古今譯經圖紀 2.8

2.8

The śramaṇa Bai Fazhu was a native of Henei, originally surnamed Wan. He went forth into homelessness (pravrajyā) at an early age. His talent and intellect were exceptionally acute, penetrating, and brilliantly lucid, surpassing all others. He chanted eight or nine thousand words of scripture daily. He savoured the deep meanings of the Vaipulya sūtras, wonderfully penetrating their subtle mysteries. Of secular texts and ancient classics, there were few that he had not mastered comprehensively. He then founded a monastery in Chang'an and made lecturing and study his vocation. The Grand Preceptor, Prince Yong of Hejian, who was stationed in the Guanzhong region, revered and honoured him immensely. Outstanding scholars and men of talent all submitted to his virtue. Being widely learned, Fazhu was skilled in both Sanskrit and the Jin language. During the reign of Emperor Hui of the Jin, he translated: the Yanjing fotu jing (Purifying the Buddha-field Sūtra, two fascicles); the Nihuan jing (Nirvāṇa Sūtra, two fascicles); the Shanquan jing (Skillful Means Sūtra, one fascicle); the Chixin fanzhi jing (Cittadhāra-brahmacārin Sūtra, one fascicle); the Dande tuoluoni jing (Daṇḍa-dhāraṇī Sūtra, one fascicle); the Dafangdeng rulai zang jing (Mahāvaipulya Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, one fascicle); the Rulai xingxian jing (Tathāgatotpattisaṃbhava Sūtra, one fascicle); the Hai longwang jing (Sāgaranāgarāja Sūtra, one fascicle); the Zhangzhe xiuxing jing (Elder's Practice Sūtra, one fascicle); the Wubai tongzi jing (Five Hundred Youths Sūtra, one fascicle); the Fo wen si tongzi jing (Sūtra of the Buddha's Questions to the Four Youths, one fascicle); the Tiaofu wangzi daoxin jing (Sūtra on Subduing the Prince's Aspiration for the Path, one fascicle); the Shi tongzi jing (Vow of the Youth Sūtra, one fascicle); the Wubai wangzi zuo jingtu yuan jing (Sūtra of the Five Hundred Princes Making Vows for the Pure Land, one fascicle); the San youtong jing (Three Young Boys Sūtra, one fascicle); the Er tongzi jian fo shuo ji gongyang jing (Sūtra of the Two Youths Who Saw the Buddha, Spoke Verses, and Made Offerings, one fascicle); the Da Aidao ban nihuan jing (Mahāprajāpatī-parinirvāṇa Sūtra, one fascicle); the Dengji sanmei jing (Samādhisaṃgīti Sūtra, one fascicle); the Shouda jing (Sudatta Sūtra, one fascicle); the Wuliang pomo tuoluoni jing (Immeasurable Māra-Destroying Dhāraṇī Sūtra, one fascicle); the Xianzhe wufu jing (Five Blessings of the Wise Sūtra, one fascicle); the Yujialuoyue wen pusa jing (Ugra's Questions to the Bodhisattva Sūtra, one fascicle); and the Weidai pusa jing (Sūtra on the Bodhisattva *Veda, one fascicle); in total, twenty-three works comprising twenty-five fascicles.