大唐故三藏玄奘法師行狀 1.1

1.1

The Dharma Master's taboo personal name was Yi, and his style name was Xuanzang. His secular surname was Chen. He was a descendant of Zhonggong, magistrate of Daqiu in the Han. His ancestors originally lived in Yingchuan and later moved to Henan; his descendants on that account became people of Goushi. His great-great-grandfather, Zhan, was the prefect of Qinghe under the Wei. His great-grandfather, Shan, was the General Who Conquers the East and the Founding Duke of Nanyang Commandery under the Wei. His grandfather, Kang, was an Erudite of the National University under the Qi, transferred to Director of Studies, and further transferred to Vice Minister of Rites. His father, Hui, was brilliant, pure, and possessed refined moral integrity; he was conversant with the classical arts from an early age, eight chi tall, with handsome brows and bright eyes. Wearing wide robes and broad belts, he was fond of the appearance of a Confucian scholar; his contemporaries compared him to Guo Youdao. Recommended by his commandery as Filial and Incorrupt, he was appointed Magistrate of Chenliu and later transferred to Jiangling. Afterwards, as the fortunes of the Sui dynasty were declining, he put an end to any ambition for court ribbons and caps, harboring instead the aspiration to live among the brambles and creepers as a recluse; those who understood him held him in high esteem. His mother, the lady Song of Guangping, was the daughter of Qin, Senior Administrative Officer of Luozhou under the Sui. The Dharma Master was their fourth son. From his days in swaddling clothes, the Dharma Master early on displayed a gentle and imposing character. By the time he reached twenty days of age, his uprightness and purity were all the more evident; his acumen was extraordinary, and his intelligence excelled beyond the ordinary. Endowed with seeds planted in past lives, he early on grew weary of the cage of worldly life. His racing thoughts were set on the profound portals; his winged spirit yearned for the Path of Awakening. During the Daye reign era, an imperial decree ordered the ordination of monks and nuns. At that time, the commissioner, Zheng Shanguo, Chamberlain for the Court of Judicature and Justice, possessed the discerning judgment of Xu and Guo. As soon as he saw the Dharma Master, he said to others: “Although this youth is young in years, his spiritual caliber is truly extraordinary. If he remains within the Shakyan order, he will certainly become a pillar and beam [of the Dharma].” He accordingly permitted him to shed his worldly hair and attire, and [Xuanzang] took up residence at the Pure Land Bodhimaṇḍa in the Eastern Capital. At that time, Dharma Master Jing was lecturing on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra at the monastery. Grasping the scrolls and taking [the teachings] to heart, he forthwith forgot about sleeping and eating. He also studied the Mahāyānasaṃgraha under Dharma Master Yan, his fond dedication growing ever more intense. In both cases, upon hearing [the text] once he grasped it almost completely; after reviewing it a second time, nothing was left unmastered. The assembly was all astonished and marvelous, and they invited him to ascend the high seat. His recapitulation, modulated in tone and smooth and thorough in explanation, left nothing unsaid. The master's school praised his renown; his fragrant reputation from this began to shine brightly. He was fifteen years old at the time. After this, the house of Sui lost control of the reins of power, and all under Heaven was in turmoil. He addressed his elder brother: “Although this is the town of our father and mother, bereavement and disorder have reached such a pitch. How could we remain here just to die? Now I hear that the Master of Tang, marshaling the host from Jinyang, has already taken possession of Chang'an. All under Heaven turns in allegiance to him as children do to their parents. I wish to go and throw ourselves upon his care together with you, elder brother.” His elder brother complied, and [Xuanzang] immediately came along with him. It was then the first year of the Wude era. At that time the foundation of the state was just newly established, and there were not yet any lecture platforms in the capital city. Formerly, Emperor Yang had established four bodhimaṇḍas in the Eastern Capital, inviting eminent monks from across the empire to reside therein. Jing, Tuo, Ji, and Xian were the foremost among them. In his final years, the realm fell into chaos, and provisions and rations were cut off. Most of them journeyed to Mian and Shu; the community of those who understood the Dharma was flourishing there. The Dharma Master addressed his elder brother: “There are no Dharma activities here. I wish to travel to Shu to pursue our studies.” His elder brother agreed. Passing through the Ziwu Valley, they entered Hanchuan, where they met the two Dharma Masters Kong and Jing, both of whom were great virtues from the [capital's] bodhimaṇḍas. [Xuanzang] received instruction under them, and they continued together towards Chengdu. Even while on the journey, he constantly held scriptures and asked questions as they walked. By the time they reached Yizhou, he had mastered the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and the Abhidharma once through each. When the various venerable masters had gathered, they set up a grand Dharma assembly. He further listened to Baoxian on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and Daoji on the Abhidharma. Aspiring to inspire the Shakyan assemblies, he reverently cherished every inch of time. Within four or five years, he thoroughly mastered the various collections. Beneath his lecture seat there were constantly several hundred people; all submitted in admiration to his genius for comprehension. The Dharma Master's elder brother then resided at Konghui Monastery in Chengdu; this was Dharma Master Changjie. His air and spirit were also clear and handsome, and his physique was imposing and heroic, graced moreover with refinement and elegance. Whenever he went out into the streets, onlookers on the road never failed to halt their carriages and lower their parasols. He lectured on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, and the Abhidharma, and was additionally well-versed in histories and chronicles as well as skilled in Laozi and Zhuangzi; he was admired by the people of Shu. The Area Commander, Lord of Zheng's mobile regional administration, Minister Wei Yunqi, and others held him in particular esteem. As for his literary compositions and conversational eloquence, his charming poise and refinement, his manner of receiving people and guiding the ordinary, his essays and letters, his harmonious warmth and pleasant humor, and his easy familiarity with both clerical and lay sensibilities—in these he surpassed his younger brother. But as for standing tall and solitary in excellence, unmixed with the dust of the world; wandering through the eight wildernesses; plumbing the profound principles; making his resolve the dispelling of māra-influence; taking as his mind the continuation of the sages and masters; bolstering the faltering principles and subduing perverse customs; braving wind and waves without wearying in spirit; maintaining a moral integrity that grew ever loftier when confronting great perils; resolving the deep doubts of ancient philosophers and awakening the unillumined among later worthy men; transmitting the merit of righteous deeds to future generations and setting up a benchmark for the present age—in this he was singularly unmatched among mortals; it was not merely that his elder brother could not measure up to him. Nevertheless, between the two brothers, their splendid virtue and pure conduct, their fragrant reputation and refined nature—even [Huiyuan] of Mount Lu in antiquity could not have surpassed them. When the Dharma Master was twenty-one years of age, in the fifth year of the Wude era, he received the full precepts (upasampadā) in Chengdu. He spent the summer retreat studying the Vinaya, and he also mastered the essential doctrines of the five divisions and seven categories in a single cycle. Having exhausted his investigation and synthesis of the sūtras and treatises available in the Shu region, he then contemplated going into the capital to inquire into divergent tenets. Since regulatory restrictions presented obstacles and his elder brother restrained him, he could not fulfill his wish. He then secretly joined with a company of merchants, sailed a boat through the Three Gorges, and escaped along the river. Arriving in Jingzhou, he stayed at Tianhuang Monastery. The monk-baths and practitioners there had long heard of his renown, and now that he had arrived, they all requested that he expound the teachings. The Dharma Master delivered lectures on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and the Abhidharma, finishing three cycles for each. Afterwards he journeyed north again to seek out senior masters of virtue. Reaching Xiangzhou, he visited Dharma Master Xiu to question him on doubtful and problematic points. He also went to Zhaozhou and called upon Dharma Master Dan to study the Tattvasiddhi. Entering Chang'an, he went to Dharma Master Yue to study the Abhidharmakośa. In every case he plumbed their purports in a single cycle, lodging them in his memory as soon as they met his eyes. Furthermore, he investigated points of agreement and divergence among the various virtuous masters in the capital city. The Vice Directors of the Department of State Affairs, the Duke of Zong and his brother Xiao, also profoundly treasured and respected him, memorializing that he take up residence at Dazhuangyan Monastery. Having visited the virtuous masters everywhere, fully assimilated their doctrines, and minutely examined their reasoning, the Dharma Master found that each held sway over their own traditional school, and when checked against the sacred scriptures, there were hidden and apparent discrepancies, such that one knew not which to follow. He thereupon made a vow to journey to the Western regions to inquire into his perplexities and to obtain the Saptadaśabhūmiśāstra and other texts in order to resolve the doubts of the multitude; this is what is now the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra. He also said: “In the past, Faxian and Zhiyan were the outstanding figures of their day; both were able to seek the Dharma and guide and benefit all living beings. I ought to follow in their footsteps.” He then formed a company and submitted a memorial, but an imperial edict withheld permission. All the others withdrew; only the Dharma Master remained unyielding. Since he was now committed to journeying alone, and having heard of the perilous hardships of the western route, he tested his own resolve by subjecting it to all manner of worldly hardships and disciplines, until he found himself capable of bearing them without wavering. Only then did he enter the pagoda to make supplication and state his intent, praying to receive the unseen aid of all the sages so that his journey out and return would be free of calamity. Earlier, when the Dharma Master was born, his mother dreamed that the Dharma Master, dressed in white robes, went westward. His mother said: “You are my son; where do you wish to go now?” He replied: “I am going for the sake of seeking the Dharma.” This was indeed a portent of his visiting Kapila.