釋氏稽古略 2.77

2.77

華嚴經　天竺北印度罽賓國尊者佛馱跋陀（此云覺賢）來遊華夏。至是丙午歲抵長安。鳩摩羅什倒屣迎之。以相得遲暮為恨。秦太子姚泓。延至東宮。對什公論法。什公問曰。法云何空。答曰。眾微成色。色無自性。故色即空。又問。既以極微破色空。復云何破一微。答曰。以一微故眾微空。以眾微故一微空。沙門寶雲譯出此語不省其意。皆謂跋陀所計微塵是常。更申請之。跋陀曰。法不自生。緣會故生。緣一微故有眾微。微無自性則是空矣。寧當言不破一微乎。不契。跋陀既渡江入匡山。見遠公議論遠高之請出禪數諸經。義熙十四年戊午。因適江陵。宋王劉裕請歸京都止謝司空道場寺。三月吳郡內史孟顗等請尊者於寺譯華嚴經成六十卷。宋高祖永初元年庚申六月畢。譯經之時。感二青衣童子每且自庭沼中。出炷香添瓶水不離座側。暮則潛入沼中。譯經畢絕跡不現（秀紫芝編年華嚴感應記）。

Avataṃsaka-sūtra. The Venerable Buddhabhadra (translated here as "Awakened Worthy") of Kashmir in Northern India came to travel through China. Coming to this bingwu year, he arrived in Chang'an. Kumārajīva rushed out with his shoes backward to welcome him, lamenting only that their meeting had come so late. The Qin Crown Prince, Yao Hong, invited him to the Eastern Palace to discuss the Dharma with the Venerable Jīva. Master Jīva asked, "How are phenomena empty?" He answered, "A multitude of subtle particles forms form. Form has no self-nature, and therefore form is empty." He asked again, "Since subtle particles are used to break down form into emptiness, how then do you break down a single subtle particle?" He replied, "Because of a single subtle particle, the multitude of subtle particles is empty; because of the multitude of subtle particles, a single subtle particle is empty." When the śramaṇa Baoyun translated these words, the assembly did not fathom their meaning; all claimed that the fine dust posited by Bhadra was permanent. They petitioned him again, and Bhadra said, "Phenomena do not arise of themselves; they arise due to the convergence of conditions. Due to the condition of a single subtle particle, there is a multitude of subtle particles. Since subtle particles have no self-nature, they are indeed empty. How could one say that a single subtle particle is not broken down?" They still did not agree. After Bhadra crossed the river and entered Mount Kuang, he met Master Huiyuan. In their discussions, Huiyuan held him in high esteem and requested him to translate various scriptures on dhyāna and enumerations. In the wuwu year, the fourteenth year of Yixi, he traveled to Jiangling. The King of Song, Liu Yu, invited him to return to the capital to reside at Minister of Works Xie's Daochang Monastery. In the third month, Meng Yi, Internal Historian of Wujun, and others invited the Venerable to translate the Avataṃsaka-sūtra at the monastery, completing it in sixty fascicles. It was finished in the sixth month of the gengshen year, the first year of Yongchu of Emperor Gaozu of Song. At the time of translating the scripture, two boys in blue garments were moved by resonance: every morning they would emerge from the courtyard pool, burn incense, and add water to the vases, never leaving the side of his seat. At dusk they would slip back into the pool. Once the translation of the scripture was finished, they vanished without a trace (from the Avataṃsaka Resonance Records compiled by Xiuzizhi).