古今譯經圖紀 4

English (machine translation) 4

Language: English

4.1

Compiled by the scripture-translating śramaṇa Shi Jingmai of the Great Tang

4.2

The Xiao clan of the Qi, with their capital at Jiankang

The śramaṇa Dharmagathayaśas—in Chinese, Fashengcheng—was an Indian. Awakened to things in his inner disposition, he guided and benefited beings without remiss. In the third year of the Jianyuan era of Emperor Gao of the Qi, the year xinyou [481 CE], he translated at Chaoting Monastery in Guangzhou: the Wuliangyi jing (one fascicle). The śramaṇa Huibiao served as scribe.

4.4

The śramaṇa Mahāyāna was a native of the Western Regions. He set his mind on the wondrous Way and resolved to widely propagate it. During the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of the Qi, he translated in Guangzhou: the Wubai bensheng jing (one fascicle) and the Tabililü (one fascicle; tabili means here "elder of venerable virtue" [thera]).

4.5

The śramaṇa Saṅghabhadra—in Chinese, Zhongxian—was a native of the Western Regions. Harboring the Way with a broad and unfettered mind, his transformative beneficence was boundless. In the sixth year of the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of the Qi, the year jisi [489 CE], together with the śramaṇa Sengyi, he translated at Zhulin Monastery in Guangzhou: one work, the Shanxian piposha lü (eighteen fascicles).

4.6

The śramaṇa Dharmamati—in Chinese, Fayi—was a native of the Western Regions. Profound in his responsiveness to beings, he adapted his instruction to circumstances. In the eighth year of the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of the Qi, the year xinwei [491 CE], he translated for the śramaṇa Faxian at Waguan Monastery in Yangzhou: the Guanshiyin chanhui chuzui zhou jing (one fascicle) and the Devadatta Chapter, the Thirteenth, of the Lotus Sūtra (one fascicle).

4.7

The śramaṇa Guṇavṛddhi—in Chinese, Dejin—was a native of Central India. Taking up the Way in his youth, he had a powerful memory and extensive learning, chanting two hundred thousand words of both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna texts, and thoroughly exploring yin-yang and prognostication charts. Holding his staff on the path of the precepts, his deportment was dignified and austere. On the tenth day of the ninth month of the tenth year of the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of the Qi [492 CE], at Piye'li Monastery in Yangzhou, he began translating: the Baiju piyu ji (ten fascicles), the Shi'er yinyuan jing (one fascicle), and the Xuda zhangzhe jing (one fascicle)—in total, three works comprising twelve fascicles.

4.8

The śramaṇa Shi Fadu translated in Yangzhou during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Qi: the Huihe jing (one fascicle) and the Piboli lü (one fascicle).

4.9

The śramaṇa Shi Tanjing translated during the Qi dynasty: the Weicengyou yinyuan jing (two fascicles) and the Mohemoye jing (two fascicles).

4.10

The śramaṇa Shi Fahua translated during the Qi dynasty: the Yiyi jing (two fascicles).

4.11

The Yuan clan of the Southern Wei, with their capital at Luoyang

4.12

The śramaṇa Dharmaruci—in Chinese, Faxi, also called Fale—was a native of South India. Leaving home to enter the Way, he was particularly renowned for his knowledge of the Vinayapiṭaka. Making the propagation of the Way his primary duty, he responded and acted according to circumstance. Traveling to Wei's Luoyang, in the second year of the Jingming era of Emperor Xuanwu of the Wei, the year xinsi [501 CE], he translated the Rulai zhuangyan zhihui guangming ru zhufou jingjie jing (two fascicles). In the first year of the Zhengshi era, the year jiashen [504 CE], he translated the Xinli ru yin famen jing (five fascicles). In the fourth year, dinghai [507 CE], he translated the Jinse wang jing (one fascicle). The śramaṇa Daobao served as scribe.

4.13

The śramaṇa Shi Fachang was a native of the Yuan Wei. In the time of Emperor Xuanwu of the Wei, he translated in Luoyang: the Bianyi zhangzhezi suowen jing (one fascicle).

4.14

The śramaṇa Bodhiruci—in Chinese, Juexi—was a native of North India. Thoroughly versed in the Tripiṭaka, he had penetrated the wondrous dhāraṇīs, with his resolve set on propagating the Dharma and broadening the vision and hearing [of the world]. In the first year of the Yongping era of Emperor Xuanwu of the Wei, the year wuzi [508 CE], he arrived in Luoyang. Emperor Wu personally consoled and received him, housing and supplying him at Yongning Monastery. With seven hundred Sanskrit monks, Bodhiruci acted as translation master. In that same year, he translated the Shidi jing lun; on the first day, Emperor Wu personally served as scribe, and later entrusted the scribal duties to the śramaṇas Sengbian, Senglang, Daozhan, the Palace Attendant Cui Guang, and others. From the first year of the Yongping era of the Wei, the year wuzi [508 CE], to the second year of the Tianping era, the year yimao [535 CE], he translated: the Fo ming jing (twelve fascicles), Ru Lengqie jing (ten fascicles), Da sajie niganzizi shouji jing (ten fascicles), Fa ji jing (eight fascicles), Sheng siwei fantian suowen jing (six fascicles), Shenmi jietuo jing (five fascicles), Xinli ru yin famen jing (five fascicles), Fenxun wang wen jing (two fascicles), Buzeng bujian jing (one fascicle), Jingang banruoboluomi jing (one fascicle), Chamo bodi shouji jing (one fascicle), Fo yu jing (one fascicle), Wuzi baoxie jing (one fascicle), Bu biding ru yin jing (one fascicle), Dafangdeng xiutuoluo wang jing (one fascicle), Mile pusa suowen jing (one fascicle), Diyi yi fa sheng jing (one fascicle), Qieding jing (one fascicle), Wenshushili xunxing jing (one fascicle), Yiqiefa gaowang jing (one fascicle), Hu zhu tongzi tuoluoni zhou jing (one fascicle), Bang fo jing (one fascicle), one treatise, the Shidi jing lun (twelve fascicles), Sheng siwei jing lun (ten fascicles), Mile pusa suowen jing lun (ten fascicles), Baoji jing lun (four fascicles), Baoxing lun (four fascicles), Jingang banruo jing lun (three fascicles), Shun zhong lun (two fascicles), Miaofa lianhua jing lun (two fascicles), Qieding jing lun (two fascicles), San juzu jing lun (one fascicle), Wuliangshou jing lun (one fascicle), Baoji pusa sifa jing lun (one fascicle), Zhuan falun jing lun (one fascicle), Shi'er yinyuan lun (one fascicle), Bai zi lun (one fascicle), Po waidao sizong lun (one fascicle), Po waidao niepan lun (one fascicle), and the Yi zhong jing lun mulu (one fascicle)—in total, thirty-nine works comprising one hundred and twenty-seven fascicles. The Sanskrit texts numbered ten thousand wraps, and the draft texts taken down by scribes filled an entire room. He was thoroughly versed in local dialects and skilled in diverse arts as well. Once, while sitting by the mouth of a well, he held his washing pitcher suspended in the empty air; or he would chant over a well causing the water to surge up, so that he could ladle and use it.

4.15

The śramaṇa Ratnamati—or Ratnapati—in Chinese, Baoyi, was a native of Central India. He had memorized one hundred million verses, possessing an immense abundance of learning, and was thoroughly versed in both principle and phenomena, being especially luminous in dhyāna teachings. Intent on traveling and transforming beings, in the fifth year of the Zhengshi era of Emperor Xuanwu, the year wuzi [508 CE], which was also the first year of the Yongping era, he translated within the palace at Luoyang: the Piye suo wen jing (two fascicles), Shidi lun (twelve fascicles), Baoji jing lun (four fascicles), Jiujing yicheng baoxing lun (four fascicles), and the Fahua jing lun (one fascicle)—in total, five works comprising twenty-three fascicles.

4.16

The śramaṇas Senglang and Jueyi, the Palace Attendant Cui Guang, and others served as scribes. The Emperor often invited [Ratnamati] to lecture on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, whose phrasing and meaning brought illumination. Suddenly, from his high seat, an imperial officer holding a tablet was seen, who said: 'The Lord of Heaven invites the master to lecture on the Avataṃsaka.' Ratnamati replied: 'Currently, the Dharma assembly has not yet concluded; once the scripture is finished, I shall obey the command. However, the Dharma is not supported by one person alone; pray settle upon inviting the head lecturer, the incense tender, the karmadāna, and the chanter as well.' The messenger agreed to his words. As the lecture was drawing to an end, the previous messenger was seen coming to welcome them. Indeed, [Ratnamati] and the five persons, including the head lecturer, passed away together upon their seats. Both monastics and laypeople present at the lecture all witnessed it.

4.17

The śramaṇa Buddhaśānta, translated as "Awakened Tranquility", was a native of Northern India. His spiritual insight was astute and keen, and he was broadly conversant in both inner and outer learning. He was exceptionally skilled in dialects and particularly adept in the arts and sciences. From the sixth year of the Zhengguang era of Emperor Xiaoming of the Wei, the year yisi [525 CE], to the first year of the Yuanxiang era, the year wuwu [538 CE], at Baima Monastery in Luoyang and Jinhua Monastery in the capital of Ye, he translated: the Jingang shangwei tuoluoni jing (one fascicle), the Rulai shizihou jing (one fascicle), the Zhuan you jing (one fascicle), the Shifa jing (one fascicle), the Yinse nü jing (one fascicle), the Zhengfa gongjing jing (one fascicle), the Wuwei de nü jing (one fascicle), the Wuzi baoxie jing (one fascicle), the Anan duomuxu nihili tuoluoni jing (one fascicle), and the She dacheng lun (two fascicles)—altogether ten works, totaling eleven fascicles.

4.18

The Xiao Family of the Liang; Capital at Jiankang

4.19

The śramaṇa Mandra, translated as "Weak Voice", also called "Vast and Gentle", was a native of Funan. His spiritual comprehension transcended ordinary insight, viewing both the unseen and the manifest completely. Fearing neither hardship nor danger, his mind was set on broadly propagating the transformation. Carrying a large collection of Sanskrit texts, he presented them in the second year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of the Liang, the year guiwei [503 CE]. The emperor ordered him to translate them. In that same year, together with Saṅghabhara, in the capital of Yang [Jiankang], he translated: the Baoyun jing (seven fascicles), the Fajie tixing wu fenbie jing (two fascicles), and the Wenshushili shuo boreboluomi jing (two fascicles)—altogether three works, totaling eleven fascicles.

4.20

The śramaṇa Saṅghabhara, translated as "Nurtured by the Saṅgha", also called "Armor of the Saṅgha", was a native of Funan. From childhood he was gifted and insightful, early on applying himself to the ford of the Dharma. He received pravrajyā at the age of fifteen, his illustrious reputation spreading far on its own. His deportment and appearance were clear and pure, and he was skilled in conversation and debate. Lecturing on the abhidharma treatises, his understanding stood out as the foremost hope of the time; after taking full ordination, he became especially illuminated in the vinayapiṭaka. He was fluent in the scripts and languages of several kingdoms. From the first year of the Tianjian era of the Liang, the year bingxu [502 CE], to the first year of the Putong era, the year gengzi [520 CE], by imperial order, he translated in three places in the capital of Yang [Jiankang]: the Shouguang Hall, Zhengguan Monastery, and Zhanyun Lodge: the Ayuwang jing (ten fascicles), the Kongque wang tuoluoni jing (two fascicles), the Wenshushili wen jing (two fascicles), the Du yiqie zhufuo jingjie zhiyan jing (one fascicle), the Pusa zang jing (one fascicle), the Wenshushili suoshuo boreboluomi jing (one fascicle), the Shelifu tuoluoni jing (two fascicles), the Ba jixiang jing (one fascicle), the Shifa jing (one fascicle), the Jietuo dao lun (thirteen fascicles), and the Ayuwang zhuan (five fascicles)—altogether eleven works, totaling thirty-eight fascicles. At first Emperor Wu served as scribe himself; later he entrusted the task to the śramaṇas Baochang, Huichao, Sengzhi, Fayun, and others to serve as scribes. The emperor regarded him with great esteem. He did not accumulate personal wealth; whatever offerings he received, he used entirely to build monasteries. The Grand Defender, the Prince of Linchuan, also revered him extremely.

4.21

The śramaṇa Paramārtha, translated as "Ultimate Truth", also named Kulanātha, translated as "Dear Reliance", was a native of Ujjayinī in Western India. His noble conduct was clear and pure, his capacity and demeanor dignified and grave. His spirit was aloof and exceptional, untroubled and naturally distant. He took all of the various canons and vast scriptures into his mind, and was particularly versed and practiced in the arts, sciences, and diverse doctrines. He traveled throughout various kingdoms, manifesting benefit according to capacities. In the second year of the Taiqing era of Emperor Wu of the Liang, the year wuchen [548 CE], he appeared before the emperor in the Baoyun Hall. The emperor ordered him to translate scriptures. In that second year of the Taiqing era, he translated; and in the third year of the Chengsheng era, the year jiaxu [554 CE], at Zhengguan Monastery, he translated: the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra (seven fascicles), the Mile xiasheng jing (one fascicle), the Renwang bore jing (one fascicle), the Shiqi di lun (five fascicles), the Dacheng qixin lun (one fascicle), the Zhong lun (one fascicle), the Rushi lun (one fascicle), the Shiba bu lun (one fascicle), the Da niepan jing benyou jinwu ji lun (one fascicle), and the San shi fenbie lun (one fascicle)—altogether ten works, totaling twenty fascicles. Meeting with the turmoil caused by Hou Jing, he departed for Yuzhang, Shixing, Nankang, and other areas. Although he was constantly on the move, his work of translation never ceased. He then boarded a ship to return west, but the wind of karmic destiny blew him back to Guangzhou. It happened that the governor of Guangzhou, Duke Mu Ouyang Wei, invited him to stay at Zhizhi Monastery and requested him to translate scriptures and treatises. From the first year of the Yongding era of the Chen, the year bingzi [556 CE], to the first year of the Taijian era, the year jiyou [569 CE], he further translated: the Fo apitan jing (nine fascicles), the Wushangyi jing (two fascicles), the Jiejie jing (one fascicle), the Jingang bore jing (one fascicle), the Guangyi famen jing (one fascicle), the Sengxiduo lü (one fascicle), the Xiu chanding fa (one fascicle), the Jushe shi lun (twenty-two fascicles), the Jushe lun ben (sixteen fascicles), the She dacheng lun (fifteen fascicles), the Lishi apitan lun (ten fascicles), the Foxing lun (four fascicles), the Sidi lun (four fascicles), the Sengqie lun (three fascicles), the She dacheng lun ben (three fascicles), the Dakong lun (three fascicles), the Zhongbian fenbie lun (three fascicles), the Jin qishi lun (two fascicles), the Jushe lun ji (one fascicle), the Jingang bore lun (one fascicle), the Lü ershier mingliao lun (one fascicle), the Da niepan jing lun (one fascicle), the Yijiao lun (one fascicle), the San wuxing lun (two fascicles), the Fanzhi lun (one fascicle), the Duofu lun (one fascicle), the Gunamati suixiang lun (one fascicle), the Baoxing wang zheng lun (one fascicle), the Chengjiu sansheng lun (one fascicle), the Shiba kong lun (one fascicle), the Sichen lun (one fascicle), the Jiejuan lun (one fascicle), the Zhenggshuo daoli lun (one fascicle), the Yiye lun (one fascicle), the Bu yizhi lun (one fascicle), the Weishi lun wenyi he (one fascicle), the Zhenglun shiyi (five fascicles), the Foxing yi (three fascicles), the Chanding yi (one fascicle), and the Posoupandou zhuan (one fascicle). Across the two dynasties of Liang and Chen, he translated a total of fifty works, in one hundred and forty-nine fascicles. The śramaṇa Huikai served as scribe. Paramārtha would sometimes spread his sitting-mat and sit cross-legged upon the water, crossing to the bank as though riding in a boat; when he greeted officials, the sitting-mat remained entirely dry. Or he would cross over by riding water using lotus pads as a mat. Miracles of this kind were manifold.

4.22

The Yuan Family of the Eastern Wei; Capital at Ye

4.23

The upāsaka Gautama Prajñāruci, translated as "Aspiration for Wisdom", was a native of Vārāṇasī in Southern India, of brāhmaṇa stock. In his youth he studied the Buddha's teachings and was marvelously proficient in the meanings of the sūtras. His spiritual nature was outstanding, and he was quick to comprehend spoken languages. From the first year of the Yuanxiang era of Shanjian, the Prince of Qinghe of the Wei, the year wuwu [538 CE], to the third year of the Xinghe era, the year xinyou [541 CE], in the city of Ye, he translated: the Zhengfa nianchu jing (seventy fascicles), the Sheng shanzhuyi tianzi suowen jing (three fascicles), the Ba foming jing (one fascicle), the Jinse wang jing (one fascicle), the Wugou nü jing (one fascicle), the Wugou youpoyi wen jing (one fascicle), the Baoyi maor jing (one fascicle), the Pusa sifa jing (one fascicle), the Jietuo jieben (one fascicle), the Duzi daoren wen lun (one fascicle), the Huizheng lun (one fascicle), the Ye chengjiu lun (one fascicle), the Weishi wu jingjie lun (one fascicle), and the Yijia shuluojia lun (one fascicle)—altogether fourteen works, totaling eighty-five fascicles. The śramaṇas Tanlin, Sengfang, and others served as scribes.

4.24

The Gao Family of the Qi; Capital at Ye

4.25

The śramaṇa Narendrayaśas, translated as "Venerable Renown", was a native of the country of Uḍḍiyāna in Northern India. Having received pravrajyā in his youth, he frequently frequented sacred sites. Hence, whether at the places of heavenly ladders and stone terraces, or the realms of nāga shrines and precious stūpas, he paid personal homage to them all, scarcely missing a single one. Even when entering lands of spirits, the spirits dared not harm him; even when going to rebellious states, the brigands ceased their disruptions. Since he constantly traveled to transform beings, his influence reached this realm. From the eighth year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Wenxuan of the Qi, the year dingchou [557 CE], to the fourth year of the Tiantong era, the year wuzi [568 CE], together with Dharmajāna, in the capital of Ye, he translated: the Pusa jianshi sanmei jing (fourteen fascicles), the Dafangdeng yuezang jing (twelve fascicles), the Yuedeng sanmei jing (eleven fascicles), the Dabei jing (five fascicles), the Xumi zang jing (two fascicles), the Shi randeng gongde jing (one fascicle), and the Fasheng apitan lun (seven fascicles)—altogether seven works, totaling fifty-two fascicles. Later, from the second year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui, the year renyin [582 CE], down to the fifth year, the year yisi [585 CE], he further translated: the Dafangdeng rizang jing (fifteen fascicles), the Li zhuangyan sanmei jing (three fascicles), the Da zhuangyan famen jing (two fascicles), the Dehu zhangzhe jing (two fascicles), the Lianhuamian jing (two fascicles), the Dayunlun qingyu jing (two fascicles), the Laogu nü jing (one fascicle), and the Bai foming jing (one fascicle)—altogether eight works, totaling twenty-eight fascicles. The śramaṇas Sengchen, Mingfen, and others translated the speech; the śramaṇa Zhixuan and the scholar Fei Changfang and others served as scribes. His face and physique were majestic, extraordinarily distinct from ordinary people: atop his head rose an uṣṇīṣa, towering like a cloudy peak; his eyes were situated perfectly in the center, equal above and below; his ears were high and long, with fully formed dangling lobes.

4.26

The lay practitioner Wan Tianyi was originally of Xianbei origin, with the surname Mojie. He studied under a brāhmaṇa master and was exceedingly intelligent. He was skilled in Sanskrit script and language, particularly adept at incantations, possessed exceptional discernment in medicine, and was wonderfully proficient in the Buddha's teachings. Under the Northern Qi, in the city of Ye, he translated: the Zunsheng pusa suowen jing, also titled Ru wuliang men tuoluoni jing (one fascicle).

4.27

The Chen Family of the Chen; Capital at Jianye

4.28

Upasūna, prince of the country of Ujjayinī, translated as "High Sky", was gifted and luminous by nature, comprehending the profound and subtle. He devoted himself to the study of Buddhist scriptures, being particularly skilled in doctrinal meaning, thoroughly knowledgeable in phonetics, and also fluent in dialects. From the first year of the Yuanxiang era of Emperor Shanjian of the Eastern Wei, the year wuwu [538 CE], down to the second year of the Xinghe era, the year gengshen [540 CE], at the residence of Grand Commander Sun Teng in the capital of Ye, he translated: the Sengqiezha jing (four fascicles), the Da jiaye jing (two fascicles), and the Pinposuoluo wang wen fo gongyang jing (one fascicle)—altogether three works, totaling seven fascicles. Sengfang served as scribe. Furthermore, in the final years of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of the Liang, he came from the Northern Qi into the Liang and was granted an audience with the emperor. The emperor therefore detained him to stay, ordering him to take overall charge of foreign diplomatic missions. In that same year, he translated the Dacheng dingwang jing (one fascicle). In the second year of the Taiqing era, he encountered a Khotanese monk and obtained a Sanskrit text of the Shengtianwang bore; arriving at the sixth year of the Tianjia era of the Chen, the year yiyou [565 CE], he translated it into seven fascicles at Xingye Monastery in Jiangzhou. The śramaṇa Zhixin served as scribe.

4.29

The śramaṇa Subhūti, translated as "Good Appearance", was a native of Funan. His understanding and realization surpassed ordinary peers, and his eloquence and literary flair were aloof from the common. Tireless in transforming beings, he traveled in all directions and arrived here. During the Chen dynasty, at Zhijing Monastery within the capital city of Yang [Jiankang], for the sovereign of the Chen, he translated one work: the Dacheng baoyun jing (eight fascicles).

4.30

The Yuwen Family of the Zhou; Capital at Chang'an

4.31

The śramaṇa Jñānabhadra, translated as "Wise and Worthy", was a native of the country of Paduma. He was thoroughly versed in the Tripiṭaka. In the wuyin year of Emperor Ming of the Zhou [558 CE], at Pogha Monastery in the city of Chang'an, together with Jñānayaśas, he translated: the Wuming lun (one fascicle). Yaśogupta and others translated the speech; the śramaṇa Zhixian served as scribe.

4.32

Śramaṇa Jñānayaśas, here translated as Zangcheng (Glorious Treasury), was a native of the country of Magadha. Together with his two disciples, Yaśogupta and Jñānagupta, from the fourth year of Baoding of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, the cyclical year Jiashen, to the first year of Jiande, he translated for Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu, the Duke of Jindang, at Sitianwang Monastery in Chang'an: the Sūtra of the Questions of the Devaputra Sthiramati (5 fascicles); the Mahāyāna Samatā Sūtra (4 fascicles); the Sūtra on Entering the Inconceivable Wisdom of the Tathāgatas (3 fascicles); the Ratnakūṭa Sūtra (3 fascicles); the Sūtra of the Uṣṇīṣa Spell and Its Efficacy (1 fascicle); and the Sūtra of the Great Cloud Wheel, One Hundredth Chapter: Requesting Rain (1 fascicle). In total, there were six works in seventeen fascicles. The śramaṇas Yuanming and Daobian, together with Xiao Ji, Duke of Chengyang, and others served as scribes. Hou Shou, Pillar of State and Duke of Pinggao, was the supervisor and examiner.

4.33

Śramaṇa Yaśogupta, here translated as Chengzang (Treasury of Fame), was a native of the country of Ujjayinī. Together with his fellow student Jñānagupta, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, for the Grand Preceptor, at Sitianwang Monastery and at Guisheng Monastery in the Northern Hu Quarter, he translated: the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra, Further Extended Chapters on Lifespan and Great Eloquence Dhāraṇī (5 fascicles); the Subhadra-nidāna-upadeśa Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Spell Sūtra and Its Efficacy (1 fascicle); and the Great Cloud Rain-Requesting Sūtra (1 fascicle). In total, there were four works in nine fascicles. The śramaṇa Yuanming and Xiao Ji, Duke of Chengyang, served as scribes.

4.34

Śramaṇa Jñānagupta, here translated as Zhide (Virtuous Intention), was a native of the country of Gandhāra in Northern India, of kṣatriya lineage. From his youth he harboured an expansive capacity, and into his maturity he preserved pure standards. Travelling to convert others, he came and arrived in this region. At first, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, he translated: the Sūtra of the Inquiries of the Golden Sage (2 fascicles); the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra Samantamukha Repeated Verses (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of Various Miscellaneous Spells (1 fascicle); and the Sūtra of the Words of the Buddha (1 fascicle). In total, there were four works in five fascicles. The śramaṇa Yuanming served as scribe. Then, from the seventh year of Kaihuang of Emperor Wen of the Sui, the cyclical year Dingwei, to the fifteenth year, by imperial decree, he translated at Daxingshan Monastery: the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra (60 fascicles); the Dharma-torch Dhāraṇī Sūtra (20 fascicles); the Mahātejas Dhāraṇī Sūtra (20 fascicles); the Sūtra on the Protection and Mindfulness of All Buddhas (10 fascicles); the Sūtra of the Names of Five Thousand Five Hundred Buddhas (8 fascicles); the Mahāsaṃnipāta Bhadrapāla Bodhisattva Sūtra (6 fascicles); the Sūtra of the Questions of the Devaputra Ārya-susthita (4 fascicles); the Sūtra on Observing the Practice of All Dharmas (4 fascicles); the Sūtra of the Four Youths (3 fascicles); the Sūtra on the Fundamental Non-existence of All Dharmas (3 fascicles); the Gaganagarbha Bodhisattva Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Candrottarādārikā Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Sumati-dāraka Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Sūtra on the Transference of Consciousness (2 fascicles); the Sūtra of the King of Parables (2 fascicles); the Sūtra on Arousing the Pure Mind (2 fascicles); the Sūtra on Bodhisattvas of Sole Delivery (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Inquiries and Doubts of the Sage of Great Awful Lamp Light (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Practice of Mañjuśrī (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Names of the Eight Buddhas (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Comparative Merit of Rarity (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on Respecting the Master (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Tathāgata's Skillful Spell (1 fascicle); the Amoghapāśa Avalokiteśvara Heart-Spell Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Divine Spells of the Twelve Buddha Names for Comparing Merits, Eradicating Obstacles, and Eliminating Sins (1 fascicle); the Vajramaṇḍa Dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Supreme King of All Dharmas (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on Entering the Essential Nature of the Dharmadhātu (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Questions of the Devaputra Śreṣṭhī (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Generation of the Bodhicitta (1 fascicle); and the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra, Entrustment Chapter (1 fascicle). In total, there were thirty-three works in one hundred and fifty fascicles. The śramaṇas Sengtan, Daosui, Sengkun, Mingfen, and Daomi, and the scholars Fei Changfang, Liu Ping, and others served as scribes. He was well versed in foreign languages and understood the profound, esoteric tenets. For all that he translated, he had no need for interpreters: understanding the principles and doctrinal gates, his spoken words perfected the linguistic forms.

4.35

The Yang clan of the Sui, capital Chang'an.

4.36

The Governor of Yangchuan Commandery, Tan Fazhi, Sanskrit name Dharmaprajñā, was of brāhmaṇa lineage. For generations his family had handed down the art of translation. At the end of the Northern Qi he was the Chief Controller of Zhaoxuan Monastery. After the Qi state was subjugated, the Buddha-Dharma was destroyed along with it. Zhi, on account of his clerical office, was transferred to a secular post, being appointed Governor of Yangchuan Commandery in Yang Prefecture. In the second year of Kaihuang, the cyclical year Renyin, Emperor Wen of the Sui issued an imperial decree summoning Zhi back to have him translate scriptures. At Daxingshan Monastery he translated: the Karmavibhaṅga Sūtra (1 fascicle). Since Zhi was supremely proficient in both the Sui and Sanskrit languages, there was no need for interpreters. Śākya Zhixuan of Chengdu served as scribe.

4.37

Śramaṇa Vinītaruci, here translated as Miexi (Extinction of Pleasure), was a native of the country of Uḍḍiyāna in Northern India. He shook his staff and came here. In the second year of Kaihuang of Emperor Wen of the Sui, the cyclical year Renyin, by imperial decree he was ordered to translate at Daxingshan Monastery: the Gayāśīrṣa Sūtra (1 fascicle); and the Mahāyāna Vaipulya Dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle). In total, two works in two fascicles. Supervising Secretary Li Daobao interpreted, and the śramaṇa Gao Fazuan served as scribe.

4.38

Śramaṇa Dharmagupta, in Sui called Fami (Dharma Secret), was a native of Southern India. Although in his years of study he longed for the Way and shaved off his hair, it was only in his later years of adulthood that he received full ordination. Seeking masters, he travelled throughout the countries of both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. His learning having become broad, his accomplishments were exceptionally numerous. Thereupon he aroused the great aspiration, wandering to benefit living beings. Wherever he went, he was concerned only with lecturing and explaining. In the tenth year of Kaihuang, he arrived at Gua Prefecture. Emperor Wen invited him to the capital monasteries. Not long after his arrival, he gained a great command of the Sui language. By imperial decree at Daxingshan Monastery he translated: the Bodhisattva-ākiñcanya Sūtra (4 fascicles); the Rāṣṭrapāla Bodhisattva Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra on Entering the Inconceivable Realm of the Tathāgatas (2 fascicles); the Mahāsaṃnipāta Parable King Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Eastern Supreme Lamp King Tathāgata Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Transference of Consciousness (2 fascicles); the Mahāyāna Three-Aggregate Repentance Sūtra (1 fascicle); and the Mahāvaipulya Great Cloud Rain-Requesting Sūtra (1 fascicle). The meanings and principles were proper and conformed to the subtle tenets of the sūtras. Moreover, he established himself with compassion and forbearance, and his disposition was formed in reverence and harmony. His mind never strayed outside the Way, and his practice preceded his speech. The ground of his precepts was level and still; the water of his concentration was profound and clear. In the sūtras he penetrated the origins of words, and in the treatises he investigated the significance of sounds. His demeanor was auspicious and correct; his diligent discipline was noble and fierce. The sound of his chanting continued from evening to dawn; his words of Dharma embraced both the inner and outer. He was fond of dwelling in solitude and reducing his affairs, prizing few desires and ceasing pursuit. Untiring in instructing others, he valued that more than benefiting himself. When Emperor Yang established his capital at the Eastern Capital, he revered him with profound earnestness. He set up a scripture translation institute within the Shanglin Park, where [Dharmagupta] translated: the Dharma-torch Dhāraṇī Sūtra (20 fascicles); the Lokasthiti Sūtra (10 fascicles); the Mahāvaipulya Mahāsaṃnipāta Bodhisattva Buddhānusmṛti-samādhi Sūtra (10 fascicles); the Pratītyasamutpāda Sūtra (2 fascicles); the Bodhisambhāra Treatises (6 fascicles); the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra Treatise (2 fascicles); the Pratītyasamutpāda Treatise (1 fascicle); the Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of the Questions of the Devaputra Susthitamati (4 fascicles); the Bhaiṣajyaguru-tathāgata Pūrvapraṇidhānaguṇa Sūtra (1 fascicle); and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha (10 fascicles). From the tenth year of Kaihuang to the end of the Daye era, he translated eighteen works in eighty-one fascicles. In all of them, the literary style and doctrinal meaning were clear and plain, the ornate and simple being manifestly correct. The śramaṇas Yancong, Xingju, and others served as scribes.

4.39

The Li clan of the Great Tang, capital Chang'an.

4.40

Śramaṇa Prabhākaramitra, in the language of the Tang Zuoming Zhishi (Wise Friend who Makes Light), also called Pofo, here translated as Guangzhi (Radiant Wisdom), was a native of Central India, of kṣatriya lineage. His discernment was sharp and penetrating; his caliber was deep and profound. Broadly he probed the inner and outer [teachings], and thoroughly investigated the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. Vowing to propagate the Dharma and transformation, he did not shrink from hardship or danger. Crossing the distant Congling mountains, he arrived here. In the first year of Zhenguan, by imperial decree at Daxingshan Monastery he translated: one work, the Ratnolkā Sūtra (7 fascicles); one work, the Prajñāpradīpa Treatise (15 fascicles); and one work, the Mahālaṅkāra Treatise (13 fascicles). In all, three works in thirty-five fascicles. The śramaṇa Huicheng and others verified the meaning; the śramaṇa Xuanmo and others interpreted the language; and the śramaṇas Huiming, Huize, Huijing, Falin, and others served as scribes. Left Vice-Director of the Department of State Affairs Fang Xuanling, Supervisor of the Household of the Heir Apparent Du Zhenglun, Chamberlain for the Palace Revenues Xiao Jing, and others oversaw and inspected the work.

4.41

The śramaṇa Xuanzang was a native of Luoyang in Henan. His secular surname was Chen, and he was a descendant of Chen Zhonggong of Yingchuan. At the age of playing with dove carts he shed secular garb; at the years of riding bamboo horses he penetrated the profound. His wall-like towering virtue reached to the skies, and his bearing was like the bright moon. The eminent and virtuous of the capital and Luoyang all regarded him as a vessel of great talent. But as the Sui dynasty's destiny perished and the four borders were filled with fortresses, the eminent monks of masterly virtue mostly went to Western Shu. At the age when his will was set on learning, the Dharma Master proceeded there to inquire into the Way. Not long after arriving, he thoroughly penetrated the subtleties of both the half and the full [teachings]. Among the discerning disciples along the Two Rivers, there were none who were not delighted and astounded. When his full ordination was complete, he devoted himself especially to the vinaya. His deportment was auspicious and refined, serving as a wondrous model for the assembly. When Emperor Taizong established the dynastic seats and the standards of culture and governance were unified, [Xuanzang] traveled along the river seeking friends [in the Dharma], his path passing through Yan and Ying. At that time, Prince Hanyang, holding a regional command in Jingchu as a cornerstone of the realm, had long heard of his high reputation and earnestly requested him to preach and propagate. Thereupon, at Tianhuang Monastery in the prefecture of Jing, [Xuanzang] lectured on treatises such as the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and the abhidharma. Eminent monks from the Huai and sea regions admired his style and gathered like clouds. The prince and the various dukes attended the Dharma assembly in person. The Dharma Master dissected subtleties and resolved queries, exhausting the wondrous principles. The prince and dukes, men of profound knowledge, experienced what they had never had before. At that time, the virtuous Dharma Master Zhiyan and others, all brilliant talents of the Jiang and Han regions whose understanding exhausted the Tripiṭaka, upon beholding the Dharma Master's wondrous and unimpeded eloquence, wept and sighed, saying: 'How could we have expected, in the fading light of our twilight years, to encounter the morning radiance of the rising sun?' Thereupon, at the age of following his heart's desires, he took Xuanzang as his master and performed the full rites of discipleship. From then on, [Xuanzang] examined the snares and traps of the Nine Hills and probed the profound purport in the Eight Treasuries. He constantly lamented that the teachings were incomplete through lack of transmitting masters, and that the principles were obscured by translators, thereby causing the wish-fulfilling jewel to be incomplete and the Snow Mountain verse to remain halved. Thereupon, taking up his monk's staff and wrapping his feet, he trod dangers as if they were level ground. Having reached the Indic lands, he deliberated and consulted without weariness. In the scriptures of the five vidyās and four Āgamas, the snares of the three piṭakas and twelve divisions, the sounds of the seven cases and eight vibhaktis, and the syntax of the three voices and six samāsas, he exhausted every subtlety and probed their wonders completely. However, the Hīnayānists there, down to the tīrthikas, each constructed divergent treatises to slander and denigrate the Mahāyāna. The Dharma Master thereupon composed the Zhi ejian lun (Treatise Refuting Evil Views) to refute the eighteen schools of the Hīnayāna and destroy the ninety-five kinds of tīrthikas. He also composed the Hui zhong lun (Treatise on Reconciling the Middle), reconciling the subtle purports of the Yogācāra and the Madhyamaka, in order to quiet the disputes within the Mahāyāna. At that time, King Śīlāditya of Central India held overall sway over the various countries of the five Indias. Widely versed in internal and external learning, his talents and arts were outstandingly superior. Reading this treatise, he sighed and said: 'Although it possesses the extraordinary benefit of revealing the Great and crushing the heterodox, it nonetheless highlights that in our Great Xia there is no one [equal to him]. I am about to hold a great assembly of ninety days for grand charity; we can take advantage of this assembly to determine its merits.' He thereupon sent out couriers far and wide to proclaim it over ten thousand li, summoning all from the subject states who could debate to assemble completely. When the great assembly had gathered, the Dharma Master took the more than six thousand verses of the two treatises he had composed and wrote them on the gate of the great arena of charity, stating: 'If there is anyone who can refute a single verse, I will cut out my tongue and apologize to him.' Day after day the drum was struck to challenge disputants, for a full eighteen days, yet none dared confront him. At that time, King Śīlāditya and the other kings, the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna masters, and the various heterodox paths, internal and external, were all astounded and humbled. The Dharma Master engaged in debates and inquiries, traveling around for seventeen years through more than one hundred countries. In the nineteenth year of Zhenguan, he turned his reins homeward. Arriving at the capital, he had an audience with the Emperor in Luoyang. The Emperor was exceedingly pleased, and ordered that the 657 Sanskrit texts he brought with him be translated by imperial decree at Hongfu Monastery in the Western Capital. An edict was further issued to Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Fang Xuanling to summon widely more than fifty monks of masterly learning in the realm, such as Huiming and Lingrun, to assist in illuminating the Dharma transformation. An edict was also issued to Xu Jingzong, Left Deputy Supervisor of the Crown Prince's Household, and others, to take charge of supervising the translation. By the twenty-second year, the translated sūtras were presented to the throne. At that time, Emperor Taizong the Civil, with an enlightened and discerning mind, gave free rein to his profound contemplation and composed a preface. The celestial writing burst forth in splendor, outshining the sun and moon in radiance. His Majesty [Gaozong], admiring and understanding with literary thought, gave expression to his sagacious reflections and composed a record; the imperial prose gleamed with patterned embroidery, radiating like clouds and mist and spreading its colorful splendor. Furthermore, in the twelfth month of that year, while His Majesty was in the Eastern Palace, mindful of great filial devotion and moved by feelings of reverence for his sage mother, he respectfully founded Da Cien Monastery and the Translation Hall on behalf of Empress Dowager Wende. The halls were magnificent and grand, exhausting the craftsmanship of Lu Ban and Gongshu Duan; their lustrous adornments were gorgeous and fine, reaching the utmost wonder of precious painting. At that time, both the Western and Eastern Palaces brought out banner-streamers and images on a grand scale, and ordered the music of the nine sections, as well as the precious banners, canopies, fine silks, and wondrous perfumes from the various monasteries of the capital, along with the precious carriages and performers of the wards of Wannian and Chang'an, to escort the sūtras and images brought by Xuanzang and the virtuous monks of Cien to reside in Cien Monastery and the Translation Hall. At that time, the Emperor went in person to the Anfu Gate and made offerings of flowers and incense. On the twenty-fourth day, the Crown Prince visited Cien in person, ordained one thousand monks, and granted a general amnesty to the capital. Then in the first year of Xianqing, by imperial edict, Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Yu Zhining, Palace Attendant Xu Jingzong, Heads of the Secretariat Lai Ji, Li Yifu, and Du Zhenglun, and Vice Director of the Chancellery Xue Yuanchao polished the style; and Erudite of the National University Fan Yiyun, Groom of the Crown Prince's Stables Guo Yu, and Academician of the Institute for the Advancement of Literature Gao Ruosi and others assisted in managing the translation. He translated: the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 1 text (600 fascicles); the Mahābodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra in 1 text (20 fascicles); the Mahāyāna Da ji dizang shilun jing in 1 text (10 fascicles); the Itivṛttaka (Benshi jing) in 1 text (7 fascicles); the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra (Wugoucheng jing) in 1 text (6 fascicles); the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra (Jie shenmi jing) in 1 text (5 fascicles); the Fenbie yuanqi chusheng famen jing in 1 text (2 fascicles); the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Buddhabhūmi Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Pratītyasamutpādāryamārga Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Tathāgatāvadāna-jayanāgarāja Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabharāja Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (Chengzan jingtu foshesou jing) (1 fascicle); the Zui wubi jing (1 fascicle); the Shen xiyou jing (1 fascicle); the Chengzan dasheng gongde jing (1 fascicle); the Xian wubian fotu gongde jing (1 fascicle); the Ṣaṇmukhī-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sarvabuddhāṅgavatī-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Bajiji kunan tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle); the Dhvajāgrakeyūra-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Aṣṭanāma-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Amoghapāśahṛdaya-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Ekadaśamukha-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Vasudhārā-dhāraṇī Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Śoutchi qifo minghao suosheng gongde jing (1 fascicle); the Devatāparipṛcchā Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Fo lin niepan ji fazhu jing (1 fascicle); the Jizhao shenbian sanmodi jing (1 fascicle); the Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Pratītyasamutpāda Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Zhou wu shou (1 fascicle); the Bodhisattvaprātimokṣa (1 fascicle); the Bodhisattvakarmavācanā (1 fascicle); the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra in 1 text (100 fascicles); the Prakaraṇāryavācāśāstra in 1 text (20 fascicles); the Abhidharmasamuccayavyākhyā in 1 text (16 fascicles); the Abhidharmasamuccaya in 1 text (7 fascicles); the root text of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha in 1 text (3 fascicles); the Vasubandhu commentary on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha in 1 text (10 fascicles); the Asanga/Nirvikalpa [recte: Asabhāva] commentary on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha in 1 text (10 fascicles); the Catuḥśataka-ṭīkā (Guang bai lun) in 1 text (10 fascicles); the Karatalaratna (Zhangzhen lun) in 1 text (2 fascicles); the Karmasiddhiprakaraṇa (1 fascicle); the Buddhabhūmisūtraśāstra in 1 text (7 fascicles); the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra in 1 text (10 fascicles); the Nyāyamukha (1 fascicle); the Nyāyapraveśa (1 fascicle); the Mahāyānaśatadharmāvidyādvāra-śāstra (1 fascicle); the Pañcaskandhaka-śāstra (1 fascicle); the Catuḥśataka-kārikā (1 fascicle); the Prakaraṇāryavācā-kārikā (1 fascicle); the Rājadharmanyāyapraveśa (1 fascicle); the Ālambanaparīkṣā (1 fascicle); the Triṃśikāvijñaptikārikā (1 fascicle); the Madhyāntavibhāga-śāstra in 1 text (3 fascicles); the Madhyāntavibhāga-kārikā (1 fascicle); the Viṃśatikāvijñaptimātratāsiddhi (1 fascicle); the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra-ṭīkā (1 fascicle); the Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra in 1 text (200 fascicles); the Jñānaprasthāna in 1 text (20 fascicles); the Nyāyānusāra-śāstra in 1 text (80 fascicles); the Abhidharmadīpa / Samayapradīpikā (Xianzong lun) in 1 text (40 fascicles); the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra in 1 text (30 fascicles); the Vijñānakāya in 1 text (16 fascicles); the Dharmaskandha in 1 text (12 fascicles); the Pañcavastuka (1 fascicle); the Samayabhedoparacanacakra (1 fascicle); the Abhidharmāvatāra in 1 text (2 fascicles); the Abhidharmakośa-kārikā (1 fascicle); the Prakaraṇapāda in 1 text (18 fascicles); the Saṅgītiparyāya in 1 text (20 fascicles); the Dhātukāya in 1 text (3 fascicles); the Record of the Abiding of the Dharma Spoken by the Great Arhat Nandimitra (1 fascicle); the Daśapadārthaśāstra (1 fascicle); and the Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions in 1 text (12 fascicles).

4.42

Excluding the Record of the Western Regions above, there were in total 75 texts in 1,335 fascicles.

4.43

Illustrated Record of Scripture Translations Past and Present, Fascicle 4

Linked texts (1)

古今譯經圖紀 — Classical Chinese