破邪論 1.22

1.22

The Tiandi jing of the internal scriptures says: 'The Buddha dispatched three sages to transform that Eastern Land; the Bodhisattva Kāśyapa is called Laozi there.' The Qingjing faxing jing states: 'The Buddha sent three disciples to Zhendan to teach and transform: the Bodhisattva Rutong is called Kong Qiu there; the Bodhisattva Guangjing is called Yan Hui there; Mahākāśyapa is called Laozi there.' Looking into the Former Han, during the Yuanshou era of Emperor Xiaowu, Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu, reaching Gaolan and passing Mount Juyan; he captured Kings Kunye and Xiutu leading their host of fifty thousand to surrender, and obtained their golden men, which were all over ten feet tall, arranging them in Ganquan Palace. Emperor Wu took them to be great spirits, burning incense and worshipping them. When opening the Western Regions, Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to Daxia; upon his return, he said that there was the state of Shendu, another name for Shendu being Tianzhu, where the teachings of Futu were first heard. The Weishu states: 'Emperor Wu of Han obtained the golden men; he did not offer animal sacrifices, but only burned incense and made prostrations.' This, then, was the gradual beginning of Buddhism's circulation. In the first year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Ai of Han, Jing Xian was sent to the Da Yuezhi kingdom, where he chanted Buddhist scriptures and returned to Han; at that time, Buddhist fasts and precepts began to be observed gradually.