佛祖歷代通載 7

English (machine translation) 7

Language: English

7.1

Compiled by Nianchang of Huating, Abbot of Da Zhong Xiangfu Chan Monastery in Jiaxing Route

(Guiyou) Emperor Xiaowu, [named] Yao, changed the reign era to Ningkang (courtesy name Changming, the third son of Emperor Jianwen. He ascended the throne at age ten, and Empress Dowager Chongde held court as regent. In the second month, Huan Wen brought troops to the imperial court, harbouring insubordinate ambitions. In the third month, falling ill, he returned to Gushu. In the seventh month, he died. His younger brother Huan Chong took over command of the troops and was completely loyal to the royal house. The Emperor passed away at age thirty-five in the Qingshu Hall and was buried in the Longping Mausoleum. He reigned for twenty-four years).

7.4

(Bingzi) The reign era was changed to Taiyuan. In this year, the auspicious sandalwood image arrived in Chang'an, where it remained for seventeen years.

7.5

(Guiwei) Yao Chang of the Later Qin (courtesy name Jingmao, a Qiang of Chiting in Nan'an. His ancestors were descendants of Yu You. His father, Yizhong, had twenty-four sons, and Chang was the youngest. At first he served Fu Jian as General of Yangwu. After suffering a defeat in the southern campaign and returning, he strangled Fu Jian, seized Chang'an, and illegitimately established himself. In the eighth year, he changed the era to Jianxing. He lived to the age of sixty-four).

7.6

Qifu Guoren of the Western Qin (originally a Western Xianbei. His ancestors came out from Yinshan north of the Han. Later he surrendered to Fu Jian, who appointed him Southern Chanyu to guard Yongshichuan. After Fu Jian's defeat, Guoren proclaimed himself King and Great Chanyu, and later named his state Western Qin, seizing Jincheng to illegitimately establish himself. In the fourth year, yiyou, he changed the era to Jianyi).

7.7

Lü Guang of the Later Liang (courtesy name Shiming, a Di of Luoyang. His father, Polou, served Fu Jian and rose to the post of Grand Defender. When Guang was born, he was eight chi and four cun tall, with double pupils in his eyes. Wang Meng considered him extraordinary when he saw him and recommended him as a general. He led seventy thousand troops on a western campaign, subjugating more than forty states. Reaching Kucha, he captured Kumārajīva. Hearing of Fu Jian's death, he occupied Guzang, styled himself Shepherd of Liangzhou, and reigned for ten years).

7.8

Murong Chui of the Later Yan (courtesy name Daoming, younger brother of Huang. He was seven chi and five cun tall, with hands hanging below his knees. Fearing execution, he fled to Qin. Fu Jian employed him as a general to attack Jin. After the defeat, he seized Zhongshan, changed the dynastic name to Yan, and reigned for thirteen years. He lived to the age of seventy-one).

7.9

(Jiashen) Fu Pi (courtesy name Yongshu, illegitimate son of Fu Jian. Upon hearing of Jian's death, he went out to garrison Ye and seized Jinyang. He reigned for one year and changed the era to Da'an).

7.10

The Later Qin changed the reign era to Baique.

7.11

(2) In the ninth year of Taiyuan, Dharma Master Huiyuan, fleeing the turmoil of the Qin, came south to the Jin. Yuan hailed from the Jia family of Yanmen. In his youth, he was a Confucian scholar, extensively well-versed in the classics and particularly profound in the Book of Changes, Zhuangzi, and Laozi. He once attended the teachings of Dharma Master Dao'an together with his younger brother Huichi; hearing the transmundane Dharma, he rejoiced and sighed, "The Nine Schools of thought are merely chaff!" Thereupon he went forth from household life. Dao'an had several thousand disciples, and Yuan occupied the first seat. When the Guanzhong region fell into turmoil, Dao'an dispersed his followers, giving earnest counsel and guidance to each as he sent them away; yet to Yuan alone he did not speak a single word upon parting. Yuan found this strange and questioned him, to which Dao'an replied, "With someone like you, what need have I to say anything?" Thereupon, traveling from Jingzhou intending to go to Mount Luofu, he reached Xunyang and saw Mount Kuang. Charmed by it, he built a hut on the northern side of the mountain. Huan Yi, the Commandery Governor, founded a vihāra for him. One night, wind and thunder uprooted trees and whipped up sand and stones, flattening the foundations and bringing timber onto the ground; people at the time considered it to have been transported by spirits. Earlier, when Grand Defender Tao Kan garrisoned Guangzhou, a fisherman caught an image of Mañjuśrī in the sea and brought it to Hanxi Monastery. The monastery once suffered a fire, yet the building housing the image remained unharmed. Later, when Kan was garrisoning Wuchang, he sent men to fetch it, but ten teams of men could not lift it; then, gathering all their strength, they brought it to a boat, but the boat kept sinking, and they consequently lost the image. A popular ditty at the time said: "Kan is merely a hero of the sword, while the image displays spiritual marvel; it can be summoned by sincerity, but is hard to obtain by force." When Yuan founded the monastery, he prayed in his heart, whereupon the image arrived of its own accord in serene lightness. At that time, the Jin court was declining, and many exceptional talents across the realm lived in seclusion without taking office. Such men as Liu Yimin of Pengcheng, Lei Cizong of Yuzhang, Zhou Xuzhi of Yanmen, Bi Yingzhi of Xincai, Zong Bing of Nanyang, Zhang Shimin, and Li Shuo followed Yuan in his travels. Together with over a thousand monks, they founded the White Lotus Society, setting up a fast and making vows before the image of Amitāyus, aspiring to be reborn in the Pure Land. When he heard that Dharma Master Kumārajīva had entered Guanzhong, Yuan looked toward him with admiration and respect, and sent a letter to initiate friendly relations, stating: "Last year I received a letter from General Yao of the Right, and heard of your virtuous reputation. In former days, Good Sir, you resided in a remote territory beyond the outer borders; at that time, before translations were exchanged, I heard of your renown and rejoiced. Recently I learned that, harboring the treasure, you have come to visit; in a single day, my thoughts raced toward you nine times. In vain my feelings relish your refined savour, yet I have no way to meet you in full. Casting my gaze along the distant road only deepens my wearisome yearning. Indeed, when sandalwood is transplanted, different things are perfumed alike; when a maṇi jewel emits radiance, various treasures naturally accumulate. Moreover, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra did not monopolize beauty throughout peerless ages; how could Nāgārjuna have walked the prior path alone? Now I send the dimensions and cloth for a monastic robe, hoping you will ascend the high seat wearing it." Kumārajīva replied: "We have not yet conversed face to face, and our writings are separated by great distance; the paths guiding our minds are obstructed, and the conditions for sharing thought are broken. The envoy translating your gift has roughly described your virtuous air. How could this not be sufficient to hear the whole from a single aspect, so that one road covers a hundred? A sūtra says: 'At the end of days, in the eastern direction there will be a bodhisattva protecting the Dharma.' Exert yourself, Good Sir, and skillfully propagate this task! Human ability possesses five proficiencies: merit, precepts, wide learning, eloquence, and profound wisdom. One who combines them all will have an exalted path; one who lacks them will be hindered. You, Good Sir, are complete in them! Therefore I send words to establish friendship and convey my heart through translation; how could this exhaustively express my feelings? It merely roughly answers your intention. You diminished yourself to send the dimensions and cloth for a robe, wishing me to wear it when ascending the Dharma seat; I shall follow your intention. Yet my person does not match the object, which makes me feel ashamed. I now send the brass two-spouted washing vessel that I regularly use, so that it may be added to your ritual utensils." He also sent a verse, saying: "Having already relinquished defiled pleasures, / has your mind attained good restraint? / Having attained freedom from distraction, / have you deeply entered the true mark? / In the mark of ultimate emptiness, / the mind finds nothing to take pleasure in. / If you delight in dhyāna, prajñā, and wisdom, / this Dharma-nature is without illumination; / unreal and deceptive, it lacks reality, / nor is it a place to rest the mind. / In the Dharma that you, Good Sir, have attained, / please be kind enough to reveal the essentials." Yuan answered with a verse, saying: "From where does the primordial origin come? / Arising and ceasing have no bounds. / A single speck entering the sphere of movement / brings about this falling mountain's momentum. / Deluded thoughts ride upon one another; / encountering principle, obstruction naturally arises. / Though causes and conditions have no master, / the opening of the path spans more than a single lifetime. / In an age without a master who has awakened to the lineage, / who will grasp the profound bond? / The question you send is still vast and far; / let us look forward together to our declining years." Previously, the doctrine that nirvāṇa is eternally abiding had not yet arrived in the Central Plains; they merely spoke of lifespan lasting many kalpas. Yuan said, "The Buddha is the ultimate; what is ultimate is changeless. How could the principle of changelessness have an end?" He then composed the Treatise on Dharma Nature, stating in brief: "The ultimate takes changelessness as its nature; attaining the nature takes realizing the ultimate as its source." When Kumārajīva saw the treatise, he sighed, "Yuan has not yet seen the scripture, yet he tacitly accords with the principle. Is this not wonderful!" Yao Xing, King of Qin, sent a letter and presented Yuan with an image intricately embroidered in Kucha with varied transformations, to express his earnest respect. Yao Song, Marquis of Ancheng, presented a pearl image and a commentary, saying, "The new commentary on the Great Prajñāpāramitā Treatise was composed by Nāgārjuna. You, Dharma Master, should grace it with a preface to illuminate it for ten thousand generations, as this is what all the monastics of this realm reverently look forward to." Considering the Treatise to be vast in scope, Yuan modestly declined; instead, he excerpted its essentials into twenty fascicles and composed a separate preface for it. When Huan Xuan assisted in governance, he urged Emperor An to purge the Buddhist monks and nuns, and a decree was issued stating: "Of the monks, those who are able to expound the scriptural texts, explain principles, and maintain disciplined vinaya practices such that they can proclaim and advance the great transformation may remain according to their practices. Those who cannot shall all be defrocked. Only Mount Kuang, being the dwelling of virtue, is exempt from examination." Yuan sent a letter to Xuan, openly giving way while subtly resisting, whereupon Xuan suspended the decree. Yuan once investigated the origin of the special transmission of the Chan school; when the ancestral master Bodhidharma later arrived, it completely tallied with his findings. Tao Yuanming lived in seclusion at Chaisang and visited Yuan to inquire about the Dao, holding him in deep reverence. Xie Lingyun submitted his name to join the society, but Yuan turned him away and would not admit him. When Zong Bing wrote the Treatise Clarifying Buddhism, Yan Yanzhi analyzed the Treatise on Penetrating Nature, Zhou Yong refuted the Treatise on Barbarians and Chinese, and Zheng Daozi composed the Treatise on the Indestructibility of the Spirit, they all received Yuan's corrections. In the Long'an era, Huan Xuan revived Yu Bing's stance, wishing to make monks render full homage to kings. The court followed his lead and mostly agreed with Xuan. Xuan therefore questioned Yuan, saying, "This is a major matter of an era, and the imperial court must not lose its dignity. I have obtained letters from the Eight Ministers and now show them to you. Please discuss in detail each point regarding the reasoning for not paying homage to resolve their doubts; then it shall be put into practice." Yuan replied to his letter and wrote five chapters of the Treatise on Monks Not Paying Homage to Kings, vigorously setting forth the reasons for not prostrating. Xuan's intention was firm at first, but upon receiving Yuan's treatise, he slowed the matter. Before long, he usurped the throne and issued a decree, saying: "The Buddha-Dharma is vast and immeasurable. When I previously promoted the feelings of honoring the lord, it was to foster reverence. Now that the affair rests with myself, I should embody humility and modest restraint; all monastics need no longer offer formal salutations." When Emperor An fled Xuan and halted at Xunyang, he decreed Yuan to meet him at his travelling palace. He Wuji, General Supporting the State, advised Yuan to go out just once, but Yuan firmly declined on account of illness. The Emperor decreed again to express his solicitous regards, and ordered the Governor of Jiujiang to supply him with grain and provisions throughout the year. Yuan dwelled there for thirty years; his shadow never left the mountain, nor did his footsteps enter the secular world. When seeing off guests, he made Tiger Creek the boundary. His younger brother Huichi also possessed lofty conduct. Among the thousands of members in the Lotus Society, Chi occupied the first seat. Grand Defender Wang Xun once asked Fan Ning, Regional Inspector of Yuzhang, "Who is superior, Master Yuan or Chi?" Ning replied, "They are both worthy brothers!" Xun said, "Just to find someone like the younger brother is already not easy; how much more so the elder worthy!" When Yuan was on the verge of death, his disciples offered him honey water. Yuan feared violating the vinaya and ordered his attendants to check the vinaya text; before they reached the end of the fascicle, he joined his palms facing west and passed away. He was eighty-three years old. There is the Mount Kuang Collection in thirty fascicles, which circulates in the world.

7.12

During the Song dynasty, Master Mingjiao Qisong visited Master Yuan's memorial hall and composed an inscription enumerating six matters. His words stated: 'Lu Xiujing was a scholar of heterodox teachings, yet [Yuan] saw him off beyond Tiger Creek—this shows that he did not reject words on account of the person. Tao Yuanming was excessively addicted to wine, yet [Yuan] associated with him—this was because he overlooked minor details and appreciated his magnanimity. The eminent monk [Guṇa]bhadra was expelled for manifesting anomalies, yet [Yuan] welcomed and praised him—this was because he esteemed discerning insight and corrected the jealousy toward the worthy. Xie Lingyun was not accepted because of his cluttered mind, and in the end he perished by execution—this was because [Yuan] recognized his capacity and was cautious regarding his end. Lu Xun was on the verge of rebellion, yet [Yuan] clasped his hand and sought their old bond—this was because [Yuan] possessed confident trust in the Dao. Huan Xuan displayed formidable awe, yet [Yuan] resisted and confronted him without bending—this was because he possessed great moral integrity. In general, across past and present, human nature always fears awe and seeks makeshift escape; forgets righteousness to avoid suspicion; delights in fame while being blind to reality; sides with power while neglecting the solitary; and trims conduct while fearing entanglements, deeming oneself right and others wrong. Who else, having attained a Dao esteemed for a generation as teacher to the worthy, would be willing to heed another person on the strength of a single phrase? Who, endowed from of old with superior virtue and spotless conduct, would be willing to associate with the realm of intoxication and esteem its unrestrained openness? Who would yield the dignity of a teacher of humanity to pay homage to a banished guest and proclaim his worthiness? Who would reject a man of eminent renown, excluding him from the community, and thereby preserve his own integrity to the end? Who, adhering to righteousness without fleeing calamity, would cherish old acquaintances and place trust in the Dao? Who, confronting the awe of a commanding general amid slaughter, punishment, and cruel tyranny, would uphold the Dao without flinching and keep his moral integrity intact? Truly, Master Yuan's insight and tolerance surpassed ordinary mortals, uniquely standing out through ancient and modern times. As for his supporting and carrying the supreme teachings, and his expanding the vast, sacred Dao to bestow abundance upon devas and humans, it is not for an ignorant one like me to recount exhaustively. Was he a sage, or was he a worthy? How magnificent! The great earth exhales its breath, and a pure breeze sweeps through the six directions—such is the renown of Master Yuan! Autumn tints across the four seas, a divine mountain soaring aloft in their midst—such is the pure loftiness of Master Yuan! A dragon among men, a phoenix among monks, offering long bows to Chaofu and Xu You—such was Master Yuan's noble demeanor and precedent! White clouds, cinnabar ravines, jade trees, and shimmering herbs—such was Master Yuan's dwelling place!'

7.13

(3) Liu Chengzhi, whose courtesy name was Zhongsi, was a man of Pengcheng. Losing his father at a young age, he served his mother and was renowned for filial piety. Self-confident in his literary talents, he did not demean his spirit before worldly customs. Even when cold and hunger beset him, or authority and fortune stood before him, his mind remained serene. Minister over the Masses Wang Mi, Chancellor Huan Xuan, Palace Attendant Xie Kun, and Grand Commander Liu Yu all commended his worthiness and sought to recommend him for office. Chengzhi resolutely declined; he thereupon went to Mount Kuang to entrust himself to Master Yuan. Yuan said: 'Official rank and emolument are lofty and magnificent; why not undertake them?' Chengzhi replied: 'Ruler and minister distrust one another; extraneous factions undermine each other. The Jin dynasty lacks the solidity of bedrock, and worldly matters have the peril of stacked eggs. What should I undertake?' Yuan agreed with his statement and greatly esteemed him. The Grand Commander also considered his resolve unbendable, and after conferring with the various dignitaries, bestowed upon him the title 'Hermit' (Yimin) to honor him. At that time, Lei Cizong, Zhou Xuzhi, Bi Yingzhi, Zhang Xiushi, Zong Bing, and others all relied upon Master Yuan together. Yuan said: 'Gentlemen, having come here, how could you possibly forget the journey to the Pure Land? If your minds are set upon it, you should redouble your efforts and not lag behind.' Because Chengzhi was the most skilled in literary composition, Yuan had him record the event, entitled the 'Vow of the Lotus Society.' The text reads: 'In the year of Shetige (the tiger year), on the twenty-eighth day, yiwei, following the new moon of the seventh month, wuchen, the Dharma master Shi Huiyuan, having genuinely experienced profound inspiration, brought forth especially austere aspirations. He thereupon invited like-minded gentlemen who had stilled their minds and possessed correct faith, including Lei Cizong and Liu Chengzhi, totaling one hundred and twenty-three persons, to assemble on the northern slope of Mount Lu before the image of Amitābha Buddha in the Prajñā Platform vihāra. Leading them with incense and flowers, he respectfully made offerings and took this vow: We, this assembly of people! Since the principle of transformation through conditions has already been clarified, the transmission across the three periods of time is made evident. Since the tally of migrating karmic responses matches, retribution for good and evil is certain. Inferring the imperceptible discussions between rubbing shoulders, we awaken to the urgency of the moment of impermanence; examining how the two retributions press upon us, we know the difficulty of obtaining rescue from peril. This is precisely why all these like-minded worthies, watchful in the evening and diligent through the night, gaze upward and ponder what will bring deliverance. The spirit can indeed be engaged through resonance, yet cannot be sought through traces. If resonance has an object, then the dim path is but a short pace away; but if seeking lacks proper direction, how vast and shoreless the crossing! Now fortunately, having resonated without premeditation, our minds are united toward the Western Realm. Opening the scriptures, our faith unfolds, and our genuine feelings burst forth from heaven. Thus, signs and omens communicate in slumber and dreams; our joy is a hundredfold as when people come like children [to build King Wen's tower]. Thereupon, the cloud-like image manifests its radiant light, an appearance rivaling divine creation. The achievement accords with principle; the event is not moved by human effort. This is truly heaven opening our sincerity, an unseen movement seeking convergence. How could we not subdue the mind and subdue our thoughts, redoubling refinement and piling reflection upon reflection to consolidate our contemplation? However, our circumstances and life spans are varied, and our merit and blessings are not uniform. Though our morning aspiration is said to be identical, our evening returns may be set apart; for the kinship of our teachers and friends, this is truly lamentable. Therefore, sighing with emotion, we mutually pledge one another, straighten our robes, and stand weeping in the hall. Equalizing our giving with one mind, we hold serene thoughts upon the profound summit, vowing that these companions shall together roam the transcendent realm. If any among us, warning the world and unmatched in excellence, should be the first to ascend to the spiritual realm, let him not merely cultivate himself alone among the cloudy peaks while forgetting to bring complete liberation to those in the shadowy valleys. May those who advance first and those who ascend later diligently contemplate the way of collective journeying! Thereafter, contemplating the great embodiment with subtle discernment, opening the mind to true illumination, consciousness is renewed through awakening, and form is altered through transformation. Resting upon lotus blossoms in midstream, shaded by jeweled branches while chanting verses, our spiritual garments will flutter throughout the eight extremities, steeped in fragrant breezes throughout endless ages. The body forgets peace yet becomes ever more serene; the mind transcends worldly joy and delights in itself. Hearing the three paths of suffering, we bid them eternal farewell; scorning heavenly palaces, we take our final leave of them. Continuing the traces of the myriad spirits and carrying on their path, we point to the ultimate breath as our term of completion. Investigating this Dao, how could it not be vast?'

7.14

(4) At the beginning of the Taiyuan era, when Fu Jian's Qin was at its height, auspicious stars frequently appeared. The Grand Astrologer memorialized: 'A wise man from a foreign realm is destined to enter and assist.' When the Qin ruler attacked Xiangyang and obtained Dharma Master Dao'an, he rejoiced, taking it as the fulfillment of the prophecy. Dao'an modestly declined, daring not to accept it, and subsequently urged the Qin ruler to welcome Dharma Master Kumārajīva from the kingdom of Kucha. Jian complied. He immediately dispatched General of Agile Cavalry Lü Guang with seventy thousand armored cavalry to attack Kucha, instructing him: 'If you obtain Kumārajīva, send him back by express post.' When Guang's army arrived, Kumārajīva said to the King of Kucha, Bo Chun: 'The kingdom's fortunes are waning. A formidable enemy comes from where the sun descends; you should serve and welcome them, and not confront their vanguard.' Chun did not accept this advice and resisted; he was utterly defeated by Guang. Thereupon, [Guang] obtained Kumārajīva. Seeing that Kumārajīva was young in years, Guang treated him with common vulgarity and jested with him, forcibly marrying him to the daughter of the King of Kucha. Kumārajīva bitterly refused, deeming it impermissible. Guang made him drink strong wine and locked them together in a chamber, and he was thus coerced. By the time Guang returned, Fu Jian had already been defeated. Guang consequently usurped the title of king in Guzang. Father and son succeeded one another, both of mediocre talent who did not know the Dao. Kumārajīva harbored profound understanding, yet lived in obscurity within their realm, having nowhere to propagate and transform.

7.15

(5) The Qin ruler Yao Chang was a Qiang of the Western Rong. Upon Fu Jian's defeat, Chang, who was a veteran commander, led his subordinates in rebellion. Jian engaged him in battle without success, and was ultimately strangled to death by Chang in a Buddhist temple. Chang inherited his position, establishing his capital at Yongguan and changing the name of Chang'an to Chang'an [using the character 'Constant']. After reigning for eight years, Fu Jian, leading ghost soldiers in broad daylight, entered the palace and struck him in his genitals. He bled more than a dan and passed away. His son [Yao] Xing ascended the throne, lowered the imperial title, and called himself Heavenly King. Before long, warfare ceased and moral transformation prevailed widely. Auspicious omens repeatedly appeared, and twin-trunked trees joined in trunk newly grew in the palace courtyard. Everyone claimed it was an auspicious sign of a wise man entering the state. He thereupon sent Yao Shuode to attack Lü Long of Liang and welcome Dharma Master Kumārajīva. The Qin ruler treated him with profound courtesy, regarding him as National Preceptor, and broadly propagated the sutras and treatises. Translating and propagating in the land of Cīnasthāna up through Fu Jian's Qin along with Master Kumārajīva and others, the two courts produced more than eight hundred fascicles of the Tripiṭaka of sutras, vinaya, and treatises.

7.16

(Yiyou) Fu Pi changed the reign era to Da'an.

7.17

Western Qin changed its reign era to Jianyi.

7.18

(6) The Northern Dynasty, Wei (surnamed Tuoba, ruling under the virtue of Water, with its capital at Yunzhong).

7.19

Master Lei stated: '(Daowu, Mingyuan, Taiwu, Wencheng, Xianwen, Xiaowen, Xuanwu, Xiaoming, Xiaozhuang, Jiemin, the Later Deposed Emperor, and Emperor Chu; there were twelve Wei rulers, spanning one hundred and forty-nine years.)'

7.20

Taizu, Emperor Daowu, [named] Gui (Before him were eleven rulers; the state's name was Dai, later Jin. It began with Tuoba Jiefen, who while hunting in the wilds encountered a heavenly maiden and fathered Liwei, who was Emperor Shenyuan, the founding ancestor of Wei.) (The emperor once escaped the summer heat on Mount Wutai, where an Indian monk came and begged for ground the size of a sitting mat. The emperor granted it. Thereupon the monk spread out the sitting mat, whose head surpassed the stars and tail swayed the sun and moon; a circumference of five hundred li all came under the sacred foundation. He was indeed an incarnation of Mañjuśrī.) (The founding ancestor fathered Emperor Zhang Xilu, Emperor Ping Chuo, Emperor Si Fu, Emperor Zhao Luguang, Emperor Mu Yilu, Emperor Pingwen Yulü, Emperor Hui Heru, Emperor Yang Hena, Emperor Lie Yihuai, and Emperor Zhaocheng Shiyijian. The above eleven rulers had not yet communicated with the Central Plains. ○ Regarding Gui, according to the genealogical records, his ancestors descended from the Yellow Emperor, sons of Changyi, enfeoffed in the northern regions. There was Mount Great Xianbei, from which they took their name. During the turmoil of Western Jin, there was Tuoba Lu, who moved to reside in Loufan. Jin enfeoffed him as King of Dai. Later, the tribes dispersed. After more than sixty years, it came to Lu's grandson Shiyi Shegui. The Book of Wei states that Gui was Taizu, Emperor Daowu of Wei. In the first year of Taiyuan, three hundred li east of Shuozhou, he built a city named Heng'an and served as Fu Jian's General of the Guard. After Jian's defeat, he assumed the true imperial title as Taizu Daowu. Upon his demise, Mingyuan succeeded him; when Yuan demised, Shizu, Emperor Taiwu, succeeded him. From then on, after four rulers, it reached Shizong, Emperor Xiaowen, who moved the capital to Luoyang, changed the imperial surname to Yuan, discarded barbarian dress and headgear, banned the barbarian language, and revered Chinese ways. At this time, there were only two states under heaven, termed the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the beginning of the Wei, Buddhism was unheard of. When Shenyuan exchanged embassies with the Jin, they first came to extend faith. Monks numbered up to two million, temples numbered over thirty thousand, and translated sutras, vinaya, and treatises exceeded one thousand nine hundred fascicles. From antiquity, the flourishing of stupas and temples never surpassed this. The reign era was changed to Dengguo.)

7.21

(Bingxu) Former Qin's Fu Deng (courtesy name Wengao, grand-nephew of Jian, reigned for nine years, changing the era to Taichu; lived to fifty-two).

7.22

Later Qin changed its reign era to Jianchu (entering Chang'an and declaring himself emperor); Liang changed to Da'an.

7.23

Yan changed its reign era to Jianxing.

7.24

(Dinghai) Western Qin's Qifu Gangui (younger brother of Guoren, reigned twenty-four years, later killed by his elder brother).

7.25

(Wuzi) Western Qin changed its reign era to Taichu (declaring himself king in Henan).

7.26

(7) The Twenty-sixth Patriarch, Punyamitra, was the crown prince of King Devasiddhi (Desheng) of Southern India. Having received ordination and obtained the Dharma, he went to Eastern India. The king of that land was named Dṛḍha (Jiangu). He revered the non-Buddhist master, the long-nailed brahmacārin (Dīrghanakha). When the Patriarch was about to arrive, the king and the brahmacārin both saw a white vapor piercing above and below. The king asked, 'What auspicious omen is this?' The brahmacārin, knowing in advance that the Venerable One was entering the border and fearing that the king would turn toward goodness, replied, 'This is merely an omen of the coming of Māra. What auspiciousness is there?' He immediately gathered his disciples and conferred with them, saying, 'Punyamitra is about to enter the capital city. Who can defeat him?' The disciples said, 'We each possess incantations and arts capable of shaking heaven and earth and entering water and fire. What cause is there for worry?' When the Venerable One arrived, he first saw a dark vapor on the palace walls and said, 'It is merely a minor difficulty.' He went directly to the king's quarters. The king asked, 'For what purpose has the Master come?' The Patriarch said, 'I intend to deliver sentient beings.' The king asked, 'By what teaching will you deliver them?' The Patriarch replied, 'I deliver each according to their kind.' At that time, hearing these words, the brahmacārin could not contain his rage and used magical arts to conjure a great mountain above the Venerable One's head. The Venerable One pointed at it, and it suddenly appeared above the heads of that multitude. The brahmacārin and the others were terrified and threw themselves before the Venerable One. The Venerable One pitied their foolish confusion, pointed at it again, and the conjured mountain vanished accordingly. He then expounded the essentials of the Dharma for the king, causing him to tend toward the True Vehicle. He further said to the king, 'In this country there shall be a sage who will succeed me.' At that time there was the son of a brāhmaṇa, about twenty years of age, who had lost his parents in his youth. His name and surname were unknown. He sometimes called himself 'Yingluo' (Necklace), and so people called him the 'Necklace Youth' (Yingluo Tongzi). He wandered through the villages and lanes, begging for alms to pass the days, like one of the kind of Sadāparibhūta. When people asked, 'Why do you walk so fast?', he would answer, 'Why do you walk so slowly?' Or when they asked his surname, he would say, 'I have the same surname as you.' None knew the reason. Later, when the king and the Patriarch went out riding in the same carriage, they saw Yingluo bowing his head before them. The Venerable One asked, 'Do you recall past matters?' He replied, 'I remember dwelling together with the Master in a distant kalpa. The Master expounded the Mahāprajñā, and I turned the profound sūtras. Today's event indeed accords with those past causes.' The Venerable One again said to the king, 'This youth is none other than Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. After this sage, two persons will again emerge: one will transform Southern India, and one has karmic affinity in Cīnasthāna (Zhendan). Within four or five years, he will return to this region.' Thereupon, on account of past causes, he named him Prajñātāra and entrusted to him the Eye and Treasury of the True Dharma. The verse said: / 'The treasury of the ground of mind of true nature / Has neither head nor tail. / Responding to conditions, it transforms beings; / By expedient means it is called wisdom.' / Having transmitted the Dharma, the Venerable One took leave of the king, saying, 'My conditions for transforming [beings] have ended; I must return to quiescent extinction. I pray that the king, regarding the Supreme Vehicle, will not forget to be an external protector.' He then returned to his seat, crossed his legs, and passed away. Emanating fire, he incinerated himself. The king collected the relics, built a stupa, and entombed them. This was in the wuzi year, the thirteenth year of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin.

7.27

(Jiyou) The Later Liang changed its era name to Linjia.

7.28

(Guisi) From this time onward, the auspicious sandalwood image went down to Jiangnan, where it remained for one hundred and seventy-three years.

7.29

(Jiawu) Fu Chong of the Former Qin changed his era name to Yanchu (in the tenth month he was killed by Qifu Qiangui, and his state was eliminated).

7.30

Yao Xing of the Later Qin changed his era name to Huangchu (courtesy name Zilüe; eldest son of Yao Chang; he went to Chang'an and established himself at Huaili; reigned for twenty-two years, living to the age of fifty-five).

7.31

(8. Bingshen) Emperor An, Dechong (eldest son of Emperor Wu; born without intelligence, to the extent that he could not distinguish cold from heat or hunger from satiety; at the age of thirty-two he died in the Eastern Hall and was buried in Xiuping Mausoleum; also named Ruzong; ascended the throne at age fifteen, reigning for twenty-two years).

7.32

The Later Liang changed its era name to Longfei (proclaiming the title Heavenly King of Liang).

7.33

Murong Bao of the Later Yan (courtesy name Daoyou; fourth son of Chui; reigned for two years, changing his era name to Yongkang; lived to the age of forty-four).

7.34

The Northern Wei changed its era name to Huangshi (setting up the flags and banners of the Son of Heaven).

7.35

Murong De of the Southern Yan (courtesy name Xuanming; youngest son of Huang; eight feet two inches tall, with an imposing and grand appearance; after Murong Bao of the Later Yan died, he occupied Huatai and called his state Yan, with his capital at Guanggu; he illegitimately reigned for seven full years, dying at the age of fifty).

7.36

Tufa Wugu of the Southern Liang (a Xianbei of Hexi; his ancestors shared origins with the Wei; his ancestor of the eighth generation, Pigu, led his tribe from north of the frontier to migrate to Hexi; Lü Guang sent an envoy appointing him Regional Governor of Yizhou; he proclaimed himself Great Chanyu and King of Xiping; made his capital at Guangwu and moved to Ledu; changed the era to Taichu; illegitimately reigned for three years).

7.37

This Liang changed [its ruler] to Duan Ye (occupying Zhangye; the next year changed to Shenxi).

7.38

Li Gao of the Western Liang (courtesy name Xuansheng; from Chengji in Longxi; sixteenth-generation descendant of the Han general Li Guang; his grandfather Li Yan served as a general under Zhang Gui; on that basis they occupied Hexi, until Li Gao proclaimed himself Liang; reigned for seventeen years; that is, the eighth-generation ancestor of Emperor Taizong of the Tang).

7.39

(9) Zhu Senglang was a man of Jingzhao. He devoted himself exclusively to lecturing and expounding, subsisting on coarse food and coarse cloth robes, with his mind delighting beyond worldly things. From the Huangshi era, he moved up Mount Tai, clearing the thatch to dwell there. At that time, those who heard of his repute and came to him numbered more than a hundred. Virtue crystallized within his breast; wise men from a thousand li vied to gather there. His fragrant renown spread far and wide; the Sons of Heaven of five dynasties were transformed by his ways. In sending tribute offerings and speeding official letters, who could rival him?

7.40

First, the letter from Fu Jian said: 'The Emperor respectfully inquires after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. The Great Sage responds to the times; his spiritual expedients are transcendent. His umbrella shelters the ten directions, and his transformation blends without exterior. Like the four seas nourishing all living beings, he equals Heaven and Earth nurturing the myriad things. He nourishes the living and saves the dead, clarifying the spirit in quietude and subtlety. In my emptiness and unworthiness, I live to meet the sage, yet separated by the myriad affairs of state, I cannot come by carriage. Now I dispatch an envoy with a cushioned carriage to invite you, hoping that your spiritual radiance will shine from afar to shelter the capital city. Now I also present several jin of purple gold to be used for gilding images, thirty bolts of patterned damask, and three servant boys to provide for sweeping and cleaning. The perfected person does not go against [the wishes of others]; I earnestly hope you will accept them. I presume that with your mysterious discernment you will perceive my intention.' Having invited him, he served him with the etiquette due a master.

7.41

Second, the letter from Emperor Wu of Jin, Yao, said: 'The Emperor respectfully inquires after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. Your sagacious virtue illuminates the times, and your fame flies to the Eastern Peak, so much so that I contemplate nourishing all living beings together with the Upādhyāya. The perfected person penetrates the subtle; I presume you understand my intention. Now I dispatch an envoy to present one image of five-colored pearls, fifty bolts of radiant brocade, five sets of ivory mats, and five gold alms bowls. Upon arrival, I pray you will receive and accept them.'

7.42

Third, the letter from Emperor Chengwu of the Later Yan, Murong Chui, said: 'The Emperor respectfully inquires after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. You clarify the spirit and spiritual lineage, and your compassionate shade covers a hundred states. Among all that breathe, who does not receive your moisture? I have inherited the lineage and succession, facing the affairs of the realm. Formerly, when Shu was disrespectful, Emperor Wu of Wei harbored indignation; now, with two rebels unsubdued, how can I find peace? Furthermore, the grand army is successfully mobilized to sweep away rebellion wildly. The perfected person penetrates the spiritual realm and transforms according to expedient guidance. I pray that weapons will not be stained with blood and the four seas will unite in submission. Yielding my heart in refuge, how could my long-held reverence ever cease? Now I dispatch an envoy to present one hundred bolts of official silk, three kāṣāyas, and fifty jin of cotton floss. May you kindly chant prayers on my behalf.'

7.43

Fourth, the letter from Emperor Daowu, Taizu of Wei: 'The Emperor respectfully inquires after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. Inheriting the wondrous sacred spirit, there must be strategic management; I have already commanded the grand army. The Superior Man's virtue equals the seas and mountains, and his spiritual calculations reach far. I hope you will assist my majestic plans to subdue and bring peace to the desolate frontiers. Now I dispatch an envoy to present twenty bolts of plain silk, fifty pieces of white cotton cloth, and three silver alms bowls. Upon arrival, I pray you will receive and accept them.'

7.44

Fifth, Murong De of the Southern Yan personally built Shentong Monastery for Upādhyāya Lang of Qizhou. In his letter to the Master he said: 'Respectfully inquiring after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. Having encountered many hardships in my family, disasters and misfortunes have repeatedly arrived. Formerly in Jianxi, the royal house fled west, relying on King Wu for the restoration; his divine martiality governed the realm, vastly opening the eastern summer lands, rescuing the territories so that far and near were revived. The world was extremely fortunate. Yet Heaven did not forget disaster: King Wu soon passed away. At the beginning of the Yongkang era, east collapsed and west was shaken, and the capital fled and scattered. Whenever I think of the spiritual palace, I tremble and swallow my tears. Lacking virtue, I was born amid chaotic warfare; with few surviving people left, I succeeded to the heavenly mandate. Fortunately, the Upādhyāya's great benevolence and the spiritual deities have sheltered me. An envoy presents one hundred bolts of silk, and I also temporarily enfeoff you with the two counties of Fenggaoshan and Rencheng in Eastern Qi. The letter cannot exhaust my thoughts; it accords with my mind.' The Master answered all the imperial communications of the five dynasties. Fearing to be tedious, they are not recorded here; see the Tang dynasty's Hongming ji.

7.45

(Dingyou) The era was changed to Long'an. The Northern Liang changed its era name to Shenxi.

7.46

The Later Yan changed its era name to Yongkang.

7.47

(Wuxu) Murong Sheng of the Later Yan (courtesy name Daoyun; illegitimate son of Murong Bao; reigned for three years, dying at the age of twenty-nine; changed his era name to Jianping).

7.48

(10) In this year, Northern Wei [Daowu] assumed the imperial throne and changed the era name to Tianxing. Daowu issued an edict saying: 'The rising of the Buddha-Dharma has indeed been from of old. The merit of its aid and benefit invisibly reaches both the living and the dead. Its divine traces and bequeathed Dharma may truly be relied upon.' He ordered the officials to erect and adorn statues and repair and furnish palace quarters in the capital, so that those with faith and devotion would have a proper place to dwell. In that year, two stupa halls were built, named Gṛdhrakūṭa and Sumeru, and meditation halls and Dharma seats were constructed separately, all fully and solemnly equipped.

7.49

(Jihai) The Later Qin changed its era name to Hongshi. The Later Yan changed its era name to Changle (courtesy name Daowen; youngest son of Murong Chui; reigned for six years, living to the age of twenty-three).

7.50

Lü Zuan of the Later Liang changed his era name to Xianning. The Northern Liang changed its era name to Tianxi.

7.51

(Gengzi) Lilugu of the Southern Liang (younger brother of Wugu; reigned for two years; changed to Jianhe).

7.52

(11) In this year, Master of the Dharma [Kumāra]jīva passed away. Kumārajīva—translated here as Tongshou ('Youth-Longevity')—was a native of Tianzhu. His family had been distinguished for generations. His father, Kumārāyana, was a man of noble virtue who declined the position of prime minister and went forth from the household life (pravrajyā). When the king of Kucha heard of him, he invited him to become the state preceptor, gave him his younger sister in marriage, and she subsequently gave birth to [Kumāra]jīva. [Kumāra]jīva could recite a thousand verses, over thirty thousand words, each day. There were no teachings of the Great or Small Vehicles that he did not master thoroughly. In the thirteenth year of the Jianyuan era of Fu Qin, a star of virtue appeared. Fu Jian sent Lü Guang on a western expedition. When Lü heard of Fu Jian's defeat, he occupied Guzang and proclaimed himself king of Liang, so [Fu Jian] never met the master. In the third month of the third year of the Hongshi era of the Yao Qin, trees in the courtyard entwined their branches, and in the Xiaoyao Garden, green onions transformed into sweet flag, presaging that a wise man was about to enter the Central Lands. In the ninth month, Lü Long surrendered. On the twentieth day of the twelfth month, the master was welcomed to dwell in the Xiaoyao Garden. [Yao] Xing treated him with the courtesy due to a state preceptor, according him extraordinary favor and honor. He was ordered to translate over three hundred fascicles of sūtras and treatises. Among his three thousand disciples, eight stood out as preeminent: Daosheng, Sengzhao, Daorong, Sengrui, Daoheng, Sengying, Huiguan, Huiyan, and others. Each composed works, and their biographies are clearly known. It may indeed be called an era of flourishing and a millennium of glory. Furthermore, Sengqie was elevated to the post of sanghapradhāna (director of monks) to administer monastic affairs. The śramaṇa Huirui, whose sincere devotion reached far, assisted [Kumāra]jīva in transcribing and copying. [Kumāra]jīva often said to Rui: 'The stylistic forms of the Western regions place great weight on literary meter; having their tones and rhymes fit the winds and strings is considered excellent. Whenever one has an audience with a king, one must praise his virtues; the sūtra verses are all in this style.' He once sighed and said: 'Were I to write a Mahāyāna Abhidharma, it would be no match for Kātyāyana's.' Finding no one at the time with deep discernment, he grieved and ceased. He alone composed the two-fascicle Treatise on the True Mark (Shixiang lun) for the king of Qin. In the intervals of governing, the king of Qin personally sat opposite [Kumāra]jīva during translations. Upon examining the older sūtras, he found many errors and corruptions, which [Kumāra]jīva corrected. Once, when he expounded the sūtras at Caotang Monastery, thousands of court officials and śramaṇas gathered, observing and listening with reverent bearing. One day the king said to [Kumāra]jīva: 'The Dharma Master's brilliant intellect and transcendent awakening are unequaled within the realm; how could we let your Dharma seed lack posterity?' Thereupon, he forced him to accept ten palace maidens. [Kumāra]jīva himself remarked: 'Whenever I expound the teachings, I see two small boys climbing upon my shoulders, seeking to obstruct me.' From then on, he no longer dwelt in the monastic quarters, but had a separate residence built for him. Some monks sought to emulate him, so [Kumāra]jīva filled a bowl with needles and told them: 'Only if you can emulate me and eat these may you maintain a household.' He took them up and swallowed the needles like ordinary food, whereupon the monks were shamed into stopping. Earlier, while in Kucha, whenever the kings of neighboring states assembled and invited [Kumāra]jīva to preach the Dharma, they would kneel and bow down before his seat, asking [Kumāra]jīva to step on their shoulders to ascend the throne. He once visited the Venerable of the Northern Mountains in the Great Yuezhi kingdom with his mother. The Northern Mountain [Venerable] told his mother: 'Guard this novice well. If by age thirty-five his vinaya remains intact, he will deliver people like Upagupta; otherwise, he will be merely a clever Dharma master.' When Beidu was in Pengcheng and heard that [Kumāra]jīva had entered the Pass, he sighed: 'It has been three hundred years since I parted in jest with this child! A meeting is now remote and without a set time; we must wait for a future life.' Whenever [Kumāra]jīva ascended the seat, he would always say: 'It is like a lotus flower growing out of foul mud: take only the flower, do not take the foul mud.' After living in Qin for only nine years, he fell ill. He uttered three divine mantras and had foreign disciples recite them to save himself, but before their efforts could take effect, he felt his condition turning perilous. Thereupon, struggling through his illness, he gathered the assembly to take his leave, saying: 'We met through the Dharma, yet my intentions were far from fully realized. Now I go to the next life—how can words express my sorrow! Regarding myself as dim-witted and superficial, I presumptuously took up the role of translation. Among the sūtras and treatises translated, only the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya (Ten Recitations Vinaya) could not be pruned of redundancies in time. If my interpretations accord with the Buddha's mind, then on the day my body is cremated, my tongue will not be scorched or destroyed.' Having spoken these words, he passed away. On the day of his cremation (jhāpita), his tongue indeed resembled the color of a red lotus and was undamaged.

7.53

The appraisal says: Emperor Guangwu of the Han was born in Nanyang, and Nanyang had no base scholars. Kumārajīva arrived in Guanzhong, and exceptional talents all assembled there. A sūtra states that when sages and worthies appear in the world, there are always bodhisattvas who practiced together with them in the causal stage who follow and take rebirth beneath them to assist their transformation. This is truly not false! Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Great Dharma had been rudimentary and obscure. Śramaṇas from the Western Regions who arrived generally used miraculous feats to manifest their transformation in the Central Lands. Although extraordinary individuals appeared occasionally, many were confined by their inclinations toward secular learning. Only with the arrival of Master [Kumāra]jīva did the source of the Great Dharma begin to become pure. Scholars were able to devote their minds entirely to the Mahāyāna (vaipulya) and look down upon Laozi and Zhuangzi. Truly, Master [Kumāra]jīva's service to the Dharma gate was by no means small! It was solely due to the burdens of past karmic obstacles that he lived in Guanzhong for only nine years, bringing forth not even one-tenth of his vast learning before failing to live out his lifespan. The king of Qin had the merit of bringing [Kumāra]jīva, yet was unable to bring his excellence to fruition. Alas! Had Master [Kumāra]jīva's lofty virtue and pure conduct matched what he held within, and had he lived out his natural lifespan to glorify the succession of the great teaching, even if Maitreya were to appear in the world, what could he have added to that?

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佛祖歷代通載 — Classical Chinese