English (machine translation)

Translation of 續集古今佛道論衡

Language: English
Extent: 74 passages, 11,490 words
Text: complete digital text
Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.2105 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

1 — 74 parts

Text

1.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Zhisheng of West Chongfu Temple of the Great Tang.

1.2

Drawn from the Book of the Later Han, "Biographies", Chapter 78.

According to the Han faben neizhuan: In the Yongping reign period of Emperor Ming, [the Emperor] dreamed by night of a sixteen-foot golden man, whose radiant light was extraordinary and whose physical appearance was peerless. Emperor Ming awoke and felt uneasy. At dawn he assembled the multitude of ministers to divine the dream. The knowledgeable Fu Yi presented an answer, saying: "Your servant has heard that in the Western Regions there is a spirit named 'Buddha'. What Your Majesty dreamed must surely be this." Wang Zun, an erudite of the National University, respectfully replied, saying: "Your servant notes that the Zhoushu yiji states that during the time of King Zhao of Zhou, a sage appeared in the west." The Grand Astrologer Su You replied: "The records say that after a thousand years, the sounds of his teachings would reach this land. What Your Majesty dreamed must definitely be this." Emperor Ming believed it to be so, and immediately dispatched the Gentleman of the Palace Cai Yin, along with the Palace Commander Qin Jing, the Erudite Wang Zun, and others—eighteen persons in all—to search for the Buddha's Dharma. Reaching the country of Tianzhu, they saw two śramaṇas, Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna. Qin Jing and the others then made requests to them. Mātaṅga and [Dharmaratna] vowed to propagate [the teachings] widely and did not shrink from weariness and hardship. Together with Qin Jing and the others, they braved the shifting sands and arrived in Luoyang. Emperor Ming was greatly pleased and treated them with deep respect. He immediately established a vihāra west of Luoyang, which is the present Baima Temple. It was originally named thus because a white horse had borne the scriptures [there]. When Mātaṅga and [Dharmaratna] arrived, they translated various scriptures. These two were the beginning of the Saṅgha in the land of Han. The scriptures were the beginning of the Dharma in the land of Han. Furthermore, an image of Śākyamuni had been the fourth copy made by an artisan of King Udayana's image. Emperor Ming thereupon ordered it to be painted and copied, and offerings to be made according to the Dharma. This was the beginning of the Buddha in the land of Han.

1.4

On the eleventh day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of Yongping, Emperor Ming held a vegetarian feast and practiced the Way at Baima Temple. The Emperor asked the Dharma Master Mātaṅga: "Can the days and months of the Buddha's birth, teaching the world, and extinction be known?" The Dharma Master replied: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the guichou year, the Buddha night-entrusted his womb to Lady Māyā. On the eighth day of the fourth month of the jiayin year, in the Lumbinī Grove in Kapilavastu, he was born from his mother's right side. According to the Zhoushu yiji: On the eighth day of the fourth month in the jiayin year, the twenty-fourth year of the reign of King Zhao of Zhou, the rivers, springs, and pools suddenly surged and flooded, and the water in the wells all overflowed. The palaces, human dwellings, mountains, rivers, and the great earth all shook. That night, five-colored radiant vapor pierced the Supreme Subtlety [enclosure] and pervaded the four directions, turning entirely blue-green and red. King Zhao of Zhou asked the Grand Astrologer Su You: 'What omen is this?' Su You replied: 'A sage has been born in the west; therefore this auspicious sign has appeared.' King Zhao asked: 'What will become of All-under-Heaven?' Su You said: 'For the moment there is nothing; beyond a thousand years, the sounds of his teachings will reach this land.' King Zhao thereupon sent men to engrave stone to record it, burying it in front of the Heaven Shrine on the southern suburb. At this time, the Buddha was born in the royal palace. In the renshen year, at the age of nineteen, he went forth from the household."

1.5

"The Master of the Han Lineage says: The Buddha went forth at nineteen, corresponding to the renshen year, the forty-second year of King Zhao of Zhou. He attained the Way at thirty. The Master of the Han Lineage says: The Buddha attained the Way at thirty, in the guiwei year, the second year of King Mu of Zhou. Facing south, he transformed the world for forty-nine years. The Master of the Han Lineage says: The Buddha appeared in the world to transform beings for forty-nine years. According to the Zhoushu yiji: In the thirty-second year of the reign of King Mu of Zhou, radiant vapor was seen in the west. Having previously inquired into what Su You recorded, it was known that a sage was living and teaching in the west. King Mu did not fathom its principle, and feared that it was not fitting for the way of Zhou; he ordered the Minister of State, the Marquis of Lü, to go west to assemble the feudal lords at Mount Tu in order to ward off the anomaly of the light. At this time, the Buddha's Dharma had already been long in the world. On the fifteenth day of the second month in the renshen year, he drew near to parinirvāṇa. The Master of the Han Lineage says: The Buddha entered nirvāṇa, corresponding to the renshen year, the fifty-second year of King Mu of Zhou."

1.6

"According to the Zhoushu yiji: On the fifteenth day of the second month in the renshen year, the fifty-second year of the reign of King Mu of Zhou, at dawn a violent wind suddenly arose, destroying human dwellings and snapping trees. The mountains, rivers, and the great earth all shook. After noon, the sky turned dark; in the west there was a white rainbow forming twelve bands passing from south to north, not extinguishing throughout the night. King Mu asked the Grand Astrologer Hu Duo: 'What portent is this?' Hu Duo replied: 'A sage in the west has passed into extinction; signs of decline have appeared.' King Mu was greatly pleased and said: 'I was always afraid of him; now he is about to pass into extinction, what should I worry about?' At this time, the Buddha entered nirvāṇa. Counting from the Buddha's entrance into nirvāṇa until now, it is altogether one thousand and twenty-two years." Emperor Ming was greatly pleased and said: "The Zhoushu yiji of my disciples' land and what the Dharma Master has spoken are precisely identical." The Emperor further asked the Dharma Master: "The Buddha was the King of Great Compassion. When he appeared in the world at that time, why did his transformation not reach this land?" The Dharma Master replied: "The country of Kapilavastu is at the center of the ten billion suns and moons of the great trichiliocosm; all Buddhas of the three periods of time are born there. Heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, and spirits with the power of vow and practice are likewise all born there to receive the Buddha's True Dharma, and all attain awakening. Sentient beings in other places have no karmic connection to move the Buddha, so the Buddha did not go there. Though he did not go to those places at that time, his radiance reached all of them. For those reached by the radiance, either five hundred years or beyond a thousand years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa, there will always be sages to transmit the sounds of the Buddha's teachings and transform them." Emperor Ming said: "The Dharma Master's statement that beyond a thousand years there would be the sounds of his teachings is also identical with the Zhoushu yiji." According to what the Great Lineage Dharma Master Dharmottara of the Qi state replied to the various Dharma masters of the Koguryŏ state: The Buddha was born on the eighth day of the fourth month in the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao of Zhou, and entered parinirvāṇa on the fifteenth day of the second month in the fifth year of King Xiao of Zhou.

1.7

According to the Diwang shiji: King Zhao of Zhou died after reigning for fifty-one years; King Mu of Zhou died after reigning for fifty-five years; King Gong of Zhou died after reigning for twelve years; and King Yi died after twenty-five years. Counting from the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao to the fifth year of King Xiao, it is altogether one hundred and twenty-four years. Counting from the Buddha's first birth to his entrance into nirvāṇa, it is altogether seventy-nine years. Now to say the fifth year of King Xiao, how exceedingly erroneous! It is not known from what text the Lineage Master drew this.

1.8

According to traditional worldly records: The True Dharma lasts five hundred years; the Semblance Dharma lasts one thousand years; the Final Dharma lasts ten thousand years. The sūtra says: 'Ceasing of function is called extinction; it is not death.' One edition lacks the Semblance Dharma, having only a record of the two Dharmas, True and Final. Counting from the Buddha's entrance into nirvāṇa to the tenth year of Yongping of Emperor Ming of the Han, it is altogether one thousand and twenty years. Counting from the tenth year of Yongping of Emperor Ming of the Han to the jiashu year, the tenth year of Daye, it is altogether five hundred and forty-eight years; making one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight years in total. From the tenth year of Daye to the bingshen year, the tenth year of Zhenguan, is twenty-two years; combined with the preceding, it is one thousand five hundred and ninety years.

1.9

Han faben neizhuan, Chapter Three: The Chapter on the Deliverance of the Daoist Masters

1.10

On the first day of the first month of the fourteenth year of Yongping of Emperor Ming, during the court assembly for the New Year of the Daoist masters from the temples of the various mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks, they had previously heard that the capital had obtained the Buddha's original [texts] from Tianzhu in the Western Regions, saying it was the teaching of the sūtras, and had further invited the barbarian masters Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna to translate the Buddha's original [texts], following the Han language throughout; and that they had also established the two temples of Baima and Xingsheng.

1.11

By imperial decree, sons and daughters of princes and nobles were ordained to become śramaṇas, serving the barbarian masters and honoring their teachings. Many among the noble and base in the capital revered them. The various Daoist masters found this strange and called out to one another, saying: "The Sovereign has abandoned our Way and Dharma to seek the barbarian teachings from afar! Today at the court audience, let each of us take the scriptures and texts instituted by the Taishang Celestial Worthy, exhaust our abilities, and submit a joint memorial requesting to compare and compete with the barbarian masters, so that the Sovereign may come to realize and know where to return." At that time, seventy persons including the Daoist master Zhu Shanxin of the Southern Peak brought: one work of the Lingbao zhenwen; one work of the Taishang lingbao yujue; one work of the Kongdong lingzhang; one work of the Zhongxuan buxu zhang; one work of the Taishang zuoxiangong qingwen; one work of the Ziran wucheng; and one work of the Zhutian neiyin—amounting to one hundred and three fascicles in total.

1.12

Seventy persons including the Daoist master Liu Zhengnian of Mount Hua brought: one work of the Zhihui dingzhi; one work of the Zhihui shangpin jie; one work of the Xianren qingwen benxing yinyuan; and one work of the Mingzhen ke—amounting to sixty-two fascicles in total.

1.13

Seventy persons including the Daoist master Huan Wendu of the Northern Peak brought: one work of the Benye shangpin; one work of the Fake zuifu; one work of the Mingzhen ke zhaiyi; and one work of the Taishang shuo dongxuan zhenwen—amounting to eighty fascicles in total.

1.14

Seventy persons including the Daoist master Jiao Dexin of Mount Tai brought: one work of the Zhutian lingshu duming; one work of the Taishang shuo taiji taixu ziran; one work of the Miedu wulian shengshen; and one work of the Du ziran chuyi—amounting to eighty-five fascicles in total.

1.15

One hundred and forty persons including the Daoist master Lü Huitong of the Central Peak brought: one work of the Taishang anzhi shangpin; one work of the Sanyuan jiepin; one work of the Taiji zuogong shenxian benqi neizhuan; one work of the Fuyu wuya licheng; and one work of the Zhaoxi zhaoyi—amounting to ninety-five fascicles in total.

1.16

Two hundred and seventy persons including Qi Wenxin, Daoist masters of the temples across the eight mountains including Mount Huo, Mount Tianmu, Mount Wuri, Mount Yun, Mount Bailu, and Mount Gong, brought: one work of the Taiji zhenren fu lingbao wen; one work of the Taishang dongxuan lingbao dawen wufu jing; one work of the Buxu wen; one work of the Shenxian yaofa; one work of the Shijie pin; and one work of the Shangtian fulu chijin—amounting to eighty-four fascicles; as well as one work of the Mao Chengzi, one work of the Xu Chengzi, one work of the Lie Chengzi, and one work of the Hui Chengzi—amounting to scriptures and writings of twenty-seven masters, in all two hundred and forty-five fascicles.

1.17

On the ninth day of the first month, Zhu Shanxin, a Daoist master of the Southern Peak from Wuqiu County, Yuzhang Commandery, in the region of Yangzhou, acted as the leader of the petition. Six hundred and ninety Daoists, including Zhu Shanxin, disciples of the Taishang Three Caverns from the monasteries of the Five Sacred Peaks and eighteen mountains, presented this memorial on pain of death: 'Your servants have heard that the Taishang is formless and nameless, boundless and supreme, the primal head of the unvacuous Great Dao of spontaneity. Ever since creation, the teachings of the Dao arose from it; it is the honored of non-action, the father of spontaneity. It was revered alike in high antiquity, unchanging throughout the hundred kings. Now Your Majesty's dao surpasses Fuxi, and your virtue exceeds Yao and Shun; your radiant grace covers the four seas, and the eight outer regions submit to your benevolence. Your servants have privily learned that Your Majesty has abandoned the root to pursue the branches, seeking teachings from the Western Regions. When your servants observe that which is served in the Western Regions, they are indeed barbarian masters, and what they preach does not accord with the Central Realm. Moreover, you have invited barbarian men of the Way and ordered their language translated to resemble Chinese speech. Your servants have reflected: although Your Majesty has obtained translations of these words, we fear they are not the Great Dao. If you do not believe us, we pray Your Majesty pardon your servants' crime and permit a trial by ordeal. Among your servants, the Daoist masters of the Five Sacred Peaks and various mountains, many are intelligent and wise, broadly versed in the scriptures. From the Primal Sovereign onward, we fully understand the scriptures and practices of the Taishang; we clearly comprehend all the talismans and incantations of Great Emptiness. Some swallow talismans and ingest qi; some summon and command ghosts and spirits; some enter fire without being burned; some walk on water without drowning; some ascend to heaven in broad daylight; some conceal their forms in the earth. As for medical arts and magical methods, there is none we cannot do. We pray Your Majesty allow your servants to compete and compare. First, the Sage Sovereign's mind will be set at ease; second, truth and falsehood may be distinguished; third, the Great Dao will have its rightful place; fourth, Chinese customs will not be thrown into disorder. If your servants are inferior in the comparison, we submit to Your Majesty's severe sentence. If your servants prevail in the comparison, we beg that the false and deceitful be eliminated. Your servants are truly terrified and fearful, and submit this on pain of death, on pain of death, for your consideration.' Emperor Ming had also received the two śramaṇas, Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna, who expounded the Dharma; they clearly elucidated the characteristics of phenomena, and [the Emperor's] mind was filled with great faith and reverence. Having received the Daoists' memorial, he immediately dispatched Song Xiang, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, to lead the Daoist masters before the Changle Palace. The Emperor addressed the Daoist masters, saying, 'Venerable sirs, do not delude yourselves.

1.18

What you venerable sirs call the Taishang being formless, supremely honored, and the father of spontaneity—what has now been brought from the Western Regions is the teaching of the sūtras. That teaching is difficult to encounter, and has only now begun to spread eastward. What you venerable sirs have studied recently is mere shadow and echo; it is not the true Dharma. Now that you venerable sirs have seen the true Dharma, yet still do not abandon the root to follow the branches, how is this different from Lord Ye loving dragons in antiquity?'

1.19

Zhu [Shan]xin respectfully asked, 'If the Buddha's path is true, it ought to be without form and color. Why then paint his image? Testing it by this, it is certainly not the tradition of emptiness and spontaneity.'

1.20

The Emperor said, 'Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga once preached the Dharma for me, saying: The Buddha has four kinds of dharma-body, namely the Dharma [body], the reward [body], the response [body], and the transformation [body]. First is the dharma-body: non-action, signless, without master and without school, vast and quiet, empty and non-existent, spontaneous and tranquil. Second is the reward-body: standing alone without companion, brightly shining without peer, illuminating worlds, appearing and disappearing at will. Third is the response-body: complete with all forms and colors, its words and actions without fixed origin, adapting to things in a thousand designs, spiritually responding in myriad transformations. Fourth is the transformation-body: opening and expounding the True Dharma, guiding through the Three Vehicles, benefiting living beings, transforming and awakening them according to their capacities. You venerable sirs must know that the Buddha has four kinds of dharma-body, appearing and disappearing at will, inconceivable. When functioning, all phenomena respond simultaneously; when resting, it withdraws into the profound and mysterious. This is the great mountain of wisdom, the vast sea of nirvāṇa. One must faithfully revere it to attain immeasurable merit.'

1.21

Zhu [Shan]xin asked, 'I do not understand what the Emperor means by the term nirvāṇa.' The Emperor said, 'Nirvāṇa, non-action, tranquility, spontaneity—these four are of a single taste, like different names for the eye.'

1.22

Zhu [Shan]xin asked, 'How many kinds of meaning are there to nirvāṇa?'

1.23

The Emperor said, 'Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga once preached the Dharma to me, saying: The meaning of nirvāṇa has many kinds. Speaking of those who enter noble ranks, nirvāṇa has five kinds: first, nirvāṇa according to portion; second, nirvāṇa with remainder; third, nirvāṇa of awakening to cessation; fourth, expedient nirvāṇa; fifth, ultimate nirvāṇa.'

1.24

Zhu [Shan]xin asked, 'I do not understand: what are the meanings of these five?' The Emperor said, 'First, the initial fruits of the Lesser Vehicle—the srotāpanna fruit, sakṛdāgāmin fruit, and anāgāmin fruit: after their respective human and heavenly retributions are exhausted, they are reborn in the first dhyāna, the second dhyāna, or the third dhyāna. This is called nirvāṇa according to portion. Second, the ultimate fruit of the Lesser Vehicle, the arhat: skillfully shutting off the six sense-faculties, they realize the wisdom of emptiness of the seventh consciousness and are reborn in the fourth dhyāna or the stage of space. This is called nirvāṇa with remainder. Third, the pratyekabuddha fruit of the Middle Vehicle: observing the twelve links of dependent origination, they realize the bliss of cessation and are reborn in the stage of consciousness up to the stage of neither perception nor non-perception. This is called nirvāṇa of awakening to cessation. Fourth, in the Great Vehicle, bodhisattvas from the first stage upward constantly dwell in the six realms of rebirth, entering and leaving birth-and-death without abandoning sentient beings; they assume physical forms according to species to teach and transform them, their pure vows and practices never retreating from bodhi. This is called expedient nirvāṇa. Fifth, a bodhisattva who, through immeasurable kalpas and lifetimes, constantly remains in the ocean of birth-and-death, undergoing all kinds of toil and suffering to cultivate the roots of goodness, completing the myriad practices, and realizing the supreme, correct, and true path. This is called ultimate nirvāṇa.'

1.25

Zhu [Shan]xin respectfully replied, 'If the Buddha is ultimate nirvāṇa, we pray to be allowed to test it.'

1.26

The Emperor said, 'How will you test it?'

1.27

Zhu [Shan]xin replied, 'Your servant will set up an altar with the scriptures spoken by the Taishang Celestial Worthy, place the scriptures upon the altar, and burn them with fire. If their teaching is true, may the fire not burn them; if their teaching is false, may they be consumed by fire. We pray that the teaching of the Western Regions be tested together with your servant in this manner.'

1.28

The Emperor said, 'Do not bring disgrace upon yourselves. I fear that your firefly's light falsely rivals the brilliance of the sun and moon, and a pellet of clay improperly prices itself against the pearl of the Marquis of Sui; they are truly not of the same kind. If you wish to compete, since you do not believe, you may assemble at the Baima Temple at dawn on the fifteenth day of this month to compare with them.' The Daoist masters, having received the imperial permission, left with joy. The Daoist masters gathered crowds in the capital: some walked on the waters of the Luo River without sinking; some piled firewood in gardens and burned themselves without suffering harm; some performed various incantations and summoned ghosts and spirits in the markets and lanes of the capital. The onlookers in the capital all called them great sages. On the eleventh day of the first month, the Emperor visited Baima Temple. Arriving before the Buddha Hall, he burned incense, circumambulated, and made prostrations. He then asked the two Dharma Masters, bowing his head and recounting in full the powers of the Daoist masters from the mountains: 'They wish to come and compete with you masters. Your disciple rashly, without measuring himself, gave verbal permission, fixing the fifteenth day of this month for a great assembly at Baima Temple. I pray the masters show grace and reveal the medicine of the Dharma.' Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga replied, 'Over a thousand years have passed since the Tathāgata entered extinction. The True Teaching flows eastward, and the Dharma is not established in vain. The Daoists' wish to compete comes precisely at the right time. Although this poor monk wears the black robes, my precepts and conduct are of no merit; now, relying on the majestic power of the True Dharma and all the Buddhas, I shall bring them to awakening.'

1.29

The Emperor, hearing these words, was greatly delighted. Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga spoke again, saying, 'In the past Your Majesty cultivated meritorious deeds to become the ruler of the realm. Having encountered the True Dharma, you are further able to faithfully revere it and are about to guide the multitude of living beings, pointing them to their refuge. This is the achievement of laying a foundation whose grace extends to ten thousand generations; it is a bodhisattva's practice, whose merit is immeasurable.'

1.30

The Emperor thereupon composed his demeanor and bowed at the feet of Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga, addressing the Dharma Master: 'Your disciple previously received your luminous countenance, and joy filled my breast. Moreover, I troubled the Dharma Master to uphold the Dharma and spread the transformation; your disciple is twice blessed in this life, unable to bear your compassionate grace.' The Dharma Master was greatly pleased and told the Emperor to sit again. [The Emperor] asked Dharma Master Dharmaratna, 'Are there Daoist masters in the Western Regions or not?' The Dharma Master replied, 'The Brahmins of the Western Regions are the same as the Daoist masters here.'

1.31

The Emperor said, 'How many kinds of paths are there, and what do they take as their principle?' The Dharma Master replied, 'There are ninety-five kinds of paths, all taking the True Dharma as their source, though their practices diverge. Those worth observing are eight kinds of brahmacaryā. First, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā and are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts: they serve the Heavenly King Maheśvara as their Celestial Worthy, seeking rebirth in the stage of space, the stage of consciousness, and the stage of neither perception nor non-perception. Second, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā and are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts: they serve the Great Brahmā Heavenly King as their Celestial Worthy, seeking rebirth in the first dhyāna, the second dhyāna, the third dhyāna, or the fourth dhyāna. Third, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā and are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts: they serve a celestial worthy seeking rebirth in the Yāma Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, Nirmāṇarati Heaven, or Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. Fourth, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā, are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts, and skilled in debate: they serve the disciples of the six teachers and others as their honored masters, seeking to rely on emptiness and extinguish existence and non-existence. Fifth, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā with their aim set on the study of immortals: they are skilled in incantations and serve the ṛṣi Asita as their honored immortal, seeking the five divine elixirs to ingest them; if they attain the way of immortals, they must rely on the power of the wind and birds to ascend to the clouds. Sixth, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā with their aim set on the study of medicine: they are skilled in talismanic arts and serve the ṛṣi Asita as their honored master, seeking the five types of zhi fungi to ingest them; if they attain the way of immortals, they can conceal their form and shadow. Seventh, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā: they serve the great ṛṣi Padmo as their honored immortal, seeking to enter masses of fire without the fire harming them. Eighth, those who constantly cultivate brahmacaryā: they serve the water ṛṣi Iṣiśukra as their honored immortal, seeking to enter rivers and seas without the water drowning them. These eight kinds of paths, by the power of brahmacaryā, attain rebirth in the heavens; because they do not give rise to correct faith and a mind of dedication, when their heavenly lifespan is exhausted, they fall back into the three evil paths.'

1.32

The Emperor said, 'These eight kinds of paths constantly cultivate brahmacaryā and are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts; they are indeed superior persons of worldly wisdom. If they encountered a Buddha at that time, they should have awakened to the correct; why did they not abandon their various views and still have these?' Dharma Master [Dharma]ratna replied, 'A Buddha's appearance is difficult to encounter; one Buddha appears in the world in one hundred and one minor kalpas. Before a Buddha appears, at the beginning of creation, there are either devas of great power or self-mastered sages who, fearing the world would lack instruction, descend to be born in these customs, acting either as emperors and kings or as master scholars. Each puts forward their own way: some teach brahmacaryā, some teach practices of ritual respect, some teach serving the Buddha, some teach serving the spirits of the sun and moon, some teach serving the spirits of rivers and seas, some teach serving the spirits of the mountains, some teach serving the spirits of fire and water, some teach serving the spirits of the soil and grain, some teach serving the spirits of former masters. All these various spirits they teach sentient beings to serve. Since the beginning of the kalpa, sentient beings have studied and practiced this for a long time; even if they encounter a Buddha appearing in the world, those of dull faculties all say: "What we serve has been revered since the Primal Sovereign. Although the Buddha is miraculous and extraordinary, his teachings are recent; how can we abandon the root to follow what is recent?" At that time, those who clung to their views remained in their paths without being extinguished.'

1.33

The Emperor said, 'Within the Buddha's path, is there also the title of immortal or not?' The Dharma Master replied, 'Immortals all transmit brahmacaryā and possess many arts and skills, and for this reason they are esteemed by the world. When the Buddha first attained the Way and sat beneath the Bodhi tree, worldly people did not yet recognize that he was a Buddha whose light shone brilliantly, and all said: "The Mahā-ṛṣi has been born; it is unprecedented!" When Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and others sat and lay in midair, manifesting spiritual transformations at will, [people] said to one another: "These are the great disciples, the celestial immortals." As the Buddha manifested responsively according to capacities, the title of Buddha arose.'

1.34

The Emperor said, 'Your disciple, receiving the Master's preaching of the Dharma, has a mind clear and bright. I do not know what methods the Dharma Master has prepared beforehand to subdue the Daoists?'

1.35

The Dharma Master replied, 'When dragons chant, clouds arise—this is not what earthworms can do; when tigers roar, winds are born—this is not what lame donkeys can achieve. At Thunder Gate, one does not set out cloth drums; how could the flash of lightning fear the glow of a firefly? When facing the opponent, we will deploy it; why scratch before the itch arrives?'

1.36

The Emperor then laughed heartily [and said], "I know that you, Master, possess realized truth and are without fear." The Dharma Master replied, "I have not yet attained superhuman qualities, nor do I dare give way to overweening pride. But consider, for instance, if you, my disciple, were enfeoffed as a king, and by imperial command were ordered to make an inspection tour to transform custom and habit: when that king arrived, would the officials of the commanderies and counties dare not to be afraid?"

1.37

The Emperor said, "Since the emissary is both our son and executing our command, when he reaches the provinces, commanderies, and counties, how could they dare not be afraid?" The Dharma Master further asked, "During the king's inspection tour, would the magistrates and chiefs of the commanderies and counties dare act as they please before the king?"

1.38

The Emperor said, "Wherever they receive our majestic command, the officials are disciplined and stand in awe of the law. How would they dare act as they please?" The Dharma Master said, "Indeed, indeed; it is truly as the Emperor says. I am a renunciant, also called a son of the Dharma King. The True Dharma I uphold was also spoken by the golden mouth of the Dharma King. Wherever it teaches and transforms, there is likewise no fear. Wherever this Dharma is put into practice, all devas, māras, and demons revere it. How could the petty trickery of Daoist masters be worth subduing?"

1.39

Hearing this single statement from the Dharma Master, the Emperor's resolve grew even greater. He then took leave of the Dharma Master and entered the city, ordering the authorities to prepare offerings and provide a vegetarian feast, and commanding all civil and military officials, both inside and outside [the court], of the fifth rank and above, to assemble completely at Baima Temple at dawn on the fifteenth day. On the thirteenth day, outside the south gate of Baima Temple, inside the lane east of the road, the Daoist masters set up three altars from east to west. Each altar opened twenty-four gates. On the western altar they placed the scriptures of the Taishang Lingbao Celestial Worthy, totaling 369 fascicles. On the central altar they placed the books of the various philosophers, Huang-Lao, and others, comprising twenty-seven schools, totaling 235 fascicles. On the eastern altar they placed food and libations to sacrifice to the hundred spirits. On the fourteenth day, the Emperor set up a traveling palace of the seven jewels some paces west of the road at the south gate of Baima Temple, where he placed the Buddha's śarīra as well as Buddhist scriptures and images. At dawn on the fifteenth day, the great assembly gathered completely, and by the hour of *si* [9–11 a.m.] the vegetarian feast had concluded.

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The Emperor addressed the Daoist masters, saying, "Venerables, you wished to test [your arts]; now is precisely the time. First manifest what you are capable of to display to the great assembly." The Daoist masters received the imperial order and immediately heaped firewood and reeds mixed with sandalwood, eaglewood, and other fragrant woods around the scriptures on the western altar. They then offered an invocation, weeping and shedding tears, saying, "The scriptures of the Taishang Celestial Worthy unfolded together with creation itself. Past sages and present worthies have practiced them without abandoning them. Now, an alien teaching from the Western Regions has entered to throw the customs of the Hua into confusion. We, Zhu Shanxin and others from the abbeys of the various peaks of the Five Sacred Peaks, 690 people in all, dare to place our scriptures upon the altar to test them by fire, wishing thereby to enlighten sentient beings and distinguish the true from the false. We prostrate ourselves wishing that the Supreme Compassion will manifest divine efficacy!" Thereupon they set fire to burn the scriptures, but the scriptures transformed along with the flames and all turned to ash. Seeing the fire consume the scriptures, the Daoist masters were greatly astonished and dismayed. Those who previously could ascend to heaven could no longer ascend; those who previously could become invisible could no longer conceal their forms; those who previously could enter fire dared not enter it again; those who previously excelled in binding spells called upon their spirits without response; and of all those who previously possessed various powers, when they exercised them, not a single one proved effective. The Daoist masters felt deep shame and remorse.

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The Emperor said to the Daoist masters, "Have you not heard that within the region of Yizhou there is Mount Zhong? Fugitive brigands indulged themselves freely in its mountains and marshes, claiming none could overcome them. Yet when the imperial forces came to punish them, their position collapsed. You today are just like this." At that time, Grand Tutor Zhang Yan addressed Zhu Shanxin, saying, "In your trial of skill today, not a single proof succeeded; this means it is hollow and false. You ought to turn to the true Dharma of the Western Regions."

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Zhu Shanxin replied, "Maochengzi says, 'The Taishang is the Lingbao Celestial Worthy. The beginning of creation is called the Great Simplicity.' How could it be hollow and false?" Zhang Yan said, "The Great Simplicity has the reputation of valuing virtue, but it has no name of verbal teachings. To claim now that it has verbal teachings is precisely false. I have thoroughly examined the records: Lingbao is utterly without a clan or lineage to rely upon. Searching through past and present, Lingbao also has no place of attaining the Way. If Lingbao is self-so, from where were the scriptures born? If it is claimed that Lingbao appeared in the world, to whom among the ancient emperors and former kings did he preach the Dharma? Empty is your assumption of the name 'Taishang'; false is your borrowing of the title 'Celestial Worthy.' This was spoken by the Dharma King of transcendent awakening, who saves the six realms of rebirth and universally nourishes all sentient beings. You too should take refuge in the real, abandon the hollow and false, and must venerate and study it. If you do not revere it, you can be said to have vainly passed a hundred years and departed without merit. If in your arrogance you do not believe, you should at least concentrate your mind on Huang-Lao. Although Huang-Lao lacks the measure of the Dharma King, they are nonetheless sages of former generations. Though their compiled writings resemble those of the various philosophers, their words and deeds are very profound: resting their nature in non-action, they are treasuries of the Way and virtue. In the past, Emperor Xiaojing practiced them tirelessly without fatigue, and from this the study of the Way arose. Standing at the head of the hundred schools, they may be placed next in line to the Buddha's Dharma. As for the books of Maochengzi, Liezi, Zhuangzi, and the like, they all study self-so ease beyond the dust of the world, and are likewise secondary to Huang-Lao. Why do you admire them and focus exclusively on Lingbao?" Zhu Shanxin replied, "Lingbao has the power to ascend to heaven and conceal itself in the earth, and the might of talismans to bind ghosts and spirits. In treading water or fire, it never failed to be effective. Today, when our scriptures were burned with fire, we did not receive pity. I feel great shame and humiliation." Yan said, "The great controls the small; that is why it happened so. For example, the magistrates and chiefs of provinces and commanderies each decide matters freely within their own territory, but before the majesty and virtue of an emperor, their power cannot stand. Your comparison is just like this. What you study today should ensure that the mountains have no texts of fierce predators and the world is devoid of companions in erroneous learning: first, to take refuge in the true and distinguish the false; second, not to mislead future generations." Zhu Shanxin was silent and did not reply, and together with the Zhongnan Mountain Daoist master Fei Shucai died of self-reproach.

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At that time, five-colored radiance emitted from the Buddha's śarīra, rising straight up into the air and whirling like a canopy, completely covering the great assembly and outshining the solar disk.

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Dharma Master [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga had already attained the fruit of an arhat. By the power of his compassionate roots of goodness, he leapt up and flew high, manifesting divine transformations at will in empty space. Returning to sit in his original place, he remained there serenely. At that time, heavenly jeweled flowers rained down before the Buddha hall and upon the assembly of monks. Furthermore, the sounds of celestial music were heard, deeply moving human hearts. The great assembly rejoiced and marveled at what they had never seen before. Thereupon the Dharma Master, amidst the great assembly, spoke a verse:

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"A fox is not of the lion's kind; / A lamp has not the light of sun and moon. / A pool cannot contain the great ocean; / A mound has not the majesty of Mount Song. / The Dharma cloud hangs over the world; / Seeds of goodness can now sprout. / Manifesting the wondrous, rare Dharma, / Everywhere transforming the multitudes of beings."

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After the Dharma Master finished speaking the verse, he said to the Daoist masters, "If you venerables wish to ask anything, come forward and let us debate together." At that time, the Mount Song Daoist master Lü Huitong replied, "We, without measuring our virtue or strength, rashly wished to contend with you. Just now we saw the divine light brilliantly shine, incomparable in the world and hard to fathom; and we encountered the Great Being's extraordinary, divine transformations, while celestial music of unequaled beauty poured down its tones to open our bewildered path. Heavenly flowers displayed auspicious signs, so that we have only now realized where the Great Way returns. We do not yet understand the holy Dharma; how would we dare make inquiries?"

1.47

Emperor Ming then rose from his seat, paid homage at the Dharma Master's feet, and addressed the Dharma Master, saying, "I constantly dwell in birth and death, sinking in the river of craving. Now I encounter the initial transmission of the eastern flow of the True Teaching. I pray that the Master, in great compassion, will freely open and explain it to us." The Dharma Master accepted the request, silently consenting.

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The Emperor ordered the great assembly: "Those who wish to seek the Dharma, come forward near the Dharma Master's seat." The great assembly surrounded him in several hundred layers, each person quiet and still.

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At that time, the Dharma Master emitted a great Brahmā sound, wondrous and supreme, praising the inconceivable merit of the Buddha, and also bade the great assembly praise the Three Jewels and extol the good Dharma. He then expounded for the great assembly the Dharma of causes and conditions regarding humans, devas, and the hells; or expounded the Abhidharma teachings of the Hīnayāna; or expounded the Mahāyāna teachings; or expounded the Dharma of repentance and extinguishing transgressions; or expounded the Dharma of the merit of renouncing the household. Having heard the Dharma, the members of the assembly each gave rise to a mind of rare wonder. At that time, the Minister of Works, Liu Shanjun, Marquis of Yangcheng, addressed the Dharma Master, saying, "Venerable, gazing upward just now at your wisdom, it has the same measure as the ocean; it is not something that we ordinary mortals can fathom. We wish to rely upon the Great Being to renounce the household and provide personal service. We pray you will grant your permission." The Dharma Master said, "For the great assembly to generate the resolve to renounce the household is a condition for the karma of liberation. But you, kind sir, are each bound by official obligations to the king; this is not mine to grant." The Emperor then stepped forward and addressed the Dharma Master, "Hitherto, I was constantly confused by the mixture of the true and the false, lacking the wisdom to distinguish them. Having received the illumination of the Dharma mirror, I now know where true reality returns. In this gathering today, if any of the Daoist masters, officials, common people, or women are able to renounce the household, I shall personally shave their heads, provide them all with the three robes, water jar, and alms bowl, and establish separate monasteries to honor them and have them study the teachings of the Way." The Dharma Master praised him, saying, "Excellent, excellent! The Emperor's merit is inconceivable."

1.50

Thereupon, hearing the Emperor's permission, the great assembly rejoiced greatly. From the abbeys of the various peaks of the Four Sacred Peaks, 620 Daoist masters, including Lü Huitong, renounced the household. The Daoist masters Zhu Shanxin and Fei Shucai of the Southern Peak Abbey died at the gathering; the sixty-eight Daoist masters of the Southern Peak Abbey were burying Shanxin and the other, and not having taken part in the preaching of the Dharma, could not renounce the household. Ninety-three people of the fifth rank and above, including Liu Shanjun, Marquis of Yangcheng, renounced the household. Among the imperial guards of the ninth rank and above, 175 people, including General Jiang Gou'er, Pacifier of Distant Lands, renounced the household. From among the common residents and women of the capital, 121 people, including A-Pan, renounced the household. On the sixteenth day,

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the Emperor, together with his chief ministers and several hundred civil and military officials, shaved the heads of those who were renouncing the household. Day after day they provided offerings, night after night they lit lamps, and performed various kinds of music. By the thirtieth day of the first month, the donation of Dharma robes, water jars, and alms bowls was complete. Thereupon they established ten monasteries: seven monasteries outside the city, and three monasteries inside the city. The seven monasteries housed monks, and the three monasteries housed nuns. From this time onward, the Buddha's Dharma flourished in the Han.

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The Han faben neizhuan consists of five fascicles in all:

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Fascicle 1: Chapter on Emperor Ming Seeking the Dharma

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Fascicle 2: Chapter on Inviting the Dharma Masters and Establishing Monasteries

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Fascicle 3: Chapter on Contending with the Daoist Masters and Delivering Them to Liberation

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Fascicle 4: Chapter on the Praises by Emperor Ming and His Chief Ministers

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Fascicle 5: Chapter on Broadly Circulating and Spreading [the Teaching] — One work in five fascicles.

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One fascicle of the Record of the Transmission of the Dharma (An Xuantong's Record states:)

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In the third year of the Jianhe era of Emperor Huan of the Han, the year *yichou* [149 CE], there was the śramaṇa An Qing [An Shigao], who was the crown prince of the king of the country of Parthia. Giving up his kingdom to renounce the household, his intention was to travel and transform. He arrived in Luoyang and translated various scriptures. In the fifth year of the Jiaping era of Emperor Ling of the Han, the year *bingchen* [176 CE], there was a śramaṇa who renounced the household in the country of Zhijialou [Lokakṣema?], being a person of the Yuezhi country. He arrived in Luoyang and translated various scriptures. In the second year of the Guanghe era of Emperor Ling of the Han, the year *jiwei* [179 CE], there was the śramaṇa Zhu Foshuo, who was prime minister of the Yuezhi country. Giving up his position as prime minister, he wished to propagate the Buddha's path and enlighten sentient beings. He arrived in Luoyang and translated various scriptures.

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According to the Book of Wei, in the third year of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen, the year *renyin* [222 CE], there was the śramaṇa Dharmakāla, a native of Central Tianzhu, who arrived in Xuchang and translated scriptures, precepts, and vinaya.

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From the tenth year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of the Han to the third year of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of the Wei, there was a total of 150 years.

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According to the Book of Wu: In the fourth year of the Chiwu era of the Wu ruler Sun Quan, the year xinyou, there was a śramaṇa named Kang Senghui. He was a native of the kingdom of Sogdiana (Kangju) and the eldest son of its grand prime minister. Having resolved to propagate the Great Way, he traveled to convert various lands. When he first arrived in the territory of Wu, he erected a thatched hut, set up an image, and practiced the Way. When the people of Wu first saw him, they regarded it as demonic and uncanny, and the officials reported it in a memorial. The ruler of Wu said, 'Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of a deity named the Buddha. Is this not a vestige of that tradition?' Thereupon he summoned Senghui and questioned him, asking, 'What miraculous proof does the Buddha possess?' Senghui replied, 'The Buddha's spiritual traces were veiled over a thousand years ago, leaving only his śarīra. For those who seek with utmost sincerity, they respond and manifest without limit.' The ruler of Wu said, 'If you obtain a śarīra, I shall erect a stupa for it; but if it is falsehood, the state has its established punishments.' Senghui replied, 'The śarīra is merciful and compassionate; if sought, it will manifest and descend. If there is no resonant response, I should meet my death—why would the king's statutes need to be applied?' He then requested a period of seven days, extending up to three times seven days, and at last obtained a śarīra, which radiated five-colored light into the sky. The ruler of Wu immediately placed the śarīra on an iron anvil and ordered a man of great strength to test it by striking it with an iron hammer; straightway, the anvil and the hammer both sank into the ground, while the śarīra remained undamaged. The ruler of Wu then placed the śarīra into a fierce charcoal fire; radiant light from the śarīra emerged from the fire, forming a great lotus that illuminated the palace halls. The ruler of Wu revered and believed in Senghui and fully complied with his Dharma. He thereupon built the Jianchu Temple and erected a seven-jeweled stupa for the śarīra; the site was named the Buddha Ward. From this time on, the Buddha-Dharma flourished east of the Yangzi River. From the third year of the Huangchu era to the fourth year of the Wu Chiwu era, there were twenty years in all. From the tenth year of the Yongping era to the fourth year of the Wu Chiwu era, there were one hundred and seventy years in total. Kang Senghui was the beginning of the Saṅgha in the land of Wu; the teaching was the beginning of the Dharma in the land of Wu. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, asked Kan Ze, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing and Marquis of Duxiang, 'Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of a deity and dispatched Cai Yin, a Gentleman of the Palace, and others toward the Western Regions to search for the teachings of the Buddha. Up to the present, how many years have passed?' Kan Ze replied, 'From the tenth year of the Han Yongping era to the fourth year of Chiwu, there have been one hundred and seventy years in all.' The ruler of Wu said, 'The Buddhist teachings entered the Han long ago; for what reason have they only now begun to spread to the east of the Yangzi River?' Kan Ze replied, 'In the fourteenth year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of the Han, when the Daoist master Zhu Shanxin of the Southern Sacred Peak was attending the court, he and Zhu Xin, a Daoist master from the various mountain abbeys, jointly submitted a memorial begging to compete in a contest with the Dharma masters from the Western Regions, Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna. At that time, the Buddhist teachings had just arrived in Luoyang, and Emperor Ming of the Han had just established Baima Temple and Xingsheng Temple; the Dharma masters Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna were translating the various sūtras, which were just beginning to be read in Chinese. The Daoist masters had not yet grasped the True Dharma and were ignorant of its depth; they submitted a memorial begging to be tested against them. Emperor Ming granted it. On the fifteenth day of the first month, before the gate of Baima Temple, the various Daoist masters of the Southern Sacred Peak erected an altar, placed the methods they had learned, named the Lingbao Scriptures, upon the altar, and set fire to burn them. At that time, owing to the power of the True Dharma, the Daoist scriptures and records were all consumed by the fire, leaving nothing behind. They also performed various arts and techniques, but applying them yielded no effect. The various Daoist masters were all filled with great shame and humiliation. Zhu Shanxin and Fei Shucai of the Southern Sacred Peak died of self-reproach during the gathering. As for the remaining Daoist masters, Emperor Ming decreed that they be dismissed and returned to their peaks. At that time, those who had not attended Dharma Master Dharmaratna's exposition of the Dharma were not permitted to leave household life. At that time, there was no one to disseminate it widely. Later, suffering from the decline of the Han government and unceasing warfare, the Buddha-Dharma was therefore blocked for one hundred and seventy years. Now, having encountered Dharma Master Senghui who came to teach and transform, it has at last begun to flourish east of the Yangzi River.' The ruler of Wu said, 'Can the two schools of Kong Qiu and Laozi be compared with the Buddhist Way or not?' Kan Ze replied, 'During the Jian'an era, I traveled and studied in Luoyang, and once entered Fajv Temple to pay obeisance; I was fortunate to meet a Dharma Master whose mirror of wisdom shed its light as he lectured on the Mahāyāna sūtras. When I heard the Dharma, I delighted in it, and thereupon stayed with the Dharma Master at the temple, being able to listen to the sounds of the Dharma for nearly three years from beginning to end. I know with certainty that the Buddha is the unsurpassed Dharma King, the refuge of all the sages. His teaching extends to all, compassionately embracing the myriad phenomena; in depth it is identical to the great ocean, rejecting no minor stream; in brightness it is identical to the sun and moon, not scorning stars or candles. Meeting any touch, it transforms; encountering any object, it takes it up. Naturally honored and great both in the heavens and among men, even if Heaven possesses the merit of universally covering and Earth possesses the power of being able to support, these are all established and made so by the Buddhas. Furthermore, when I investigate Kong Qiu of Lu: he had exceptional, preeminent talent, and sage virtue that surpassed the crowd; the world calls him the Uncrowned King. He instituted scriptures and canonical records, instructing and encouraging the Zhou era, his teaching extending to future generations; his model as a master of the Ruists has enriched both past and present. There were also recluses such as Xu Chengzi, Guangchengzi, Yuanyangzi, Liezi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi, whose writings among the Masters of the Hundred Schools were all practiced and savored for self-cultivation; giving free rein [to themselves] in mountain valleys and giving full scope to their minds, their learning returned to quietude and indifference, but their conduct went contrary to the human relations and the decorum between seniors and juniors, nor was it a style that brought peace to the world and transformed the common people. Therefore the ancients regarded it as an obstruction and a pitfall—this is surely what was meant. Coming to Emperor Jing of the Han, he examined the Hundred Schools, and taking the principles and substance of Huangzi and Laozi to be especially profound and thoroughly understanding within and without, he changed their works from "masters" to "classics" and first established Daoist studies, issuing decrees instructing the court and the countryside to chant them. If one were to place the two schools of Confucius and Laozi alongside the Buddha-Dharma of distant realms, the difference is vast indeed! Why is this so? When Confucius and Laozi established their teachings, they took Heaven as their model and instituted practices, not daring to contravene Heaven. When the Buddhas establish their teachings, the heavenly beings take the Dharma as their model and practice it, not daring to contravene the Buddha. Speaking from this, it is plain that they cannot truly be compared.'

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