出三藏記集 15.22

15.22

Shi Fayong, whose Hu name was Dharmodgata and whose original surname was Li, was a native of the realm of Huanglong in Youzhou. Having become a śrāmaṇera in his childhood, he practiced austerities, maintained the precepts, and chanted the scriptures, winning the respect and marvel of his masters and fellow monks. Constantly hearing that the śramaṇas Faxian, Baoyun, and other monks had personally trodden the lands of the Buddha, he was stirred to make a vow at the risk of his life. Consequently, in the Yongchu era of the Song dynasty, he gathered twenty-five like-minded śramaṇas such as Sengmeng and Tanlang; carrying banners, canopies, and offering implements together, they set out from the northern lands and traveled far to the west. First arriving in the kingdom of Henan, they proceeded out from Haixi Commandery, entered the shifting sands, and arrived at Gaochang Commandery. They passed through various realms such as Kucha and Kashgar, and then ascended the snow-capped Pamir Mountains. The plank-paths were perilous and harsh, impassable to donkeys and camels; towering ice piled high, entirely devoid of grass or trees. The mountains had much pestilential vapour, and below was a great river roaring swift as an arrow. Across the flanks of the eastern and western mountains, ropes were tied to make a bridge five li across. Ten people crossed at a time; once they reached the other shore, they raised smoke as a signal. Only when those behind saw the smoke did they know the former had crossed, and could then proceed. If no smoke was seen for a long time, it was known that a violent gale had blown the ropes and people had plunged into the river. Having traveled for three days through the Pamir Mountains, they finally crossed. Then they ascended the snow mountains; sheer cliffs stood upright with nowhere to set foot. The rock cliffs all had old peg holes positioned opposite one another; each person held four pegs, first pulling out a lower peg and holding fast with their hand to the upper peg, exchanging them cyclically, taking three days to cross. When they reached level ground and waited to take count of their companions, they had lost twelve men. Proceeding to the realm of Kapiśa, they worshipped the Buddha's alms bowl and stayed for over a year. Having learned Hu writing, he then understood the Hu language. He sought and obtained one Fan manuscript of the Avalokiteśvara-vyākaraṇa-sūtra (Guanshiyin shouji jing). The thirteen remaining śramaṇas traveling with Dharmodgata walked west to the Sindhu nadī, which in Chinese means 'Lion's Mouth River'. Entering the realm of the Yuezhi to the west, they paid homage to the Buddha's uṣṇīṣa-bone and beheld a self-boiling wooden boat. Later they reached the Shiliu Monastery south of Mount Daṇḍa, which housed three hundred monks who pursued the study of the three vehicles together. Dharmodgata stayed at this monastery to receive full ordination. The Tianzhu śramaṇa Buddhatrāta, in Qi meaning 'Buddha-rescuer'—whom the local assembly of monks said had attained the fruit of the Way—was invited by Dharmodgata to serve as his upādhyāya, and the Chinese śramaṇa Zhiding served as ācārya; they spent the three-month summer retreat at the monastery. Then traveling north to Central Tianzhu, through isolated and desolate regions they constantly carried rock honey (sugar candy) as provisions. Eight of his companions died along the road, leaving five to travel together. Frequently experiencing danger and thorns, Dharmodgata constantly concentrated his mind in recollection upon the Avalokiteśvara Scripture that he carried. As they entered the realm of Śrāvastī, they encountered a herd of wild mountain elephants in the wilderness; Dharmodgata invoked the name [of Avalokiteśvara] and took refuge, whereupon a lion emerged from the forest, and the elephants fled in terror. Later, while crossing the Ganges, they encountered a herd of wild oxen charging toward them with roars, about to harm them; Dharmodgata took refuge as before, and immediately a great vulture flew down, scattering the wild oxen in fright, so that they escaped harm. That his earnest mind evoked such responses, allowing them to overcome perils, was consistently like this. Later, in Southern Tianzhu, he boarded a ship and sailed across the sea to arrive at Guangzhou. The events he experienced are recorded separately in an account. The Avalokiteśvara-vyākaraṇa-sūtra that he translated is now transmitted in the capital. Later, his ultimate end was unknown.