釋迦氏譜 1.81

1.81

余聞。佛稱大聖機教匪凡。義豈邊鄙方為匡化。所以閻浮一域面周四海。環海之洲理居中正。故因果經云。菩薩昔在兜率天說補處行。期運將至當下作佛。觀諸國土何者處中。即知迦毘羅國最是地之中也。又本起云。佛之威神至尊至重。不可生邊地地為傾斜。此迦毘羅城。三千日月天地之中央也。往古佛興皆出於此。又俱舍論云。剡浮洲之中（此洲或名閻浮。剡浮。贍部。皆取音不同）有金剛座。上與地齊下至金剛輪際。以有此座菩薩坐之。入金剛定得成覺道。除此座外地則不勝。唯此洲有三方。則無以佛不往彼成道故。所以然者。良由人稱至聖道德尊高。人天群有莫不迴向。故託茲勝座。表化物良緣。至於震旦一州緣居海右。軒轅五岳曲指嵩山以為中也。然則。周旦揆日圭程景分未盡。漢徹自高諸夏張掖有年。局號中原偏稱中國。以事考定中義自亡。原立中之名待邊為稱神洲。東則拒海三方蔑聞。此則邊義自彰不俟分析。雖云四海貢職萬國歡心。乃夸飾於一朝。終負實於千代。今以剡浮一域。中分葱嶺西號大夏。五竺統焉。東曰赤縣五岳統焉。雖兩方皆五事必偏中。此方在東彼土居正。何以明耶。按閻浮圖云。葱嶺西據香山。東南綿亘至於蜀部（此山相狀。西北東南角維而列。冬夏積雪）故此山東名為赤縣。雖云中國局對四岳而立名焉（約例陰陽宅經。凡宅中主勿犯。亦是一家之忌）至於山西南面。號曰天竺。山海經云。身毒之國軒轅氏居之（郭璞注云。即天竺也）彼土自分以為五國。中天竺國。天地之中。名既非邊四垂斯絕。據名以定中義存焉。

I have heard: The Buddha is called the Great Sage; his capacity and teaching are not ordinary. How could the meaning [of his advent] be that he rectified and transformed in a peripheral and remote quarter? Thus, the continent of Jambudvīpa has faces surrounded on four sides by the sea, and the continent encircled by the seas is centrally and properly situated in principle. Therefore, the Sūtra of Cause and Effect states: "In the past, when the Bodhisattva was in Tuṣita Heaven expounding the practices of a [bodhisattva] destined to become a Buddha in the next life, the predestined time was approaching when he was to descend and become a Buddha. Observing the various lands to see which one was situated in the center, he immediately knew that the kingdom of Kapilavastu was the very center of the earth." Furthermore, the Benqi [jing] states: "The Buddha's august spiritual power is supremely venerable and supremely weighty. He cannot be born in a peripheral land, for the earth would tilt and collapse. This city of Kapilavastu is the center of the three thousand suns and moons, of heaven and earth. In antiquity, the arising of the Buddhas all took place here." Furthermore, the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra states: "In the center of the continent of Jambūdvīpa (this continent is variously called Yanfu, Shanfu, or Zhanbu, which are all different transliterations) there is the Vajrāsana. Above, it is level with the ground; below, it reaches down to the edge of the Vajracakra. Because this seat exists, when the Bodhisattva sat upon it, he entered the diamond-like samādhi and attained the realization of enlightenment. Apart from this seat, the earth could not bear [him]. Only this continent possesses it; the other three directions do not, because Buddhas do not go there to attain enlightenment." That this is so is truly because people acclaim him as the Supreme Sage whose virtue and path are venerable and lofty, and none among the multitude of gods and humans fail to direct their homage toward him. Therefore, he entrusted himself to this supreme seat to manifest the favorable conditions for transforming beings. As for the single region of Cīnasthāna (Zhendan), its borders lie to the right of the sea; Xuanyuan's five sacred peaks arbitrarily designate Mount Song as the center. However, when the Duke of Zhou measured the sun, the divisions of the sundial shadow were not exhausted [to zero]; when Emperor Wu of Han elevated himself, the commanderies like Zhangye in the Huaxia lands existed for years. Confining its name to the Central Plains and exclusively designating itself the Middle Kingdom—when investigated through the facts, the claim to the center naturally collapses. Tracing the origin of establishing the name "center," it depends on calling what is peripheral "the Divine Province"; on the east it borders the sea, while in the other three directions nothing is heard. Here, the meaning of "peripheral" is self-evident without awaiting analysis. Although it is said that tributes are offered from the four seas and myriad kingdoms rejoice, this is merely an embellishment of a single dynasty, ultimately betraying the truth for a thousand generations. Now, regarding the domain of Jambūdvīpa: divided in the middle by the Congling (Pamir) mountains, to the west it is called Daxia, governed by the Five Indias; to the east it is called the Red District (Chixian), governed by the Five Peaks. Although both sides have five divisions, [the center of] the matters must be on one side. This land lies in the east, whereas that land occupies the center. How is this demonstrated? According to the Chart of Jambūdvīpa: "The Congling mountains to the west border Mount Gandhamādana, and to the southeast stretch continuously as far as the region of Shu (the appearance of this mountain lies diagonally between the northwest and southeast; winter and summer it accumulates snow). Therefore, to the east of this mountain it is called the Red District. Although called the Middle Kingdom, it is merely named in relation to the Four Peaks (analogous to the manuals of yin and yang geomancy: 'In any residence, do not offend the central host,' which is also a prohibition of that school). As for the southwest of the mountain, it is called Tianzhu (India). The Shanhai jing states: 'The kingdom of Shendu was inhabited by the clan of Xuanyuan' (Guo Pu's commentary states: 'That is Tianzhu')." That land naturally divides itself into five kingdoms. Central India is the center of heaven and earth. Its name being non-peripheral, it is equidistant from the four limits. Based on the name to determine it, the meaning of the center resides therein.