續集古今佛道論衡 1.64

1.64

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.