出三藏記集 10.24

10.24

On the thirtieth day of the eleventh month in the twentieth year of the Jianyuan era of the Great Qin, the Kapiśa monk Saṅghabhadra recited this scripture and the Vibhāṣā by memory at Shiyang Monastery in Chang'an. The translation by Fotuoluosha into the Qin language was not refined. The śramaṇa Shi Dao'an and the court worthy Zhao Wenye scrutinized the principles, constantly seeking to capture them with subtle perfection, which led to delays. It was only completed on the ninth day of the second month in the twenty-first year. Furthermore, for the Vasumitra Scripture, as well as the Ekottarika-āgama and the Māyājāla-sūtra recited by Dharmanandin, Zhu Fonian was engaged as translator. Fonian was learned in both internal and external texts, possessing a genius for debate with many rare talents. He often suspected that the language of the Western Regions was verbose and plain, while believing this land favoured ornamentation; he always sought to polish the sentences and excise redundancies, which was deeply abhorred by Master Dao'an and Gentleman Zhao. Exerting every effort in collation and verification, they insisted on the essential core of the scriptures. Given that regional customs differ, they permitted him the "five losses of the Hu text"; beyond this, not a hair's breadth of discrepancy was allowed. The five losses are as recorded in Master Dao'an's Preface to the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā. Having participated at the tail end of the assembly, I have casually made this note at the end of the fascicle, so that others may know the utmost devotion of Shi and Zhao to the Dharma.