高僧傳 1.55

1.55

Earlier, the *Vasumitra* produced by Saṃghabhadra and the two *Āgamas*, the *Abhidharma*, the *Vibhāṣā* (Extensive Exposition), and the *Tridharmaka* produced by Dharmanandin totaled more than a million words. But owing to the calamity caused by the Murong and the turmoil of the barbarian enemies, and because the translators had acted in haste without being thorough and detailed, the meanings and phrasing were often incomplete. Soon afterward the venerable Dao'an passed away, before corrections could be made. Later, when the area east of the mountains became peaceful, Saṃghadeva and the śramaṇa Fahe of Jizhou went together to Luoyang. Over four or five years, they investigated and expounded the previous scriptures. Having lived in China for some time, Saṃghadeva became extensively versed in the Chinese language, and only then realized that the previously translated scriptures contained many errors and omissions. Fahe sighed with regret that they had not been settled, and thereupon asked Saṃghadeva to retranslate the *Abhidharma* and the *Vibhāṣā* along with other texts. Shortly thereafter, Yao Xing ruled as king of Qin and Buddhist activities flourished greatly; thereupon Fahe entered the passes, while Saṃghadeva crossed the Yangtze River. Prior to this, Dharma Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu had diligently sought subtle texts and extensively gathered the scriptural canon; with an open mind and sitting on the edge of his mat, he eagerly awaited guests from afar. Hearing that Saṃghadeva had arrived, Huiyuan immediately invited him to enter Mount Lu. In the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, he requested him to translate the *Abhidharmahṛdaya* and the *Tridharmaka*, among others. Saṃghadeva then held the Sanskrit text in his hands at the Prajñā Platform and proclaimed it orally in Chinese, removing superfluity and preserving the essential, striving to exhaust the original meaning; what is transmitted today is indeed that translation.