續高僧傳 1.14

1.14

菩提流支。魏言道希。北天竺人也。遍通三藏。妙入總持。志在弘法廣流視聽。遂挾道宵征遠蒞葱左。以魏永平之初。來遊東夏。宣武皇帝。下勅。引勞。供擬殷華。處之永寧大寺。四事將給七百梵僧。勅以留支為譯經之元匠也。其寺本孝明皇帝熙平元年。靈太后胡氏所立。在宮前閶闔門南御道之東。中有九層浮圖。架木為之。舉高九十餘丈。上有金剎復高十丈。出地千尺。去臺百里已遙見之。初營基日掘至黃泉。獲金像三十二軀。太后以為嘉瑞。奉信法之徵也。是以飾制瓌奇窮世華美。剎表置金寶瓶。容二十五斛。承露金盤一十一重。鐵鎖角張。盤及鎖上皆有金鐸。如一石甕。九級諸角皆懸大鐸。上下凡有一百三十枚。其塔四面九間。六窓三戶。皆朱漆扉扇。垂諸金鈴。層有五千四百枚。復施金鐸鋪首。佛事精妙。殫土木之工。繡柱金鋪驚駭心目。高風永夜鈴鐸和鳴。鏗鏘之音聞十餘里。北有正殿。形擬太極。中諸像設金玉珠繡。作工巧奇冠絕當世。僧房周接千有餘間。臺觀星羅參差間出。彫飾朱紫繢以丹青。栝栢楨松異草叢集。院牆周匝皆施椽瓦。正南三門樓開三道三重。去地二百餘尺狀若天門。赫奕華麗。夾門列四力士四師子。飾以金玉莊嚴煥爛。東西兩門例皆如此。所可異者。唯樓兩重北門通道但路而置。其四門外樹以青槐。亘以淥水。京師行旅多庇其下。路斷飛塵不由渰雲之潤。清風送涼豈藉合歡之發。乃詔中書舍人常景制寺碑。景河內人。敏學博通知名海內。太和十九年。高祖擢為修律博士。有詔令刊定條格。永成通式。景乃商攉今古。條貫科猷。即魏律二十篇是也。歷官中書舍人黃門侍郎祕書監幽州刺史。居室貧儉事若農家。唯有經史盈車。所著文集百餘篇。給事中封暐伯。作序行世。寺既初成。明帝及太后共登浮圖。視宮中如掌內。下臨雲雨上天清朗。以見宮內事故。禁人不聽登之。自西夏東華遊歷諸國者。皆曰。如此塔廟閻浮所無孝昌二年。大風撥屋拔樹。剎上寶瓶隨風而墮入地丈餘。復命工人更安新者。至永熙三年二月。為天所震。帝登淩雲臺望火。遣南陽王寶炬錄尚書長孫稚。將羽林一千來救。于斯時也。雷雨晦冥霰雪交注。第八級中平旦火起。有二道人不忍焚燼投火而死。其焰相續經餘三月。入地剎柱乃至周年。猶有煙氣。其年五月。有人從東萊郡至云。見浮圖在於海中光明儼然。同覩非一。俄而雲霧亂起失其所在。至七月。平陽王為侍中斛斯椿所挾。西奔長安。至十月。而洛京遷于漳鄴。先時流支奉勅。創翻十地。宣武皇帝命章一日親對筆受。然後方付沙門僧辯等。訖盡論文。佛法隆盛英俊蔚然。相從傳授孜孜如也。帝又勅清信士李廓。撰眾經錄。廓學通玄素條貫經論。雅有標擬。故其錄云。三藏流支自洛及鄴。爰至天平二十餘年。凡所出經。三十九部。一百二十七卷。即佛名楞伽法集深密等經。勝思惟大寶積法華涅槃等論是也。並沙門僧朗道湛。及侍中崔光等筆受。具列唐貞觀內典錄。廓又云。三藏法師流支房內經論梵本。可有萬甲。所翻新文筆受[葶-丁+呆]本。滿一間屋。然其慧解與勒那相亞。而神悟聰敏。洞善方言兼工呪術則無抗衡矣。嘗坐井口。澡罐內空。弟子未來無人汲水。流支乃操柳枝聊撝井中。密加誦呪纔始數遍。泉水上涌平及井欄。即以鉢酌用之盥洗。傍僧具見莫測其神。咸共嘉歎大聖人也。流支曰。勿妄褒賞。斯乃術法。外國共行此方不習。謂為聖耳。懼惑世網遂祕不宣。于時又有中天竺僧勒那摩提。魏云寶意。博贍之富理事兼通。誦一億偈。偈有三十二字。尤明禪法意存遊化。以正始五年初屆洛邑。譯十地寶積論等大部二十四卷。又有北天竺僧佛陀扇多。魏言覺定。從正光元年。至元象二年。於洛陽白馬寺及鄴都金華寺。譯出金剛上味等經十部。當翻經日。於洛陽內殿。流支傳本。餘僧參助。其後三德乃徇流言。各傳師習不相詢訪。帝以弘法之盛。略敘曲煩。勅三處各翻訖乃參校。其間隱沒互有不同致有文旨。時兼異綴。後人合之共成通部。見寶唱等錄。初寶意沙門神理標異。領牒魏詞偏盡隅隩。帝每令講華嚴經。披釋開悟精義每發。一日正處高座。忽有持笏執名者。形如大官云奉天帝命來請法師講華嚴經意曰。今此法席尚未停止。待訖經文當從來命。雖然法事所資獨不能建。都講香火維那梵唄咸亦須之。可請令定。使者即如所請見講諸僧。既而法事將了。又見前使。云奉天帝命故來下迎。意乃含笑熙怡告眾辭訣。奄然卒於法座。都講等僧亦同時殞。魏境聞見無不嗟美。時又有沙門法場於洛陽譯辯意長者問經一卷。雖闕傳對而是正文。見法上錄。又熙平元年。有南天竺波羅奈城婆羅門。姓瞿曇氏。名般若流支。魏言智希。從元年至興和末。於鄴城。譯正法念聖善住迴諍唯識等經論。凡一十四部。八十五卷。沙門曇林僧昉等筆受。當時有沙門菩提流支與般若流支前後出經。而眾錄傳寫率多輕略。各去上字但云流支。而不知是何流支。迄今群錄譯目相涉難得詳定。又期城郡守楊衒之。撰洛陽伽藍記五卷。故其序略云。三墳五典之說。九流百氏之言。並理在人區而義非天外。至如一乘二諦之言。六通三達之旨。西域備詳東土靡記。若夫頃日感夢滿月流光。陽門飾毫眉之象。夜臺圖紺髮之形。爾來奔競其風遂廣。至如晉室永嘉寺。惟有四十二。皇魏受圖嵩洛京寺出餘千數。皆帝王士庶篤信經營。名僧異瑞紛綸間起。今採摘祥異者。具以注之。文多不載。時西魏文帝大統中。丞相宇文黑泰。興隆釋教崇重大乘。雖攝總萬機而恒揚三寶。第內常供百法師。尋討經論講摩訶衍。又令沙門曇顯等。依大乘經。撰菩薩藏眾經要及百二十法門。始從佛性終盡融門。每日開講。即恒宣述以代先舊。五時教迹迄今流行。香火梵音禮拜唱導。咸承其則。雖山東江表乃稱學海。儀表有歸未能逾矣。至周文帝二年。有波頭摩國律師攘那跋陀羅。周言智賢。共耶舍崛多等。譯五明論。謂聲醫工術及符印等。並沙門智僊筆受。建武帝天和年。有摩勒國沙門達摩流支。周言法希。奉勅為大冢宰晉陽公宇文護。譯婆羅門天文二十卷。又令摩伽陀國禪師闍那耶舍。周言藏稱。共弟子闍那崛多等。於長安故域四天王寺。譯定意天子問經六部。沙門圓明道辯。及城陽公蕭吉等筆受。

Bodhiruci, translated in Wei as Daoxi ('Aspirant to the Way'), was a man from North Tianzhu. He had thoroughly mastered the Tripiṭaka and possessed a wondrous entry into dhāraṇī. With his mind set on propagating the Dharma and widely disseminating what should be seen and heard, he took up the Way, set out by night, and arrived from afar on the eastern side of the Congling Mountains. In the early Yongping era of the Wei dynasty, he travelled to the Eastern Xia. Emperor Xuanwu issued an edict to welcome and comfort him, making grand and lavish provisions for his sustenance, and settled him in the great Yongning Temple. The four requisites were supplied to seven hundred brahma monks, and by imperial decree, Bodhiruci was appointed as the foremost master for scriptural translation. That temple was originally founded in the first year of the Xiping era by the Empress Dowager Hu (Ling) under Emperor Xiaoming. It was situated east of the imperial avenue south of the Changhe Gate in front of the palace. Within it was a nine-storey stupa constructed of timber, rising over ninety zhang high, with a golden spire atop it another ten zhang high, standing a thousand chi above the ground. Even a hundred li away from the palace terrace, it could already be seen from afar. When they first broke ground for its foundation and dug down to the yellow springs, thirty-two golden statues were unearthed. The Empress Dowager regarded this as an auspicious omen and a sign of veneration for the Dharma of faith. For this reason, its adornments and craftsmanship were made wonderfully rare, exhausting the worldly standard of magnificence. Above the spire was set a precious golden vase with a capacity of twenty-five hu, and there were eleven tiers of dew-catching golden plates, anchored at the corners by iron chains. Upon both the plates and the chains hung golden bells as large as a one-shi jar. From all corners of the nine storeys hung great bells, totaling one hundred and thirty from top to bottom. The stupa had nine bays on each of its four sides, with six windows and three doors, all featuring vermilion-lacquered door panels. From these hung golden bells, amounting to 5,400 bells per storey. Furthermore, it was fitted with golden bell pushou door-knockers. The Buddhist appurtenances were exquisite and wondrous, exhausting the limits of masonry and carpentry. The brocade pillars and golden fittings startled both heart and eye. On long nights with high winds, the chimes and bells rang together in harmony, their resonant clatter audible for more than ten li. To the north stood the main hall, shaped after the Taiji Hall. Inside, the golden, jade, jeweled, and embroidered statues and arrangements were of a craft so rare that they stood unrivaled in that age. Monks' cells adjoined one another all around, numbering more than a thousand bays. Terraces and pavilions were scattered like constellations, emerging unevenly among them, adorned with vermilion and purple carvings and painted with cinnabar and cyan. Juniper, cypress, cedar, and pine were clustered with exotic grasses. The precinct walls all around were fitted with eaves and tiles. On the direct south, the three-gate tower opened with three avenues and three tiers, rising more than two hundred chi above the ground, resembling the Gates of Heaven in dazzling brilliance and splendor. Flanking the gate were lined four mighty warriors and four lions, adorned with gold and jade in radiant and lustrous glory. The east and west gates were likewise of this sort. What differed was only that the towers had two tiers, and the northern gate served as a thoroughfare, simply laid out as a road. Outside the four gates, green scholar trees were planted along shimmering waters. Travelers and migrants in the capital mostly took shelter beneath them; the road cut off flying dust without needing the moisture of gather-clouds, and the cool breeze sent refreshment without relying on the opening of albizia blossoms. An edict was then issued commanding the Secretariat Drafter Chang Jing to compose a stele inscription for the temple. Jing, a man of Henai, was clever, widely knowledgeable, and renowned within the four seas. In the nineteenth year of the Taihe era, Gaozu promoted him to Erudite of Legal Codification, and an edict ordered him to revise and establish statutory provisions as a permanent general standard. Jing thereupon evaluated both antiquity and present times and systematised the penal codes, which constituted the twenty chapters of the Wei Code. He consecutively held the posts of Secretariat Drafter, Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, Director of the Palace Library, and Inspector of Youzhou. His residence was poor and frugal, managed like a peasant's house, with nothing but carts full of scriptures and histories. He authored more than a hundred literary pieces, for which Attendant-in-ordinary Feng Weibo wrote a preface to circulate in the world. When the temple was first completed, Emperor Ming and the Empress Dowager ascended the stupa together; looking down upon the palace was like viewing the palm of one's hand, overlooking the clouds and rain below while the sky above was clear and bright. Because the affairs within the palace could be seen from there, people were prohibited from ascending it. Those who had traveled through various kingdoms from the Western Xia to the Eastern Hua all said: 'Such a stupa and temple does not exist in Jambudvīpa.' In the second year of the Xiaochang era, a great wind tore off roofs and uprooted trees; the precious vase atop the spire fell with the wind and plunged into the ground more than a zhang deep. Artisans were again commanded to install a new one. By the second month of the third year of the Yongxi era, it was struck by lightning from heaven. The Emperor mounted the Lingyun Terrace to watch the fire, and dispatched the Prince of Nanyang, Baoju, and the Director of the Department of State Affairs, Changsun Zhi, leading one thousand palace guards of the Forest of Plumes to extinguish it. At that time, thunder, rain, darkness, sleet, and snow poured down together. At dawn, fire broke out in the eighth storey; two monks, unable to bear the sight of it burning to ashes, cast themselves into the fire and died. The flames continued for more than three months; even after a full year, the base of the spire's mast deep in the ground still emitted smoke. In the fifth month of that year, someone arrived from Donglai Commandery saying that he had seen the stupa in the midst of the sea, its radiant light majestic and solemn, witnessed by more than one person. Soon afterward, clouds and mist arose in confusion and its location was lost. In the seventh month, the Prince of Pingyang was seized by Palace Attendant Husi Chun and fled west to Chang'an. In the tenth month, the capital of Luoyang was moved to Ye on the Zhang River. Earlier, Bodhiruci had received an imperial order to undertake the translation of the Daśabhūmika[-sūtra-śāstra]. Emperor Xuanwu decreed that a chapter be dictated each day, personally presiding over the scribal recording, and only then was it entrusted to the śramaṇa Sengbian and others to complete the commentary. The Buddhadharma flourished greatly, and brilliant talents gathered in abundance, zealously learning and transmitting it to one another. The Emperor also commanded the pure-faith upāsaka Li Kuo to compile a catalogue of scriptures. Kuo was erudite in both the profound and the plain, and had systematized the sūtras and treatises with admirable classifications. Thus his catalogue states: 'From Luoyang to Ye, spanning more than twenty years up to the Tianping era, the Tripiṭaka [Master] Bodhiruci translated thirty-nine works in one hundred and twenty-seven fascicles, which include the *Buddhanāma-sūtra*, the *Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra*, the *Dharmasaṃgīti-sūtra*, the *Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra*, and commentaries on the *Viśeṣacintā[-brahma-paripṛcchā-śāstra]*, the *Mahāratnakūṭa*, the *Lotus*, the *Nirvāṇa*, and so forth.' These were all recorded by the śramaṇas Senglang and Daozhan, as well as Palace Attendant Cui Guang and others, as fully listed in the Tang *Zhenguan Neidian Lu*. Kuo also states: 'Inside the chamber of the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci, the Indic manuscripts of sūtras and treatises amounted to perhaps ten thousand cases, and the rough transcriptions of newly translated texts written down by the scribes filled an entire room.' Now, his wisdom and understanding were on par with Ratnamati, yet his spiritual awakening, acumen, thorough mastery of local dialects, and skill in incantations were without equal. Once, while sitting by the mouth of a well, his water jar was empty. Since his disciples had not yet arrived, there was no one to draw water. Bodhiruci then took a willow branch, casually waved it into the well, and secretly chanted an incantation for only a few times; the spring water surged upward level with the well-curb, whereupon he scooped it with his bowl and used it for washing. The monks nearby witnessed this fully, unable to fathom his spiritual power, and all praised and exclaimed that he was a great holy man. Bodhiruci said: 'Do not praise me in vain. This is merely a magical technique; it is commonly practiced in foreign countries, but since it is not practiced in this land, you deem it holy.' Fearing it might mislead worldly attachments, he kept it secret and did not proclaim it. At that time, there was also a monk from Central Tianzhu, Ratnamati, called Baoyi ('Treasure of Intention') in Wei. He had immense and rich knowledge, thoroughly understanding both principle and phenomena, and had memorized one hundred million verses, each verse containing thirty-two syllables. He was especially versed in the meditation methods and was devoted to wandering and converting. In the fifth year of the Zhengshi era, he first arrived in the city of Luoyang, where he translated twenty-four fascicles of major works such as the *Daśabhūmikavyākhyāna* and the *Ratnakūṭa-śāstra*. There was also a monk from North Tianzhu, Buddhasānta, called Jueding ('Awakened Composure') in Wei. From the first year of the Zhengguang era to the second year of the Yuanxiang era, he translated ten works such as the *Jin'gang Shangwei Jing* at White Horse Temple in Luoyang and Jinhua Temple in the capital of Ye. At the time of translation in the inner palace of Luoyang, Bodhiruci conveyed the text while the other monks assisted. Afterward, the three venerables followed rumors, each transmitting his own teacher's tradition without consulting the others. Because of the grandeur of propagating the Dharma, the Emperor found it troublesome to arbitrate their detailed differences; he ordered the three to translate separately in different places and only then collate the texts. Between them, omissions and differences arose, leading to varied phrasing and occasional differing compilations. Later people combined them to form a unified work, as seen in the catalogues of Baochang and others. Initially, the śramaṇa Baoyi (Ratnamati) possessed an extraordinary spiritual nature; his comprehension of Wei expressions thoroughly penetrated their subtle depths. The Emperor often commanded him to lecture on the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*; whenever he unfolded and explained to awaken others, refined meanings constantly emerged. One day, while he was seated on the high seat, suddenly there appeared someone holding a tablet and a name card, looking like a high official, who said: 'I have received the command of the Heavenly Emperor to come and invite the Dharma master to lecture on the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*.' Baoyi said: 'This Dharma assembly has not yet concluded; once the scripture is finished, I shall comply with the summons. Nevertheless, what is needed for the Dharma service cannot be established by myself alone; the chief lecturer, the incense master, the karmadāna, and the brahma reciters are all required as well. You may request and appoint them.' The messenger then invited the various lecturing monks as requested. Shortly after, when the Dharma service was drawing to an end, the previous messenger appeared again, saying that he had come down to welcome them by order of the Heavenly Emperor. Baoyi smiled happily, spoke to the assembly in farewell, and suddenly passed away on the Dharma seat. The chief lecturer and the other monks also died at the same time. None in the Wei realm who heard or saw this failed to sigh in admiration. At that time, there was also the śramaṇa Fachang who translated one fascicle of the *Bianyizhangzhe Wen Jing* in Luoyang; although it lacked a translator-dialogue record, it is an authentic text, as seen in Fashang's catalogue. Furthermore, in the first year of the Xiping era, there was a brāhmaṇa of the Gautama clan from the city of Vārāṇasī in South Tianzhu named Prajñāruci, called Zhixi ('Aspirant to Wisdom') in Wei. From that first year to the end of the Xinghe era, he translated fourteen works in eighty-five fascicles in the city of Ye, including the *Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra*, *Ārya-suvikrāntacintin*, *Vigrahavyāvartanī*, and *Vijñaptimātratā*. The śramaṇas Tanlin, Sengfang, and others served as scribes. At that time, the śramaṇa Bodhiruci and Prajñāruci produced sūtras one after the other, but scribes of various catalogues were mostly careless and brief, dropping the first character and simply writing 'Ruci', without distinguishing which Ruci it was. To this day, the translation entries in various catalogues overlap and are difficult to determine with certainty. Furthermore, the Governor of Qicheng Commandery, Yang Xuanzhi, compiled the *Luoyang Qielan Ji* in five fascicles. Its preface states in brief: 'The discourses of the Three Fens and Five Dians, the teachings of the Nine Schools and Hundred Philosophers, all locate their principles in the human realm and their meanings not beyond heaven. As for the teachings of the One Vehicle and the Two Truths, the significance of the Six Superknowledges and the Three Clarities, the Western Regions detail them completely, while the Eastern Land has no record of them. As for the past, when an imperial dream was inspired and the full moon shed its light, the Yang Gate was adorned with the image of the white curl between the brows, and the Night Terrace was painted with the likeness of blue-black hair. From then on, people competed to follow, and the practice widely spread. As for the Jin dynasty, during the Yongjia era, there were only forty-two temples; but under the imperial Wei's reign, the capital temples around Mount Song and Luoyang exceeded a thousand, all built through the devout faith of emperors, kings, literati, and commoners, while eminent monks and wondrous omens arose in profusion. Now, gathering the auspicious and unusual, I have fully annotated them.' Because the text is extensive, it is not recorded here. At that time, during the Datong era of Emperor Wen of Western Wei, the Chancellor Yuwen Heitai revitalized the Śākya teachings and venerated the Mahāyāna; though overseeing all affairs of state, he constantly propagated the triratna. Within his residence, he constantly supported a hundred dharmabhāṇakas, investigating sūtras and treatises and lecturing on the Mahāyāna. He also commanded the śramaṇa Tanxian and others to compile the *Bodhisattvapiṭaka Essentials of Various Sūtras* and the *One Hundred and Twenty Dharma Gates* based on Mahāyāna scriptures, beginning with the Buddha-nature and culminating in the gate of interpenetration. When opened for lecturing each day, these were continually expounded to replace the older traditions. The traces of the five periods of teaching circulate down to the present day; burning incense, chanting brahma sounds, bowing, and cantillation all follow their rules. Although the regions east of the mountains and the Jiangbiao region are praised as oceans of learning, in having an appropriate standard of deportment, they could not surpass them. By the second year of Emperor Wen of Zhou, the vinayadhara Jñānabhadra of the kingdom of Paduma, called Zhixian ('Wise and Worthy') in Zhou, together with Yaśogupta and others, translated the *Pañcavidyā-śāstra*, namely treatises on grammar, medicine, crafts, technical methods, talismans, and seals, with the śramaṇa Zhixian acting as scribe. In the Tianhe era of Emperor Wu, the śramaṇa Dharmaruci from the kingdom of Malla, called Faxi ('Aspirant to the Dharma') in Zhou, was commissioned by the Grand Preceptor, Duke of Jinyang Yuwen Hu, to translate the *Brahmanic Astronomy* in twenty fascicles. Furthermore, the dhyāna master Jñānayaśas from the kingdom of Magadha, called Zangcheng ('Treasure-Fame') in Zhou, along with his disciple Jñānagupta and others, was ordered to translate six works including the *Dingyitianzi Wen Jing* at the Four Heavenly Kings Temple in the old quarter of Chang'an, with the śramaṇas Yuanming and Daobian, as well as the Duke of Chengyang Xiao Ji, acting as scribes.