開元釋教錄 6.14

6.14

(Northern Qi)
Śramaṇa Narendrayaśas (seven works, fifty-one fascicles of sūtras and śāstras)
Layman Wan Tianyi (one work, one fascicle of sūtra)

*Pusa jianbao sanmei jing* [Ratnakāraṇḍa-sūtra / Bodhisattvagocaropāyaviṣaya-vikurvāṇa-nirdeśa-sūtra], sixteen fascicles (also in fourteen fascicles; produced in the fourth year of Tiantong at Tianping Temple; now incorporated into the *Ratnakūṭa* as the sixteenth assembly)
*Daji yuezang jing* [Candragarbha-sūtra], ten fascicles (the title reads *Daji jing yuezang fen*; also in twelve fascicles or fifteen fascicles, or simply called *Yuezang jing*; produced in the second year of Tiantong at Tianping Temple)
*Daji xumizang jing* [Sūryagarbha-sūtra], two fascicles (the inner title reads *Dacheng daji jing xumizang fen di shiwu*, or simply called *Xumizang jing*; produced in the ninth year of Tianbao at Tianping Temple)
*Dabei jing* [Mahākāruṇika-sūtra], five fascicles (produced in the ninth year of Tianbao at Tianping Temple; the Da Zhou Catalogue states that it is an extraction from the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra*)
*Yuedeng sanmei jing* [Samādhirāja-candrapradīpa-sūtra], eleven fascicles (also in ten fascicles; produced in the eighth year of Tianbao at Tianping Temple)
*Shideng gongde jing* [*Dīpapradānīya-sūtra*], one fascicle (also named *Randeng jing*; produced in the ninth year of Tianbao at Tianping Temple)
*Fasheng apitan xin lun jing* [*Abhidharma-hṛdaya-vyākhyā*], six fascicles (composed by the venerable Upasanta; also in seven fascicles, or without the word *jing*, or without the word *Fasheng*, or with the words *bieyi* [different translation] added, or called *Fasheng apitan lun*; produced in the second year of Heqing at Tianping Temple; all seen in the Changfang Catalogue)

The above seven works, fifty-one fascicles, are all extant in their original texts.

The śramaṇa Narendrayaśas, translated in Qi as Zuncheng ("Honourable Fame"), was a native of the country of Uḍḍiyāna in Northern India. The correct pronunciation should be Wu-tu (tu is pronounced *chi-ye* [ḍhya]; Master Xuanzang says it is Udyāna, translated in Tang as "park", meaning the former garden and park of a Cakravartin king).
Its king shared the same clan with the Buddha, also bearing the surname Śākya, belonging to the kṣatriya caste (in Qi translated as "lords of the land"; because at the beginning of the kalpa, they were first established as lords dividing the land, they were accordingly so designated; they are what are now called monarchs and kings). At the age of seventeen, [Narendrayaśas] resolved to leave home. Soon he met famous teachers and heard the orthodox teachings in full. At twenty-one, he received full ordination. Hearing various elders extolling the Buddha's illustrious traces—some saying that a certain country possessed the alms bowl, another country possessed the robe, the parietal bone, or the teeth, with manifold supernatural manifestations—he thereupon gave rise to the wish to go and pay homage. As he had newly received the precepts and needed to learn the aspects of the vinaya, upon completing five summer retreats, he set forth to travel abroad. Hence the traces of the heavenly ladder and stone platforms, and the regions of dragon shrines and precious stūpas, he widely traversed throughout the various countries, bowing to them in person with virtually none omitted. He once resided at the Bamboo Grove Monastery for ten years, making rounds through monastic residences and meeting many men of illustrious virtue. A venerable one, profoundly discerning human capacities, saw him and said to Yaśas: "If you can cultivate in quietude, you ought to attain the holy fruit. I fear that if you wander and travel, in the end you will accomplish nothing." Although he heard this on that day, his mind did not understand it; reflecting on it in later years, how could regret avail? Yaśas left the Snow Mountains behind in the north and went all the way to Siṃhala in the south. Having toured the holy sites, he then returned to his homeland.
Thereupon he beheld the king of Uḍḍiyāna, who was truly a great being; among all he had witnessed, few were his peer. Let us attempt to relate this briefly. He governed the people according to principle, and the people loved him like a father. In the fifth watch of the late night, he first paid homage to the Three Jewels, offering incense, flowers, and instrumental music with utmost sincerity. When the sun rose, he ascended the throne to review the myriad affairs of state. Then, when the *chen* hour arrived, he bathed the Buddha statues with fragrant water. In the palace, a meal was constantly provided daily for a hundred monks; the king and queen personally served the food with their own hands. After the meal, to digest the food he practiced various martial arts. As the sun began to decline, he would copy ten lines of sūtras. Together with monks of virtue, he would discuss the meaning of the Dharma, and further deliberate on governance with his ministers. At dusk, he entered the Buddha hall to personally tend to the lamps and candles. Worship and recitation each had their fixed rules. Only after completing his regular tasks would he retire to rest. For over thirty years, this practice never flagged. The king had a hundred sons, whose hearts were filled with sincere filial devotion. The surviving custom of the Śākya clan thus continued to flow in this country.
Yet, because a monastery adjacent to a mountain knoll was burned down by a wild fire, monks were dispatched in all directions to seek aid. Six companions went proselytizing north of the Snow Mountains. Reaching a precipitous crest, they saw two paths, one of humans and one of spirits. The human path was barren and perilous, while the spirits' path was smooth and accessible. Travelers, confused in mind, often took the spirits' path; upon gradually entering that realm, they would be slain. Long ago, a sage king had erected a stone statue of the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa at the head of the path, with its hand pointing to the human path. One monk among his companions mistakenly took the spirits' path. When Yaśas realized this, he chanted the divine dhāraṇī of Avalokiteśvara. Catching up with him after a hundred paces, [the monk] had already been killed by spirits. Yaśas, by virtue of the power of the dhāraṇī, escaped this disaster and consequently went forward. He also encountered mountain bandits; focusing solely on reciting the previous dhāraṇī, he received spiritual protection. When the bandits charged, they could not see him though facing him. Following the road eastward, he reached the country of the Rouran. Encountering the turmoil of the Turks, the western road was blocked, and his hope of returning home was cut off. Following the wanderings of exile, he reached the north, beside the Mud Sea, separated southward from the Turks by more than seven thousand *li*. Since that place was unstable, he went far away to seek refuge in the Qi realm.
In the seventh year of Tianbao, he arrived at the capital of Ye. Emperor Wenxuan (Gao Yang) granted him extraordinary courtesy, far exceeding that of ordinary people. Yaśas was then forty years of age; upright, stalwart, and elegant, he was criticized by popular opinion. Because of this, Emperor Wenxuan accorded him grand and profound courtesy, placing him in Tianping Temple and requesting him to serve as a translation Tripiṭaka master. Over a thousand bundles of Sanskrit manuscripts from the palace were ordered to be delivered to the temple, and he was provided with upper quarters. A bodhimaṇḍa was established for him, supplied with exquisite treasures, and a separate kitchen and storehouse were set up to show reverence. From the eighth year of Tianbao (*dingchou*) under Emperor Wenxuan to the fourth year of Tiantong (*wuzi*) under Gao Wei (without posthumous title), at Tianping Temple in the city of Ye, Yaśas translated seven works including the *Pusa jianshi jing* [Bodhisattvagocaropāyaviṣaya-vikurvāṇa-nirdeśa-sūtra]. By imperial decree, the Controller-in-chief of Monks, śramaṇa Fashang, and more than twenty others supervised the translation. The Metropolitan Controller of Monks, Gautama Prajñāruci's eldest son, śramaṇa Dharmajyoti (in Qi translated as Fazhi), and layman Wan Tianyi transmitted the speech. In the Qi era, Yaśas greatly promoted the true Dharma and broadened the minds of the multitude. Emperor Wenxuan held the Dharma in profound respect, personally paying homage to the Sanskrit texts, and remarked to his ministers: "This is the vast foundation of the Three Jewels, which is why I particularly revere it." Such were his devotion, faith, and sincerity.
In the intervals of translation, Yaśas often recited divine dhāraṇīs, providing unseen relief and manifest assistance, accomplishing great merit. Before long, he was appointed Metropolitan Controller of Monks, and soon promoted to Controller-in-chief. The offerings and stipends he received were not kept for personal use; he loved practicing benevolence and delighted in cultivating merits. He provided offerings to feed the monks, gave charity to the poor and destitute, and delivered both imprisoned criminals and caged animals. In bustling marketplaces and noisy crossroads, he dug many public charity wells, personally filtering the water to supply living beings. Furthermore, in the western mountains of Jijun, he founded three temples, relying on springs and nestled by valleys, constructed with the utmost scenic beauty. He also took in those afflicted with leprosy, establishing separate quarters for men and women, ensuring the four requisites were fully supplied. Moreover, he visited the hostel of the Turks, exhorting them to observe the six days of purification, cease slaughtering sheep, release living creatures, and adopt a vegetarian diet. Once, he fell ill and was bedridden for a hundred days; the Emperor and Empress personally inquired after his health. Yaśas sighed, saying: "I was originally a foreign guest whose virtuous conduct is not high. That the imperial carriage descends now is solely out of reverence for the Dharma." Looking inward, he was filled with mixed feelings of shame and fear. Later, in the Sui dynasty, Yaśas translated further sūtras, all recorded in the Sui Catalogue as described therein.

*Zunsheng pusa suowen yiqie zhufa ru wuliangmen tuoluoni jing* [*Anantamukha-nirhāra-dhāraṇī*], one fascicle (third translation; same original text as the *Wu aiji chi famen jing* and others; also simply called *Zunsheng pusa suowen jing*, and also simply *Ru wuliangmen tuoluoni jing*)

The above one work, one fascicle, is presently extant in its original text.

Layman Wan Tianyi was originally surnamed Tuoba, a native of Yunzhong in the Northern Dai. When the Wei divided into the ten clans, he became of the Moqi clan. His family had resided in Luoyang for generations, so he was also a native of Henan. Later, he simply took the surname Wan. In his youth, he had left home to study under a Brahmin. Intelligent, resolute, and capable, he was skilled in Sanskrit script and language, and also adept at incantations. Because of this, he answered the summons and was included among the translators. During the Heqing reign of Emperor Wucheng (Gao Zhan), Tianyi independently translated one work, the *Zunsheng pusa suowen jing*, in the capital of Ye, as seen in the Changfang Catalogue.