釋迦氏譜 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

There is a saying passed down from past worthies: they ancestralise the Buddha as their master, yet are ashamed to look upon the Buddha's original lineage; they succeed to Śākya as their clan name, yet are mortified to trace the fountainhead of the Śākya clan. In my present estimation, this is quite truly recorded. Since one is said to discard secular ways, the principle cannot rest on baseless ground. Formerly, Vinaya Master Sengyou of the Southern Qi was learned in both internal and external lore, and his conduct governed all discipline. He composed the Shijia pu in one bundle of ten fascicles; in adducing events and categories, it was profusely elaborate, enriching the mind. While indeed broad reading for former luminaries, it serves not as an outline for later students. My years press upon autumn, and my life approaches the Sorrowful Vale; repeatedly receiving exhortations, I strive once more to set this forth. I venture to present five divisions in order to open three returnings. May those of the same clan and seed of the Dharma examine this intent!

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First, an account of the bhadrakalpa upon which it relies (meaning the designations of the cycles of destiny and time, and the reasons for their establishment).

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Second, an account of the root and source of the clan (meaning the antiquity or recency of obtaining the clan name, and the divergence and convergence of its roots and branches).

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Third, an account of the land wherein it was lodged (meaning the continent in which they dwelt, and by what principle this is known).

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Fourth, an account of the forms of transformation of the Dharmarāja (meaning the rising of the clan, and the Dharmarāja's forms of transformation while dwelling in the world).

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Fifth, an account of the sacred and mundane descendants (meaning that the two lineages of the Dharma and the secular have flowed far without ceasing).

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First, the account of the bhadrakalpa upon which it relies. Now, the opening of heaven and earth is the common talk of vulgar tradition; as for the Primordial Undivided (Taisu) and Primordial Change (Taiyi), and the covering and bearing of yin and yang, when examined throughout antiquity, nothing definite can be found. Entrusting it to the Hundred Schools is not without fabricated falsehood. Some say that heaven tilted to the northwest and earth sank in the southeast; that the five stones were smelted to mend above, and the turtle's legs were severed to prop below; even that the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Sovereigns had serpent bodies or bovine heads, and that the Nine Periods and the Four Clans served as shepherds and rulers of men. These ways are tangled and confused, not worth recounting. Now, relying on the correct teaching, I fully set forth the conditions of the kalpas. What is the name kalpa? Here it is called 'time'. According to the western Sanskrit, it is called kalpa; translated in this land, it is named 'great time'. This one great time has countless years; only by using metaphors can it be fully known. The sutras state: suppose there is a great city forty li square, filled to the brim with mustard seeds; a long-lived deity comes every three years and takes one mustard seed—though the city becomes empty, the kalpa is still not exhausted. Suppose there is a stone forty li square; it is brushed once every three years—though the stone is worn away, the time of the kalpa is still not exhausted. Thus kalpas succeed kalpas, revolving without end; sentient beings of the four kinds of birth are constantly submerged, unable to escape. Now, this present kalpa is named 'Bhadra' (Worthy). Because at the beginning of the kalpa, great waters flooded everywhere, and blue lotuses grew, numbering one thousand. The devas of the Fourth Dhyāna Heaven had witnessed past occurrences, and so they informed one another: 'Now in this world there will appear one thousand buddhas; this time may be designated as the bhadrakalpa.' Therefore, the sutra says: these are precisely the thousand buddhas of the bhadrakalpa. Beginning with Krakucchanda as the first, the last to attain buddhahood is named Rocana. Thus one knows: the first is Krakucchanda Tathāgata, the second Kanakamuni, the third Kāśyapa, and the fourth Śākyamuni. He whom we take as our teacher is the fourth Buddha of the bhadrakalpa. As in the Hīnayāna sutras: before the bhadrakalpa, the kalpa was empty with no buddhas; in ninety-one kalpas there was only Vipaśyin; in thirty-four kalpas three buddhas appeared in the world; adding to them the four buddhas of the bhadrakalpa, they make seven, as is commonly said. In the Mahāyāna sutras: in the three periods there are three kalpas, and each kalpa has a thousand buddhas; the past is the Vyūhakalpa, the present is named Bhadra, and the future is the Nakṣatrakalpa; three thousand princes successively attain buddhahood. This is because the brightness or dimness of minds' understanding leads to different paths of responsive perception; transformations displayed in accord with capacities cannot be definitively fixed. For instance, at the single assembly on Vulture Peak, five thousand walked out; the great emptiness of prajñā encompasses realization of lesser fruits; that the pure land is indestructible belongs to those who have ascended to the [bodhisattva] stages; that the great fire burns all away truly pertains to those subject to arising and ceasing. Applying this reasoning, there is no cause for doubt. That this kalpa is named Bhadra signifies the appearance of the thousand buddhas, which one must know.

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Second, an account of the root and source of the clan.

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Now, the rising of surnames and clans was originally intended to designate their substance; therefore, names and forms were assigned according to the categories of things. As for the sources of surnames in the Eastern Xia, originally there were only nine. Thus it is said: some arose from posthumous titles, such as Tang, Yu, Wen, and Wu; some arose from noble ranks and fiefs, such as Wang, Hou, Song, and Wei; some arose from official titles or courtesy names, such as Sima, Situ, Bo, Zhong, Shu, and Ji; some arose from residences, such as Cheng, Guo, Yuan, and Chi; some arose from occupations, such as Tao, Qiu, Wu, and Bu; some arose from official duties, such as Sanwu and Wulu. Later descendants proliferated widely according to their affairs, taking designations from their situations, which need not be related in detail. In Great Xia, the castes are four and distinct: namely, kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa, vaiśya, and śūdra. The kṣatriya royal caste is the most noble, handed down without break since the beginning of the kalpa. The other three castes are not under discussion here. Only the Buddha's lineage will be clarified, which itself divides into five: first, Gautama; second, Ikṣvāku; third, Śākya; fourth, Śākiya; fifth, Sūryavaṃśa. As for 'Gautama': the Shier you jing says that in the past, an asaṃkhyeya kalpa ago, when the Bodhisattva first became king of a state, his parents died early, and he abdicated the throne to seek the Way. His teacher had the surname Gautama, and so he took this clan name. In the language of the Tang, 'Gautama' is the name of a star; just as the Zhang clan here established their surname from a star. Therefore, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The surname of Gautama has been transmitted from of old.' As for 'Gautama', some say it means 'mud and earth'; this is merely a difference in the translators' reading of sounds. Now when inquiring of Indian monks, they say 'Gauḍa' means mud and earth, whereas 'Gautama' is the name of a star; thus we know it is named after a star, and is definitely not 'mud and earth'. As for 'Ikṣvāku': according to that same sutra, the Bodhisattva went to a sugarcane garden, where he roamed and cultivated the Way; his clan was named after the garden, and thus he was named Ikṣvāku. Therefore, the Buddhacarita says: 'the descendant of Ikṣvāku'. At that time, when the Bodhisattva was contemplating the Way in the garden, due to past karma he was captured by bandits, impaled on a stake, and his blood flowed onto the ground. The great ṛṣi Gautama had pure divine vision; seeing that the Bodhisattva's line would be severed and subsequent buddhas would have no source, he flew from the mountain, pitied him, and gathered the corpse. He took the blood from the ground, kneaded it into clay balls, placed them into two vessels, and returned to his dwelling. Through the power of divine mantras, after ten full months, the left transformed into a boy and the right into a girl. The lineage of the ṛṣi Gautama thus rose again. As for 'Śākiya': as the Sifen lü says, 'the Buddha's Śākiya lineage', also called 'the Śākiya kingdom'; this name is not yet certain. As for 'Śākya': the Dīrghāgama says that in the past there was a king named Yimo (that is, the tenth cakravartin, a hundred generations before the Bodhisattva). He banished four sons (the fourth son was named Zhuangyan, from whom Śuddhodana was descended) and ordered them far out of the country. Having obeyed the king's order, they arrived at the Northern Snowy Mountains and dwelt in a forest of straight trees. The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya says: dwelling north of the Snowy Mountains, where the four quarters were vast and open, vegetables and fruits were lush; having halted their carriages for several years, people flocked to their virtue like a marketplace, and it grew into a strong state. The father wished to summon them back, but they excused themselves as faulty and would not return. The father-king sighed three times: 'My sons have ability (śakya)!' Because of this, they were named the Śākya lineage. The Benqi says: Dīpaṃkara Buddha said, 'In a future age you shall become a buddha named Śākyamuni Buddha.' Śākya means 'capable', and muni means 'benevolent'. According to the present Tang translation, it is the same as the Benqi. Thus these four sons took their clan name from their capability. However, the clan name Śākya appears in sutras as both single and compound, akin to Fangshuo, Maqing, and the like in this land. The Mahīśāsaka says: dwelling in a forest of straight trees, they were also named Śākya. Now according to Sanskrit pronunciation, 'straight' is called śākya; in India, things often have multiple names; this is another instance of being named after a forest. If one follows another account, in that land there was a tree called śākya, with luxuriant roots and trunk; a skilled diviner said, 'It will surely produce rulers of the state.' Therefore the four sons were moved there to establish their state and take their clan name (though not from the sutra teachings, this is appended as a variant report). As for 'Sūryavaṃśa': the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says that the father's surname was 'Sun' (its reason is not yet detailed). To sum up: the five differences belong to one same clan; they diverge according to the flow of events. Yet the one surname Śākya is clearly recorded in many texts, while the others appear or disappear according to conditions. Thus Vinaya Master Sengyou said: 'Looking up with reverence, Dīpaṃkara gave the prediction and displayed the title Śākya; by profound coincidence and hidden concord, he predicted the Śākya clan. The name arose before the form took shape; the traces matched after the birth occurred. It shines brilliantly among gods and humans, continuously through vast kalpas. How profound is its source!' In my investigation, the Gautama clan is the father, and the Śākya clan is the mother. Therefore, the five companions who followed the Bodhisattva called the Buddha 'Gautama'. This makes the principle that the son inherits the father's surname clear. The Sifen lü says: 'The father's surname is Sun; the place of birth is named Śākya.' It is clear this is the mother's surname. The ancient ṛṣi Gautama took blood and stored it in vessels, which later transformed into male and female, whereupon the Śākya line arose. Investigating the source: it was one blood, later divided into two bodies. Through marriage and womb transformations, the branches spread wide. Speaking from the origin, it indeed violates the rites and rules; examining the matter from conditions, it is vastly contrary to great principles. Why so? In the Śākya clan, marriages always severed connection with relatives of the same clan, mysteriously according with the teachings established by the Duke of Zhou and Confucius in this land. Because their generation succeeded the cakravartins and their prestige stood highest in the world, they divided their lineages to take wives and would not intermarry with inferior castes. Counting these two surnames, they share the ancestor of the ancient ṛṣi; the blood of the womb being identical, by principle it should be hard to break. As for the surnames in the Eastern Xia, many originate from the Five Emperors and Three Kings; yet nowadays marriages and matrimonial alliances take place, and there is no way to separate them.

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Above, the reasons for the surnames and clans were clarified; now, the rising of the root of the lineage will be clarified. The Dīrghāgama says: when the great kalpa first formed, there was neither sun nor moon. When the merit of the devas of Ābhāsvara was exhausted, they descended to be born [here]. All transformed into human beings, feeding on joy. Their bodily radiance shone afar, and they flew freely. There were no males or females, no high or low, no kin or relatives. Spontaneously there was an earthly savor, resembling clarified butter and honey. Some tried tasting it, and thus began taking solid food. Their radiance vanished and their supernormal powers were lost; wailing, they fell to the ground. Those who ate much grew withered in appearance, while those who ate little had lustrous forms; thus feelings of superiority and inferiority arose, and the earthly savor vanished. Then earth-skin was produced, and then earth-crust was produced. Depending on the amount eaten, various evils congregated. Then there grew non-glutinous rice, fully endowed with all flavors. Those who greedily ate it developed male and female organs; thus interacting, they became husbands and wives, and womb birth began. The Loutan jing says: the spontaneous non-glutinous rice was harvested in the morning and ripened by evening. The Madhyamāgama says: the rice was four inches long, and people vied to take it in advance; teaching one another in this way, the places where it was harvested in advance no longer grew any. Vinaya Master Sengyou said: 'Once frivolous manners are stirred, the source of purity departs; when spirits communicate their response, thunder strikes too late. I have heard that in the days of the Two Han dynasties, when Donglai increased taxes, the sea fish swam deep; when Hepu raised levies, the pearl oysters moved afar. Comparing near to ancient, it exceeds mere coincidence; that non-glutinous rice ceased to grow is not to be doubted.' The Dīrghāgama says: at that time, when sentient beings saw that the non-glutinous rice did not grow again, each harbored sorrow and distress. They marked off fields and residences as boundaries. Consequently, some hid their own rice and stole grain from others' fields. Because of these occurrences and with no one able to resolve them, they deliberated to appoint one person, titled the 'Lord of Equality', to reward the good and punish the bad, while providing him with sustenance. At that time there was a man of majestic stature, solemn and dignified, who commanded the trust and submission of all. Together they invited him to govern; after he accepted, there was the title of 'Lord of the People'. The Loutan jing says: the people said among themselves, 'Be our leader,' and called him 'King'. Because he collected taxes, he was named 'Kṣatriya' (the Tang translation renders kṣatriya as 'Lord of the Fields'; because on the day land was first divided, each had disputes, this lord was established). At that time, all under heaven in Jambudvīpa was wealthy, joyful, peaceful, and secure. The earth grew green grass resembling peacock feathers. In more than eighty thousand states, neighboring settlements heard one another, with none suffering from cold, heat, or sickness. The king ruled with righteousness and practiced the ten good deeds; people respected one another like fathers and sons. Human lifespan was exceedingly long, beyond reckoning. Later there were other kings who did not practice the true Dharma, and their lifespan dwindled to one hundred thousand years. In this way it gradually decreased down to the present hundred years. Above, the forebears of the Śākya clan were clarified: they began at the start of the kalpa by first becoming kings, successively lining up in the manner of cakravartins and regional rulers succeeding one another.

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The first King, Lord of the People, was named Mahāsammata (this comes from the Sifen lü; the rest come from the Dīrghāgama).

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The second king was named Zhenbao (Rojā; son of Mahāsammata).

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The third king was named Haowei (Varakalyāṇa; son of Zhenbao).

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The fourth king was named Jingzhai (Kalyāṇa; son of Haowei).

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The fifth king was named Dingsheng (Māndhātṛ).

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The sixth king was named Śāntikara.

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The seventh king was named Praṇīta.

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The eighth king was named Vicitrarasa.

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The ninth king was named Rasādhipati.

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The tenth king was named Bāhyarṣi.

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The eleventh king was named Śatabuddhi.

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The twelfth king was named Kāmalola.

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The thirteenth king was named Kalyāṇakāma.

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The fourteenth king was named Saṃyojanaprahāṇa.

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The fifteenth king was named Mahāsaṃyojanaprahāṇa.

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The sixteenth king was named Ratnagarbha.

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The seventeenth king was named Mahāratnagarbha.

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The eighteenth king was named Sudarśana.

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The nineteenth king was named Mahāsudarśana.

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The twentieth king was named Aśoka.

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The twenty-first king was named Dvīpa.

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The twenty-second king was named Saṃsthita.

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The twenty-third king was named Giri.

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The twenty-fourth king was named Daivata.

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The twenty-fifth king was named Prerakabala.

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The twenty-sixth king was named Dṛḍharatha.

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The twenty-seventh king was named Daśaratha.

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The twenty-eighth king was named Śataratha.

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The twenty-ninth king was named Dṛḍhadhanus.

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The thirtieth king was named Daśadhanus (son of Dṛḍhadhanus).

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The thirty-first king was named Śatadhanus (son of Daśadhanus).

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The thirty-second king was named Poṣasaṃgraha (son of Śatadhanus).

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The thirty-third king was named Kalyāṇacintin (son of Poṣasaṃgraha; the Vinaya names him Jāyanta).

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From King Kalyāṇacintin onward, ten lineages of wheel-turning sage kings succeeded one another (it is likewise in the Vinaya, though the names may differ).

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Regarding the first wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Jāyanta's son was named Payāga; there were five wheel-turning sage kings [in this lineage].

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Regarding the second wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Tārakarman had five wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the third wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Apāvata had seven wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the fourth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Gandhāri had eight wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the fifth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Kaliṅga had nine wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the sixth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Cāpacampā had fourteen wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the seventh wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Kaurava had thirty-one wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the eighth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Pāñcāla had thirty-two wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the ninth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Mithilā had eighty-four thousand wheel-turning sage kings.

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Regarding the tenth wheel-turning king, the Loutan [jing] says: King Ikṣvāku had one hundred wheel-turning sage kings (the Vinaya calls him Ikṣvāku).

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These ten wheel-turning kings appear in both the sūtras and the Vinaya, and their names and numbers largely agree. Yet fearing that ordinary mortals and holy sages may be conflated, if we now examine the matter factually, it is impossible that eighty-four thousand were entirely holy monarchs. It can only be that the ten wheel-turning kings were the primary [sages], while the remaining descendants were ordinary mortals. As clarified in the Vinaya, it merely states that kings succeeded each other in order, whereas according to the sūtras, all are called holy monarchs. Surely this refers to the source as holy, while the downstream [descendants] are all subsumed under ordinary mortals. Furthermore, as in the case of the tenth wheel-turning king where it says there were one hundred wheel-turning kings, this would mean the Buddha's father and grandfather were both holy sages. Yet now it is only for the Bodhisattva that the scriptures show the manifest karmic effect of being a sage; the rest of the paternal clan were all ordinary kings. One may know it by analogy in this way.

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Account of the Seven Ancestral Generations of the Buddha:

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The seventh ancestral generation was named Mahāsusaṃbhava. The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says: 'Ikṣvāku was succeeded by one hundred kings, after whom there was a king named Mahāsusaṃbhava.' Some maintain that he was the son of [Ikṣvāku] himself. I hold here that he was the ninety-fourth generation of kings after [Ikṣvāku]. Thus the sūtra says: 'The last king was named Mahāsusaṃbhava.' This serves as excellent evidence.

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The sixth ancestral generation was named Ikṣvāku (the sūtra calls him Upala); the fifth ancestral generation was named Uradha (Roruka); the fourth-generation great-great-grandfather was named Kola (Nyagrodha); the third-generation great-grandfather was named Nipura; the second ancestral generation [grandfather] was named Siṃhahanu.

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The first generation, the Bodhisattva's father, was named Śuddhodana (the Loutan [jing] and the Vinaya both say that Siṃhahanu's son was named Śuddhodana).

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The Gold-Wheel King was named the Bodhisattva Siddhārtha.

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The Iron-Wheel King was named Rāhula.

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From the foregoing investigation, when the universe first began, creation took shape and the imperial pole was initially established. Governing and binding all classes of beings originated with the Lord of the People (Mahāsaṃmata). Down to King Kalyāṇacintin, direct succession continued for thirty-three generations. Following this, ten dynasties flourished, all of which were holy kings and all called imperial stock. Those of the same descent line may follow direct succession, whereas different lineages might branch off. None did not receive Heaven's bright mandate to reign over the realm. Through long sources and distant successions, it is difficult to fathom thoroughly. Just as among the emperors of the two Han dynasties many were not direct heirs, and through the Wei, Jin, Song, and Qi successions occurred through collateral kin, so by applying this analogy to those cases, the principle is surely consistent.

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Now counting from the beginning, there were altogether 84,253 kings down to the Bodhisattva. (The first thirty-three kings were merely petty 'millet-scattered' kings. Next were the lineages of the ten wheel-turners, numbering 84,210. Adding the ten sovereign wheel-turners, the sum is the same.)

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The Bodhisattva's grandfather, King Siṃhahanu, had four sons:

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The first was named Śuddhodana (the Benqi jing calls him Baijing [Śuddhodana]; some sūtras call him simply Jing).

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The second was named Śuklodana (the Shi'er you jing omits the word 'odana' [rice/food], and likewise for the four kings).

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The third was named Droṇodana.

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The fourth was named Amṛtodana (also mentioned in sūtras).

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King Śuddhodana had two sons: the elder was named Siddhārtha (who is the Bodhisattva); the next was named Nanda.

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King Śuklodana had two sons: the elder was named Devadatta; the next was named Ānanda.

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King Droṇodana had two sons: the elder was named Mahānāma; the next was named Aniruddha.

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King Amṛtodana had two sons (and one daughter): the elder was named Śākya; the next was named Bhaddiya (the daughter was named Amṛtarasā).

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The Shi'er you jing says:

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Devadatta was born on the seventh day of the fourth month at mealtime. His body was fifteen feet and four inches tall (he was the Buddha's paternal cousin, the son of his second uncle).

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The Bodhisattva was born on the eighth day of the fourth month when the morning star appeared. His body was sixteen feet tall.

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The Buddha's younger brother Nanda was born on the ninth day of the fourth month. His height was one zhang, five chi, and four cun.

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Ānanda was born on the tenth day of the fourth month. His height was one zhang, five chi, and three cun (he was the Buddha's cousin, a brother of Devadatta).

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Section 3: Preface to the Lands in Which [the Buddha] Was Entrusted to Appear (now establishing its centrality by six principles)

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Examining names; estimating measurements; discerning seasons; following topography; relying on pre-eminence; investigating literature.

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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.

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Second, clarifying it by estimating measurements in li: Jambūdvīpa is the general name for the region south of Mount Sumeru. According to the sacred treatises, when traversed by water, it is two hundred and forty thousand li from east to west, and two hundred and eighty thousand li from south to north. If calculated by the habitation of people and creatures, it is one hundred and sixteen thousand li from east to west, and roughly the same from south to north. Now taking Central India as the center, the distance to the four directions is fifty-eight thousand li each. This land [of China] is blocked by the ocean's corner in the east, while the other three directions are far more distant. Seeking from facts, how can it compare? Furthermore, Jambūdvīpa is the name of a tree. Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, is in the very center of the great ocean; the four directions have four continents, and each continent is a world. This tree grows in the north of the southern continent, its branches overlooking the great ocean. At the bottom of the ocean there is gold, and the gold is named Jambu, whose light floats upon the water; hence this continent receives its name from the gold. According to the Tang translation, jambu means supremely superior gold, and dvīpa means continent. Of this supremely superior continent, Daxia and Tianzhu occupy its heart.

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Third, clarifying it by the seasons: Yin and yang, cold and heat, produce their functions according to the direction. In this land of the Divine Province, cold and heat are not uniform; in the south there are miasmas and pestilences with blazing heat, while in the north, even in the midst of summer, ice freezes. Although there is slight moderation, it is ultimately not universally balanced. In Central India, winter and summer are constantly tempered, without suffering from cold or heat; grasses and trees are ever lush, never withering from falling frost. This is precisely because, its location not being peripheral or remote, the wind and rain have no irregularity; yin and yang harmoniously interact, and all things are free from venom. Therefore, the Illustrated Guide to the Western Regions states: "The Five Indias reach the Snow Mountains (Himālaya) in the north and the great ocean in the south; for over sixty thousand li the rivers and marshes are flat and smooth, with no hills or mounds, but only streams branching and flowing, and forests standing dense. The other three directions are skirted with mountains and hills, continuously adjoining one another, resembling the eastern streams." This is truly because, at the initial formation of the world, through the karma of all living beings, this superior terrain was formed to await the arising of the Buddha. Seeking it in facts, if this is not called the center, what is? According to the Biographies of Eminent Monks: In the past, during the Jin dynasty, He Chengtian was skilled in understanding the astronomical signs, and no two gnomon shadows differed [in his calculations]. He thoroughly investigated the off-center and the central together with Dharma Master Zhiyan. Zhiyan said: "I once traveled to India and fully paid homage to the sacred personage; as for the gnomon markings, I took them deeply to heart. In a thorough survey of Central India, on the day of the summer solstice, at exact midday there is no shadow. This is truly because it is the center of the earth." At the gnomon-measuring terrace south of Luoyang in this land, on the day of the summer solstice there is still a remaining fraction [of shadow]. Therefore, this is not Daxia, but merely called Eastern Xia. When Chengtian heard this, he had no words to rebut him.

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Fourth, verifying it by the water sources: In my humble view, the four seas serve as the drainage basin, being the ultimate destination of the waters. In the middle of Jambūdvīpa there is the Great Gandhamādana Mountain, which is another name for Kunlun. This mountain is singularly lofty, the most extreme in the continent. South of the mountain is a lake named Anavatapta, which means "Free from the Torment of Heat." Endowed with the eight virtues, it is the residence of a great dragon king, called the Palace of Waters. In each direction it issues a river to flow into the four seas. Thus, water follows the high terrain to pour toward the low-lying flow. That is high and this is low; the center and the periphery are thereby determined. The Yellow River of this land has its source there. Thus the Erya states: "The River emerges from the ruins of Kunlun, and its color is white." Guo Pu's Illustrated Eulogy states: "Kunlun has three tiers, called the Pillar of Heaven; it is truly the source of the River, the numinous palace of waters." When the Yu Gong speaks of "directing the River from Jishi," it refers to the place where its subterranean stream surges forth. Thus we know that water comes from the high, and the high is the center. Furthermore, the Hetu states: "Five thousand li southeast of Mount Kunlun, it is called the Divine Province, and also called the Red District." Mount Kunlun is named the Pillar of Heaven, so in principle it cannot be a peripheral corner; calling this the southeast makes it clearly known not to be the true [center]. Furthermore, Li Xiong fled west to Kunlun, which also provides evidence for paying court to the source; the Yellow Emperor's dream journey to Huaxu also demonstrates its centrality from facts (as Wang Shao explained: "The land of Huaxu is indeed the land of Tianzhu").

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Fifth, verifying it by glory and pre-eminence: The great treasure of the world, the most venerable ruler of humans, is the cakravartin king. The Great Sage of sentient beings, the guide of the four modes of birth, is the Dharmarāja. These two kings ascend the seat at the center of the continent; residing in the center to govern the distant is how it must be in principle and truth. As for other lesser sages and lesser kings, they rectify and shepherd beings according to their capacities, exercising transformation according to their lands, without discussing whether they are off-center or central. Why is this? Because lands, mountains, and rivers are all the circumstantial recompense of human beings; depending on whether people are superior or inferior, their recompense must be refined or coarse. Now, Central India's location is lofty and flourishing, which clearly reveals that it is what the karmic recompense of the two kings has called forth. The sage emperors of this land also had their veneration, yet the Five Emperors and Three Kings did not reach the land of the Cock Fields (India). Only after the Qin and Han did people hear of the regions of the Western Territories. This led Gan Ying and Zhang Qian (Bowang) to follow each other across the Snow Peaks, and Marquis Huo and Ban Chao (Dingyuan) successively trod there; mostly traversing north of the Congling and River, rarely emerging south of the Fragrant Snows. Therefore, the western barrier of the Iron Gate was truly Dahae (Daxia) and the Yuezhi, which were originally lands of the Xianyun and states without literature. How could they improperly claim to be the central land and a region with culture? (Therefore, the four commanderies west of the Yellow River were inhabited by the Xiutu, and only when Emperor Wu of Han opened them did they come into our possession today.)

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Sixth, verifying it by script and language: The dialects of this land, when traced, have no foundation. The scripts that initiated customs began with the ancient sovereigns: either bird footprints bequeathing signs, or tadpole shapes formulating characters, or Shi Zhou creating the seal script, or Cheng Miao devising the clerical script. The six scripts are radiantly clear; the eight styles are brilliantly displayed. Yet collating the histories and annals, it is difficult to find a definite origin; scrutinizing Gu [Yewang]'s treatise, it also coincides with Master Bao's compositions. Thus the Three Cang and Three Ya are brought together in the Shuowen; the basic characters were nine thousand, reaching the limit of the source of characters. The Zilin, Zitong, Ziyuan, and Guiyuan increased in later generations by twenty thousand; as the corrupt stream grew ever more luxuriant, it was merely based on human contrivance, with nothing reliable to depend upon. The sounds and characters of India strictly conform to the heavens above. The heavens are divided into twenty-eight divisions, all honoring the Brahmā King as sovereign. Therefore, when the world was first established and humans and creatures were all empty, the Brahmā gods descended, and thereby sentient beings came to be. Thus the Brahmā gods are the primeval origin of living beings, and sounds and characters also differentiated into lineages following them. At present, Brahmā sounds and Brahmā scripts share the same standard throughout the Five Indias; whether common or sage, present or ancient, they are identical. Therefore, that which is expounded in a single voice refers solely to the Sanskrit language; that the multitude of beings each understand it is merely according to their regional categories. When people in this land describe "barbarian script" and "barbarian language," they arbitrarily point to the thirty-six barbarian kingdoms north of the mountains; these are truly the nomad barbarians, not part of Daxia. Therefore, the scripts and languages of Dayuan and the Yuezhi are distinct, and not those of India, the land of the Buddha's birth. Being tens of thousands of li apart, they must not be conflated. South of the Great Snow Mountains, in the kingdoms of the Five Indias, their script and language are inherited from heaven and remain constant for myriad generations. Since what they venerate is superior, we clearly know it is not peripheral. In Cīnasthāna (Zhendan), literary language derived from low insects and birds or arose from worldly contrivance, having never possessed authoritative scriptural basis. In principle, it is not the center.

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Part 4: Clarifying the Traces of the Dharmarāja's Descent

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Tracing the origin of the Śākya genealogy's arising, it rests solely on the Dharmarāja's descent. Therefore, when the Great Rṣi's blood divided and melted together to form bodies, it was through this continuation of the lineage that the Śākya clan was extended. Ever since the Dharmarāja descended his traces to shine upon and oversee the Sahā world, how fortunate sentient beings are to look up to this cultivation and guidance! It causes those in the twenty-five states of existence to sever the causes of birth and death, and to cut off the binding karma of the ninety-eight dormant afflictions, so that all transcend the three realms and together board the One Vehicle. Sentient beings receive the grace of the great creation, while the Supreme Person expends the care of diligent labor. Therefore, he left these sacred traces and spread this spiritual presence. Now it moves the profound mechanism of deep darkness and calms the violent fury of turbulent consciousness. This is truly the broad path for entering the Way, and also the initial threshold for emerging from existence. Yet the matter unites dark affinities, and its meaning tallies with divine operation; it was hardly granted by heaven, but truly planned by man. Auspicious omens diffused in abundance, and propitious portents gathered together, brilliantly illuminating heaven and earth, extending radiance through darkness and light. Thus the culture and artifacts shine through myriad ages, and the sounds and fame soar above seeing and hearing. Therefore, the grand plans are recorded in registers so as to observe the great standard. As for the eight phases in sūtras and traditions, and the manifestation of traces through the five births: since the doctrinal schools established them, their preservation here is omitted. Here I merely make a general presentation according to conditions, so as to show the origin of the genealogy.

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First, the trace of dwelling in Tuṣita Heaven;
Second, the trace of descending to the continent of Jambūdvīpa;
Third, the trace of manifesting spiritual birth;
Fourth, the trace of assembling arts and displaying abilities;
Fifth, the trace of leaving home to seek the teaching;
Sixth, the trace of seizing the moment to become a Buddha;
Seventh, the trace of turning the wheel of the Dharma to awaken beings;
Eighth, the trace of moving the spirit and concealing his transformation.

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First: The Trace of Dwelling in Tuṣita Heaven

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The Sūtra of Cause and Effect states: "Before the Tathāgata Śākyamuni had attained Buddhahood, he was a great bodhisattva named Shan Hui (Sumati). His meritorious practices being complete, he ascended to the position of a [bodhisattva] destined to become a Buddha in the next life, and was born in Tuṣita Heaven with the name Sheng Shan. For the various celestial lords, he expounded the practices of a bodhisattva destined for Buddhahood in the next life, and also manifested bodies throughout the ten directions to preach the Dharma. When the predestined time was approaching, he was to descend and become a Buddha."

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Second: The Trace of Descending to the Continent of Jambūdvīpa (first, conceiving the intention; second, entering the womb; third, dwelling in the womb)

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The Lalitavistara Sūtra states: When the Bodhisattva dwelt in Tuṣita Heaven, there were sixty-six hundred million gods. They discussed together, saying, “Now that the Bodhisattva is about to descend, in which country should he be born? His parents must be upright and true, his clan harmonious, and his majestic virtue powerful, with an aspiration and nature vast and refined.” Each said that their various countries had these qualities, and then asked the Bodhisattva in which country he would descend his spirit. The Bodhisattva replied, “The lineage and clan of that country must possess sixty kinds of virtues.

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Only then will one who is in his final birth before buddhahood descend his spirit.” (The text is extensive and is not recorded here.)

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“Now, this Śākya clan flourishes, the five grains ripen abundantly, the people are thriving and have successively inherited the roots of virtue. The father’s nature is benevolent and wise, and the mother cherishes chastity and goodness; for the preceding five hundred lives, she has been the Bodhisattva's mother. I ought to go and descend my spirit to dwell in her womb.” The Sutra of Cause and Effect states: He also observed five matters: First, he observed whether sentient beings were ripe to receive the Way, and knew that they were all those whom he had ripened since first generating the aspiration [for awakening]. Second, he observed the time, and knew that they were capable of receiving the pure and wondrous Dharma. Third, he observed which country was situated in the center of the earth, and knew that in this trichiliocosm, within Jambudvīpa, the country of Kapilavastu was the most central in the earth. Fourth, he observed which clan was noble and flourishing, and knew that the Śākya was foremost, the descendants of Ikṣvāku and the posterity of holy kings. Fifth, he observed past affinities, and knew that King Śuddhodana had affinities in the past and was truly fit to be his father. He also knew that his mother’s lifespan was full: having given birth after ten months, she would pass away after seven days. At that time, wishing to widely benefit the gods, the Bodhisattva manifested the five signs of decay (the text is like the signs of the gods’ decline). He also manifested five auspicious portents: first, a light illuminated the great chiliocosm; second, the earth shook in eighteen ways; third, the palaces of Māra were eclipsed; fourth, the three luminaries became dim; fifth, the eight classes [of beings] were terrified. At that time, the gods, seeing these two kinds of signs, fully questioned the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva then answered them, saying, “I must leave this heaven and be born in Jambudvīpa.” When the gods heard this, they all longed for him to stay long. The Bodhisattva replied, saying, “What is born must die; those who come together in love must part. All conditioned things are impermanent; nirvāṇa is bliss. I shall be born into the Śākya clan, leave household life, and attain buddhahood. For the sake of sentient beings, I will raise the great banner of the Dharma, dry up the ocean of afflictions, purify the noble eightfold path, set up a great Dharma assembly, and invite gods and humans. You all shall also partake together of the food of the Dharma.” Having heard this, the gods all rejoiced and vowed to be born there.

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Second: The Marks of Manifesting Entry into the Womb

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The Lalitavistara Sūtra states: The Bodhisattva asked the gods, “In what bodily form should I descend my spirit into my mother's womb?” The Brahmā king, Great Power, addressed him, saying, “The form of an elephant is foremost in what is revered in the Vedic texts. Why is that? When three beasts cross a river, the hare and the horse do not know the depth; this is used as an analogy for the two vehicles, which do not penetrate the root of phenomena. The elephant steps entirely to the riverbed; this is used as an analogy for the Great Vehicle, which comprehends and penetrates the three realms.” Then, in late spring and early summer (in the Central Kingdom, the sixteenth day of the twelfth month is the beginning of spring, and the sixteenth day of the fourth month is summer; the three seasons each last four months), when the trees first bloomed luxuriantly, under the constellation Tiṣya he was to descend, transforming into a white elephant. His faculties were serene and settled, appearing from the light of the sun. His movement did not falter, and he descended into his mother's right side. The two sūtras Ruiying jing and Xiuxing jing both state: Transforming, he rode a six-tusked white elephant, crowned with the essence of the sun, and departed from Tuṣita Palace. The gods accompanied him, filling the empty sky, playing music, scattering flowers, with a great light shining everywhere. On the eighth day of the fourth month, when the morning star appeared, he descended his spirit into his mother's womb. In her sleep, the queen dreamed that she saw a person riding an elephant enter inside her right side, his form visible from the outside as if in lapis lazuli. Her body was at ease and her mind joyful. Upon waking, she related it in full. Seeing this auspicious portent, the king summoned skilled diviners, who all said, “This holy child in the womb will become a wheel-turning king; if he leaves household life, he will surely attain correct awakening.” (It is suspected that the month of entry into the womb was too early.) At that time, the gods all saw that the Bodhisattva had already been born into the royal palace and would attain the path of buddhahood: “We should become his retinue and receive his Dharma transformation.” At that time, altogether ninety-nine hundred million gods descended to be born among humans. There were also immeasurable numbers who descended to be born among humans from the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven on down. There were also gods of the form realm who, in order to receive the Way, descended to be born among humans to become rṣis.

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Third: Clarifying the Marks of Dwelling in the Womb

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The Benqi [jing] states: While the Bodhisattva dwelt in the womb, the queen cultivated the six perfections. Heavenly food came naturally. The trichiliocosm was constantly bright and clear. Sicknesses were eliminated, and the three poisons ceased. The Bodhisattva’s own limbs and physical marks were all complete. In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, there was no obstruction. Furthermore, in the morning, he taught the Dharma to the gods of the form realm; at midday, to the desire realm; in the late afternoon, to ghosts and spirits; and during the three periods of the night, he also taught the essentials of the correct Dharma, benefiting sentient beings. The Lalitavistara Sūtra states: During the ten months in the womb, he guided and transformed thirty-six hundred million gods and humans, causing them to be established in the noble path of the three vehicles.

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Third: Manifesting the Miraculous Traces of His Birth (First: Going to the Grove; Second: The Actual Birth; Third: Proclaiming His Title; Fourth: Heavenly Attendants; Fifth: Manifesting Auspicious Signs; Sixth: Entering the Temple; Seventh: The Rṣi’s Naming; Eighth: The Rṣi’s Physiognomy; Ninth: His Mother’s Demise; Tenth: His Upbringing)

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釋迦氏譜 — Classical Chinese