三寶感應要略錄 2.84

2.84

玄奘法師。本名褘俗姓陳。以貞觀三年。杖錫道路。每日誦般若心經三七遍。作是誓言。貧道為求大法。發趣西方。若不至婆羅門國。終不東歸。縱死中塗。非所悔也。誠重勞輕。乘厄涉嶮。周遊西宇十有七年。耳目見聞百三十八箇國。若有留難處。誦般若心經。及念觀世音。必免怖畏。十九年正月。方始旋返。屆于長安。所獲經論六百五十七部。三藏自云。皆是般若心經。及觀音力也矣。

Dharma Master Xuanzang was originally named Yi, with the secular surname Chen. In the third year of Zhenguan, he set out with his pilgrim's staff upon the road, reciting the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya-sūtra twenty-one times daily. He made this vow: "In order to seek the Great Dharma, this poor monk sets forth to the west. If I do not reach the Brahmin Land, I shall never return to the east. Even if I die midway, I shall have no regret." His sincerity was deep and his toil felt light; mounting hardships and treading steep paths, he traveled throughout the Western Realms for seventeen years, personally seeing and hearing of one hundred and thirty-eight kingdoms. Wherever there were difficulties or hindrances, reciting the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya-sūtra and being mindful of Avalokiteśvara would unfailingly save him from fright and dread. In the first month of the nineteenth year, he finally returned and reached Chang'an. The scriptures and treatises he obtained totaled six hundred and fifty-seven works. The Tripiṭaka master himself said, "All of this was due to the power of the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya-sūtra and Avalokiteśvara."