高僧傳 2.37

2.37

少以禪律馳名，常與同學僧伽達多，共遊罽賓，同處積載，達多雖伏其才明，而未測其人也。後於密室閉戶坐禪，忽見賢來，驚問：「何來？」答云：「暫至兜率，致敬彌勒。」言訖便隱，達多知是聖人，未測深淺。後屢見賢神變，乃敬心祈問，方知得不還果。常欲遊方弘化，備觀風俗，會有秦沙門智嚴西至罽賓，覩法眾清勝，乃慨然東顧曰：「我諸同輩，斯有道志，而不遇真匠，發悟莫由。」即諮訊國眾，孰能流化東土，僉云：「有佛馱跋陀者，出生天竺那呵利城，族姓相承，世遵道學，其童齔出家，已通解經論，少受業於大禪師佛大先。」先時亦在罽賓，乃謂嚴曰：「可以振維僧徒，宣授禪法者，佛馱跋陀其人也。」

In his youth he was renowned for dhyāna and vinaya. He often travelled together with his fellow student Saṃghadatta to Jibin, where they stayed together for many years. Although Datta admired his talent and discernment, he had not yet gauged his true character. Later, while sitting in dhyāna in a closed secret room, Datta suddenly saw Bhadra enter. Surprised, he asked: “Where have you come from?” Bhadra replied: “I briefly went to Tuṣita to pay respects to Maitreya.” Having spoken, he disappeared. Datta knew he was a noble one (ārya), but could not fathom his depth. Later, seeing Bhadra's supernormal transformations on several occasions, he reverently inquired, only then learning that he had attained the fruit of an anāgāmin (non-returner). Bhadra constantly wished to travel abroad to propagate the Dharma and observe customs everywhere. It happened that the Qin śramaṇa Zhiyan travelled west to Jibin; witnessing the purity and excellence of the monastic assembly, he looked eastward with a sigh and said: “My companions all have the aspiration for the Way, but having met no true master, they have no means to attain awakening.” He immediately inquired of the country's assembly as to who could propagate the teaching to the eastern land. All said: “There is Buddhabhadra, who was born in the city of Nagarahāra in India. His clan has inherited [the teaching] from generation to generation, honouring the study of the Way. He left home in his childhood and already thoroughly understood the sūtras and treatises; in his youth he received instruction from the great dhyāna master Buddhasena.” Buddhasena was also in Jibin at the time, and he said to Zhiyan: “The one who can rally the monastic community and transmit the methods of dhyāna is Buddhabhadra.”