大宋僧史略 1.60

1.60

毘曇慧學對法命家。雖晚見於翻傳。而敏成於智母。疇初稽考越措疏文。唯成實一宗最多法相。北則羅什刪略付授嵩法師。故後魏主大和十年。幸徐州白塔寺。詔曰。此寺近有名僧嵩法師。受成實論於什公。後授淵法師。又授登紀二法師。朕每覽成實云。道登甞傳論於禁中。此北朝之始也。又僧道禪經律論一皆精博。姚興同輦還宮。著成實三論義疏。此又在先矣。南則僧柔講宣。故出三藏記曰。齊永明七年十月。文宣王招集京師碩學名僧五百人。請定林寺僧柔講寺。慧欣於普弘寺講。此南朝之始也。又肇叡諸師講中百十二門等論。疏義迭生相繼無盡也。

Abhidharma is the study of wisdom, the expertise of Abhidharma masters. Although its translation appeared late, it was swiftly perfected as the mother of wisdom. Who was the first to investigate it and exceptionally compose commentary texts? Only the Tattvasiddhi (Chengshi) school possesses the most doctrinal characteristics (dharmalakṣaṇa). In the north, Kumārajīva abridged it and transmitted it to Master Sengsong. Therefore, in the tenth year of the Taihe era, the Northern Wei emperor visited the Baita Monastery in Xuzhou and issued an edict: "Recently at this monastery there was the renowned monk Master Sengsong, who received the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra from Master Kumārajīva; later he transmitted it to Master Sengyuan, who in turn transmitted it to the two masters Deng and Ji. Whenever We read the Tattvasiddhi, We are reminded that Daodeng once transmitted the treatise in the imperial palace." This was the beginning in the Northern Dynasties. Furthermore, Sengdao was thoroughly versed in dhyāna, sūtra, vinaya, and śāstra; Yao Xing shared a carriage with him to return to the palace; he authored commentaries on the Tattvasiddhi and the Three Treatises, which was even earlier. In the south, Sengrou lectured and expounded it. Thus the Chu sanzang ji ji states: "In the tenth month of the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Qi, Prince Wenxuan gathered five hundred eminent monks of great learning from the capital, and invited Sengrou of Dinglin Monastery to lecture at the monastery, and Huixin to lecture at Puhong Monastery." This was the beginning in the Southern Dynasties. In addition, Sengzhao, Sengrui, and other masters lectured on the Madhyamaka-kārikā, Śata-śāstra, and Dvādaśanikāya-śāstra, and commentaries emerged one after another in an endless succession.