續集古今佛道論衡 1.3

1.3

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.