弘贊法華傳 2.29

2.29

The above: Śramaṇa Jñānagupta, translated in the Sui as Dezhi, was a native of the kingdom of Gandhāra in northern India, which in Sui translation is called the Kingdom of Fragrant Conduct. Gupta was the youngest of five brothers. Having planted roots of virtue in past lives, he early developed the resolve for the way. While still a young child, he wished to leave the household. His parents deeply recognized his capacity and did not go against his request. In his home country there was a monastery named Dalin (Mahāvana); he then went to take refuge there and thus obtained ordination and deliverance. From the time Gupta left the household, he was filial, respectful, dedicated, and sincere. Receiving instruction over accumulated years, he gained a comprehensive understanding of the essential teachings. At the age of twenty-seven, he accompanied his master to propagate the Dharma. In the beginning of the Wucheng era of Emperor Ming of the Northern Zhou, he arrived at Chang'an and stayed at Caotang Monastery. Master and disciple traveled to transform beings, already fulfilling their original wish in coming. He mounted the pure altar once again and received the full precepts anew. It happened that Yuwen Xian, Prince of Qiao, was stationed to garrison Shu, and he again invited him to travel together. There for three years he served as Monastic Overseer of Penzhou. At Longyuan Monastery, he translated the above verses, with the śramaṇa Yuanming acting as scribe. When the fortunes of the Jiande era deteriorated, the semblance teaching was not propagated, and the five assemblies were overnight reduced to the eyes of the common folk. Emperor Wu treated him with courtesy, issuing an edict summoning him to the imperial capital, conferring high ranks and stipends upon him, and forcing him to adopt the robes of a Confucian scholar. Gupta maintained his integrity resoundingly, facing death without fear. Pitying his unbending virtue, the Emperor took compassion on him and released him to return [home]. His route took him through Ganzhou and northward through the Turks, where he was detained by the Turks. In the fifth year of the Kaihuang era, Śramaṇa Danyan and more than thirty others from Daxingshan Monastery, being themselves engaged in translation and finding the pronunciations and meanings discordant, learned that Gupta was in the north and submitted a memorial requesting an imperial edict to summon him back. The Emperor readily consented and sent envoys to invite and seek him out. Gupta's hopes of returning west had already been cut off; stranded for ten years, he deeply longed in this enlightened age to meet again with the Three Jewels. Suddenly receiving this distant quest, joy and aspiration mingled together, and he immediately accompanied the emissaries to enter the state. At that time, Emperor Wen was on an imperial progress to Luoyang, and he had audience with him there. The Son of Heaven was greatly pleased, repeatedly bestowing gifts and inquiries. Before returning to the imperial capital, the Emperor promptly decreed that translations be expounded; together with the śramaṇas Sengxiu, Facan, and others, he further translated various sūtras. Prince Teng of the Sui revered his precept-observing model and honored him as his master. Because of an involvement in worldly affairs, he was banished to Dongyue; while in Oumin, the renown of his way became renowned again, rescuing both bodies and minds and bringing immense benefit. In the twentieth year of the Kaihuang era, he passed away at the age of seventy-eight.