法華傳記 2.16

2.16

The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra is the ultimate intent of breaking the two to illuminate the one. Descending his spirit into the five defilements, [the Buddha] promoted the path of the three vehicles. His skillful wisdom is inconceivable, his great compassion difficult to measure. First he established the trace of the conjured city; later he revealed the fundamental jewel tied [in the garment]. Although the carts differ, the two are in truth without disparity. Conferring prophecies with the title of Right Awakening, he granted them the station of true sons. Entering together into the Dharma-nature, they return here. Formerly, the Dunhuang śramaṇa Zhu Dharmarakṣa translated the Zheng fahua jing during the Jin dynasty under Emperor Wu. Later, Yao Xing of the Later Qin further invited Kumārajīva to translate the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. Examining the two translations, they definitely were not based on a single text: Dharmarakṣa's resembles a palm leaf [manuscript], while Kumārajīva's resembles a Kuchean text. When I inspected the scriptural canon, I examined both texts thoroughly: the palm leaf corresponds with the Zheng fahua, while the Kuchean accords with the Miaofa. If Dharmarakṣa's palm leaves still had omissions, how could Kumārajīva's text have no gaps? What Dharmarakṣa lacked were the verses of the 'Universal Gateway Chapter'; what Kumārajīva lacked was half of the 'Parable of the Medicinal Herbs Chapter', the beginnings of the two chapters 'Pūrṇa' and 'Dharma Teacher', the 'Devadatta Chapter', and the verses of the 'Universal Gateway Chapter'. Moreover, Kumārajīva moved the 'Entrustment' to before the 'Bhaiṣajyarāja', and in both texts the 'Dhāraṇī' was placed after the 'Universal Gateway'. The differences and agreements between them cannot be fully recounted. I note that the 'Devadatta' and the verses of the 'Universal Gateway Chapter' were subsequently brought forth by earlier worthies to supply the omissions and circulate them. Looking up with admiration to their remaining influence, taking them as a model and standard, in the xinyou year, the first year of the Renshou era of the great Sui, at the request of the śramaṇa Shangxing of Puyao Monastery, I together with the two Tripiṭaka masters Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta re-examined the Indian palm-leaf texts at Daxingshan Monastery. The beginnings of the two chapters 'Pūrṇa' and 'Dharma Teacher' were still missing in the collated text; the 'Parable of the Medicinal Herbs Chapter' was augmented by its half; the 'Devadatta' was incorporated into the 'Jeweled Stūpa Chapter'; the 'Dhāraṇī' was placed after 'Transcendental Powers'; and the 'Entrustment' again concluded at the very end. Where words and phrases differed, they were also corrected considerably. Should anyone open and examine it, may they not harbor doubts. Although the wondrous meanings of thousands of myriads of eons are difficult to exhaust, the authentic text of the twenty-seven chapters is now complete. May the Sanskrit expressions endowed with the four analytical knowledges spread across the realm of the Divine Continent, and may the secret teaching of the One Vehicle awaken the capacities of the semblance age. I have briefly recorded this translation and prefaced it thus.