宋高僧傳 5.25

5.25

釋潛真，字義璋，姓王氏，太原華族，後徙為夏州朔方崇道鄉人也。考珍，真即仲子也。年在學數，業尚典墳。幼好佛書，抑從天性，甫及弱冠，投跡空門。開元二十六年隷名于本城靈覺寺，明年納具戒。自此聽習律乘，涉遊論海，凡曰講筵，無不探賾。屬代宗朝新譯《文殊師利菩薩佛剎莊嚴經》，勅真造疏，奏云：「此經凡有三譯。一、西晉太熙中法護翻，名《佛土嚴淨經》，文勢多古，語簡理幽。二、天后久視中實叉難陀於清禪寺翻，名《文殊受記經》。三、即今大曆六年所譯也。伏惟寶應元聖文武皇帝陛下，天垂帝籙，人歸寶圖，德厚乾坤，明侔日月，仁恕滋物，夷狄仰德，而輸誠慈惠，利生正教，承風而演化。頃者鄜坊節度使兼御史中丞杜冕奏為國請諸大乘經，明詔下於祇園，梵旨開於貝葉，因請三藏不空譯此經等數十部。續有勅下，天下梵宇各置文殊菩薩像，以旌聖功也。又詔以文殊菩薩為上座，皆三藏所請。三藏學究瑜伽，解窮法印，身、口、意業，祕密修持，戒、定、慧學，顯通宣暢，唐、梵文字，聲、韻具知。傳譯此經，善符聖旨，文質相兼，璨然可觀。潛真識智愚昧，學藝庸淺，幸陪清眾，謬在翻傳，虛空藏經，課虛潤色，猥蒙驅策，述疏讚揚。雖文義荒蕪，已傳京邑。今之所作，蓋有由焉。有金閣寺大德道超禪師，學盡法源，行契心本，親覩靈境，密承聖慈，故久在清涼，屬興淨業，仍於現處建窣堵波。尋覲法緣，來詣京國，以此經為大事，以大聖為本師，顯揚聖德，無過此者。乃稽首三藏，誓傳大聖法門，不以潛真庸虛，轉祈和尚，邀令述作。和尚不念前之鄙陋，又令讚釋此經。竊恐難契真詮，敢不盡其愚訥！」即大曆八年十一月，疏成奏過。真學通內外，性相融明，考覆幽玄，研精教理，探賾今古，比校親疎，分別異同，歸於一義，辯猶泉涌，思入虛凝，直筆而書，記於絕唱，結成三卷，以作準繩，現在未來，永無疑網矣。又述《菩提心義》、《發菩提心戒》各一卷，《三聚淨戒》及《十善法戒》共一卷。兼稟承不空祕教，入曼拏羅，登灌頂壇，受成佛印。顯、密二教，皆聞博贍。關內、河東，代歷四朝，闡揚妙旨，弟子繁多。加復綱紀興善、保壽二處伽藍，懲勸僧尼，真有力也。以貞元四年戊辰五月十四日遺誡門人，以疾而臥。二十一日，右脅累足，口誦彌陀佛號，終于興善寺本院。春秋七十一，僧夏四十九云。

Śramaṇa Qianzhen, courtesy name Yizhang, was of the Wang surname, from an illustrious clan of Taiyuan, who later migrated and became a native of Chongdao township, Shuofang, in Xiazhou. His father was Zhen, and Qianzhen was his second son. When he was of schooling age, his pursuits favored the ancient canons. In his youth, he was fond of Buddhist books, following his natural disposition. Just as he came of age, he entered the gate of emptiness. In the twenty-sixth year of Kaiyuan, his name was registered at Lingjue Temple in his native city, and the following year he received the full precepts (upasampadā). From then on, he studied and practiced the vinaya vehicle and traversed the ocean of śāstras; wherever there were lecture platforms, there was nowhere he did not probe the mysteries. During the reign of Emperor Daizong, when the *Mañjuśrībodhisattvabuddhakṣetrālaṃkāra-sūtra* was newly translated, an imperial decree ordered Qianzhen to compose a commentary. He memorialized, saying: “This sūtra has had three translations in all. First, Dharmarakṣa translated it during the Taixi reign of the Western Jin under the title *Fotuyan jing jing*; its literary style is mostly archaic, its language concise, and its principles profound. Second, Śikṣānanda translated it at Qingchan Temple during the Jiushi reign of the Heavenly Empress under the title *Wenshu shouji jing*. Third, there is the present translation of the sixth year of Dali. I humbly reflect that His Imperial Majesty, the Original Sage, Civil and Martial Emperor of Baoying, has been favored by Heaven with the imperial mandate, and the people take refuge in his precious realm. His virtue is as profound as Heaven and Earth, his brightness equals the sun and moon, his benevolence and forbearance nourish all things, the foreign tribes revere his virtue and offer their sincere devotion and compassionate kindness, and the correct teachings that benefit sentient beings spread and transform under his sway. Recently, Du Mian, the military commissioner of Fufang and concurrently Palace Aide to the Censor-in-Chief, memorialized on behalf of the state requesting various Mahāyāna scriptures. The luminous imperial decree was sent down to the Jetavana grove, and the Sanskrit meaning unfolded from the palm leaves, whereupon the Tripiṭaka master Amoghavajra was requested to translate this sūtra and several dozen other texts. Subsequently, another decree was issued ordering that images of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva be placed in each Sanskrit temple throughout the empire to commemorate the sacred achievement. A decree was also issued designating Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva as the seat of honor, all of which were requested by the Tripiṭaka master. The Tripiṭaka master's learning has plumbed Yoga, his understanding has exhausted the Dharma-seal; he secretly practices through the actions of body, speech, and mind, and clearly and comprehensively propagates the training in precepts, concentration, and wisdom, thoroughly understanding the scripts, sounds, and phonetics of both Chinese and Sanskrit. In translating this sūtra, he has excellently conformed to the sacred intent; the literary ornament and substantial meaning balance each other, shining brilliantly. I, Qianzhen, am foolish in understanding and wisdom, shallow in scholarship and skill; fortunately joining the pure assembly, I have inappropriately taken part in translation, uselessly polishing the *Ākāśagarbha-sūtra*, and having been unworthily enlisted, I composed a commentary in praise of it. Although its literary meaning was unpolished, it has already circulated in the capital. What has been composed today indeed has its cause: The great worthy Dhyāna Master Daochao of Jinge Temple has thoroughly grasped the source of the Dharma, his practice accords with the root of mind, he personally witnessed the miraculous realm, and secretly received the holy compassion; thus he long dwelt at Mount Qingliang, promoting pure karma, and built a stūpa at that very site. Soon, seeking Dharma-affinities, he came to the capital, regarding this sūtra as a great matter and the Great Sage as his fundamental teacher; nothing surpasses this in making manifest the holy virtues. Thereupon he prostrated to the Tripiṭaka master, vowing to propagate the Dharma-gate of the Great Sage; not considering Qianzhen mediocre and deficient, he in turn beseeched the upādhyāya to invite me to compose it. The upādhyāya, not minding my previous vulgarity and unworthiness, also ordered me to comment on and explain this sūtra. I secretly fear it is difficult to accord with the true meaning, yet how dare I not exert my foolish and clumsy efforts!” In the eleventh month of the eighth year of Dali, the commentary was completed and presented. Qianzhen's learning bridged both Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions, and he seamlessly understood both nature and phenomenal characteristics. He investigated the abstruse and profound, refined his grasp of doctrinal principles, probed ancient and modern subtleties, compared the primary and secondary, and differentiated similarities and differences, harmonizing them into a single meaning. His eloquence flowed like a gushing spring, his thoughts entered into serene concentration; writing straightforwardly with the brush, he recorded supreme compositions, compiling them into three fascicles to serve as a standard, so that in the present and the future the net of doubts would be forever gone. He also authored the *Meaning of the Bodhicitta* and the *Precepts for Generating the Bodhicitta*, each in one fascicle, and the *Three Clusters of Pure Precepts* together with the *Precepts of the Ten Wholesome Dharmas* in one fascicle. In addition, he received the esoteric teachings from Amoghavajra, entered the maṇḍala, ascended the abhiṣeka altar, and received the seal of attaining Buddhahood. In both exoteric and esoteric teachings, his knowledge was broad and rich. In Guannei and Hedong, across four reigns, he propagated the marvelous principles, and his disciples were numerous. Furthermore, he regulated the two monasteries of Xingshan and Baoshou, disciplining and exhorting the monks and nuns, for which Qianzhen truly showed great strength. On the fourteenth day of the fifth month in the fourth year of Zhenyuan (wuchen), he gave his final admonition to his disciples and lay down due to illness. On the twenty-first day, resting on his right side with his legs overlapping, his mouth reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha, he passed away in his own cloister at Xingshan Temple. His worldly age was seventy-one, and his saṅgha age was forty-nine.