釋氏稽古略 3.94

3.94

Dharma Master Yijing: His taboo name was Yijing, and his style name was Wenming. A native of the Zhang family from Mangyang (Zhuozhou). He became a monk in his youth and took the full precepts upon reaching adulthood. In the second year of Xianheng under Gaozong, at the age of thirty-seven, he set off for the Western Regions to seek Buddhist scriptures. Journeying alone for twenty-five years, he traveled through more than thirty countries. At this time, in the fifth month of the *yiwei* year, he returned to the Heluo region, having obtained nearly four hundred texts of Sanskrit sūtras, vinayas, and treatises, comprising five hundred thousand palm-leaf folios, as well as one true image of the Vajrāsana and three hundred grains of śarīra relics. The Empress Dowager personally welcomed him outside the Shangdong Gate, housing them at Foshouji Monastery, and decreed that he translate them. At first, he translated the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra* together with Śikṣānanda. In the third year of Chang'an, he translated scriptures such as the *Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra* (*Golden Light Sūtra*) and the *Eka-śatākarman*, with Chengjun (Imperial University) Assistant Xu Guan supervising the translation. The Empress Dowager composed the *Preface to the Newly Translated Holy Teachings*. In the first year of Shenlong under Zhongzong, he translated scriptures such as the *Mahāmāyūrī-vidyārājñī* (*Peacock King Sūtra*) at the Inner Bodhimaṇḍa of Eastern Luo. The Emperor composed a preface, titled *Great Tang Longxing Preface to the Tripiṭaka Holy Teachings*. In the second year, following the imperial carriage, he returned to Chang'an; an imperial decree ordered the separate establishment of a scripture translation hall at Dajianfu Monastery, where he translated scriptures such as the *Sarva-puṇya-samuccaya-samādhi-sūtra*. Vice Minister of War Cui Shi and Supervising Censor Lu Can polished the text and verified the characters; Secretary-General and Imperial Son-in-law Commandant Yang Shenjiao supervised. In the second year of Jinglong under Zhongzong, the Master was summoned to the imperial palace to translate scriptures together with other monks during the ninety-day summer retreat. As the Emperor recalled praying to Bhaiṣajyaguru when residing in Fangzhou, he commanded the Dharma Master to translate the two-fascicle *Bhaiṣajyaguru-sūtra* in the Great Buddha Light Hall. In the first year of Jingyun under Ruizong, the Master remained at Dajianfu Monastery, translating twenty works of sūtras and treatises such as the *Bath Image Sūtra*, in eighty-eight fascicles in all. Academicians Li Qiao, Zhang Yue, and others polished the text; Vice Directors Wei Juyuan and Su Gui supervised. In the seventh month of the first year of Kaiyuan under Xuanzong, the Dharma Master entered quiescence at the age of seventy-nine, with a monastic age of fifty-nine. An imperial decree provided for his funeral. A stūpa was built on the high plateau north of Longmen in Luoyang. The Dharma Master translated fifty-six works of scriptures, vinaya, and treatises, totaling two hundred and thirty fascicles across his career. He also independently composed nine fascicles of ritual manuals and biographies. Although the Master translated the entire Tripiṭaka, he specialized in the Vinaya division, teaching it to students (*Ben zhuan*).