佛祖歷代通載 11.46

11.46

（二十九）　時皇太子覩聖序遂撰述聖記。法師進啟奉謝。帝復覽新譯菩薩藏經。愛其辭旨微妙。因詔皇太子撰菩薩藏經後序。其辭曰。蓋聞。羲皇至賾。精粹止於龜文。軒后幽通。雅奧窮於鳥篆。考丹書而索隱。殊昧實際之源。徵錄錯以研幾。蓋非常樂之道猶且事光圖史。振薰風於八埏德洽生靈。激堯波於萬代。伏惟陛下轉輪垂拱而化漸鷄園。勝殿凝旒而神交鷲嶺。總調御於徽號。匪文思之所窺。極般若於綸言。豈象繫之所擬。由是教覃溟表。咸傳八解之音。訓浹寰中。皆踐四禪之軌。遂使三千世界。盡懷生而可封百億須彌。入提封而作鎮。尼蓮德水。邇帝里之滄池。舍衛庵園。接上林之茂苑。雖復法性空寂。隨感必通。真乘深妙無幽不闡。所以大權御極。導法流而靡窮。能仁撫運。拂劫石而無盡。體均相具不可思議。校美前王。焉可同年而語矣。爰自開闡地限流沙。震旦未融靈文尚隱。漢皇精感。託夢想於玄宵。晉后翹誠。降修多於白馬。有同蠡酌。豈達四海之涯。取譬管窺。寧窮七曜之奧。洎乎皇靈遐暢。威加鐵圍之表。至聖發明德被金剛之際。恒沙國土普襲衣冠開解脫門踐真實路。龍宮梵說之偈。畢萃清室。猊吼貝葉之文。咸歸冊府。灑茲甘露普潤芽莖。乘此惠雲遍霑翾走豈非歸依之勝業。聖政之靈感者乎。菩薩藏經者。大覺義宗之要旨也。佛修此道已證無生。菩薩受持咸登不退。六波羅蜜關鍵所資。四無量心根力斯備。蓋彼岸之津涉。正覺之梯航者焉。貞觀年中身毒歸化。越熱坡而頒朔跨懸渡而輸琛。文軌既同道路無壅。法師玄奘振錫尋真。出自玉關長驅奈苑。於天竺力士生處。訪獲此經。歸而奏上。降旨翻譯。於是畢功。余以問安之暇。澄心妙法之寶奉述天旨微表讚揚。式命有司綴于卷末。帝自是情信日篤平章法義不輟於口。與法師相得之深。無時暫閒。凡衣服臥具頻詔換易。如家人焉。

(29) At that time, seeing the Holy Preface, the Crown Prince composed the *Record of the Holy Teaching*. The Dharma Master submitted a memorial to express his gratitude.
The Emperor again examined the newly translated *Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra* and, delighting in its subtle words and purports, decreed that the Crown Prince compose an afterword to the *Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra*. The text read:
'Now, I have heard that the utmost depths of Fuxi's wisdom reached its refinement only in the turtle shell inscriptions; the profound understanding of the Yellow Emperor exhausted its elegance only in bird-track scripts. Examining the cinnabar writings to search out what was hidden, they were utterly ignorant of the source of the Ultimate Reality; verifying the mixed records to examine the subtleties, these were by no means the Way of the permanent and joyful. Yet even so, their deeds shed luster on charts and histories, stirring the balmy breeze across the eight borders; their virtues moistened living beings, setting in motion the waves of Yao across ten thousand generations.
'Humbly I reflect that Your Majesty, like a wheel-turning monarch ruling without exertion, extends your transformation to the Chicken Garden (Kukkuṭārāma); resting your crown in the superior hall, your spirit communes with Vulture Peak. Combining all titles of the Tamer within your glorious appellations, it is beyond what could be fathomed by ancient wisdom; exhausting prajñā in your imperial words, how could the *Xi Ci* ever compare?
'Because of this, your teaching spreads beyond the seas, everywhere transmitting the sound of the eight liberations; your instruction permeates the world, all treading the path of the four dhyānas. Thus, the three-thousand-fold world systems with all their living beings can be enfeoffed, and the hundred kotis of Mount Sumerus enter your realm to serve as guardians. The virtuous waters of the Nairañjanā River are near the azure lake of the imperial capital; the Āmrāpālī garden of Śrāvastī borders the luxuriant groves of the Shanglin Park.
'Although the Dharma-nature is empty and quiet, it unfailingly responds to every resonance; the True Vehicle is profound and subtle, leaving no obscurity unrevealed. Therefore, the Great Skillful Means governs the supreme throne, guiding the Dharma stream without exhaustion; the Benevolent One (Śākyamuni) commands destiny, brushing the kalpa-stone without end. Their essence is identical and their marks are complete, inconceivable indeed! Comparing this glory to former kings, how could they be mentioned in the same breath?
'Ever since the teachings were established, the land was bounded by the Flowing Sands; China was not yet illuminated, and the sacred texts remained hidden. The Han emperor, moved by sincere devotion, entrusted his dream to the dark night; the Jin sovereign, showing earnest sincerity, welcomed the sūtras on a white horse. This was like ladling with a shell—how could it reach the shores of the four seas? It is likened to peering through a tube—could it fathom the mysteries of the seven luminaries?
'When the imperial spirit reached far and wide, its majesty extended beyond the Iron Enclosure Mountains; the supreme sage brought forth illumination, his virtue covering the border of the Vajra realm. The lands numerous as Ganges sands all adopted our robes and caps; opening the gate of liberation, they trod the path of truth. The verses spoken in Brahmā tongue from the Dragon Palace have all assembled in the pure chambers; the palm-leaf texts of the Lion's Roar have all returned to the imperial archives. Sprinkling this sweet dew (amṛta), it everywhere moistens sprouts and stems; riding these clouds of grace, it broadly covers creeping and flying creatures. Is this not the superior deed of taking refuge, the spiritual resonance of the holy governance?
'The *Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra* contains the essential purports of the doctrinal school of the Great Awakened One. The Buddha practiced this path and has already realized non-arising; bodhisattvas who accept and uphold it all ascend to non-retrogression. It is the hinge upon which the six pāramitās rely, and wherein the faculties and powers of the four immeasurables are fully equipped. Truly it is the ford to the other shore, the ladder and raft to Correct Enlightenment.
'During the Zhenguan era, India submitted to our transformation, crossing the hot slopes to receive our calendar, and spanning the hanging bridges to pay tribute in precious goods. The writings and customs having been unified, the roads were unobstructed. Dharma Master Xuanzang, shaking his monk's staff to seek the truth, departed from the Yumen Pass and rode swiftly to the Garden of Āmrāpālī. In the birthplace of the wrestlers in India (Kuśinagara), he sought and obtained this scripture; returning, he presented it to the throne. An imperial decree was issued for its translation, and the work is now complete.
'In my leisure from paying morning respects, purifying my mind in the treasure of the wondrous Dharma, I respectfully carry out the imperial will and express my humble praise, commanding the authorities to append this to the end of the roll.'
From this time forth, the Emperor's devotion grew ever more earnest, and discussions of the Dharma principles never ceased on his lips. His intimacy with the Dharma Master was so deep that there was never a moment of distance between them. Robes, bedding, and mats were frequently decreed to be changed and replaced, just as among family members.