出三藏記集 13.26

13.26

Saṅghadeva was a man of Kapiśa, of the Gautama clan. Entering the Dao and pursuing study, he sought enlightened teachers from afar. He was thoroughly versed in the tripiṭaka and recited many texts, being particularly skilled in the Abhidharma-hṛdaya and penetrating its subtle points. He constantly recited the Tridharmaka-śāstra day and night, savoring it and considering it the treasury of the Dao. In character he was talented, lucid, and possessed deep discernment; his deportment was warm and courteous, and he dedicated himself to instructing others with tireless gentleness. During the Jianyuan era of the Fu clan, he entered the passes to proclaim and spread the teachings of the Dharma. Earlier, when Master Dao'an produced the Vasumitra-sūtra, Deva and Saṅghabhadra jointly held the Sanskrit text. Later, Dharmanandin was asked to produce the two Āgamas. At that time, there was the turmoil caused by the Murong clan; amidst wartime, the establishment of the Dharma was hasty and unrefined. The Abhidharma-vibhāṣā, Tridharmaka-śāstra, and other scriptures previously translated by Master Dao'an, amounting to over a million words in all, were done in haste by the translators without careful scrutiny, so that the doctrinal meanings and phrasing frequently contained errors. Soon afterward, Master Dao'an passed away, before they could be corrected. Later, when the region east of the mountains became peaceful, Deva and the Jizhou śramaṇa Fahe went together to Luoyang. For four or five years, they investigated and lectured on the previously translated scriptures. Having lived in China for many years, his mastery of the Chinese language grew clearer, and he only then realized that the previously translated scriptures had many discrepancies and errors. Fahe lamented that they remained unfinalized and repeatedly requested a revised translation. They then re-translated the Abhidharma and the Vibhāṣā, gradually revising and finalizing the scriptures produced earlier. Shortly thereafter, Yao Xing ruled Qin and Buddhist activities flourished greatly; thereupon, Fahe entered the passes, while Deva crossed the Yangtze River. Prior to this, Master of the Dharma Huiyuan of Mount Lu had diligently sought marvelous texts, widely assembled the scriptural canon, and with open mind and keen anticipation looked out for guests from afar. Hearing of Deva's arrival, he immediately invited him to Mount Lu. In the sixteenth year of the Taiyuan era, he requested him to translate the Abhidharma-hṛdaya, the Tridharmaka-śāstra, and other texts. Thereupon, at the Prajñā Terrace, Deva held the Hu manuscript in hand and proclaimed it orally in the Jin language, eliminating superfluous ornament while preserving the substance, striving to exhaust the original meaning. What is transmitted today is indeed this text. In the first year of the Long'an era, he traveled to the capital. The princes, dukes, and refined scholars of the Jin court all visited his seat to pay their respects. At that time, the General of the Guard and Marquis of Dongting, Wang Xun, possessed elegant faith and wisdom, upheld the true Dharma, founded a monastery, and widely recruited students. When Deva arrived, Wang Xun immediately welcomed and invited him, and proceeded to have him lecture on the Abhidharma in his residence. Renowned monks gathered completely. Since Deva's doctrinal tenets were refined, and his expressions clear and analytical, elucidating the profoundest meanings, the assembly was filled with joy and understanding. At that time, Wang Xun's monastic dependents were also among the audience; afterward, one of them lectured on it privately in another room. Wang Xun asked the master Fazhi: "How much has he grasped from the Ā[bhidharma]?" He answered: "In broad outlines, he has it entirely; it is only slightly lacking in precise verification." Such was the clarity of Deva's exposition in opening people's minds. In the winter of that year, Wang Xun gathered more than forty doctrinal monks of the capital and again requested Deva to translate the Madhyama-āgama at his monastery. The Kapiśa śramaṇa Saṅgharakṣa held the Hu manuscript, and Deva translated it into the Jin language, concluding only in the following summer. The scriptures he translated in Guanzhong, Luoyang, and Jiangzuo amounted to nearly one million words. Having traveled through both Chinese and foreign lands, he was thoroughly acquainted with their customs; he was composed, alert, and skilled in pleasant conversation. The renown of his moral transformation was heard by all. The date of his death is not known in detail. Deva is sometimes written as Dihe, which is simply due to phonological variation.