開元釋教錄 5
English (machine translation) 5
- Language
- English
Contents
- 5.5 — 13 parts
5.1
Compiled in the gengwu year by the śramaṇa Zhisheng of the West Chongfu Monastery
5.2
Comprehensive Summary Catalogue of All Sūtras, Part 1, Section 5
5.3
The Liu Song Dynasty, Capital at Jianye
5.4
From the first year of the Yongchu era of Emperor Wu, a gengshen year, to the third year of the Shengming era of Emperor Shun, a jiwei year, spanning eight rulers and sixty years in total, there were twenty-two individuals among the clergy and laity. The sūtras, vinayas, śāstras, and miscellaneous compilations they produced, together with the various sūtras of lost origin, total four hundred and sixty-five works in seven hundred and seventeen fascicles (among them, ninety-three works in two hundred and forty-three fascicles are extant, and three hundred and seventy-two works in four hundred and seventy-four fascicles are lost texts).
5.5.1
Song śramaṇa Buddhajīva (3 works, 32 fascicles: vinaya, śīla, and karman)
Śramaṇa Kālayaśas (2 works, 2 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Dharmamitra (12 works, 17 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Shi Zhiyan (10 works, 31 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Shi Baoyun (4 works, 17 fascicles: sūtras and compilations)
Śramaṇa Īśvara (1 work, 13 fascicles: śāstra)
Śramaṇa Guṇavarman (10 works, 18 fascicles: vinaya and compilations)
Śramaṇa Saṅghavarman (5 works, 24 fascicles: vinaya, śāstras, and compilations)
Śramaṇa Guṇabhadra (52 works, 134 fascicles: sūtras, śāstras, and compilations)
Śramaṇa Shi Dharmodgata (1 work, 1 fascicle: sūtra)
Upāsaka Juqu Jingsheng (28 works, 28 fascicles: sūtras and vinaya)
Śramaṇa Shi Huijian (10 works, 10 fascicles: sūtras and compilations)
Śramaṇa Guṇarddhi (2 works, 7 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Shi Sengqu (1 work, 1 fascicle: karman)
Śramaṇa Shi Faying (1 work, 1 fascicle: bhikṣuṇī śīla)
Śramaṇa Zhu Fajuan (6 works, 29 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Shi Xiangong (1 work, 2 fascicles: sūtra)
Śramaṇa Shi Daoyan (2 works, 3 fascicles: sūtras and vinaya)
Śramaṇa Shi Yonggong (3 works, 3 fascicles: sūtras)
Śramaṇa Shi Fahai (2 works, 2 fascicles: sūtras and vinaya)
Śramaṇa Shi Xiangong (1 work, 1 fascicle: sūtra)
Śramaṇa Saṅghabhīma (1 work, 1 fascicle: vinaya extract)
Newly collected anonymous translations of various sūtras (307 works, 340 fascicles)
Mahīśāsaka-vinaya (Five-Part Vinaya), 30 fascicles (also called Mahīśāsaka Vinaya; or in 34 fascicles; a separate catalogue says 24 fascicles, which is likely an error; recorded in Daohui's Song-Qi Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue)
Mahīśāsaka Bhikṣu Prātimokṣa (Five-Part Bhikṣu Prātimokṣa), 1 fascicle (also called Mahīśāsaka Prātimokṣa; recorded in Zhu Daozu's Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue)
Mahīśāsaka Karman, 1 fascicle (recorded in Zhu Daozu's Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue)
The above 3 works in 32 fascicles (the vinaya and prātimokṣa are extant; the karman text is lost).
Śramaṇa Buddhajīva, translated in Song as Jueshou ("Awakened Life"), was a native of Jibin. In his youth, he studied under the Mahīśāsaka school. He was specialized and adept in the vinaya sections and also conversant with the essentials of dhyāna. In the seventh month of the first year of Jingping, a guihai year, under the deposed emperor Yifu [423 CE], he arrived at the capital of Yangdu. Previously, the śramaṇa Faxian had obtained a Sanskrit manuscript of the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya in the Lion Country [Sri Lanka], but passed away before he had the chance to translate it. The monks of Jianye, hearing that Buddhajīva was skilled in this learning, thereupon requested him to produce it. Thus, in the eleventh month, winter of that year, they assembled at Longguang Temple to translate it, entitling it the Five-Part Vinaya. Buddhajīva held the Sanskrit text; the Khotanese śramaṇa Zhisheng transmitted the words; and the śramaṇa Zhu Daosheng of Longguang Temple along with śramaṇa Shi Huiyan of Dong'an Temple jointly held the brush and verified [the rendering]. The Song attendant-in-ordinary Wang Lian of Langya was the dānapati. It was completed only in the twelfth month of the following year. He further produced the Prātimokṣa and Karman texts, which circulated widely in the world. Where Buddhajīva ended his life is unknown.
Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, 1 fascicle (also called Sūtra on the Contemplation of Immeasurable Life; first translation; recorded in Daohui's Song-Qi Catalogue and Gaoseng Zhuan)
Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Two Bodhisattvas Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata, 1 fascicle (second translation; recorded in the Song-Qi Catalogue and Gaoseng Zhuan)
The above 2 works in 2 fascicles; their texts are extant.
Śramaṇa Kālayaśas, translated in Song as Shicheng ("Time-Praised"), was a native of the Western Regions. He was by nature firm, upright, and of few desires. He was skilled in reciting the Abhidharma and well-versed in the vinaya piṭaka. He was also widely comprehensive in other sūtras. Although he was illumined in all three piṭakas, he made the method of dhyāna his specialization. Every time he entered meditative contemplation, he would sometimes not rise for seven days. He constantly transmitted and converted various regions through samādhi and proper attainment. In the first year of Yuanjia, a jiazi year [424 CE], he ventured far across the desert sands and arrived at Jianye. Emperor Wen, Yilong, held him in deep admiration and issued an imperial decree for him to reside at Daolin Hermitage on Mount Zhong. Śramaṇa Baozhi revered his dhyāna methods. Śramaṇa Senghan requested him to translate the Contemplation of Immeasurable Life and the Contemplation of Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata; Senghan himself received the translation with the brush. Because these two sūtras are great causes for the Pure Land and secret methods for turning away obstacles, they were contemplated, relished, and circulated throughout the Song state. Meng Yi of Pingchang, hearing of his reputation, revered him and provided abundant provisions. When Yi was appointed to govern Kuaiji, he firmly invited him, but Kālayaśas did not comply. Later, he moved to rest in Jiangling. In the nineteenth year of Yuanjia [442 CE], he traveled west to Min and Shu; everywhere he propagated the Way, dhyāna students gathered in crowds. Later, he returned and died in Jiangling at the age of sixty.
Dhāraṇī Sūtra of Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva, 1 fascicle (second translation; same text as Yaśas's Ākāśagarbha of the Yao Qin and Jñānagupta's Ākāśagarbha of the Sui, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Wei-Era Catalogue)
Sūtra on the Contemplation of Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva, 1 fascicle (also called Sūtra on the Contemplation of Ākāśagarbha; also simply called Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva Sūtra; recorded in Daohui's Song-Qi Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue)
Hasti-kakṣya Sūtra, 1 fascicle (fourth translation; same text as the Sūtra of No Expectation, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Catalogue)
Sarva-dharma-vīrarāja Sūtra, 1 fascicle (second translation; same text as Sarva-dharma-uccarāja Sūtra, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Catalogue)
Strī-vivarta Sūtra (Sūtra on Transforming the Female Body), 1 fascicle (fourth translation; same text as Vimaladattā Sūtra, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Catalogue)
Sūtra on the Method of Practicing the Contemplation of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, 1 fascicle (a lower note says: extracted from the Sūtra of Profound Merit; sometimes lacks the words 'Method of Practicing'; also called Samantabhadra Contemplation Sūtra; third translation; recorded in Sengyou's Catalogue)
Essential Methods of the Five-Gate Dhyāna Sūtra, 1 fascicle (second translation; same text as the translation by An Shigao; recorded in Baochang's Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue)
New Sūtra of Immeasurable Life, 2 fascicles (tenth translation; same text as Shigao's Sūtra of Immeasurable Life and the Immeasurable Life Assembly of the Ratnakūṭa, etc.; recorded in Zhenji Temple Catalogue)
Ugraparipṛcchā Sūtra (Sūtra of the Questions of the Elder Ugra), 1 fascicle (sixth translation; same text as An Xuan's Fajing Jing and the Ugra Assembly of the Ratnakūṭa, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Catalogue)
Sūtra on the Buddha Ascending to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to Expound the Dharma for His Mother, 1 fascicle (third translation; same text as Dharmarakṣa's Sūtra on the Buddha Ascending to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, etc.; recorded in Li Kuo's Catalogue)
Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, 1 fascicle (second translation; same text as the translation by Kālayaśas; recorded in Baochang's Catalogue)
Secret Essentials of Dhyāna Sūtra, 5 fascicles (sometimes without the word 'Sūtra'; also named Essentials of Dhyāna Method; translated at Jetavana Temple in the eighteenth year of Yuanjia; sometimes in 3 fascicles; recorded in Sengyou's Catalogue; third translation; presently there is a Secret Essentials of Dhyāna Sūtra in 5 fascicles whose text is exceedingly tangled and cannot be circulated, as explained in the Catalogue of Pruned Redundancies)
The above 12 works in 17 fascicles (the seven works in 7 fascicles up to the Five-Gate Dhyāna Sūtra are extant; the five works in 10 fascicles from the Sūtra of Immeasurable Life downwards are lost texts).
Śramaṇa Dharmamitra, translated in Song as Faxiu ("Ornament of the Dharma"), was a native of Jibin. When he was six or seven years old, his mind was pure and upright. Whenever he saw Dharma rituals, he would spontaneously leap with joy. His family, loving him and marveling at this, eventually allowed him to go forth as a monk. Jibin produced many holy and realized masters, and he repeatedly encountered enlightened teachers.
5.5.2
He broadly mastered the diverse sūtras and was especially profound in the methods of dhyāna; the essentials that he attained were supremely subtle and profound. As a person, he was deep and reserved, possessing wisdom and understanding. His deportment was meticulous and orderly. He was born with joined eyebrows, and so the world called him the "Continuous-Eyebrow Meditation Master." In his youth, he was fond of traveling abroad, vowing to disseminate and transform [beings]. Journeying through various countries, he eventually went to Kucha. One day before his arrival, the king dreamed of a deity who told him: "A person of great blessing and virtue will enter your realm tomorrow; you should make offerings to him." The next morning, the king immediately ordered the outer officials: "If an extraordinary man enters our territory, you must hasten to present a report." Shortly thereafter, [Dharmamitra] indeed arrived. The king personally went out to the suburbs to welcome him and invited him into the palace. He thereupon received the precepts from him, offering him the four requisites to the fullest. Mitra was content [with his lot] yet capable of moving on, never becoming attached to profit and offerings. After he had dwelled there for several years, Mitra intended to depart. The deity again sent a dream [to the king], saying: "The man of blessing and virtue has abandoned the king and departed." The king awoke in alarm and dread. Thereafter, though ruler and ministers persistently tried to detain him, none could stop him. He then crossed the flowing sands and proceeded to Dunhuang. In the open wilderness, he established a vihāra, planted a thousand crabapple trees, and cleared a hundred mu of garden. Its rooms, pavilions, ponds, and groves were extremely ornate and pure. Shortly after, he went to Liangzhou again, where he built further halls and chambers at an old temple of the commandery office. His disciples were numerous, and their dhyāna practice flourished greatly. Always considering that the region south of the Yangzi had many people and wishing to transmit the Dharma [there], he traveled in stages to Shu in the first year of Yuanjia. Soon, he left the [Yangzi] gorges and halted in Jingzhou. At Changsha Temple, he erected a dhyāna hall. With utmost sincerity and heartfelt devotion, he prayed for a relic. After ten-odd days, one indeed responded to him; striking the vessel, it emitted a sound and shed light filling the chamber. Among his disciples, clergy, and laity, there was none who did not redouble their courage, every man feeling a hundredfold resolve. After dwelling there for a short time, he went downstream toward the east and arrived at Jianye. At first, he stayed at Zhongxing Temple, and later he rested at Zhihuan [Temple]. His reputation for the Way had long been illustrious, so that the entire capital turned out to pay homage and inquiries. From Empress Yuan of Emperor Wen of the Song to the imperial princes and princesses, none failed to host vegetarian feasts. Requests for the precepts came from the palace; envoys offering inquiries from the inner quarters followed one after another day after day. From the first year of Yuanjia, jiazi, to the eighteenth year, xinsi, he translated twelve works in seventeen fascicles, including the Ākāśagarbha Dhāraṇī Sūtra. He regularly instructed his disciples in the way of dhyāna; those who took refuge in him did not consider a thousand li too far. The fourfold assembly near and far all called him the Great Meditation Master. Meng Yi, the Governor of Kuaiji, had deep faith in the True Truth and took the Three Jewels as his personal responsibility. Long fond of the flavor of dhyāna, his reverent heart was deep and earnest. When he took office overlooking the Zhe River, he invited him to travel together. Thereupon, he built a stūpa and temple in the mountains of Can County. The old customs of the eastern region were mostly inclined toward shamans and mediums, but when transformed by his sublime teaching, household after household turned to the correct. From west to east, none failed to submit. Later, he returned to Jianye and rested at the Lower Dinglin Temple. The Meditation Master's natural disposition was tranquil and serene, and he had an elegant fondness for mountains and waters. He considered Mount Zhong an anchoring peak, exceptionally superior even to Mounts Song and Hua. He often sighed that the structural foundation of the Lower Temple had not fully exhausted the beauty of the landscape. Thereupon, ascending the heights to survey the land and divining the lay of the mountain, he cut stones and felled timber to construct the Upper Temple. The halls, chambers, and meditation rooms were solemn and deeply secluded; they truly resembled Vulture Peak and appeared like the Jetavana grove. Thereupon, those who set their minds at rest gathered from ten thousand li away. Their chanting was solemn and harmonious, and they were transformed upon catching wind of his fame. From the Western Regions to the Southern Lands, wherever his footsteps trod, there was none that did not see the founding of donative assemblies and the expounding of the doctrinal teachings. At the beginning, when the Meditation Master departed from Jibin, the deity Kapila guarded and escorted him until they reached Kucha. Mid-journey, wishing to return, [the deity] manifested his form and bade farewell to the Meditation Master, saying: "Your spiritual powers transform freely, and you wander at will. Will you not let me accompany you further to the south?" Having finished speaking, he immediately concealed his shadow and was seen no more. Yet he followed him from afar all the way to Yangdu. Therefore, they painted an image of him on the wall of the Upper Temple; down to the present day, there are still efficacious responses of sounds and shadows. Those who pray for blessings with pure sincerity never fail to receive their wishes. On the sixth day of the seventh month of the nineteenth year of Yuanjia, he died at the Upper Temple at the age of eighty-seven. The four assemblies of clergy and laity hurried weeping as they walked, and he was accordingly buried in front of Songxi Temple on Mount Zhong.
Akṣayamati-bodhisattva-sūtra, six fascicles (The early title says: "The Inexhaustible Meaning Chapter, the Twenty-second, Spoken by Akṣayamati in the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra"; also simply called "Akṣayamati Sūtra"; also named "Achamò Sūtra"; fourth translation; identical text with Dharmarakṣa's Achamò, etc.; seen in Li Kuo's catalogue).
Fa hua sanmei jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Lotus of the Dharma), one fascicle (A branched stream of the Lotus Sūtra; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Guangbo yanjing bu tuizhuan lun jing (Sūtra on the Wheel of Non-Retrogression, Vast, Adorned, and Pure), four fascicles (Third translation; also in six fascicles; or simply called "Guangbo yanjing jing"; also simply called "Butuizhuan falun jing"; identical text with Dharmarakṣa's Aweiyuezhizhe jing, etc.; produced in the fourth year of Yuanjia; seen in the Song and Qi catalogues and Sengyou's catalogue).
Si tianwang jing (Four Heavenly Kings Sūtra), one fascicle (Seen in Sengyou's catalogue and the Gaoseng Zhuan).
Lalitavistara (Pu yao jing), eight fascicles (Third translation; also in six fascicles or four fascicles; identical text with the Shu Pu yao, Zhu Fahu's Pu yao, and the Tang translation Fangguang zhuangyan; seen in the Song and Qi catalogues, Sengyou's catalogue, the Gaoseng Zhuan, etc.).
Jingdu sanmei jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of Pure Crossing), one fascicle (First translation; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Bodhisattva Necklace Original Action Sūtra, two fascicles (Second translation; seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Sheng jing (Jātaka Sūtra), five fascicles (Second translation; identical text with that produced by Fahu; Fang says it is seen in the Classified Catalogue).
Shande youpose jing (Sūtra on Upāsaka Shande), one fascicle (Seen in Changfang's catalogue).
Anahan jing (Anāgāmin Sūtra), two fascicles (Seen in Changfang's catalogue).
The above ten works in thirty-one fascicles (The four works in twelve fascicles above the Si tianwang jing are extant; the six works in nineteen fascicles below the Pu yao jing are lost texts).
Śramaṇa Shi Zhiyan was a native of Western Liangzhou. Having left household life in his youth, he became known for his diligence. Clothed in patched robes, sitting in quiet contemplation, and eating a vegetarian diet for many years, he always wished to serve renowned teachers broadly and seek sūtras and teachings widely. Thereupon, he traveled through the western countries and proceeded to Jibin. Entering the Matandhara Vihāra, he inquired about and received dhyāna methods from the monk Buddhasena. Gradually steeped in them for three years, his achievement exceeded ten years [of ordinary effort]. Buddhasena saw that his meditation practice had clear structure, and held him in exceptionally high esteem. The local clergy and laity heard of this and sighed, saying: "The land of Qin indeed has a śramaṇa who seeks the Way!" Thenceforth, they no longer disparaged those of Qin kind, but respectfully received people from afar. At that time, there was the monk Buddhabhadra, who was also a meditation master of that country. Yan invited him to return east, wishing to transmit the Dharma to the central land. Bhadra appreciated his earnest sincerity and traveled east with him. After more than a year, they reached Guannei. Always keeping each other company, they dwelled together in Chang'an. Soon after, Bhadra was unjustifiably expelled by the monks of Qin. Yan and the assembly that came from the west dispersed and went out beyond the passes. He then rested at a vihāra in Shandong, sitting in meditation, chanting sūtras, and vigorously exerting himself in cultivation and study. In the thirteenth year of the Yixi reign era of the Jin, Emperor Wu of the Song campaigned west against Yao Hong. Having achieved victory, he turned his banners back, his route passing through Shandong. At that time, Duke Wang Hui of Shixing accompanied the imperial entourage to tour the mountains and rivers, and arrived at Yan's vihāra. He saw three monks of like mind each sitting on a corded chair, their meditation serene. Hui snapped his fingers; the three men opened their eyes, and shortly closed them again without speaking to him. Hui respected their marvel in his heart, and inquired of them
5.5.3
the elders, who all said, "He has dwelt in seclusion for many years and has never casually ventured out." [Liu] Hui then petitioned Emperor Wu of Song to invite him back to the capital, but none of them was willing to go. After repeated requests were made, the two monks urged [Zhi]yan to accompany him. Hui's devotion to the Way was fundamentally earnest, and he provided for his needs with great completeness. Upon returning to the capital, [Zhiyan] took up residence at Shixing Temple. By nature, Yan was tranquil and quiet, his resolve set on avoiding noise and dust. Hui thereupon established another vihāra on the outskirts of the eastern suburbs, which became Zhiyuan Temple. Earlier, when Yan returned from the Western Regions, he had not yet had the opportunity to translate the numerous Sanskrit texts he had obtained. In the fourth year of Yuanjia (dingmao) [427 CE], together with the śramaṇa Baoyun, he translated ten works, including the Akṣayamati-sūtra. While residing at the temple, Yan did not accept individual invitations, constantly sustaining himself by alms-begging (piṇḍapāta). Where his transformative influence reached, both the unseen and the visible bowed in admiration. Yan was pure, simple, and of few desires, giving away whatever he received. From his youth he travelled through distant lands, never clinging to anything. He was modest and retiring by nature and did not praise himself; thus, although he had many noble deeds, the world never fully chronicled them all. Long ago, before Yan left the household life, he had received the five precepts and committed an infraction against them. Later, upon entering the monastic path and receiving the full ordination, he constantly doubted whether he had obtained the precepts, always feeling fearful. For years he practiced dhyāna meditation but could not resolve this for himself. Consequently, he took ship again to return to Tianzhu to consult the wise and perceptive. Meeting an arhat bhikṣu, he inquired about the matter in detail. The arhat did not dare to pass judgment; instead, he entered samādhi on Yan's behalf and went to Tuṣita Palace to consult and inquire of Maitreya. Maitreya replied that he had indeed obtained the precepts. Yan leaped for great joy. He then journeyed back on foot. Arriving in Jibin, he passed away without illness at the age of seventy-eight. In that country, ordinary beings and sages were cremated in different locations. Although Yan's observance of the precepts was lofty and clear, his actual level of attainment had not yet been determined. When they first began to move the corpse toward the cemetery for ordinary monks, the corpse became so heavy it could not be lifted; when they redirected it toward the cemetery for sages, it became as light as air of itself. Yan's disciples Zhiyu and Zhiyuan, having traveled all the way from the west, brought back word of these auspicious signs, and both then returned abroad. Judging Yan by this, he was truly someone who had attained the Way, though it is merely unknown at which of the stages between the fruits and paths of attainment he stood, whether profound or shallow.
*Sūtra on the Karma of Subduing Sentient Beings* (Extracted from the *Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra*)
*Sūtra on Manifesting the True Dharma with a Single Voice* (Also titled *Sūtra on Expounding the True Dharma with a Single Voice*; extracted from the *Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra*)
*Sūtra on the Good-Virtue Brahmin Inquiring of Devadatta* (Extracted from the *Mahāmegha-sūtra*)
*Vaira-samādhi-sūtra*, two fascicles (Noted as doubtful in [Seng]you's and other catalogues; listed as authentic in the Great Zhou Catalogue. Now, examining the text, the phrasing is crude and vulgar, and the doctrinal principles are slipshod and incomplete; hence it is entered in the doubtful section to weed out weeds and impurities.)
The four works in five fascicles above, including *Subduing Sentient Beings*, are all attributed to Yan's translation in Changfang's and other catalogues. Now, because the first three are extracted texts and the last one is doubtful and spurious, they are all removed here to maintain an authentic catalogue.
*Buddhacarita-sūtra*, seven fascicles (Also titled *Buddhacarita-stotra-kāvya*; produced at Liuheshansi Temple; some say five fascicles; see the catalogues of Sengyou, Baochang, and the Neidian; the *Biographies of Eminent Monks* calls it *Buddhacarita-stotra-sūtra*)
*New Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra*, two fascicles (Produced at Daochang Temple in the second year of Yongchu; one catalogue says produced at Liuheshansi Temple; the ninth translation; same original as the Sukhāvatīvyūha assembly of the *Ratnakūṭa*, etc.; see the catalogues of Daohui, Sengyou, and others)
*Śuddha-pāramitā-samādhi-sūtra*, two fascicles (Second translation; see Zhu Daozu's *Miscellaneous Catalogue*)
*Sūtra on the Transmission of the Piṭaka of the Dharma*, six fascicles (First translation; see Li Kuo's catalogue)
The four works in seventeen fascicles above (the first work in seven fascicles is extant; the latter three works in ten fascicles are lost).
The śramaṇa Śākya Baoyun was a native of Liangzhou. He left home in his youth and was diligent, possessing both learning and practice. His character and refinement were upright and pure, refusing to compromise with the world; thus from his youth he was renowned for his straightforwardness and dedicated pursuit. In seeking the Dharma, he was earnest and sincere, forgetting his own body and sacrificing his life for the Way, vowing to witness the sacred traces in person and broadly search for scriptures and teachings. Early in the Long'an era of the Jin dynasty, he went far to the Western Regions, following in succession with Faxian and Zhiyan. Treading the drifting sands and climbing over the snow-clad peaks, he did not consider the utmost toil and hardship to be difficult. He subsequently passed through various kingdoms such as Khotan and Tianzhu, seeing all of the sacred wonders. He traversed the wilderness of rākṣasas, heard the sounds of celestial drums, and paid reverence to many shadows and traces of Śākyamuni. While in foreign regions, Yun extensively studied Sanskrit texts and became completely versed in the sounds, characters, glosses, and meanings of the various kingdoms of Tianzhu. He later returned to Chang'an, where he studied under the dhyāna master Buddhabhadra, cultivating and studying the dhyāna gate with untiring diligence. When the dhyāna master was unjustly expelled by the Qin monks, Yun also fled. It happened that Master Yuan of Mount Lu resolved the matter of the expulsion, and they together returned to Yangdu, taking up residence at Daochang Temple. Seeing that Yun's will and determination were resolute and bold, and that he had propagated the Way to remote frontiers, none among the monastic community failed to open their hearts to consult him, receiving [his teachings] with veneration. At first, he translated various sūtras together with Zhiyan; after Yan passed away, Yun alone expounded and translated. During the Yuanjia era, he translated four works, including the *Buddhacarita-sūtra*. Yun held the Sanskrit texts in his hands and personally translated them orally. Proficient in both Chinese and non-Chinese languages, his phonetics and semantic glosses were precise and correct, and the assemblies all trusted and accepted what Yun determined. In earlier times, the śramaṇa Zhu Fonian of the Guanzhong region was skilled in expounding and translating, producing many sūtras during the Fu and Yao reigns. South of the Yangtze River, none surpassed Yun in familiarity with Sanskrit; hence he broadly disseminated the treasury of the Dharma between the Jin and Song eras. The śramaṇa Huiguan and others all befriended and praised him. Yun's nature was fond of seclusion, which he used to preserve his leisure and quietude; he subsequently went to Liuheshansi Temple. The mountain had many unruly people whose custom was to practice banditry. Yun preached the Dharma and guided them, so that many changed from their wickedness to pay reverence and provide offerings, amounting to nine out of ten households. Some time later, when Huiguan of Daochang [Temple] was on the point of death, he requested Yun to return to the capital to take charge of the temple's responsibilities. Unable to decline, Yun returned. After living at Daochang for about a year, he returned once more to Liuhe. In the twenty-sixth year of Yuanjia [449 CE], he died at the mountain temple at the age of seventy-four. Separate accounts and biographies record his travels in foreign kingdoms.
*Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra*, thirteen fascicles (Third translation; see the *Biographies of Eminent Monks* and Sengyou's catalogue; some say fourteen fascicles)
The one work in thirteen fascicles above is a lost text.
The śramaṇa Īśvara (in Song: Zizai) was a native of the Western Regions. He had a wondrous mastery of the tripiṭaka and clearly understood the four Āgamas. In the third year of Yuanjia (bingyin) [426 CE], he traveled to Pengcheng. For the Regional Inspector of North Xuzhou, Wang Zhongde of Taiyuan, he translated the *Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra*. When the translation reached the chapter on Selection, obstacles arose and it was not finished, so it was halted; only ten fascicles were completed. The Regional Inspector personally took it down in writing. In the eighth year (xinwei) [431 CE], Guṇavarman was further requested to continue the translation, and it was entirely completed in thirteen fascicles.
*Bodhisattva-kuśalaśīla-sūtra*, nine fascicles (Also titled *Bodhisattvabhūmi*; some say ten fascicles; produced at Jetavana Temple; see the two catalogues of Zhu Daozu and Sengyou, as well as the *Biographies of Eminent Monks*; Changfang's and other catalogues all state that the *Kuśalaśīla-sūtra* is in twenty fascicles, and also state that his disciples further produced two chapters to make thirty fascicles, which are both incorrect)
*Bodhisattva-kuśalaśīla-sūtra*, one fascicle (Upāli's inquiry into the procedure for receiving the bodhisattva precepts; see Baochang's catalogue. If following Sengyou's record, this would be taken as the first fascicle, together with the preceding nine fascicles making ten fascicles in all. However, in the northern texts of the sūtra it has long been separated and cannot be merged; for now it follows the old determination.)
*Bodhisattva-antar-śīla-sūtra*, one fascicle (See Fashang's catalogue)
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Upāsaka-pañca-śīla-īryāpatha-sūtra, one fascicle (recorded in Baochang's catalogue).
Śrāmaṇera-īryāpatha, one fascicle (also called Śrāmaṇera-īryāpatha-sūtra; recorded in Changfang's catalogue).
Four-Part Bhikṣuṇī Karman, one fascicle (Sengyou calls it Dharmagupta Karman and also Miscellaneous Karman; produced at Qihuan Temple in the eighth year of Yuanjia; recorded in both catalogues of Sengyou and Baochang as well as the Biographies of Eminent Monks, etc., and also simply called Four-Part Karman).
Upāsaka-pañca-śīla-lakṣaṇa-sūtra, one fascicle (also named Brief Treatise on the Five Precepts for Upāsakas; produced at Qihuan Temple in the eighth year of Yuanjia; first translation; recorded in both catalogues of Sengyou and Baochang as well as the Biographies of Eminent Monks).
Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna's Verses on the Essentials of the Dharma Spoken for King Jentaka, one fascicle (recorded in the Old Tang Catalogue).
Twenty-Two Precepts for the Pious Faithful, one fascicle (also called Twenty-Two Precepts for Desire-Free Upāsakas and Upāsikās to Fully Practice, and also Three Refuges and Upāsaka Precepts; Sengyou calls it Three Refuges and the Twenty-Two Precepts for Upāsakas, or Upāsaka Precepts; recorded in the Biographies of Eminent Monks and Sengyou's catalogue).
Record of Distinctions between Sūtra and Vinaya, one fascicle (recorded in Changfang's catalogue).
The above ten works in eighteen fascicles (the eight works in sixteen fascicles down to Nāgārjuna's Verses on the Essentials of the Dharma are extant; the two works in two fascicles from the Twenty-Two Precepts for the Pious Faithful onward are lost texts).
Śramaṇa Guṇavarman, translated into the language of the Song as Gongdekai [Armour of Merit]. Originally of kṣatriya stock, his family had been kings for generations, ruling in the kingdom of Jibin. His grandfather Haribhadra (translated here as Shizixian [Lion-Virtue]) was exiled on account of his unyielding uprightness. His father Saṅghānanda (translated here as Zhongxi [Joy of the Multitude]) consequently lived in hiding among mountains and marshes. At the age of fourteen, Guṇavarman was already quick-witted, remarkably perceptive, and possessed of profound, far-reaching vision. Kind and universally benevolent, he esteemed virtue and devoted himself to goodness. His mother once needed wild game and ordered Guṇavarman to procure it. Guṇavarman remonstrated, saying, "Among living beings, there are none that do not cling to life. To destroy their lives is not the act of a benevolent person." His mother said in anger, "If it brings sin, I shall take it upon myself on your behalf!" On another day, while boiling oil, Guṇavarman accidentally spilled some on his finger. Thereupon he said to his mother, "Bear the pain on your son's behalf." His mother said, "The pain is in your body; how could I bear it for you?" Guṇavarman said, "If you cannot even bear the suffering before your very eyes, how much less could you bear that of the three miserable realms?" His mother then repented, had an awakening, and abstained from killing for the rest of her life. When he reached the age of eighteen, a physiognomist looked at him and said, "When you are thirty years old, you shall rule over a great kingdom, facing south as sovereign. If you do not delight in worldly glory, you shall attain a holy fruit." At the age of twenty, he left household life and received the full precepts. He thoroughly mastered the nine divisions of scriptures and was widely versed in the four Āgamas. He could recite more than a million words of sūtras, had a profound grasp of the vinaya classifications, and attained wondrous insight into the essentials of meditation (dhyāna). At the time he was styled Tripiṭaka Master. When he reached the age of thirty, the King of Jibin died leaving no heir. The multitude all conferred, saying, "Guṇavarman is of royal descent, and furthermore possesses talent, wisdom, and weighty virtue. We should request him to return to lay life and succeed to the royal throne." Several hundred ministers persistently pleaded with him again and again, but Guṇavarman would not accept. He then took leave of his master, parted from the assembly, roosted in forests, and drank from ravines, traveling alone through mountains and wilds to conceal his traces from the human world. Later he arrived in the Kingdom of Siṃhala, where he observed local customs and propagated the teaching. Those of the multitude who could discern the truth all said that he had already attained the first fruit [srotāpanna]. His demeanor and appearance moved living beings, so that all who saw him generated the aspiration [for enlightenment]. Later he arrived in the Kingdom of Shepo. The day before his arrival, the queen mother of Shepo dreamed that she saw a religious practitioner entering the country aboard a flying ship. The next morning, it was indeed Guṇavarman who arrived. The mother honoured him with the etiquette due a sage and received the five precepts from him. The mother then admonished the king, saying, "It is through karmic connections from past lives that we have become mother and son. I have already received the precepts, but you have no faith. I fear that the cause for future rebirths will forever sever this present fruit." Compelled by his mother's command, the king immediately obeyed and received the precepts. After long exposure and habituation, his devotion gradually deepened. Shortly afterward, neighbouring troops invaded the borders. The king said to Guṇavarman, "The foreign bandits rely on their strength and wish to humiliate and invade us. If we do battle with them, many will surely be wounded and killed. If we do not resist them, danger and ruin are imminent. Now I take refuge solely in you, Master; I do not know what plan to follow." Guṇavarman said, "When violent raiders attack, you must defend yourself; you need only give rise to a mind of compassion and never harbour thoughts of harming." The king personally led his troops to confront them. No sooner had the banners and drums met than the bandits retreated and scattered. The king was struck by a stray arrow that wounded his foot. Guṇavarman incanted over water to wash it, and within two nights he had recovered. The king's reverent faith grew ever more earnest, and he wished to leave household life to cultivate the Way. He therefore informed his ministers, saying, "I wish to dwell personally within the Dharma gate. You should choose another enlightened ruler." The ministers all prostrated themselves, pleading with him: "If the Great King abandons the state, the people will have nothing to rely upon. Furthermore, the enemy states are fierce and powerful, confronting us from behind natural barriers. If we lose your gracious protection, where will the common people go? In your heavenly compassion, Great King, how could you fail to pity our lives?" The king, unable to refuse them obstinately, made three vows to his ministers, saying that if they agreed, he would remain to govern the state: "First, that throughout the entire territory I rule, everyone shall together revere my master (upādhyāya). Second, that within all my realm, killing shall be completely prohibited. Third, that all accumulated treasury funds shall be used to relieve the poor and sick." The ministers rejoiced and all reverently agreed. Thereupon the whole kingdom received the precepts from him. Later, the king built a monastery for Guṇavarman. While personally hauling timber, the king injured his toe. Guṇavarman again incanted to treat it, and after a short while it was healed. The reputation of his spiritual transformation spread far and wide; neighbouring countries heard of his fame and all sent envoys to invite him. At that time, renowned and virtuous śramaṇas of the capital Yangzhou, such as Huiguan and Huicong, having long admired his virtue from afar, wished to receive and imbibe his teachings. In the ninth month of the first year of Yuanjia, they personally petitioned Emperor Wen to invite Guṇavarman. The emperor immediately issued an imperial order to the Governor of Jiaozhou to dispatch a ship to bring him over. Huiguan and the others also dispatched the śramaṇas Fachang, Daochong, Daojun, and others to go there to make the request, carrying letters addressed to Guṇavarman and to King Po-duo-jia of Shepo and others, earnestly hoping that he would deign to visit the Song realm to disseminate the teaching of the Way. Guṇavarman, believing that holy transformation should be widely spread, did not shrink from journeying afar. He had already boarded the ship of the merchant Zhu Nandi intending to head for a small kingdom, but encountering a favourable wind, he arrived in Guangzhou instead. Thus his surviving writing says: 'Blown by the wind of karmic deeds, I arrived in the realm of Song.' This is what it refers to. When Emperor Wen learned that Guṇavarman had already reached Nanhai, he again issued orders to the commanderies and prefectures to provide resources for his travel to the capital. His route took him through Shixing, where he stayed for about a year. In Shixing there was Mount Huqiu; its peaks were precipitous and towered high into the sky. Guṇavarman felt it resembled Gṛdhrakūṭa, so he renamed it Vulture Peak (Lingjiu). Outside the mountain monastery, he separately erected a meditation chamber, several li away from the monastery, where the sound of the stone chime could not be heard. Yet whenever the mallet was struck, Guṇavarman had already arrived. At times, rain fell without wetting him; at times, he walked through mud without soiling his feet. At that time, the assembly of clergy and laity all regarded him with solemn and increased reverence. In the monastery was the Precious Moon Hall (Baoyue Dian). On the north wall of the hall, Guṇavarman personally painted an image of Rāhula as well as the scene of the young scholar Dīpaṅkara spreading his hair. After the images were completed, they emitted light every evening for a long time before subsiding. Cai Maozhi, the Administrator of Shixing, held him in deep veneration. Later, when Maozhi was close to death, Guṇavarman personally visited him, preaching the Dharma to console him. Afterwards, his family dreamed that Maozhi was in the monastery expounding the Dharma with the monastic assembly; this was truly through the power of Guṇavarman's transformative guidance. This mountain originally had many tigers causing harm, but ever since Guṇavarman resided there, during the day they walked and at night...
5.5.5
proceeded on his way; or when encountering tigers, he would press his staff on their heads, stroke them, and depart. Thereupon mountain-travelers and river-guests came and went without obstruction, and seven or eight out of ten submitted to his flourishing virtue and converted. Once, Guṇavarman entered samādhi in a separate room and did not emerge for several days. The monastery monks sent a novice to check on him. [The novice] saw a white lion climbing beside a pillar, while blue lotuses filled and spread through the open air. The novice cried out in terror; going to chase the lion away, it suddenly vanished, leaving nothing to be seen. His divine and extraordinary marvels were without bound, and mostly of this kind. Later, Emperor Wen repeatedly commanded [Huiguan] and others to urge and invite him again. He then sailed by boat down to the capital, arriving in Jianye in the first month of the eighth year of the Yuanjia era [431 CE]. Emperor Wen granted him an audience and inquired after his welfare with earnest courtesy, and thereupon also said, "This disciple has always wished to observe the fasts and abstain from killing, but constrained as I am by dedicating my person to state affairs, I have not been able to fulfill my wish. Since the Dharma Master has not considered ten thousand li too far to come and transform this land, by what shall you instruct me?" Guṇavarman said, "Now, the Way is in the mind, not in outer matters; the Dharma comes from oneself, not from others. Moreover, that which an emperor or king cultivates is different from what a common man cultivates. The common man's person is lowly and his reputation insignificant; his words and commands carry no majesty. If he does not restrain his person and endure hardships, what use could he be? An emperor or king takes the four seas as his home and the myriad people as his children. When he issues one auspicious word, all men and women rejoice; when he institutes one good policy, humanity and the spirits are brought into harmony. If punishments do not cut lives short and corvée labor does not exhaust physical strength, then the wind and rain will be timely, the cold and warmth will respond to the seasons, the hundred grains will flourish, and the mulberry and hemp will grow lush. To observe the fast in this manner—the fast is indeed great! The beings saved from slaughter are also numerous! How could it consist only in foregoing half a day's meal and preserving the life of a single fowl before it counts as widespread deliverance?" The Emperor then patted the table and sighed, saying, "Secular people are confused about profound principles, and śramaṇas are stuck on literal teachings. Those confused about profound principles claim the ultimate Way is empty talk; those stuck on literal teachings are bound and attached to texts and chapters. As for what Dharma Master Guṇavarman has spoken, it is truly to be called enlightening and penetrating; one could discuss with him the boundary between heaven and humanity!" He then decreed that [Guṇavarman] reside in Jetavana Monastery (Zhihuan si), where the provisions granted were most generous. The dukes, princes, and eminent talents all revered him. Soon afterward, he began lecturing on the Lotus Sūtra and the Daśabhūmika in the monastery. On the days of the Dharma assemblies, carriages and canopies filled the thoroughfares; spectators coming and going pressed shoulder to shoulder and heel to toe. Guṇavarman's spiritual faculty was natural and his wondrous eloquence heavenly and peerless; at times, even relying on an interpreter, his give-and-take was intuitively penetrating. Guṇavarman then translated ten works, including the Bodhisattva-bhadra-śīla-sūtra, at Jetavana Monastery (As for the Shanjié jīng [Bodhisattva-bhadra-śīla-sūtra], the catalogues of Changfang and others all say it has twenty fascicles, with a note below stating that his disciples later produced two more chapters at Dinglin, making thirty fascicles, which is incorrect. It now has only nine fascicles, or some say ten fascicles. This must be a scribal error that added the character 'twenty'. Sengyou's catalogue only says ten fascicles, thus we know the other catalogues have a scribal error. Furthermore, according to the Gaoseng zhuan, Huiyi of Jetavana Monastery requested the translation of the Pusa shanjie; at first only twenty-eight chapters were produced, and later disciples produced one chapter on his behalf, making thirty chapters. The catalogues of Fang and others stating that it was successively expanded into thirty fascicles are very much mistaken. Moreover, the catalogues of Changfang and others also say Guṇavarman translated the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra in thirteen fascicles. But as Iśvara translated ten fascicles and Guṇavarman later supplemented it to make thirteen, it does not mean Guṇavarman made a separate translation. Recording it in both places is also incorrect. It is deleted here and recorded in the previous catalogue). All the texts and meanings were meticulous and accurate, with no divergence between the Indic and the Song [Chinese]. At that time, the nuns Huiguo, Jingyin, and others of Yingfu Temple jointly besought Guṇavarman, saying, "Six years ago, eight nuns from the Lion Country (Siṃhala) arrived at the capital, saying that because the land of Song had never previously had nuns, how could the precepts have been received from both assemblies? We fear the grades of precepts were not fully complete." Guṇavarman said, "The preceptual act is fundamentally generated from the assembly of great monks (bhikṣus). Even if the original procedure was not followed, this did not prevent the obtaining of the precepts, just as in the precedent of Mahāprajāpatī Gautami." The nuns still feared their years and months [of ordination] were incomplete and earnestly desired to receive them again. Guṇavarman praised them, saying, "Excellent! If you wish to make them brighter and clearer, I greatly rejoice in assisting you. However, the Western nuns have not yet attained the required monastic seniority, and their number does not reach ten. For now, let them learn the Song language, and via Western laymen, separately invite other foreign nuns to arrive and fulfill the number of ten." In the summer of that year, he observed the retreat at the Lower Dinglin Temple. At that time, believers picked flowers to spread on the seats; only the flowers upon which Guṇavarman sat became even fresher in color. The multitude all revered him with the rites accorded to a sage. When the summer ended, he returned to Jetavana Monastery. On the twenty-eighth day of the ninth month of that year, before the midday meal was over, he rose first and returned to his chamber. When his disciples arrived later, he had already suddenly passed away, at the age of sixty-five. Before his passing, he had composed in advance a testament of thirty-six lines of verse, revealing his own conditions and stating that he had already realized the second fruit [of the śramaṇa]. He personally sealed it and entrusted it to his disciple Aśoka, saying, "After my demise, you may take this text back and show it to the monks of Tianzhu, and you may also show it to the monks of this land." After his demise, he was propped up sitting on a rope couch; his facial expression did not differ [from life], appearing as if he had entered samādhi. More than a thousand clerics and laypeople rushed to attend. All smelled an intense fragrant scent, and all saw an object shaped like a dragon or serpent, about a bolt [of cloth] in length, rise from beside the corpse and soar straight into the sky, without anyone being able to name it. Then, before the ordination platform of Nanlin [Temple], he was cremated according to the foreign method. The fourfold assembly gathered like fish scales, and fragrant firewood was stacked into a pyre. Fragrant oil was poured over it to burn his mortal remains. Flames of five colors arose, and dense fragrance adorned the sky. At that time, the weather was clear and bright, and clergy and laity mourned and sighed. They thereupon erected a white stupa at that site. The nuns who wished to receive the ordination again wept bitterly and were brokenhearted, unable to contain their grief. Initially, when Guṇavarman arrived in the Song, Emperor Wen wished to receive the bodhisattva precepts from him, but before he could request them, [Guṇavarman] suddenly passed away. Because his original intention had not been fulfilled, [the Emperor's] grief and regret were all the deeper. He then commanded the assembly of monks to translate Guṇavarman's testament (The testament is in the biographical accounts; fearing verbosity, it is omitted here). Vinayamātṛkā, in ten fascicles (The first fascicle states: 'Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-mātṛkā; produced at Pingle Temple in Moling from the first month to the twenty-second day of the ninth month in the twelfth year of the Yuanjia era [435 CE], a yihai year; see Daohui's Song-Qi Catalogue and Sengyou's Catalogue'). Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra, in eleven fascicles (Also without the word 'śāstra', or called the Saṃyuktābhidharma-sūtra; Fang calls it the Saṃyuktābhidharma-vibhāṣā, or in fourteen fascicles; the fourth translation; produced at Changgan Temple in the ninth month of the eleventh year of the Yuanjia era [434 CE], a jiaxu year, and completed after a full year; see Sengyou's Catalogue and the preface to the text). Essential Verses for Exhorting the Various Kings, in one fascicle (Composed by Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna; second translation; see Sengyou's Catalogue and the Gaoseng zhuan). Summary of the Differentiation of Karmic Retribution, in one fascicle (Composed by Bodhisattva Mahāvīra; or called Bodhisattva Mahāvīra's Summary Compilation of the Differentiation of Karmic Retribution; see Sengyou's Catalogue and the Gaoseng zhuan). Text on Inviting the Holy Monks to Bathe, in one fascicle (See Sengyou's Catalogue and the Gaoseng zhuan). The five works above, in twenty-four fascicles (The first four works in twenty-three fascicles are extant; the latter one work in one fascicle is lost). Śramaṇa Saṅghavarman, translated into Song as Zhongkai ('Armor of the Assembly'), was a man of India. In his youth, he abandoned secular life. He was pure, aloof, and possessed preceptual virtue. He thoroughly understood the Vinayapiṭaka and was especially skilled in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya. In the Yuanjia...
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- 開元釋教錄 — 智昇, Classical Chinese