傳法正宗記 9

English (machine translation) 9

Language: English

9.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Qisong of Dongshan in Tengzhou under the Song

9.2

Brief Biographies of Collateral Branches: Two Hundred and Five Persons / Brief Biographies of Lineage Attestations: Eleven Persons

9.3

Brief Biographies of Collateral Branches (with Preface)

The preface states: Good spiritual friends of collateral branches have already been recorded in other books. That they are presented again here is because they all derived from the orthodox lineage; although the direct and collateral lines differ, their Dharma is one. The Zhou dynasty enfiefed states of the same surname to honor their lineage; in the principle of affection among kin, Wen, Wu, Cheng, and Kang were the principal line. Comparing this to the direct succession from Mahākāśyapa, one can understand it. These transmissions begin with Madhyāntika and end with Chan Master Shenhui of Yizhou, totaling two hundred and five persons.

9.5

The collateral Dharma heir of the Second Patriarch, the Venerable Ānanda, was one person: Madhyāntika.

9.6

The collateral Dharma heir of the Twenty-fourth Patriarch, the Venerable Simha, was one person: Dharmatrāta.

9.7

The second generation from Simha was the Venerable Dharmatrāta, a native of Jibin whose clan name is unknown. Initially, he renounced household life under the Venerable *Varika of that country. He was remarkably intelligent and possessed wisdom and eloquence, and his virtue surpassed all the arhats. When *Varika's Dharma diverged into five schools, the Venerable [Dharmatrāta] was foremost in the Dhyāna school. In his later years, he debated with the Venerable Simha, ultimately submitted to his Way, and took him as his master. When Simha was assassinated, Dharmatrāta and his two disciples went into seclusion on Mount Xiangbai in that country. His life span was exceedingly long, exceeding the ordinary measure. The Dharma heirs he produced were two persons: one was Indra, and the other was *Kulagriva.

9.8

An appraisal states: Earlier, when I had not yet obtained corroboration in the Chu sanzang ji [ji], someone said: "I suspect that the patriarchal status ended with Simha, and his Dharma was transmitted universally; is this not just like the Sixth Patriarch, Chan Master Dajian?" I therefore once debated with him, saying: "The cessation of patriarchal status is no ordinary matter; past and future sages and worthies would certainly have spoken of it. For example, regarding the number of patriarchs ending with Dajian, there were Prajñātāra and the Great Being Bodhidharma who foretold it. Although each of the Six Patriarchs transmitted their Dharma, there were indeed [specific] individuals. If, as you say, the patriarchal succession ended with Simha, by what can you prove it? Which of the previous patriarchs ever prophesied it? And who indeed were those who divided and transmitted the Dharma? Were they to head east? Without the [right] persons, how could their Dharma have reached here? Although his collateral branch Dharmatrāta established his own lineage, those he produced were each no more than four or five persons; it was not a universal transmission. Nor has anyone ever heard of his followers propagating the Dharma eastward. If Dharmatrāta were the one who transmitted it universally, why did Dharmatrāta single out the Twenty-fifth Patriarch, saying, 'I have a fellow student named Basiasita, to whom our late master foretold and entrusted the Dharma, and he also conferred the robe as proof; he has already gone to South Tianzhu'? Why would he omit and say nothing of the other fellow students? This is not so. You should seek it through reason and not give free rein to your conjectures." He said, "If so, since Dharmatrāta revered Simha, how could he not succeed him as the orthodox patriarch, but instead defer to [Basia]sita?" I replied, "This is because the sages designated patriarchs according to suitable capacities and conditions, and also conferred the Dharma seal according to the shallowness or depth of their awakening. Just as the Fifth Patriarch transmitted it to Dajian and did not confer it upon Shenxiu—is it not so?" The interlocutor agreed. Later, I happened to acquire Sengyou's book, and my words were thoroughly confirmed. Not wishing to discard them, I have attached them to the end of Dharmatrāta's biography.

9.9

The third generation from the Venerable Simha was Indra. The Dharma heirs he produced were four persons: one was Dharmaśrīte, one was Nāganandi, one was *Varaguputra, and one was *Varaprati.

9.10

The third generation from the Venerable Simha was *Kulagriva. The Dharma heirs he produced were two persons: one was Varavarman, and the other was Sangharakṣa.

9.11

The fourth generation from the Venerable Simha was Dharmaśrīte. The Dharma heirs he produced were two persons: one was *Matiripāla, and the other was Harivarma.

9.12

The fourth generation from the Venerable Simha was *Varaguputra. The Dharma heirs he produced were three persons: one was Vasubandhu, one was *Dharmāhata, and one was Candradatta.

9.13

The fourth generation from the Venerable Simha was Varavarman. The Dharma heirs he produced were three persons: one was Ratnatāra, one was Bandhutāra, and one was *Varaprata.

9.14

The fourth generation from the Venerable Simha was Sangharakṣa. The Dharma heirs he produced were five persons: one was Viṣayatāra, one was *Virodatama, one was Bhikṣutāra, one was Upaśānta, and one was *Varānandita.

9.15

The collateral Dharma heirs of the Twenty-eighth Patriarch, the Venerable Bodhidharma (the First Patriarch of this land), were nine persons: one was Sarvadā, leader of the Characteristic-Affirming lineage; one was Prajñā, leader of the Characteristic-Free lineage; one was Varada, leader of the Samādhi-Prajñā lineage; one was the leader of the Precept Practice lineage (name lost); one was Baojing, leader of the Non-Attainment lineage; one was the leader of the Tranquility lineage (name lost); one was Daoyu; one was Daofu; and one was the nun Zongchi.

9.16

The collateral Dharma heirs of the Twenty-ninth Patriarch, the Venerable Huike (the Second Patriarch of this land), were three persons: one was Sengna, one was Upāsaka Xiang, and one was Huiman of Xiangzhou.

9.17

The second generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Huiman of Xiangzhou. The Dharma heirs he produced were six persons: one was Shending of Xianshan, one was Chan Master Baoyue, one was Upāsaka Huaxian, one was the Great Being Huagong, one was Hegong, and one was Upāsaka Liao.

9.18

The third generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Upāsaka Huaxian. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Tansui.

9.19

The fourth generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Tansui. The Dharma heirs he produced were three persons: one was Huijian of Yanling, one was Huici of Pengcheng, and one was Huigang of Dinglin.

9.20

The fifth generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Huigang. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Dajue of Liuhe.

9.21

The sixth generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Dajue. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Tanying of Gaoyou.

9.22

The seventh generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Tanying. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Minglian of Mount Tai.

9.23

The eighth generation from the Twenty-ninth Patriarch was Chan Master Minglian. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Jingtai of Yangzhou.

9.24

The collateral Dharma heir of the Thirty-first Patriarch, the Venerable Daoxin (the Fourth Patriarch of this land), was one person: Farong of Niutou.

9.25

The second generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Niutou Farong of Jinling. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Zhiyan.

9.26

The third generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Zhiyan. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Huifang.

9.27

The fourth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Huifang. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Fachi.

9.28

The fifth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Fachi. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Zhiwei.

9.29

The sixth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Zhiwei. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Huizhong.

9.30

The second generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch, Chan Master Farong, had in all ten collateral Dharma heirs: one was Tancui of Mount Zhong in Jinling, one was Dasu of Jingzhou, one was Yuekong of Youqi, one was Daoyan of Baima, one was Dingzhuang of Xin'an, one was Zhici of Pengcheng, one was Daoshu of Guangzhou, one was Zhishuang of Huzhou, one was Du Mo of Xinzhou, and one was Zhicheng of Shangyuan.

9.31

The third generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Zhiyan. His collateral Dharma heirs were eight persons: one was Jingtan of the Eastern Capital, one was Zhichang of Xiangzhou, one was Duanfu of Yizhou, one was Guiren of Longguang, one was Biancai of Xiangyang, one was Fajun of Hannan, and one was Mingu of Xichuan.

9.32

The third generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Zhicheng. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Dingzhen.

9.33

The fourth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Dingzhen. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Rudu.

9.34

The fifth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Fachi. His collateral Dharma heirs were two persons: one was Xuansu of Niutou, and the other was Hongren of Tianzhu.

9.35

The sixth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Zhiwei. His collateral Dharma heirs were three persons: one was Xuanting of Anguo in Xuanzhou, one was Xuansu of Helin in Runzhou, and one was Chonghui of Tianzhu in Shuzhou.

9.36

The seventh generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Huizhong. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Weize of Tiantai.

9.37

The seventh generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Xuansu. The Dharma heirs he produced were three persons: one was Daoqin of Mount Jingshan, one was Tanyi of Jinhua, and one was Yuanjing of Wumen.

9.38

The eighth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Daoqin, Guoyi of Mount Jingshan. The Dharma heirs he produced were four persons: one was Daolin of Niaoke, one was Chan Master Wu of Mount Muzhu, one was Guangfu of Qingyang, and one was Chonghui of Mount Jinzi in Hangzhou.

9.39

The eighth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Weize of Fokuyan in Tiantai. The Dharma heir he produced was one person: Chan Master Yunju Zhi of Tiantai.

9.40

The ninth generation from the Thirty-first Patriarch was Chan Master Niaoke Daolin of Hangzhou. The Dharma heirs he produced were two persons: one was Huitong of Zhaoxian in Hangzhou, and the other was Baoguan of Lingyan.

9.41

Ninth generation from the thirty-first patriarch: Chan Master Zhi of Mount Tiantai's Yunju. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him numbered thirty-three in all: one was Daoxing of Mount Niutou; one was Zhideng of Jiangning; one was Huaixin of Jiexuan (whether Jiexuan is the name of a mountain or a monastery is not clear); one was Chan Master Quan of Helin; one was Huaigu of Beishan; one was Guanzong of Mingzhou; one was Dazhi of Niutou; one was Shandao of Baima; one was Zhizhen of Niutou; one was Tan'yong of Niutou; one was Yuntao of Niutou; one was Chan Master Ning of Mount Niutou; one was Faliang of Niutou; one was Xingying of Jiangning; one was Huiliang of Mount Niutou; one was Daorong of Xingshan; one was Zhaoming of Mount Jiang; one was Fadeng of Niutou; one was Dingkong of Niutou; one was Huishe of Mount Niutou; one was Daoyu of Youqi; one was Ningkong of Mount Niutou; one was Daochu of Mount Jiang; one was Chan Master Youjizang; one was Linghui of Niutou; one was Daoying of Youqi; one was Juying of Niutou; one was Fachang of Shishan; one was Ningji of Longmen; one was Chan Master Yuan of Zhuangyan; one was Daojian of Xiangzhou; one was the nun Mingwu; and one was the lay practitioner Yin Jing.

9.42

Tenth generation from the thirty-first patriarch: Chan Master Huishe. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Qingyuan of Qixia in Runzhou.

9.43

The thirty-second patriarch, the Venerable Hongren (the fifth patriarch of this land), had thirteen lateral Dharma heirs: one was Shenxiu of the Northern school; one was Hui'an of Mount Song; one was Daoming of Mount Meng; one was Tanguang of Yangzhou; one was Shenzao of Suizhou; one was Fachi of Jinzhou; one was Zhizhen of Zizhou; one was Fazhao of Shuzhou; one was Yifang of Yuezhou; one was Daojun of Zhijiang; one was Xuanze of Changzhou; one was Sengda of Yuezhou; and one was Registrar Liu of Mount Baisong.

9.44

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Shenxiu. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him numbered nineteen in all: one was Jufang of Mount Wutai; one was Zhifeng of Hezhong; one was Chan Master Jiangmozang of Yanzhou; one was Daoshu of Shouzhou; one was Quanzhi of Huainan; one was Cilong of Jingzhou; one was Puji of Mount Song; one was Xiangyu of Dafo; one was Yifu of the Western Capital; one was Chan Master Huleicheng; one was Chan Master Ri of the Eastern Capital; one was Bianjing of Taiyuan; one was Yuanguan of Nanyue; one was Chan Master Du of Runan; one was Chan Master Jing of Mount Song; one was Chan Master Xiaofu of the Capital District; one was Chan Master Guan of Mount Huo in Jinzhou; one was Chonggui of Runzhou; and one was Huaikong of Anlu.

9.45

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: National Preceptor Hui'an of Mount Song. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were six persons: one was Renjian of Fuxian in the Capital of Luoyang; one was Pozhaoduo of Mount Song; one was Yuangui of Mount Song; one was Tanran of Changshan; one was Yuanji of the Capital of Ye; and one was Daoliang of the Western Capital.

9.46

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Daoming of Mount Meng. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were three persons: one was Chongji of Hongzhou; one was Chan Master Huan of Jiangxi; and one was Shenzheng of Fuzhou.

9.47

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Shenzao of Suizhou. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Zhengshou.

9.48

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Zhizhen of Zizhou. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Chuji of Zizhou.

9.49

Second generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Xuanze. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were two persons: one was Shenfei of Yixing; and one was Chan Master Chang of Huzhou.

9.50

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Jiangmozang. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were three persons: one was Jiman of the Western Capital; one was Dingzhuang of the Western Capital; and one was Huiyin of Nanyue.

9.51

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Cilong of Jingzhou. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were three persons: one was Xuanzong of Zijin; one was Chan Master Che of Damei; and one was Shenhui of Zhuanjie.

9.52

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Puji of Mount Song. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him numbered twenty-four in all: one was Weizheng of Mount Zhongnan; one was Huikong of Guangfu; one was Chan Master […] of Yuezhou; one was Chan Master Jiashisi of Xiangzhou; one was Mingzan; one was Chan Master Jing'aizhen; one was Shouxian of Yanzhou; one was Shicang of Dingzhou; one was Chengxin of Nanyue; one was Rizhao of Nanyue; one was Chan Master Gan of the Capital of Luoyang; one was Zhenliang of Suzhou; one was Chan Master Xuan of Waguan; one was Farong of Yiyang; one was Chan Master Yan of Guangling; one was Huikong of Shanzhou; one was Zhenliang of the Capital of Luoyang; one was Genyue of Zezhou; one was Tanzhen of Bozhou; one was Chongyan of Mount Duliang; one was Chan Master Cheng of the Capital District; one was Yixing of Songyang Monastery; one was Chan Master Rong of the Capital District; and one was Layman Ding of Dingtao in Caozhou.

9.53

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Yifu of the Western Capital. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were eight persons: one was Chan Master Daxiongmeng; one was Chan Master Dazhendong of the Western Capital; one was Chan Master Shenfei; one was Chan Master Dabeiguang of the Western Capital; one was Dayin of the Western Capital; one was Dingjing; one was Daobo; and one was Xuanzheng.

9.54

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Yuanguan of Nanyue. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Shenzhao.

9.55

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Xiaofu. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were three persons: one was Shenji of Lantian in the Capital District; one was Chan Master Taibaiyun; and one was Fachao of Mount Dongbai.

9.56

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Guan of Mount Huo. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Chan Master You of Mount Xian.

9.57

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Daoliang of the Western Capital. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were five persons: one was Li Xiaoyi, Grand Area Commander of Yangzhou; one was Zhang Xi, Minister of Works; one was Cui Rong, Chancellor of the Directorate of Education; one was He Zhizhang, Director of the Palace Library; and one was Kang Shen, Prefect of Muzhou.

9.58

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Chuji of Zizhou. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were four persons: one was Wuxiang of Yizhou; one was Chan Master Ma of Yizhou; one was Chan Master Chao; and one was Xiaoliao of Zizhou.

9.59

Third generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Fei of Yixing. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were two persons: one was Zhiyou of the Western Capital; and one was Shenzhi of the Eastern Capital.

9.60

Fourth generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Weizheng of Xingshan. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were two persons: one was Chan Master Dingxin of Hengzhou; and one was Chan Master Zhizhen.

9.61

Fourth generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Zhizhen of Jing'ai Monastery. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Chan Master Zhao of Mount Song.

9.62

Fourth generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Shenhui of Zhuanjie. The Dharma heir who came forth from him was one person: Chan Master Wujie.

9.63

Fourth generation from the thirty-second patriarch: Chan Master Wuxiang. The Dharma heirs who came forth from him were four persons: one was Wuzhu of Yizhou; one was Chan Master Rong of Jingzhou; one was Dhūta Wang of Hanzhou; and one was Shenhui of Yizhou.

9.64

Brief Biographies Testifying to the Lineage (With Preface)

9.65

The Preface states: The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says, 'Go further to other lands where there are the poison arrows of afflictions, manifest as patriarchs, and cure them.' It also says, 'I have entirely entrusted the unsurpassed true Dharma to Mahākāśyapa; this Kāśyapa shall serve as a great refuge for all of you.' From this, [it is clear that] our Way possessing patriarchs and an ancestral lineage is of ancient standing. Yet China and India are distant from one another, and those who transmitted it were not authentic, causing the sagely virtues not to be clearly manifest. Moreover, tyrannical rulers, jealous of goodness, destroyed and abandoned the great teaching, while Buddhist disciples were inept at composing books, falsely asserting that its patriarchs ended with the twenty-fourth generation; thus doubts were engendered in later generations, and the sagely virtues were increasingly obscured. I have often lamented this. Having recently attended to editing books, I obtained the deeds of the patriarchs and ancestral lineage narrated by various worthy figures, totaling ten accounts. Therefore, taking their authors together, I have arranged them as the Biographies Testifying to the Lineage, so it is said.

9.66

Śramaṇa Zhu Dali of the Yuezhi kingdom was a disciple of the twenty-third patriarch, Haklenayaśas. By nature naturally intelligent and perceptive, he was able to penetrate both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna teachings. In his country he was called a Tripiṭaka [master]. During the reign of Emperor Xian of the Han, he arrived in the city of Luoyang. He once collaborated with the śramaṇa Kang Mengxiang in translating the two versions of the Penqi jing. One day, a beam of white light suddenly burst forth before his lodging. Dali composed his countenance and said, 'This light is a sign that my master Haklenayaśas has entered nirvāṇa.' The assembly marveled at this and thereupon reported it to the Emperor, who immediately ordered it recorded. At that time it was the yichou year. Soon after, he traveled south of the Yangtze River. It happened that Sun Quan had proclaimed himself king in Jiankang and was just turning toward the Buddha-Dharma; he had established monasteries and paid reverent homage to the śramaṇa Kang Senghui in his state. When Senghui first met Dali, he did not treat him with much courtesy; soon, through their question and answer, they came to hold each other in high esteem. Thereupon [Senghui] asked, 'Under what teacher did you, benevolent sir, attain such ability?' Dali said, 'My teacher is Haklenayaśas; thus I attained this wondrous awakening, penetrating the minds of others.' Senghui asked, 'Among Haklena's disciples, how many possess sharp wisdom like yours, Master? And are there any who surpass you?' Dali said, 'Those like myself number three thousand. But as for one whose brilliant penetration is beyond comparison, there is only one superior man, named Monk Siṃha. He secretly received the true Dharma and succeeded to the lineage after the master, and is presently spreading the transformation throughout North India.' Senghui then ushered him to an audience with the Ruler of Wu, praising his extraordinary qualities. The Ruler of Wu then asked Dali, 'I have unworthily come to possess this land. How long shall the destiny of my state endure?' Dali then spoke a verse in reply, saying: / 'Eating rice in the clear night; / Running in combat amidst the clouds. / At the end of the fourteenth year, / You will surely encounter the pig's snout.' / At the time, Sun Quan did not comprehend his words, yet still treated him with great courtesy. Dali remained in Wu for a long time. When Sun Quan passed away and his son Sun Liang ascended the throne, they met and questioned each other even more, and all his words proved verified by events. Soon after, in the gengchen year during the reign of Sun Xiu, Dali returned once more to the Western Regions.

9.67

The śramaṇa Dharmakāla of Central India arrived in Xuchang in the third year (the renyin year) of the Huangchu era of the Wei. Observing at first that the monks' deportment was untidy, he lamented it greatly, considering that they did not know the monastic law. At that time, there was a monk in Xuchang named Guangcan, who was superior among that assembly and capable of treating him well; he then paid homage and asked Dharmakāla: "What superior masters did the master see in the Western countries? What Dharma did they use to maintain the lineage? Pray instruct me." Dharmakāla said: "In the Western lands there are two great and superior monks: one is named Manorhita, and the second is named Haklenayaśas. I have paid homage to and met both. Both great beings transmitted the true Dharma and maintained the lineage by means of the Dharma. Few among those in their assemblies were not dignified and orderly. Moreover, both great beings attained the holy path, and their extraordinary virtues could not be measured. Manorhita, while originally in the country of Nadī, once used his supernatural power to strike his belly, thereby subduing a million fierce elephants. When he left household life, he taught and transformed people in Western India; in that country, his identification of stūpas and pointing out of springs were all efficacious (the matter is detailed in his biography). Haklenayaśas was his disciple who succeeded to his generation. He greatly promoted Buddhist endeavors in the country of Central India. When he entered quiescent extinction, the fourfold assembly cremated him and were about to divide his relics, but Haklenayaśas manifested again, preached a gāthā to admonish them, and would not allow them to be divided (the gāthā is also detailed in his biography)." Guangcan asked: "Was his extinction long ago or recent?" Dharmakāla said: "It has been twelve years." Guangcan said: "Is the calendar of the Western countries somewhat the same as here?" Dharmakāla said: "Although the designations differ, the seasons do not vary." He then spoke about the calendrical calculations of the Five Indias, and so forth. Dharmakāla also soon returned to the West. Guangcan thereupon transmitted these matters, and later authors of monastic biographies were able to record them.

9.68

The śramaṇa Zhi Jianglianglou of the country of Central India was truly a person of unfathomable spiritual attainment. He arrived in Luoyang during the era of Cao Huan, Prince of Chenliu in the former Wei. At first he lodged at Baima Monastery; this was in the xinsi year, the second year of the Jingyuan era. At that time, the Wei imperial house was in peril. Cao Huan and his associates were anxious about it; hearing that Zhi Jiang was an extraordinary monk, they repeatedly consulted him about the prosperity and decline of their state. Zhi Jiang then recited a gāthā for Cao Huan, saying: "Two lords rely on empty thrones; / A macaque stands right in the road. / Five men embrace a single cock; / When the cock crows, the monkey will not let go." And when Cao Huan departed, Zhi Jiang again recited a gāthā, saying: "Two men depart on good terms; / Two by two, peaceful for years. / A maiden is born in Henei; / Crimson wheels ascend the altar." Although at that time they did not understand his words, later they were all verified. Soon after, he met with Dharmasatya, Saṅghavarman, and Tan Songbai, who invited various śramaṇas to translate various sūtras. One day, Zhi Jiang said to the monks: "When I was in the West, I once went to the country of Jibin, arrived at the source of Congtu, and entered its Xiangbai Mountain. Having traveled extremely far, I suddenly saw a thatched hut; the monk residing there was very old, and he had a disciple who served him. I went forward and bowed to him, and then asked him: 'Benevolent one, how long have you lived here? What is your name?' The monk said: 'I am named Dharmatā. I was originally a person of Northern India. At first, I received instruction from the bhikṣu Pārika; later, I met the Venerable Simha, who became my master of transcendental liberation. Since King Mihirakula instigated calamity and brutally murdered Simha, I have hidden here, having long cut off contact with the human world. How could I have expected to meet you again?' Having already heard of his name, I respected him even more upon this meeting. I further asked about the Venerable Simha: 'I truly know that he was murdered without guilt, but to what school and vehicle did the Dharma he transmitted belong? I was just wishing to investigate its origin, but have never succeeded. Now that I have fortunately met you, benevolent one, may I hear of it?' Dharmatā said: 'Long ago, the Tathāgata used the vehicle of teachings to transmit widely to all the sages, but entrusted only the subtle and wondrous true Dharma of the mind-seal of the supreme vehicle to Mahākāśyapa. It was passed down from generation to generation to our Venerable Simha. However, Simha knew that he himself would not escape the calamity; while he was still alive, he entrusted it beforehand to my fellow student named Vāśasita, and also bestowed the robe as a token of faith. Vāśasita followed the master's command at that time and immediately went to transform people in Southern India.' Zhi Jiang agreed with him, saying: 'I also once met this master (Vāśasita) in Southern India.' He then translated the patriarchal matters together with the various śramaṇas. Thus, from the Seven Buddhas down to the twenty-fifth patriarch Vāśasita was translated by this Zhi Jianglianglou. The śramaṇa Poluofenduo of Central India was also an unfathomable and miraculous person. Some said that his previous body was a dragon, and that he attained his present birth through listening to sūtras. In the gengwu year, the second year of the Jiaping era of the Prince of Qi, he arrived in Luoyang. Many monks of Luoyang received the full precepts anew from him. When the yiyou year, the first year of the Taishi era of Emperor Wu of the Jin, arrived, he met his disciple named Mojatuo, who came again. Fenduo then asked him: 'When you were in the West, did you travel much in Northern India? Some say that the Venerable Simha was guiltlessly slaughtered by his king; is this true? Is there again someone who transmits the Dharma who has succeeded him?' Mojatuo said: 'It is so. It has now been twenty-three years since Simha was executed. There is a śramaṇa named Vāśasita, originally a man of the country of Jibin, who had obtained his transmission of the Dharma and bestowal of the robe before the calamity, and departed that very day. He is currently greatly flourishing Buddhist endeavors in Central India. The king of that country, Jiasheng, holds him in great esteem. Even outside paths with powerful eloquence are all subdued by him. He and the king identified the Karma Spring in his park; the people of the country marveled at him, and also called him Boluotuona (the matter appears in his biography).' Fenduo said to his disciple: 'I also knew of this; testing your words just now, they truly agree.' At that time, interested persons wrote it down at Baima Monastery. Later, there was a śramaṇa called Dharma Master Xianlang who obtained it at that monastery and transmitted it to the world (because Fenduo arrived in the central land during the era of the Prince of Qi, he should have been listed before Zhi Jiang, but because he first became prominent in the Taishi era of the Jin, he is placed next).

9.69

Buddhabhadra was a man of Tianzhu. Here [in Chinese] this means "Awakened Virtue." His original surname was Śākya, being a descendant of King Amṛtodana. He left household life at a young age, was ordained as a śrāmaṇera in his native country, and studied under the great dhyāna master Buddhasena. He was extremely intelligent and skilled; his study and recitation in a single day matched what others did in a month. He took upon himself especially the enterprise of dhyāna. He once traveled to the country of Jibin with Saṅghadatta. At first, Datta could not fathom what kind of person he was. One day, while Datta was sitting in dhyāna in a secluded chamber, he suddenly saw Bhadra in front of him; startled, he asked: "Where did you come from?" Bhadra said: "I temporarily went to Tuṣita to pay respects to Maitreya." He then vanished and became invisible. Datta marveled at him. On another day, he questioned him about this, and thereby learned that he had already attained the fruit of non-returning (anāgāmin). It happened that the Qin monk Zhiyan was also in Jibin; Yan then earnestly requested Bhadra to come with him to the Chinese lands to transmit and teach the dhyāna method. His teacher Buddhasena was also in Jibin at the time, and therefore said to Zhiyan: "The person to propagate and uphold the dhyāna method is Bhadra." He then came east with Zhiyan. When he first arrived in Chang'an, he met with Kumārajīva on very good terms. He once said to Master Jīva: "Your explanations do not surpass the expectations of men, yet you attain such high renown—why is this?" Jīva said: "It is only because of my advanced age; why must it be worthy of praise?" Bhadra's discourses were mostly lofty and concise, and were rather envied by Jīva's followers. Later, because he himself stated that he had clairvoyantly seen five ships arriving from his home country, and his disciple furthermore declared that he had attained the fruit of anāgāmin on his own, Bhadra did not immediately examine and question it, and thereby invited slander. The Qin monks regarded Bhadra as deceitful; the assembly then ostracized him and would not allow him to dwell with them. That very day, Bhadra went south past the passes with his disciple Huiguan and others to Mount Lu. Dharma Master Huiyuan, who had long heard of his renown, treated Bhadra with great hospitality when he saw him arrive. He then sent a letter to the King of Qin to have his ostracism lifted. He then requested Bhadra to produce his dhyāna sūtra and translated it together; when the translation was completed, Yuan composed a preface for it. He then asked Bhadra: "How many patriarchs in all have transmitted the Dharma in Tianzhu?" Bhadra said: "The patriarchal masters who transmitted the Dharma in the Western lands, directly inherited from Mahākāśyapa down to the present, total twenty-seven persons. The twenty-sixth patriarch passed into extinction in recent times, named Punyamitra; his disciple who succeeded to his generation is named Prajñātāra, who is currently propagating teachings extensively in Southern India. I once met him (because Prajñā was still alive and Dharmatrāta had not yet succeeded to the generation as patriarch, he was not mentioned; what the Baolin zhuan states about Bhadra speaking of the patriarchal matters is entirely identical to this)." It happened that he went west to Jiangling, so Master Yuan did not have time to put it into writing. Later, when Grand Defender Liu Yu concluded his garrison post in Jingzhou, Bhadra accompanied him back to the capital. He resided at Daochang Monastery, and passed away at that monastery in the sixth year of the Yuanjia era at the age of seventy-one.

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Sengyou was originally a man of the Qi; when he submitted to the Liang, he was renowned for upholding the vinaya. He once composed the Chu sanzang ji [ji]. His catalog of the lineage succession of the Sarvāstivāda school stated: Boluotuoluo (twenty-fifth patriarch), Funuomituo (twenty-sixth patriarch), Burotuoluo (twenty-seventh patriarch), and Dharmatrāta (twenty-eighth patriarch). You soon passed away under the Liang.

9.71

The Jibin monk Narendrayaśas arrived at the capital city of Ye during the reign of Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei, devoting himself exclusively to translation. When the Gao clan replaced the Wei and declared [the Northern] Qi, Yaśas translated even more sūtras. Earlier, together with the retired scholar Wan Tianyi, he translated the Zunsheng pusa wuliangmen tuoluoni jing. Tianyi once asked Yaśas: 'Are there any great beings in the Western Regions who uphold this teaching?' Yaśas replied: 'The twenty-seven great beings among the patriarchs of the Western lands all upheld it as well. However, the twenty-seventh patriarch was named Prajñātāra, and his Dharma-inheriting disciple was called Dharmatrāta. Formerly, in the first year of Zhengguang under Emperor Ming of this [Northern Wei dynasty], he arrived here at Luoyang. This man was also well versed in this sūtra.' Wan Tianyi asked: 'Indeed, I have also heard that this great being held the patriarchal seat and transmitted the Buddha's true Dharma. I do not know, however, if there were any successors after him?' Yaśas then spoke a verse in response to Tianyi: / 'The [teaching of] Zunsheng now conceals the ancient; / It has no arms, yet it has arms. / Only when the dragon arrives are the jewels received; / Receiving the thing, he yet disdains the name.' / Tianyi asked again as before. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'At the beginning, he does not declare his name; / Wild like the wind, he yet makes a sound. / When people come, they take no pleasure in seeing him; / The white jewel is at first level and plain.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'Arising of itself, it seeks non-obstruction; / Transmitted by the master, I set the guideline. / On the road he meets a monk and bows; / Beneath his feet six branches arise.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'Three and four, gold without self; / Across the water he receives the lamp of the mind. / His honorable title surpasses all measures; / Though in vain they rage, he stirs no hatred.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'Receiving the thing, when was it ever received? / Speaking of diligence, yet not diligent. / Only writing a four-line verse, / To encourage the people of the auspicious field.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'Within the mind he can harbor things, / Speaking toward the shores of the Han River. / Reaching into the lake's waves for a moon, / It will shine upon two or three people.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas spoke another verse: / 'Receiving the precious and earnest words, / Departing his homeland, he spreads them day by day. / Rice and grain move to the nearby road; / The remaining reckoning is for the fellows of foot and sky.' / Tianyi asked again. Yaśas said: 'What was recorded before indicates that virtuous men of the state will be born between times; I will say no more about it. Yet as for the affairs after them, I will record them for you together in six verses.' The first reads: / 'In the Gen direction the profound intent is born; / Communicating with the honored, the flattering is also honored. / Shoulder to shoulder with the three times nine lineages; / Beneath their feet one village is divided.' / The second reads: / 'Numen gathered, ashamed before Heaven's grace; / Giving birth to fangs, two times six men. / Within the Dharma there is no flavor; / Upon the stone there is merit and accomplishment.' / The third reads: / 'Originally the son of a tiger, / Turning around, he makes the lion's roar. / The court bestows a title upon Feng Mountain; / Together considering the thirty-three.' / The fourth reads: / 'Nine daughters transcend human relations; / Eight individuals cut off marriage. / To the rotten couch six legs are added; / The mind-patriarch is honored among the crowd.' / The fifth reads: / 'Running Wu borders the tide; / The offspring of the crow takes his leave. / Though the two heavens have resonance; / The three transformations are tranquil, without dust.' / The sixth reads: / 'Speaking of few, when was it ever few? / Speaking of flow, yet it does not flow. / If the grass has its head removed, / Three and four cultivate in succession at the gate.' / He further said to Tianyi: 'Two hundred and eighty years after my parinirvāṇa, there will be a great king in this land who will govern his people well. Customs will be peaceful and happy. The sages and worthies recorded before will all appear in succession, greatly benefiting all living beings. Yet it is because one supreme master first opened the gate of nectar that matters will subsequently be like this.' Wan Tianyi then followed Yaśas in translating these prophetic verses. Yaśas also brought out his account concerning the twenty-seven patriarchs and the successor disciple of Prajñātāra, the twenty-eighth patriarch Bodhidharma, and verified it with Tianyi (the title given to the book at that time has been lost). Soon after, Yaśas wandered off alone to Mount Lu and passed into extinction in the mountains. Later, Emperor Jianwen of the Liang heard of this, and accordingly dispatched the envoy Liu Xianyuan to the Qi to obtain this book and return with it to the realm. He decreed that the monk Baochang should compile it into the Xu faji. (Emperor Jianwen of the Liang reigned for only a little over a year when the Qi was established before he died. Moreover, his demise occurred during the violent rebellion of a treacherous minister; did he have the leisure to seek out Dharma matters? Could it be that before this, through an embassy sent to the north, he had already obtained this book? Furthermore, the date when Baochang composed the Xu faji is not found, so I still doubt it. It is merely that the text was transmitted from the north to the south, and its transmission had an origin; I tentatively follow the old records and write it down.) Thus, from the Seven Buddhas down to the twenty-eighth patriarch Bodhidharma, it was translated by this Narendrayaśas. As for the monk Jiana of the Western Regions, it is unknown which country he was actually from, nor is it clear when he reached China. During the Tianbao era of the Tang, it happened that Li Chang, Governor of Henan, obtained the relics of the Third Patriarch, Great Master Can. He then assembled monks at his house and held a vegetarian banquet to dedicate them, and Jiana was among them. Li Chang thereupon asked Jiana: 'How many patriarchs are there in the Indian Chan lineage?' Jiana said: 'From Kāśyapa directly down to Prajñātāra, there are twenty-seven patriarchs. If one lists the collateral branch of the Venerable Siṃha, the twenty-two individuals over four generations from Dharmatrāta, there are forty-nine patriarchs in total. If counted from the Seven Buddhas down to this Great Master Can, not including the collateral branches, there are thirty-seven patriarchs.' Chang also asked the other monks at the gathering: 'I have often seen patriarch charts that cite more than fifty patriarchs, and as for their branch lineages, they vary greatly, their clans are unfixed, or they have only empty names. Why is this so?' It happened that a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch named Chan Master Zhiben replied: 'This was because during the Later Wei dynasty, the Buddha-Dharma was suppressed and destroyed. At that time, a monk named Tanyao, in the midst of the emergency, simply recorded the names of the various patriarchs, having no time to transcribe them completely. Holding them in his bosom, he fled into the mountains and marshes. By the time Emperor Wencheng of the Wei restored the teachings, thirty years had elapsed. When Emperor Xiaowen came to the throne, Tanyao was promoted to Controller of Monks. Soon after, he brought out these matters and gave them to the assembly of monks to edit, titling it the Fu fazang zhuan. The errors and omissions began with what Tanyao caused.' Later, Jiana's final end was not known.

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Pei Xiu, styled Gongmei, served the Tang dynasty. During the Huichang era, as Vice Minister of War and Censor-in-Chief with the rank of Tong Pingzhangshi, he was celebrated as a famous chancellor. In composing the Dharma Transmission Stele for Master Mi of Guifeng, he wrote: 'Śākyamuni Tathāgata finally entrusted the Dharma-eye to Mahākāśyapa, ordering it to be transmitted from patriarch to patriarch to circulate separately in the world; it was not that he favored Kāśyapa and excluded humans, devas, śrāvakas, and bodhisattvas. From Mahākāśyapa down to Bodhidharma, there were twenty-eight generations in total. Bodhidharma transmitted it to Ke; Ke transmitted it to Can; Can transmitted it to Xin; Xin transmitted it to Ren; Ren transmitted it to Neng as the Sixth Patriarch.'

9.73

Liu Xu, styled Yaoyuan, was a native of Guiyi in Zhuozhou. In the Tianyou era, he first entered service as a Military Administrator. At the beginning of the Kaiyun era, he was appointed Minister of Works (Sikong) and Pingzhangshi, and also supervised the compilation of the National History. Therefore, in composing the biography of Shenxiu in the Tangshu, he wrote: 'Formerly, at the end of the Later Wei, there was a monk named Bodhidharma, originally a prince of a state in Tianzhu. He left the household to protect the state, entered the Southern Sea, and attained the marvelous Dharma of the Chan school. Transmitted from Śākyamuni, there were the robe and bowl as tokens, which were conferred from generation to generation. When he first arrived, he went to Liang to visit Emperor Wu. The Emperor questioned him about conditioned affairs; Bodhidharma was not pleased, and so went to the Wei, retiring to Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song, where he died. In that year, the Wei envoy Song Yun, returning across the Congling Mountains, saw him. His disciples opened his tomb, but found only his robe and shoes. Bodhidharma transmitted it to Huike; Huike transmitted it to Sengcan; Sengcan transmitted it to Daoxin; Daoxin transmitted it to Hongren; Hongren transmitted it to Huineng and Shenxiu.' Xu died with the rank of Grand Protector (Taibao) under the Song.

9.74

Record of the Orthodox Lineage of the Dharma Transmission, Fascicle 9 (End).

Linked texts (1)

傳法正宗記 — Classical Chinese