開元釋教錄 13.18

13.18

傳記錄者。佛圓寂後聖賢弟子之所撰集。雖非三藏正典。然亦助揚玄化。於此之中總為五類。一讚揚佛德。二明法真理。三述僧行軌。四摧邪護法。五外宗異執。讚佛德者。所行讚傳釋迦譜等也。明法理者。修行道地經經律異相等也。述僧行者。龍樹馬鳴法顯玄奘等傳也。摧邪護法者。辯正弘明。破邪辯惑論等也。外宗異計者。數勝二論是也。以類科分莫過此五。五中所辯通大小乘。又於此中更開二例。梵本翻譯者居先。此土傳揚者於後。庶東西不雜。覽者除疑焉。

Regarding biographical accounts and records: they were compiled by sage and worthy disciples after the Buddha entered parinirvāṇa. Although they are not canonical scriptures of the tripiṭaka proper, they nevertheless assist in propagating the profound transformation. Among these, there are five general categories: first, praising the Buddha's virtues; second, elucidating the true principle of the Dharma; third, describing the exemplary conduct and rules of the Saṅgha; fourth, vanquishing heterodoxy and protecting the Dharma; fifth, non-Buddhist tenets and divergent doctrines. Those that praise the Buddha's virtues are such works as the [Buddhacarita-]kāvya, [Buddhacarita-]avadāna, and the Shijia pu. Those that elucidate the principle of the Dharma are such works as the Xiuxing daodi jing and the Jinglü yixiang. Those that describe the conduct of the Saṅgha are the biographies of Nāgārjuna, Aśvaghoṣa, Faxian, Xuanzang, and others. Those that vanquish heterodoxy and protect the Dharma are such works as the Bianzheng lun, the Hongming ji, the Poxie lun, and the Bianhuo lun. Those of non-Buddhist tenets and divergent doctrines are the two śāstras of Sāṃkhya and Vaiśeṣika. Classifying them by category, they do not exceed these five. What is expounded among the five categories applies to both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. Furthermore, within these, two additional subcategories are distinguished: those translated from Sanskrit originals come first, while those composed and propagated in this land follow after, so that east and west are not confused, and readers may resolve their doubts.