續集古今佛道論衡 1.64

1.64

闞澤對曰。靈寶者。一無氏族可憑。二無成道處所。教出山谷。無所知也。直是山居濫說。非聖人所制。吳主善答之曰。公學博精通覽無不悉。宜加太子太傅令領侍中尚書令如故。案後涼書。秦主符堅建元十九年。遣征西將軍酒泉公呂光西討龜茲國。得沙門鳩摩羅什。是龜茲國大承相之長子。呂光至涼州。聞秦主姚萇所害光遂稱帝涼治姑臧。羅什在涼州譯出大華嚴經。以自翫適至秦主姚萇子興弘始二年。至長安譯出眾經。佛法爾時大盛。當晉大興三年。安北涼州沮渠蒙遜永和二年。有沙門曇摩讖。是天竺國人。至涼州譯出眾經。至持地六度不譯戒品。謂漢地人不能持戒。隱如不譯。時有比丘披讀經文怪無元戒品。遂即行道心專求。夜夢見一道人授戒本與。比丘得戒誦持。至明。告讖曰。昨夜夢中見有法師授我戒品。恐有所忘。願與正之。讖即令比丘誦之。與本無異。讖曰。善哉善哉。大德。吾恐漢地人不能持戒。不復譯之。今大德求如得者。漢地必有持者。戒品從此流行。當晉隆安四年。自此以後。年年西國沙門傳法來者眾。非記可盡。論營記。元魏正光元年歲次庚子七月。明帝加元服大赦。二十三日請僧尼道士在佛殿前設齋。齋訖。帝語侍中劉騰。宣　勅。請法師等與道士論議。以釋弟子疑網。

Kan Ze replied, 'Regarding Lingbao: first, there is no clan lineage that can be relied upon; second, there is no place where the Way was attained. The teachings emerged from mountain valleys, and nothing is known of them. They are merely the wild assertions of mountain dwellers, not instituted by sages.' The ruler of Wu praised his response, saying, 'Your learning is vast and exquisite, and your comprehensive understanding leaves nothing unknown. It is proper to add the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, while continuing to serve as Palace Attendant and Prefect of the Masters of Writing as before.' According to the Book of Later Liang: In the nineteenth year of the Jianyuan era of the Qin ruler Fu Jian, General Who Conquers the West and Duke of Jiuquan, Lü Guang, was dispatched to campaign in the west against the kingdom of Kucha; he obtained the śramaṇa Kumārajīva, who was the eldest son of the grand prime minister of the kingdom of Kucha. When Lü Guang arrived in Liangzhou, he heard that the Qin ruler had been killed by Yao Chang; Guang thereupon declared himself emperor of Liang, governing from Guzang. While in Liangzhou, Kumārajīva translated the Great Avataṃsaka Sūtra for his own enjoyment. In the second year of the Hongshi era of the Qin ruler Yao Xing, son of Yao Chang, he arrived in Chang'an and translated various sūtras; at that time the Buddha-Dharma flourished greatly. In the third year of the Daxing era of the Jin, the second year of the Yonghe era of Juqu Mengxun, Pacifier of the North and Duke of Liangzhou, there was a śramaṇa named Dharmakṣema, a native of the country of Tianzhu; arriving in Liangzhou, he translated various sūtras. Coming to the Six Perfections of the Bodhisattva-bhūmi, he did not translate the Precepts Chapter, considering that the people of the Han land would be unable to uphold the precepts, and kept it hidden without translating it. At that time, there was a monk who, leafing through and reading the text of the sūtra, wondered why the original Precepts Chapter was absent; he thereupon practiced the Way, seeking it with focused concentration. At night, he dreamed of seeing a man of the Way who bestowed the precept text upon him; the monk received the precepts and recited and held them. At daybreak, he informed Dharmakṣema, saying, 'Last night in a dream I saw a Dharma master bestow upon me the Precepts Chapter; fearing I may have forgotten something, I wish for you to correct it.' Dharmakṣema immediately ordered the monk to recite it, and it was no different from the original text. Dharmakṣema said, 'Excellent, excellent, O Venerable One! Fearing that the people of the Han land could not uphold the precepts, I did not translate it again. Now, since you, Venerable One, have obtained it in accordance with your quest, there will surely be those who uphold them in the Han land.' The Precepts Chapter circulated from this point onward. This was in the fourth year of the Long'an era of the Jin. From this time onward, year after year, numerous śramaṇas from the western countries arrived to transmit the Dharma, too many to record completely. According to the Record of Debate: In the seventh month of the first year of the Zhengguang era of the Yuan Wei, the year gengzi, Emperor Ming capped and performed the coming-of-age ceremony, declaring a great amnesty. On the twenty-third day, he invited monks, nuns, and Daoist masters to a vegetarian feast before the Buddha hall. When the feast was concluded, the Emperor instructed Liu Teng, the Palace Attendant, to proclaim the imperial decree, requesting the Dharma masters and the Daoist masters to hold a debate, so as to dispel the net of doubts of his disciple.