佛祖歷代通載 10

English (machine translation) 10

Language: English

10.1

Compiled by Nianchang of Huating, Abbot of the Dazhong Xiangfu Chan Monastery in Jiaxing Circuit

10.2

(1) The Chen (capital at Jiankang). Master Lei says: (Chen Gao Baxian, Wen, Fei, Xuan, and Hou, together five rulers, thirty-three years).

(Dingchou [557 CE]) Emperor Wu, Gaozu (surname Chen, taboo name Baxian, courtesy name Xingguo, infant name Fasheng, a man of Xiali in Changcheng, Wuxing. He received the abdication of Emperor Jing of the Liang and ascended the throne at the age of fifty-seven. He died in the Xuanji Hall; he reigned for three years).

10.4

The era was changed to Yongding. / Emperor Min of the Zhou (courtesy name Wenjue. His cousin Hu killed him and set up Yu).

10.5

The narrative says: When the Liang's mandate grew faint, calamities arose from within itself. The Eastern Wei rebel Hou Jing seized an opening and fled [to Liang]; Gaozu, having raised an army of righteousness, took him in and enfeoffed him as the Prince of Henan. Taking advantage of favor, he rebelled and subsequently captured the palace fortress. Prior to this, the King of Xiangdong of the Liang had gone out to garrison Jing-Shaan, sending Wang Sengbian, Chen Baxian, and others to pacify Jinling. Before long, the King of Xiangdong was destroyed by the Western Wei. After Hou Jing was executed, Sengbian was nevertheless killed by Baxian. In the first year of the Taiping era, Emperor Jing of the Liang abdicated the throne, and Baxian assumed the imperial seat in Jinling, naming the state after his surname. He was a man of Xiali in Changcheng, Wuxing; his lineage was originally humble, though he claimed to be a descendant of Chen Shi, Chief of Taiqiu under the Han. He was nine chi two cun tall, his beard was three chi long, his arms hung past his knees, and his spiritual brilliance was lofty and revered; he had great ambitions and strategy, and was respected by the multitude. After ascending the precious throne, he restored the old governance of the Liang and revered the Śākya teaching. Of the more than seven hundred old temples in Jinling, almost all had been burned and destroyed by Hou Jing; Emperor Gaozu of the Chen restored them all. The translation of scriptures and lecturing on the Dao did not decline from the previous dynasty. From the founding of the state until the third year of the Zhenming era, there were five rulers and thirty-three years in all before the state was incorporated into the Sui. For twenty-four of those years it coexisted with the Zhou, and for nine years it coexisted with the Sui. At that time, Gunarata, a Tripiṭaka Dharma Master of the kingdom of Ujjayinī in Tianzhu, translated into the language of Chen as Paramārtha (Zhendi), translated forty-eight works of sūtras, śāstras, commentaries, and biographies in various places over the course of fourteen years, totaling two hundred and thirty-two fascicles.

10.6

Dharma Master Zhenguan was a dragon and elephant in the gate of Śākya. At that time, Vice Director Xu commanded the army to govern the state and wished to conscript monks into the army. The master sent a letter swiftly to exhort him to stop; his words were sorrowful and poignant, sufficient to arouse a mind of turning toward [the Dharma]. He also wrote the Treatise on Causes and Conditions of Non-Nature (Wuxing yinyuan lun).

10.7

Emperor Ming of the Zhou (Yu, infant name Tongwan, the eldest son of Yuwen [Tai]. He reigned for four years and changed the era to Wuding).

10.8

(Gengchen [560 CE]) Emperor Wen, Qian, changed the era to Tianjia (courtesy name Zihua, the eldest son of Gaozu's elder brother Xing, King Zhaolie. Gaozu managed the imperial enterprise together with his elder brother, and therefore left an edict establishing him. He died in the Youjue Hall in the tiankang year [of bingxu]; he reigned for seven years).

10.9

The Zhou (in the midst of it, Emperor Ming was poisoned to death by his cousin Hu, who then set up his younger brother Yong).

10.10

(2) The śramaṇa Chan Master Chou was a disciple of the Tripiṭaka Bhadra of the Wei. Having received the full precepts, he went to Shaolin on Mount Song, and also reached Baiyan Temple on Mount Wangwu in Tanhuai, where he broke up a fight between two tigers. From this he became famous throughout the world. In the first year of the Qianming era of the Qi, he manifested passing away at Yunmen Temple on Mount Long.

10.11

Emperor Xiaozhao of the Qi, Yan, changed the era to Huangjian (courtesy name Yan'an, the sixth son of Shenwu. He was intelligent, benevolent, filial, and diligent in governance. In one year, while hunting rabbits, his horse was startled and threw him to the ground, whereupon he died at the age of fifty-seven. He was buried in Jingling).

10.12

Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, changed the era name to Baoding. (His childhood name was Miluo. He was the fourth son of Yuwen Tai. When he ascended the throne, he wore only plain cloth robes, without gold or jeweled ornaments. He prohibited extravagant silk brocades and administered government from an earthen terrace without bracket sets. His inner palace had no more than ten consorts and concubines. He reigned for eighteen years, lived to thirty-six, passed away in his imperial carriage, and was buried at Xiaoling.)

10.13

(3) Dharma Master Hongyan was deeply respected by Emperor Wen [of the Northern Zhou]. When the Northern Qi envoy Cui Wuzi arrived, possessing great oratorical talent, the court feared him. Because Yan excelled in both talent and learning, the emperor ordered him to lodge with and accompany Wuzi. Wuzi was filled with admiration and returned home. Because of this, the court etiquette officials wished to change his calling and robe him in an official cap and sash. Upon hearing the order, Yan immediately fasted and vowed to die. Seeing his steadfast sincerity, the emperor consented to his wish. At the time, Yan was praised for the "Four Perfections," referring to his personal appearance, virtuous conduct, literary composition, and cursive-clerical calligraphy. On the verge of death, he said to his disciples: "Worldly people are blinded by greedy minds. Coveting for themselves, they begrudge losing even a single hair; coveting from others, they are never satisfied. When it comes to the time after the body dies, they raise high tombs and make thick coffins, fully believing that in the Yellow Springs they will still form neighborhoods with all four sides—how lamentable! Now, after my eyes close, take this vile form as dried meat to bestow as an offering to birds and beasts." When he passed away, his disciples acted according to his admonition. He had a literary collection in twenty rolls, which by imperial decree was deposited in the Secret Archives.

10.14

(4) Dharma Master Baoqiong was appointed by Emperor Xuan of the Chen dynasty as the Controller of the Saṃgha. His governance was well-regulated, and the fourfold assembly was at ease with it. He frequently entered the Chongyun Hall to expound the Dharma, and the emperor honored him as his master. Formerly, between the Liang and Wei dynasties, Controllers of the Saṃgha were accompanied by ostentatious guards with canes and staffs, usurping the style of government offices. When it came to Qiong, he petitioned to abolish this; whenever he went out, only a few dhūtas accompanied him with staffs and bamboo hats. At that time, across the Eastern Sea there were twelve kingdoms; hearing of Qiong's virtue and knowing they could not see him, they sent envoys presenting gold and silk to request a portrait of Qiong. Such was the reverence and admiration the world held for him. When he passed away, Dharma Master Tanyan succeeded him as Controller of the Saṃgha, also enjoying great renown. When Yan was born, all forty teeth were already fully grown, which astonished the whole world.

10.15

(Renwu [562 CE]) Emperor Shizong of the Later Liang, Xiao Kui, changed the era name to Tianbao. (His courtesy name was Renyuan. He was the third son of [Emperor Xuan, Xiao Cha]. He reigned for twenty-three years.)

10.16

Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi, Gao Zhan, changed the era name to Taining. (He was the ninth son of Shenwu [Gao Huan]. Licentious and uncontrolled, he trusted favorites. He abdicated the throne to the crown prince. He reigned for four years and died at the age of thirty-two.) He also changed it to Heqing.

10.17

(Guiwei [563 CE]) Northern Zhou. (In the third year of Baoding, an ox was born with legs on its back; this appears in the History of the Northern Dynasties.)

10.18

(Yiyou [565 CE]) The Later Ruler of the Northern Qi, Gao Wei. (His courtesy name was Rengang. He was the eldest son of Emperor Wucheng. Confused and tyrannical, he executed Cui Ji and other loyal ministers. He reigned for thirteen years and changed the era name to Tiantong.) Down to this time, the auspicious sandalwood image had been in Huainan for 367 years.

10.19

(5) In this year, Wei Yuansong submitted a memorial to reduce the number of monks. Previously, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou revered Buddhism. In the sixth year of Tianbao, Yuansong submitted eleven articles to abolish monasteries and reduce monks, saying: "Monks are mostly lazy and idle, greedy for wealth and scrambling for gain, and not worthy of reverence and esteem." The emperor summoned one hundred monks into the Inner Bodhimanda. For seven days they watched for faults but found none. Soon thereafter, the matter was dropped. Yuansong later contracted a foul disease and died. The Bhagavān said: "Worms in the lion's own body"—how does this not apply to Yuansong?

10.20

(Bingxu [566 CE]) [The Chen] changed the era name to Tiankang. Northern Zhou (changed the era name to Tianhe and adopted the Tianhe Calendar).

10.21

(6. Dinghai [567 CE]) The Deposed Emperor, Chen Bozong, changed the era name to Guangda. (He died at nineteen years of age and reigned for two years.)

10.22

It had been five hundred years since the Great Teaching spread eastward.

10.23

(7) Chan Master Huisi, the Third Patriarch of the Tiantai school, was surnamed Li and was a native of Wujin. From his youth he was broad-minded and compassionate; on the crown of his head a fleshy uṣṇīṣa grew, and his ears had double lobes. With the gaze of an elephant and the stride of an ox, he was naturally distinct from the ordinary world. In a dream, an Indian monk urged him to leave worldly life. He bade farewell to his parents and entered the Way. Once he received the full precepts, he ate only one meal a day and accepted no special donations. Hearing that Huiwen of the Northern Qi had gathered an assembly whose monastic rules were pure, he went to take refuge with him. He received the correct teaching from him, by nature delighting in austere asceticism and applying himself to monastic labor as his practice. Within three weeks he attained the knowledge of past lives, but his habit-energy of defilements was not yet exhausted. Later, while in meditation, he let his body recline toward the wall; before he touched it, he suddenly awakened to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka samādhi. The Mahāyāna Dharma teachings were clearly understood in a single thought. The sixteen superior states and the eight liberations entered in turn; he thoroughly penetrated them by himself, not awakening through another. He instructed the assembly, saying: "The source of the Way is not far; the ocean of nature is not distant. Only seek toward yourself; do not search from another. Searching, you will not find it; finding it, it is not real." Later, at Mount Dasu, harassed by beacon-fire alarms, the mountain community could not abide in peace. Leading more than forty monks, he went straight to Mount Nanyue. It was the twenty-third day of the sixth month in the second year of Guangda of the Chen dynasty [568 CE]. Upon arriving, he announced: "My stay here will be ten years and no more." Prior to this, the Liang dynasty monk Huihai had resided at Hengyue Temple; when he saw the Master, he joyfully yielded it to him. At that time he was called the Great Master Si. Someone asked: "Why do you not go down the mountain to transform sentient beings?" Si answered: "All Buddhas of the three periods have been swallowed down in one mouthful by me; what sentient beings are there to transform?" Once he was indisposed, whereupon he contemplated: "Illness arises from karma; karma arises from the mind. When conditions of the mind do not arise, what appearance can external objects have? Karmic disease and the body are both like clouds and shadows." Having made this contemplation, his body immediately became light and tranquil. Emperor Gaozu of the Chen summoned him to the capital and accommodated him at Xixuan Temple, consulting and saluting him with great reverence. After some time, he took leave to return to Nanyue. The Master said: "My temporary stay on this mountain was to be only ten years; when the period is complete, I must depart." At the time, the assembly did not understand his meaning. When he returned, he gathered his disciples in large numbers, expounding the Dharma for successive days and reprimanding them with urgent sternness, so that those who heard him were chilled to the heart. On the twenty-second day of the sixth month in the dingyou year, the ninth year of Dajian of the Chen dynasty [577 CE], all smelled an extraordinary fragrance. The Master further collected his mind and sat upright in meditation. Until his passing, the crown of his head was warm, his body soft, and his complexion as if alive. His worldly age was sixty-four. The Master maintained the three collections of pure precepts of a bodhisattva. As for silks, wadding, and leather, because they mostly result from harming life, his garments were entirely made of coarse cloth. In cold weather, he wore mugwort-padded patch-robes to withstand wind and frost. As for the Dharma robes he wore, none was made of silk from silkworms. Even if all had received the precepts, it was not said that this was allowable. If one begged for or obtained silkworm silk to make robes, according to the disciplinary articles it was definitively rejected. Restraining desires and greed, how could one indulge them? Only Nanyue alone made this resolute decision, loftily honoring the holy standards. Those who now claim his lineage indulge in colorful skirts and madder-dyed robes, prizing fresh splendor—can they be without shame?

10.24

(8. Jichou [569 CE]) Emperor Xuan, Chen Xu, changed the era name to Dajian. (His courtesy name was Shaoshi, and his childhood name was Shili. He was the second son of King Zhaolie, Chen Xing, and younger brother of Emperor Wen. He was eight chi and three cun tall, possessed great bravery and physical strength, and excelled at horsemanship and archery. He fathered fifty-one sons. At fifty-three years of age he died in the Xuanfu Palace, having reigned for fourteen years.)

10.25

(9) In the fourth year of Tianhe of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, the emperor ordered prominent Confucians, monks, and Daoists to expound upon the advantages and defects of the Three Teachings. The śramaṇa Dao'an composed the Treatise on the Two Teachings in twenty chapters, taking Confucianism, Daoism, and the Nine Schools as the Outer Teaching, and the Buddhist teachings as the Inner Teaching. The meaning was that in high antiquity of simplicity, the declarations of the ancient canons were not yet widespread; as the pure ways daily declined, the texts of the Five Classics and ancient books then appeared. Encompassing the Seven Classics and comprehending the Nine Schools, they are all strategies for governing the state and instruments for cultivating the person. If divided into branches, their number should be nine; if combined and united, they all belong to the Confucian school. If now, within a single transformation, the Nine Schools are made to contend like converging streams, and in an age of the Great Way petty accomplishments are made to vie in disputation, does this not above impair the grandest breeze of imperial norms, and below open the defects of narrow-mindedness and vulgar abandon? When the treatise expounding the Inner Teaching was presented to the court, for a long time there was no response. An was diligent in serving his mother; all firewood, water, and food he personally labored to provide. When his disciples offered to take his place, An said: "She is my mother; how can I trouble others?" When Emperor Wu abolished the teaching, he wished to appoint An to official office because of his long-standing prestige. An refused to the death. Soon afterward, grieving bitterly over the obstruction and destruction of the Great Teaching, he wept aloud and passed away.

10.26

(10) In the fourth year of Tianhe under Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, there was a popular rumor about "black robes." Emperor Wu was inherently suspicious. The Daoist Zhang Bin and others deceitfully deceived the sovereign and secretly formed their faction, claiming that black-robed Buddhism was an omen harmful to the state, while Yellow Emperor-Laozi Daoism was auspicious for the state. The emperor accepted their words, believing in Daoism and disparaging Buddhism. He personally received Daoist talismans and registers and donned Daoist caps and robes. On the fifteenth day of the third month in the jichou year, he summoned more than two thousand celebrated scholars of the Three Teachings and civil and military officials. The emperor presided in the main hall and personally evaluated the Three Teachings, regarding Daoism as the foremost, having emerged prior to the nameless and transcending the forms of heaven and earth. The disputants were divided and could not settle the matter. On the twentieth day, they gathered as before to debate, and right and wrong were contested even more broadly. The emperor said: "The two teachings of Confucianism and Daoism have always been honored in this land. Buddhism came later. Our intention is not to establish it, yet through open debate and the presentation of arguments, there has been no cause to eliminate it." In the beginning of the fourth month, they gathered again as before; though they spoke to the utmost, no one would yield to another's face. Since each side expounded its principles without resolution, he then decreed that the Grand Master of the Metropolitan Directorate, Zhen Luan, should scrutinize the two teachings. In the fifth year of Tianhe, Luan, having scrutinized the two teachings, submitted the Treatise of Laughing at the Dao in three rolls. His memorial stated in brief:

10.27

(11) "I venture to observe that the historical traces of the two teachings of Buddhism and Daoism are not the same; their emergence, concealment, and adaptations also differ. Their profound, subtle, and esoteric aspects are not easily measured in detail. Moreover, comparing the two, Buddhism takes dependent origination as its fundamental principle, while Daoism takes spontaneity as its meaning. Spontaneity accomplishes without intentional action, while dependent origination requires accumulating practices before realization. The Zuo Commentary says: 'When what the lord considers acceptable contains what is unacceptable, the minister presents what is acceptable in order to remove what is unacceptable.' Who am I, having received the imperial decree to inquire, to dare not reply truthfully? The two chapters of the Daodejing may serve as the ancestor of the Confucian scholars; as for what is suspected to be erroneous, remove the two extremes, and I request that it be appropriately edited and abridged. According to the Five-Thousand-Character text: 'When a superior person hears of the Way, he diligently practices it. When an average person hears of the Way, he seems to have it and seems to lack it. When an inferior person hears of the Way, he laughs loudly at it. If he did not laugh, it would not be worthy of being called the Way.' Your subject, consulting the viewpoint of an inferior person, has composed the Treatise of Laughing at the Dao in three rolls, totaling thirty-six sections. The three rolls laugh at their name of the Three Caverns; the thirty-six sections laugh at the thirty-six divisions of Daoist scriptures. Trembling with sweat, I submit this, my mind and spirit beside themselves." (Drawn from the Hongming ji).

10.28

On the tenth day of the fifth month, Emperor Wu of the Zhou held a great assembly of all his ministers to examine the treatise submitted by Luan. Judging that it harmed and undermined the Daoist teaching and did not accord with his original intention, he had it burned with fire, and that was all. The treatise is recorded in full in the Hongming ji. The Zhou Grand Master Zhen Luan was truly a gentleman of lofty insight. He was not one who feared a great enemy yet was brave against a small enemy. The king ordered him to determine the merits and demerits of the two teachings, and he analyzed them straightforwardly with correct views, without allowing biased inclinations into his heart, authoring this treatise to praise, blame, approve, and condemn. The Classic of Poetry says: 'Gentle and modest is the gentleman, who seeks blessing without deviousness'—does this not apply to him? How lamentable that it was burned!

10.29

(12) Furthermore, [there was] submitted the Treatise on the Two Teachings in twenty chapters written by Dao'an. The Emperor examined them closely and questioned the court ministers about them, but none could refute them, so the matter was shelved. His treatise stated in brief: “The technique for training the mind is called the Triyāna; it is the inner teaching. The techniques for saving the physical body are called the Nine Streams; they are the outer teachings. The Dao has no separate teaching; it is included within the Confucian stream. The 'Treatise on Literature and Art' in the Book of Han states: 'The school of the Confucians probably arose from the office of the Minister of Education (Situ). They assist the ruler of men in harmonizing the yin and yang, and making moral transformations clear. They wander in literature amid the Six Classics and turn their attention to the scope of the Five Virtues. They transmit Yao and Shun as their ancestors, take Wen and Wu as their models, and honor Confucius as their master; their Dao is the most exalted.' 'The school of the Daoists probably arose from the office of the scribes. By purity and vacuity they preserve themselves; by humility and weakness they maintain themselves. These are the ruler's arts of facing south, aligning with Yao's capacity to yield and the modest humility of the Book of Changes; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Yin-Yang theorists probably arose from the office of Xi and He. Reverently obeying Bright Heaven, calculating the movements of the sun and moon, and reverently delivering the seasonal calendar to the people; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Legalists probably arose from the office of the judges. Trusting in appropriate punishments to assist ritual systems. The Book of Changes says: The former kings used clear penalties to invigorate governance; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Logicians probably arose from the office of ritual officials. In antiquity, names and ranks differed, and rituals also had different rules. Confucius said: Must one not first rectify names? If names are not rectified, speech will not be harmonious; if speech is not harmonious, affairs will not be accomplished; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Mohists probably arose from the officials of the Pure Temple. Thatched huts and unhewn rafters, thus they valued frugality; nurturing the Three Elders and Five Experienced Ones, thus Mohism practiced universal love; selecting knights through the Great Archery, thus they advanced the worthy; strictly honoring the father in ancestral worship, thus they acknowledged ghosts; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Strategists probably arose from the office of the envoys. Confucius said: Though one can recite the three hundred Odes, if when sent to the four quarters one cannot reply on one's own, even if they are numerous, what use are they? And again: An envoy indeed! An envoy indeed! This means that when adapting to circumstances under a mandate, one should take the mission, not the exact wording; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Eclectics probably arose from the office of deliberation. Combining Confucianism and Mohism, encompassing the Logicians and Legalists, understanding that the state structure possesses these, seeing that the king's governance penetrates all; this is where their strength lies.' 'The school of the Agriculturalists probably arose from the office of the agricultural ministers. Sowing the five grains and encouraging plowing and sericulture to provide sufficient food and clothing. Therefore the Eight Policies state: First is food, second is goods; this is where their strength lies.' If branching them out separately, then there ought to be nine; if summarizing and combining them, then they all belong to the Confucian lineage.” The composition of this treatise comprehensively covers the inner and the outer; its style is towering and lofty, and its principles are pure and succinct. It is truly worthy of respect.

10.30

(Gengyin) Qi changed [its era name] to Wuping.

10.31

(Renchan) Zhou changed [its era name] to Jiande.

10.32

(Jiawu) Zhou proscribed the Śākya [teachings]. On the seventeenth day of the fifth month in the third year of Jiande, Emperor Wu of Zhou ultimately developed jealousy and believed Zhang Bin's proposal, desiring to proscribe only the teachings of the Śākyas. Thereupon, he convened a grand assembly of all officials, ordering the śramaṇas and Daoist masters to debate their superiority and inferiority. He secretly instructed Zhang Bin to adorn deceitful arguments beforehand to crush the disciples of the Śākya, hoping they would be worsted in doctrine and ousted. At that time, Dharma Master Zhixuan responded to the Emperor; his speech was rigorous and robust. The Emperor realized that Bin could not overcome him, so he immediately displayed his imperial majesty and delivered a barrage of difficult arguments. Those on the left and right rebuked Xuan, telling him to heed the imperial decree. Xuan calmly replied, setting forth principles that grew even loftier. None of the attendant high officials was not moved to admiration and praise. The Emperor could not bend him. The following day, an edict was issued, and the Daoist religion was abolished along with [Buddhism].

10.33

(Bingshen) Qi changed [its era name] to Longhua. (Zhou troops captured Bingzhou. The Sovereign fled to Ye, abdicating the throne to the Crown Prince Heng).

10.34

(Ziyou) Zhou attacked Qi, reaching Ye. King Wei of Qi fled, was captured, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Wen; the young ruler Heng changed [his era name] to Chenghua. (He fled with the Former Sovereign to Qingzhou. Zhou troops captured them, and the state came to an end).

10.35

The above pertains to the five rulers of Northern Qi, lasting twenty-eight years, annexed by the Yuwen Zhou.

10.36

(13. Wuxu) In the second year of Chengguang, Emperor Wu of Zhou destroyed Northern Qi and occupied the capital of Ye. Employing Wei Xiaokuan, Yang Jian, and others, he took control of the east and pacified the Gao clan. He summoned all the preeminent bhadantas of previous training to gather below the palace hall. The Emperor ascended the throne and laid out the reasoning for proscription and preservation. In brief, he said: “The Six Classics of Confucian teaching—ritual, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety—are appropriate for the world, and therefore must be preserved and maintained. Moreover, the true Buddha has no form; revering him from afar demonstrates the mind. Buddhist scriptures widely praise the construction of stūpas, vainly wasting the people's wealth. All scriptures and images are to be destroyed, and all monks and nuns ordered to return to secular life. Such is our intention. What do you bhadantas think of its logic?” At that time, over five hundred grand leaders of the śramaṇas all felt that the royal majesty was terrifyingly glorious, that direct remonstrance would be hard to accept, and since [the religion] had already been eradicated within the Passes, its doctrine was not an isolated matter, so each remained silent. An imperial decree was issued pressing for an answer; they all looked at one another, pale, bowing their heads and weeping. At that time, there was a śramaṇa named Huiyuan, whose surname was Wang, a disciple of the Upādhyāya Tanshi. His fame and prestige were illustrious. He thought to himself: “The Buddha-Dharma's entrustment relies upon the fourfold assembly. How can we imagine that holding our tongues can communicate the truth?” He thereupon pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, and replied: “Your Majesty presides over the great realm and holds supreme honor as the One. Adapting to the world, you deliver speech and take the three teachings as models. The edict says: 'The true Buddha has no form.' This is truly as Your Majesty dictates. Yet sentient beings with ears and eyes rely on hearing scriptures and seeing Buddhas, depending on images to manifest the truth. If they are abolished now, there will be no way to arouse reverence.” The Emperor said: “All naturally know the true Buddha of empty space. What need is there for scriptures and images?” Yuan said: “Before Emperor Ming of the Han, scriptures and images had not arrived in this land. Why did sentient beings not know that empty space is the Buddha?” At that time, the Emperor had no answer. Yuan said: “If one can know the Dharma naturally without relying on scriptural teachings, then before the Three Sovereigns, when there was no writing, people should have naturally known matters such as the Five Constants. Why did the people of that time only recognize their mothers and not their fathers, being the same as birds and beasts?” The Emperor was silent again. Yuan said: “If it is because images are insentient and serving them brings no merit that they must be abolished, then can the state's Seven Ancestral Temples be sentient, such that they are arbitrarily revered and served?” The Emperor again gave no answer, but said: “Buddhist scriptures are the methods of foreign countries; this country has no use for them. The state's Seven Ancestral Temples were erected by former eras; we also do not consider them correct, and will abolish them together.” Yuan said: “If because they are scriptures from a foreign country they are not to be used here, then what Confucius spoke originated from the state of Lu; the lands of Qin and Jin should also abolish it and not put it into practice. Furthermore, if the Seven Ancestral Temples are considered wrong and will also be abolished, then this is not revering the ancestors. If ancestors are not revered, the order of generational altars will be lost; if the generational altars lose their order, the Five Classics are useless. On what basis, then, is the previous preservation of the Confucian teaching established? If it is like this, all three teachings will be abolished together. With what will you govern the state?” The Emperor said: “The domains of the state of Lu and those of Qin and Jin were indeed distinct, yet they were all subject to the single transformation of a king, and thus they are not comparable to Buddhist scriptures.” To the refutation concerning the Seven Ancestral Temples, the Emperor had no way to respond. Yuan said: “If Qin and Lu together followed a single transformation and the meaning of their scriptures was universally practiced, then although the borders of Zhen Dan (China) and Tianzhu are distinct, do they not all equally reside within the Four Seas of Jambudvīpa under the single transformation of a cakravartin? Why not follow the Buddhist scriptures instead of ordering their sole abolition?” The Emperor again had no answer. Yuan said: “As for returning the monks home to emphasize filial nurturing, Confucius's scripture also says: 'Establishing oneself and practicing the Way so as to glorify one's parents is the conduct of filial piety.' Why must they return home?” The Emperor said: “The kindness of parents is profound, demanding sustenance with pleasant expressions. Abandoning close kin to turn toward the distant does not constitute utmost filial piety.” Yuan said: “If so, those at Your Majesty's left and right all have parents. Why not release them, rather than causing them to take long furloughs and not see their parents for five years?” The Emperor said: “They also take turns on duty, being able to return home to serve.” Yuan said: “The Buddha also allows monks to cultivate the Way according to conditions in winter and summer, and return home to serve their parents in spring and autumn. Thus Maudgalyāyana begged for food to feed his mother, and the Tathāgata carried his [father's] coffin to the funeral. This principle is widely unobstructed; it must not be abolished alone.” The Emperor again had no answer. Yuan raised his voice and said: “Your Majesty now relies on the sovereign power of your position to willfully abolish and destroy the Buddha-Dharma. You are a person of wrong view. Avīci Hell does not distinguish between the noble and the base; how can Your Majesty not be afraid?” The Emperor suddenly changed countenance in great fury, stared directly at Yuan, and said: “So long as the common people obtain happiness, we shall not shirk all the sufferings of hell!” Yuan said: “Your Majesty uses erroneous teachings to transform the people, now planting bitter karma; they will accompany Your Majesty to Avīci together. Whence could there be happiness obtained?” The Emperor was bested and had no response; his intention to execute the plan was fierce, and he said no more, only saying: “The monks may return for now. Let the officials record the names of the monks who debated.” The Emperor had already carried out the atrocities. The Master knew that the times could not be helped, so he went into seclusion in the Mount Qinglian of the Chu marshes to cultivate the Way, writing commentaries on texts such as the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra; there was the miracle of his brush leaping into the air. Emperor Wu, having grown angry, abolished and eradicated both the Buddhist and Daoist traditions. Over forty thousand monasteries and abbeys in Dongchuan were all bestowed upon princes and dukes. Three million monks and Daoists were all drafted as soldiers and commoners, and their property was entirely confiscated by the state. The Emperor considered his ambitions achieved. How lamentable!

10.37

(14) When Dharma Master Jing'ai heard that the decree had been issued, he said with deep emotion: “To eat the grain of Zhou and forget its affairs—can that be called loyalty?” He went immediately to the palace, presenting a memorial to request an audience. Emperor Wu granted it. When he was brought in for the audience, he exhaustively expounded upon the matters of calamity, fortune, and karmic retribution from destroying the teaching, pointing to evidence with clear clarity. The Emperor changed his expression on his account, but considering that the deed was already done and an executed edict could not be revoked, he dismissed him with thanks. Ai withdrew, weeping, and said: “The great teaching is obstructed; how can I bear to see it?” He then fled into Mount Zhongnan. Soon after, the Emperor wished to confer official post on him and sent guards to seek Ai. Hearing of this, Ai moved into Taiyi Mountain, and the guards returned without finding him. Because of the Dharma's destruction, Ai wailed and wept for seven days and nights without cessation of voice. He composed the Record of the Three Treasures in twenty fascicles, setting up hypothetical dialogues between host and guest to praise, refute, advance, and retreat, widely gathering textual principles to broadly propagate the Great Vehicle, and recording eyewitness facts to conceal them within rock caves, in the hope that future generations might revive it. Soon after, he told his disciples: “My life is of no benefit to the world; I shall engage in renouncing the body.” The assembly wailed and wept, refusing to permit it. He then ordered his attendant to leave the mountain. Ai wrote a gāthā in his own blood, sat on a boulder, kept only an undergarment, sliced his own flesh, and laid it out upon the stone. He drew out his intestines and stomach, hanging them on pine branches, with all five viscera visible outside. The rest of his flesh, sinews, hands, feet, head, and face were completely carved away. Slicing out his heart with the knife, he held it up and passed away. When the attendant returned to the mountain, he still saw him sitting while holding his heart. The rest of the remains were completely devoid of blood; only white milk was seen flowing aside and congealing on the edge of the rock. None who heard of it failed to shed tears. He was forty-five years old at the time.

10.38

(Dingyou) In the third year of Chengguang, Emperor Wu of Zhou, having conquered Qi, changed the era name to Xuanzheng. The Emperor began to develop a virulent pestilence. On the first day of the fifth month, he returned to Yanshou Hall in Chang'an. The pestilence grew severe. On the twenty-fourth day, he moved to Yunyang Palace. On the first day of the sixth month, he passed away. His son Yun was established [on the throne] in Tongzhou. ○ The Record of Retribution in the Unseen World by Tang Lin, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of Tang, states: He said that his maternal grandfather was a Vice-Director of the Department of State Affairs under the Sui and enfeoffed as the Duke of Qi, and personally met Emperor Wen. Asking a man who had died and returned to life, [the man said] when he first died, he saw Emperor Wu of Zhou say: “Report on my behalf to the Son of Heaven of the Great Sui: In former days you shared granaries with me, and the jade and silk were also stored by me. I am now suffering extreme agony for having destroyed the Buddha-Dharma; I desire that the Emperor perform meritorious deeds on my behalf.” The Emperor, not daring to privately expend the palace stores, thus transformed the people under heaven into offering one coin each to seek blessings and repent for his sins.

10.39

(Wuxu) Emperor Xuan of Zhou, [Yuwen] Yun (courtesy name Qianbo, the eldest son of Emperor Wu. Having taken the throne, before a year had elapsed he abdicated to the Crown Prince, proclaiming himself Tianyuan Emperor. Arrogant, licentious, and dissolute, he changed the era name to Dacheng, and again to Daxiang. At age thirty-two he passed away and was buried at Dingling. He reigned for one year).

10.40

(15) The monk Ren Daolin, because of his profound and broad scholarship, was able to get close to Emperor Wu of Zhou. They debated for more than twenty days in seventy rounds of back-and-forth. Emperor Wu exhausted his finest reasoning and could not refute him. He once promised to restore the religion, but his demise coincided with this, so it did not happen. At this point, Daolin pressed the petition with even greater vigor, and the Emperor complied with it.

10.41

(Jihai) In the second month, on the twenty-sixth day, Emperor Xuan of the Zhou issued an edict stating: "The Buddha-Dharma is vast and grand, revered by all ages of antiquity. How could it be proper to sink it into obscurity, set it aside, and not practice it? From this day forward, all from princes and dukes down to the common people should cultivate and serve it, so that they may know our intention." On the twenty-sixth day of the fourth month, he issued another edict stating: "The principles of the teaching are profound, wondrous, and magnificent. Although we have broadly opened the rites of conversion and permitted its cultivation and service, its followers must not shave their hair, lest they deviate from the Great Way. They should follow the model of the bodhisattvas and provisionally wear caps and headbands. The relevant authorities are to draw up ceremonial protocols." Thereupon Ren Daolin and others carefully selected one hundred and twenty former śramaṇas of virtuous conduct, steadfast purity, and outstanding reputation to enter Zhifu Monastery and reside there as abbot-monks as before.

10.42

(Gengzi) Emperor Jing of the Zhou, Yan, changed his name to Chan. (Eldest son of Emperor Xuan; he ascended the throne during the Daxiang era. Yang Jian, Duke of Sui, took charge of the government. In the twelfth month he was enfeoffed as the Duke of the State of Sui. He abolished the tax on entering markets and restored the two teachings of Buddhism and Daoism. In the first year of Dading, Emperor Jing abdicated the throne to Sui and resided in a detached palace. The house of Sui honored the emperor as the Duke of the State of Jie; his clothing, court rituals, and music all conformed to the Zhou system. Memorials addressed to him were not termed biao, and his replies were not termed imperial edicts. In the fifth month of the first year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui, the emperor died at the age of nineteen and was buried in Gong Mausoleum. He reigned for one year. In the fifth month, the Tianyuan Emperor died; Yang Jian, the father of the Tianyuan Empress, assisted in the government and inherited the title of Duke of the State of Sui.)

10.43

(Xinchou) The Zhou changed the reign era to Dading. (In the first month the era was changed; in the second month he abdicated to the Sui.)

10.44

The above pertains to the Yuwen Zhou (five rulers, totaling twenty-five years).

10.45

(16) Emperor Wen, the Founding Ancestor of the Sui, was named Jian. (His courtesy name was Nārāyaṇa. He was originally a native of Huayin in Hongnong. His ancestor, Yang Zhen, the Han Grand Commandant, was succeeded eight generations later by Yang Xuan, who served Yan. Xuan's son, Yang Yuanshou, Governor of Beiping, served the Wei. Yuanshou's son, Yang Huijia, was Administrator of Wuchuan. Huijia's son, Yang Lie, was Governor of Taiyuan. Lie's son, Yang Zhen, was Governor of Pingyuan. Zhen's son, Yang Zhong, Duke of the State of Dingyuanzhen Sui, fathered Emperor Jian. Emperor Jian served as Prime Minister to Zhou and was enfeoffed as King of Sui. In the first year of Dading he received the abdication of the Zhou. In the eighth year he abolished the Liang. In the ninth year he pacified the Chen. Unifying all under Heaven, he was an able ruler through restraint and frugality. He established his capital at Longshoushan, which is the former Chang'an. In the fourth year of Renshou, Crown Prince Guang assassinated him. His age was sixty-four, and he was buried in Tai Mausoleum. He reigned for twenty-three years.)

10.46

The reign era was changed to Kaihuang.

10.47

(Renyin) His Majesty passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne. An unobstructed assembly was held, and bodies were dedicated.

10.48

(Guimao) The Last Ruler [of Chen], Shubao, changed the reign era to Zhide. (Courtesy name Yuanxiu, childhood name Huangnu; eldest son of Emperor Xuan. Upon taking the throne he was licentious, addicted to wine and sex, and calamitous disturbances arose extraordinarily. Later he fled into a palace well with Zhang Lihua and Noble Consort Kong. Emperor Wen of the Sui demoted him to Duke of Changcheng. In the eleventh month, on the renzi day, of the fourth year of Renshou, a guihai year, he died in Luoyang at the age of fifty-two. He reigned for six years.)

10.49

(Jiachen) The Sui first instituted the Jiazi calendar.

10.50

(Bingwu) Emperor Zong of the Later Liang. (Courtesy name Wenwen; Crown Prince of Emperor Kui. Gentle, benevolent, and magnanimous, he was erudite and skilled in archery. Upon taking the throne he changed the reign era to Guangyun. Later his uncle, Yang, Prince of Anping, occupied Jiangling, and officials and commoners fled to Chen. Zong went to pay homage to the Sui court at that time. The Sui thereupon demoted Zong to Duke of the State of Ju. He reigned for two years, and then the Liang was extinguished.)

10.51

(Dingwei) The reign era was changed to Zhenming.

10.52

(Jiyou) The above pertains to the Chen (five rulers, thirty-three years, then annexed by Sui) and the Later Liang (three rulers, thirty-four years, then annexed by Sui).

10.53

(Gengxu) The tenth year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui.

10.54

(17) The Preface states: Heaven mandated the Sui to embody these five elements in their turn; the divine ruler received auspicious protection to dwell in these Nine Provinces. Therefore, at the moment of his birth, a marvelous light burst through everywhere, and after he assumed rulership, numinous portents competed to appear. Thus it caused the heavens to manifest turtle-shell omens and the waters to float in five colors; sweet springs burst forth from the earth, and mountains echoed for ten thousand years. Auspicious clouds, sweet dew, luminous pearls, and transforming stones appeared; the deaf heard, the blind saw, the mute spoke, and the lame walked. Birds and beasts showed extraordinary portents, and plants and trees presented hard-to-record auspicious signs. From this we know that what was formerly heard concerning the seven treasures was not restricted to the Golden Wheel[-turning King]; now, divine marvels in the four seasons permeate and know the jade-candlestick harmony. Formerly, in the chiro year (bingwu), under the yellow canopy the emperor governed the stars; the earth phase subdued the water phase, and the sun of the Buddha, once abolished and destroyed, was restored. Fire followed upon wood's rotation, inaugurating the auspicious title of Kaihuang. When Gaozu was in the second year of Dading of Emperor Jing of the Zhou, a yellow dragon descended upon his former residence, and felicitous clouds appeared over the city ramparts. On the thirteenth day of the second month, the Zhou transferred the imperial succession by abdication to the Sui. Once the bright mandate arrived, he donned the yellow robe and black cap-pins, abolished the six ministerial offices of the Zhou, and followed the three departments of the Han. The sun of the Buddha shone again, and the waters of the Dharma quietly flowed. That winter, a śramaṇa of the Zhou arrived bearing over two hundred Sanskrit texts from the Western Regions in accordance with the auspicious time. An imperial decree was issued ordering the relevant authorities to seek out people to translate them. In the second month of the second year of Kaihuang, the propagation and translation began. In the last month of summer, an edict was issued declaring that because the mountains, rivers, and plains of Longshou were exquisite and its vegetation lush and abundant, it was suitable to build a capital city there. All city walls, palaces, gates, counties, gardens, and monasteries were to be named 'Daxing' (Great Prosperity). The compassionate transformation of the Three Jewels arose from this; the benevolent influence across ten thousand states became far-reaching because of this. Saṃghārāmas loomed majestically, and Dharma halls stood side by side; Bodhisattvas strode shoulder to shoulder, and the faithful followed heel to toe. When the Renshou era was inaugurated, precious pagodas were erected, and over a hundred prefectures all reported auspicious responses. At that time, the four seas were calm of waves, and the Nine Provinces were free from dust. Nearly three hundred thousand monks and nuns were fully ordained; almost five thousand monastic compounds were built and repaired; twenty-four translators, both monastic and lay, produced nearly five hundred fascicles of scriptures and treatises. When Emperor Yang succeeded to the throne, he divined a residence at the Eastern Capital and established a translation hall in the Shanglin Park along the banks of the Luo River. The four requisites of support were never lacking at that time. Now we record, across this one dynasty and two reigns spanning thirty-seven years, fifteen ancestral masters, Confucian advisers, eminent monks, and master artisans of the Dharma, to illuminate the great flourishing of our teaching under the Great Sui.

10.55

(18. Xinhai) Dharma Master Tanyan had an extraordinary appearance and stature; he was nine feet and six inches tall, his arms hung down past his knees, and his eyes radiated light outward. His talent and prestige were equal to those of Huiyuan. He composed commentaries on the meanings of various scriptures. Critics held that in presenting the overarching outline, Yuan was not equal to Yan; but in making phrasing and sentences fitting and felicitous, Yan was not equal to Yuan. Emperor Taizu of the Qi consulted him about the Way and granted him a monthly stipend. When Zhou Hongzheng was sent as an envoy by the Zhou on a friendly mission, the ministers recommended Yan to receive and accompany him. Hongzheng relied on his own brilliant talent to look down upon others, but upon seeing Yan, his haughty mind melted away into calm. When he returned, he requested a portrait of Yan along with his commentaries and treatises to take back with him. The Emperor valued Yan all the more and promoted him to the rank of Supreme Controller of the Office of Clerical Affairs. When Emperor Wu of the Zhou suppressed the teaching, Yan fled into the Taihang Mountains. When the Sui accepted the abdication, Yan shaved his head that very day and had an audience with the emperor as a śramaṇa. Emperor Wen was overjoyed and issued a decree restoring the teaching. Later, during a prolonged drought, an imperial decree ordered Yan to lead the community to pray for rain, but the rain did not fall. The emperor asked for the reason, and Yan replied, "This matter is due to the One and Two." The emperor sent the Capital Prefect Su Cheng to inquire about the meaning of "the One and Two." Yan said, "Your Majesty personally manages the governance of ten thousand affairs, and the ministers exert their utmost strength as arms and legs. Although both are versed in the art of governance, both have fallen short in the mysterious transformation. That it wishes to rain but does not rain is due to the One and Two." The emperor understood his meaning and commanded the authorities to select an auspicious day to set up a ceremony in the main palace hall, ordering Yan to transmit the eight precepts to him. After the ministers had received them in sequence, while the blazing heat was like a furnace, a torrential downpour poured down. The emperor was delighted. From then on, whenever Yan entered the court, the emperor would personally present imperial delicacies to offer him. As Yan approached his end, he submitted a memorial taking leave of the emperor and entrusting him with the role of external protector. The emperor wept for him with great grief. On the day of his funeral, the hundred civil officials wore plain white mourning clothes to see him off. The Palace Secretary Xue Daoheng composed a funeral oration, which stated in brief: "Formerly, when the Way deteriorated and the cosmic bonds fell apart, he lodged his mind in secluded crags, firm and unyielding. High rank and generous emoluments could not sway his thoughts; severe majesty and harsh laws could not frighten his mind. In walking meditation and quiet sitting, he was the same in ease and adversity; his vinaya virtue and dignified deportment were unified from beginning to end. When the holy emperor inaugurated the dynastic destiny and the image teaching was revived, he stood preeminent among the black-robed clergy, hailed as their foremost leader. He induced the supreme sovereign to bend his majesty, expressing the bond between master and disciple. The Three Jewels were broadly protected through him; the two truths were propagated relying on him. Truly he is worthy of following in the footsteps of Fotudeng and Kumārajīva, and surpassing Dao'an and Huiyuan!"

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佛祖歷代通載 — Classical Chinese