大宋僧史略 1.27

1.27

Scriptures and images having arrived and the disciples of the Saṃgha having gathered, the places where they dwell must necessarily be pure lands; hence the turning of the wheel of Dharma must rely on the ground. Therefore monasteries and halls were established. When the two men Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna had triumphed in the contest of powers, Emperor Ming was delighted. At first he extended courtesy to them at the Court of State Ceremonial (Honglusi). The Honglusi was originally a residence for entertaining the four barbarian tribes and distant kingdoms. Soon afterwards, he ordered that a separate site be chosen outside the Western Yong Gate of Luoyang to build a vihāra; because white horses carried the bundles of sūtras, 'White Horse' was used as its title. As for 'si' (monastery), the Shiming states: 'Si means to succeed (si); those managing affairs succeed one another within it.' It was originally an official title. When the Western monks first arrived, they temporarily lodged in an official hall; when moving into a separate residence, not forgetting their origins, they still retained the designation 'si'. The name 'monastery' (sengsi) began with this. As for saṅghārāma, it is translated as 'community garden' (zhongyuan), meaning the residence of the multitude, situated in a garden or park, a place for propagation and growth; disciples of the Buddha propagate the sprouts of the Way and holy fruits. Therefore, in the sūtras there are the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove and the Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada Park, all being monasteries of the Western Regions. As for miraculous traces, such as King Mu of the Zhou building Xianji Monastery, these are difficult to substantiate and are called unfathomable matters. In the first year of the Shiguang era under Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei, a monastery was founded and called Zhaoti. In the Daye era of Emperor Yang of the Sui, monasteries throughout the realm were changed to 'bodhimaṇḍas' (daochang); under the Tang, they returned to being called 'si'.