續古今譯經圖紀 1.20

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.