辯正論 4.5

4.5

He inherited the mantle of Yao and dwelt in Jin; he matched King Wu in laying the foundations of Zhou. Rising like clouds and soaring like a dragon, he took charge of the destined era to bring order to the world. Fulfilling the role of uniting and rectifying to inaugurate fortune, he was joyfully elevated as leader of nine assemblies. Setting forth from the asterism Shen, he successfully established order in the imperial capital. The model for consoling the people had already been promulgated, and the code of simplified laws was forthwith proclaimed. The five stars gathered in the constellation Well, and transforming virtue spread across the four quarters. The terrestrial knot was straightened, and the celestial cord was drawn taut again. From east and west, distant regions were pacified and nearby lands were brought to order. When his righteous banner was first raised and passed through Huayin, he offered sacrifice toward the numinous altar to seek manifold blessings. That place is a thoroughfare for myriad states to pay homage, a juncture where the six directions converge. It is well suited for gazing reverently upon holy images and abiding in meditation and chanting. Thereupon, to the right of the divine shrine, he solemnly erected a saṅghārāma and constructed Lingxian Monastery, with a stele text composed by the Crown Prince’s Mentor Li Baiyao. Refined patterns and colorful embroidery reflected one another; gold and jade-blue shone together, catching the radiance of morning and evening, gleaming with the luster of a rainbow. The exquisite flower terraces directly faced Lotus Peak, while the painted towers loftily overlooked the shell-inlaid towers. Furthermore, he crafted statues, copied scriptures, and fully cultivated blessedness. In the capital, he built Huichang Monastery, Shengye Monastery, Cibei Monastery, Zhengguo Convent, and Jixian Convent. He also donated his former residence to become Xingsheng Convent, and in Bingzhou he built Yixing Monastery. All their halls were magnificent and grand, their images adorned and resplendent. Paired brackets depicted the constellations, and doubled lintels were painted with the moon. High windows dispersed the mist, and open doors welcomed the breezes; the groves of wisdom and forests of meditation lacked for nothing. In the first year of the Wude era (618), on the thoroughfare south of the Vermilion Bird Gate, he universally established a place of enlightenment and hosted a great unrestricted assembly (pañcavārṣika). Daoist masters in profusion came holding their tablets to attend; freely and gracefully, fields of merit gathered amidst rising clouds of incense. When the hymns of pacing the void were first intoned, they almost halted the drifting clouds; when the pure Sanskrit chants slowly echoed, they could detain passing birds. Exquisite, fragrant offerings, prepared according to the five pure foods, were borne aloft; radiant and famed blossoms, fair as those from the three divine mountains, were respectfully presented. Thereupon, carriages and horses pressed together, and men and women crowded shoulder to shoulder, like crowds gathering at Mount Xian or contending at the Spring Purification feast. Even if the sun's radiance manifested in Emperor Ming's dream, it only passed down the omen of the white horse; even if a bodhisattva was said to be born into the world, it was merely heard of in the era of Chiwu. Compared with today, they must truly feel ashamed! Furthermore, on behalf of the Grand Ancestor, Emperor Yuan, and Empress Dowager Yuanzhen, he crafted three life-sized sandalwood statues, their marks exceptionally wondrous, their adornment exceedingly rare; they were enshrined and venerated at Cibei Monastery. In the second month of the first year of the Wude era, just as the fair spring cast its bright rays and the spirits of the earth offered blessings, the two forces of heaven and earth harmonized and the myriad creatures completely prospered. In keeping with the auspicious gathering of manifold blessings, he dispensed renewed royal grace. He commanded sixty-nine śramaṇas and sixty-nine Daoist masters to practice the Way for seven days in the Taiji Palace. On the day the assembly concluded, he hosted a feast for a thousand monks. Because the two teachings of Śākya and Laozi were promoted together, Falin hoped that their spiritual efficacy would join with the sun, moon, and stars, and that the imperial destiny would endure as long as heaven and earth; thus, he composed this humble hymn and offered it up in praise: