高僧傳 1.14

1.14

Lokakṣema, also simply called Zhi Chen, was originally a man of the Yuezhi. His conduct was pure and profound, his natural capacity open and acute. Receiving and upholding the Dharma and precepts, he was renowned for his diligence. Chanting and reciting the scriptures, his aspiration lay in propagating the Dharma. During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han, he traveled to Luoyang, and between the Guanghe and Zhongping reigns, he translated from the Sanskrit text, producing three sūtras: the Wisdom [Sūtra of the] Practice of the Way (Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā), the Pratyutpanna-[samādhi-sūtra], and the Śūraṅgama[-samādhi-sūtra]. He also translated over ten scriptures, including the Ajātaśatru-rāja[-sūtra] and the Ratnakūṭa, which had lacked records for a long time. Master Dao'an, collating and determining ancient and modern works, examined their literary style carefully and said: 'They seem to be what Chen translated. All of these scriptures thoroughly capture the original purport and are not embellished at all; he can indeed be called a master who excellently proclaimed the essentials of the Dharma and magnified the Way.' Later, it is unknown where he ended his days.