傳法正宗定祖圖 1.2

1.2

原夫菩提達磨。實佛氏一教之二十八祖也。與乎大迦葉。乃釋迦文如來。直下之相承者也。傳之中國。年世積遠。譜諜差謬。而學者寡識。不能推詳其本。真遂不諒。紛然異論。古今頗爾。契嵩平生以此為大患。適考其是非正其宗祖。其書垂出。會頒祖師傳法授衣之圖。布諸天下。而學佛者雖皆榮之。猶聽瑩未諭上意。契嵩幸此。竊謂識者曰。吾佛以正法要為一大教之宗。以密傳受為一大教之祖。其宗乃聖賢之道源。天地生靈之妙本也。其祖乃萬世學戒定慧者之大範。十二部說之真驗也。自書傳亂之曖昧漫漶。天下疑之幾千百載矣。今上大聖。特頒圖以正其宗祖。然聖人教道。必聖人乃能正之。是豈唯萬世佛氏之徒之大幸也。亦天地生靈者之大幸也。契嵩因不避其僭越愚妄之誅。敢昧死引其舊事。推衍上聖意。仰箋乎祖圖。亦先所頒祖師傳法授衣之謂也。然其始亂吾宗祖。熒惑天下學者。莫若乎付法藏傳。正其宗祖斷萬世之諍者。莫若乎禪經。禪經乃先乎付法傳。六十二載始終備。二十八祖。已見於晉之世矣。付法傳乃真君廢教之後。缺然但謂二十四世。方見乎魏之時耳。適以禪經驗。而付法藏傳果其謬也。若如來獨以正法眼藏密付乎大迦葉者。則現之涅槃經智度論禪經。與其序也。以意求之。而佛之微旨存焉。上睿性高妙。獨得乎言謂之外。是乃天資佛記也。故其發揮禪祖。雅與經合。宜乎垂之萬世。永為定斷三學。佛子遵之仰之。天下不復疑也。其圖所列。自釋迦文佛大迦葉。至乎曹溪第六祖大鑒禪師。凡三十四位。又以儒釋之賢其言吾宗祖。素有證據者十位。列于諸祖之左。謹隨其傳法正宗記。詣闕上進。塵黷宸眷。不任惶恐震懼之至。謹序。

Now, Bodhidharma was truly the twenty-eighth patriarch of the Buddha's unique teaching. Together with Mahākāśyapa, they are the direct successors descending from Śākyamuni Tathāgata. When it was transmitted to China, the passage of years and generations accumulated into great distance, and genealogical records fell into error. Students, having meager knowledge, could not trace and scrutinize its origins. The truth was consequently not believed, and divergent opinions arose in abundance, which has been quite the case from antiquity to the present. Throughout his life, Qisong considered this a great distress. He happened to examine the right and wrong and rectify the lineage of patriarchs. Just as his book was about to be completed, it coincided with the promulgation throughout the empire of the imperial chart depicting the patriarchs transmitting the Dharma and conferring the robe. Although those who study Buddhism all took pride in this, they still listened indistinctly without comprehending the sovereign's intent. Qisong rejoiced at this, and privately said to those of understanding: "Our Buddha took the essentials of the true Dharma as the principle of the one great teaching, and took the secret transmission and reception as the patriarchs of the one great teaching. This principle is indeed the source of the Way of the sages and worthies, and the wondrous origin of Heaven, Earth, and living beings. These patriarchs are indeed the great model for ten thousand generations of those who cultivate precepts, samādhi, and wisdom, and the true verification of the teachings of the twelve divisions of scripture. Ever since books and transmissions fell into disorderly obscurity and corruption, the world has doubted this for nearly hundreds and thousands of years. Today, the supreme Great Sage has specially promulgated the chart to rectify its patriarchal lineage. However, regarding the sage's teaching of the Way, it is certainly only a sage who can rectify it. How could this be only the great good fortune of the Buddha's followers for ten thousand generations? It is also the great good fortune of Heaven, Earth, and living beings!" Qisong therefore, without avoiding the punishment for his presumption and foolish arrogance, dared to risk death in citing the old matters, elaborating upon the supreme sage's intention, and reverently composing this commentary to the Patriarch Chart, which also refers to the chart of the patriarchs transmitting the Dharma and conferring the robe previously promulgated. Yet, among those things that first threw our patriarchal lineage into disorder and bewildered the empire's scholars, none surpasses the Fufazang zhuan. Among those things that rectify its patriarchal lineage and cut off ten thousand generations of dispute, none surpasses the Chan scripture. The Chan scripture precedes the Fufazang zhuan; sixty-two years earlier, its beginning and end were already complete, and the twenty-eight patriarchs had already appeared during the Jin dynasty. The Fufazang zhuan appeared only after Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei (Emperor Zhenjun) abolished the teaching, defectively claiming only twenty-four generations, and only then appeared during the Wei dynasty. When tested against the Chan scripture, the Fufazang zhuan is indeed shown to be erroneous. As for the Tathāgata's secretly transmitting the treasury of the true Dharma eye exclusively to Mahākāśyapa, this is manifested in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the Da zhidu lun, the Chan scripture, and its preface. If one seeks it with inner comprehension, the Buddha's subtle purport is present therein. His Majesty's sagacious nature is lofty and wondrous, uniquely apprehending what lies beyond words. This is truly a natural endowment and a prophecy of the Buddha. Therefore, his elucidation of the Chan patriarchs conforms elegantly with the scriptures, and it is fitting that it be handed down for ten thousand generations as an eternal, definitive judgment on the three trainings. The Buddha's disciples follow and revere it, and the world no longer doubts. Those listed in the chart, from Śākyamuni Buddha and Mahākāśyapa down to the Sixth Patriarch, Chan Master Dajian of Caoxi, total thirty-four figures. In addition, there are ten worthies of Confucianism and Buddhism whose words regarding our patriarchal lineage have traditionally had evidential backing, who are arranged to the left of the various patriarchs. Respectfully following the Chuanfa zhengzong ji, I proceed to the imperial palace to submit this, troubling the sovereign's attention, unable to bear the utmost fear and trepidation. Respectfully prefaced.