北山錄 4.2.1

4.2.1

The residual waves from the Jeta Grove first began to flow in the Yongping reign period (The grove of the country of Vārāṇasī. It is also called the country of Po-luo-ni-si [Vārāṇasī], which is translated here as 'City Surrounded by the Flowing [River]'. Because the river surrounds the city, flowers and trees were planted there. There is a grove named Mṛgadāva [Deer Park]. The Tathāgata constantly preached the Dharma there. In the tenth year of the Yongping reign period of Emperor Ming of the Later Han, the Buddha Dharma first flowed to this land. Hence it says 'first began'). East of the Congling Mountains and reaching the Moving Sands, the influence gradually spread afar (The highest mountain west of Zhendan [China] is called Congling [the Onion Range]. It is so called because of its onion-green color) and covered the Central Xia. During the Han era, there was only a slight study of the scriptures, while dhyāna and vinaya were not yet harmonized (Rong means 'illuminated'. From the time Zhu Falan and others first brought the Sūtra of Forty-Two Chapters, and An Qing and others arrived carrying scriptures and images, they were still not well-versed in dhyāna and vinaya). Although people shaved their hair, their conduct was still like that of the laity: their robes lacked strips and borders, their food included meat dishes, and their communal feasts, vegetarian banquets, and repentance ceremonies were quite identical to mundane sacrificial rites (The monks had no monastic discipline and were no different from the laity. 'Robes' refers to the kāṣāya, which is translated here as 'decayed color'. There are three types of robes: first, the saṅghāṭī, translated here as 'composite robe', made by cutting and rejoining [pieces], with three long and one short strip; second, the uttarāsaṅga, translated here as 'upper outer robe', the outermost one, with two long and one short strip, which is today's seven-strip robe; third, the antarvāsa, translated here as 'inner overnight robe', meaning close to the body, which is the five-strip robe, also called the work robe. These are the three robes. The Tathāgata ordered all of them to be cut and sewn into strips and borders, modeled on rice paddies, to take the meaning of generating merit and wisdom. Yaozhi means meat. Jun means identical). Zhu Shixing was the first to leave the household (Shixing was a man of Yingchuan. After leaving the household, he took the Great Dharma as his personal responsibility. When lecturing on the Small Prajñāpāramitā in Luoyang, he frequently encountered unintelligible parts. He constantly lamented that this sūtra was the essential core of the Mahāyāna, yet its translated principles were incomplete. He then traveled to Khotan and indeed obtained the Sanskrit text of the Correct Version. He dispatched disciples to send it back to Luoyang. The Hīnayāna adherents of Khotan said to the king: 'The monks from the land of Han wish to use Brahmanical writings to throw the correct scriptures into confusion.' Thereupon it was cast into fire, but it remained undamaged. This is the present Fangguang banruo [Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā]). At the beginning of the Wei, Dharmakāla first transmitted the rules of discipline: the golden tallies and jade regulations of the five categories and seven divisions (This was the Cao Wei. When the Buddha Dharma entered the Han, the monastic discipline began with [Dharma]kāla. The five categories are pārājika, saṅghāvaśeṣa, pāyattika, pratideśanīya, and duṣkṛta. Adding sthūlātyaya, along with bad actions and bad speech, these make the seven divisions). They reined in the transgressions of mouth and body (Sheng means 'to correct'. The faults of the mouth are four: lying, frivolous speech, slanderous speech, and harsh speech. The body has three: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Upholding the vinaya rules can correct these so that there are no faults) and restrained laxity regarding attire and dining. Fierce as the autumn wind, stern as cold frost, orderly were the categorized rules (Lielie means majestic. Qiqi means strict. Zhi-zhi means pristine. This speaks of the severity of the disciplinary rules). Awe-inspiring without displays of force, well-ordered without punishments—the existence of śramaṇas in the Divine Land began with [Dharma]kāla (Although the Han had śramaṇas, the monastic discipline was not yet complete). In the past, at the end of the Han, there was An Shigao, and in Wu, there was Kang Senghui; both were extraordinary men from distant lands (Shigao was the crown prince of the king of the Parthian kingdom. Senghui was the crown prince of the king of Sogdiana. They were what are called 'those beyond the realm who do not conform to worldly conventions'. Zhuangzi says: 'The extraordinary person is extraordinary to men but the equal of Heaven'). Their learning probed the depths of Heaven and humanity; their virtue stirred rapport with ghosts and spirits (When Sun Hao was about to ban excessive sacrifices and wished to destroy [the monasteries], he ordered Zhang Yu to interrogate and challenge [Seng]hui, but he could not defeat him even after a whole day. When Shigao traveled to Gongting, the lake deity manifested, whereupon [Shigao] converted him, causing him to abandon the evil destinies). As for insight that penetrated the subtle operations of destiny, [Kang Seng]hui seemed not to match him (Shigao knew he had karmic debts from past lives and traveled twice to repay them); yet in literary composition and bequeathed writings, [Seng]hui perhaps surpassed him ([Seng]hui had talent and eloquence, and his written words became canonical texts). Prior to this, the teachings of the masters had not yet been made prominent (From the Yongping reign of the Han to the Chiwu reign of the Wu, although there were translations, they were not very refined or widespread), and of the fathomless height of [Seng]hui's walls, none could find the gate (Zigong said: 'The Master's wall is several fathoms high. Few are they who can find the gate'). In the Wei era, there was the Yuezhi man Zhi Qian, who received instruction from Zhi Liang, and [Zhi] Liang had received instruction from Zhi Chen [Lokakṣema]. The common saying went: 'The world's broad learning does not exceed the three Zhis' (Originally an upāsaka of the Yuezhi kingdom, he traveled to Luoyang at the end of the Han. He thoroughly investigated the accomplishments and arts, mastered various secular books, understood the languages of six countries, and explored and studied widely). In appearance, Qian was tall, thin, dark, and emaciated, with the whites of his eyes clear and his irises yellow. People said: 'Master Zhi, Master Zhi, with yellow in his eyes! Though slender in frame, he is a bag of wisdom.' At the end of the Han, fleeing the troubles, he returned to Wu. Sun Quan appointed him as an Erudite (boshi) and had him assist the Heir Apparent, standing in the same rank as Wei Yao; yet the Records of Wu do not record him, due to the dishonesty of the official historians (The Heir Apparent's Palace refers to the Crown Prince [Sun] He, who was slandered and deposed. Wei Yao, styled Hongsi, was fond of learning and skilled in composition. He was promoted to Central Secretary to the Crown Prince and later rose through promotions to Palace Attendant. Before he could complete the compilation of the History of Wu, he was executed by Sun Hao). In Shu there was the Sūtra of Universal Radiance (Puyap jing), but none know who its translator was (One fascicle; it is included in the canon and is currently in circulation). Now, when supreme teachings emerge in a state of untamed chaos, in a world of anger and desires they inevitably clash like an ill-fitted mortise and tenon (Bing means the handle of a chisel. Chiyu describes an irregular appearance. The Chu ci says: 'Without measuring the mortise to fit the handle, the wood is split'—it is like casting good into evil). Suspicions and slanders entangle in confusion; without worthy men of divine virtue and exalted majesty, there is no way for their sublime accomplishments to cover all beings. That the Records of Shu do not record or provide a biography for this person was because the Liu family was intent on restoring the Han, renewing warfare against the Wei over their ancient heritage; so although the teachings of wandering in the profound were propagated, the merits of the great master were not made manifest, causing later cataloguers to feel deep, lingering regret (Liu Bei, following upon the end of Emperor Xian of the Han, held Shu as one of the three divided realms. To the north he had the enmity of the hegemonic Wei, and to the east he faced the rivalry of Sun's Wu. Storing grain and training soldiers, warfare blocked the days. How could he have leisure to broadly illuminate the teachings of emptiness and quiescence? Moreover, Chen Shou's Records of Shu states that Chancellor Zhuge's fault lay in not appointing official historians; hence there was no written record to be preserved). At the beginning of the Jin, there was Zhu Fahu [Dharmarakṣa], known at the time as the Dunhuang Bodhisattva (The eminent monk Zhu Fahu was a man of Dunhuang. He left the household at the age of eight. Later he traveled to the Western Regions; earnest in purpose and fond of learning, he sought masters across ten thousand li. Sun Chuo compared him to Shan Juyuan [Shan Tao]. He translated sūtras such as the Zheng fahua jing [Saddharmapuṇḍarīka]. He passed away at Mianchi during the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin). Among his disciples were seven authors.