開元釋教錄 8.6.8

8.6.8

像。刻檀佛像一軀通光座高二尺九寸。擬
劫比他國如來自天宮下降寶階像。銀佛像
一軀通光座高四尺。擬摩揭陀國鷲峯山說
法華等經像。金佛像一軀通光座高三尺五
寸。擬那揭羅曷國伏毒龍所留影像。刻檀
佛像一軀通光座高尺有三寸。擬吠舍釐國
巡城行化像。大乘經二百二十四部。大乘論
一百九十二部。上座部經律論一十四部。大
眾部經律論一十五部。三彌底部經律論一
十五部。彌沙塞部經律論二十二部。迦葉
臂耶部經律論一十七部。法密部經律論四
十二部。說一切有部經律論六十七部。因論
三十六部。聲論一十三部。凡五百二十夾六
百五十七部。並載之巨象還返帝城。初奘既
度葱嶺。先遣侍人齎表陳露違國化也。下勅
流問。令早相見。行達于遁以象致死所齎經
像交無運致。又上表請。尋下別勅令于遁王
給其鞍乘。既奉嚴勅駝馬相運至于沙州。又
蒙別勅計其行程酬雇價直並不受而還。自
爾乘傳二十許乘。以貞觀十九年正月二十
四日屆于京郊之西。道俗相趨屯赴闐𨶮數
十萬眾。如值下生。將欲入都人物諠擁取進
不前遂停別館。通夕禁衛候備遮斷停駐道
旁。從故城之西南至京師朱雀街之都亭驛
二十餘里。列眾禮謁動不得旋。于時駕幸洛
陽。奘乃留諸經像送弘福寺。京邑僧眾競列
幢帳助運莊嚴。四部諠譁又倍初至。當斯時
也復感瑞雲現于日北團圓如蓋。紅白相映
當于像上。顯發輪光既非遶日。同共嗟仰從
午至晡。像入弘福寺方始歇滅。致使京都五
日四民廢業七眾歸承。當此一期仰之彌高
終古罕類也。謁帝於洛陽宮見于儀鸞殿。特
蒙慰問面奉天顏。談敘真俗無爽帝旨。從
卯至酉不覺時延迄于閉鼓。上即事戎旃問
罪遼左。明旦將發下勅同行。固辭疾苦不違
其請。先是中印度菩提寺僧三人送經初至。
下勅普請京城設齋。仍於弘福寺譯大華嚴
等經。不久之間奘信又至。乃勅且停待到方
譯。既見洛宮深沃虛想。即陳翻譯搜擢賢明。
上曰。法師唐梵具瞻詞理通敏。將恐徒揚
仄陋終虧聖典。奘曰。昔二秦之譯門徒三千。
雖復翻傳猶恐後代無聞懷疑乖信。若不搜
舉同奉玄規。豈以褊能妄參朝委。頻又固請
乃蒙降許。帝曰。自師去後朕奉為穆太后。
於西京造弘福寺。可就翻譯。所須人物吏力
並與玄齡商量務令優給。既承明命返迹京
師。遂召證義大德諳解大小乘經論為時輩
所推者一十一人至。即京弘福寺沙門靈閏。
沙門文備。羅漢寺沙門慧貴。實際寺沙門
明琰。寶昌寺沙門法祥。靜法寺沙門普賢。法
海寺沙門神昉。廓州法講寺沙門道深。汴州
演覺寺沙門玄忠。蒲州普救寺沙門神泰。綿
州振響寺沙門敬明等。綴文大德九人至。即
京普光寺沙門拪玄。弘福寺沙門明濬。會昌
寺沙門辯機。終南山豐德寺沙門道宣。簡州
福聚寺沙門靖邁。蒲州普救寺沙門行友。棲
巖寺沙門道卓。豳州昭仁寺沙門慧立。洛
州天宮寺沙門玄則等。字學大德一人至。
即京大總持寺沙門玄應。證梵語梵文大德
一人至。即京大興善寺沙門玄謨。其年五月
方操貝葉開演梵文。創譯大菩薩藏經。沙門
道宣執筆并刪綴詞理。又復旁翻佛地經六
門陀羅尼經顯揚聖教論。二十年春正月又
譯大乘阿毘達磨雜集論。次譯瑜伽師地論。
法師於論重加陶練。微有餘隙又出西域記
十二卷。沙門辯機親受時事連比前後。自前
代已來所譯經教。初從梵語倒寫本文。次
乃迴之順同此俗。然後筆人亂理文句。中間
增損多墜金言。今所翻傳都由奘旨。意思獨
斷出語成章。詞人隨寫即可披翫。于時駕返
西京。奘乃進新譯經論并大唐西域記。表請
題序。手勅答書。略云。朕學淺心拙在物猶
迷。況佛教幽微豈能仰測。請為經題非己所
聞。其新撰西域記者當自披覽。又再三表請
方蒙允許。遂謂駙馬都尉高履行曰。卿前請
朕為父作碑。今氣力不如昔。願作功德為法

statues: a carved sandalwood Buddha statue, two feet nine inches high including halo and pedestal, modeled on the image of the Tathāgata descending the jeweled staircase from the heavenly palace in Kapiśā; a silver Buddha statue, four feet high including halo and pedestal, modeled on the image of [the Buddha] preaching the Lotus and other sūtras on Gṛdhrakūṭa in Magadha; a golden Buddha statue, three feet five inches high including halo and pedestal, modeled on the shadow left behind upon subduing the toxic dragon in Nagarahāra; a carved sandalwood Buddha statue, one foot three inches high including halo and pedestal, modeled on the image of [the Buddha] going about the city converting [beings] in Vaiśālī; two hundred and twenty-four works of Mahāyāna sūtras; one hundred and ninety-two works of Mahāyāna śāstras; fourteen works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Sthaviranikāya; fifteen works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Mahāsāṃghika; fifteen works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Saṃmitīya; twenty-two works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Mahīśāsaka; seventeen works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Kāśyapīya; forty-two works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Dharmaguptaka; sixty-seven works of sūtras, vinaya, and śāstras of the Sarvāstivāda; thirty-six works of treatises on logic (hetuvidyā); and thirteen works of treatises on grammar (śabdavidyā). In total, there were five hundred and twenty bundles comprising six hundred and fifty-seven works. All were loaded onto great elephants to return to the imperial capital. Earlier, when Xuanzang had already crossed the Pamir Mountains (Congling), he first dispatched an attendant carrying a memorial to disclose and make clean his departure against the country's laws. An imperial decree was issued warmly inquiring after him and ordering an early audience. When he reached Khotan (Yutian), because the elephant died and the carried scriptures and statues could not be transported, he submitted another memorial requesting aid. Soon a separate imperial decree was issued ordering the King of Khotan to provide him with mounts and pack animals. Having received the strict decree, camels and horses were transported in succession until they reached Shazhou. He also received a separate decree calculating his travel expenses to remunerate him, but he declined it all and returned it. From then on, he rode official relays of some twenty carriages, and on the twenty-fourth day of the first month in the nineteenth year of Zhenguan, he arrived at the western suburbs of the capital. Clergy and laity rushed and thronged thither, several hundreds of thousands of people, as if encountering the descent of Maitreya into the world. As they were about to enter the capital, the crowd was so tumultuous and pressed so densely forward that they could not advance, so they stayed at an official lodge. Through the night, guards kept watch and cordoned off [the area], stationing themselves alongside the road. From the southwest of the old city to the Duting Relay Station on Zhuque Street in the capital, over twenty li, the lined-up crowd bowed and paid reverence, unable to turn around. At that time, the imperial cortege had traveled to Luoyang. Xuanzang then left the scriptures and images behind and sent them to Hongfu Temple. The saṃgha of the capital vied in arranging banners and canopies to assist in conveying and adorning them. The clamor of the fourfold assembly was double that of his first arrival. At this time, auspicious clouds were further moved to appear north of the sun, round like a parasol, intermingling red and white directly above the statues. Radiating wheel-shaped rays of light, they were not encircling the sun. Everyone together sighed in admiration from noon until late afternoon; only when the statues entered Hongfu Temple did it begin to subside. This caused the four classes of people in the capital to suspend their occupations for five days, and the seven assemblies to pay refuge and respect. At this juncture, the reverence was supreme, rarely equaled throughout history. [Xuanzang] had an audience with the Emperor at the palace in Luoyang, being received in the Yiluan Hall. He was granted special consolations and directly beheld the heavenly countenance. Conversing on the ultimate and the conventional, nothing ran contrary to the Emperor's intent. From morning until evening, unaware of the passing of time, it lasted until the night drums sounded. The Emperor was occupied with military affairs to punish the crimes in the region east of the Liao River; on the following morning he was to depart, and he issued a decree commanding [Xuanzang] to accompany him. [Xuanzang] firmly declined on grounds of illness, and [the Emperor] did not overrule his request. Prior to this, three monks from the Bodhi Temple in Central India had first arrived delivering scriptures. An imperial decree had ordered a general invitation to host a vegetarian feast in the capital and furthermore to translate the *Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra* and others at Hongfu Temple. Before long, news of Xuanzang's arrival came again, so an imperial order was given to suspend [the translation] for the time being, waiting until he arrived before translating. Having met at the Luoyang palace and deeply fulfilled expectations, Xuanzang immediately set forth [the plan for] translation and the recruitment of worthy and brilliant [scholars]. The Emperor said: 'Master, you are proficient in both Chinese and Sanskrit, and articulate in language and principle. I fear that simply promoting those of meager talents would ultimately do a disservice to the sacred scriptures.' Xuanzang said: 'In the past, during the translations of the two Qin dynasties, there were three thousand disciples. Although they translated and transmitted, they still feared that later generations would lack knowledge and hold doubts contrary to faith. If we do not recruit and select [talents] to uphold the profound standards together, how could I, with my narrow abilities, presumptuously take charge of the court's commission?' Repeatedly and firmly requesting it, he was granted permission. The Emperor said: 'Since your departure, Venerable Master, I have built Hongfu Temple in the Western Capital on behalf of the late Empress Dowager Mu. You may proceed there to translate. The required personnel, scribes, and manual laborers may all be discussed with Fang Xuanling, making sure they are provided abundantly.' Having received the imperial command, he returned to the capital. Thereupon, eleven Great Virtues who certify meaning, who thoroughly understood the sūtras and śāstras of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna and were esteemed by their peers, were summoned and arrived: Śramaṇa Lingrun and Śramaṇa Wenbei of Hongfu Temple in the capital; Śramaṇa Huigui of Luohan Temple; Śramaṇa Mingyan of Shiji Temple; Śramaṇa Faxiang of Baochang Temple; Śramaṇa Puxian of Jingfa Temple; Śramaṇa Shenfang of Fahai Temple; Śramaṇa Daoshen of Fajang Temple in Kuozhou; Śramaṇa Xuanzhong of Yanjue Temple in Bianzhou; Śramaṇa Shentai of Pujiu Temple in Puzhou; and Śramaṇa Jingming of Zhenxiang Temple in Mianzhou. Nine Great Virtues who polish the text arrived: Śramaṇa Qixuan of Puguang Temple in the capital; Śramaṇa Mingjun of Hongfu Temple; Śramaṇa Bianji of Huichang Temple; Śramaṇa Daoxuan of Fengde Temple on Mount Zhongnan; Śramaṇa Jingmai of Fuju Temple in Jianzhou; Śramaṇa Xingyou of Pujiu Temple in Puzhou; Śramaṇa Daozhuo of Qiyan Temple; Śramaṇa Huili of Zhaoren Temple in Binzhou; and Śramaṇa Xuanze of Tiangong Temple in Luozhou. One Great Virtue of orthography arrived: Śramaṇa Xuanying of Da Zongchi Temple in the capital. One Great Virtue who verifies Sanskrit language and Sanskrit texts arrived: Śramaṇa Xuanmo of Da Xingshan Temple in the capital. In the fifth month of that year, they first took up the palm leaves and expounded the Sanskrit texts. They initially translated the *Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra*, with Śramaṇa Daoxuan taking the brush and editing the phrasing and meaning. In addition, on the side they translated the *Buddhabhūmi-sūtra*, *Ṣaṇmukha-dhāraṇī-sūtra*, and *Prakaraṇāryavācā-śāstra*. In the spring of the twentieth year, the first month, they also translated the *Mahāyānābhidharma-samuccaya-vyākhyā*, followed by the *Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra*. The Dharma Master refined the treatise repeatedly; whenever he had slight spare moments, he also produced the *Xiyu ji* (Records of the Western Regions) in twelve fascicles, with Śramaṇa Bianji personally receiving contemporary events and compiling them in sequence. In the scriptural teachings translated since earlier eras, they first transcribed the original text backward from the Sanskrit, next reversed it to conform to local custom, and only then did the scribes adjust the phrasing; through additions and deletions in the middle, much of the Golden Words was lost. The translations produced now were entirely guided by Xuanzang's intention: his mind made independent judgments, and his speech formed polished prose; the stylists simply transcribed it and it was ready to be read and relished. At that time, the Emperor's cortege returned to the Western Capital. Xuanzang then presented the newly translated scriptures and treatises along with the *Datang Xiyu ji*, submitting a memorial requesting a title and preface. In a handwritten decree in reply, [the Emperor] said in brief: 'My learning is shallow and my mind is clumsy; I am still bewildered regarding mundane things, how much more so regarding the profound subtlety of the Buddhist teachings—how could I fathom them? Asking me to provide a title for the scriptures is not something I am familiar with; as for the newly compiled *Xiyu ji*, I shall read it myself.' Only after [Xuanzang] submitted memorials repeatedly two and three times was permission granted. [The Emperor] then said to the Consort-in-law Commandant Gao Lüxing: 'You previously asked me to compose a stele for your father. Now my energy and strength are not what they used to be; I wish to perform merit for the Dharma