佛祖歷代通載 16.13

16.13

（六）　蘇州重玄寺。刊石壁經成。刺史白居易為之碑曰。碑在石壁東次。石壁在廣德法華院西南隅。院在重玄寺西若干步。寺在蘇州城北若干里。以華言唐文刻釋氏經典。自經品眾佛號以降字加金焉。夫開示悟入諸佛知見。以義度無邊。以圓教垂無窮。莫尊於妙法蓮華經。凡六萬九千五百五言。證無生忍造不二門。住不可思解脫。莫極我維摩詰經。凡二萬七千九十二言。攝四生九類入無餘涅槃實無得度者。莫出於金剛般若波羅密經。凡五千二百八十七言。禳罪集福淨一切惡道。莫急於佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經。凡三千一十言。應念順願願生極樂土。莫急於阿彌陀經。凡一千八百言。用正見觀真相。莫出於觀普賢菩薩行法經。凡六千九百九十言。詮自性認本覺。莫過於實相法密經。凡三千二百五言。空法塵依佛智。莫過於般若波羅密多心經。凡二百五十八言。是八種經具十二部。合一十一萬六千八百五十七言。三乘之要旨。萬佛之祕藏盡矣。是石壁積四重高三尋長十有五丈厚尺有咫。有石蓮敷覆其上下。有石神固護其前後。火水不能燒漂。風日不能搖消。所謂施無上法盡未來際者也。唐長慶二年冬作。太和三年春成。律德沙門清晃矢厥謀。清海繼厥志。門弟子南容成之。道則終之。寺僧契元捨藝而書之。郡守居易施辭而讚之。讚曰。佛滅度後。世界空虛。惟是經典。與眾生俱。設復有人。書貝葉上。藏檀龕中。非堅非久。如蠟印空。假使有人。刺血為墨。剝膚為紙。即人知滅。如筆畫水。噫畫水不若文石。印臘不若字金。其功不朽。其義甚深。故吾謂石經功德。契如來付囑之心。

(6) At Chongxuan Monastery in Suzhou, the carving of the stone wall scriptures was completed. Bai Juyi, the regional governor, composed an inscription for it, which read: "The stele stands next to the east of the stone wall. The stone wall is in the southwest corner of the Guangde Fahua Cloister. The cloister is a certain number of paces west of Chongxuan Monastery. The monastery is a certain number of li north of the city of Suzhou. The Buddhist scriptures were engraved in the Chinese language and the Tang script; from the chapter titles and the names of the various Buddhas downward, the characters were overlaid with gold. Now, for opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering the insight of the Buddhas, for crossing over the boundless through meaning, and for handing down the inexhaustible through the Perfect Teaching, none is more venerable than the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, totaling 69,505 words. For realizing the endurance of non-arising, entering the gate of non-duality, and dwelling in inconceivable liberation, none goes further than our Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, totaling 27,092 words. For gathering the four kinds of births and nine classes of beings into nirvāṇa without remainder, where in truth none are crossed over, none surpasses the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, totaling 5,287 words. For averting transgressions, gathering blessings, and purifying all evil destinies, none is more urgent than the Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī Sūtra, totaling 3,010 words. For answering mindfulness, complying with vows, and wishing for rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss, none is more urgent than the Amitābha Sūtra, totaling 1,800 words. For using correct views to contemplate true reality, none surpasses the Sūtra on the Method of Contemplating the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's Practices, totaling 6,990 words. For explaining the intrinsic nature and recognizing original awakening, none exceeds the Sūtra of the Esoteric Meaning of the True Mark of Phenomena, totaling 3,205 words. For emptying the dust of phenomena and relying on the Buddha's wisdom, none exceeds the Heart Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom, totaling 258 words. These eight kinds of sūtras possess the twelve divisions, comprising in all 116,857 words. The essential points of the Triyāna and the secret store of the myriad Buddhas are exhausted herein. This stone wall is piled four layers deep, three xun high, fifteen zhang long, and one chi and one zhi thick. Stone lotuses unfold and cover it above and below; stone spirits solidly protect it before and behind. Fire and water cannot burn or flood it; wind and sun cannot shake or dissolve it. It is what may be called bestowing the unsurpassed Dharma until the end of the future. The work began in the winter of the second year of the Changqing reign of the Tang and was completed in the spring of the third year of the Taihe reign. The vinaya-virtuous śramaṇa Qinghuang launched the design, and Qinghai continued his intention; the disciples Nanrong brought it to fruition, and Daoxe completed it. The monastery monk Qiyuan relinquished his [other] arts and calligraphed it, while the governor of the commandery, Bai Juyi, offered words and praised it. The praise states: 'After the Buddha passed into extinction, the world became empty. Only these scriptures remained together with sentient beings. Even if someone were to write them on palm leaves and store them in sandalwood shrines, these are neither solid nor lasting, like a wax seal pressed against the void. Even if someone were to prick their blood for ink and flay their skin for paper, as soon as the person perishes, they vanish, like writing on water with a brush. Ah! Writing on water is not as good as incising stone; stamping in wax is not as good as lettering in gold. Its merit will not decay; its meaning is exceedingly profound. Therefore, I say that the merit of the stone scriptures accords with the mind of the Tathāgata's entrustment.'"