宋高僧傳 3.53

3.53

「迨我皇帝臨大寶之五載，有河中府傳顯密教沙門法進請西域三藏法天譯經于蒲津，州府官表進，上覽大悅，各賜紫衣，因勅造譯經院於太平興國寺之西偏。續勅搜購天下梵夾，有梵僧法護、施護同參其務，左街僧錄智照大師慧溫證義。又詔滄州三藏道圓證梵字，慎選兩街義解沙門志顯綴文，令遵、法定、清沼筆受，守巒、道真、知遜、法雲、慧超、慧達、可瓌、善祐、可支證義，倫次綴文，使臣劉素、高品王文壽監護，禮部郎中張洎、光祿卿湯悅次文潤色，進《校量壽命經》、《善惡報應經》、《善見變化》、《金曜童子》、《甘露鼓》等經，有命授三藏天息災、法天、施護師號外，試鴻臚少卿、賜厩馬等。筆受、證義諸沙門各賜紫衣并帛有差。御製新譯經序，冠于經首。觀其佛日重光，法輪發軔，赤玉箱而啟祕，青蓮朵以開芳，聖感如然，前代孰堪比也。

“Coming to the fifth year of our Emperor ascending the imperial throne, the śramaṇa Fajin of Hezhong Prefecture, who transmitted the exoteric and esoteric teachings, requested the Western Tripiṭaka master Fatian to translate scriptures at Pujin. The prefectural officials submitted a memorial presenting this; upon viewing it, the Emperor was greatly pleased, bestowed purple robes upon each of them, and consequently ordered the construction of a Translation Institute to the west of the Taiping Xingguo Temple. Subsequently, he decreed the collection of palm-leaf manuscripts throughout the empire. The Indian monks Fahu and Shihu jointly took part in the enterprise, and Master Zhizhao Huiwen, saṅgha rectifier of the Left Precincts, certified the meaning. He also summoned the Tripiṭaka master Daoyuan of Cangzhou to certify the Sanskrit characters, carefully selected the exegete śramaṇa Zhixian from the Two Precincts to compose the text, and appointed Lingzun, Fading, and Qingzhao as scribes; Shouluan, Daozhen, Zhixun, Fayun, Huichao, Huida, Kegui, Shan’you, and Kezhi to certify the meaning and arrange the composition in proper order; the court emissaries Liu Su and Senior Official Wang Wenshou to supervise; and the Director of the Ministry of Rites Zhang Ji and Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments Tang Yue to arrange the text and polish its style. They presented the Sūtra on Measuring Lifespan, the Sūtra on Karmic Retribution of Good and Evil, the Shan Jian Bianhua [Sūtra], the Sūtra of the Golden-Radiance Youth, and the Drum of Amṛta Sūtra, among others. An imperial decree bestowed master titles upon the three Tripiṭaka masters Tianxizai, Fatian, and Shihu, and additionally appointed them probationary Vice Directors of the Court of State Ceremonial and granted them imperial stables’ horses. The various śramaṇas who were scribes and certifiers of meaning were each granted purple robes and silk in varying amounts. The Emperor personally composed a preface for the newly translated scriptures, crowning the beginning of the scriptures. Observing the Buddha-sun shining anew and the wheel of Dharma being set in motion, the red jade cases unfolding secrets and the blue lotus blossoms opening their fragrance—such an extraordinary imperial response, what preceding dynasty could ever compare to it?