神僧傳 2.26

2.26

Buddhayaśas—translated here as "Juming" (Renowned for Awakening)—was a native of Kapiśa, of brāhmaṇa lineage. For generations his family had served non-Buddhist traditions. Once, a śramaṇa came to his house begging for food, and his father, in anger, ordered someone to beat him. The father's hands and feet consequently became crippled and lame so that he could not walk. He then questioned a spirit-medium, who replied, "This was caused by spirits because you offended a worthy man." He immediately invited this śramaṇa and made wholehearted repentance, and in a few days he recovered. He then had Yaśas renounce household life to become the śramaṇa's disciple, being thirteen years old at the time. He frequently accompanied his master on distant travels. In an open wilderness they encountered a tiger; his master wished to flee, but Yaśas said, "This tiger is already sated and will surely not harm anyone." Shortly after, the tiger left, and upon walking forward they indeed saw the remnants of its prey; his master secretly marveled at him. By the age of fifteen, he recited two to thirty thousand words of sūtras every day. Because the monastery where he stayed always required piṇḍapāta outside, his recitation and study were disrupted. An arhat, respecting his intelligence and keenness, constantly begged food to provide for him. By the age of nineteen, he recited several million words of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras. Only at the age of twenty-seven did he receive full ordination. Later, he arrived in the kingdom of Kashgar (Shāle). At that time, the king of the country was unwell and invited the monks for a feast; the crown prince saw him, was delighted with him, and asked him to remain in the palace to receive offerings. When Kumārajīva arrived later, he in turn studied under Yaśas and revered him greatly. Later, Kumārajīva went to Kucha and was captured by Lü Guang. Yaśas remained for over ten years, and then went east to Kucha, where his Dharma transformation flourished greatly. At that time, Kumārajīva was in Guzang and sent an envoy to invite him. When he wished to leave, the people of the country detained him for about a year. Later, he said to a disciple, "I wish to seek out Kumārajīva; you may secretly pack our clothes and set out without letting anyone know." The disciple said, "I fear that if they pursue us tomorrow, we will inevitably be brought back." Yaśas then took a bowl of pure water, cast medicine into it, chanted several tens of words of incantation over it, and washed his and his disciple's feet with it. They then set out by night, and by dawn they had traveled several hundred li. He asked the disciple, "What did you feel?" The disciple answered, "I only heard the sound of rushing wind, and tears flowed from my eyes." Yaśas again gave him incanted water to wash his feet and rest. Next morning, when the people of the country pursued them, they were already several hundred li off and could not catch up. Traveling on, he reached Guzang, but Kumārajīva had already entered Chang'an. Having heard that Yao Xing coerced Kumārajīva with concubines and urged him to uncanonical conduct, Yaśas sighed, "Kumārajīva is like fine silk—how could he be cast into a bramble thicket?" Hearing that he had reached Guzang, Kumārajīva urged Yao Xing to welcome him, but Xing did not heed it at first. Shortly after, Xing ordered Kumārajīva to translate the scriptural canon. Kumārajīva said, "To propagate and declare the Dharma teachings, one should ensure that text and meaning are completely harmonious. Although this poor monk can recite the text, he has not mastered its subtle principles. Only Buddhayaśas deeply penetrates the profound purport; he is now in Guzang, and I pray you issue an edict to summon him. We should deliberate three times over every single word before setting brush to paper, so that the subtle words are not lost and will command trust for a thousand ages." Xing complied, and immediately sent an envoy to invite him, presenting lavish gifts, but Yaśas declined them all. Smiling, he said, "Since the enlightened decree has descended, I ought to ride forth at once. Yet if the dānapati treats scholars generously only to place me in the same situation as Kumārajīva, I dare not obey the command." The envoy returned and reported this in full. Xing marveled at his prudence. When he arrived in Chang'an, Xing went out in person to greet and inquire after him, building a separate new chamber for him in the Xiaoyao Garden and providing the four requirements of offerings; but he accepted none of them, merely engaging in piṇḍapāta for a single daily meal when the hour arrived. Yaśas had previously recited the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya from memory. The usurping Director of Retainers, Yao Shuang, requested that he produce it. He first tested Yaśas by having him recite Qiang medical prescriptions and registers, amounting to roughly fifty thousand words. After one day, holding the text to check against his recitation, not a single word was mistaken. The multitude submitted to his powerful memory. Thus, in the twelfth year of the Hongshi era, he translated the Four-Part Vinaya in forty-four fascicles, and also translated the Dīrgha Āgama and other texts. The monk Zhu Fonian of Liangzhou translated them into the Qin language, and Daohan wrote them down. In the fifteenth year, the translation assembly concluded. Xing offered Yaśas ten thousand bolts of cloth and silk, all of which he declined; Daohan and Fonian each received a thousand bolts of cloth and silk, and five hundred monks of renowned virtue were all richly presented with offerings. Later, Yaśas took his leave to return to foreign lands. Upon reaching Kapiśa, he obtained one fascicle of the Ākāśagarbha Sūtra, which he sent with traveling merchants to transmit to the monks of Liangzhou. Later, his whereabouts remained unknown.