貞元新定釋教目錄 17.4

English (machine translation) 17.4

Language: English

17.4.1

The Mahāyāna Sutra on the Principle of the Six Pāramitās, one work in ten fascicles (with an imperial preface);
The Sutra of the Great Avataṃsaka Elder Asking the Buddha about the Nārāyaṇa Strength, one fascicle;
The Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya-sūtra, one fascicle;
The Dhāraṇī Sutra of the Guardian of the Country's Lord, one work in ten fascicles (translated in the sixth year of Zhenyuan, gengwu [790]);
The Jātaka Sutra on the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground, one work in eight fascicles (with an imperial preface; translated in the sixth year of Zhenyuan, gengwu [790]).
The above five works in thirty fascicles have extant texts.
"Record of the Continuing Translation of Scriptures by the Tripiṭaka [Master] Prajñā" states: Formerly, when the Yao clan of Qin ruled, intertwined branches grew at court, and Kumārajīva of Kucha traversed Western Liang to arrive as tribute. Now our Emperor's wisdom runs deep: a melon with joined vines sprouted in the imperial gardens, and a dragon-elephant from Kashmīr sailed the Southern Sea to pay court, bearing in hand the Indic scripture of the Six Pāramitās. The great ministers memorialised this; the Emperor assented to their words and decreed that the appropriate officials carefully select eminent worthies to proceed to Ximing Monastery to make the translation. The one whose completion of it was memorialised was none other than the Tripiṭaka Dharma Master himself.
The Dharma Master's Sanskrit name was Prajñā (in the language of Tang, "Zhihui" [Wisdom]), a native of the country of Kapiśa in North India (saying "Kashmīr" is an erroneous abbreviation). His surname was Gautama (saying "Qutan" is an erroneous and inaccurate abbreviation). Endowed by heaven with exceptional intelligence, at seven he generated the resolve [for awakening], left his two parents, and took refuge in the Three Jewels. At that time he relied on a great virtuous one named Vinītasena, chanting in full the four Āgama sutras to one hundred thousand verses and the Abhidharma to more than twenty thousand verses. He then followed his master to Kaśmīra, and upon reaching the age of twenty, received the full monastic precepts. He chanted nearly forty thousand verses of the Sarvāstivāda, twenty-eight thousand verses of the Kośa-śāstra, and the Mahāvibhāṣā, receiving their meanings as well. For seven years he studied the Hīnayāna in that country. At twenty-three, he went to Nālandā Monastery in Central India, where he received Mahāyāna treatises such as the Vijñaptimātra, Yogācāra, and Madhyāntavibhāga, as well as the treatise on phonology (śabdavidyā), the study of the Vajracchedikā, logic (hetuvidyā), medicine (cikitsāvidyā), craftsmanship (śilpakarmasthānavidyā), monastic discipline, treatises, and so forth, relying upon the three great treatise masters Jñānamitra, Guṇamati, and Jñānamitra. At that time he traveled to and from the Twin Trees and the Eight Stūpas, paying homage back and forth for eighteen years. Hearing then that South India still preserved the repository of Vidyādharas, he forthwith went there to enquire and receive what he had not yet heard. There was an initiation master whose name was Dharmakīrti; from him he received the Yoga teachings, entered the maṇḍala, and [received] the three mysteries protecting the body and the seals of the five divisions. Serving him in this manner, he resided there for a full year and chanted more than 3,500 verses in full.
Having once heard that Mañjuśrī resided in the great country of Cīna, he set out eastward for the Great Tang, vowing to transmit the Buddha's teachings. He crossed the sea eastward, braving dangers and boarding ships. As he drew near to Guangzhou, winds blew him back to the eastern corner of the Country of Lion-Clutchers (Siṃhala). Gathering provisions again and sturdily repairing the vessel, he traversed the various countries along the South Sea route. In the second year of Jianzhong [781], as he drew near to the prefecture of Guangzhou, wind blew and shattered the vessel, sinking several ships flat. From the fifth watch until sunrise, [they were] either adrift or drowning, relying only on meeting a favorable wind. The wealth, provisions, Indic palm-leaf manuscripts, scriptures, and treatises he carried were lost without knowing their whereabouts in this disaster. When he reached the seashore and was already on the land, [he found them] amid the white sand inside a large bamboo cylinder, just as if assisted by spirits—truly unprecedented! He knew that the conditions and faculties for the Mahāyāna Sutra on the Principle of the Six Pāramitās had matured in the realm of the Great Tang. Walking eastward for half a month, he at last reached Guangzhou; and by the third year of Jianzhong [782], he arrived at the capital of the realm.
In the second year of Zhenyuan [786], he sought out and met a fellow countryman: the Senior General of the Shence Army, Luo Haoxin, who was none other than the son of Tripiṭaka Prajñā's maternal uncle. Comforting each other in sorrow and joy, [Luo] brought him home to show family affection and detain him for offerings. Since Haoxin deeply believed in and respected the Three Jewels, he requested the translation of Buddhist scriptures. [Prajñā] then, together with the Persian monk Jingjing of the Daqin Monastery, relied on a Hu text to translate the Six Pāramitās Sutra into seven fascicles. At that time, because Prajñā was not skilled in the Hu language and had not yet understood Chinese, and Jingjing did not know Sanskrit and was not yet clear about the Buddhist teachings, although it was claimed to be a translation, not even half a pearl was obtained. Seeking to usurp an empty name, it brought no blessing or benefit. A memorial was submitted presenting the catalog, with hopes for its circulation. The Sagely Sovereign, deeply wise and brilliantly cultivated, faithfully revered the Buddhist scriptures. He observed that what they had translated was obscure in principle and crude in expression. Furthermore, Buddhist monasteries and Daqin monasteries differ in residence and are completely contrary in religious practice. Jingjing ought to transmit the teachings of the Messiah, while śramaṇas and sons of Śākya should propagate Buddhist sutras. Wishing to distinguish the teachings so that people would not mix them up indiscriminately, [just as] the orthodox and heterodox are of different kinds and the Jing and Wei rivers flow distinctly—like a net having its headrope, orderly and unconfused, so that gods and humans have what they revere and the four assemblies know where to turn—officials were commissioned, and an imperial decree was issued, stating:
"Document of the Secretariat-Chancellery: Wang Xiqian’s document states: 'In accordance with the imperial decree: The Buddhist teachings are profound and subtle; monks and laity revere them with devotion. All this is because Indic texts have caused the Dharma to cover China. It is fitting to order Wang Xiqian and the relevant officials to select monks of virtuous conduct carefully, proceed to Ximing Monastery to re-translate them, and memorialise upon completion. When this document arrives, act in accordance with the decree; hence this document.' Dated the nineteenth day of the fourth month of the fourth year of Zhenyuan [788]." Documents sent to the Bureau of Sacrifices were likewise in accordance with the decree.
The document was circulated to the monasteries of the capital. The Great Worthy, the Tripiṭaka Śramaṇa Prajñā of the kingdom of Kashmīr, expounded the Indic text; Śramaṇa Liyan of Guangzhai Monastery, an Attendant in the Hanlin Academy, translated the Indic sounds; Śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Ximing Monastery took it down in writing; Śramaṇa Daoye of Zisheng Monastery, Śramaṇa Liangxiu of Ximing Monastery, and Śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Zhuangyan Monastery together polished the text; Śramaṇa Yingzhen of Cien Monastery, Śramaṇa Chaowu of Liquan Monastery, Śramaṇa Dao'an of Guangzhai Monastery, and Śramaṇa Biankong of Ximing Monastery jointly verified the meaning.
From the eighth day of the sixth month, when the sutra title was first to be established, the Commissioner of Merits for the Western Quarter, concurrently Commissioner in Charge of the Right Shence Army, Encampment Commissioner, Original Follower of Xingyuan, General of the Guarding Army, Acting General of the Right Gate Guard, Director of the Palace Domestic Service, Upper Pillar of the State, and Founding Count of Taiyuan County, Wang Xiqian, personally received the imperial words. Together with the Meritorious Official of Defending the Heavens and Pacifying Difficulties, General of Agile Cavalry, Acting Grand General of the Right Shence Army, Supervisor of Military Affairs, Probational Minister of Works, concurrently Censor-in-Chief, Upper Pillar of the State, and Prince of Wudu Commandery, Meng She; and the Meritorious Official of Baoying, Original Follower, General of Agile Cavalry, Acting Grand General of the Right Shence Army, Supervisor of Military Affairs, concurrently Vice Censor-in-Chief, Upper Pillar of the State, Prince of Jingrong Commandery, with an actual fief of fifty households, Ma Youlin, and others, they escorted the Indic manuscript of the sutra to Ximing Monastery for translation. One hundred strings of imperial grace money, thirty bunches of tea, and one large container of incense were granted to provide for the translation court. The title established was the Mahāyāna Sutra on the Principle of the Six Pāramitās. Its text had ten fascicles, and likewise ten chapters.
On the sixth day of the eighth month, the commissioner personally proclaimed the imperial decree: fifty bunches of tea and one large container of incense were bestowed on the translation court, to be received upon arrival. 'Respectful greetings during the autumn cool. May each of the Great Worthies be in peace and good health.' Furthermore, on the twenty-fourth day, the Hanlin Commissioner Zhang Xiaoshun proclaimed the imperial decree: 'The Waiting Officials of the Hanlin Academy are ordered to pay respects to the translation monks Liyan and others at Ximing Monastery twice a month on rest days.'

17.4.2

When the affair was concluded, the days passed. On the twenty-ninth day, the Hanlin Academician and Left Sanqi Changshi Gui Chongjing, the Jinbu Langzhong Wu Tongwei, the Shuibu Langzhong Xu Dai, the Jingzhao Liquan County Cheng Wang Pi, and others came together to pay respects. By the twentieth day of the ninth month, the Attendants-in-Waiting Xu Chengsi, Guo Shao, Yang Xuan, Yang Jiyan, and others—over twenty people in all—prepared offerings and observed the translation. In the middle of the tenth month, the translated text was completely finished. On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, the fair copying was also completed. On the twenty-eighth day, a memorial was submitted presenting the work to the throne. The translation master of great virtue, the Abbot of Ximing Monastery, the purple-robe-bestowed śramaṇa Liangxiu, and others stated: 'We humbly reflect that the moisture contained in the great cloud depends solely on the vastness of the Buddha's power; the creation of things by the mysterious vault of heaven rests solely on the greatness of the Sovereign's merit. We humbly submit that Your Majesty's virtue embraces the three realms and your awe-inspiring majesty covers myriad domains. The people return to the realm of longevity, and the Way rescues the city of blessings. You have specially bestowed sagely benevolence to spread anew the image-teaching. The gate of Śākya observes a season of renewal; the monastic assembly receives the grace of rebirth. Liangxiu and the others are truly joyous and truly delighted. Yesterday we received the imperial decree of the nineteenth day of the fourth month of this year to translate the Ṣaṭpāramitā-sūtra, commanding that monks of virtuous conduct be carefully selected to translate it at Ximing Monastery and report upon its completion. Liangxiu, together with the Indian monk Master Prajñā, Daoye, Chaowu, and others—ten persons in all—reverently examined the Indic characters and rendered them into the language of the Tang. Deeply probing where principles were profound, thoroughly investigating where the text was abstruse, the chapters and sections were ordered, and the phonetic rhymes left nothing out. Its value is like suspended gold; its voice radiates carved jade. The monks bowed in respect, joy filling their entire bodies, having encountered the sagely dynasty and looked upon the Buddha sun once more. In total, the Indic text of nine thousand five hundred verses was translated, grouped into ten chapters and compiled into ten fascicles. How could it be merely that Matanga entered the Han to open the golden casket, or that Kumārajīva returned to Qin to translate the jade scrolls? Comparing the present with the past, this truly surpasses earlier achievements. We humbly reflect that the traces of the teaching are revered and the sound of the Dharma is esoteric. Your Majesty cherishes the Tathāgata's compassionate mindfulness and stands in the position of monarchical entrustment. Illustrating the sagely meaning is etched in the Heavenly mind. We specifically implore an extraordinary favor: that a preface be composed for this sūtra and that it be proclaimed for inclusion in the Kaiyuan Catalogue, so that humans and devas may convert [their merit], brushing against the radiance of the sun and moon, and that upon the dragon-elephants of the meditation grove, the torrential moisture of clouds and rain may uniquely descend. Formerly, Taizong composed a preface for the holy teaching, and Xuanzong commented upon the Prajñā-sūtra; both illuminated the celestial patterns and enhanced the imperial records. The newly translated Dacheng liqu liu boluomiduo jing is respectfully presented along with this memorial. Your Majesty inherits the glorious achievements of your imperial ancestors and nourishes the blazing brilliance of blessings and longevity. Above, you know the cause of attaining Buddhahood; below, you mind the petitions of mortals. How fortunate are the monastic disciples to look up to such extraordinary favor! Soiling the imperial screens and tassels, our apprehension is exceedingly profound. Unable to bear our utmost gratitude, we respectfully proceed to the Guangshun Gate to submit our memorial, present our request, and bring it to your hearing. The śramaṇa Liangxiu and others speak with sincere joy and sincere trepidation.'
The Emperor inspected the sūtra and the memorial, and commanded the Commissioner of Merit and Virtue Wang Xiqian to proclaim the imperial decree, telling the venerable masters and others: 'From summer into winter, your meritorious labor in translating the sūtra text has now ended, bringing great celebration and solace. You must have been exceedingly clever and diligent, taxing your minds. In this winter cold, I respectfully inquire: Are all the masters in good health and peace?' An imperial favor was also proclaimed to the venerable masters: 'Here is a small amount of silk and garments, bestowed upon each of the masters. Please wait at the Right Yintai Gate for instructions on when it is appropriate to receive them.'
At that time, the translation master of great virtue of Ximing Monastery, the śramaṇa Liangxiu, and others requested to hold a great non-obstruction feast at Ximing Monastery on behalf of the state to celebrate the sūtra: 'Having received the imperial favor on the nineteenth day of the fourth month of this year to translate the Ṣaṭpāramitā-sūtra at Ximing Monastery, we humbly reflect that the compassionate cloud brings universal moisture and the Buddha sun is raised up once more. The feelings of wriggling creatures mingle in joy and apprehension. The path of the Śākya gate is wide, while the strength of the monastic assembly is meager. As the imperial gaze leans down, this vast favor is hard to repay. We request that on the first day of the twelfth month, a great non-obstruction feast be held on behalf of the state, solemnly adorning the bodhimaṇḍa, lighting ten thousand lamps, and chanting the Renwang huguo banruo and other sūtras, so that relying on superior causes, we may above enhance the sagely longevity. In vain we bare our sincerity like dust and dew, but truly we are indebted to Heaven and Earth. Unable to bear our utmost sincerity, we respectfully proceed to the Guangshun Gate to submit our petition and bring it to your hearing. If the heavenly favor permits, we request the descent of an ink imperial decree according with the petition submitted on the twenty-eighth day of the eleventh month of the fourth year of Zhenyuan by the translation master of great virtue, Abbot of Ximing Monastery, purple-robe-bestowed śramaṇa Liangxiu and others.'
An imperial decree was also issued bestowing upon Dharma Master Prajñā one hundred bolts of silk and a set of winter garments; to the remaining ten individuals, fifty bolts of silk and a set of garments each; and to the two supervisors, thirty bolts of silk and a set of garments each, to serve as donations. The Tripiṭaka Master submitted a memorial of gratitude. The śramaṇa Prajñā stated: 'I humbly reflect that I was born in Kashmīr and left my home village at fourteen. Traveling south to India, I heard what I had not previously understood. For over twenty years, I went on pilgrimage to the sacred traces of the twin groves and eight stūpas. Studying both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, I vowed to repay the four debts of gratitude. Admiring China from afar, I constantly thought of reaching the sovereign, but had no way to present my offering. Recently, through my maternal cousin, the Ten-General of the Right Shence Army and Prince of Xinping Commandery Luo Haoxin, who serves personally in the military guard, a report was made to the throne and reached the sagely hearing, which was truly a great fortune. Your Majesty reveres the teaching and faithfully accepts the Mahāyāna, commanding the monastic assembly and granting permission to translate. This humble monk's ultimate wish has hereby reached fulfillment. I vow to cultivate diligence reverently, so as to enhance the imperial line above. Respectfully proceeding to the Guangshun Gate, I submit this memorial of thanks to bring it to your hearing. The śramaṇa Prajñā speaks with sincere awe and sincere trepidation.'
The Emperor endorsed: 'The master early visited the clear source and early beheld the secret treasury. Traveling through the Western lands, you visited teachers of the Mahāyāna, obtaining the bequeathed teachings of the Mind-Ground, which are the marvelous practices of the Tathāgata. Aspiring to propagate them to broaden the mysterious gate, you carried the sūtra texts from afar to transmit them to the central realm. Traversing a journey of myriad leagues, you were finally able to reach the capital, carrying forward the style of Kumārajīva and renewing the traces of Matanga. Regarding your dedicated sincerity, We find it exceedingly admirable. Hence We commanded the followers of the Way to undertake the translation, so that this supreme Dharma may circulate eternally. Inspecting your memorial, you have troubled yourself with expressions of thanks.'
On the same day, the patron of the translation, the Tripiṭaka Master's maternal cousin, the Ten-General of the Right Shence Cavalry, Meritorious Minister of Fengtian and Dingnan, Grand Master of the Palace with Open Inspection Equal to the Three Dignities, Probationary Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince, Upper Pillar of State, and Prince of Xinping Commandery, the official Luo Haoxin, submitted a memorial expressing gratitude, which stated: 'Your subject Haoxin speaks: My maternal cousin, the śramaṇa monk Prajñā of the kingdom of Kashmīr, previously presented the Indic palm-leaf text of the Dacheng liqu liu boluomiduo jing. Prostrating, we received the decree of the nineteenth day of the fourth month of this year instructing Wang Xiqian to carefully select monks of virtuous conduct to translate this sūtra at Ximing Monastery; now the volumes are completed. Your subject Haoxin is truly joyous and truly delighted, knocking his head again and again. Your subject has heard that when the Zhou star concealed its radiance and the Han dream sped its light, it was first known that spiritual omens move people, yet they must be entrusted to an enlightened monarch to guide and transform. For this reason, Nāgārjuna was invited again to expound the true school once more. We humbly submit that Your Majesty the Emperor spreads moistening grace inside and out, your benevolence covering all living beings, your reputation and teaching reaching far, governing by non-action. Your humble subject's cousin left his home village at fourteen; his will admired the monastic stream, and his footsteps stayed close to the saṅgha. The Indic palm-leaf text of the great sūtra he recently presented...'

17.4.3

… vehicle of the principle and purport, termed the 'six pāramitās.' Your Majesty reverently believed in it and specially decreed that it be translated. Without pausing in laborious exertion, the wraps have now been completed. You specially bestowed banners and flowers, and further commanded that it be presented again. For an insignificant monk this is fortunate indeed, and I am deeply humbled in prostrating before such favour. My family is from the Western Barbarians, yet has come to reside in the Middle Kingdom. Having my name entered among the palace guards, the honour extends to my private household. Father and son rejoice together, feeling truly ashamed before Heaven and Earth. What virtue does a monk possess to receive further such meticulous and immense grace? I wish to cultivate and uphold [the teaching] so that its merit may support the imperial reign; this is my great fortune. Vowing to repay this kindness with my life, I am filled with joy and delight, unable to contain the utmost leaping of my heart. I have respectfully proceeded to the Guangshun Gate to submit this memorial and report it to your hearing. Your servant Haoxin, with true trepidation and true fear, bows his head, bows his head, and respectfully speaks." The Emperor endorsed it, saying: "Your cousin early on realized the Mahāyāna, and came from the distant West to enter our Superior State, proclaiming the profound meaning of the six sense bases and expounding the subtle words spoken beneath the twin trees. Considering his sincerity, he ought to be respected and honoured. It is for this reason that I ordered the translation, so that it may circulate. You, sir, have long excelled in loyal merit and held office in the palace guard. Reading your memorial, I fully see your feelings, and what you have thanked me for is noted." Then on the second day of the twelfth month, General Wang Xiqian announced the imperial decree: "The monk's Contemplation Courtyard at Liquan Monastery should be assigned to accommodate Prajñā, the monk from the country of Kashmīr who presented the Indic text of the Six Pāramitās." Further, on the twenty-third day, an imperial decree [was issued]: Feng Guoqing, Administrative Assistant of the Right Shence Army and Palace Attendant Director, announced the delivery to the courtyard of the monk Prajñā of the country of Kashmīr of: three eight-foot beds, each with double-layered pads, mats, coarse woolen covers, and official coarse silk mattresses; white meditation felts; two pairs of white hand towels; one bronze water flask; two iron pots; one three-dǒu cauldron; ten white porcelain bowls; one tea kettle; one cattail cushion; twenty strings of new tea; and one set of tea grinders. On the day the scripture was presented, an imperial decree had previously been received, ordering a re-translation of the dharma gate of mantras, mudrās, and seals within the Six Pāramitās Scripture, presenting them with the Chinese and Indic placed side by side. On the fourth day of the second month of the fifth year, the copying was completed, and it was presented together with the śramaṇa Liangxiu and others. An imperial decree bestowed thirty strings of tea. Furthermore, because the śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Ximing Monastery had received the order to serve as scribe during the translation, and within the scripture's praises of the Buddha every single passage had the 'eighty-four thousand six hundred and sixty-three kinds of Nārāyaṇa's strength'—though seeing this statement, he did not know its origin. He therefore requested Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā to translate this secret text, titled the *Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Elder of the Great Avataṃsaka Asking the Buddha About Nārāyaṇa's Strength*. The śramaṇas who proclaimed and translated the words, served as scribes, polished the text, and certified the meaning were entirely the same as those for the *Six Pāramitās Sūtra*, without addition or subtraction. On the fifteenth day of the second month of the fourth year of Zhenyuan, the copying was completed; it was only a little over one sheet. At that time, due to the rush of writing the commentary, it could not yet be reported to the throne. The details are respectfully recorded, and an imperial decree ordered it to be included [in the catalogue]. Then, on the twenty-fifth day of the seventh month of the sixth year, an imperial decree bestowed the title of Tripiṭaka and a purple kāṣāya: "An imperial decree: Concerning the śramaṇa Prajñā of the country of Kashmīr who presented the Indic pothi of the *Six Pāramitās Sūtra*, it is appropriate to bestow upon him the name 'Tripiṭaka Prajñā' and further bestow purple robes." Furthermore, there was the śramaṇa Zhirou, a venerable lecturer at Qianfu Monastery, whose vinaya practice was rigorous and ascetic, and who was fond of the Mahāyāna, transmitting the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra* and the *Śūraṅgama-sūtra*, and also constantly chanting and reciting the *Heart Sūtra*. This scripture had been translated by Kumārajīva under the title *Great Illumination Dhāraṇī Sūtra*. When Master Xuanzang was about to depart for the Western Regions, a divine being bestowed it upon him. When passing through the perilous sand dunes, he chanted and maintained it with wholehearted devotion, and disasters and obstacles were kept far away. It is a 'great divine spell'—these words are not false. Later, when he obtained an Indic pothi, the translation he produced did not differ, only lacking the introductory section and the concluding transmission section. Next, at the end of the Kaiyuan era, Tripiṭaka Master Dharmacandra again translated this sūtra, and both texts had them. Now meeting Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā, whose pothi completely possessed this, it was the same text but a different translation from Dharmacandra's sūtra. With sincere earnestness, he requested that the authentic text be produced again. Before they could examine it thoroughly, the Tripiṭaka Master was dispatched on an embassy. On the eleventh day of the eighth month, the certification of meaning, polishing of style, and copying were completed, and a memorial was prepared and presented, desiring its circulation. Śramaṇa Zhirou said: "I humbly consider that the sagely wisdom is vast and profound, relying on propagation to become all the more widespread; the wondrous ultimate of the true source borrows words and images to be transmitted. This is the master and model of all saints, the root and mother of the host of scriptures. Formerly, the śramaṇa Xuanzang translated and circulated it; although the meaning was complete and without omission, its text lacked the beginning and end. Recently, meeting the monk Prajñā of Kashmīr and personally viewing the Indic text, I firmly requested its transmission and again added support. Only then did we know that the Vulture Peak monastery truly opened the golden words; those who chant it have their doubts dispelled, and the true style travels even farther. I humbly reflect that Your Majesty has personally received the Buddha's entrustment and follows every good; your Dao reaches sentient beings, and among people none are untransformed. Zhirou, not reckoning his own mediocrity and shallowness, presumptuously presents his foolish sincerity, hoping to assist the imperial style and wishing to support the sagely longevity. I humbly beg that the Heavenly Gaze bend down to view this golden text; if it may be permitted, I humbly request that it be promulgated within and without [the court], so that all deluded beings through eternal kalpas may be exceedingly fortunate. Unable to contain the utmost pouring out of my sincere devotion, I respectfully attach this memorial and submit it for your hearing. Śramaṇa Zhirou. On the eleventh day of the eighth month of the sixth year of Zhenyuan, submitted by Śramaṇa Zhirou, Overseer of Merit at the Baizhang Courtyard of the Imperial Commentary on the Vajracchedikā-sūtra at Qianfu Monastery." The Emperor endorsed it, saying: "The *Heart Sūtra* contains the secret purport of the Mahāyāna. Formerly, Xuanzang's translation was already comprehensive in words and meaning, but regarding its beginning and end, it was perhaps not fully detailed. Recently, because the monk Prajñā of Kashmīr came to China transmitting this surviving text, it is sufficient to assist and support it. What the master has requested is deeply agreeable and fitting. Now, following the submitted memorial, let it be used to broaden the authentic scripture." *The Great and Vast Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, one work in forty fascicles. The above work in forty fascicles currently exists. In the past, Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of a golden man, and dispatched envoys to seek the Buddha's teaching in the Western Regions. Today, our Emperor's sagely transformation resonates and connects, so that a king of Southern India presented an Indic sūtra to the Superior State. Though the ages differ in past and present, the reverent faith is without distinction; yet discussing their resonance and connection, they cannot be spoken of in the same year! I humbly reflect that the Emperor's might extends over the Northern Di, his benevolence blankets the Eastern Yi, reaches south to the Eight Man, and extends west to India. Having enlightened virtue and conduct, the four kingdoms submit to it; what the *Book of Odes* speaks of is precisely this matter. Thus the vow text presenting the scripture says: 'The one who deeply believes in the teaching of the supreme Sugata, who cultivates the supreme Mahāyāna practice, the Auspicious Sovereign, King of Pure Lions of the Country of Oḍra in Southern India, presents this, hand-copied by himself, to the Great Auspicious Son of Heaven of the Great Country of Mahācīna and the Great Tang, the Great King among Great Sovereign Lion Kings: the "Chapter on the Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra Entering the Inconceivable Realm of Liberation of the Fifty-five Holy Good Spiritual Friends", within the practice of the youth Sudhana attending and serving good spiritual friends numbering as the finest dust motes of Buddha-lands, expounded in the hundreds of thousands of gāthās of the *Great and Vast Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra*. It is respectfully presented. We humbly pray that the Great Kingdom's Sagely King's accumulation of merit may be exalted and surpass Mount Sumeru, and his wisdom be deep and wide, surpassing the four great oceans, and that the lands of the ten directions may become as one family. Through the merit of copying this sūtra, may we gather that measureless accumulation of blessings, equal to empty space…

17.4.4

[... so that all] beings in all the oceans of worlds of the realm of phenomena, without exception, will be just like the youth Sudhana: attaining the Buddha's correct view, being endowed with wisdom, giving rise to joy upon seeing unfathomable true spiritual friends, obtaining the Buddha's vast and universal illumination to be freed from all covetous attachments, and accomplishing the untainted, supreme practices and vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. We humbly pray that by the merit of writing and presenting this Mahāyāna scripture, when the Tathāgata Maitreya achieves Buddhahood, we may behold him early at the assembly under the Dragon Flower Tree; that the Great Sage Celestial King may obtain knowledge of past lives, recognize [him] upon beholding [him], and jointly receive the Buddha's prediction; and that to the exhaustion of empty space and pervading the realm of phenomena, he may widely deliver all future sentient beings so that they quickly achieve Buddhahood. Humbly consulting Chapter Ten of the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, it says: 'The country of Wuḍa is more than seven thousand li in circuit. The great capital of the country is more than twenty li in circuit. The soil is fertile, and grain crops flourish. The various fruits are rather large, and the strange grasses and famous flowers from various lands are difficult to describe. The climate is warm and hot; the customs are wild and fierce. The people are tall and stalwart in appearance, with dark complexions. Their speech and tone differ from Central India. They are tireless in their fondness for study, and mostly have faith in the Buddha's Dharma. There are more than one hundred monasteries and more than ten thousand monks, all of whom study the Mahāyāna Dharma teachings. There are fifty Deva temples where different paths live intermingled. There are more than ten stūpas in all; all are places where the Tathāgata preached the Dharma, established by King Aśoka. On the southeastern border of the country, bordering the great sea, is the city of Caritra (translated in Tang [speech] as "Departure-and-Travel"), which is more than twenty li in circuit. It is the transit route where seafaring merchants and long-distance travelers come and go and stop. The city is fortified and precipitous, possessing many rare treasures. Adjacent outside the city are five monasteries; their terraces and pavilions are towering and lofty, and the revered statues are exquisitely magnificent. Going south to the country of Siṅghala (translated in Tang [speech] as "Lion-Holding Country") is more than twenty thousand li. Gazing far away on a quiet night, one sees the jewel light atop the Buddha's tooth-relic stūpa of that country, radiant as a brightly burning torch hung up in suspension.' Now this palm-leaf manuscript of the Avataṃsaka was copied by the hand of the ruler of that country of Wuḍa himself, who dispatched an envoy to cross the sea by ship and offer it as a tribute. From this it is known that the King of the Dharma who governs the imperial calendar does not value foreign goods or rare pearls; he faithfully honors the Mahāyāna, regarding the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha as the supreme treasures. This indeed rescues those who are sinking and enables the realization of Bodhi. On the eighth day of the eleventh month in the eleventh year of the Zhenyuan era, cyclical year yihai (795), [the envoy] reached Chang'an and presented it to the enlightened sovereign. The Emperor, having reviewed the memorial, gave rise to deep faith. Since the writing was different, it had to be translated; the Tripiṭaka [master] Prajñā was the very man for it. The Tripiṭaka Dharma master was named Prajñā; he was a person of Kashmīr (the Indic sound is corrupt and abbreviated; correctly it is Kapisi). Chapter One of the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions says: 'The country of Kapiśa is more than four thousand li in circuit. To its north it backs against the snowy mountains, and on three sides it hangs over the Black Mountains. The country's great capital is more than ten li in circuit. It is suitable for wheat and cereals, has many fruit trees, and produces fine horses and saffron. Rare goods of foreign lands mostly assemble in this country. The climate is windy and cold; the nature of the people is violent and wild. Their speech is vulgar and obscene, and their marriages are promiscuous and disorderly. In general it is like the country of Tokhāra, but their customs, spoken language, and manners differ somewhat. For clothing they wear cotton clothes along with leather and coarse wool. For currency they use gold coins, silver coins, and small copper coins; their shapes and patterns differ from those of the Middle Kingdom. The king is of the Kṣatriya caste. He has intelligence and strategy, is brave and fierce by nature, and intimidates neighboring borders, governing more than ten countries. He loves and nurtures the common people, respectfully venerating the Three Jewels. Each year he makes an eighteen-foot Buddha statue and also sets up a Great Non-Obstruction Assembly to provide for the impoverished and give relief to widowers and widows. There are more than one hundred monasteries and more than six thousand monks, who mostly study the Mahāyāna Dharma teachings. The stūpas and saṅghārāmas are towering, grand, spacious, vast, and adorned in purity. There are several tens of Deva temples and more than a thousand heterodox practitioners, who either go naked or smear themselves with ashes, stringing together human skulls to make crowns and garlands.' The Tripiṭaka [master] Prajñā was born in this country. His secular surname was Gautama, or by his maternal clan his surname was Luo. Endowed with natural intelligence, he left his home country at fourteen. Following a master in Northern India, he received the full precepts upon coming of age. He studied the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Abhidharmakośa, and the Mahāvibhāṣā. Next he traveled to Central India, studying the five sciences (vidyā) and the Mahāyāna teachings. Residing in the Nālandā Monastery, from time to time he went around to venerate the sacred traces of the eight stūpas. In this manner he studied for eighteen years. Next he proceeded to the King's Monastery of Wuḍa in Southern India, where he studied the Yoga teachings, ascended the consecration altar, and received instruction in all the mantras of the five divisions. Hearing from afar that the Great Sage Mañjuśrī, the Five-Tufted Youth, resides upon the Five Peaks of Mount Qingliang to quench the blazing heat of defilements, protecting the Great Tang alongside a host of ten thousand bodhisattvas, he thereupon took up Indic scriptures and sailed across the seas and scaled the mountains, risking his life to cross through Java. In the final year of the Jianzhong era (783), he arrived in the superior country. In the fourth year of the Zhenyuan era (788), he received the imperial edict to translate and transmit the Sūtra of the Six Pāramitās; this affair is recorded in full detail in a separate account. Then in the sixth year (790) he was sent on an imperial mission to Northern India, returning to the imperial palace in the eighth year of Zhenyuan (792). Reflecting on how his past vow remained unfulfilled and how he had not had the leisure to pay homage to the Great Sage Mañjuśrī, his original intent burned in his heart: if there were no opposition to the imperial order, he swore he would go in person. In the third month of the tenth year (794), he departed for Qingliang, touring and venerating Mount Wutai until the beginning of autumn. In the fourth month of the eleventh year (795), he returned to the Upper Capital. On the eighteenth day of the eleventh month, the king of the country of Wuḍa in Southern India presented two palm-leaf packets of Indic scriptures to the Great Tang. On the last day of the month, an imperial edict was handed down to the Commissioners' Bureau, ordering the Tripiṭaka Dharma master and the various venerable elders to examine the titles, translate the names, and submit them. The Tripiṭaka master then rendered the Sanskrit into the Central Asian language (Hu), and the śramaṇa Zhizhen translated it into Chinese. Submitting an official report on this retranslation to the Commissioners' Bureau, [it stated]: 'The Indic manuscript of the Mahāvaipulya-buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra has six packets in total, comprising one hundred thousand verses. The Great Tang has already translated eighty rolls, which correspond to the conclusion of the second packet. What has now been offered by the king of the South Indian country corresponds to the third packet, having sixteen thousand seven hundred verses. The aforementioned scripture corresponds to the ninth assembly of the eighty-roll Avataṃsaka-sūtra of the old translation, preached in Śrāvastī. The Tripiṭaka śramaṇa Prajñā from the country of Kashmīr will recite the Indic text; the śramaṇa Zhizhen of Guangzhai Monastery, an Attendant in the Hanlin Academy, will translate the spoken words; and the sūtra-translating śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Ximing Monastery will take down the brush-notes.' When the Commissioners' Bureau obtained this report, they presented it fully to the throne. His Majesty, reviewing its background, decreed that it be translated. Messengers were dispatched frequently to urge haste, but there was no translator into Chinese. Discovering that in the Eastern Capital (Luoyang) there was someone skilled in the language, the Tripiṭaka master submitted an official petition requesting to memorialize the throne. The Commissioners' Bureau, upon receiving the petition, recorded it in full and memorialized the throne. The Heavenly Grace granted consent, ordering Du Ya, the Senior Administrator of Henan Prefecture, to issue travel passes to proceed to court. Commencing on the twelfth day of the third month, [the translator] departed from Eastern Luo, and reached the Upper Capital at Ximing Monastery on the twenty-seventh day. The Commissioners' Bureau memorialized the throne. On the second day of the fourth month, the Palace Emissary Zhang Chaojin delivered imperial condolences, conveying the imperial decree to the monk Master Guangji: 'Travelling far to the imperial court and trekking along the roads, you must have been greatly exhausted. In this summer heat, have you been in peace and good health lately?' On that day, respectfully conveyed through the Palace Emissary Zhang Chaojin...

17.4.5

submitted a memorial of gratitude to report: "Having humbly received the imperial decree with its gracious inquiries, I am filled with profound gratitude and awe. As the palace commissioner is now returning, I respectfully append my thanks. Your subject, having received the imperial decree to extend consoling regards to the translating monk Guangji, respectfully appends this to your subject's memorial: 'This humble monk has specially received Your Sage's compassionate consolation and inquiries, and is beyond measure grateful and indebted. I respectfully append my gratitude to report this.'"
At that time, all the eminent monks gathered like clouds to deliberate together on translating the sūtra. Having found the right person, it was necessary to secure a suitable place. Because Ximing Monastery was far and coming and going was arduous, in accordance with what was convenient, Chongfu Monastery was chosen. A formal report was submitted to the Palace Commissioner's Bureau to memorialise the Throne. The heavenly favor did not decline, and the palace commissioner made the imperial proclamation. On the fourth day of the sixth month of the twelfth year, the palace commissioner Zhang Tingxuan proclaimed the receipt of the imperial decree: "The Indic pothi of the sūtra should be translated forthwith and presented upon completion. Thirty-five and a half taels of incense and fifty catties of tea are bestowed upon the Translation Bureau as offerings. In the summer heat, with respectful inquiries, are the venerable Great Worthies all safe and well?"
The note says: Contemplating from afar the Great Sage establishing his teachings in the Western Regions, they were circulated to the Eastern Xia according to the capacities suitable for conversion. Formerly, when the Tathāgata appeared in the world, he turned the wheel of the Dharma in the Deer Park and entered perfect quiescence between the twin trees. The compilation was made in the Pippala Cave. Since Emperor Ming of the Han governed the realm, the Dharma has transformed this region. Passing through the Jin, Wei, Zhou, and Sui down to the present day, the flowing of the sun and moon has approached a full thousand years; yet none compares to our Emperor's undertaking, which surpasses all in flourishing. The Yao clan of the Later Qin transmitted and translated in the Thatched Hall; the Sage Emperor reveres the teaching and translates the sūtra in Chongfu Monastery. The eras comprise the past and present, but their legitimate lineages are completely distinct. The four quarters revere his manners, and myriad realms look up to his virtue.
On this day, the sūtra title was initiated, named *Buddhāvataṃsaka-nāma-mahāvaipulya-sūtra*, fascicle 1, "Entering into the Inconceivable Sphere of Liberation: Chapter on Samantabhadra's Conduct and Vows". On the twenty-fourth day of the second month of the fourteenth year, it was presented to the Emperor. The Kashmīran Tripiṭaka Master, the purple-robe-bestowed śramaṇa Prajñā, recited the Indic text. The śramaṇa Guangji of Tiangong Monastery in the Eastern Capital translated the speech. The purple-robe-bestowed śramaṇa Yuanzhao of Ximing Monastery took it down with the brush. The śramaṇas Zhirou and Zhitong of Baoshou Monastery arranged the text. The śramaṇa Daohong of Zhengjue Monastery in Chengdu Prefecture and the śramaṇa Jianling of Zhangjing Monastery polished the prose. The śramaṇa Daozhang of Dajue Monastery inspected the text and verified the meaning. The śramaṇa Datong of Qianfu Monastery certified the dhyāna meaning. The śramaṇa Chengguan of Chongfu Monastery in Taiyuan Prefecture and the śramaṇa Lingsui of Qianfu Monastery definitively settled the translation. The specially designated supervisor was the equestrian cavalier of the Right Shence Army, Chief General of the Headquarters Cavalry, and concurrent Officer of the Guard, Specially Promoted and Judicial Investigator of Dengzhou, Your Subject Nan Zhengong. The memorial of the Protector-General Palace Commandant of the Right Shence Army, Commissioner of Buddhist Merits for the Right Street, Yuancong Veteran of Xingyuan, Yunhui General, General of the Right Gate Watchmen Guard, Director of Palace Service Affairs, Upper Pillar of State, Founding Baron of Jiaocheng County with a fief of three hundred households, Your Subject Huo Xianming, and the Protector-General Palace Commandant of the Left Shence Army, Commissioner of Buddhist Merits for the Left Street, Yuancong Veteran of Xingyuan, General of Agile Cavalry, Acting Grand General of the Left Gate Watchmen Guard, Director of Palace Service Affairs, Upper Pillar of State, Duke of Bin State with a fief of three thousand households, Your Subject Dou Wenchang, and others:
Your Subject Xianming states: I have humbly observed that the King of the kingdom of Oḍra in Southern India offered an Indic pothi of the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra*. An imperial decree commanded your subjects to supervise the Kashmīran Tripiṭaka Śramaṇa Prajñā together with the capital's Great Worthy, the monk Lingsui, and others to translate it jointly. It has now been translated into forty fascicles forming a single complete work. Its meaning is the same as the translation of the "Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu" of the ninth assembly in the old *Avataṃsaka-sūtra*. Rendering the language of that country into the speech of this land, the profound gateway and wondrous key are clearly illuminated and expressed. Monastics and laity gaze in reverence, praising it as though personally in the assembly. Your Subject Xianming and others, with utmost sincerity and reverent devotion, kowtow and bow our heads repeatedly.
Your subject has heard: The supreme teaching has no words, yet without words there would be no way to convey its intent. Words only serve to guide practice; once practice is accomplished, words are established. Therefore, concentration and wisdom both penetrate, and speech and silence are both transforming. We humbly reflect that Your Imperial Majesty's sheltering and supporting grace is vast, and your Way covers the boundless. Your sagely thought illuminates and accomplishes mysterious virtue; this is truly the one unity uniting the myriad differences, the common culmination of the Three Teachings. Gazing upon the barbarian sentiments longing for transformation by the Middle Kingdom, they exhaustively penetrated the treasury of liberation and gathered palm leaves from the dhyāna forests. Still, he wrote it with his own hand to express his devotion even more. Traveling by ladders and boats from afar, they gathered here as never before recorded. Had it not been for a silent resonance of heartfelt sympathy, how could they have braved the unfathomable perils of the azure waves and crossed the catastrophe of being swallowed by giant sea monsters, to exhaustively bring the perfect brightness of the nine assemblies from afar?
Tracing its beginning, Buddhabhadra transmitted it under the Jin; bringing it to completion, the foreign king offers it today. The seven luminaries increase in radiance by it, and the myriad beings revere its supreme principle. It is difficult for conscious intellect to praise adequately. As for serving as an exemplar and bestowing instructions, embodying the state and giving peace to the people, though long years have stretched on and the virtuous beneficence has reached far, there has never been such flourishing of a dynastic revival: Chinese and barbarians all submit, establishing the foundations of rites and music and opening the portents of the spiritual sages. The Yellow River runs clear and the sea is tranquil; this was not translated merely for Qin. The monk Lingsui and others, thoroughly investigating the secret mysteries and devoutly receiving sagely plans, have glossed terms in clerical script for today and investigated ancient meanings based on the Sanskrit, probing the profound intent and drawing verification from earlier masters. How could matching concepts or the nine schools alone enjoy prestige?
We have reverently placed it in a precious casket, adorning it with solemn dignity and deep veneration. Surrounded by incense and flowers, held aloft and welcomed by devas and humans, we jointly went to the Right Yintai Gate to present it. We humbly reflect that the Heavenly Spirit operates broadly, cherishing people as its children, mindful that the common multitudes may fully attain the ford leading to the path of awakening. Your subjects Xianming and others, having fortuitously met with this prosperous age, have been able to protect the True Teaching. Incompetent in our supervising duties, we have unworthily presented the tribute of the Southern Palace; our gratitude is deep and difficult to repay, which vainly increases our trepidation. Concerning this sūtra, we humbly pray that it be proclaimed and delivered to both within the palace and outside, so that its merit may above assist the imperial reign and below protect all living beings. Unable to endure our utmost earnestness, we respectfully present this memorial to submit it for Your hearing. Your Subject Xianming and others, with true fear and dread, kowtow, kowtow, and respectfully state this. On the twenty-fourth day of the second month of the fourteenth year of Zhenyuan, presented by Your Subject Huo Xianming, Protector-General Palace Commandant of the Right Shence Army, Commissioner of Buddhist Merits for the Right Street, Yuancong Veteran of Xingyuan, Yunhui General, General of the Right Gate Watchmen Guard, Director of Palace Service Affairs, Upper Pillar of State, Founding Baron of Jiaocheng County with a fief of three hundred households, and others; and jointly presented by Your Subject Dou Wenchang, Protector-General Palace Commandant of the Left Shence Army, Commissioner of Buddhist Merits for the Left Street, Yuancong Veteran of Xingyuan, General of Agile Cavalry, Acting Grand General of the Right Gate Watchmen Guard, Director of Palace Service Affairs, Upper Pillar of State, Duke of Bin State with a fief of three thousand households.
The note says: On this day, the Emperor examined the memorial, and the new sūtra was presented accordingly. Suddenly the clouds gathered up and the mists dispersed; the Sagely Sun and the bright sun shone together in brilliance. As the sūtra scroll was opened, the imperial manners and the wind of the Dharma blew together in accord. The genial light and pure air produced an enchanting landscape, warm and harmonious; a joyful countenance floated through the air, and all living beings shared in the celebration. Thereupon, the palace commissioner of high rank, the Attendant-in-Waiting Ma Quan, was sent down to console the Buddhist community. He proclaimed the imperial command to the Tripiṭaka Master and Great Worthies: "Lately, in translating the *Buddhāvataṃsaka-mahāvaipulya-sūtra*, you have endured great toil. Now that it is completed and presented, it deeply comforts Our heart. In the warmth of spring, are you masters all safe and well?"
Tripiṭaka Master Prajñā submitted a memorial to offer congratulations. The Kashmīran Tripiṭaka Master temporarily residing at Liquan Monastery in the Upper Capital, the purple-robe-bestowed śramaṇa Prajñā, stated:

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貞元新定釋教目錄 — 圓照, Classical Chinese