出三藏記集 13
English (machine translation) 13
- Language
- English
13.1
Composed by the Śramaṇa Shi Sengyou of the Jianchu Monastery under the Liang
13.2
Biography of An Shigao, Number One
Biography of Zhi Qian [Lokakṣema], Number Two
Biography of An Xuan, Number Three
Biography of Kang Senghui, Number Four
Biography of Zhu Shixing, Number Five
Biography of Zhi Qian, Number Six
Biography of Zhu Fahu [Dharmarakṣa], Number Seven
Biography of Zhu Shulan, Number Eight
Biography of Śrīmitra, Number Nine
Biography of Saṅghabhadra, Number Ten
Biography of Dharmanandin, Number Eleven
Biography of Saṅghadeva, Number Twelve
13.3
Biography of An Shigao, Number One
13.4
An Qing, courtesy name Shigao, was the crown prince of the primary queen of the king of Parthia (Anxi). From his youth he harbored genuine filial piety, showing utmost sincerity in respecting and nurturing [his parents]. His compassionate benevolence extended even to the crawling creatures, and his every movement, word, and act of conduct were as if conforming to a compass and square. Moreover, in his aspirations and endeavors he was intelligent and quick-witted, earnestly dedicated to learning. Of the foreign texts and records, there were none he did not comprehensively master. The signs of the seven luminaries and five phases, divination by the wind's direction (fengjiao) and cloud formations, the calculations of astronomy, waxing and waning—he thoroughly explored all their permutations. In addition, he was deeply versed in medicine, marvellously adept at acupuncture and pulse diagnosis; looking at a complexion he knew the illness, and when he administered medicine it was certain to cure. He even went so far as to know the minds of birds and beasts upon hearing their calls. Thereupon his fame as an extraordinary talent spread throughout the Western Regions, and neighboring states near and far all revered and extolled him. Although Shigao remained in lay life, he observed the precepts with meticulous austerity, continually delivering discourses and offering the gift of the Dharma. Later, upon the king's demise, he was about to succeed to the throne. He then deeply contemplated suffering and emptiness, becoming weary of fame and high position. Once the mourning observances were completed, he yielded the state to his uncle, left household life to cultivate the Way, broadly synthesized the scriptural canon, and was especially adept in abhidharma studies, chanting and upholding meditation scriptures and thoroughly grasping their subtleties. Thereafter, he traveled abroad to propagate and transform, passing through various countries. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Huan of the Han, he first arrived in the Central Land. Shigao's natural acumen was discerning and acute: hearing a thing once, he could master it. Not long after his arrival, he attained complete fluency in the Chinese language. Thereupon he translated numerous scriptures, rendering the Hu into Han [Chinese]. He translated the Anban shouyi jing (Ānāpānasmṛti-sūtra), Yinchiru jing (Skandha-dhātv-āyatana-sūtra), the larger and smaller Twelve Gates, and One Hundred and Sixty Chapters, among others. Earlier, the foreign tripiṭaka master Saṅgharakṣa compiled an epitome of scriptures in twenty-seven chapters; Shigao analyzed seven chapters compiled by Saṅgharakṣa and translated them into Chinese, which is the Daodi jing (Yogācārabhūmi). In all, the scriptures he translated earlier and later amounted to forty-five works. Their doctrinal principles are clear and analytical, the wording accurate and correct, eloquent without being florid, plain without being rustic. All who read them do so untiringly and with zeal. Shigao thoroughly investigated principles and exhausted nature, knowing of himself his past karmic connections; he had many supernatural occurrences that the world could not fathom. Shigao initially recounted of himself that in a past life he had already been a Parthian prince and had left household life together with the son of an elder of that country. When begging for alms, if a donor did not give according to [the fellow-student's] wishes, the fellow-student would immediately become enraged. Shigao repeatedly rebuked him; the fellow-student apologized in repentance, yet still did not mend his ways. After more than twenty years like this, Shigao bid farewell to the fellow-student, saying: 'I must go to Guangzhou to settle a retribution from a past life. You are not behind me in understanding scriptures and vigorous progress, yet by nature you are given to wrath; after passing away, you will receive an evil rebirth form. If I attain the Way, I will certainly deliver you.' Thereafter, he went to Guangzhou, where he encountered a great rebellion by bandits. Walking along the road, he met a youth who spat on his hands, drew a sword, and said: 'I have truly caught you!' Shigao smiled and said: 'In a past life I owed you a debt, and therefore I have come from afar to repay it. Your fury is precisely the intention from that former life.' He then stretched out his neck to receive the blade, without any look of fear on his countenance. The bandit then killed him. Those who watched filled the road, and none were not astounded by this extraordinary event. Thereafter, his consciousness returned to become the crown prince of Parthia, which was Shigao's present incarnation. After Shigao had completed his traveling, transforming, and translating scriptures in China, he encountered the turmoil in Guanzhong and Luoyang at the end of Emperor Ling's reign. He then leaned upon his tin staff and headed south of the Yangzi, saying: 'I shall pass by Mount Lu to deliver my former fellow-student.' On his journey, he reached the shrine at Lake Gongting. This shrine had long possessed divine efficacy; when merchant travelers prayed, the wind would split to blow both upstream and downstream, none suffering delay. There was once someone who begged for the deity's bamboo; before permission was granted, he took it, whereupon his boat immediately capsized and the bamboo returned to its original place. From then on, boatmen feared and respected the deity, none failing to tremble before its shadow. Shigao traveled alongside more than thirty boats, and they offered animal sacrifices to pray for blessings. The spirit then descended through the medium, saying: 'There is a śramaṇa on the boats; you may summon him to come up.' The guests were all alarmed and invited Shigao into the shrine. The deity said to Shigao: 'In the past in a foreign land, I left household life together with you to study the Way. I took pleasure in practicing giving, but by nature was prone to anger. Now I am the deity of Lake Gongting, and the surrounding thousand li are all under my control. Because of giving, I have countless treasures and curios; because of anger, I fell into this spirit form. Seeing my fellow-student now, how can my sorrow and joy be told? My lifespan will end any day, yet my ugly form is long and vast. If I cast off my life here, it would pollute the rivers and lakes; I must cross to the empty marsh west of the mountain. Fearing that when this body perishes I may fall into hell, I have a thousand bolts of silk together with various treasures; you may erect a stūpa and conduct Dharma affairs on my behalf, so that I may be born in a good place.' Shigao said: 'I came specifically to deliver you. Why do you not show your form?' The deity said: 'My form is extremely grotesque; the multitude will surely be frightened.' Shigao said: 'Just come out; the crowd will not think it strange.' The spirit put forth its head from behind the couch—it was a great python. Coming beside Shigao's knees, its tears fell like rain; the length of its tail was unknown. Shigao spoke to it in the Hu language, which those beside could not understand. The python then withdrew into hiding. Shigao immediately took the silk and goods, bid farewell, and departed. When the boat travelers hoisted sail, the deity put forth its python body once again, ascended the mountain peak, and gazed toward the multitude; after they raised their hands [in farewell], it vanished. In an instant, they reached Yuzhang, where he immediately used the shrine's goods to establish the Eastern Monastery (Dongsi). After Shigao departed, the spirit expired. In the evening, a youth came aboard the boat, knelt long before Shigao, received his recitation of blessings (cuoyu), and suddenly disappeared. Shigao said to the boatmen: 'The youth just now was the deity of Gongting Shrine; he has succeeded in escaping his evil form.' Thereupon the shrine deity's manifestations ceased and it had no further efficacy. Later, people found a dead python in the marshes of the western mountain, its head and tail several li apart; Snake Village in present-day Xunyang Commandery is that place. Thereupon, [Shigao] went to Guangzhou to search for the youth who had killed him in his previous life. At that time, the youth was still alive, already over sixty years of age. Shigao went straight to his house, spoke with him about what had happened when settling the retribution in the past, and recounted their karmic ties, facing each other with joy. He said: 'I still have a remnant of retribution; now I must go to Kuaiji to settle it.' The guest from Guangzhou deeply realized that Shigao was no ordinary man, had an open awakening of mind, repented his former transgressions, and richly provided him with provisions. He then followed Shigao eastward, eventually arriving in Kuaiji. Upon arrival, he entered the marketplace. Just then, people were brawling in the marketplace; striking wildly in the fray, they mistakenly hit Shigao, and he died on the spot. Having repeatedly witnessed the two retributions, the guest from Guangzhou then vigorously applied himself to the Buddha's Dharma, related the events and circumstances in full detail, and none who heard of it far and wide failed to lament in sorrow, showing clearly that the three times have their proofs. As Shigao was originally of royal lineage and his fame was high in foreign lands, traveling guests from the western regions still called him Marquis An (Anhou), which remains an epithet down to the present. The state of Tianzhu refers to its own writing as divine writing and its speech as divine speech; its pronunciation and syntax are intricate and difficult, vastly different from Han [Chinese]. Translations handed down successively have often led to errors and confusion; only Shigao's scriptural translations stand at the head of all translations. Master Dao'an considered that to have personally received teachings from him would have been no different from seeing a sage. Eminent and virtuous men of successive generations have all praised and longed for him.
13.5
Biography of Lokakṣema, Number Two
13.6
Lokakṣema was originally a native of the Yuezhi kingdom. His conduct was pure and profound, and his temperament broad and sharp. Upholding the precepts of the Dharma, he was renowned for his vigorous diligence. Chanting and reciting various scriptures, his intention lay in propagating the Dharma. Toward the end of the reign of Emperor Huan of the Han, he traveled to Luoyang. Between the Guanghe and Zhongping eras of Emperor Ling, he translated Hu texts, producing three scriptures: the Daoxing pin of the Prajñā[pāramitā], the Śūraṅgama[-samādhi-sūtra], and the Pratyutpanna[-samādhi-sūtra]. There were also ten scriptures, such as the Ajātaśatru-kaukṛtya-vinodana and the Ratnakūṭa; because the years have passed without records, Master Dao'an, examining ancient and modern works and closely investigating their literary style, stated that they seem to have been produced by Lokakṣema. All these scriptures accurately capture the original purport without any added embellishment; he may be called a scholar who skillfully propagated the essentials of the Dharma and magnified the Way. Later, it is unknown where he ended his life. The śramaṇa Zhu Shuofu was a native of Tianzhu. In the time of Emperor Huan of the Han, he also brought the Daoxing jing to Luoyang, translating the Hu into Chinese. The translator sometimes hesitated, and though there were deviations from the purport, he discarded ornamentation and preserved the plain truth, deeply capturing the scriptural meaning. In the second year of the Guanghe era of Emperor Ling, Shuofu also translated the Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra in Luoyang. At that time, Lokakṣema served as oral interpreter, while Meng Fu and Zhang Lian of Luoyang in Henan acted as scribal recorders. At that time, there was also Zhi Yao, who translated the Chengju guangming jing.
13.7
Biography of An Xuan, Number Three
13.8
An Xuan was a native of Parthia. His disposition was upright and pure, profound and endowed with rational discernment. As an upāsaka, he upheld the precepts of the Dharma without the slightest deficiency. Broadly chanting the scriptures, he was conversant with many of them. Toward the end of the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han, he traded in Luoyang; having merit, he was titled Cavalry Commandant (Qiduwei). By nature he was quiet, modest, and respectful, always taking Dharma affairs as his personal duty. Gradually mastering the Chinese language, he set his will upon propagating the scriptures, often discussing the principles of the Way with śramaṇas; this was what the world called 'the discourses of the Commandant.' Xuan, together with the śramaṇa Yan Fotiao, produced the Fajing jing (Ugraparipṛcchā-sūtra). Xuan orally translated the Fan text, and Fotiao served as scribal recorder. The meaning was grasped and the phonetic rendering was accurate, fully conveying the subtle purport of the scripture; the excellence of their craftsmanship was praised by later generations. Fotiao was a native of Linhuai. In his youth he was extraordinarily intelligent, sharp, and fond of learning; faith and wisdom came naturally to him. He then left household life to cultivate the Way. Versed in translating scriptures, he was held in high esteem at the time. The world remarked: 'Marquis An, the Commandant, and Fotiao—the translations of these three are hailed as difficult to equal.' Fotiao also composed the Shihui (Tenfold Wisdom), which circulated in the world. Master Dao'an praised Fotiao's translation of scriptures as being concise and not tedious, keeping the original complete in its subtle skill. Next was Kang Mengxiang, whose ancestors were people of Kangju. He translated the Zhongbenqi [jing]. Master Dao'an praised Mengxiang's translated scriptures as flowing and smooth, fully conveying the profound subtleties. Later there was the śramaṇa Vighna, a native of Tianzhu. In the third year of the Huangwu era of Sun Quan, he brought a Hu text of the Tanbo jing to Wuchang. Tanbo is the Dharmapada (Faju jing). At that time, Zhi Qian requested that the scripture be translated, and so he had his companion Zhu Jiangyan translate it, with Qian transcribing it into Chinese text. At that time, Jiangyan was not yet proficient in Chinese, and quite a bit remained incomplete; nevertheless, aiming at the original meaning, it was close to plain truth. This is the Dharmapada transmitted today. As for Bai Yan, it is unknown where he came from. Toward the end of the Zhengshi era of Wei, he retranslated the Śūraṅgama, as well as the Xulai (Surata-paripṛcchā) and the Chuzai huan jing (Scripture on Eliminating Calamities), totaling three works.
13.9
Biography of Kang Senghui, Number Four
13.10
Kang Senghui's ancestors were people of Kangju who had resided in Tianzhu for generations. His father moved to Jiaozhi because of commerce. When Senghui was a little over ten years old, both his parents died; he became known for his utmost filial devotion. Afterward he left home [to become a monk], and his cultivation of conduct was extremely rigorous. He was magnanimous, elegant, perceptive, of great capacity, devoted in purpose, and fond of learning. He was thoroughly versed in the Tripiṭaka and broadly read in the six classics; in astronomy and the apocryphal charts and texts, there was much that he penetrated; he was skilled in crucial deliberations and had considerable literary talent. At that time, Sun Quan ruled the region south of the Yangtze, but Buddhism had not yet arrived there. Senghui, wishing to spread the great Dharma, raised his mendicant's staff and journeyed east, arriving in Jianye in the tenth year of the Chiwu reign era. He built a thatched hut, set up an image, and practiced the path. An official memorialised: 'A foreign man has entered our territory, calling himself a śramaṇa. His appearance and clothing are unusual; the matter should be investigated.' Quan said: 'I have heard that Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of a deity called the Buddha. Could what he serves be the remaining legacy of that?' He immediately summoned Senghui and questioned him: 'What spiritual verification is there?' Senghui said: 'More than a thousand years have swiftly passed since the Tathāgata withdrew his traces. His relics of bone and śarīra shine with spiritual radiance without limit. Formerly, King Aśoka erected eighty-four thousand stupas. The rising of stupas and temples is the means to manifest his bequeathed transformation.' Quan regarded this as extravagant boast and said to Senghui: 'If you can obtain a śarīra, I will build a stupa for you; if it is false, the state has its established punishments.' Senghui asked for a period of seven days. He then said to his followers: 'The rise or fall of the Dharma rests on this single action. If we are not of utmost sincerity now, how can we make amends later?' They purified themselves together, held a fast in a quiet room, placed a bronze jar upon a table, and burnt incense to worship and entreat. The seven-day period ended, but all was quiet without response. He begged for an extension of a second seven days, which was also like this. Quan said: 'This is deception,' and was about to impose punishment. Senghui again requested a third seven days, and Quan specially granted it. Senghui said: 'The Dharma cloud ought to spread, yet we have no resonance. Why rely on the king's laws? We must take the pledge of death as our limit.' At dusk on the twenty-first day, still nothing was seen, and all were terrified. When the fifth watch began, they suddenly heard a clinking sound inside the jar. Senghui went himself to inspect it, and indeed obtained a śarīra. The next morning he presented it to Quan, and the whole court gathered to view it. Five-colored flames of light illuminated the top of the jar. Quan held the jar with his own hands and poured it onto a bronze basin; wherever the śarīra struck, the basin was instantly shattered. Quan rose in solemn surprise and said: 'A rare and auspicious sign!' Senghui stepped forward and said: 'How could the divine majesty of the śarīra be merely its light and mark? Even the fire of the conflagration at the end of the kalpa cannot burn it, nor can a vajra pestle break it.' Quan ordered an iron mallet and anvil to be fetched, and made a strongman strike it. The anvil and mallet both were dented, but the śarīra showed no change. Quan was deeply sighing in admiration and convinced; he immediately had a stupa built for him. Because this was the beginning of Buddhist temples, it was called the Jianchu Temple ('Temple of the First Foundation'), and he named the locality Buddha Lane. From this, the great Dharma flourished south of the Yangtze. Coming to Sun Hao, who was dark and cruel and wished to burn down the stupas and shrines, the ministers all remonstrated, considering that the Buddha's divine power was unlike other gods: 'Kang Senghui brought about auspicious responses, and the Grand Emperor founded the temple; if we now rashly destroy it, we fear it will bring regret later.' Hao understood and sent Zhang Yu to go to the temple to cross-examine Senghui. Yu was refined and had talent in debate, raising difficult questions in all directions. Senghui responded appropriately and gave rein to his rhetoric, literary grace and reasoned principle both emerging. From morning till evening, Yu could not confute him. When he was about to withdraw, Senghui saw him off at the gate. At that time, there was an illicit shrine beside the temple. Yu said: 'Since the profound transformation is already trusted, why have these people not altered their ways despite being so close?' Senghui said: 'A crashing thunderclap shatters mountains, yet the deaf do not hear it—it is not that the sound is small. If there is mutual accord in principle, there is remote resonance across ten thousand li; if there is blockage, even the liver and gall will be as distant as Chu and Yue.' Yu returned and sighed: 'Senghui's talent and brilliance are not something that your servant can measure; may Your Majesty examine it.' Hao gathered the court's worthies in great numbers and sent a horse carriage to welcome Senghui. When Senghui took his seat, Hao asked: 'What is the retribution of good and evil explained in the teachings of the Buddha?' Senghui answered: 'When an enlightened ruler instructs the world with filial devotion and benevolence, the Red Crow hovers and the Star of Longevity appears; when humane virtue nurtures living things, sweet springs gush forth and auspicious grain grows. Since good has auspicious omens, evil is also like this. Therefore, if one commits evil in secret, the ghosts have cause to slay him; if one commits evil in the open, men have cause to slay him. The Classic of Changes states: "Accumulated evil brings surplus calamity." The Classic of Poetry sings: "Seeking blessings without turning back." Although these are maxims of the Confucian texts, they are the clear teachings of Buddhism.' Hao said: 'If so, then the Duke of Zhou and Confucius have already made it clear. What use is Buddhism?' Senghui said: 'Although the Duke of Zhou and Confucius spoke of it, they only briefly indicated what was obvious and near; as for the teachings of the Śākya, they completely exhaust what is profound and distant. Therefore, committing evil brings the long suffering of the hells, and cultivating good brings the eternal joy of the heavenly palaces. Setting this forth to illuminate encouragement and dissuasion—is it not great?' Hao then conceded. Although Hao heard the true Dharma, his dark and violent nature could not overcome his cruelty. Later, he had the palace guard soldiers enter the rear palace to tend the garden. In the ground, they found a standing golden image several feet tall and presented it to Hao. Hao had it placed in front of the latrine. On the eighth day of the fourth month, Hao went to the latrine, defiled the image, and said: 'I have finished bathing the Buddha!' He returned and laughed together with his ministers for amusement. Before dusk, his scrotum became swollen and painful, and he cried out in unbearable agony. The grand astrologer divined and said: 'It was caused by offending a great spirit.' The ministers prayed and made offerings at all shrines without missing any, but the pain became all the more severe, and he sought death in vain. Among the palace ladies, there was one who had previously revered the Dharma; hearing of Hao's illness, she inquired after him and said: 'Did Your Majesty seek blessings from the Buddha shrine?' Hao raised his head and asked: 'Is the Buddha deity great?' The palace lady answered: 'The Buddha is a great sage, revered by heavenly deities.' Hao's mind then realized [his fault] and he recounted the full story. The palace lady immediately brought the image onto the palace hall, washed it with fragrant water several tens of times, and burned incense to repent. Hao kowtowed on his pillow and confessed his sinful transgressions. Before long, his pain abated. He sent an envoy to the temple to inquire, summoning any practitioner of the path who could expound the scriptures to come and see him. Senghui then followed the envoy inside. Hao asked about the causes of sin and blessing, and Senghui expounded and analyzed them in detail, his words very precise and eloquent. Hao, possessing talent and understanding to begin with, was exceedingly delighted. He thereupon asked to see the śramaṇa precepts. Senghui, considering that the text of the precepts was secret and restricted, and could not be lightly proclaimed, took the hundred and thirty-five vows of the Original Karmas and divided them into two hundred and fifty matters, wishing well for sentient beings in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Seeing that these compassionate vows were profound in the extreme and beyond what worldly books could reach, Hao's good intentions increased all the more, and he immediately received the five precepts from Senghui. Within ten days, his illness was cured. He then renovated the temple where Senghui resided, naming it the Temple of the Son of Heaven. He issued an edict to the inner palace, imperial clansmen, and all ministers that none should fail to revere it. Senghui repeatedly expounded the true Dharma at the Wu court; because Hao's nature was fierce and coarse and unable to reach the subtle meaning, Senghui only recounted the immediate verifications of retribution in order to open and stimulate his mind. At the Jianchu Temple, Senghui translated scriptures and Dharmas: the Anannianmi jing, the Jingmianwang chamiwang fanhuangwang jing, the Daopin, and the Liudu ji, all exquisitely capturing the style of the sūtras, their literary meaning fitting and correct. He also annotated the three sūtras of Anban shouyi, Fajing, and Daoshu, and composed prefaces to the scriptures; the elegance and richness of their rhetoric and the subtle refinement of their doctrinal import were both held in high esteem by later generations. Senghui died in the first year of the Taikang reign era of Emperor Wu of the Jin.
13.11
Biography of Zhu Shixing, Number Five
13.12
Zhu Shixing was a man of Yingchuan. His aspirational practice was pure and refined, his spirit and tone clear and resolute; he was firm, upright, square, and honest, and neither encouragement nor dissuasion could move him. In his youth, he harboured farsighted understanding and cast off worldly dust. After leaving home [to become a monk], he took the great Dharma as his own responsibility. He often said that entering the path relies on wisdom, and therefore devoted himself exclusively to the sūtras. Formerly, the Indian Zhu Shuofo, during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han, brought out the Daoxing jing; the translator transmitted it orally, and if he did not understand something, he would readily abbreviate and pass over it; therefore, the meaning had considerable obstruction between beginning and end. Shixing often lectured on the Xiaopin in Luoyang, frequently finding it blocked; he always sighed that this scripture was the essential core of the Mahāyāna, yet its translation did not exhaust the principles. He pledged to sacrifice his life to go far away and welcome the Dapin. Thereupon, in the fifth year of the Ganlu reign era of the Wei, he set out from Yongzhou and crossed the flowing sands to the west. Having arrived in Khotan, he indeed obtained and copied a Sanskrit text of the authentic chapter, an Indian manuscript of ninety chapters and over six hundred thousand words. He sent his disciple Ruhutan—in Jin speech, Farao—together with ten others, to escort the Indian manuscript of the sūtra back to Luoyang. Before they set out, the Hīnayāna community of Khotan reported to the king, saying: 'The śramaṇa of the Han land wishes to use brāhmaṇa books to confuse and disrupt the authentic canonical texts. You, Great King, are the master of the land; if you do not forbid it, you will cut off the great Dharma and blind and deafen the Han land, which will be the fault of the King.' The king thereupon did not permit them to take the scripture away. Indignant and sorrowful, Shixing asked to burn the scripture as proof. The king wished to test it, so he piled firewood in the palace courtyard and burned it with fire. Standing before the steps, Shixing made a vow, saying: 'If the great Dharma should spread to the Han land, the scripture shall not burn; if there is no response, what is there to say of my fate?' Having spoken, he cast the scripture into the flames; the fire was immediately extinguished, not harming a single word, and the bark and boards were just as before. The great assembly was awe-struck and convinced, praising his spiritual resonance. Thus they were able to deliver it to Cangheng Shuinan Temple in Chenliu. The layman Zhu Shulan of Henan, who was skilled in regional tongues, translated it as the Fangguang jing in twenty fascicles. Shixing died at the age of eighty. According to the Western practice of jhāvita, when the firewood was exhausted and the fire extinguished, his corpse remained entirely intact. The assembly were all startled and amazed, so they chanted an incantation, saying: 'If he truly attained the Dharma of the path, it ought to be destroyed.' At the sound [of the words], it broke apart and scattered. They then collected his bones and erected a stupa.
13.13
Biography of Zhi Qian, Number Six
13.14
Zhi Qian, styled Gongming, also named Yue, was a man of the Greater Yuezhi. His grandfather, Fadu, during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han, led several hundred people of his state to submit and become naturalised [in China], being appointed General of the Palace Gentlemen Who Leads to Goodness. When Yue was seven years old, he was riding a bamboo horse and playing at a neighbour's house when he was bitten by a dog, and his shin-bone was shattered. The neighbour wished to kill the dog and take its liver to apply to the wound. Yue said, 'Heaven gave birth to this creature to guard and bark for humans. If I had not gone to your house, the dog would never have bitten me. The fault lies with me and does not concern the dog. Even if killing it could heal me, it still ought not to be done; how much less so when it brings me no benefit and merely incurs a great sin! Moreover, a beast is without understanding—how can one hold it to reason?' Because of this, several tens of households in the village were moved by his words and entirely ceased killing living beings. At the age of ten he studied writing, and all his fellow scholars were won over by his intelligence and acumen. At thirteen he studied Hu script, becoming fully conversant with the languages of six countries. Earlier, during the Huan and Ling eras, Zhi Qian translated canonical texts. There was Zhi Liang, styled Jiming, who studied under [Lokakṣema]; Qian in turn received instruction from Liang, reading widely in canonical books, mastering all of them thoroughly, and also becoming broadly versed in worldly arts and sciences. In physical appearance he was tall, slender, dark and thin, with the whites of his eyes predominant and yellow pupils. The people of the time had a saying about him: 'The young gentleman Zhi has yellow in his eyes; though his body is slender, he is a bag of wisdom.' He originally revered the Great Teaching and deeply mastered the import of the scriptures. At the end of Emperor Xian's reign, the Han house fell into great disorder, and together with several tens of his townsfolk he fled to Wu. On the day they first set out, he had only one quilt. There was a traveller following them who had no quilt in the bitter cold. Yue called the traveller to sleep with him. When it was nearly midnight, the traveller seized his quilt and left. The next morning, his companions asked where the quilt was. Yue said, 'Last night it was taken by the traveller.' The companions all said, 'Why did you not tell us?' He replied, 'If I had reported it, you gentlemen would certainly have punished him for the crime of robbery. How could it be fitting to kill a man for the sake of a single quilt?' Those near and far who heard of this all sighed in admiration and respect. Later, Sun Quan, the ruler of Wu, heard of his broad learning, talent, and wisdom, and immediately summoned him for an audience, inquiring into the deep and hidden meanings of the scriptures. [Qian] resolved difficulties according to the occasion, leaving no doubt unanalysed. Quan was delighted and appointed him Erudite (boshi), having him guide and instruct the Heir Apparent in the Eastern Palace, bestowing on him great favour and rank. Yue considered that although the Great Teaching was circulating, the scriptures were mostly in Hu texts and no one understood them. Since he was skilled in both Chinese and barbarian tongues, he collected various originals and translated them into the Han language. From the first year of Huangwu (222 CE) to the Jianxing era (252–253 CE), he translated twenty-seven scriptures, including the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, the Mahāparinirvāṇa, the Dharmapada, and the Ruiying benqi [jing]; he captured the holy meaning in full detail, and his style and meaning were literary and refined. Furthermore, based on the Wuliangshou [jing] and the Zhongbenqi jing, he composed continuous-verse praises of the bodhisattva, three cantos of Fan hymns (fanbai), and annotated the Liaoben shengsi jing, all of which circulated in the world. Later, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he retired into seclusion in Qiongcai Mountain and did not engage in worldly affairs. He took the five precepts afresh under the cleric Zhu Falan, and all those with whom he associated were only śramaṇas. Later he died in the mountains at the age of sixty. Sun Liang, the ruler of Wu, wrote a letter to the assembly of monks, saying, 'Zhi Gongming could not be saved from his illness. His deeds and conduct were simple and pure, lofty from beginning to end. I am grieved by this and cannot cease.' Such was the sorrow felt for him by his contemporaries.
13.15
Biography of Zhu Fahu, Seventh
13.16
Zhu Fahu's ancestors were Yuezhi people; for generations they had lived in Dunhuang Commandery. At the age of eight he went forth from household life, serving a foreign śramaṇa, Gaozuo, as his master. He recited ten thousand words of scripture a day, mastering them as soon as his eyes passed over them. By nature he was pure and admirable, his conduct disciplined and rigorous. Earnest in purpose and fond of learning, he travelled ten thousand li in search of masters. For this reason, he read widely in the Six Classics and dipped into the words of the Hundred Schools. Though worldly affairs brought praise or blame, they never troubled his senses. At that time, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin, although temples and icons were revered in the capital, the profound scriptures of the Vaipulya were hidden in the Western Regions. Fahu was deeply moved, aroused his determination to propagate the Great Way, and thereupon followed his master to the Western Regions, travelling through various states. There were thirty-six foreign languages, and their scripts were likewise; Fahu learned them all thoroughly, synthesizing ancient glosses, phonetic values, and script styles, fully understanding them all. He then returned to China carrying a great number of Hu originals. From Dunhuang to Chang'an, he translated along the way, transcribing into Chinese texts the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna scriptures he had obtained—a total of one hundred and forty-nine works, including the Bhadrakalpika, Mahākāruṇika, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, and Lalitavistara. Tirelessly diligent in his task, his sole occupation was propagation; translating and copying his whole life long, he never spoke of weariness. That the scriptural Dharma became widely diffused throughout China was due to Fahu's efforts. At the end of Emperor Wu of the Jin's reign, Fahu lived in seclusion in the deep mountains. In the mountains there was a clear stream from which he regularly washed and rinsed. Later, woodcutters defiled its banks, and the water suddenly dried up. Fahu paced about, sighing, 'If the water is permanently exhausted, I shall truly have no means to sustain myself, and it will be time to move away.' When he finished speaking, a spring welled up and filled the stream. His responses brought about by hidden sincerity were all of this kind. Later, he established a monastery outside the Qing Gate of Chang'an and diligently practiced the Way. Thereupon his virtuous influence spread in all four directions, his renown covering near and far, and monks by the thousands came to revere and follow him. At that time there was a śrāmaṇera named Zhu Facheng, eight years old and intelligent, who relied on Fahu as his master. In the Guanzhong region there was a prominent family who, wishing to venerate the Great Teaching and test Fahu's virtue, falsely went to report an emergency and ask for two hundred thousand coins. Fahu had not yet answered when Cheng, who was thirteen years old and attending by his master's side, said to the guest, 'The upādhyāya has already granted your request.' When the guest withdrew, Cheng said, 'Observing this person's countenance, he does not truly seek money; he only intends to see what the upādhyāya's virtue is like.' Fahu said, 'I thought so too.' The next day, this guest led over a hundred people of his clan to visit Fahu, requesting to receive the five precepts and fully apologising for his intention in asking for money. Thereupon, gentry and commoners from all quarters gathered upon hearing of his repute, and he propagated and exalted the Buddhist transformation for more than twenty years. Later, during the Western Progress of Emperor Hui to Chang'an, the Guanzhong region was desolate and the common people were displaced. Fahu and his disciples fled the region and went east; when he reached Kunchi, he fell ill and died at the age of seventy-eight. Later, Sun Xinggong composed the Daoxian lun (Treatise on the Virtuous of the Way), comparing seven Indian monks to the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, and likening Fahu to Shan Juyuan. His treatise states: 'The Venerable Hu's virtue placed him at the head of beings; Juyuan's rank rose to discoursing on the Way. The two gentlemen's refined virtue was lofty and distant, sufficient to be peers.' Such was the praise he received in later generations. Earlier, when Fahu obtained the Hu original of the Chaori ming jing in the Western Regions and translated it, it was rather redundant and cumbersome. At that time there was a layman, Nie Chengyuan, who revised and corrected the prose and verses, condensing them into two fascicles; this is the scripture transmitted today. Chengyuan was clear, experienced, endowed with talent and reason, and earnest in Dharma affairs; many of the scriptures translated by the Venerable Hu were examined and corrected by him. Between the Hui and Huai eras, there was a śramaṇa named Faju, origin unknown, who translated the Loutan jing. Ju and the śramaṇa Fali jointly translated two scriptures, the Fajuyu [jing] and the Futian [jing]. Fali also sought out Hu originals and separately translated over a hundred pieces; before he could copy them out fair, he fell ill and died. Soon afterwards, during the turmoil of Yongjia, they were scattered and lost.
13.17
Biography of Zhu Shulan, Eighth
13.18
Zhu Shulan was originally a man of India. His grandfather, Loutuo, was devoted in purpose and fond of learning, pure, simple, and principled. At that time the king of the state was unprincipled and the common people thought of rebellion. A treacherous minister who led troops committed an offense, and fearing execution, he called upon the notables of the state to rebel with him. Loutuo said angrily, 'You arose from lowly status and yet were appointed to an essential post; can you not repay this kindness with virtue, but instead plot treason? I would rather preserve my loyalty and die than rebel and live.' Fearing the plot would leak, the rebel killed him and rose in revolt. Loutuo's son, Damoxiluo (in the language of Qi, Fasou [Dharmaśīla]), had previously been in another country; his wife's two brothers were both śramaṇas. Hearing that his father had been killed and that the country was in great turmoil, he fled to the Jin with the two śramaṇas and lived in Henan, where Shulan was born. Shulan was intelligent and articulate from youth; he studied and received scriptural teachings from his two maternal uncles, awakening upon hearing them once. He was skilled in both Hu and Chinese languages and scripts, and also well versed in diverse literary and historical works. However, he was somewhat reckless and frivolous by nature, indulging in hunting without restraint. He once chased a deer on a single horse, encountered a tiger, fell from his horse, and broke his right arm. Only after a long time did he recover. Afterward, he galloped about without stopping; his mother repeatedly scolded and admonished him, and only when she ceased eating meat and ate vegetables on his behalf did he finally stop. By nature he was fond of wine, feeling relaxed only after drinking five or six sheng, and he would often lie dead drunk by the roadside. He even entered the gate of Henan Commandery shouting and calling, so the clerks recorded and sent him to the Henan jail. At that time Yue Guang, the Intendant of Henan, was drinking with his guests; already drunk, he said to Lan, 'You are an immigrant; why do you learn to drink wine from others?' Zhu Shulan said, 'Du Kang brewed wine for all under heaven to drink; why speak of immigrants or natives?' Guang said again, 'Drinking wine may be fine, but why be wild and disordered?' He replied, 'I, the commoner, may be wild but am not disordered, just as your lordship, though drunk, is not wild.' Guang shouted out and asked the guests present, 'How is it that a foreigner has a white face?' Shulan replied, 'The people of Henan have black faces, yet no one doubts them; what is so strange about my having a white face?' Thereupon host and guests admired his quick wit and released him. Soon afterward, he died suddenly without illness and revived after three days. He related that he entered a vermilion gate where there was a hall made of gold and silver, and saw a man who said he was his grandfather. [The grandfather] said to Shulan, 'I practiced goodness for years and now receive this retribution. You are a sinner; how could you come here?' At that time the gatekeeper drove him out with a staff. Entering a bamboo grove, he saw his hunting companions being pecked and bitten by falcons and hounds, bleeding and crying out to Shulan for help. Shulan ran and fled several tens of paces, where he met an ox-headed man who was about to pierce him with a pitchfork. Shulan said, 'For generations I have been a disciple of the Buddha, constantly making offerings to two śramaṇas. What crime brings this punishment upon me?' The ox-headed man replied, 'This only reaps blessing; it does not concern the sin of hunting.' Soon he saw his two maternal uncles arrive, who said to the ox-headed man, 'The two of us have constantly received his offerings; his evil is little and his good is great, so he may be spared.' He then returned following the clerics, and thereupon revived. Thereupon he altered his conduct, cultivated compassion, and dedicated his mind to the scriptural Dharma. In the first year of Yuankang of the Jin (291 CE), he translated the Fangguang jing and an alternative Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, totaling over one hundred thousand words. Since his learning encompassed both Hu and Chinese, his translated meanings were precise and accurate. Later, his mother died, and after three months he wished to bury her. A neighbour said, 'The months of this year are inauspicious; you may wait until next year.' Shulan said, 'Whatever is born must have a death; the dead do not come back to life. Humans and spirits tread different paths; this is in the nature of things. If my deceased mother's spirit finds a resting place, my filial piety will be fulfilled. If I wait until next year, I fear there will be nowhere to flee—how will there be leisure to attend to this?' He thereupon completed the burial immediately. The next year, Shi Le indeed rose in revolt, and bandits ran rampant. He fled the region to Jingzhou. Later, without illness, he suddenly told his acquaintances, 'I am about to die,' and passed away several days later. Those who understood regarded him as having known his fate.
13.19
Biography of Śrīmitra, Ninth
13.20
Śrīmitra was a man from the Western Regions. People of the time called him "High Seat". Tradition says that he was the son of a king and due to inherit the realm, but he yielded the kingdom to his younger brother, covertly following the model of Taibo. Afterward, his mind awakening through heavenly inspiration, he eventually became a śramaṇa. Mitra's natural endowment was lofty and luminous, his character outstanding and exalted; merely facing him, one felt he naturally transcended ordinary worldly beings. He first arrived in this land during the Yongjia era and stayed at Jianchu Monastery. Chancellor Wang Dao marveled at him upon first meeting him, considering him one of his own kind. From this, his reputation became illustrious. Grand Defender Yu Yuanbing, Guanglu [dapu] Zhou Boren, Grand Chang谢 Youyu, and Tingwei Huan Maolun were all celebrated scholars of the age; seeing him, they repeatedly praised him all day long, opening their hearts to form bonds of fellowship. They would visit Mitra, and Mitra would undo his sash and recline, their converse attaining spiritual accord. At that time, Bian Wangzhi, Prefect of the Masters of Writing, also formed a close friendship with Mitra; Bian would straighten his lapels, adjust his countenance, and sit upright facing him. The noble gentlemen thereupon sighed in admiration that his spirit was brisk and unrestrained, always adapting suitably to each person. Tingwei Huan once wished to compose a character sketch for Mitra, but for a long time could not find the words. Someone said, "Śrīmitra may be described as 'eminent and luminous'." Thereupon Huan sighed in boundless praise, considering this the pinnacle of epithets. General-in-Chief Wang Chuchong was then in the southern regions; hearing that Wang, Zhou, and the other noble gentlemen held Mitra in high esteem, he suspected they were lacking in discernment. Yet upon seeing him, he came hastening forward in delight, fully won over at their first meeting. When Zhou Yi became Vice Director of the Left overseeing the civil appointments, he stopped by to see Mitra just before taking up his post. Patting his back, he sighed: "If only in an era of great peace all such worthy individuals could be selected, one would truly have no regrets." Shortly afterward, Yi met with disaster. Mitra went to visit his orphans. Facing them, he performed a Hu chanting in three verses; the Brahmic sounds soared above the clouds. He recited several thousand words of dhāraṇī with a high and melodious voice, his expression unchanged. Afterward, he brushed away tears and wept, his composure remaining as before. His handling of sorrow and joy, decline and prosperity, was always of this sort. Wang Dao once said to Mitra: "In foreign lands, there is surely only you alone!" Mitra smiled and replied: "If I were like you gentlemen today, how could I be here?" The people of the time considered this an apt remark. By nature Mitra was lofty and laconic, and did not learn the Jin language. When the noble gentlemen conversed with him, Mitra did so through an interpreter. Yet he grasped the meaning through spiritual intuition, completely apprehending it before words were even spoken; none failed to marvel at his innate transcendence and extraordinary insight. Mitra was skilled in maintaining spells, which proved efficacious wherever applied. Previously, the east of the Yangtze River had no dhāraṇī practices; Mitra introduced and translated the spells of the Peacock King and other divine incantations. He also instructed his disciple Mili in chanting high-pitched Brahmic hymns, the echoes of which have been passed down to the present day. He was over eighty years old when he died during the Xiankang era. When the gentlemen heard of it, they grieved deeply and shed tears. Duke Huan of Xuanwu often said that in his youth he had seen High Seat, praising his spirit as profound and prominent, unequaled in his generation. Such was the admiration he received from the celebrated scholars.
13.21
Biography of Saṅghabhadra, Tenth
13.22
Saṅghabhadra was a man of Kapiśa. Resolute and possessing a profound and refined capacity, he visited renowned teachers, cultivated profound attainments, widely perused numerous scriptures, and was especially skilled in the texts on numerical categories. He recited the Abhidharma-vibhāṣā from memory, penetrating its subtle principles. Constantly cherishing the aspiration to wander abroad, observe customs, and propagate the transformation, he arrived in the Guanzhong region in the final years of Fu Jian. Prior to this, the scriptures of the Mahāyāna had not yet become widespread, whereas the study of meditation and numerical categories was flourishing. Upon reaching Chang'an, all acclaimed him as a master of the Dharma. Fu Jian's Gentleman of the Secretarial Archive Zhao Zheng, styled Wenye, was erudite and possessed literary talent, being the Chen Lin and Ruan Yu of Fu Jian's court. Reverently honoring the Great Dharma, he had often heard that foreign lands honored and studied the Abhidharma-vibhāṣā, and that Bhadra recited it. He therefore made offerings of the four requisites and requested the translation of the Sanskrit text. Thereupon, joining together with the renowned and virtuous Master of the Dharma Dao'an, they gathered monks to proclaim and translate it. Bhadra recited the text from memory; the foreign śramaṇa Dharmanandin served as scribal recorder for the Hu text; Buddharakṣa translated it into the language of Qin; and the śramaṇa Zhimin served as scribal recorder for the Chinese text. It was translated in the nineteenth year of the illegitimate Jianyuan era, beginning in early summer and concluding in mid-autumn. Earlier, Bhadra had also brought with him the Hu manuscript of Vasumitra. The following year, Zhao Zheng again requested its translation. Bhadra, together with Dharmanandin and Saṅghadeva, jointly held the Hu text; the Qin śramaṇa Fonian translated orally; Huisong served as scribal recorder; and Master Dao'an and Fahe collated and verified it together. Hence these two scriptures have been circulated and studied down to the present day. Bhadra's observance of the precepts was rigorous, his disposition vacant and tranquil, detached from worldly affairs. The monastic community of Guanzhong took him as a model. Later, his end was unknown. As for Buddharakṣa, it is not known what country he was from. His virtue and conduct were pure and unblemished, and he was extensively read in the scriptures. Having traveled in the central lands for a long time, he was well versed in the Chinese language. His oral translation of Sanskrit texts was highly valued during the Fu era.
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Linked texts (1)
- 出三藏記集 — 僧祐, Classical Chinese