佛祖歷代通載 18.42

18.42

（十七）　帝製繼聖教序。賜天竺三藏朝散大夫試光祿卿明教大師法賢。其辭曰。高明肇分。三辰方乃序其始。厚載初定。萬彙於以發乎端。清濁之體既彰。善惡之源是顯。然後以文物立其教。以正典化其俗。利益之功同歸於理。於是乎像法來於西國。真諦流於中夏。洞貫千古。真實之理無以窮。囊括九圍。玄妙之門莫能究。言乎妄想則五蘊皆空。現乃真容則一毫圓滿。廣大之教豈能繼述者哉。伏覩太宗皇帝法性周圓仁慈普布。化蠻貊則萬邦輻湊。躋烝民於仁壽之鄉。崇教法則四海雲從。惠蒼生於富庶之域。見尊經之浩汗。設方便以救沈淪。知法界之恢宏。行精進而攝懈怠。乃擇其邃宇校彼真文。命天竺之高僧。譯貝多之佛語。象管翻成於金字。珠編復置於琅𪻱。龍宮之聖藻惟新。鷲嶺之苾芻仰歎。繇是三乘共貫四諦同圓。盡苦空真正之言。顯祕密研精之義。讚相相乎實相。論空空乎盡空。華嚴之理合軌轍。金仙之教同規矩。朕纘嗣丕構。恭臨寶圖。常翼翼以撫兆民。每兢兢而守先訓。以至釋典猶未精詳源其幽深。曷能探測。有譯經西域僧法賢。奏章懇切致意專勤。以先皇帝大闡真風高傳佛日。興前王之墜典。振覺路之頹綱。欲旌天造之功庸。用廣聖文之述作。請予製序繼聖教焉。自聖考上仙追號罔極。息政事之外。何暇經心。今已禫除。思臻微奧。雖幼承慈訓。柰夙乏通才。焉窮乎法海之津涯。莫造乎空門之閫域。略敷大意以徇輿情。蹄涔不足擬浴日之波。尺箠豈能量昊天之影。聊述短序以紀聖功者焉。

(17) The Emperor composed the Preface to the Continuation of the Holy Teaching and presented it to the Tianzhu Tripiṭaka Master, Grand Master for Closing Court, Probationary Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, and Great Master Who Clarifies the Teaching, Faxian. The text read: 'When the exalted and bright [heaven] first divided, the three luminaries then arranged their beginnings; when the thick and supporting [earth] first settled, the myriad entities thereby initiated their origins. Once the substances of clear and turbid were manifested, the sources of good and evil were displayed. Thereafter, through civil institutions, teachings were established; through correct classics, customs were transformed. The merits of bringing benefit jointly return to the same principle. Thereupon, the image teaching arrived from the western realm, and the ultimate truth flowed into China. Penetrating through a thousand ages, the principle of true reality cannot be exhausted; encompassing the nine regions, the mysterious gate cannot be fully probed. Speaking of delusive thoughts, the five aggregates are entirely empty; revealing the true countenance, even a single hair is consummate. How could such a vast and great teaching be easily continued and expounded? Prostrating, I contemplate Emperor Taizong: his Dharma-nature was fully consummate, his benevolence and compassion universally spread. Transforming the barbarian tribes, the myriad states converged like spokes at a hub; he elevated the multitude of people into a realm of benevolence and longevity. Revering the teaching of the Dharma, the four seas followed him like gathering clouds; he bestowed benefits upon the common folk, placing them in an area of wealth and prosperity. Seeing the vastness of the venerable sūtras, he devised expedient means to rescue those who were sinking. Knowing the magnificence of the dharmadhātu, he practiced vigor to gather in the indolent. He thereupon selected deep sanctuaries to collate those true texts, and commanded eminent monks from Tianzhu to translate the Buddha's words written on palm leaves. Ivory brush tubes rendered them into gold-lettered scripts; jeweled volumes were once again placed in jade cases. The holy compositions of the Dragon Palace were renewed; the bhikṣus of Vulture Peak looked up in admiration. Because of this, the triyāna was united in one thread, and the four truths were equally perfected. He exhausted the authentic words of suffering and emptiness, and illuminated the profound meanings of esoteric subtlety. He praised the marks that correspond to the true mark, and expounded the emptiness that reaches utter emptiness. The principles of the Avataṃsaka conformed to the same track; the teachings of the Golden Immortal matched the identical standard. I have succeeded to this grand foundation and respectfully oversee the precious domain. Always fearful and circumspect, I comfort the millions of common people; ever vigilant and attentive, I uphold the ancestral instructions. Yet as for the Buddhist texts, I have not yet mastered their details; considering their profound depths, how could I fathom them? There is the translation monk from the Western Regions, Faxian, whose memorials were earnest, expressing his dedicated diligence. Because the late Emperor greatly propagated the true style and aloft lifted the sun of the Buddha, reviving the fallen classics of former rulers and rousing the declining principles on the path to awakening, [Faxian] wished to commend these heaven-wrought accomplishments and to broaden the written works of the holy writings, and requested that I compose a preface to continue the holy teaching. Ever since my holy father ascended as an immortal, my sorrowing over his posthumous titles has been boundless. Outside of setting aside political affairs, what spare time did I have to attend to this with my mind? Now that the final mourning period is concluded, my thoughts reach toward the subtle and profound. Although from childhood I received loving instruction, I have long lacked universal talent. How could I reach the far shore of the Dharma ocean, or step into the inner threshold of the gate of emptiness? I merely expound the general idea to comply with public sentiment. Water in a hoofprint cannot match the waves that bathe the sun; a one-foot whip can hardly measure the shadow of the vast heavens. I have just set down a brief preface to record the holy achievements.'