開元釋教錄 7.11.4

7.11.4

誠從道尤甚由來。既處京華漸通隋語。名聞
稍遠時輩所欽。被詔延入後園共論佛法。殊
禮別供充諸禁中。思欲通法無由自展具情
上啟。即蒙別勅為造四天王寺聽在居住。自
茲已後乃翻新經及接先闕。既非弘泰羈縻
而已。會譙王宇文儉鎮蜀復請同行於彼。三
年恒任益州僧主住龍淵寺。建德隳運像教
不弘。五眾一期同斯俗服。武帝下勅追入京
輦。重加爵祿逼從儒禮。秉操鏗然守死無懼。
帝愍其貞亮哀而放歸。路出甘州北由突厥。
遇值中面他鉢可汗慇重請留。因往復曰。周
有成壞勞師去還。此無廢興幸安意住。資給
供養當使稱心。遂爾併停十有餘載。闍梨
智賢還西滅度。未久之間和上遷化。隻影孤
寄莫知所安。賴以北狄君民頗弘福利。因斯
飄寓隨方利物。有齊僧寶暹道邃智周僧威
法寶僧曇智照僧律等十人。以武平六年相
結同行採經西域。往返七載將事東歸。凡獲
梵本二百六十部迴至突厥。聞周滅齊併毀
佛法。退則不可進無所歸。遷延彼間遂逢至
德。如渴值飲若暗遇明。因與同居講道相
翫。所齎新經仍共尋閱請翻名題。勘舊錄目
轉覺巧便有異前人。律等內誠各私慶幸。獲
寶遇匠得不虛行。同誓焚香共契宣布。大隋
受禪佛法即興。暹等齎經先來應運。開皇元
年季冬屆止。勅付所司訪人令譯。二年仲春
便就傳述。季夏詔曰。殷之五遷恐民盡死。是
則以吉凶之土制長短之命。謀新去故如農
望秋。龍首之山川原秀麗卉木滋阜。宜建都
邑定鼎之基。永固無窮之業。在茲可域。城曰
大興城。殿曰大興殿。門曰大興門。縣曰大
興縣。園苑池沼其號並同。寺曰大興善也。於
此寺中傳度法本。于時崛多仍住北狄。至開
皇四年大興善寺沙門曇延等三十餘人。以
躬當翻譯音義乖越。承崛多在北乃奏請還
京。帝乃別勅追延。崛多西歸已絕流滯十
年。深思明世重遇三寶。忽蒙遠訪欣願交并。
即與使乎同來入國。于時文帝巡幸洛陽於
彼奉謁。天子大悅賜問頻仍。未還京闕尋勅
敷譯。新至梵本眾部彌多。或經或書且內且
外。諸有翻傳必以崛多為主。僉以崛多言識
異方字曉殊俗。故得宣辯自運不勞傳度。理
會義門句圓詞體。文意粗定銓本便成。筆受
之徒不費其力。試比先達抑亦繼之。五年勅
令崛多。共婆羅門沙門若那竭多。開府高恭。
息都督天奴。和仁及婆羅門毘舍達等道俗
六人。令於內史內省翻梵古書及乾文等。于
時廣濟寺唯獨耶舍一人譯經。別勅崛多使
兼翻經。兩頭來往到十二年。翻書訖了合得
二百餘卷進畢。爾時耶舍先已終亡。仍勅崛
多專主翻譯。移法席就大興善寺。更召婆羅
門沙門達摩笈多。并勅高天奴高和仁兄弟
等同傳梵語。又增置十大德沙門僧休法粲
法經慧藏洪遵慧遠法纂僧暉明穆曇遷等。
監掌翻事銓定宗旨。沙門明穆彥琮重對梵
本再審覆勘整理文義。崛多曾傳。于填東
南二千餘里有遮拘迦國。彼王純信敬重大
乘。宮中自有摩訶般若大集華嚴三部大經。
並十萬偈。王躬受持親執鎖鑰。轉讀則開香
華供養。又道場內種種莊嚴。誘諸小王令入
禮拜。此國東南二十餘里山甚巖險。有深淨
窟置大集華嚴方等寶積楞伽方廣舍利弗華
聚二陀羅尼都薩羅藏摩訶般若八部般若大
雲經等凡十二部。咸十萬偈。國法相傳防
衛守護。又有入滅定羅漢三人窟中禪寂。每
至月半諸僧就山為其淨髮。此則人法住持
有生之所憑賴。崛多道性純厚神志剛正。愛
德無厭求法不懈。博聞三藏遠究真宗。遍學
五明兼閑世論。經行得道場之趣。總持通神
呪之理。三衣一食終固其誠。仁濟弘誘非關
勸請。勤誦佛經老而彌篤。強識先古久而逾
詣。士庶欽重道俗崇敬。隋滕王遵仰戒範奉
以為師。因事塵染流擯東越。又在甌閩道聲
載洽。身心兩救為益極多。至開皇二十年便
從物故。春秋七十有八（准添品法華序。仁壽元年辛酉崛多笈多二法師於

His devotion to the Dao was exceptionally profound from early on. Once residing in the capital, he gradually mastered the language of the Sui. As his reputation spread farther, contemporaries held him in high esteem. He was summoned by imperial edict into the rear garden to discuss the Buddha-Dharma together [with the emperor], and extraordinary rites and special provisions were supplied to him within the forbidden palace. Yearning to propagate the Dharma, yet having no way to carry it out on his own, he submitted a full petition detailing his circumstances. Thereupon he received a special imperial decree ordering the construction of the Sitianwang Temple for him and granting him permission to reside there. From then on, he translated new sūtras and filled in previous gaps. But as this was not an era of vast flourishing, it was merely an initial footing. At that time, Yuwen Jian, Prince of Qiao, was garrisoning Shu and again invited him to travel together thither. For three years he continuously served as the leader of the Sangha in Yizhou, residing at Longyuan Temple. In the Jiande era, the state's fortunes fell into ruin and the image-teachings were suppressed; the five assemblies [of the Sangha] were all forced to adopt secular dress in that period. Emperor Wu issued an imperial edict summoning him back to the capital, lavishing him with titles and stipends to force him into compliance with Confucian rites. Resolute and unyielding in holding fast to his discipline, he stood firm unto death without fear. The emperor, pitying his integrity and uprightness, mercifully released him to return. His path led through Ganzhou and northward through the Tujue (Turks). He met face-to-face with Taspar Qaghan, who earnestly and respectfully invited him to remain, repeatedly saying: 'The Zhou has its rise and fall, causing you, master, the toil of coming and going. Here there is no abolition or flourishing; please remain at ease. Supplies and offerings will certainly be provided to your satisfaction.' Thereupon he stayed together with them for more than ten years. His ācārya Zhixian returned to the west and passed away into nirvāṇa; not long after, his upādhyāya also departed this life. A solitary shadow living in exile, he knew not where to settle, relying only on the northern barbarians' ruler and people to widely promote blessings and merit. Following this wandering sojourn, he benefited living beings according to circumstances. Ten monks of the Qi—Baoxian, Daosui, Zhizhou, Sengwei, Fabao, Sengtan, Zhizhao, Senglü, and others—joined together in the sixth year of Wuping to travel to the Western Regions in search of sūtras. After seven years of travel back and forth, they were on the verge of returning eastward, having obtained a total of 260 Sanskrit manuscripts. When they reached the Tujue, they heard that the Zhou had destroyed the Qi and had entirely eradicated the Buddha-Dharma. Retreat was impossible, and advancing left them with nowhere to turn. Languishing there, they eventually met this person of supreme virtue, like the parched finding a drink or those in darkness encountering light. Thereupon they lived together, discussing the Dao and delighting in one another's company. They examined the new sūtras that had been brought along and requested him to translate the titles. Comparing them with older catalogues, they increasingly perceived his skill and proficiency, which surpassed those of earlier translators. Senglü and the others secretly rejoiced in their hearts that, having obtained the treasures and met the master, their journey had not been in vain. Together they took an oath, burning incense and pledging to disseminate the texts. When the Great Sui received the abdication, the Buddha-Dharma immediately revived. Baoxian and the others, carrying the sūtras, arrived first in response to the changing times, reaching [the capital] in the last month of winter in the first year of Kaihuang. An imperial decree committed [the texts] to the competent office to seek out translators to render them; by the middle month of spring in the second year, translation had commenced. In the last month of summer, an edict declared: 'When the Yin moved its capital five times, it was feared that the people would perish; this was because auspicious or inauspicious lands determine the length of life. Planning for the new and discarding the old is like a farmer looking forward to autumn. The mountains and river plains of Longshou are exquisite and graceful, with lush vegetation; it is fitting to establish our capital here, laying the foundation of the state's ding tripods and securing an enterprise of endless permanence. Within this territory, the city shall be called Daxing City, the hall called Daxing Hall, the gate called Daxing Gate, and the county called Daxing County; the parklands, ponds, and marshes shall all share this name. The temple shall be called Daxingshan.' In this temple, the Dharma texts were translated. At that time, [Jñānagupta] was still dwelling among the northern barbarians. In the fourth year of Kaihuang, the śramaṇa Danyen and more than thirty others from Daxingshan Temple, being personally engaged in translation and finding that sounds and meanings were falling into confusion, heard that Jñānagupta was in the north and memorialized the throne requesting his return to the capital. The emperor then issued a special imperial decree summoning him. Jñānagupta had been cut off from his western homeland and detained in exile for ten years, deeply longing for an enlightened era to encounter the Three Jewels once again. Suddenly receiving an inquiry from afar, joy and vows mingled within him. He immediately returned into the realm alongside the envoys. At that time, Emperor Wen was on an imperial tour to Luoyang, where [Jñānagupta] was granted an audience. The Son of Heaven was greatly pleased, bestowing frequent favors and inquiries. Before returning to the capital, an imperial decree soon ordered him to undertake translation. The newly arrived Sanskrit manuscripts of various works were exceedingly numerous, consisting of sūtras and treatises, both inner and secular. In all translation activities, Jñānagupta was inevitably made the chief. All agreed that Jñānagupta understood the speech of different lands and was versed in the scripts of foreign customs; thus, he was able to expound fluently by himself without the need for intermediaries. His phrasing agreed with the principles and doctrinal points, and his sentences formed a rounded literary style; once the rough meaning of the text was established, the translation draft was promptly completed, without exhausting the brush-recorders. When compared to the predecessors of old, he was truly their successor. In the fifth year, an imperial decree ordered Jñānagupta, together with the Brāhmaṇa śramaṇa *Jñānagupta, Kaifu Gao Gong, his son the Governor Tiannu, Gao Heren, the Brāhmaṇa Viśākhadatta, and others—six in all, both clergy and laity—to translate ancient Sanskrit books and celestial writings in the Inner Secretariat and the Palace Secretariat. At that time, Yaśas alone was translating sūtras at Guangji Temple. A separate edict ordered Jñānagupta to take on translation of the sūtras concurrently. Traveling back and forth between the two locations until the twelfth year, he completed the translation of the secular books, amounting to over two hundred fascicles in total, which were then submitted to the throne. By that time, Yaśas had already passed away; hence, an imperial decree instructed Jñānagupta to assume primary charge of translation, moving the translation site to Daxingshan Temple. The Brāhmaṇa śramaṇa Dharmagupta was summoned, and Gao Tiannu, Gao Heren, and other brothers were ordered to assist together in translating the Sanskrit language. Furthermore, ten great-virtue śramaṇas—Sengxiu, Facan, Fajing, Huizang, Hongzun, Huiyuan, Fazuan, Senghui, Mingmu, and Tanyan—were appointed to supervise and manage the translation affairs and determine the doctrinal tenets. The śramaṇas Mingmu and Yancong checked the text against the Sanskrit manuscripts, rigorously reviewing and collating it to correct phrasing and doctrine. Jñānagupta once recounted: 'More than two thousand li southeast of Khotan, there is the kingdom of Cakuka. Its king is pure in faith and reveres the Mahāyāna. In his palace are preserved three great sūtras: the Mahāprajñā, the Mahāsaṃnipāta, and the Avataṃsaka, all comprising one hundred thousand verses. The king personally maintains them and holds the lock and key himself. When they are to be recited, they are opened with offerings of incense and flowers. Moreover, the sanctuary is adorned in diverse ways, leading minor kings to enter and pay homage. More than twenty li southeast of this kingdom, the mountains are rugged and precipitous; there is a deep, pure cavern in which are kept the Mahāsaṃnipāta, Avataṃsaka, Vaipulya-ratnakūṭa, Laṅkāvatāra, Vaipulya-śāriputra, two Dhāraṇī-ratnasaṃcaya, the Duṣṭarasaṃgraha, the Mahāprajñā, and the eight Prajñā sūtras, the Mahāmegha Sūtra, and others—twelve works in all, each comprising one hundred thousand verses. According to state custom, they are guarded and protected from generation to generation. Furthermore, three arhats who entered the cessation samādhi reside in meditation within the cave; on the fifteenth of every month, monks go up the mountain to shave their hair. Thus, the human and textual preservation of the Dharma serves as a refuge for living beings.' Jñānagupta's religious character was pure and earnest, his mind upright and resolute. He loved virtue insatiably and sought the Dharma unflaggingly. Broadly learned in the Tripiṭaka, he investigated the ultimate truth profoundly; having mastered the five sciences, he was also versed in secular treatises. His walking meditation captured the delight of the bodhimanda; his dhāraṇī penetrated the principles of spiritual mantras. Wearing the three robes and eating one meal a day, he remained faithful to his sincere vow throughout his life. His benevolent deliverance and broad guidance did not depend on entreaties. Diligent in chanting Buddhist scriptures, he grew more devoted with age; his strong memory of ancient times became all the more keen over time. Officials and commoners admired him; clergy and laity venerated him. Prince Teng of the Sui revered his monastic standards and took him as a teacher. Due to entanglement in secular affairs, [the prince] was exiled to Dongyue, and while there in Ou and Min, [Jñānagupta's] religious renown was widely celebrated; saving both bodies and minds, he brought tremendous benefit. In the twentieth year of Kaihuang, he passed away at the age of seventy-eight. (According to the preface of the Tianpin Fahua jing, in the xinyou year, the first year of Renshou, the two Dharma masters [Jñāna]gupta and [Dharma]gupta at