出三藏記集 10.27

10.27

The Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vasumitra will succeed Maitreya to become a Buddha named Lion Tathāgata. During the descent and birth of Śākyamuni, he was born in the country of Videha as Uttara, the son of the great brāhmaṇa Brahmāyu. His father commanded him to observe the Buddha, and he immediately attended upon him for four months, fully witnessing his marks, awe-inspiring transformations, and comportment. Returning, he reported what he had seen; his father attained the stage of a non-returner. Vasumitra, having already left home to study the Way, changed his name to Vasumitra. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, he traveled to teach in the kingdoms of Caidyaka and Parṇā. With towering talent surpassing his age, he outstripped all others and compiled this scripture. Taking seven chapters as one skandha, up to thirteen skandhas were compiled by him; the latter four chapters in one skandha explain and interpret the Buddha's verses, making eleven chapters and fourteen skandhas in all. Broad, profound, and vast, it flourished alongside the Abhidharma. In foreign lands, it was comprehensively versed in the Mahāyāna, especially elucidating the exhaustion of outflows; widely traversing the ten dharmas, the capabilities of the hundred practices were fully accomplished. Searching into it, it is vast and boundless like the shoreless ocean—how could it not be called wide? Climbing it, one gazes in awe as at the peakless Kunlun mountains—how could it not be called high? Its jewel islets reach the limits of sight, like the gems of the luminous pearl; its crags and caves appear before one's eyes, like the jades of divine wisdom. In its inexhaustible richness, what could surpass this scripture? In foreign lands, those who ascended the high seat never fell to the ground. Having compiled this scripture, he entered into samādhi; in the space of a finger-snap, his spirit ascended to Tuṣita. Maitreya, Maitreya's retinue, and Saṅgharakṣa had just arrived at that heavenly palace. These several gentlemen are all persons who will next fill the place of Buddhahood: Maitreya is the Radiant Flame Tathāgata, and Saṅgharakṣa is the Gentle and Benevolent Buddha. These four great beings gathered in one hall, expounding provisional wisdom while the worthies and sages listened in silence. Grandly filling the ears, is this not a joy? The Kapiśa śramaṇa Saṅghabhadra brought a copy of this scripture and arrived in Chang'an in the twentieth year of the Jianyuan era of the Qin. Zhao Zheng, whose courtesy name was Wenye, the Grand Protector of Wuwei, was a scholar tireless in learning; he requested that it be produced. Zhu Fonian translated and transmitted it; Saṅghabhadra, Nanda, and Deva, three men, held the Hu text; and Huisong was the scribal recorder. It began on the fifth day of the third month and was finished on the thirteenth day of the seventh month. The Hu text was twelve thousand ślokas. I collated and polished it together with Fahe, and the Grand Protector of Wuwei embellished it to some extent. This scripture expounds the Three Vehicles as nine grades, and is especially skilled in practice, detailing the sixteen stages of śamatha and vipaśyanā most comprehensively. Whenever I contemplate this superior man's noble style, I never fail to forget mundane pleasures. My only regret is looking through the gates several fathoms high, fearing that I am too late and will lose the beauty of its ancestral temple and the richness of its hundred officials.