazhi ceased his teaching, one Buddha and twenty-nine patriarchs, beginning in the twenty-sixth year, the *jiayin* year, of King Zhao of Zhou, down to the sixth year, the *wuchen* year, of the Tiansheng era of Emperor Renzong of the Song, covering 2,002 years in all, collectively form the Basic Annals to maintain the orthodox lineage, just as worldly emperors take the precious throne and transmit the great enterprise.