傳法正宗記 9.68

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).