貞元新定釋教目錄 12.18

12.18

The Heavenly Emperor wrote an imperial rescript rejecting and disallowing it. In the second month of the third year, he accompanied the imperial cortege back to the capital. In the autumn, in the seventh month, Ximing Monastery was completed, and an imperial decree directed the Dharma Master to reside there, ordering that he be provided with one high-grade lodging and ten newly ordained śrāmaṇeras, such as Haihui, to serve as disciples. Because the Dharma Master was held in high regard by the preceding dynasty, the Heavenly Emperor treated him with even greater reverent respect after ascending the throne; internal emissaries and court officials inquired after and comforted him without cessation. The eastern land esteemed Prajñā; although previous ages had translated it, the text was incomplete. The multitude again requested a detailed and thorough retranslation. However, the Prajñā corpus was vast; the capital had many distractions, and moreover human life is impermanent, so it was feared it would be difficult to bring to completion. He requested to proceed to Yuhua Palace to translate it. Thereupon, in the tenth month, in the winter of the fourth year, he moved to Yuhua Palace, and the bhadantas of the translation bureau as well as his disciples went together with him, all their provisions and matters being just as in the capital. Upon arriving there, they were accommodated in the Suchengyuan. On the first day of the first month, in the spring of the fifth year, he began translating the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra. The Indic text contained two hundred thousand verses in total, spoken by the Buddha in four locations across sixteen assemblies. As the text was immense, his students frequently requested abridgement, eliminating redundancies as Kumārajīva's translation had done. As the Dharma Master was about to yield to the multitude's wishes, he experienced in a night dream extremely terrifying events by way of warning. Upon waking, alarmed and frightened, he spoke of it to the multitude, returning to translation according to the full version. That night, he saw supreme auspicious portents of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Awakening with joy and celebration, he dared not abridge it any further. On the twentieth day of the tenth month of the third year of Longshuo, the work was finished and his brush laid down, forming six hundred fascicles in all. Joining his palms in delight, he addressed his disciples, saying: 'This sūtra has affinity with this land. That Xuanzang came here to Yuhua is due to the power of this sūtra. Had I remained in the capital, entangled and distracted by various conditions, how could it ever have been finished? That it is now completed is entirely due to the unseen aid of the Buddhas and the protection of the dragons and devas. This is indeed a wondrous scripture that protects the state and a great treasure of humans and gods. You disciples should all leap for joy and celebrate.' In the interim, he also translated the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi, the Madhyāntavibhāga, the Viṃśikāvijnaptimātratāsiddhi, the Prakaraṇapāda-śāstra, and others. On the twenty-second day of the eleventh month, he commanded his disciple Kuiji to present a memorial reporting this to the throne, requesting an imperially authored preface to the sūtra. On the seventh day of the twelfth month, the Gentleman for Communications Feng Yixuan proclaimed an imperial decree granting permission. On the first day of the first month of the first year of Linde, the translation bhadantas and the assembly of Yuhua Monastery earnestly requested the translation of the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra. Seeing the focused earnestness of the monks, the Dharma Master translated a few lines after a moment's hesitation, then folded the Indic text, halted, and addressed the assembly, saying: 'The fascicles of this scripture are equal to those of the Mahāprajñā[pāramitā-sūtra]. Xuanzang measures his own strength and energy as no longer capable of this. From the nineteenth year of Zhenguan, yisi, when Xuanzang first opened the Indic texts at Hongfu Monastery, until the first year of Linde, jiazi, ending at Yuhua Palace Monastery, twenty years have passed in all. I have translated seventy-five works of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras, vinayas, and śāstras, totaling one thousand three hundred and thirty-five fascicles. In addition, I separately compiled one work, the Xiyu ji. Since the completion of the Prajñā translation, I have only applied myself diligently to practicing the Path, paying homage, and repenting.' He addressed the translation monks and his disciples, saying: 'Conditioned phenomena must inevitably return to destruction. How could this bubble-like, illusory physical body remain for long? My age is sixty-five; I will surely pass away at Yuhua. Those who have doubts regarding the sūtras and śāstras may ask them quickly now.' He also said to his disciples: 'My coming to Yuhua was originally on account of the Prajñā. Now that the affair of the sūtra is ended, my life is also at its close. After my impermanence, in laying me to rest you should follow frugality: you may wrap and send me off in a coarse bamboo mat, and select an isolated place in a mountain ravine to place me, not near palaces or monasteries. An impure body should be kept far away.' When the disciples heard this, none failed to choke with grief. Throughout his life, Xuanzang had always vowed to be reborn with Maitreya, and while traveling the Western Regions he had heard that the brothers Asaṅga had both been born in that heaven. Moreover, he frequently prayed and supplicated, and had clear confirmations; cherishing this single-minded devotion, he was all the more spurred on, vowing rebirth through all the merits he produced. On the ninth day of the first month, he stumbled and injured his shin, whereupon he took to his bed with illness. Opening or closing his eyes, he saw a great lotus flower, fresh and white, approaching. He also saw magnificent signs, knowing he would be born before the Buddha. He then ordered the monk Xishang to read aloud the titles of the sūtras and śāstras he had translated, as well as his making of images, copying of sūtras, almsgiving to monks, relieving the destitute, lighting lamps, and releasing living beings. Having had all of this read out completely, he felt joy within himself. He summoned all disciples with whom he had affinity to assemble. Thereupon, he gave away all his robes and property, ordering further image-making, recitation of scriptures, and vegetarian feast donations. He also ordered the sculptor Zong Fazhi to erect the framework of a Bodhi image in Jiashou Hall. Having bidden farewell to the monastery monks and his disciples and dispatched his memorial, he then silently recollected Maitreya. He also had the bystanders chant verses of aspiration for rebirth. On the fourth day of the second month, lying on his right side with his legs overlapped, his right hand supporting his head and his left hand extended along his thigh, he did not turn over even until the final breath. Taking neither drink nor food, in the middle of the night on the fifth day, his disciple Guang and others asked: 'Will the Upādhyāya definitely be reborn into Maitreya's inner assembly?' He replied: 'I will be reborn.' Having spoken, his breath gradually weakened, and in a short while his spirit departed. The attendants did not even realize he had drawn his last breath. Only then did they find that from his feet he gradually cooled, with the crown of his head warm last. His facial color was white and red, happier than usual. Even after forty-nine days, there was no change whatsoever, nor any unusual odor. If not for the adornment of concentration and wisdom, and the sustenance and covering of the fragrance of the precepts, who could attain this? Furthermore, there were numerous unseen responses, fully detailed in his separate biography, which are omitted here. At that time, Dou Shilun, the Prefect of Fangzhou, memorialized that the Dharma Master had passed away. When the Emperor heard it, he was struck with profound grief and mourned him, suspending court business for his sake and saying: 'We have lost the jewel of the state!' At that time, none among the civil and military ministers failed to weep and shed tears. Having spoken, the Emperor choked with grief, overcome with sorrow. The next day, he again said to his ministers: 'Alas! That within Our state We have lost this one man, Dharma Master Xuanzang, may truly be called the collapse of the ridgepole of the Śākya assembly! The four modes of birth are left without a guide! How does it differ from a boat suddenly sinking just as it crosses the ocean of suffering, or a lamp and torch being extinguished while the dark chamber is still obscure?' Having spoken, the Emperor sighed with regret and unhappiness. Soon an imperial decree was issued to transfer the sacred coffin back to the capital and place it in Cien Monastery, all burial necessities to be supplied by the state. An imperial decree also permitted the monks and nuns of the capital to carry banners and canopies escorting it to the burial site on the day of interment. The Dharma Master's cultivation was flourishing and his virtue high; because he was deeply mourned by an enlightened age, favors were repeatedly bestowed upon him after his death, surpassing any ancient precedent. Thereupon, white canopies and white banners gathered like clouds floating in the sky; mournful pipes and mournful Sanskrit chants held back humans and spirits. The fourfold laity were chilled with grief over it, and the seven assemblies lamented his passing. On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, he was buried on Bailuyuan, east of the Chan River, across forty li. White and black garments filled the place. His mound was close to that of his elder brother, the Venerable Jie. The lofty white pagoda shone near the imperial city; often seen from within the forbidden palace, it frequently grieved the sacred heart. On the eighth day of the fourth month of the first year of Zongzhang, an imperial decree ordered his reburial on the northern plain of the Fan River; coordination with the prefecture and county supplied official laborers, and they took him out again. The multitude all marveled: having been buried for a long time, his physical appearance was just as before. If not sustained by the power of vows, how could this be achieved? The Dharma Master was seven feet tall, with a broad physique, a fair and rosy complexion, clear and well-spaced brows and eyes, and a dignified and composed bearing. His discourse was refined and brilliant, his voice and phrasing resonant and far-reaching, making listeners never weary and beholders forget their fatigue. Whether among his disciples or before honored guests, he would sit for half a day without ever shifting his posture. His clothing was merely kāṣāya, tailored only from fine cotton cloth, fittingly moderate in length and breadth. He walked with graceful ease, looking straight ahead without glancing about. Majestic as the Yangzi River coursing across the earth, radiant as a lotus resting upon the water. Furthermore, his discipline in the precepts was upright and steadfast, consistent from beginning to end; his resolution to preserve them exceeded that of guarding a floating bladder, and the firmness of his reverence surpassed that of the grass-bound [monk]. By nature he loved tranquility and simplicity, disliking social intercourse; once entering the bodhimaṇḍa, he would not leave unless by imperial command. Moreover, it is said that in the height of summer his body was free of perspiration, and in the depth of winter his countenance showed no distress; he did not slouch, stretch, yawn, or sneeze. Indeed, one cannot fathom what stage of sage or saint he might be ranked with! Furthermore, when he manifested illness at the Northern Palace, omens and responses were manifold; on the day of his demise, his countenance was cheerful and relaxed, which is also difficult to fathom. More than a month after his demise, a person arrived carrying sandalwood powder, requesting to smear the Tripiṭaka master's body according to Western methods. The assembly refused to permit it. The person assumed an angry expression and said: 'This disciple has separately received an imperial directive. If you masters do not allow it, please record a written statement to report to the throne.' The assembly complied. When the coffin was opened and the shrouds uncovered, people noticed an extraordinary fragrance, like the scent of lotuses. In mutual astonishment, they all confirmed it was so. The person slowly gathered the burial garments, leaving only the undergarments. Seeing the Tripiṭaka master's countenance as if alive, the crowd wept bitterly and gazed together. After the person finished anointing with incense, dressing, shrouding, and closing the coffin, he suddenly vanished from sight. The assembly suspected he was a divine being. Furthermore, in examining his words and observing his conduct, his reputation and reality matched each other. Rigorous from morning to evening, calculating the hours and dividing his tasks, he was devout and untiring, dedicated to Dharmic undertakings. In speech he harbored no pursuit of fame or profit; in conduct he was entirely free of shallowness and vanity. Discerning dispositions with subtlety, he understood the nature of beings well; neither haughty nor fawning, his actions and retirements were timely. Expressing profound principles, his eloquence resolved doubts and debates. Truly he was an eminent sage of his era, a Dharma general of the Śākya gate! Moreover, when he first dispelled ignorance and entered the Dharma, he was singularly distinct from the common run. Listening to and studying sūtras and śāstras were his constant duties. Having traveled throughout the eastern realm, drawing from various masters, opening his heart and exhausting their subtle meanings, none failed to pour out their learning and draw closer to this seat of study. He was then able, undaunted by tens of thousands [of li], to seek the supreme Dharma, vowing to sacrifice his physical life with the definite meeting as his goal. Setting out from Zhangye, he traveled through Longsha; encountering dangers and hardships along the way, his body and mind were almost extinguished. Having reached Gaochang, his renown shone all the more; transmission through states and farewell escorts were fully provided with ceremonial honors. His route crossed the Iron Gate and Stone Gate; in person he traversed sandy ridges and snowy peaks. Passing through celestial perils, his determination grew ever more heroic; encountering ferocious bandits, his spirit became all the more courageous. In addition, returning to receive the orthodox teaching, he studied under Śīlabhadra; principles were elucidated as words were spoken, their meaning requiring no repetition. Widely versed in differing doctrines, he stored them within his breast, causing the Indic monks to admire him with all their hearts without losing his Dharma. Furthermore, because the Awakening of Faith treatise was composed by Aśvaghoṣa, and the monks of India wished to obtain its original, Xuanzang translated it from Chinese into Sanskrit, circulating it throughout the Five Indies. This was an occasion of Dharma transformation mutually celebrated between East and West. Moreover, other treatises of the Western Realm deeply esteemed linguistic science (śabdavidyā); Xuanzang humbly requested explanations, understanding as soon as instructed, resulting in seven transformations whose force stirred unique paths, and three revisions of the extensive treatise expanding his comprehension. Thus, the three thousand student monks of the Mahāsaṃghika Monastery, all known as bags of wisdom, guarding the ramparts, clicked their fingers in praise whenever they observed his speech and heard his words and meanings: 'What a man this is!' In his travels through one hundred and thirty states beyond the borders and east of the sea, whether monastic or lay, heterodox or orthodox, whoever heard his name looked up to his virtue, took refuge, and further honored and opened faith. That the state gained glory, its radiant dwelling extending far, and tributes arrived year after year was entirely due to Xuanzang's merit. If not an extraordinary talent endowed by Heaven, knowing naturally by sacred bestowal, who could have revitalized such a grand heritage and guided along the departed traces? Among the biographies of monks who traveled to India before and after, beginning with Faxian and Fayong and ending with Daosui and Daosheng, there were seventeen return journeys in succession midway; yet in terms of fluency in both Chinese and Sanskrit, wondrously penetrating the expressions of texts, guiding the customs of the state, and awakening the heterodox and orthodox, none was greater than the Dharma Master! Regrettably, the sūtra sections he did not translate were still numerous; had he not reached late years, he could have produced them. Impermanence overtook him so suddenly—alas!