宋高僧傳 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Compiled under Imperial Order by Śramaṇa Zanning and others, Bestowed the Purple, Grand Master Tonghui of Tianshou Temple on the Left Street of the Song

2.2

Section One, Part Two: Translators of Scriptures (Fifteen primary biographies, with eight appended)

2.3

Biography of Śubhakarasiṃha of Shengshan Temple in Luoyang under the Tang (Dharmagupta)

Śramaṇa Śubhakarasiṃha was originally a native of Central India. He was a descendant of King Amṛtodana, the younger paternal uncle of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni. His Sanskrit name was Śubhakarasiṃha; in Chinese, Jing Shizi (Pure Lion), or by translation of meaning, Shanwuwei (Good and Fearless); another source calls him Śubhakara, which means "Fearless," also a translation of meaning. His ancestors, coming from Central India, divided to rule over Oḍra due to a national crisis. His father was called King Buddhahasta. Because Śubhakara was born with a divine demeanor and had brought forth virtues and skills from past lives, [his father] tested him through various duties. At age ten he commanded the army, and at thirteen he succeeded to the throne, winning the devotion of soldiers and commoners. His brothers, jealous of his talent, took up arms and stirred up rebellion, with strife within the household growing intense. Advancing to campaign and taking the field, stray arrows struck his body, and a spinning disc injured his crown. Once his kin were defeated, military law dictated execution, but suppressing his feelings and granting a curved pardon, he chose great righteousness over family ties. He then wiped away his tears, informed his mother, and announced to his ministers: "Formerly I led the campaign in person, and affection has already been severed. Now I wish to yield the state to preserve righteousness." Thereupon he yielded the throne to his elder brother and firmly sought to enter the path. His mother pitied and consented to it, secretly giving him the jewel that transmits the state, like the shared regalia of feudal lords.

2.5

He traveled south to the seashore, where he encountered an extraordinary monastery and attained the Lotus samādhi. He gathered sand to build stupas, reaching nearly ten thousand. Even when a black snake bit his finger, he did not turn back or rest. He then boarded a merchant vessel to travel to various countries, secretly cultivating dhyāna and recitation, his mouth emitting white light. Without wind for three days, the ship sailed ten thousand li. It happened that the merchants met bandits and were in danger of losing their lives together. Pitying his companions, Śubhakara silently recited a dhāraṇī. The Blessed One of Seven Koṭīs [Cundī] fully manifested her bodily form, and the bandits were indeed wiped out by other raiders. The raiders then confessed their crimes and took refuge, pointing the way through safe and perilous terrain. Soon crossing the remote wilderness and traversing poisonous waters, no sooner had he reached the borders of Central India than he encountered its king. The king's consort was Śubhakara's elder sister; she asked why he had renounced the throne and could not praise him enough. That day, holding hands, they returned together; clouds of compassion spread their shade, and the entire territory was transformed greatly.

2.6

Śubhakara had an open and handsome bearing, and his brilliance surpassed the crowd. His understanding thoroughly probed the five vehicles, and his practice encompassed the three disciplines; in dhāraṇī and dhyāna-contemplation, he wonderfully reached their source. In artistic skills and technical crafts, he was heard to be refined in all. At first he went to Nālandā Temple—translated as "Giving without Satiation"—the headwaters of the Semblance Dharma and the assembly hall of all sages. Śubhakara gave the state-transmitting jewel to adorn the forehead of the great image, shining like the moon by day and the sun by night. At the temple was Dharmagupta, who held the secret key of the gate of concentration and carried the secret seal of the Tathāgata; his countenance was about forty, but his actual age was eight hundred years, and Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang had once seen him. Śubhakara cast down his body and touched his feet, honoring him as his root master. One day while attending him at a meal, nearby was a monk from China; Śubhakara looked into his bowl and saw that the fried pastries were still warm and the millet rice still hot. Astounded, he sighed: "The Eastern Country is more than a hundred thousand li from here; did he cook this in the morning and return?" Dharmagupta said: "If you can refrain from speaking, you can truly study." Afterward, he transmitted to Śubhakara the dhāraṇī, yoga, and three secrets teaching; dragons and spirits encircled them, standing densely before their eyes, and he received all the seals and mudrās at once. On that very day he underwent abhiṣeka, becoming a teacher of gods and humans, styled "Tripiṭaka." Now, the meaning of "Tripiṭaka" is internally the precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and externally the sūtras, vinaya, and treatises, all of which are encompassed by dhāraṇīs. A dhāraṇī is the swift wheel of bodhi and the auspicious ocean of liberation; the Buddhas of the three periods of time are born from this gate, and what the light of wisdom transmits is but a single lamp. Because faculties differ and natures are distinct, the lamps are also boundless. Therefore, there are a hundred billion Śākyamunis and samādhis as numerous as fine dust; a bodhisattva uses the overarching net to encompass all concentrations, abruptly ascending the stages to border on Great Awakening—this is its essential import.

2.7

At that time, Śubhakara traveled throughout the great wilderness, everywhere paying homage to holy sites, undeterred by hardship and peril. Everywhere he set foot, he visited three times. He also entered Mount Kukkuṭapāda, shaved the head of Kāśyapa, and received the laying on of hands on his crown from Avalokiteśvara. Once he spent the summer retreat on Gṛdhrakūṭa; a wild beast guided him forward, leading him deep into a mountain cave. The cave was as bright as day, and he saw an image of Śākyamuni, with attendants on left and right looking lifelike. At that time, Central India suffered a great drought, and they asked Śubhakara to pray for rain. Suddenly Avalokiteśvara was seen in the disc of the sun, holding a kuṇḍikā vase in hand and pouring water upon the earth. The assembly at that time rejoiced and felt resonance, obtaining what they had never experienced before. Furthermore, he forged gold like palm leaves and copied the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. He melted gold to make a stupa equal in measure to the Buddha's body. Because Śubhakara had been traveling abroad for a long time, his mother thought he had already died; weeping morning and evening, she lost her sight, but when a letter arrived inquiring after her wellbeing, her eyes became clear as before.

2.8

In the regions of the Five Indias, following the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, ninety-six heterodox lineages towered in prominence, each clinging exclusively to its own views. Śubhakarasiṃha dismantled obstructions and resolved doubts in accordance with their varied attachments, releasing wrongful bonds at the gates of their minds and turning them from deluded fords toward the path of awakening. The cloud of the Dharma rained evenly regardless of large or small; the water of samādhi conformed to square or round according to the vessels. He toppled the banners and drums of divergent teachings and erected the victorious standard of the Mind King, causing them to restrain madness with mindfulness and contemplate the Buddha within their very bodies. Dharmagupta said: "Good man, you have a karmic affinity with the land of Cīna. You may go now." Śubhakarasiṃha then bowed his head in farewell and departed.

2.9

He arrived in the kingdom of Kaśmīra. Toward dusk, he halted by a river where there was no bridge, and he crossed by floating through the air. One day, he accepted an invitation to the house of an elder, when suddenly an arhat descended and said: "I am an adherent of the Hīnayāna; the Venerable is a bodhisattva who has ascended the stages." He then yielded his seat and offered deferential praise. Śubhakarasiṃha bestowed fine robes upon him, and he ascended into the air and departed. Śubhakarasiṃha next arrived in the kingdom of Uḍḍiyāna, where a tame white mouse circled him, daily offering gold coins. He expounded Vairocana in the court of the Turks and entered dhyāna beneath the tree of the Khatun, the Dharma appearing as golden characters arranged in midair. At that time, a Turkish palace woman pressed her breast with her hand, and the milk flowed forth in three streams flying into Śubhakarasiṃha's mouth. Śubhakarasiṃha then joined his palms, maintained a composed expression, and said: "She was my mother in a past life."

2.10

Furthermore, along the way he encountered bandits who raised their blades to strike him thrice, but his limbs were left unharmed; those who swung their swords heard only the sound of bronze. Proceeding forward, he ascended to a great lake on the Snow Mountains, where Śubhakarasiṃha fell ill. Dharmagupta arrived from midair and said: "The body of a bodhisattva is identical to that of the worldly realm, yet does not abandon birth and death. Having long transcended marks, how could you have illness?" Having spoken, he soared into the sky, and Śubhakarasiṃha was refreshed and cured.

2.11

His route passed through Tibet, traveling in the company of a merchant caravan. The barbarians grew greedy for goods and led a force to encircle them. Śubhakarasiṃha secretly activated the mind seal, whereupon the Tibetan chieftains begged for forgiveness. Reaching the western borders of the Great Tang, a divine being appeared at night and said: "To the east of here is not your disciple's realm; Mañjuśrī indeed protects the Divine Continent." He bowed to his feet and vanished, just as the deity Kapila once escorted the monk with joined eyebrows. Śubhakarasiṃha loaded the scriptures onto camels, and upon reaching Xizhou, he forded a river. A dragon dragged down the camel's feet, causing it to sink beneath the spring, and Śubhakarasiṃha also entered the spring. He stayed in the dragon palace for three days, propagating the Dharma transformations and awakening very many beings. When he led the camel out onto the riverbank, the scriptures had not been dampened at all.

2.12

Earlier, when Śubhakarasiṃha's journey passed through the borders of Northern India, his renown had already reached China. Emperor Ruizong issued an edict ordering Ruona and General Shi Xian to travel beyond the Yumen Pass to await his coming. In the early Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong dreamed of meeting a true monk whose appearance was extraordinary, and the Emperor personally wielded pigments to paint it on the palace wall. When Śubhakarasiṃha arrived, he matched the dream completely. The Emperor rejoiced in their karmic affinity, adorned the Inner Bodhimaṇḍa, and venerated him as the master of the teachings; from the Prince of Ning and Prince of Xue on down, all knelt on the mat and held his vessels. Treating the Great Being as a guest in the heavenly palace and welcoming the Sanskrit seat at the imperial throne, he honored the National Preceptor with the way of Guangcheng and led the ruler of men into the vehicle of the Tathāgata. The sublime Dharma gate flourished greatly at this time. At that time, there was an occult master who commanded pacts with ghosts and spirits and participated in the power of transformations; receiving an imperial edict to the imperial presence, he vied with him in supernatural wonders. Śubhakarasiṃha remained calm and unmoved, and the occult master found himself with no means to employ his craft.

2.13

In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, bingchen, carrying Sanskrit manuscripts, he first arrived in Chang'an, and an edict was issued to install him in the South Cloister of Xingfu Temple. Subsequently, an imperial pronouncement ordered him to reside at Ximing Temple, where imperial inquiries and condolences were repeatedly conveyed, and the bestowed gifts were extraordinary. In the fifth year, dingsi, he received an imperial edict to translate at the Bodhi Cloister. Śubhakarasiṃha submitted a memorial requesting renowned monks to participate jointly in the Chinese and Sanskrit work. Commencing with the first title, he translated the one fascicle of the Method for Seeking Memory Retention of Ākāśagarbha; the śramaṇa Xida translated the spoken words, while Wuzhuo received with the brush and arranged the phrasing, which was then transcribed and presented to the palace. The Emperor deeply praised and admired it, and issued an edict ordering that all the Sanskrit manuscripts Śubhakarasiṃha had brought be submitted. Formerly, the śramaṇa Wuxing had journeyed west to India; after finishing his studies, when he set out on his return and had just reached Northern India, he died an untimely death. The palm-leaf manuscripts he had obtained were all kept in Huayan Temple in the capital. Śubhakarasiṃha and Dhyāna Master Yixing selected several manuscripts there, all of which were wondrous gates of dhāraṇī that had never been translated before.

2.14

In the twelfth year, following the imperial cortege into Luoyang, he again received an imperial edict to translate the Mahāvairocana Sūtra at Fuxian Temple. The complete Sanskrit text of this sūtra contained one hundred thousand verses; what Śubhakarasiṃha brought forth condensed its essentials, titled the Mahāvairocana-abhisaṃbodhi-vikurvitādhiṣṭhāna-vaipulya-sūtrendrarāja Sūtra in seven fascicles. The śramaṇa Baoyue translated the words, and Yixing received with the brush, editing and arranging the expressions and principles. The literary polish and plainness were balanced, exquisitely harmonizing with the profound intent, according above with the Buddha's intention and suiting below the faculties and conditions; among essential gates of benefit, this text was the foremost. He also translated the Subāhuparipṛcchā Sūtra in three fascicles and the Susiddhikara Sūtra in three fascicles. Both sūtras fully provided the mantra vinaya, which is the esoteric prohibitive precepts. If one has not entered the maṇḍala, one is not permitted to read or recite them casually, just as one who has not received the full precepts may not surreptitiously listen to the vinaya. The one fascicle of the Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva Dhāraṇī Method for Seeking Memory Retention that he translated was merely a brief portion translated from the Siddham-sarvārtha-citra of the Sanskrit Vajraśekhara Sūtra.

2.15

Śubhakarasiṃha's nature loved tranquility and simplicity, quieting contemplation and harmonizing his spirit; from time to time he opened dhyāna contemplation and encouraged beginners. For those who beheld his deportment, lotus flowers bloomed within their field of vision; for those who received his instructions, sweet dew moistened their heart's field, and daily there were individuals of transcendent awakening and clarity. Among fellow companions of the Dharma who requested an audience, he venerated only the Elder Tripiṭaka Master Ratnacinta; with all others, he observed the etiquette of master and disciple. As for Dhyāna Master Yixing, who was revered by the monarchs and turned to by the worthy of the time, whenever he had something unresolved beyond samādhi and prajñā regarding the subtleties of yin and yang, he also consulted and received instruction from Śubhakarasiṃha before putting it into practice.

2.16

Śubhakarasiṃha once cast a bronze pagoda in his cloister, shaping the mold with his own hands, with an exquisite craftsmanship surpassing humans and gods. Because the melting and working were on such a large scale and the courtyard was narrow and enclosed, the monastic assembly feared that if the wind blew and the fire raged, disaster would spread to the jewel sanctuary. Śubhakarasiṃha smiled and said: "Do not distress yourselves; you will see in due course." On the day the bellows were pumped and the casting took place, heavy snow indeed covered the sky. When the numinous pagoda emerged from the furnace, auspicious snowflakes drifted over the mats, and the assembly all praised him with exclamation.

2.17

Furthermore, during a summer of severe drought, the Emperor dispatched the palace official Gao Lishi to hasten and summon Śubhakarasiṃha to pray for rain. Śubhakarasiṃha said: "The present drought is naturally ordained by fate. If we forcefully summon the dragons to bring rain, it will surely be violent and only cause damage; it must not be done." The Emperor insisted to him: "The people suffer bitterly from the summer heat and sickness; even wind and thunder would be quite pleasant." Unable to decline, the relevant officials laid out the rain-praying implements for him, complete with banners, pennants, conches, and cymbals. Śubhakarasiṃha smiled and said: "These are insufficient to bring rain." He had them promptly cleared away. He then filled a bowl with water, stirred it with a small knife, and incanted over it with several hundred Sanskrit words. Soon there was a creature resembling a dragon, about the size of a finger, red in color, which raised its head to gaze at the surface of the water and then dove back down to the bottom of the bowl. Śubhakarasiṃha stirred and incanted at the same time. After a short while, a white vapor arose from the bowl, went straight up several feet, and slowly drew away. Śubhakarasiṃha said to Gao Lishi: "Go quickly, the rain has arrived." Gao Lishi galloped away, and looking back, he saw the white vapor swirling swiftly, moving westward from the lecture hall, like a bolt of white silk turning and rising into the air. Soon, the sky became dark and overcast with great wind and thunderous lightning. Just as Gao Lishi reached the Tianjin Bridge, the wind and rain swept alongside his horse, and many large trees in the streets were uprooted. When Gao Lishi went in to memorialize, his garments were completely soaked through. The Emperor bowed his head to welcome Śubhakarasiṃha, expressing his thanks again and again.

2.18

Furthermore, on Mount Mang there was a giant serpent. When Śubhakarasiṃha saw it, he sighed and said: "Do you wish to breach the dikes and inundate the city of Luoyang?" He uttered several hundred chants in the Indian tongue, and within a few days, the serpent died. This was an omen of An Lushan's capture of Luoyang.

2.19

Another account says that Śubhakarasiṃha once lodged in the room of Vinaya Master Daoxuan at Ximing Temple, displaying a coarse demeanor so that Daoxuan rather disdained him. In the middle of the night, Daoxuan felt a louse and threw it to the ground. Śubhakarasiṃha repeatedly cried out: "The Vinaya Master has killed a child of the Buddha!" Only then did Daoxuan realize he was a great bodhisattva, and at daybreak, he straightened his robes and paid homage to him. If one examines this account, from Daoxuan's death to the middle of the Kaiyuan era was barely fifty years; yet as Śubhakarasiṃha's appearances and disappearances were without fixed pattern, they were not something ordinary humans could fathom.

2.20

In the twentieth year, he requested to return to the Western Regions, but an imperial edict graciously denied permission. On the seventh day of the tenth month in the twenty-third year, yihai, lying on his right side with feet resting one upon the other, he suddenly passed away at the age of ninety-nine, with a saṅgha age of eighty. His Dharma companions were desolate, and the imperial heart was shaken with grief; he was posthumously granted the title of Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. The Vice Minister of State Ceremonial Li Xian was dispatched to furnish the regalia, and Vinaya Master Bin was appointed to oversee the funeral affairs. On the third day of the tenth month in the twenty-eighth year, he was buried in the courtyard of Guanghua Temple on the Western Mountain of Longmen. Perfumed by samādhi and prajñā, his whole body did not decay. On the day of the funeral, the entire capital wept tears and ran with mucus, and the mountains and rivers changed color. His monastic and lay disciples, Dhyāna Master Baowei and Dhyāna Master Mingwei—belonging to the Zheng clan of Xingyang and the Wang clan of Langya—grieved that they had no one to look up to, as if they had lost their own father and mother. At the beginning of the Qianyuan era, when the Tang ethos was revived, the two Dhyāna Masters carved gāthās, and various faithful laid out a shrine; disciples built huts alongside it, akin to the devotion at Confucius's tomb.

2.21

Today, observing Śubhakarasiṃha's preserved form, it has gradually shrunk smaller; the dark skin is faint, and the bones are exposed. During droughts and floods throughout successive reigns, people have gone to pray, and confirmations of response have arisen accordingly, along with many generous donations. Brocade and embroidered kerchiefs cover him as if he were merely resting. Every time he is brought out of the shrine, he is placed upon a low couch and bathed with scented water. The wealthy and powerful of Luoyang vie to donate meditation cloths, pure towels, and bath powder to support the bathing rites. When the present Emperor conducts apotropaic prayers, he frequently dispatches envoys to go and add offerings and donations, which are invariably fulfilled according to his wishes.

2.22

Tang Dynasty Account of Zhihui (Prajñā) of the Capital of Luoyang

2.23

The śramaṇa Zhihui, whose Sanskrit name was Prajñā, belonged to the Gautama clan and was a person of the kingdom of Kapiśa in Northern India. He possessed natural brilliance. At the age of seven he conceived the aspiration for awakening, left the service of his parents, and took refuge in the Three Jewels. At that time, following the Venerable Vinītasena, he was taught to recite the Four Āgamas, completing one hundred thousand verses, and thirty thousand verses of Abhidharma. When he reached the age prescribed by the Dharma, he followed his teacher to another country and received the full ordination. He recited nearly forty thousand verses of Sarvāstivāda texts and twenty-eight thousand verses of the Kośa, and also recited the Mahāvibhāṣā, penetrating its meaning as well. For seven years there, he specialized in studying the Hīnayāna. Later, he went to Nālandā Temple in Central India, where he received instruction and studied the Mahāyāna treatises Vijñaptimātratā, Yogācāra, and Madhyāntavibhāga, the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, and logic (hetuvidyā), grammar (śabdavidyā), medicine (cikitsāvidyā), and the arts, vinaya, and treatises, all under the reliance of the three great treatise masters Jñānamitra, Jinamitra, and Jñānamitra. He further traveled to the Twin Trees and passed by the Eight Stūpas, traveling back and forth in pilgrimage for eighteen years. Hearing that Southern India held dhāraṇī-holders in high esteem, he proceeded there to consult and receive instruction. A master of abhiseka named Dharmayaśas there, seeing that Prajñā was diligent and serious and could be taught, conferred upon him the yoga methods, entry into the maṇḍala, the three mysteries, body protection, the five divisions, and the texts of the seals; within one year, he thoroughly recited over 3,500 verses.

2.24

He had always heard that in the great country of Cīna, Mañjuśrī resided, and pointing his staff toward the east, he vowed to transmit the Buddhist teachings there. He then took to the sea and sailed eastward. When he was about to reach Guangzhou, a wind blew him back, carrying him to the east of Siṃhala. He gathered provisions again, refitted a great ship, and traveled throughout the various countries of the Southern Seas for twenty-two years. When he again drew near Panyu, a storm of wind and waves suddenly arose; the ship was wrecked and the people drowned, with only Prajñā surviving. By the fifth watch of the night, the wind finally ceased, but the scriptures and treatises he had carried were lost without a trace. When he climbed onto the seashore, his palm-leaf manuscripts were already on the beach; he found them inside a large bamboo cylinder within the white sand, just as if spirits had carried them ashore. He then sighed and said: "Regarding sūtras such as this Mahāyāna Naya, I think the faculties of the people of Cīna are now ripe!"

2.25

He then traveled northeast, reaching Guangzhou in half a month, which was at the beginning of the Jianzhong reign period of Emperor Dezong. Because the emperor had fled the rebellion to Fengtian, it was only in the second year of Zhenyuan that he arrived at the capital. He met an acquaintance from his homeland, the Shence Army senior general Luo Haoxin, who was the son of Zhihui's maternal uncle; they consoled each other with sorrow and joy. Haoxin brought him home, lodging and providing for him. In the eighth year, a memorial was submitted recommending that Zhihui translate scriptures, and an imperial decree ordered eminent monks of distinguished renown and karma from the various temples in the capital to collaborate in the translation. They obtained the Kashmir Tripiṭaka master Prajñā to interpret the Sanskrit text, the Hanlin Academician-in-Waiting śramaṇa Liyan of Guangzhai Temple to translate the words, the śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Ximing Temple to take down the dictation, while Daoye of Zisheng Temple, Liangxiu of Ximing Temple, Yingzhen of Zhuangyan Temple, and Chaowu, Dao'an, and Biankong of Liquan Temple all served to verify the meaning. On the eighth day of the sixth month, as they were about to inaugurate the scripture's title, an imperial order directed Wang Xiqian, Commissioner of Merit and Virtue for the Right Street, along with Wang Mengshe, General-in-Chief of the Right Shence Army, and Ma Youlin, General-in-Chief of the Agile Cavalry, among others, to escort the Sanskrit scripture out from the imperial palace. The monastic ranks and ceremonial paraphernalia were intermingled with musical ensembles; men and women watched on, with carriages and horses jostling together, as it was welcomed into Ximing Temple for translation. On that very day, an imperial gift of one thousand strings of cash, thirty cakes of tea, and one large container of incense was bestowed to support the offerings. The title was inaugurated as the Mahāyāna Sutra on the Guiding Principle of the Six Pāramitās (*Mahāyāna-naya-ṣaṭpāramitā-sūtra*) in ten fascicles. In addition, the *Gaṇḍavyūha Elder Asking the Buddha about the Power of Nārāyaṇa Sūtra* and the *Heart of Wisdom Sūtra* (*Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya*) were translated, each in one fascicle, all being translated in the eighth year of Zhenyuan. In the tenth month of that year, the copying was completed. On the twenty-eighth day, decorated carriages were prepared with grand ceremonial retinues, and they were led through the Guangshun Gate to present the texts; the emperor examined them with delight and consoled them with earnest solicitousness. An imperial order provided a vegetarian feast in the Shence Army barracks and bestowed on Zhihui five hundred bolts of silk and a set of winter robes, while the others received gifts according to their rank. Zhihui submitted a memorial of gratitude, and the emperor's responding rescript praised him. On the same day, Luo Haoxin—Meritorious Official for Calming the Rebellion at Fengtian, Specially Advanced with Equal Rank to the Three Excellencies (Kaifu yitong sansi), and Acting Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince, who had requested the translation—submitted a memorial stating: 'Your servant's cousin, the śramaṇa Prajñā, previously presented the Sanskrit text of the *Mahāyāna Sutra on the Guiding Principle of the Six Pāramitās*. Bowing in obedience, on the nineteenth day of the fourth month of this year an imperial decree ordered Wang Xiqian to select monks of virtuous practice to carry out the translation at Ximing Temple. Now the fascicles of the scripture are completed, and we have come together to Guangshun Gate to present them.' The imperial responding rescript stated: 'Your cousin was early awakened to the Mahāyāna and traveled from the distant West seeking to visit our supreme state. He makes known the profound meaning of the six sense faculties and expounds the subtle words spoken between the twin trees. Considering that his single-minded sincerity ought to be revered, We ordered the translation to be made so that it might circulate. You have long cherished loyalty and diligence, and serve in guarding the imperial palace. Looking through your memorial, We fully see your sentiments, and acknowledge your gratitude.' Because Haoxin had considerable military merit during Zhu Ci's siege and took part in the palace guard, he was favored and esteemed by the emperor. Through Haoxin's sponsorship and guidance, Zhihui's translation project achieved great glory, and the emperor composed an imperial preface to the scripture. Later, Zhihui died in Luoyang and was buried on the western slope of Longmen, where his stūpa stands today.

2.26

Biography of Xuanjue of Yuhua Temple under the Tang

2.27

The śramaṇa Xuanjue was a native of the state of Gaochang; his clan lineage in the Western Regions has not been ascertained. He admired and studied the Mahāyāna, investigating sūtras and treatises under the Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang, and also took part in the translations at Yuhua Palace. When the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra* was near completion, they jointly requested to translate the *Ratnakūṭa-sūtra*, but Xuanzang declined in exhaustion. Thereupon, Xuanjue dreamt of a stūpa, ornate, tall, and magnificent, suddenly collapsing to the ground; he started awake and told Xuanzang. Xuanzang said, 'This does not concern your own person; it is merely an omen of my passing.' Xuanjue grieved silently and in distress, urging the companions in the Dharma to vie in seeking medicine. Xuanjue's eventual end was not known.

2.28

Biography of Daoyin of Duobao Temple in Yizhou under the Tang (Lord Song, Baoxian)

2.29

The śramaṇa Daoyin had the secular surname Hou and was a native of Puyang. Endowed with blessings and dwelling in purity, he was gifted with brilliance and free wisdom; in the years of his infancy his refined manner was full of wonders, and in his boyhood his extraordinary bearing flourished exceptionally. In his filial devotion and affection, and in his compassionate and compliant manner, he followed his inclination and exhausted his feelings. When he was just seven years old, he suffered the loss of his mother; he abstained from all food and drink, nearly destroying his life. His adult-like virtues were praised throughout the prefecture and village. After concluding the mourning, thinking of repaying the boundless kindness of his parents, his determination to leave home could not be moved by anyone. He went to Lingyan Temple to seek a master and study the recitations; in less than ten days, he mastered two cases of the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*. The entire assembly was astonished, calling him a divine child. From the time he had his hair shaved, he honed his conduct, studied the *Exposition of Meanings* (*Yizhang*), and lectured on the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, and senior elders and renowned figures were all filled with admiration.

2.30

When he received the full precepts, he immediately studied the rules of the vinaya, and moreover learned the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* from Dharma Master Song in Pengcheng. Master Song had splendid virtue and profound ideals, fragrant as an orchid and radiant as the moon; his disciples and companions followed one after another like swimming ducks, filling the lecture hall and discussion seats to overflowing. Thereupon, in accordance with the disciplinary codes, he instituted restrictions: young śramaṇas were first made to study the vinaya, and only those who understood the *Four-Part Vinaya* (*Dharmaguptaka-vinaya*) were permitted to enter and listen. Although Daoyin was young in monastic age, his scholarship and conduct were eminent; among the assembly he alone was exceptionally deferred to and respected, and whenever Master Song expounded the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha*, he would have Daoyin repeat the lecture.

2.31

Later he lived in seclusion on Mount Tai for four autumns. When he was about to head to Luoyang, the Li house was in chaotic decline, and the laws governing the clergy were severe; monks without traveling companions were not permitted to journey abroad. Thereupon, leaning on his staff, he left the mountain, proceeding alone into the distance; fearing he might violate the penal laws, he mindfully reflected on Avalokiteśvara. In a short while, a monk suddenly arrived, with pure white hair, who asked to travel along with him. When they reached the Bronze Streets and arrived at the monastic precincts, in the twinkling of an eye, the monk was nowhere to be found. All said this was the power of the Sugata, manifesting in response to sincere devotion. Before long, Daoyin went to the three regions of Shu to avoid troubles, residing at Duobao Temple. Enthusiastic devotees had long heard of his renown in the Way, and thus invited him to open lectures on the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* and the *Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa*, with listeners numbering in the thousands.

2.32

At that time there was Dharma Master Baoxian, a native of Donghai, whose cultivation of arts was comprehensive and broad, and who was especially adept in the Mahāyāna. Formerly in the Sui dynasty, his glorious renown had already spread far and wide, and students who came to seek instruction walked heel to toe, shoulder to shoulder. Master Xian was proud and aloof among them, held in ever higher reverence; whenever he came to Daoyin's lecture seat, he would compose his expression in solemnity, pondering for a long time before replying. Daoyin raised his voice and displayed his eloquence, surging like thunder and flowing like waves, exhausting every subtlety and breaking through stubborn views. Dou Jin, Duke of Deng and Area Commander of Yizhou; Dou Gui, Duke of Zan and Left Vice Director of the Branch Department of State Affairs; Gao Shilian, Duke of Shen and Senior Administrator; Lu Chengqing, Duke of Fanyang; as well as the successive chief aides, regional governors of the southwest, and the illustrious figures and prominent officials of the state and court, all relied on his fragrant renown and paid sincere reverence. Thereupon, he practiced the Way and observed the rains retreat at a mountain temple in Pengmen. This temple had formerly suffered destruction, and its courtyards and buildings were decrepit; Daoyin was moved to resolve on it, dedicating himself to its restoration, and in less than two years it became a flourishing pure precinct. Furthermore, considering that the subtle words of the nine divisions are revered across the three realms, but that when the Dharma comes to an end they would be hidden away in the Dragon Palace, he carved the scriptures into the northern cliff of the temple, exhausting the secret bundles of the palm leaves and recording fully the authentic texts of the vinaya. Even if a flood like that of Emperor Yao's time were to submerge the hills, or Zhao Jianzi's hunts were to set fire to the northern mountains, there would be no fear, and they would endure as long as the kalpa.

2.33

Later, his pure ideals were widely known, and his lofty achievements shone far and wide. He was chosen by the emperor, and an imperial decree was issued summoning him to the capital, where he resided at Great Cien Temple to translate and collate Sanskrit texts with Dharma Master Xuanzang, and also served to verify the meaning. Master Xuanzang singled him out for praise, and whenever there were difficult passages, they consulted together; that the new translations suffered no deficiency was greatly due to Daoyin's effort. Master Kai, abbot of Huiri Temple, was keen, cultured, gentle, and erudite, with a reputation echoing through the capital; he took the lead in establishing a Dharma seat, asking Daoyin to unveil the profound meanings. The monastics and laypeople of the imperial capital all came to seek instruction, looking at one another with delight at hearing what they had never heard before. Daoyin investigated the depths of the historical texts and was especially fond of *Laozi* and *Zhuangzi*, relishing their essence and absorbing their richness; he embraced the four beginnings of the odes and combined the five tones of literary composition, so that all his lectures thoroughly integrated the inner [Buddhist] and outer [non-Buddhist] teachings. Those texts in which he specialized were sūtras such as the *Nirvāṇa*, *Huayan*, *Mahāprajñāpāramitā*, *Vimalakīrti*, *Lotus*, and *Laṅkāvatāra*; treatises such as the *Daśabhūmika*, *Bodhisattvabhūmi*, *Abhidharma*, *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*, *Mahāyānasaṃgraha*, *Abhidharmasamuccaya*, and *Buddhabhūmi*; as well as vinayas such as the *Four-Part Vinaya*. He also composed commentaries on the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* and the *Vimalakīrti*.

2.34

Soon his capable work was accomplished, and displaying illness, he passed away at Huiri Temple in Chang'an on the eleventh day of the third month of the third year of Xianqing, at the age of seventy-two. In the first month of the following year, his spirit seat was returned to the region of Yi, and on the eighth day of the second month he was interred beside the stone scriptures at Guanghua Temple in Pengmen. Monastics and laypeople attending the funeral numbered in the thousands. Disciples such as Xuanning carried on his lineage. During the Longshuo era, Li Yan, Grand Master of the Household Bureau of the Palace Secretariat, composed an inscription for his stele, and Ouyang Tong wrote the calligraphy.

2.35

Biography of Zhixian of the State of Poling under the Tang (Huining)

2.36

The śramaṇa Jñānabhadra, translated into Chinese as Zhixian, was a native of the state of Poling (also called Heling) in the South Seas; he was well versed in the learning of the Tripiṭaka. During the Linde era, the śramaṇa Huining of Chengdu wished to travel to India to pay homage to the holy traces, and took ship westwards; on his way he passed through Poling, and thereupon collaborated with Zhixian to translate the latter part of the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* in two fascicles. This was translated out of the *Āgama-sūtra*, recounting the World-Honoured One's cremation of the coffin and collection of the śarīra, which differs considerably from the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*. When the translation was completed, the scripture was sent to Jiaozhou, and only then did Huining set out for the Western Regions. At the beginning of the Yifeng era, Liang Nandi, Area Commander of Jiaozhou, sent an envoy along with Huining's disciple Yunqi to present a memorial submitting the scripture to the capital. In the third year, wuyin, the śramaṇa Linghui of Great Cien Temple made a request to the Crown Prince to put it into circulation. Yunqi had served his master with unmatched filial devotion; his master had ordered him to take the scripture and propagate it, which was why he had not accompanied him like a shadow to the Western Regions.

2.37

Biography of Juejiu of Baima Temple in the Western Capital under the Tang

2.38

The śramaṇa Buddhatrāta, translated into Chinese as Juejiu, was a native of Kashmir in North India. Carrying palm-leaf bundles, he vowed to convert China; residing at Baima Temple in Luoyang, he translated the *Great Vaipulya Sutra of Complete Enlightenment of the Definitive Meaning* (*Mahāvaipulyapūrṇabuddhasūtraprasanārthasūtra*). This scripture was translated in recent times, but the exact year is not known; however, keeping the exaltation of the Way in mind, one's concern is to discern falsehood and delusion: if the true meaning is unerring, what need is there to fully know the year and month? The end of Juejiu's life cannot be determined. During the Dahe era, Master Mi of Guifeng composed a commentary and exposition; the scripture original was in one fascicle, later divided into two fascicles to make a set, and he subsequently composed subcommentaries (*chao*) expounding its profound depths. Today, lectures on it flourish in the Eastern Capital, Taiyuan, and the three regions of Shu.

2.39

Biography of Buddhapāla of Mount Wutai under the Tang (Shunzhen)

2.40

Śramaṇa Buddhapāli, rendered in Chinese as Juehu (Awakening-Protection), was a native of the country of Jibin (Kashmir) in northern India. Forgetting his own person in pursuit of the Dao, he visited sacred traces far and wide. Hearing that Mañjuśrī was at Mount Qingliang, he crossed the shifting sands from afar and personally came to pay homage. In the first year of the Yifeng era of Heavenly Emperor (Gaozong), a bingzi year [676 CE], he reached Mount Wutai with his monk's staff. Revering and bowing with utmost sincerity, he wept tears like rain, hoping to behold the holy countenance. Suddenly he saw an old man emerge from the mountain, who spoke in the Brahman language and asked Buddhapāli, "Master, what is it that you seek?" Buddhapāli replied, "Having heard that the Great Being Mañjuśrī has concealed his traces in this mountain, I have come from India desiring to gaze upon him and pay homage." The old man said, "Master, have you brought the Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra from that country or not? Sentient beings in this land commit many transgressions, and those who have left the household life also commit many infractions. The divine spell of the Buddha-Uṣṇīṣa is a secret recipe for eliminating transgressions. If you have not brought the scripture, what benefit is there in having come in vain? Even if you were to see Mañjuśrī, how could you recognise him? Master, you should return to the Western countries, obtain that scripture, and bring it to circulate in this land. That will be serving all the holy ones everywhere, broadly benefiting the multitude of beings, rescuing those in the unseen realms, and requiting the benevolence of all Buddhas. When you have fetched the scripture and arrived, this disciple will show you where Mañjuśrī dwells." When Buddhapāli heard this, he was overjoyed beyond measure. Restraining his tears of sorrow, he bowed toward the mountain once again. When he raised his head, the old man was no longer to be seen. Buddhapāli was astonished, and his reverence and devotion doubled.

2.41

He thereupon returned to his native country, obtained the scripture, and came back. Having arrived at the imperial city, he sought an audience. The relevant officials submitted a memorial, and Heavenly Emperor praised his pure sincerity and revered this esoteric text, issuing an edict ordering Du Xingyi, Director of Guests at the Court of State Ceremonial, to translate it within the palace together with the Tripiṭaka Master Divākara. When the translation was completed, thirty bolts of silk were bestowed as a reward, and the scripture was kept inside the palace. Buddhapāli wept and memorialised, "I have cast away my life with my heart set on benefiting others. I beg the Emperor to circulate it, for this was my hope." The Emperor took pity on his single-minded dedication, and thus retained the translated scripture while returning the Sanskrit original to him. Having obtained the scripture, Buddhapāli was all the more delighted. He then went to Ximing Temple, found the monk Shunzhen who was proficient in Sanskrit, and petitioned to retranslate it. The Emperor granted his request. Buddhapāli then produced the translation together with Shunzhen before the venerable elders, titling it Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra; compared with the earlier translation by Director Du, there were minor differences in the incantation's rhyme and the sūtra text. His aspiration now accomplished, Buddhapāli took the Sanskrit original and entered Mount Wutai, and no one knew where he went. Some say Buddhapāli concealed himself in the Vajra Cavern; today on Longshou Knoll in Yongxing there is the place where Buddhapāli concealed śarīras.

2.42

During the Dali era [766–779], Śramaṇa Fazhao of Yunfeng Temple on the Southern Marchmount entered Mount Wutai to pay homage at the Vajra Cavern. Before the night was half over, reproaching himself, he threw himself to the ground. Suddenly he saw a monk about seven feet tall, whose Sanskrit chanting was clear and fluent, who declared himself to be Buddhapāli. He asked, "Master, tormenting yourself like this, are you not exhausted? What is your wish and joy?" Fazhao replied, "I wish to see Mañjuśrī." He said, "If your willpower is resolute and strong, authentic and without deceit, you may remove your shoes upon the board; the holy countenance will be mere inches away, so that you may see him." Fazhao then closed his eyes, and in an instant he had entered the cavern. He saw a courtyard with an inscribed plaque that read, "Vajra-prajñā Temple"; the calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, and its lustre shimmered. The entire courtyard was adorned with rare treasures beyond naming; pavilions rose in layers, temple halls stretched continuously, screen nets were fine and dense, and bells and chimes sounded together, in some two hundred places. Between them was an esoteric depository containing the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā and all scriptures and teachings. The figures within were towering and stalwart, hardly ever seen in ordinary times. The Great Holy Mañjuśrī sat in a position of dignity, with attendants thronging around him. He spoke words of comfort, and after tea and food were distributed, Buddhapāli led Fazhao out. Fazhao bitterly pleaded to remain in the temple, but Buddhapāli would not permit it. At the time of parting he urged him on: "Strive vigorously in your cultivation and progress; when you come again, you may stay." Fazhao returned to the board and put on his shoes; when he looked back, Buddhapāli had vanished.

2.43

Appraisal: Daoist deliverance from the corpse is explained in many ways, sometimes hiding the true form while leaving the false vessel behind. How much more so for Great Beings who have attained the bhūmis, or arhats whose outflows are exhausted? Whether existing here while dying elsewhere, or dividing their bodies and altering their forms, all of this is merely their sport, used to benefit beings. Buddhapāli's appearances and disappearances were without fixed course—how could his transformations have an end? That he emerged from the Vajra Cavern to guide Master Fazhao was simply because there was a karmic affinity between them, and so he suddenly manifested. Thus Dhūta Kāśyapa long concealed himself among the peaks, and when Faxian of the Jin traveled to Vulture Peak, he saw him beneath the mountain.

2.44

Tang: A Biography of Zunfa (Bhagavaddharma)

2.45

Śramaṇa Zunfa was a native of western India; in Sanskrit his name was Bhagavaddharma, rendered in Chinese as Zunfa (Revering the Dharma). Crossing far over the sand and gravel, he reached China with the intention to transmit and translate, and with a firm vow to transform and guide. During the Yonghui era [650–655] of Heavenly Emperor (Gaozong), he translated the one-fascicle Qianshou qianyan Guanshiyin pusa guangda yuanman wu'ai dabeixin tuoluoni jing (Sahasrabhuja-sahasranetra-avalokiteśvara-bodhisattva-mahāpūrṇa-apratihata-mahākāruṇika-dhāraṇī-sūtra). The scripture title merely states that it was translated by Bhagavaddharma of western India, without indicating the year. Deducing its course, it was suspected to have been during the Yonghui or Xianqing eras. Furthermore, according to the Preface to the Thousand-Armed Scripture, it says: "Zhitong translated this together with this Tripiṭaka Master." The end of Zunfa's life is unknown.

2.46

Tang: A Biography of Wujigao (Ādigupta) of Huiri Temple in the Western Capital (Master Ānandarakṣa and Master Kāśyapa)

2.47

Śramaṇa Wujigao was a native of central India; in Sanskrit his name was Ādigupta, rendered in Chinese as Wujigao (Boundlessly High). The clan of his ordination cannot be determined from records. In his learning, Gao exhausted the full letters (complete teachings); his conduct was pure as a rounded pearl; he was thoroughly versed in the five sciences and wondrously conversant with the Tripiṭaka. In the first month of the third year of the Yonghui era, a renzi year [652 CE], he brought Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts from western India and arrived in Chang'an. An imperial edict ordered that he be housed at Cimen Temple. The śramaṇa Dachengcong and others, sixteen people in all, along with Li Shiji, Duke of Ying, Yuchi De, Duke of E, and others, twelve people in all, jointly requested Gao to establish a universal assembly altar for dhāraṇīs in the pagoda precinct of Huiri Temple, and provided all necessary offerings. On the day the rite was completed, supernatural wonders manifested repeatedly, and both clergy and laity in the capital praised it as a rare encounter. The śramaṇa Xuankai and others firmly requested the translation of his ritual texts. From the fourth year, guichou [653 CE], to the fifth year, at Huiri Temple he extracted the essentials from the Vajra-mahāmaṇḍa-sūtra and translated them, compiling them into one work titled Tuoluoni ji jing (Dhāraṇī-samuccaya-sūtra) in twelve fascicles, with Xuankai serving as scribe. At that time, Master Ānandarakṣa, Master Kāśyapa, and others from the Mahābodhi Temple in central India translated the Rite of Śrīmahādevī at Jingxing Temple, which was incorporated into the tenth fascicle of the Samuccaya Scripture, and was therefore not published separately.

2.48

Tang: A Biography of Jiliang (Pramiti) of Zhizhi Temple in Guangzhou

2.49

Śramaṇa Jiliang was a native of central India; his Sanskrit name was Pramiti, rendered here as Jiliang (Utmost Measure). Harboring the Dao, he observed different regions and aided beings according to circumstances. Travelling and proselytising by turns, he gradually reached Zhina (Indian custom calls Guangzhou "Zhina", and designates the imperial capital as "Mahā-zhina"). He then halted his staff at the Zhizhi Bodhimaṇḍa in Guangzhou. The assembly knew he was broadly erudite, and requests poured in. Pramiti, with benefiting and gladdening [beings] as his purpose, accordingly unfolded the esoteric mysteries.

First 49 of 65 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

宋高僧傳 — 贊寧, Classical Chinese