道宣律師感通錄 1.10

1.10

I asked: "Why is it that the scriptures translated during the lifetime of Dharma Master Kumārajīva have continued to be received, held, and increasingly flourish down to the present day?" He replied: "That man was intelligent and had an exceptional understanding of the Mahāyāna, and those below him were all outstanding talents, the treasures of an era. Surpassing the past and illuminating the future, they are beyond our capacity to look up to. Therefore, what he translated prioritized awakening and comprehension, grasping the intent behind what the Buddha bequeathed. I asked further: "Among worldly discourse, it is often said that he fell short regarding the restraints of the precepts." He answered: "This does not require mutual criticism; it is not for idle men to discuss. Master Kumārajīva's current stage of attainment is among the Three Worthies, and he travels wherever teaching calls him. Furthermore, when he translated the scriptures, he abridged redundancies and supplemented omissions according to the faculties of his audience. Thus, for the Da zhidu lun in one treatise, nine-tenths were omitted. The remaining scriptures and treatises can be understood by analogy with this. Ever since his scriptures were produced, their sincere reading and recitation have never ceased. Unseen omens and spiritual resonances have descended, growing ever newer across successive eras. Evaluating it in this light, he profoundly concurred with the sacred intent. Moreover, Mañjuśrī instructed him in person to edit and settle them, making him uniquely extraordinary beyond the common run. How could he be criticized over a separate chamber, completely discarding his profound intent? It is utterly unworthy of discussion."