一切經音義 1.3

1.3

Dharma Master Huilin, whose secular surname was Pei, was a native of Kashgar. From an early age he was steeped in Confucian arts, and at his coming of age he took refuge in Buddhism. He studied under Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra. In regard to the scriptures and treatises, he was especially proficient in lexicography. At the close of the Jianzhong reign-period he authored the Sounds and Meanings of the Canon in one hundred fascicles, comprising roughly six hundred thousand words. It begins with the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra and concludes with the records and biographies of the Hīnayāna. Early in the dynasty, the śramaṇa Xuanying and the retired scholar Guo of Taiyuan both composed glosses of pronunciation and meaning, but as a rule these were largely fraught with omissions and abridgments. There was the Venerable Xuanchang of Ximing Monastery, who ably continued the glorious path of his predecessors, unflagging by day and night. His aspiration surpassed the purity of autumn frost, and his mind embraced the clarity of still water. He thus sought out what had been lost or left behind, collecting and storing it away. He perfumed it with sandalwood and adorned it with fine brocade. It outshone the past and had no equal in subsequent times, startling the eyes and stirring the heart. Blessings sprang therefrom, and its benefits were vast. I, Qizhi, being unlearned yet wishing to examine the canon, inquired of Master Chang, who graciously showed me the Sounds and Meanings. I consider that having sounds and meanings for Chinese characters is like finding one's path when having lost the way, or like a lamp of wisdom shattering the darkness. Though latent and hidden, they can be silently recognized. Thereupon one scrutinizes the phonetic quality and distinguishes the sounds: there are the throat, the palate, the gums, the teeth, the lips, the mouth, and so on; there are the tones of gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu, and others. One clarifies them by heavy and light, distinguishes them by clear and turbid. The four tones are successively brought forth, and the five notes are alternately employed. Within them, alliteration and rhyming binomes circulate and revert, mutually serving as beginning and end, alternating without error, so that the meaning is made luminous and manifest. If one grasps the pronunciation, the meaning is understood; if the meaning is understood, the principle becomes complete; if the principle is complete, the text presents no obstruction; and if the text presents no obstruction, the thousands of scriptures and myriads of treatises become as plain as pointing to one's palm. Reaching sainthood by evening from being an ordinary person in the morning—does it even require a whole day? Hence it is without abandoning characters that one attains liberation. The teacherless wisdom originates from the source of the mind, splitting open the breast of doubt and stagnation, illuminating darkness and ignorance in an instant. The ultimate truth and conventional truth are hereby demarcated; Sanskrit and the Tang language are from this made clear. Moreover, though pronunciation differs between north and south, the meaning bears no distinction. The Qin people's departing tone resembles the rising tone, while the Wu people's rising tone resembles the departing tone. In between, there are lapses into light flippancy and injuries caused by heavy turbidity. Seldom are the confusions between yu and lu separated; frequently are the errors between shi and hai transmitted. As for the forty-two mātṛkā and the twelve syllabic vowels, they arose from the mind of Vairocana Buddha; bird tracks and insect scripts fall far short of them. However, though the sources and streams differ, the sounds and meanings are not distinct. Sifting sand to pick out gold, one realizes one's nature through principle. Once nature is attained, words can be set aside; when words can be set aside, characters too are forgotten. When all alike return to the one tathatā, the fish trap and rabbit snare are abandoned. The Sthavira Mingsxiu, the Abbot Qiyuan, and the Karmadāna Xuance are all devoted to the true vehicle and maintain the sacred scriptures. Their literary brilliance is dazzling, and their learning in scriptures and treatises is extensive. Some possess a deep and far-reaching spiritual sentiment, uniquely obtaining the mysterious pearl; others maintain a pure and lofty practice of discipline, standing out singularly like the moon of precepts. Above, they satisfy the will of the sages and worthies; below, they make manifest their diligent and earnest devotion. They consequently charged this unworthy one to respectfully compose this preface. (On the tenth day of the ninth month of the fifth year of Kaicheng).