貞元新定釋教目錄 28.9.1

28.9.1

Yaoxing sheshen jing (Sūtra on the Essential Practice of Sacrificing the Body), one fascicle (more than three sheets, with a vow text for sacrificing the body at the end, five sheets in total)

The one sūtra above was forged by an unknown person and circulates widely among heterodox factions. At the beginning of the sūtra, it also says: “Translated by Tripiṭaka Dharma Master Xuanzang.” According to the translations made by the Dharma Master, there is no such sūtra. The fact that it is a spurious fabrication is clearly evident. I shall briefly set forth four points to enlighten foolish minds:

First, the beginning of the spurious sūtra says: “Vulture Peak (Lingjiu shan) in Rājagṛha.” The name “Lingjiu shan” appears in older translations of sūtras. In Dharma Master Xuanzang's translations, it is invariably “Jiu feng”. Now, using the name “Lingjiu” is the first revelation of its spuriousness.

Second, the beginning of the spurious sūtra also says: “Beside the charnel ground at Vulture Peak.” According to various records, that Mount Vulture Peak is within the mountain ramparts of Magadha, fourteen or fifteen li northeast of the palace city. How could a place for discarding corpses be situated within the capital city? Since this is not the case, this is the second revelation of its spuriousness.

Third, within the spurious sūtra it also says: “The Buddha said that in the past, at the time of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, he first vowed to sacrifice his body.” Dīpaṃkara Tathāgata was the master who conferred the prophecy [of buddhahood] upon Śākyamuni Buddha when he had completed his second immeasurable kalpa. How could one sacrifice oneself to death only after having received the prophecy that he would achieve [buddhahood]? The narrative conflicts with principle; this is the third revelation of its spuriousness.

Fourth, within the spurious sūtra it also says: “If there is a person who slaughters sentient beings throughout the Sahā world, [commits] the four grave offenses and the five unpardonable acts, slanders the Vaipulya sūtras, and steals property belonging to the permanent or currently present Saṅgha—such sins as these warrant falling into hell; but if one can sacrifice one’s body, the sins will certainly be extinguished.” Slandering sūtras and committing unpardonable acts warrant falling into the Avīci [Hell], yet sacrificing oneself to death would eliminate them and leave no severe retribution! (This is just like the deluded view of the non-Buddhists who believe that bathing in the Ganges River removes sins and impurities, and by slighting their own lives and drifting in the water they are born in heaven to enjoy bliss. How is this claim that sacrificing oneself to death eliminates sins any different from their deluded view?) Foolish persons commit evil and rely on this to wipe out their transgressions. The wise should reflect and not be deceived, sinking eternally into the evil destinies without a time of liberation. The narrative conflicts with principle; this is the fourth revelation of its spuriousness. (Its errors and corruptions are exceedingly numerous; they cannot all be recorded.)

Yuqie fajing jing (Sūtra of the Dharma-Mirror of Yoga), two fascicles (or one fascicle, also containing a spurious preface)

The one sūtra above is the Xiangfa jueyi jing (Sūtra on Resolving Doubts Concerning the Semblance Dharma) from the old catalogue of spurious works, with two chapters added before the text to form a single sūtra. The beginning says: “Chapter on the Abiding and Extinction of the Dharma Spoken for Ānanda as the Buddha Approached Parinirvāṇa.” This chapter was actually taken from the Fo lin niepan ji fazhu jing (Sūtra on the Record of the Abiding of the Dharma as the Buddha Approached Parinirvāṇa) translated by Dharma Master Xuanzang, which was altered, added to, and abridged, and placed at the beginning. Next is the “Chapter on Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha’s Praise of the Contemplative Practice of the Dharmakāya.” At the end is the “Chapter of Questions by Bodhisattva Constant Giver.” This chapter is indeed the old sūtra. Judging by the flow of its text, the order is disjointed. In the first year of Jinglong, the Three Levels monk Shili forged a preface in which he falsely claimed: “Jointly translated at Chongfu Monastery by Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci, Tripiṭaka Master Baosiwei, and others.” Shili claimed there were Indic manuscript leaves, but Bodhiruci had never seen or heard of them. Because the old [work] had been entered into the spurious category, it was fabricated again in the hope of clearing it from the doubtful catalogue. Adding fabrication onto fabrication, its errors and corruptions are especially numerous. One will know it upon viewing it; there is no need to recount it at length.

(The compiler of the catalogue remarks: I once questioned Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci in person about this matter. He verbally stated: “There was never any Indic manuscript on my side, nor did I ever translate this sūtra.” The Tripiṭaka’s disciple Prajñāgupta was sharp and discerning in capacity and knowledge and was fully acquainted with the matter. Fearing that in the distant future it might mistakenly corrupt the true teachings, it is hereby pointed out to admonish future generations. That monk Shili was subsequently involved in a minor litigation; the Sacred Sovereign personally deliberated on it and at the time ordered him to return to lay life. Was this not high Heaven withholding its blessing and sending down punishment upon this man?)

Miledidie sheng qian Guanshiyin Dashizhi quanhua zhongsheng she'e zuoshan shouyue jing (Sūtra on Longevity and Joy in which Maitreya Descends to Be Born and Dispatches Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta to Admonish Sentient Beings to Relinquish Evil and Do Good), one fascicle (also simply called Shouyue jing; ten sheets)

Guangmin pusa wen rulai chushi dang yong shi pugao jing (Sūtra on Bodhisattva Bright Compassion’s Question on the Universal Announcement When the Tathāgata Appears in the World), one fascicle (eight sheets)

Suishen bengong Mile chengfo jing (Sūtra on Maitreya Becoming a Buddha in Accord with the Original Palace of the Body), one fascicle (Chapter of Bodhisattva Wise Tree’s Questions to the Buddha)

Jingang miyao lun jing (Discourse Sūtra on the Secret Essentials of the Diamond), one fascicle (also named Wan mingwang yuanqi jing, or without lun, and also speaking of Maitreya's descent to be born; fourteen sheets)

The four sūtras above were all fabricated by sorcerous followers. Among them, they speak of such matters as Maitreya Tathāgata being about to descend and be born.

(Respectfully examining authentic sūtras: from after Śākyamuni’s extinction, fifty-seven koṭis and sixty hundred-thousand years will pass in the human world, and the human lifespan in Jambudvīpa will increase to eighty thousand years before Maitreya Tathāgata appears in the world. How could Maitreya descend and be born when the lifespan is less than a hundred years?)

Using this sorcery and delusion to seduce and deceive ordinary, foolish people, those of shallow knowledge often accept it with faith. Falling and perishing because of this—how grievous indeed! Therefore, I clarify it here, especially hoping for careful scrutiny.

Fo sheng Daolitian hou Anan wei zhu sibuzhong shuo lifo chizhai jing (Sūtra on Ānanda Preaching the Veneration of the Buddha and Upholding the Purifying Precepts to the Fourfold Assembly after the Buddha Ascended to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven), one fascicle (also called Fo sheng Daolitian)

Miliemoni fo shuo kaiwu foxing jing (Sūtra Spoken by Maitreya-Mani Buddha on Awakening to the Buddha-Nature), one fascicle (entitled Renshen yinyuan kaiwu foxing jing at the end of the sūtra; nine sheets)

Chizhai yishi jing (Sūtra on the Ritual of Upholding the Purifying Precepts), one fascicle (seven sheets)

Jingxing youposai jie jing (Sūtra on the Precepts for Upāsakas of Pure Conduct), one fascicle (or called Chapter Thirteen on Sympathetic Resonance of the Sūtra on the Precepts for Upāsakas of Pure Conduct, altered from the Yijiao jing; six sheets)

Jiashen nian hongshui zai dashui jing (Sūtra on the Flood and Great Water Disaster in the Jiashen Year), one fascicle (different from the flood event of the jiashen year in the Record of the Buddha's Bowl; two sheets)

Zisheng jing (Sūtra on Self-Reflection), one fascicle (two sheets)

Fumu enzhong jing (Sūtra on the Profound Kindness of Parents), one fascicle (the sūtra quotes Ding Lan, Dong An, Guo Ju, and others; hence it is known to be manufactured by humans; ten sheets)

Rulai zhengjiao miyao zang jing (Sūtra of the Secret Essential Treasury of the Tathāgata’s True Teaching), one fascicle (eight sheets)

Pinizang jing (Sūtra of the Vinaya Treasury), one fascicle

Dinggai jing (Sūtra of the Parasol-Crown), one fascicle (internally titled Sūtra of the Treatise on the Deep and Marvellous Dharma Meaning Spoken by the Buddha Explaining the Profound Meaning of the Path of Samsāra; seven sheets)

Tiandi bayang jing (Sūtra of Heaven and Earth's Eightfold Yang), one fascicle (titled Bayang shenzhou jing at the end of the scroll; its meaning and principles are entirely different from the authentic sūtra Bayang shenzhou; this one speaks of the auspicious and inauspicious aspects of yin and yang, and methods for averting disasters and dispelling misfortune; eight sheets)

Jidu xinfu jing (Sūtra on the Jealous Bride), one fascicle (also called Dufu jing)

The one sūtra above was manufactured by someone of recent times whose name is forgotten. Because his wife was prone to jealousy, he forged this sūtra to deceive her, speaking within it of how jealous persons suffer extremely severe retribution.

Angjumoluo jing (Aṅgulimālīya-sūtra), two fascicles (also simply called Angju jing; sharing the same title as an authentic sūtra; in Xiao Ziliang's compilation there is an Aṅgulimālīya-sūtra in two fascicles, suspected to be this sūtra)

Chonglou jie jing (Sūtra on Multi-Storeyed Precepts), one fascicle

Qingjing jushi zi duren jing (Sūtra on the Pure Householder's Son Delivering People), one fascicle

Modengqi jing (Mātaṅgī-sūtra), one fascicle

Piyu jing (Avadāna-sūtra), one fascicle (among the translations by Hui Jian of the Song dynasty, there is a Piyu jing in one fascicle; at that time there was no extant text, and sharing the same title as this, genuine and spurious are confounded; therefore both are preserved)

Mulian wen jing (Sūtra of Maudgalyāyana's Inquiries), one fascicle (having the same title as an authentic sūtra, but with completely different words and meaning)

Xiao famiejin jing (Lesser Sūtra on the Total Extinction of the Dharma), one fascicle (having text and meaning completely different from the authentic Sūtra on the Total Extinction of the Dharma)

Mingzhong jing (Sūtra on Tolling the Bell), one fascicle

Chijie fa jing (Sūtra on the Rules for Upholding the Precepts), one fascicle

Jinyu juekou jing (Sūtra on the Gold Kettle and Open Mouth), one fascicle

Diyu jing (Hell Sūtra), one fascicle (there is a Diyu jing in one fascicle from among the lost translations of the Han dynasty; it is suspected that this is it; both are preserved)

Youboqiwang jing (Sūtra of King Utpala), one fascicle