[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [高僧傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059) › 2.17 # 高僧傳 2.17 高僧傳 2.17 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2.17) 初沙門僧叡，才識高明。常隨什傳寫。什每為叡論西方辭體，商略同異，云：「天竺國俗甚重文製，其宮商體韻，以入絃為善。凡覲國王，必有贊德，見佛之儀，以歌歎為貴，經中偈頌，皆其式也。但改梵為秦，失其藻蔚。雖得大意，殊隔文體。有似嚼飯與人，非徒失味，乃令嘔噦也。」什嘗作頌贈沙門法和云：「心山育明德，流薰萬由延。哀鸞孤桐上，清音徹九天。」凡為十偈，辭喻皆爾。什雅好大乘，志存敷廣，常歎曰：「吾若著筆作大乘《阿毘曇》，非迦旃延子比也。今在秦地，深識者寡，折翮於此，將何所論。」乃悽然而止。唯為姚興著《實相論》二卷，并注《維摩》。出言成章，無所刪改，辭喻婉約，莫非玄奧。 > Earlier, the śramaṇa Sengrui was exceptionally brilliant in talent and understanding. He frequently accompanied Kumārajīva to transcribe his words. Kumārajīva often discussed the literary style of the Western Regions with Sengrui, evaluating the similarities and differences, saying: 'The customs of Tianzhu place great weight on literary composition. In their tonal rhythm, what can be set to stringed music is considered good. Whenever one has an audience with a king, one must praise his virtues; in the ritual for seeing the Buddha, singing praises is held in the highest esteem. The gāthās in the sūtras all follow this format. But when changing Sanskrit into Qin, the ornate elegance is lost. Although the general meaning is grasped, it is entirely divorced from the literary style. It is like chewing rice to feed another: not only is the flavor lost, it even induces retching.' Kumārajīva once composed a verse and presented it to the śramaṇa Fahe, saying: 'The mountain of the mind nurtures bright virtue, / shedding fragrance over ten thousand yojanas. / The sorrowful luan bird atop the solitary tong tree, / its pure voice reaches the nine heavens.' He made ten gāthās in all, and their diction and metaphors were all of this kind. Kumārajīva was deeply fond of the Mahāyāna and had resolved to disseminate it widely. He often sighed and said: 'If I were to set brush to paper and compose a Mahāyāna Abhidharma, Kātyāyanīputra would be no match for me. Now, in the land of Qin, those of deep insight are few; with my wings broken here, what is there to discuss?' Thereupon he stopped in sorrow. He only composed the two-fascicle Treatise on the True Mark for Yao Xing, and annotated the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa. His spoken words naturally formed elegant compositions, requiring no deletions or alterations; his diction was gentle and refined, and every word contained profound meaning. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2.16) - [Next: 2.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2.18) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059~en-mt.2.17) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [開元釋教錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2154.4.5.5) — 智昇, Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2059.2.17) · Pramāṇa