開元釋教錄 7.8

7.8

The Chen dynasty śramaṇa Kulanātha (38 works in 118 fascicles: sūtras, vinaya, śāstras, and compilations).
Prince Upasūnyā (1 work in 7 fascicles: sūtra).
Śramaṇa Subhūti (1 work in 8 fascicles: sūtra).

Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra, 1 fascicle (Third translation; same text as those produced by Kumārajīva of the Yao Qin and [Bodhi]ruci of the Northern Wei).
Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra, 1 fascicle (This is an alternate translation of the first five chapters of the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra, issued as the first fascicle; this sūtra is not the complete text, Paramārtha having produced an abridgement only to establish the doctrine).
Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra Commentary, 1 fascicle (Explains the Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra).
Eighteen Emptinesses Treatise, 1 fascicle.
Mahāyānasaṃgraha, 3 fascicles (Composed by Bodhisattva Asaṅga; second translation; same text as that translated by Buddhasānta and others of the Northern Wei; translated in the fourth year of Tianjia at Zhizhi Monastery in Guangzhou, with Huikai recording the brush).
Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya, 15 fascicles (Commentary by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu; also titled Commentary Treatise, or in 12 fascicles; same text as that produced by [Jñāna]gupta and others of the Sui; first translation; produced in the fourth year of Tianjia at Zhizhi Monastery in Guangzhou, with Huikai recording the brush).
Buddha-Nature Treatise, 4 fascicles (Composed by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu).
Madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya, 2 fascicles (Composed by Vasubandhu; or in 3 fascicles; produced in Linchuan Commandery; first translation; same text as the Tang translation Madhyāntavibhāga-kārikā-bhāṣya).
Manifestation of Consciousness Treatise, 1 fascicle (The inner title reads 'Manifestation of Consciousness Chapter'; extracted from the Formless Treatise; the title attributes the translation to Paramārtha; newly appended here).
Transformation of Consciousness Treatise, 1 fascicle (Extracted from the preceding Manifestation of Consciousness Treatise; the title attributes the translation to Paramārtha; newly appended here).
Vijñaptimātratā Treatise, 1 fascicle (Composed by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu; the beginning reads: 'Cultivating the path does not share in others...'; translated in Linchuan Commandery; second translation; same text as that produced by Prajñāruci and others of the Northern Wei).
Ratnāvalī-rāja-parikathā, 1 fascicle.
Three Natures Treatise, 2 fascicles (Extracted from the Formless Treatise; or in 1 fascicle).
Formless Contemplation of the Dust Treatise, 1 fascicle (First translation; same text as the Tang translation Ālambanaparīkṣā; see Jingmai's Sūtra Charts and Neidian Lu).
Treatise on Unrolling, 1 fascicle (First translation; same text as the Tang translation Hastavāla-prakaraṇa by Yijing; see Jingmai's Sūtra Charts and Neidian Lu).
Arthavistara-dharmaparyāya-sūtra, 1 fascicle (Third translation; same text as the Universal Dharma-Meaning Sūtra produced by An Shigao of the Han; the title indicates it is an extracted translation of a chapter of the Madhyama-āgama; translated on the tenth day of the eleventh month in the fourth year of Tianjia at Zhizhi Monastery in Guangzhou).
Buddha Abhidharma Sūtra, 2 fascicles (Also titled Treatise; the catalogues state 9 fascicles, but now there are only 2 scrolls, the reason being unclear; moreover, the Neidian Lu additionally records a Buddha Abhidharma in 1 fascicle, which is incorrect).
Vinaya Twenty-Two Clear Treatise, 1 fascicle (Also directly called Clear Treatise; extracted from the Prātimokṣa-śāstra of the Saṃmatīya school; composed by Dharma Master Jñānagupta [Buddhaprabha]; translated in Guangzhou on the twentieth day of the first month in the second year of Guangda, with the śramaṇa Huikai recording the brush).
Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya, 22 fascicles (Composed by Vasubandhu; first translation; same text as the Tang translation Abhidharmakośa; produced at Zhizhi Monastery from the twenty-fifth day of the first month in the fourth year of Tianjia, completed on the tenth day of the intercalary tenth month; further collated on the second day of the twelfth month in the fifth year, and completed on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the first year of Guangda).
Accommodating Characteristics Treatise, 1 fascicle (Or called Guṇamati's Accommodating Characteristics Treatise; composed by Dharma Master Guṇamati [Dehui]; or in 2 fascicles).
Lokasthiti-abhidharma-śāstra, 10 fascicles (The title reads Lokasthiti Abhidharma Storehouse, or without the word 'Treatise'; also titled Sūtra of the Record of Heaven and Earth; produced in the third year of Yongding; the catalogues state 15 fascicles, which is unclear).
Four Truths Treatise, 4 fascicles (Composed by Vasubhadra).
Nikāyabhedavibhaṅga-śāstra, 1 fascicle (Also titled Samayabhedoparacanacakra-śāstra; second translation; same text as the Eighteen Schools Treatise and Samayabhedoparacanacakra).
Biography of Dharma Master Vasubandhu, 1 fascicle (Translated here as Tianqin; second translation).
Golden Seventy Treatise, 3 fascicles (Composed by the non-Buddhist sage Kapila, elucidating the twenty-five principles, that is, the Sāṃkhya; or in 2 fascicles; Fei Zhangfang and other catalogues separately preserving a Sāṃkhya Treatise in 3 fascicles is incorrect, for the Sanskrit name Sāṃkhya is here translated as 'enumeration').
Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-śāstra, 1 fascicle.
Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra-śāstra, 1 fascicle (Or without the word 'pari'; second translation).
Treatise on Refuting Objections, 1 fascicle (It is now suspected to be the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra currently in the canon, as its chapter title is 'Tattvasiddhi-śāstra: Chapter on Refuting Objections and Difficulties').
Treatise on Incurring Defeat, 1 fascicle.
Treatise on Fulfilling the Three Vehicles, 1 fascicle.
Treatise on Expounding Right Principles, 1 fascicle.
Treatise on Mental Karma, 1 fascicle.
Great Emptiness Treatise, 3 fascicles (Produced at Xiyin Monastery in Yuzhang).
Saṃkṣipta-vinaya, 1 fascicle (Translated into Chen as 'General Summary').
Abhidharmakośa Verses, 1 fascicle (First translation; same text as the Tang translation Abhidharmakośa-kārikā; produced at Zhizhi Monastery in the fourth year of Tianjia).
Abhidharmakośa Basic Text, 6 fascicles (Based on the basic text of the treatise, it is the preceding verses; now it is referred to again as the basic text, the reason being unclear).
Translations of Foreign Languages, 7 fascicles (Also titled Causes and Conditions of the Kośa Treatise, or Miscellaneous Matters).
Method for Cultivating Dhyāna-Meditation, 1 fascicle (Except for 4 works, the other 34 works appear in Fei Zhangfang's catalogue).

The above 38 works in 118 fascicles (From the Golden Seventy Treatise upwards, 25 works in 82 fascicles are extant; from the Diamond Treatise downwards, 13 works in 36 fascicles are lost).

Śramaṇa Kulanātha, translated into Chen as 'Dear Reliance', or called Paramārtha, here translated as 'Ultimate Truth'; both are Sanskrit names. He was originally a native of Ujjayinī in Western India. In the second year of Taiqing of Emperor Wu of the Liang, he arrived in Jianye. Soon, amid the collapse and chaos of the late Liang, he was unable to promulgate [the Dharma]. Although he translated sūtras and śāstras, he wandered without stable support. Reaching the second year of Yongding of Emperor Wu of the Chen, in the seventh month, he returned to Yuzhang and also went up to the commanderies of Linchuan and Jin'an. Although Paramārtha transmitted sūtras and śāstras, the Way was impaired; separated from his original intentions, they could not be realized. Observing the disposition of the land, he wished to board a ship for the country of Laṅkāśuka. Clergy and laity reverently beseeched him and bound themselves by vows to detain him. Unable to avoid popular criticism, he remained in Nanyue. Thereupon, together with veteran elders of the former Liang, he re-examined what had been translated; wherever the text and meaning diverged, he refined and unified them so that beginning and end were harmoniously consistent. In the fourth year of Tianjia of Emperor Wen, śramaṇas Sengzong, Fazhun, and Vinaya Master Sengren of Jianyuan Monastery in the capital Yangzhou, all leaders of Jianye, reverently admired the new teachings, and thus travelled far across the Yangtze to personally receive his esteemed instruction. Delighted by their purpose, Paramārtha translated the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and other treatises for them. Over the course of two full years, he composed commentaries and unraveled the fundamental tenets. Yet, adrift and precarious, his heart had no resting place. He then boarded a small boat to Liang'an Commandery and prepared a large ship intending to return to the western lands. His disciples pursued him in continuous succession to hold him back. The Commandery Governor Wang Wanshe, expressing the collective sentiments of the community, renewed the invitation. Paramārtha again accommodated human affairs, temporarily resting at the coastal border, awaiting travelers and packing baggage without thinking of settling down. In the ninth month of the third year, setting out from Liang'an, his vessel sailed west; but karmic winds drove his fate, drifting him back to Guangzhou. In the middle of the twelfth month, he landed on the southern shore. Commandery Inspector Ouyang Mu welcomed and invited him to stay at Zhizhi Monastery, requesting him to translate new texts. Considering these karmic conditions and seeing no hope of returning west, Paramārtha, together with the śramaṇa Huikai and others, translated the Arthavistara-dharmaparyāya-sūtra, the Vijñaptimātratā Treatise, and other texts. Later, Duke Mu died, and his heir He again acted as the dānapati to promote the transmission of sūtras and śāstras; Paramārtha consented at that time as well. His divine thoughts were subtle and penetrating, beyond ordinary measure. Once, staying at a secluded location on an isolated river islet, He went to visit him; the mountain was steep and the surges violent, so that no one dared venture across. Paramārtha then spread out his sitting mat upon the water and sat cross-legged upon it as if boarding a boat. Floating over the waves, he reached the shore. After he disembarked and received the visitor, the mat was completely dry and spread out as usual. At other times, he would skim across the water riding on a lotus leaf. There were many such miraculous events. In the sixth month of the second year of Guangda, weary of the superficial world and fatigued in body and mind, Paramārtha felt that nothing was better than donning the principle to nurture the spirit and taking early rebirth in a superior land. He thus entered the northern mountains of Nanhai intending to give up his life. At that time Zhikai was lecturing on the Kośa; hearing the news, he hurried over, and clergy and laity rushed forth in succession along the mountains and rivers. The Commandery Inspector also dispatched guards to intercept and prevent him, personally prostrating and begging him to stay for three days. Only then did Paramārtha soften his original intent, whereupon they welcomed him back to stay at Wangyuan Monastery. At that time, Zong, Kai, and the other monks wished to invite him back to Jianye. However, those in the capital, worried about being overshadowed in renown, memorialized the throne, saying: 'The various texts translated in the Lingnan region mostly elucidate formlessness and consciousness-only; their teachings contradict the art of governance and obstruct the national ethos. They should not be admitted to the central lands, but may circulate in the wild marches.' The Emperor agreed. Therefore, the new texts of Nanhai were kept hidden during the Chen dynasty. In the first year of Taijian, he fell ill for a short while; his parting words were stern and upright, instructing on causes and effects across several sheets of paper. He entrusted the writings to his disciple Zhixiu. At noon on the eleventh day of the first month, he passed away at the age of seventy-one. On the following day, his body was cremated at Chaoting and a stūpa was erected. On the thirteenth day, Sengzong, Fazhun, and the others each took sūtras and śāstras and returned to Mount Lu. Since Paramārtha came to the Eastern Xia, although he extensively translated numerous sūtras, his principal focus was on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. Therefore, those investigating the doctrinal meaning who survey his translations as a whole will find that they illuminate one another, unfolded in glorious brilliance. Thus, wherever he translated and transmitted, he personally issued commentaries. From the second year of Yongding of Emperor Wu of the Chen (wuyin) to the first year of Taijian of Emperor Xiaoxuan (yichou), Paramārtha further translated thirty-eight works, including the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra, slightly embellishing them with refined phrasing, which flourished brilliantly under the Sui and Tang; these are seen in Cao Pi's Separate Chronology, Fei Zhangfang's Catalogue of the Sui, the Neidian Lu of the Tang, and others. The remaining untranslated Sanskrit texts on palm-leaf bundles numbered 240 packets; if translated according to Chen paper, they would amount to over 20,000 fascicles. What has currently been translated is merely the text of a few packets, all kept in Zhizhi and Wangyuan monasteries in Guangzhou. From this, one knows that the vastness of the Dharma treasure certainly resides in Central India, while petty capacity of comprehension truly belongs to the Eastern Xia. How is this demonstrated? The translated canon currently contains over 4,000 fascicles; yet once born, people cast them aside, and those who study them are exceedingly rare. Measuring their minds by this, the truth is evident. Earlier, when Paramārtha transmitted the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, Sengzong and Huikai devoted their minds, exhaustively investigating the doctrinal source and evaluating its tenets. After dwelling on it for a long time, while weary and exhausted, they continued each other's efforts; Paramārtha also expounded it face-to-face, with principles yielding no doubt. One day, the weather was bitterly cold, and his garments were thin and coarse; he endured the shivering through the night. The disciples sat at his side, and Kai and others stood quietly throughout the night attending and inquiring of him. After prolonged conversation in noisy intimacy, they occasionally dozed off; Kai quietly covered Paramārtha's feet with a robe. Paramārtha secretly realized this and pulled it to the ground. Such was his frugality and contentment. Kai served him as before, growing ever closer with time. On another day, Paramārtha sighed heavily, his indignant breath bursting forth three times. Kai asked the reason, and he replied: 'Your sincere devotion to the True Dharma truly matches its transmission; I only regret that propagating the Dharma is not timely, frustrating our original purpose.' Kai heard this as if choking; after a long while, tears and voice broke forth together. Kneeling, he addressed him: 'The Great Dharma transcends dust and reaches far to China; if sentient beings have no affinity, should it just be buried?' Paramārtha pointed to the northwest with his finger and said: 'In that direction lies a great empire, neither near nor far; after our passing, it will flourish greatly there. I only sigh that I will not see its rise.' This is verified by the present wide dissemination of the Faxiang school across time. Later chroniclers, considering their miraculous capacities to be disparate, falsely conceived divergent views; knowing or not knowing consciousness, how can one not feel regret?
Anuttarāśraya-sūtra, 2 fascicles (According to the postscript of the sūtra, it was translated during the Liang dynasty, and is now placed in the Liang catalogue). Furthermore, in catalogues such as those by Zhangfang and the Neidian Lu, there are an additional 13 works in 108 fascicles, including the Right Doctrine Commentary and others; they are all commentaries on the meaning of sūtras and śāstras composed by Paramārtha rather than translated from Sanskrit manuscripts, so they are excised and not recorded. Moreover, the Neidian Lu records the Awakening of Faith under both the Liang and Chen dynasties, which is incorrect.

Suvikrāntavikrami-paripṛcchā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, 7 fascicles (First translation; same text as the sixth assembly of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra).
The above 1 work in 7 fascicles is currently extant.

Prince Upasūnyā, translated into Chen as 'High Emptiness', was the son of the king of Ujjayinī in Central India. From the Wei to the Liang, his translation activities never ceased. In the sixth month of the second year of Taiqing of the Liang, the Khotanese śramaṇa Guṇabhadra (translated into Chen as 'Virtuous Worthy') brought a Sanskrit manuscript of the Suvikrāntavikrami-paripṛcchā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 16 chapters and first arrived in Jianye. Upasūnyā unexpectedly saw that Guṇabhadra had this classic, and reverently longed for it in his heart as if facing the true Buddha; he therefore beseeched him, dedicating his life to propagating it. Guṇabhadra praised his noble conduct and generously bestowed it upon him. Upasūnyā obtained and preserved it as a rare encounter. Encountering the rebellion of Hou Jing, he had no leisure to translate and transmit it; he carried it upon his back from east to west, reciting and making offerings to it. What the people desire, Heaven will surely grant. Then it coincided with the Chen dynasty establishing hegemony in Jianye; Upasūnyā, carrying his satchel and holding the sūtra, arrived from afar. The Jiangzhou Regional Inspector and Grand Master of Equal Splendor, Huang Faqu, thirsted for the Mahāyāna and protected the True Dharma. On the twenty-third day, guimao, of the seventh month whose first day was xinhai, in the sixth year of Tianjia of Emperor Wen (yiyou), he invited Upasūnyā to the prefectural hall to briefly introduce the preface and establish an unrestricted great assembly. The four assemblies gathered like clouds, numbering over five thousand people. Shi Sengguo of Mount Lu and distinguished scholars from near and far, whose learning surpassed the hundred schools and who were thoroughly versed in the five divisions, each presented difficult questions in abundance, all of which melted away like ice. On the twenty-ninth day of that month, they returned to Xingye Monastery. When the ghaṇṭā sounded, the assembly of monks gathered. Upasūnyā personally held the Sanskrit text and translated it into the Chen language. Shi Zhixin of Aśoka Monastery in Yangzhou, who was temporarily traveling in Pengli, submitted his heart to the supreme teaching, listening attentively and noting it with his brush; dare he miss a single word, he reviewed it repeatedly. It was compiled into 7 fascicles. On the eighteenth day of the ninth month of that year, the sentences and phrases were completed. The Jiangzhou Monastic Rectifier Shi Huigong, thoroughly versed in the three trainings, supervised the work from beginning to end. The details are recorded in the preface to the sūtra and in Fei Zhangfang's and other catalogues. Upasūnyā, through his single person, fully traversed successive eras, propagating translations consecutively through the Northern Wei, Liang, and Chen; his end was subsequently unknown.

Mahāmegha-sūtra [Mahāyāna-ratnamegha-sūtra], 8 fascicles (Second translation; same text as the seven-fascicle Ratnamegha by Mandrasena of the Liang and the ten-fascicle Ratnamegha translated under the Tang; seen in the catalogue of Yicheng Monastery).
The above 1 work in 8 fascicles is lost.

Śramaṇa Subhūti, translated into Chen as 'Good Appearance', or 'Good Auspiciousness', or also 'Good Karma', was a native of the Funan kingdom. His comprehension was extraordinary, and his literary elegance surpassed the worldly. Untiring in transforming beings, he traveled abroad and reached this land. Inside the capital Yangzhou, at Zhijing Monastery, he translated one work, the Mahāyāna-ratnamegha-sūtra, for the ruler of the Chen.