古今譯經圖紀 3.12

3.12

The śramaṇa Kumārajīva—translated here as Tongshou ("Youth-Longevity")—was originally from India. His father was renowned for his intelligence, and the king of Kucha, hearing of him, gave him his daughter in marriage, and she gave birth to [Kumāra]jīva. While [Kumāra]jīva was in the womb, his mother's eloquence and wisdom increased. At seven years old, he underwent pravrajyā; each day he recited a thousand verses, and he also penetrated their meanings. By nine years old, he debated with tīrthikas, blunting their heterodox edge, so that they all submitted in shame. When he was twelve, an arhat marveled at him and said to his mother, "Guard him constantly. If he does not break the precepts by age thirty-five, he will greatly propagate the Buddha-Dharma and save countless people." He also studied the pañcavidyā treatises and the four Vedic scriptures; he thoroughly plumbed the subtleties of yinyang and astronomy. Later, he turned to the study of the Mahāyāna and repeatedly refuted tīrthikas, so that all the countries near and far considered him divine and extraordinary. After giving birth to [Kumāra]jīva, his mother also immediately underwent pravrajyā; she surpassed all the nuns in intelligence and attained the third fruit [of anāgāmin]. After [Kumāra]jīva received the full precepts, his mother said to him, "The profound teaching of the Vaipulya ought to be broadly proclaimed in the Qin capital. Yet what benefit is there in it for yourself?" [Kumāra]jīva said, "The practice of a bodhisattva is to benefit sentient beings and forget oneself. If the great transformation is surely put into effect, I have no regret even in a cauldron of boiling oil." Thenceforth, he broadly recited the Mahāyāna, thoroughly mastering its hidden mysteries. When the kings of the Western Regions invited [Kumāra]jīva to lecture, they would kneel beside the seat and bid [Kumāra]jīva step on them to ascend. In the ninth year of the Jianyuan era of Fu Jian, the cyclical year dingchou, the Grand Astrologer memorialized, saying, "A star has appeared over the foreign lands; a man of great virtue and wisdom is destined to enter and assist the Middle Kingdom." Jian said, "We have heard that in the west there is Kumārajīva, and in Xiangyang there is Dao'an; could it not be them?" Later, he indeed dispatched General Lü Guang and others leading seventy thousand troops westward to conquer Kucha. Guang returned together with [Kumāra]jīva; along the way, [Kumāra]jīva made several predictions adapting to contingencies, and Guang made full use of them all. Guang then occupied Western Liang and also requested [Kumāra]jīva to remain. In the third year of the Hongshi era of the Yao Qin, [Yao] Xing extinguished [the Liang] and only then summoned him to enter Chang'an. The Qin ruler [Yao] Xing treated him with deep courtesy, invited him into the Ximing Pavilion and the detached lodging in Xiaoyao Garden to reside, and ordered Sengqi and eight hundred other śramaṇas to consult and receive teachings from [Kumāra]jīva. [Yao] Xing lowered his majesty as lord of ten thousand chariots to revere the teaching of the Three Jewels. At Caotang Monastery, together with three thousand monks, he held the old scriptures in hand to collate and verify them, and there was none who did not deeply probe and penetrate their profound purport. At that time, there was Sengrui, whom [Yao] Xing highly commended; Rui collated and corrected all the scriptures that [Kumāra]jīva translated. In the fourth year of the Hongshi era of the Yao Qin, the cyclical year xinchou, [Kumāra]jīva began translating: the Dapin jing (twenty-seven fascicles), the Daji jing (twenty-four fascicles), the Fangguang bore jing (twenty fascicles), the Xiaopin jing (ten fascicles), the Huashou jing (thirteen fascicles), the Jian zhu zuifu jing (ten fascicles), the Miaofa lianhua jing (seven fascicles), the Xianjie jing (seven fascicles), the Shizhu jing (five fascicles), the Siyi fantian wen jing (four fascicles), the Dashu jinnaluowang suowen jing (four fascicles), the Chishi jing (four fascicles), the Weimojie suoshuo jing (three fascicles), the Fozang jing (four fascicles), the Pusa zang jing (three fascicles), the Chengyang zhofo gongde jing (three fascicles), the Chan jing (three fascicles), the Chanjing miyao fa (three fascicles), the Chanfa yaojie (two fascicles), the Asheshie jing (two fascicles), the Alanruo xichan fa jing (two fascicles), the Chanyao jing (two fascicles), the Fa putixin jing (two fascicles), the Zizai wang jing (two fascicles), the Shanxin mohe shenzhou jing (two fascicles), the Xin shoulengyan jing (two fascicles), the Fanwang jing (two fascicles), the Da shanquan jing (two fascicles), the Wuliangshou fo jing (one fascicle), the Mile xiasheng jing (one fascicle), the Mile chengfo jing (one fascicle), the Jingang bore jing (one fascicle), the Zhufa wuxing jing (two fascicles), the Puti jing (one fascicle), the Renwang huguo bore boluomi jing (one fascicle), the Yijiao jing (one fascicle), the Shi'er yinyuan guan jing (one fascicle), the Pusa he seyu jing (one fascicle), the Za piyu jing (one fascicle), the Xumoti pusa jing (one fascicle), the Wenshu huiguo jing (one fascicle), the Biqiu yingfaxing jing (one fascicle), the Wusiyi guang haitong pusa jing (one fascicle), the Dafangdeng dingwang jing (one fascicle), the Dajinse kongquewang jing (one fascicle), the Zhuangyan putixin jing (one fascicle), the Fodizi hua mozi jisong jing (one fascicle), the Taibai mowang jianxin jing (one fascicle), the Kaihua mo jing (one fascicle), the Moye jing (one fascicle), the Guo mofajie jing (one fascicle), the Fo wen axulun dahai you jian jing (one fascicle), the Mowang bianshen jing (one fascicle), the Dongfang shanhua shijie fozuo zhendong jing (one fascicle), the Tuoluoni famen liuzhong dong jing (one fascicle), the Foji xian qianfulun xiang jing (one fascicle), the Foqi huachu pusa jing (one fascicle), the Wanggu shenghuo foguo yuanxing fadian jing (one fascicle), the Fo qinghai che shifang jing (one fascicle), the Guoqu wubian guangjing fotu jing (one fascicle), the Fo bian shihui shen jing (one fascicle), the Wuliangle fotu jing (one fascicle), the Wanghou wei qianglang jing (one fascicle), the Foxin zongchi jing (one fascicle), the Mihou yu bi gongxi zhibian jing (one fascicle), the Shuiniu wang jing (one fascicle), the Que wang jing (one fascicle), the Tu wang jing (one fascicle), the Pusa shen wei gewang jing (one fascicle), the Fo xi wei luwang jing (one fascicle), the Muniu jing (one fascicle), the Xukongzang pusa wen chijing ji gongde jing (one fascicle), the Guanshiyin jing (one fascicle), the Mile pusa benyuan daishi chengfo jing (one fascicle), the Dengzhi yinyuan jing (one fascicle), the Guan puxian pusa jing (one fascicle), the Shan benqi jing (one fascicle), the Guanfo sanmei jing (one fascicle), the Baowang jing (one fascicle), the Wenshushili wen puti jing (one fascicle), the Yue yingluo zhuangyan jing (one fascicle), the Qing guanshiyin jing (one fascicle), the Siwei yaolüe fa jing (one fascicle), the Chidi jing (one fascicle), the Pusa jieben (one fascicle), the Shisong biqiu jieben (one fascicle), the Dazhidulun in one work (one hundred fascicles), the Borejing lunjji in one work (twenty fascicles), the Chengshilun in one work (sixteen fascicles), the Shizhu piposha lun in one work (fourteen fascicles), the Dazhuangyan lun in one work (fifteen fascicles), the Shizhu lun in one work (fourteen fascicles), the Zhonglun (four fascicles), the Bailun (two fascicles), the Shi'ermen lun (one fascicle), the Maming zhuan (one fascicle), the Longshu pusa zhuan (one fascicle), the Dipo pusa zhuan (one fascicle), the Posoupandou zhuan (one fascicle), and the Shixiang lun (one fascicle). Up through the eleventh year, wushen, he translated in total ninety-eight works of scriptures, comprising four hundred and twenty-one fascicles. Sengrui, Sengzhao, Daoheng, and others served as scribes. [Kumāra]jīva's phrasing and metaphors were graceful and restrained, and his spoken words formed refined compositions. His spirit was penetrating and clear, aloof and outstanding among the crowd. He grasped teachings in accordance with the capacity [of the listener], with rarely an equal. Moreover, he was deeply kind and generous by nature, holding universal love at heart; humble and skillful in guiding others, he was untiring all day long.