諸經要集 4.55

4.55

The compiler states: In the land of the Han, it is prevalent to be fond of abbreviating and omitting; hence when chanting in the assembly, they mostly chant half-gāthās. Thus the Vinayamātṛkā-śāstra states: 'One may not perform half-chants; [doing so] incurs a duṣkṛta offense.' However, regarding this Sanskrit chanting and its melody, it is not yet clear what Western scripture or authority it is based upon. The answer is: As long as the sage has permitted the performance of chanting, it is acceptable to draw upon and use praise-gāthās from the sūtras. Yet inside and outside the Passes, and in the chanting texts of Wu and Shu, each follows what is preferred; chants and praises are of many kinds. But since the Han and Sanskrit [languages] are different, their phonetic rhymes cannot be used interchangeably. Coming down to the Song dynasty, there was the Dharma Master Kang Senghui, originally a person from Sogdiana, who was erudite and eloquent. He translated scriptures, was also skilled in Sanskrit sounds, and transmitted the Nirvāṇa chant; its melodic composition was plaintive and elegant, and it was widely admired in the world, so that students of sacred phonetics all took it as a model. Furthermore, long ago in the Jin dynasty, there was the Dharma Master Dao'an, who compiled and instituted three categories: offering sūtras, offering lectures, uposatha, and so forth; the systems established by past sages have not fallen to the ground, and throughout the realm they serve as models that all people practise. Furthermore, coming to the Wei dynasty, Prince Si of Chen, Cao Zhi, styled Zijian, was the fourth son of Emperor Wu of Wei. From youth he possessed fine character and talent; at the age of seven he composed literary writings, finishing them as soon as his brush touched paper without ever revising. He was thoroughly accomplished in every worldly art and technique. When Handan Chun saw him, he was awestruck and called him a divine being. Whenever Cao Zhi read Buddhist sūtras, he would linger over them with sighing admiration, regarding them as the ultimate consummation of the Supreme Way. He thereupon instituted the tones of the seven notes of recitation, with their rising, falling, and modulations, so that the world's chanters all took them as their standard. Once he was wandering on Mount Yu, when he suddenly heard the sound of Brahmā in the sky, clear, elegant, plaintive, and gentle; its sound moved the heart. He listened alone for a long time, and then his attendants all heard it. Cao Zhi was deeply moved by the divine principle and even more awakened to the spiritual response of the Dharma; he then imitated its melodic rhythm and transcribed it into Sanskrit chanting, composing texts and arranging the tones, handing it down as a model for later times. The manifestation of Sanskrit chanting in the world began from this. The chanting that he transmitted has six movements in all.