宋高僧傳 3.4

3.4

釋智通，姓趙氏，本陝州安邑人也。隋大業中出家受具，後隸名總持寺。律行精明，經論該博。自幼挺秀，即有遊方之志，因往洛京翻經館學梵書并語，曉然明解。屬貞觀中，有北天竺僧齎到《千臂千眼經》梵本，太宗勅搜天下僧中學解者充翻經館綴文、筆受、證義等。通應其選，與梵僧對譯，成二卷。天皇永徽四年，復於本寺出《千囀陀羅尼觀世音菩薩呪》一卷、《觀自在菩薩隨心呪》一卷、《清淨觀世音菩薩陀羅尼》一卷，共四部五卷。通善其梵字，復究華言，敵對相翻，時皆推伏。又云行瑜伽祕密教，大有感通。後不知所終。

Shi Zhitong, surnamed Zhao, was originally a native of Anyi in Shanzhou. During the Daye era of the Sui, he renounced the world and received full ordination, and was later registered at the Zongchi Temple. In the practice of the precepts he was meticulous and clear, and his learning in the sūtras and treatises was comprehensive. Being exceptionally gifted from his youth, he had the ambition to travel; consequently, he went to the translation hall in the capital of Luoyang to study Sanskrit script and language, mastering them with total clarity. During the Zhenguan era [627–649], a North Indian monk brought a Sanskrit manuscript of the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Sūtra. Emperor Taizong issued an imperial decree to search throughout the empire for monks of learning and understanding to serve in the translation hall as text polishers, scribes, and meaning certifiers. Tong qualified and translated the text together with the Indian monk into two fascicles. In the fourth year of the Yonghui era of the Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong, 653], he further translated at his home temple one fascicle of the Thousand-Turn Dhāraṇī Incantation of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, one fascicle of the Mind-Fulfilling Incantation of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, and one fascicle of the Dhāraṇī of the Pure Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, totaling four works in five fascicles. Tong had mastered the Sanskrit script and was also deeply versed in the Chinese language; when translating by direct confrontation [between the two texts], all at that time deferred to him in admiration. It is also said that he practiced the esoteric teachings of Yoga, with extraordinary supernatural resonance. Where he died is unknown.