釋氏稽古略 2.285

2.285

The Emperor's surname was Yang, his given name Jian. He was a man of Huayin in Hongnong, a fourteenth-generation descendant of the Han Grand Commandant Yang Zhen. His father, Yang Zhong, originally served Emperor Wen of the Zhou and repeatedly performed meritorious military service, his office reaching Grand Preceptor and inheriting the title of Duke of Sui; Jian succeeded to this fiefdom. Emperor Wu of the Zhou took Jian's daughter as princess consort for the Crown Prince; the Crown Prince was Emperor Xuan. When Emperor Jing was enthroned, Jian assisted the government, and then accepted the abdication of the Zhou, ruling through the Virtue of Fire with his capital at Chang'an. In the third month of the first year of Kaihuang, he decreed that a Buddhist monastery be established at the foot of each of the Five Sacred Peaks (Sanbao ji). In the seventh month an imperial edict stated: "I respectfully reflect that the Martial and Primal Emperor, Grand Progenitor, overcame hardships across three dynasties to lay the foundation of our empire. Looking up in remembrance of his divine deportment, matters now merge into the true quiescence. Desiring to widely elevate precious sanctuaries and initiate saṅghārāmas to foster karmic causes of merit and humbly comply with his sublime will, let a monastery be established and a stele erected in each of Xiangyang, Sui Commandery, Jiangling, and Jinyang to eulogize his virtue. Each year on the national memorial day, hold a vegetarian feast, practice the Way, and observe the eightfold precepts with repentance to support his divine spirit." In the eighth month an imperial edict stated: "In former years, when the Zhou Way had already declined and all the wicked rose in turmoil, We dispatched chariots and trained soldiers to cleanse the monstrous and hideous. Men of integrity and righteousness thought lightly of life and forgot death; amidst shields and spears, their demise was often heard of. Ever mindful of the suffering of all beings who have stepped upon weapons of war, We harbor the utmost Way and give rise to the resolve for deliverance. Desiring to establish fields of merit so that the power of the Dharma may offer unseen assistance, may the ministers who died in service have their good roots increased, and may those in rebellion turn from darkness into light; may they all fathom suffering and emptiness and be entirely delivered from birth and death. Let a saṅghārāma be built on the battlefield of Xiangzhou" (Kaihuang lu). Furthermore, wherever commoners had been executed for breaking the law, the Emperor generally organized vegetarian feasts on their behalf. That winter, the śramaṇa Zhizhou and others returned from the Western Regions and presented two hundred and sixty Sanskrit scriptures. An imperial decree committed them to the relevant authorities and summoned people to translate them. The Sui Emperor was on the throne for twenty-four years and lived to sixty-four years of age (Di ji of the Sui shu).