續古今譯經圖紀 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Compiled in the gengwu year of Kaiyuan [730] by the śramaṇa Zhisheng of West Chongfu Monastery.

As for the Illustrated Record of Scripture Translations, its origin lies in the hall of the Translation Hall at Dacien Monastery. This hall depicted the monastic and lay transmitters and translators of past and present, beginning with Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and ending with the Tripiṭaka Master of the Great Tang. Master [Yan]mai thereupon composed inscriptions for them on the walls. From that time onward, translations and transmissions continued unabated. Various decorated portraits existed, but there was no such written record. Although I, Sheng, am not clever, I have ventured to offer praises and descriptions. Though fine silk thread and coarse hemp are distinct, I hope to maintain the continuity without severance. May readers find no cause for reproach.

1.3

The Remainder of Transmissions and Translations under the Great Tang

1.4

The śramaṇa Shi Zhitong: His vinaya practice was refined and rigorous, and he was also well-versed in sūtras and treatises. He paid particular attention to the dhāraṇī gate. Tong left household life during the Daye era of the Sui, residing at Da Zongchi Monastery in the capital. Having the aspiration to travel abroad, he subsequently studied Sanskrit script and language at the Translation Institute in the eastern capital of Luoyang, early on penetrating their subtleties. In the Zhenguan era of the Tang, a monk from North India came bearing a Sanskrit text of the Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes Sūtra and presented it to the throne. Emperor Taizong decreed that Tong, together with the Indian monk, should translate it together. It was titled the Qianyan qianbi Guanshiyin pusa tuoluoni shenzhou jing (two fascicles, forming one work). Later, in the fourth year (kuichou) of Yonghui [653] under Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong], he also translated at Zongchi Monastery: the Qianzhuai tuoluoni Guanshiyin pusa zhou jing (one fascicle); the Guanzizai pusa suixin zhou jing (one fascicle); and the Qingjing Guanshiyin Puxian tuoluoni jing (one fascicle). In total there were four works comprising five fascicles.

1.5

The śramaṇa Bhagavaddharma (in Tang: Zunfa) was a native of West India. He translated the Qianshou qianyan Guanshiyin pusa guangda yuanman wu'ai dabeixin tuoluoni jing (one fascicle). However, the sūtra title states, 'Translated by Bhagavaddharma of West India,' without recording the date. Tracing its origins, it appears to be a recent translation of the imperial dynasty. According to the preface of the Qianbi jing, it is also stated that Zhitong translated it together with him.

1.6

The śramaṇa Ādigupta (in Tang: Wujigao) was a native of Central India. In his learning he mastered the complete syllables (akṣara), and his conduct was as pure as a rounded pearl. He was well-versed in the pañcavidyā and had an exquisite understanding of the Tripiṭaka. In the first month of the third year (renzi) of Yonghui [652] under Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong], he arrived in Chang'an bringing a large collection of Sanskrit manuscripts. An imperial decree ordered that he be accommodated at Cien Monastery. The śramaṇa Dashengcong and others, sixteen people in all, together with the Duke of Ying, the Duke of E, and others, twelve people in all, requested Gupta to erect a universal congregation maṇḍala altar for dhāraṇīs in the Stūpa Cloister of Huiri Monastery. All requirements for the altar were fully provided. On the day the ritual was completed, miraculous wonders descended repeatedly. Monastics and laity in the capital all sighed with admiration at such a rare encounter. The śramaṇa Xuankai and others thereupon persistently requested the translation of the ritual texts. Later, from the fourth year (kuichou) [653] to the fifth year (jiayin) [654], at Huiri Monastery, an epitome was extracted and translated from the Vajramahāmaṇḍapa-sūtra and compiled into a single work entitled Dhāraṇīsaṃgraha-sūtra (twelve fascicles), with the śramaṇa Xuankai and others serving as scribes. At that time, there were the monks Master Aniruddhamokṣa, Master Kāśyapa, and others from the Mahābodhi Monastery in Central India, who translated the ritual of Śrīmahādevī at Jingxing Monastery. Because this was incorporated into the tenth fascicle of the Saṃgraha-sūtra, it is not preserved separately.

1.7

The śramaṇa Puṇyodaya (in Tang: Fusheng) is, fully following the Sanskrit, Pu-ru-wu-fa-ye (Puṇyodaya). Because the syllables are cumbersome, it was corrupted and abbreviated here to Nati. He was originally a native of Central India. His spirit was vast and far-reaching, and his mind was set on propagating the Way. He traveled through many countries, devoting himself to educating beings. He was skilled in grammar and phonology (śabdavidyā) and proficient in glosses and commentaries; hearing of those who could be awakened, he did not shrink from distant barbarian lands. He once went to the country of Siṃhala, and further ascended Mount Laṅkā to the southeast; he traveled and transformed beings in accord with conditions throughout the countries of the Southern Sea. Having heard that the Great Vehicle was turning vigorously in the eastern country of China, and that the Buddha's Dharma flourished there the most in Jambudvīpa, he collected over five hundred bundles of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras, vinayas, and treatises, comprising over 1,500 works. In the sixth year of Yonghui under Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong], he arrived in the capital for the first time. An imperial decree ordered him to be accommodated at Cien [Monastery], with the appropriate bureau supplying his needs. In the first year of Xianqing [656], an imperial decree sent him to various Kunlun countries to collect rare medicines. When he arrived in the Southern Sea, the kings took refuge in him with reverence, and the breadth of his propagation doubled compared to before. In the third year of Longshuo [663], he returned to his former monastery. The sūtras he brought had all been taken north by Xuanzang, and though he wished to translate them, he had nothing to rely upon. He translated only the Shizi zhuangyan wang pusa qingwen jing (one fascicle, also called the Ba mantuluo jing), the Ligouhui pusa suowen lifo fa jing (one fascicle), and the Azhanazhi zhou jing (one fascicle)—three works in three fascicles in total. Concise and of the utmost excellence, they may be constantly practiced and studied. The śramaṇa Huize of Shanlin Monastery was the interpreter, and the śramaṇa Daoxuan of Fengde Monastery was the text editor and composed the preface.

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The śramaṇa Jñānabhadra (in Tang: Zhixian) was a native of the country of Baling (also called Heling) in the Southern Sea. He was skilled in the learning of the Tripiṭaka. Formerly, during the Linde era, the śramaṇa Huining of Chengdu in the prefecture of Yi purposefully traveled to India to pay homage to the sacred traces. Sailing west on a ship, his route passed through the country of Baling, where he joined with Jñānabhadra to translate the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra crematorial section, one work (two fascicles), and sent the text back to Jiaozhou. Huining then proceeded to India. Later, at the beginning of the Yifeng era, Liang Nandi, Area Commander-in-Chief of Jiaozhou, dispatched an envoy to convey the text to the capital. In the third year (wuyin) [678], the śramaṇa Linghui of Dacien Monastery petitioned the Crown Prince's Palace to authorize its distribution and practice.

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The śramaṇa Divākara (in Tang: Rizhao) was a native of Central India. He thoroughly understood the eight Piṭakas and was widely conversant in the four Āgamas. His vinaya practice was pure and lofty, and his scholarship was rich and abundant. He was especially skilled in incantation techniques and thoroughly mastered the pañcavidyā. Aspiring to benefit sentient beings, he traveled to this country. From the beginning of the Yifeng era under Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong] to the end of the Chuigong era under the Heavenly Empress [Wu Zetian], at the two capitals—Taiyuan Monastery in the eastern capital and Hongfu Monastery in the western capital—he translated: the Fangguang dazhuangyan jing, one work (twenty-two fascicles); the Ghanavyūha-sūtra, one work (three fascicles); the Dasheng xianshi jing, one work (two fascicles); the Zhengqi dasheng jing, one work (two fascicles); the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra chapter on 'Entering the Dharma Realm' continued (one fascicle); the Dasheng liwenzi puguangmingzang jing (one fascicle); the Dasheng bianzhao guangmingzang wuzi famen jing (one fascicle); the Dafangguang shizihou jing (one fascicle); the Dasheng baifu xiang jing (one fascicle); the Dasheng baifu zhuangyan xiang jing (one fascicle); the Dasheng sifa jing (one fascicle); the Pusa xiuxing sifa jing (one fascicle); the Qijuzhi fo daxin Zhunti tuoluoni jing (one fascicle); the Foding zuisheng tuoluoni jing (one fascicle); the Zuisheng foding tuoluoni jingchu yezhang jing (one fascicle); the Zaota gongde jing (one fascicle); the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra treatise on refuting grasping and attachments without destroying provisional names, one work (two fascicles); and the Mahāyānapañcaskandhaka-śāstra (one fascicle)—in all, eighteen works comprising thirty-four fascicles. The śramaṇa Candraprajñādeva was the interpreter, and the śramaṇa Huizhi certified the Sanskrit. An imperial decree summoned ten eminent and virtuous monks to assist his propagation of the Dharma: the śramaṇas Daocheng, Bochen, Jiashang, Yuance, Lingbian, Mingxun, Huaidu, and others certified the meaning; the śramaṇas Sixuan, Fuli, and others were text editors and scribes. The Heavenly Empress personally displayed her sagacious brushwork, composing a preface to place at the beginning. This added luster and adornment to the image teachings, transmitting them imperishably.

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The upāsaka Du Xingyi was a native of Jingzhao. During the Yifeng era, he served as Director of the Foreign Visitors Bureau in the Court of Imperial Regalia. Yi understood the Indian language and was also gifted with literary style, so in translation and transmission affairs he was exquisitely qualified. At that time, the monk Buddhāpāli from Kapiśa came to the palace gate bearing a bundle of Sanskrit sūtras and presented them to the court. Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong] issued an edict ordering Yi to translate it, naming it the Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra (one fascicle). General of Ningyuan Dupa and the Tripiṭaka Master Divākara of Central India certified the translation. This was on the fifth day of the first month in the fourth year of Yifeng [679]. Because this translation by Du concealed and avoided imperial taboos and national name taboos, 'World-Honoured One' (shizun) became 'Sacred Honoured One' (shengzun), 'world' (shijie) became 'realm of birth' (shengjie), 'great power' (dashi) became 'great direction' (daqu), and 'remedying and curing' (jiuzhi) became 'saving and eliminating' (jiuchu). After the translation was completed and presented to the throne, the Retired Emperor read it, looked at Yi, and said, 'Since these are sacred words, there is no need to avoid taboos.' Du had just received the edict to correct it when, due to circumstance, the project was put aside. Later, Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao, following an edict, made a detailed translation named the Foding zuisheng tuoluoni.

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The śramaṇa Buddhatrāta (in Tang: Juejiu) was a native of Kapiśa in North India. At Baima Monastery in the eastern capital, he translated the Mahāvaipulya-pūrṇabuddha-sūtra-pratītārtha-sūtra (one fascicle). This sūtra appeared recently, and the exact year is unknown. Since his aspiration was to propagate the Way and his concern was to discern fraudulence and falsehood, provided the true exposition is not erroneous, what need is there to know the year and month in detail?

1.12

The śramaṇa Buddhāpāli (in Tang: Juehu) was a native of Kapiśa in North India. Forgetting his own person in devotion to the Way, he visited sacred traces everywhere. Hearing that Mañjuśrī resided on Qingliang Mountain, he traveled from afar across the drifting sands and came in person to pay homage. In the bingzi year, the first year of Yifeng [676] under Heavenly Emperor [Gaozong], leaning on his staff at Wutai, he bowed with devout sincerity, weeping rain-like tears, hoping to behold the holy countenance. Suddenly, he saw an old man emerging from the mountains, speaking in the language of a brāhmaṇa, who addressed Pāli, saying, 'Master, with such fervent and earnest sincerity, what are you seeking?' Pāli replied, 'Having heard that the Great Being Mañjuśrī has concealed his traces in these mountains, I have come from India desiring to behold and worship him.' The old man said, 'Master, did you bring the Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra from that country? The sentient beings of this land commit many transgressions, and those who have left household life also commit many infractions. The Buddha-uṣṇīṣa divine mantra is a secret remedy for eliminating transgressions. If you have not brought the sūtra, what benefit is there in coming in vain? Even if you were to see Mañjuśrī, would you necessarily recognize him? Master, you should return to the Western countries, obtain that sūtra, and bring it to circulate in this land. That will be to make offerings universally to the multitude of sages, widely benefit all beings, rescue those in darkness, and repay the kindness of all the buddhas. When you have fetched the sūtra and arrived here, this disciple will show you the dwelling place of the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī.' Having heard these words, Pāli was overjoyed beyond measure. Restraining his weeping tears, he bowed again toward the mountain. In the moment he raised his head, the old man suddenly vanished. Astonished, Pāli redoubled his devout reverence. He thereupon returned to his native country, obtained the sūtra, and brought it back. Upon reaching the imperial city, he sought an audience. The authorities memorialized the matter in full. The Heavenly Emperor praised his sincerity and esteemed this secret canon, and thereupon ordered Du Xingyi, Director of the Foreign Visitors Bureau in the Court of Imperial Regalia, together with Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao, to translate it within the palace. After the translation was completed, he was gifted thirty bolts of silk, and the sūtra was retained inside the palace. Pāli therefore wept and memorialized, saying, 'Having abandoned my life, my aim was to benefit people; my sincere hope was to distribute and circulate it.' Pitying his singular dedication, the Emperor retained the translated sūtra but returned the Sanskrit manuscript to him, leaving him free to circulate it. Overjoyed upon receiving the sūtra, Pāli took it to Ximing Monastery, where he searched out the monk Shunchēn, who was proficient in Sanskrit, and memorialized to translate it together. The Emperor granted his request. Thereupon, before the translation master of great virtue Yuance, he and Zhen translated it, naming it the Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra (one fascicle). Pāli's vow having been fulfilled, he took the Sanskrit manuscript of the sūtra into Mount Wutai and has not emerged to this day, no one knowing where he went. Compared to all other translations, this one is the most widely circulated. (The preface before this sūtra was written by someone after the Yongchang era; the dates recorded when collating various translated versions are discrepant, as fully described in the Kaiyuan Buddhist Catalogue.)

1.13

The monk Devaprajñā (also called Devendrajñāna, translated into Tang [Chinese] as Tianzhi [“Heavenly Wisdom”]) was a native of Khotan. His learning spanned the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna, and his wisdom embraced both the ultimate and the conventional. In the first year of the Yongchang era under Empress Wu (689), he arrived at the capital. By imperial order, he translated scriptures at the Eastern Monastery of Wei State. From the first year of Yongchang, a yichou year (689), to the second year of Tianshou, a xinmao year (691), he translated the Dacheng zaoxiang gongde jing (Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Merit of Making Buddha Images) in two fascicles; the Dafangguang fo huayan jing busiyi fo jingjie fen (Inconceivable Buddha-Realm Section of the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Dafangguang fo huayan jing xiuci fen (Cultivating Compassion Section of the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Zhiju tuoluoni jing (Jñānolkā-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Zhufosi jihui tuoluoni jing (Sarvabuddhasamavāsa-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in one fascicle; and the Dacheng fajie wuchabie lun (Mahāyānadharmadhātunirviśeṣa-śāstra) in one fascicle—amounting to six works in seven fascicles altogether. The monks Zhan Tuo, Huizhi, and others served as interpreters; the monk Chuyi and others served as scribes; the monk Fuli and others served as text editors; and the monks Degan, Huiyan, Faming, Hongjing, and others served as certifiers of meaning.

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The monk Śikṣā-Huizhi’s father was an Indian of the brāhmaṇa caste, who had traveled here on a diplomatic mission and fathered Huizhi. Sharp and keen from his youth, Huizhi was skilled in both Sanskrit script and speech. For all the translations conducted by the Tripiṭaka masters Divākara, Devendrajñāna, Bao Siwei, and others, Huizhi was summoned to act as certifier and also tasked with oral interpretation. In the second year of Changshou under Empress Wu, a guisi year (693), at the Foshouji Monastery in the eastern capital, Huizhi personally translated the Zan Guanshiyin pusa song (Eulogy in Praise of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva) in one fascicle.

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The monk Śikṣānanda (translated into Tang [Chinese] as Xuexi [“Joy in Learning”]) was a native of Khotan. Magnanimous and vast in the capacity of his wisdom, he had a heart devoted to benefiting beings. He was skilled in both the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna, and was also well versed in the treatises of non-Buddhist traditions. Empress Wu illuminated and exalted the sun of the Buddha, showing deep reverence for the Mahāyāna. Because the older translations of the Huayan jing were incomplete in their assemblies and venues, and she had heard from afar that Khotan possessed this Sanskrit original, she dispatched envoys to invite it and seek a translator. Śikṣānanda arrived at Luoyang together with the sūtra. In the first year of Zhengsheng under Empress Wu, a yizhai year (695), in the Biankong Monastery within the Great Palace of the Eastern Capital, he translated the Dafangguang fo huayan jing (Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra) in eighty fascicles. Empress Wu personally graced the Dharma throne, penned the radiant preface, and applied her own imperial brush to inscribe the titles and chapters. The South Indian monk Bodhiruci and the monk Yijing jointly recited the Sanskrit original, after which it was entrusted to the monks Fuli, Fazang, and others to translate at the Foshouji Monastery, completing the work in the second year of Shengli, a jihai year (699). Furthermore, in the first year of Jiushi, a gengzi year (700), inside Sanyang Palace, he translated the Dacheng ru lengqie jing (Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra) in seven fascicles. In addition, at Qingchan Monastery in the Western Capital and Shouji Monastery in the Eastern Capital, he translated the Wenshushili shouji jing (Mañjuśrīvyākaraṇa-sūtra) in three fascicles; the Dafangguang ru rulai zhide busiyi jing in one fascicle; the Dafangguang rulai busiyi jingjie jing in one fascicle; the Dafangguang puxian suoshuo jing in one fascicle; the Guanshiyin pusa mimizang shenzhou jing in one fascicle; the Miaobi yinzhuang tuoluoni jing in one fascicle; the Baiqian yin tuoluoni jing in one fascicle; the Jiu mianran egui tuoluoni shenzhou jing in one fascicle; the Youshao fotā gongde jing in one fascicle; the Dacheng sifa jing in one fascicle (bearing the same title as that translated by Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao, but completely different in text and meaning); the Shishanye dao jing in one fascicle; the Dacheng qixin lun (Treatise on Awakening Mahāyāna Faith) in two fascicles; the Mohe bore suixin jing in one fascicle; the Dafangguang busheng bumie jing in one fascicle; the Dafangguang rulai nan siyi jingjie jing in one fascicle; the Liggou jingguang tuoluoni jing (Vimalanirbhāsa-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in one fascicle; and the Pusa chusheng sifa jing in one fascicle. Altogether there were nineteen works in 107 fascicles. The monks Bolun, Xuangui, and others served as scribes; the monk Fuli and others served as text editors; the monks Fabao, Hongjing, and others served as certifiers of meaning; and the Heir Apparent's Secretary of the Household Jia Yingfu oversaw the translation.

1.16

The brāhmaṇa Li Wuchan was a native of the Lampāka country in North India. Sharp and intelligent in mind and capacity, he had a comprehensive mastery of both internal and external learning, understanding both the Tang and Sanskrit languages thoroughly and without impediment. For the many sūtras translated by the Tripiṭaka masters Cintāmaṇi, Bodhiruci, and others, Li Wuchan provided the oral interpretation. In the third year of Shengli under Empress Wu, a gengzi year (700), for the sake of the Silla monk Myeonghyo, he translated the Bukong juansuo tuoluoni jing (Amoghapāśa-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in one fascicle at the Translation Hall of Foshouji Monastery. The monk Bolun served as scribe and composed the preface.

1.17

The monk Mitraśānta (translated into Tang [Chinese] as Jiyou [“Tranquil Friend”]) was a native of Tokharistan. Leaving home in his youth, he traveled through the five regions of India studying various sūtras and śāstras, achieving the utmost mastery in the Laṅkāvatāra and the Abhidharmakośa. At first, he worked with Śikṣānanda in translating the Dacheng ru lengqie jing (Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra). Later, in the final years of Empress Wu, together with the monk Fazang and others, he translated the Wugou jingguang tuoluoni jing (Vimalanirbhāsa-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in one fascicle.

1.18

The monk Cintāmaṇi (translated into Tang [Chinese] as Bao Siwei [“Precious Thought”]) was a native of the country of Kaśmīra in North India, belonging to the kṣatriya caste. Leaving home in his early childhood, he took meditation and recitation as his vocation. After receiving the full precepts, he specialized exclusively in the Vinaya codes; moreover, his wisdom and understanding were extraordinary, his learning spanning both the ultimate and the conventional. In the second year of Changshou (693), he arrived at the capital of Luoyang and was ordered by imperial decree to be accommodated at Tiangong Monastery. From the second year of Changshou under Empress Wu, a guisi year (693), to the second year of Shenlong under Emperor Zhongzong, a bingwu year (706), at Shouji, Tiangong, Fuxian, and other monasteries, he translated the Bukong juansuo tuoluoni zizai wang zhou jing (Amoghapāśarāja-dhāraṇī-sūtra) in three fascicles; the Yuxiang gongde jing in one fascicle; the Jiaoliang shuzhu gongde jing in one fascicle; the Guanshiyin pusa ruyi mani tuoluoni jing in one fascicle; the Wenshushili genben yizi tuoluoni jing in one fascicle; the Datuoluoni mofa zhong yizi xin zhou jing in one fascicle; and the Suiqiu jide dazizai tuoluoni shenzhou jing in one fascicle—amounting to seven works in nine fascicles altogether. The Kapiśa monk Śrīnanda translated [the texts]; the monk Huizhi and others served as certifiers of Sanskrit; the brāhmaṇa Li Wuchan interpreted; and the monk Degan, Li Wu’ai, Drafter of the Secretariat, and others served as scribes.

1.19

The monk Śikṣā-Yijing was a native of Qizhou whose secular surname was Zhang and whose courtesy name was Wenming. In his tender childhood years, he renounced worldly honor and shed his hair. Thereupon he consulted eminent masters everywhere and explored the vast store of texts, becoming thoroughly versed in both inner and outer learning, and fully knowledgeable of past and present. At the age of fifteen, he set his resolve to travel to the Western Regions, admiring the noble conduct of Faxian and aspiring to the exalted example of Xuanzang. In addition, diligent without wasting a moment, he never let a scroll leave his hands. At the age of twenty he received the full precepts, becoming all the more ardent and steadfast. In the second year of Xianheng (671), at the age of thirty-seven, his long-cherished wish was at last fulfilled, and he went to Guangzhou. At first, ten fellow aspirants made a mutual pact, but when it came time to board the ship, the others all withdrew. Only Yijing's steadfast resolve burned all the brighter, and so he traveled alone. Braving every hardship, he gradually reached India. Wherever he went, he gained a thorough mastery of the language; whenever he met kings and ministers, all received him with great deference. He climbed both Vulture Peak and Kukkuṭapāda Mountain in person, and extensively toured the Jetavana and the Deer Park. He rested at Nālandā and paid homage to the Bodhi Tree, studying both the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna under eminent masters everywhere. Once his undertakings were complete, he returned to his native land. In all, he had traversed more than thirty countries, coming and going in search of the Way for over twenty years. In the midsummer of the first year of Zhengsheng under Empress Wu, a yihai year (695), he returned to the Heluo region, bringing back nearly four hundred works of Sanskrit sūtras, vinayas, and śāstras, totaling five hundred thousand verses, one authentic depiction of the Vajrāsana, and three hundred grains of relics. Revering the Dharma and honoring the person, Empress Wu personally welcomed him outside the Shangdong Gate. The monastic community of Luoyang prepared banners and pennants, accompanied by drums and music leading the way. An imperial decree ordered that he be housed at Foshouji Monastery and that the Sanskrit texts he had brought be translated. At first he collaborated with the Tripiṭaka master of Khotan in translating the Avataṃsaka-sūtra; after the Jiushi era (700), he began his own translations. From the first year of Jiushi, a gengzi year (700), to the third year of Chang'an, a guimao year (703), at Fuxian Monastery in the Eastern Capital and Ximing Monastery in the Western Capital, he translated the Jin guangming zuishengwang jing (Suvarṇaprabhāsottamarāja-sūtra) in ten fascicles; the Nengduan jingang boreboluomiduo jing (Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Ruding buding yin jing (Niyatāniyatagatimudrāvatāra-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Mile xiasheng chengfo jing (Maitreyavyākaraṇa) in one fascicle; the Manshushili pusa zhouzang zhong yizi zhouwang jing in one fascicle; the Zhuangyanwang tuoluoni zhou jing in one fascicle; the Shanye jing (Bhadrakārātrī-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Dacheng liuzhuan zhuyou jing (Bhavasaṅkrānti-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Miaosewang yinyuan jing in one fascicle; the Wuchang jing (Anityatā-sūtra) in one fascicle; the Ba wuxia youxia jing in one fascicle; the Changzhao fanzhi qingwen jing in one fascicle; the Genben shuoyiqieyoubu pinaiye (Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya) in fifty fascicles; the Genben sapuoduobu lüshe (Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinayasaṃgraha) in twenty fascicles; the Genben shuoyiqieyoubu nidana mudejia (Mūlasarvāstivāda-nidānamātṛkā) in ten fascicles; the Genben shuoyiqieyoubu baiyi jiemo (Mūlasarvāstivāda-śatakarma) in ten fascicles; the Zhangzhong lun (Hastavāla-prakaraṇa) in one fascicle; the Quyin jiashe lun (Prajñaptihetusaṃgraha) in one fascicle; the Liumen jiaoshou xiding lun (Ṣaṇmukhī-dhāraṇī-vyākhyāna) in one fascicle; and the Longshu pusa quanjie wang song (Suhṛllekha of Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna) in one fascicle, which were transcribed and presented to the palace.

1.20

The Heavenly Empress composed a "Preface to the Newly Translated Sacred Teachings" and ordered it prefixed to the heads of the scriptures. Coming to the dragon-ascent of Emperor Hedi in the first year of the Shenlong reign era (yisi, 705 CE), [Yijing] translated in the Palace Chapel of the Eastern Capital: the Great Peacock Dhāraṇī-rāja Sūtra in one work (3 fascicles); and further translated at Da Fuxian Monastery: the Sūtra on the King's Law Preached by the Buddha for Prince Prasenajit (1 fascicle); the Dhāraṇī-mantra Sūtra of Incense King Bodhisattva (1 fascicle); and the Sūtra of the King Adorned with All Merits (1 fascicle). Emperor Hedi revered the Buddhist texts in his heart and composed a preface praising them, entitled "Preface to the Tripiṭaka's Sacred Teachings upon the Dragon-Ascent of the Great Tang". The Emperor processed to the West Gate of Luoyang and proclaimed it to the assembled officials, ordering that Yijing's newly translated works all prefix it. In the second year (bingwu, 706 CE), [Yijing] accompanied the imperial cortege back to the capital, and by imperial decree a separate Translation Hall was established for him to reside at Da Jianfu Monastery. In the third year (dingwei, 707 CE), the Emperor summoned him into the palace together with his fellow translating monks to observe the ninety-day summer retreat. Because the Emperor had previously resided in Fang Prefecture under dark adversity with nowhere to turn, and had prayed to Bhaiṣajyaguru and thereby received descending blessings, he celebrated this past grace and sought to further propagate the grand plan; he therefore ordered the followers of the Dharma to translate further. At Foguang Palace Monastery, [Yijing] translated the Sūtra on the Merits of the Fundamental Vows of the Seven Buddhas of Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabha in one work (2 fascicles). The Emperor attended the Dharma gathering and served as scribe with his own hand. Further, down to the fourth year of the Jinglong reign era (gengxu, 710 CE), at Da Jianfu Monastery he translated: the Sūtra Preached by the Buddha to Nanda on Leaving the Household and Entering the Womb in one work (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Merits of Bathing the Image (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Merits of Prayer Beads (1 fascicle); the Cintāmaṇi-hṛdaya-dhāraṇī-mantra Sūtra of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (1 fascicle); the Uṣṇīṣavijayā-dhāraṇī-sūtra (1 fascicle); the Dhāraṇī-rāja Sūtra for Eradicating Sinful Obstacles (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Five Aggregates Being Completely Empty (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on the Three Turnings of the Dharma Wheel (1 fascicle); the Avadāna Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Sūtra on Healing Hemorrhoids (1 fascicle); the Mūlasarvāstivāda Bhikṣuṇī Vinaya in one work (20 fascicles); the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya Kṣudrakavastu in one work (40 fascicles); the Mūlasarvāstivāda Prātimokṣa Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Mūlasarvāstivāda Bhikṣuṇī Prātimokṣa Sūtra (1 fascicle); the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya Verses in one work (5 fascicles); the Summary Verses of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya Kṣudrakavastu (1 fascicle); the Summary Verses of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Nidānamātṛkā (1 fascicle); the Treatise on the Precious Origin of the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi in one work (5 fascicles); and the Commentary on the Ālambanaparīkṣā (1 fascicle). Then down into the second year of Emperor Ruizong's Jingyun reign era (xinhai, 711 CE), he further translated: the Dhāraṇī-mantra Sūtra Praising the Virtues of the Tathāgata (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of the Dharma Seal Preached by the Buddha to the Sea Dragon King (1 fascicle); the Sūtra of Abbreviated Admonitions (1 fascicle); the Commentary on the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra Treatise in one work (3 fascicles); the Verses of the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra Treatise (1 fascicle); the Nyāyamukha (1 fascicle); the Verses on the Examination of General Characteristics (1 fascicle); the Verses on the Gate of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā (1 fascicle); the Hastavālanāma-prakaraṇa (1 fascicle); the Hymn of One Hundred and Fifty Verses in Praise of the Buddha (1 fascicle); the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Treatise in one work (5 fascicles); and the Pramāṇasamuccaya in one work (4 fascicles). In all, from the first year of the Heavenly Empress's Jiushi reign era (gengzi, 700 CE) to the second year of Emperor Ruizong's Jingyun reign era (xinhai, 711 CE), he translated fifty-six works totaling two hundred and thirty fascicles. The North Indian monk Cintāmaṇi, the Tokharian monk Dharmamarma, and others certified the Sanskrit meaning; the Kapiśa monk Dharmananda, the upasaka and East Indian chieftain Īśvara, and others certified the Sanskrit text; the monk Harimati, [the monk] Uttardeva, the upasaka and Central Indian Li Shijiaduopodo, and others read the Sanskrit originals; the upasaka and East Indian Gautama-vajra, the Kashmiri Prince Ashun, and others certified the translations; the monks Bolun, Fuli, Huibiao, Xuanpan, and others served as scribes; the monks Fabao, Shengzhuang, Shenying, Renliang, Huizhao, Fazang, and others certified the meaning. Li Qiao, Grand Academician of the Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Specially Advanced and Duke of Zhao; Wei Sili, Minister of War and Duke of Xiaoyao; Zhao Yanzhao; Lu Zangyong; Zhang Yue; Li Yi; Su Ting; Xu Jian; and others polished and styled the text. Wei Juyuan, Left Vice-Director and Duke of Shu, and Su Gui, Right Vice-Director and Duke of Xu, supervised the translation. Yang Shenjiao, Commandant-Escort; Prince of the Imperial Clan Yong; Xue Chongyin, Chamberlain for Ceremonials; and others supervised and oversaw the work successively. He also separately composed: A Record of Eminent Monks Who Sought the Dharma in the Western Regions under the Great Tang in one work (2 fascicles); A Record of the Inner Law Sent Home from the Southern Seas under the Great Tang in one work (4 fascicles); Essential Practices for Confessing Transgressions (1 fascicle); Essential Procedures for Receiving and Using the Three Kinds of Water (1 fascicle); and Ritual Protocols for Protecting Life and Releasing Beings (1 fascicle)—amounting to five works in nine fascicles. He also brought forth the vastus of the Sarvāstivāda [Vinaya] (that is, the likes of skandhaka and varga in the various Vinayas; the difference lies merely in the Sanskrit dialect) in roughly seventy to eighty fascicles; having only produced a literal draft without yet having time to prune and edit it, he abruptly entered nirvāṇa, and the text was subsequently set aside. Furthermore, from the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, Yijing extracted various origins and backgrounds to circulate as separate works—such as the Sūtra on the Background of the Makara, totaling forty-two sūtras in forty-nine fascicles. Since these were extracted extracts, they are not counted in the regular tally of translated scriptures (and are now recorded in the Separate Extraction Catalogue of Kaiyuan-Era Buddhist Teachings). Although Yijing translated across all three baskets, he devoted his chief effort to the Vinaya basket. In the leisure left from translating and editing, he gave detailed instruction to his disciples. In all that he did, he prioritized what was urgent; his straining [of water] and cleansing of impurities were distinctively exceptional compared to ordinary standards. His disciples transmitted and practiced these methods throughout the capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. How magnificent! It was indeed a glorious event for the bequeathed Dharma.

1.21

The śramaṇa Bodhiruci, originally named Dharmaruci, which in Chinese means 'Desiring the Dharma'. The Empress changed it to Bodhiruci, which in Chinese means 'Loving Awakening'. A native of South India, of the brāhmaṇa caste, his surname was Kāśyapa. Unsurpassed in intelligence and keen discernment, his bearing was extraordinary. At the age of twelve, he renounced household life under a non-Buddhist teacher. Studying under Parāśara, he mastered the latter's sūtras and arts. Consequently, he thoroughly understood the linguistic sciences (śabdavidyā) and was especially skilled in Sāṃkhya philosophy. Yin-yang, astrology and calendars, geography, astronomy, incantations, and medicine were all familiar to him as the palm of his hand. When he reached sixty, he considered himself peerless; he challenged monks to debates, offering to serve them in person if defeated. At that time, there was a Tripiṭaka master of the Mahāyāna Theravāda tradition named Yaśoghoṣa. Recognizing that his faculties were ripe, he entered into debate with him. Before few points were passed, both his arguments and logic were refuted. Only then did he realize that the brilliance of the Buddha's sun cannot be rivaled by the illumination of a firefly, and that how could a tiny trickle of water match the vast depth of the Dharma ocean? Thereupon, giving his whole life to reverence and service, he dedicated himself to studying the Buddhist vehicle. He observed the precepts without fault, his determination lofty and stern. Exalting wisdom, his understanding and learning were expansive and profound. In less than five years, he thoroughly mastered the Tripiṭaka. Emperor Gaozong heard of his fine reputation from afar and dispatched an envoy to invite him. But before the envoy returned, the Emperor suddenly rode the white clouds [passed away]. When the Empress ascended the throne, he at last set out for the imperial capital. In the second year of Changshou, a guisi year (693), he first arrived at the capital. In that very year, at Foshouji Monastery, he translated the Baoyu jing (Precious Rain Sūtra) in one work (10 fascicles). The Central Indian royal envoy, the śramaṇa Brahma, co-proclaimed the Sanskrit text. Furthermore, at Da Zhou Dong Monastery and Foshouji Monastery, he translated: the Wenshushili suoshuo busiyi fo jingjie jing (1 work, 2 fascicles), the Shixiang boreboluomi jing (1 fascicle), the Dacheng jingang jizhu pusa xiuxing fen (1 fascicle), the Dacheng Jiayashan ding jing (1 fascicle), the Liuzi shenzhou jing (1 fascicle), the Huming famen shenzhou jing (1 fascicle), the Youdenü suowen dacheng jing (1 fascicle), the Boreboluomiduo na jing (1 fascicle), the Miaohui tongnü suowen jing (1 fascicle), the Bukong juansuo zhouxin jing (1 fascicle), the Miaode poluomennü wen fo zhuan he falun jing (1 fascicle), the Zhimeng zhangzhe wen jing (1 fascicle), the Fo ru Piyeli chu yiqie guibing jing (1 fascicle), the Naye jing (1 fascicle), the Da tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle), the Wenshushili zhoufazang jing (1 fascicle), the Yizi zhouwang jing (1 fascicle), the Wujialüeye pusa zao guangda moni mimi shanzhu jing (1 fascicle), and the Shi bore liuzi sanju lun (1 fascicle). The above twenty works comprise thirty fascicles. The śramaṇa Xinggan and others assisted in the translation; the śramaṇa Zhantuopo and the brāhmaṇa Li Wuchan served as interpreters; the śramaṇa Huizhi certified the interpreted language; the śramaṇa Chuyi and others served as scribes; the śramaṇa Sixuan and others edited the text; the śramaṇas Yuance, Shenying, and others certified the meaning; and the vice director of the Court of Dependencies Sun Bi supervised the translation. Later, in the second year of Shenlong of Emperor Zhongzong's accession, a bingwu year (706), he accompanied the imperial entourage back to the capital. An imperial decree ordered him to reside at West Chongfu Monastery to translate the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra in one work (120 fascicles). This sūtra contains forty-nine assemblies in all (among which twenty-six assemblies, comprising thirty-nine fascicles, were newly translated by Bodhiruci; the remainder were older sūtras collated and incorporated). Translators of previous ages had extracted individual assemblies and translated them separately without completing the entire collection. Formerly, in the first year of Linde (664), after the Dharma master Xuanzang finished translating the Mahāprajñāpāramitā at Yuhua Monastery, the venerable ones earnestly requested him to translate the Ratnakūṭa. Pressed incessantly, he opened the folios to translate it. Having managed only a few lines, he sighed and said: 'This sūtra lacks karmic affinity with the living beings of this land. My energy is failing; I cannot accomplish it.' Thereupon he stopped. Emperor Zhongzong ordered Bodhiruci to continue Xuanzang's unfinished task. He then examined the previously translated sūtras and collated the newly arrived folios. Where translations of previous eras matched, they were retained; what had never been produced before was translated fully according to the manuscripts. Moreover, where the older readings were obscure or confused, the texts were carefully examined and retranslated. Not until the second year of Xiantian under Emperor Ruizong, a guichou year (713), was the translation seat at last concluded. On the day the title was first opened in the Foguang Hall of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Zhongzong personally presided over the Dharma assembly and took down the meaning of the scripture with his own brush, while the hundred officials attended in session and the empress and consorts observed together. In seeking such deeds among the ancients, nothing could surpass it. When Ruizong succeeded to the throne, he again opened assembly sections in the White Lotus Pavilion of the North Park and the Ganlu and other halls of the Imperial Palace, also taking down the text with his own brush. The śramaṇa Sizhong, the Eastern Indian great chieftain Iśvara, and the Imperial Secretariat Drafter Duxuoju and others translated the Sanskrit text. The North Indian śramaṇa Dharma and the South Indian śramaṇa Prajñāgupta certified the Sanskrit meaning. The śramaṇas Huijue, Zongyi, Pujing, Lüfang, and others served as scribes. The śramaṇas Shengzhuang, Fazang, Chenwai, Wuzhuo, and others certified the meaning. The śramaṇas Chengli, Shenjian, Yunguan, Daoben, and others arranged the text. Xu Jian, Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince and Duke of Donghai Commandery; Lu Can, Preceptor of the Prince of Bin and Count of Gu'an; Lu Cangyong, Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and Baron of Donghai; Su Ting, Imperial Secretariat Drafter and Baron of Yewang; Peng Jing, Director of the Ministry of Rites; Wang Han, Rectifier of Omissions on the Left and Baron of Qi County; Yan Wenzhi, Assistant Director of the Court of the National Granaries; and He Zhizhang, Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, polished the literary style. Lu Xiangxian, Vice Director of the Secretariat and Marquis of Pingyu, and Wei Zhigu, Director of the Chancellery and Duke of Julu, supervised the translation. Xue Chongyin, former Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and Yang Zhongsi, Gentleman of the Department of Intercourse and Baron of Hongnong, supervised and guarded. When the transcription was complete, the text was presented to the inner palace. Ruling the myriad realms without and honoring the Three Jewels within, Ruizong personally brushed a preface and had it inscribed at the head of the sūtra. During this period, he also translated: the Bukong juansuo shenbian zhenyan jing in one work (30 fascicles), the Yizi foding lunwang jing in one work (5 fascicles), the Guangda baolouge shanzhu mimi tuoluoni jing in one work (3 fascicles), the Qianshou qianyan guanshiyin pusa mu tuoluoni shen jing (1 fascicle), the Ruyilun tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle), the Wenshushili baozang tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle), and the Jingang guangyan zhi fengyu tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle). For the above seven works, his disciple Prajñāgupta assisted in proclaiming the Sanskrit texts, and the śramaṇa Yunguan and others served as scribes. Altogether, before and after, he translated twenty-eight works in one hundred and ninety-two fascicles.

1.22

The śramaṇa Paramiti, which in Chinese means 'Utmost Measure', was a native of Central India. Cherishing the Way, he surveyed the regions, delivering beings according to conditions. Journeying and teaching from place to place, he reached our Cīna (custom in India calls Guangzhou 'Cīna' and the imperial capital 'Mahācīna'). He then resided at the Zhizhi Bodhimaṇḍa in Guangzhou. Knowing his extensive erudition, the assembly offered many requests. With the intention of benefiting living beings, he unfolded these esoteric depths. On the twenty-third day, xinchou, of the fifth month, whose new moon was yimao, in the first year of Shenlong, a longji yisi year (705), he recited from the Abhiṣeka Section a chapter entitled Da foding rulai miyin xiuzheng liaoyi zhu pusa wanxing shoulengyan jing (Śūraṅgama-sūtra) in one work (10 fascicles). The śramaṇa Meghaśikha of Oḍḍiyāna (śikha is slightly corrupted as shijia; properly it should be shuoxie, which means 'Cloud Peak') served as interpreter. Fang Rong of Qinghe, Disciple of the Bodhisattva Precepts, former Grand Counselor of the Remonstrance, and Concurrent Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery, served as scribe. The śramaṇa Huaidi of Nanlou Monastery on Mount Luofu in Xunzhou certified the translation. After completing the transmission of this scripture, the monk took ship and returned to the west. Taking advantage of an envoy going south, [the text] was circulated here.

1.23

The śramaṇa Shi Zhiyan was a hostage prince of Khotan, surnamed Yuchi and named Le (pronounced luo/ge). Under the Tang, he was granted the title of Senior General of the Left Militant Guard and enfeoffed as Duke of Jinman Commandery. By nature pure and plain, he held firm faith in his heart. He resolutely requested permission to become a monk, hoping to repay the profound grace. On the fifth day of the eleventh month in the first year of Jinglong (707), Emperor Zhongzong's birthday, he renounced the household life and shaved his hair. He continued to reside in the hermitage of Zhixiang Monastery on the Southern Mountains to practice the Way. Thus emptying his mind and stilling his thoughts, he sat in peaceful meditation and practiced walking meditation, keeping ascetic diligence in his heart and accumulating mindfulness in seclusion. In addition, with his thorough understanding of Chinese and Sanskrit and his wisdom illuminating subtle obscurities, he was repeatedly honored with imperial decrees regarding the true teachings of the Ratnakūṭa and the esoteric verses of the Tathāgata, participating in their translation and collation for a long time; and frequently receiving imperial commands, he was also ordered to certify the translations. He regularly dwelt in a hermitage in Shibie Ravine, practicing the dhūta austerities. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan, a xinyou year (721), at the Shibie Hermitage and Feng'en Monastery, he translated: the Shuo miaofa jueding yezhang jing (1 fascicle), the Chusheng wubianmen tuoluoni jing (1 fascicle), the Shizi Sutuosuo wang duanrou jing (1 fascicle), and the Dacheng xiuxing pusa xingmen zhujing yaoji in one work (3 fascicles).

1.24

In all, there were four works comprising six fascicles. In both literary refinement and substance, they captured the deep purport. He also translated the Zunsheng tuoluoni zhou (one incantation) and the incantations of Bhaiṣajyarāja Bodhisattva and others from the Lotus Sūtra (six incantations). At times, manuscripts have incorporated these newly translated incantations; please do not take it as strange.

1.25

The śramaṇa Śubhakarasiṃha, properly translated into Tang sounds as 'Pure Lion', and rendered by its meaning as Shanwuwei ('Good Fearless'). A native of Magadha in Central India, he resided at Nālandā Monastery in Rājagṛha. Of kṣatriya caste and noble birth, he renounced household life; his spirit was serene and clear, and his achievements in the Way were vast and illustrious. He thoroughly mastered dhyāna and wisdom, and was wonderfully adept in dhāraṇīs. He wholeheartedly penetrated the teachings of the Tripiṭaka. Across the kingdoms of the Five Indias, his fragrant reputation had long spread. With great compassion to benefit living beings, and possessing affinities to move gradually eastward, he traveled to the borders of North India, where his renown resounded in Mahācīna. Our Emperor, gathering worthy and good men, dispatched envoys to welcome him. In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, a bingchen year (716), carrying a large number of Sanskrit texts, he arrived in Chang'an. At first, he was accommodated in the South Cloister of Xingfu Monastery; later, an imperial decree ordered him to reside at Ximing Monastery. In the fifth year, a dingsi year (717), at the Bodhi Cloister, he translated the Xukongzang pusa nengman zhu yuan zuisheng xin tuoluoni qiuwenchi fa (1 fascicle). The śramaṇa Siddhā served as interpreter, and the śramaṇa Wuzhuo edited the text and served as scribe. By imperial decree, the Sanskrit texts that Shanwuwei brought were all ordered to be submitted to the inner palace; for this reason, he was not able to translate scriptures extensively. In former times, the śramaṇa Wuxing journeyed west to India; after completing his studies, he set out to return east, but upon reaching North India, he unfortunately passed away. By imperial decree, the Sanskrit texts he had gathered were welcomed back, and recently they had been kept at Huayan Monastery in the Western Capital. There Shanwuwei and the śramaṇa Yixing selected several Sanskrit scriptures, all subtle gateways of dhāraṇī that had never been translated before. In the twelfth year (724), he accompanied the imperial cortege to Luoyang and was accommodated at Dafuxian Monastery. Thereupon, for the sake of the śramaṇa Yixing, he translated the Mahāvairocanābhisaṃbodhi-vikurvitādhiṣṭhāna-sūtra in one work (7 fascicles). In its full Sanskrit text, this scripture comprises one hundred thousand verses; the present translation merely extracts its essentials. He also translated the Subāhuparipṛcchā in one work (3 fascicles) and the Susiddhikara-sūtra in one work (3 fascicles). The śramaṇa Baoyue served as interpreter, and the śramaṇa Yixing took down the text, received the purport, and both abridged and edited the expressions and principles. Blending literary style and substance equally, it wonderfully harmonized with the deep purport. Before and after, he produced four works in fourteen fascicles in all. By nature, Shanwuwei loved quiet simplicity, calming his thoughts to cheer his spirit; from time to time, he opened dhyāna contemplation to instruct and encourage beginners. Generating compassion, he guided and received others without neglect. Whenever someone asked about doubts, he analyzed them without hindrance.

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續古今譯經圖紀 — Classical Chinese