貞元新定釋教目錄 9.16

English (machine translation) 9.16

Language: English

9.16.1

Shijia pu, ten fascicles (composed during the Qi dynasty; there is another version in five fascicles, which differs from this in being more concise or expanded; [Fei Chang]fang states it is in four fascicles, which is likely an error; seen in Sengyou's catalogue and Changfang's Neidian Catalogue, etc.; it ought to belong to the Qi catalogue, but is appended here under the Liang according to the author).
Chu sanzang jiji, fifteen fascicles (You's catalogue itself says ten fascicles; there are now extant [versions in] fifteen and in ten fascicles; both Changfang's and the Neidian catalogues say fourteen fascicles; seen in Sengyou's, Changfang's, and the Neidian catalogues, etc.; also composed during the Qi period).
Hongming ji, fourteen fascicles (the three catalogues of You and others all say ten fascicles; now seen in fourteen fascicles; [seen in] Sengyou's, Changfang's, and the Neidian catalogues, etc.).
The above three works in thirty-nine fascicles are all extant.
Śramaṇa Shi Sengyou was a monk of Jianchu Monastery in the capital of Yang[zhou].
His original surname was Yu. His ancestors were people of Xiapi in Pengcheng. His father's family had resided in Jianye for generations.
When You was several years old, he entered Jianchu Monastery to worship. Thereupon, leaping with joy, he delighted in the Path and refused to return home. His parents, pitying his resolve, temporarily permitted him to enter the Path. He served the Daoist master Sengfan as his teacher.
At the age of fourteen, his family secretly sought a marriage for him. You learned of this and fled to Dinglin [Monastery] to take refuge with Dharma Master Fada. Da's observance of the precepts and moral virtue were meticulous and strict; he was a pillar and beam of the Dharma gate. You served his master with utter devotion. When he reached full age, he received the full precepts, and his adherence to moral conduct was resolute and clear. He initially received instruction from Śramaṇa Faying. Ying was an outstanding master of the era and the authority of Vinaya studies. You thereupon exhausted his mind in diligent research day and night. Consequently, he became profoundly versed in the Vinaya division, encouraging future generations. Emperor Wu, Xiao Yan, treated him with profound courtesy and respect. Whenever there were grave doubts concerning monastic affairs, an imperial edict would always order him to deliberate and decide.
When he grew old and infirm with an ailment of the feet, an imperial edict permitted him to ride in a palanquin to enter the palace interior to administer the precepts to the imperial consorts of the six palaces. He was respected to such an extent. When Xiao Ziliang, Prince Wenxuan of Jingling under the Qi; Xiao Hong, Prince of Linchuan under the Liang; Xiao Wei, Prince of Nanping and Grand Master of Equivalence; Yuan Ang, Duke Ding of Yongkang from Chen Commandery; the Noble Consort Ding; and others all venerated his model of discipline, showing him the ultimate respect of disciples toward their teacher.
His monastic and lay disciples numbered more than ten thousand. You had a penetrating comprehension of the Vinaya piṭaka and was also skilled in literary composition. He searched, collected, and recorded, compiling them into volumes, in the hope that those who consulted them would expend little effort yet achieve broad understanding. Indeed, [these works are] essential principles of the Dharma gate and the primal source of the house of Śākya. From the end of the Xiao Qi down to the Liang dynasty, he compiled three works, including the Shijia pu. Apart from these, works such as the Fayuan ji, Shijie ji, and Shizi zhuan, being not included in the canon, are therefore omitted and not discussed here. All are fully described in the Sanzang ji and elsewhere.
Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra, two fascicles (or in one fascicle; also simply called the Wenshu bore boluomi jing; first translation, identical to the text translated by Saṅghapāla; same text as the seventh assembly, 'Mañjuśrī Section', of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra; incorporated into the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra as the forty-sixth assembly; seen in Li Kuo's catalogue and the Sequel to the Biographies of Eminent Monks).
Dharmadhātuprakṛty-asambheda-sūtra, two fascicles (second translation; now incorporated into the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra as the eighth assembly; seen in the two catalogues of Li Kuo and Baochang, and the Sequel to the Biographies of Eminent Monks).
Ratnamegha-sūtra, seven fascicles (first translation; a different translation of the same original text as the Dacheng baoyun jing of Subhūti of the Chen dynasty and the Baoyu jing of Dharmaruci of the Tang dynasty, etc.; seen in the Chen catalogue and the Sequel to the Biographies of Eminent Monks).
The above three works in eleven fascicles are all extant.
Śramaṇa Mandrasena (translated in the Liang as 'Weak Voice', also called Hongruo) was a native of Funan. His spiritual comprehension was transcendent and insightful; he perceived the concealed and the manifest alike. Undaunted by level or perilous paths, his resolve was set on preaching and converting. Carrying a great collection of Indic scriptures, he came from afar to present them as tribute. In the second year of Tianjian of Emperor Wu, guangwei (503), he arrived at the capital of Yang[zhou]. [The Emperor] decreed that Saṅghapāla should translate together with him. Thereupon, he produced three works of scriptures, including the Wenshu bore jing. Although he was engaged in translation, he was not proficient in the language of Liang; hence the sentences in the scriptures he produced are obscure and unadorned.
Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra, one fascicle (second translation; same original text as the version produced earlier by Mandra[sena] and the 'Mañjuśrī Section' of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra; [Fei Chang]fang states it is slightly superior to the two-fascicle version produced earlier by Mandrasena).
Daśadharmaka-mahāyāna-sūtra, one fascicle (first translation; same original text as the Shifa jing produced by Jueding of the Northern Wei; translated in the Putong era).
Sarvabuddhaviṣayāvatārajñānālokālaṅkāra-sūtra, one fascicle (second translation; same original text as the Ru fo jingjie jing of Dharmaruci of the Northern Wei).
Aṣṭamaṅgalaka-sūtra, one fascicle (if a person hears the names of these eight Buddhas, they will not be afflicted by the disasters caused by any hordes of ghosts and spirits; fourth translation; same original text as the Bamixiang zhou and the Bayang shenzhou jing, etc.).
Mahāmāyūrīvidyārājñī, two fascicles (also called the Kongque wang tuoluoni jing; tenth translation; same original text as the Da kongque zhouwang jing, etc., of Yijing of the Tang).
Śāriputradhāraṇī-sūtra, one fascicle (this dhāraṇī possesses spiritual power: if one can uphold it, eight yakṣa kings of the Snowy Mountains will constantly come to protect them, fulfilling their desires as their mind wishes; first translation; same original text as the Wuliangmen weimi chi jing, etc., produced by Zhi Qian).
Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-sūtra, two fascicles (also simply called the Wenshu wen jing; translated in the seventeenth year of Tianjian at Zhanyun Pavilion; Yuan Tanyun transcribed the text, and Śramaṇa Fayun of Guangzhai Monastery verified and finalized it).
Bodhisattvapiṭaka-sūtra, one fascicle.
Vimuttimagga, twelve fascicles (also said to be thirteen fascicles; translated in the fourteenth year of Tianjian at Zhanyun Pavilion).
Aśokāvadāna, ten fascicles (sometimes with the word 'Great' added; second translation; a different translation of the same original text as the Ayu wang zhuan by An Qin of the Jin; translated on the second day of the sixth month of the eleventh year of Tianjian at Shouguang Hall in the capital of Yang[zhou]; seen in Baochang's catalogue).
The above ten works in thirty-two fascicles are all extant (all seen in Changfang's catalogue and the Sequel to the Biographies of Eminent Monks, where the number of fascicles and titles are recorded in full, so they are not enumerated here).
Śramaṇa Saṅghapāla (translated in the Liang as 'Armor of the Saṅgha', also called Sengyang) was a native of Funan. Quick-witted from his youth, he early on attached himself to the Dharma and Vinaya. Although he thoroughly explored sūtras and treatises, he was especially devoted to the Abhidharma. His fame gradually spread, bestowing renown throughout the southern seas. After receiving the full precepts, he became extensively versed in the Vinaya piṭaka. With courageous resolve to observe different lands, he took joy in upholding the doctrine to guide and transform. Hearing that the Qi state was propagating the Dharma, he followed a ship to the capital. He resided at Zhengguan Monastery and became a disciple of the Indian śramaṇa Guṇabhadra. He also studied the Mahāyāna under Bhadra with utmost devotion. Before a year had passed, he became widely read and versatile, comprehending the scripts and languages of several kingdoms. When the Qi dynasty collapsed and the Buddhist teachings declined, Saṅghapāla kept his body and mind pure and tranquil, cutting off external associations. Shutting himself in his room to dwell in leisure, he cultivated simplicity and sustained his practice. When the Great Liang ruled the realm, [the Emperor] sought out talented and capable men. In the fifth year of Tianjian, he was summoned by imperial decree to translate at five places: Shouguang Hall, Hualin Park, Zhengguan Monastery, Zhanyun Pavilion, and Funan Pavilion in the capital of Yang[zhou]. From the fifth year of Tianjian, bingxu (506), to the first year of Putong, gengzi (520), he translated ten works, including the Wenshu bore jing (the Indic texts were all presented by Mandra[sena]; Changfang's catalogue also says that [Saṅgha]pāla separately produced the Ayu wang zhuan in five fascicles, which is incorrect; the aforementioned Ayu wang jing is that very biography, so it should not be listed redundantly).
On the first day of translation, Emperor Wu personally attended the Dharma seat in Shouguang Hall and transcribed the text with his own hand.

9.16.2

text. Only then did [the emperor] hand it over to the translators to complete the scriptural text.
An imperial decree ordered the śramaṇas Baochang, Huichao, Sengzhi, Fayun, and Yuan Tanyun and others to write down the translation in facing lines. The ornate and the plain were well arranged, not departing from the principles of translation. The Son of Heaven received [Saṅghapāla] with exceeding courtesy, inviting him to be a court monk. The provisions supplied by the relevant authorities made both the monastic and lay communities look upon him with renewed respect. Saṅghapāla kept no private wealth, but used his donations and alms to establish temple compounds. The Grand Defender, King Hong of Linchuan, treated him with great esteem. In the fifth year of the Putong reign period, he died of illness at Zhengguan Monastery, at the age of sixty-five.
Jinglü yixiang (Extraordinary Aspects of the Sūtras and Vinayas), fifty fascicles. (Compiled by imperial order in the fifteenth year of Tianjian. The catalogue states that together with the table of contents it is fifty-five fascicles; now the table of contents is missing, leaving only fifty fascicles. Its table of contents merely gathered chapter titles and likely contained no separate matters; see Baochang's catalogue and Changfang's catalogue.)
Biqiuni zhuan (Biographies of Bhikṣuṇīs), four fascicles. (Accounts of the deeds of nuns across the four dynasties of Jin, Song, Qi, and Liang; newly entered into the catalogue.)
The two works above, comprising fifty-four fascicles, are both extant.
The śramaṇa Shi Baochang was a monk of Zhuangyan Monastery in the capital of Yangdu. His secular surname was Feng, and he was a native of Wujun. He was an eminent disciple of the Vinaya Master Sengyou. His broad learning and thorough knowledge of literature had few equals. Emperor Wu held him in high esteem and veneration. Throughout the Tianjian reign period, he repeatedly received imperial decrees to compile collections, all of which met with the imperial approval. In the fifteenth year, bing-shen, he was again decreed to compile one work, the Jinglü yixiang. Baochang also compiled the Biqiuni zhuan in four fascicles. In Changfang's catalogue, there are additionally seven works, including the Mingseng zhuan (Biographies of Famous Monks). Because they are not admitted into the Canon, they are omitted and not discussed here. The rest are fully recorded in the Xu gaoseng zhuan (Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks).
Wufen biqiuni jieben (Mahīśāsaka Bhikṣuṇī Prātimokṣa), one fascicle. (Also titled Mixasai lü; some call it the Śrāmaṇerī Prātimokṣa; see Baochang's catalogue.)
The one work above, in one fascicle, is currently extant.
The śramaṇa Shi Minghui was a monk of Jianchu Monastery in the capital of Yangdu. His monastic practice was pure and austere, and he studied the Mahīśāsaka school. Because when Juqu Jingshou translated the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya during the Song period, he only produced the Bhikṣu Prātimokṣa and lacked a Bhikṣuṇī Prātimokṣa, Minghui accordingly, in the third year of Emperor Wu's Putong reign period, ren-yin, extracted one fascicle of the Bhikṣuṇī Prātimokṣa from the great vinaya. This is precisely the version circulating today. (The compiler of the catalogue observes: Examining this prātimokṣa, following the rules on training there are no seven dharmas for settling disputes. Although the vinaya text was abridged, according to the principle it ought to be included. How could it be that if the community of nuns has a dispute, it is not resolved? In the root text of the vinaya, it is present just as it is for the monks; hence fascicle forty of that vinaya says: 'Among the rules on training, only dirty grass and water are excluded; the seven dharmas for settling disputes and the conforming dharmas are all the same as for the bhikṣus.' That master's failure to include them is logically untenable.)
Dasheng dingwang jing (Mahāyāna King of the Summit Sūtra), one fascicle. (Also titled Weimor jing; third translation. Dharmarakṣa of the Western Jin titled it Dengwang; it shares the same original as the Sui duo shan'e tongzi jing and others; see Changfang's catalogue and the Xu gaoseng zhuan.)
The one work above, in one fascicle, is currently extant.
Prince Upasūna was the son of the king of Ujjayinī in Central India. (Some say this kingdom of Ujjayinī is in South India, and some say it is in West India, which cannot yet be determined; or it may be that this country is situated at the corner of Central India, extending west and bordering the south, which accounts for the conflicting accounts in the traditions rather than a fixed region.) He was intelligent and bright from birth, with a profound understanding of the abstruse and subtle. He focused his studies on the Buddhist scriptures and was especially skilled in doctrinal principles. He thoroughly understood phonetics and was also well-versed in regional languages. Previously, during the Xinghe reign period of the Eastern Wei, he translated three works of scriptures. During the Datong reign period of the Liang, he traveled from the Wei to the Liang, where Emperor Wu retained him. An imperial decree dispatched him to oversee diplomatic missions to foreign states. In the course of this, he translated one work, the Dingwang jing.
Jin guangming jing (Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra), seven fascicles. (Or six fascicles, in twenty-two chapters. Produced in the first year of Chengsheng at Zhengguan Monastery and the residence of Yang Xiong. The four-fascicle version produced by Dharmakṣema in the Liang era had eighteen chapters; Paramārtha translated an additional four chapters, supplementing the previous ones to make twenty-two, divided into seven fascicles; it is now in the Catalogue of Abridged Redundancies.)
Wushang yi jing (Anuttarāśraya-sūtra), two fascicles. (Translated on the eighth day of the ninth month in the third year of Shaotai of the Liang, ding-chou, at Pingguo county, requested by the Administrator of Nankang, Liu Wentuo; see the postscript to the sūtra. Changfang's claim that it was produced during the Chen dynasty is incorrect; the calendars of various lineages have no third year of Shaotai, as explained in the Detailed Catalogue.)
Niepan jing ben you jin wu ji lun (Treatise on the Gāthā 'Originally Existent, Now Non-existent' of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra), one fascicle. (Changfang says it was produced in the fourth year of Taiqing; but checking the chronological records, the Taiqing era did not reach a fourth year; the same applies below.)
Jueding zang lun (Treatise on the Determining Basket), three fascicles. (It contains words of the Liang language and was translated in the Liang dynasty; examining its phrasing, it was produced by Paramārtha.)
Dasheng qixin lun (Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna), one fascicle. (First translation, sharing the same original text with the version translated by Śikṣānanda of the Tang. Produced on the tenth day of the ninth month in the second year of Chengsheng, gui-you, at Hengzhou, initially at Jianxing Monastery; Upasūna and others served as interpreters, and the śramaṇa Zhizheng and others took down the brushes and composed the preface; see the preface to the treatise.)
Rushi lun (Treatise on Accordance with Reality), one fascicle. (The initial title reads Rushi lun ji zhinan pin; Changfang says it was produced in the fourth year of Taiqing.)
Renwang bore jing (Benevolent Kings Prajñā Sūtra), one fascicle. (Translated in the third year of Chengsheng at Baotian Monastery in Yuzhang; third translation, sharing the same original with the version translated by Dharmarakṣa of the Western Jin and others.)
Miling xiasheng jing (Sūtra on Maitreya's Descent), one fascicle. (Translated in the third year of Chengsheng at Baotian Monastery in Yuzhang; fifth translation, sharing the same original with the version translated by Kumārajīva.)
Shiba di lun (Treatise on the Seventeen Stages), five fascicles. (Sharing the same original text with the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra translated in the Tang; five fascicles were translated before work was halted due to political turmoil; see the Xu gaoseng zhuan. Translated in the fourth year of Taiqing at the residence of Lu Yuanzhe, Magistrate of Fuchun, for twenty eminent figures including the śramaṇa Baoqiong.)
Zhong lun (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā), one fascicle. (Changfang says it was produced in the fourth year of Taiqing.)
Sanshi fenbie lun (Treatise on the Discrimination of the Three Times), one fascicle. (Changfang says it was produced in the fourth year of Taiqing; all the above are recorded in Changfang's catalogue, the Neidian lu, and others.)
The eleven works above, comprising twenty-four fascicles. (The six works of fifteen fascicles from the Rushi lun upwards are extant; the five works of nine fascicles from the Renwang jing downwards are missing texts.)
The śramaṇa Paramārtha—in the language of the Liang, 'Zhendi'; also called Kulanātha, which means 'Protector of the Family'—both being his Sanskrit names. He was originally a native of the kingdom of Ujjayinī in Western India. A Brahmin by caste, of the Bhāradvāja lineage, his conduct was luminous and pure, and his demeanor tranquil and serene. His spirit was noble and elevated, leisurely and detached from the mundane. There were none of the vast collections of canonical texts that he had not held in mind. In arts and extraordinary skills, he was especially accomplished. Although he revered and integrated Buddhist principles, he was celebrated for his mastery of the Dao. He journeyed through distant and difficult lands, undaunted by level terrain or danger. Having traveled through many kingdoms, he eventually settled in Central India.
During the Datong reign period of Emperor Wu of the Liang, an imperial decree directed the Palace Attendant Zhang Si and others to escort the tributary envoys of Funan back to their country, and additionally sent an embassy to Magadha in Central India to invite an eminent Tripiṭaka master of renown and virtue, and to seek Mahāyāna treatises and the Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra and others. Paramārtha had heard from afar of [the emperor's] transforming guidance, monastic codes, and saintly sages, and of his seeking out famous masters to benefit the common people. That kingdom therefore prevailed upon Paramārtha to take texts of sūtras and śāstras and reverently respond to the imperial decree. Since this had long been his cherished wish, he joyfully complied upon hearing the command.
On the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the twelfth year of Datong, he arrived in Nanhai. Traveling along perilous and vast expanses, he was delayed for two springs. It was only in the intercalary eighth month of the second year of Taiqing that he reached the capital. Emperor Wu personally extended his respects, settled him in the Baoyun Hall, and provided for him with the utmost sincerity. The emperor wished to transmit and translate the scriptural teachings so as not to be outdone by the Qin dynasty, producing new texts that would surpass the Qi.

9.16.3

[Paramārtha's] days met with the decline of the Liang dynasty, when rebel barbarians encroached and overran, so that the Dharma collapsed in the times. Unable to preach and explain, he then journeyed on foot into the eastern regions. He further proceeded to Fuchun, where Magistrate Lu Yuanzhe began by reverently requesting vinaya teachings and was about to undertake translation work. He invited and gathered over twenty eminent figures, including the śramaṇa Baoqiong. Translating the *Śaptadaśabhūmi-śāstra*, they had just produced five scrolls when the national turmoil had not yet subsided, so it was only informally circulated. In the Dabao era, he was invited by Hou Jing to return and receive offerings at the palace towers. At this time, war and famine occurred back-to-back, and the Dharma almost fell into ruin. It happened that Emperor Yuan founded his reign and the Chengsheng era brought clarity and peace. He then resided at Zhengguan Monastery in Jinling, where together with Dhyāna Master Yuan and over twenty others he translated the *Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra*. In the second month of the third year, he returned to Yuzhang, and then went to Xinxu and Shixing. Later, following Grand Protection Xiao, he crossed the mountain pass and arrived in Nankang; thus, drifting from place to place without any secure refuge, he translated wherever he went. The sūtras and śāstras produced by Paramārtha during the Liang dynasty totaled eleven works. At the end of the Liang, he entered the Chen dynasty, where he translated further sūtras and śāstras as described below. Catalogues such as Changfang's and the Neidian Lu list the *Aṣṭādaśanikāya-śāstra* in one scroll as also being translated by Paramārtha. Now, examining its phrasing, it was not translated by Paramārtha. Since it is identical to the text of the *Samayabhedoparacanacakra*, it should not be listed again. It is now excised here, as explained in the Detailed Catalogue. Furthermore, there are six works in twenty-six scrolls, including the *Commentary on the Suvarṇaprabhāsa*, which were all composed by Paramārtha; these are also all excised here. (Catalogues such as Changfang's and the Neidian Lu also state that in the fifteenth year of the Tianjian era, the Indian Zhu Daoxian presented the *Uruvilvā-sūtra* in one scroll; stating merely that it was presented without detailing the circumstances, it was tentatively placed in the catalogue of doubtful works, and is now deleted and not recorded here.)
*Gaoseng zhuan* (Biographies of Eminent Monks), fourteen scrolls (consisting of one scroll of introductory catalogue and thirteen scrolls of biographies, making fourteen scrolls in total; compiled in the eighteenth year of the Tianjian era; seen in the two catalogues of Changfang and the Neidian Lu).
The one work above in fourteen scrolls is currently extant. The śramaṇa Shi Huijiao was a native of Shangyu in Kuaiji, whose family clan is unknown. His learning encompassed both internal and external texts, and he was broadly erudite in the sūtras and vinaya. Residing at Jiaxiang Monastery, he propagated the Dharma in spring and summer and wrote works in autumn and winter. He composed commentaries on the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* and the *Brahmajāla-sūtra*. Furthermore, considering that the famous monks recorded by Master Baochang were overly verbose and redundant, he thereupon established criteria and broadly composed the *Gaoseng zhuan* in one work. It begins in the tenth year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of the Han and ends in the eighteenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang, spanning 453 years and covering 257 principal figures, with an additional 239 figures mentioned in passing, making 496 figures in total. He organized their virtues and deeds into ten major categories. His preface states in brief: 'Earlier authors, perhaps disliking excessive length, abridged the matters, but many of the remarkable feats of noble conduct were omitted and deleted. One thinks that when a renunciant resides as a guest of monarchs within a state, he should remain proudly aloof and uniquely lofty; seeking to renounce worldly honour and abandon love, his original intent is to inspire worldly people to goodness. If such deeds are not discussed, what should be recorded?' It also states: 'Compilations of earlier eras were mostly called *Mingseng* (Renowned Monks). I humbly submit that there is a distinction of superior and inferior between "fame" (ming) and "eminence" (gao). When genuine conduct hides its light, one is eminent without being renowned; when meagre virtue meets the times, one is renowned without being eminent. Those renowned without being eminent were fundamentally not worth recording; those eminent without being renowned are fully included in the present record. Hence I omit the term "renowned" and replace it with the character "eminent".' Examining this biography with care, its principles are clear and distinct, and its literary phrasing is elegant and concise; it can truly be transmitted without decay to serve forever as an exemplary mirror.
*Da foming jing* (Great Sūtra of the Names of the Buddhas), sixteen scrolls (the inner title is simply *Foming jing*; also in thirty-two scrolls or fourteen scrolls).
The one sūtra above was popularly known as the *Horse-Headed Rākṣasa Buddha-Name Tradition*. Produced during the Liang dynasty, the compiler's name and surname are unknown. The Kaiyuan Catalogue states: 'It seems to be a recent compilation, fashioned by interweaving the twelve-scroll translation by Bodhiruci. In it, the names of various sūtras were taken, followed by the names of pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and the arhats of various sūtras, arranging them in the sequence of the Three Jewels, with thirty-two items in all. After paying homage to the Three Jewels, there are always repentances; under the repentances, the apocryphal *Horse-Headed Rākṣasa Sūtra* is still cited and inserted. At the end, vulgar and base language is mingled with the sacred words. Although the base sūtra was authentic, because it was mixed with apocrypha, through such evaluation it was compiled into the catalogue of apocryphal and heterodox works corrupting orthodoxy and was not permitted into the canon.' Because of this, its acceptability remained disputed for several hundred years. His Sacred Majesty, whose literary thought is brilliant and insightful, far inherited the transmission of the teachings; venerating and expounding the Buddhist doctrine, he guided and proclaimed the True Vehicle. Personally inspecting its text, he permitted it to be incorporated into the canon. On the twenty-third day of the tenth month of the fifteenth year of the Zhenyuan era, an imperial decree was promulgated, stating: 'Regarding the *Da foming jing* in one work and sixteen scrolls, Ma Chengqian, General of the Left and Right Gate Guards and Administrator of the Palace Domestic Service, presented a memorial stating that the aforementioned sūtra has not yet been entered into the canonical catalogue. It is imperially decreed that the competent authorities should append it to the catalogue.' Furthermore, the old catalogue states: 'Examining its compiler, he was thoroughly mediocre and foolish. For instance, in the fourth scroll, reciting "Homage to the *Faxian zhuan* (Account of Faxian)" is listed under the Jewel of the Dharma. This is a travelogue and was originally not a sūtra; placing it in the Jewel of the Dharma is an extreme error. An ancient saying goes: "Though versed in the Tripiṭaka, when faced with practical affairs one is still confused, mistaking an account for a sūtra." This exemplifies that matter. Because it compiles an account into a sūtra, it is requested to be removed.' Furthermore, the old catalogue states: 'For instance, the ninth scroll says: "Homage to Pūrṇa (in Chinese: Fully Complete); Homage to Maitrāyaṇī (in Chinese: Son of the Compassionate Mother)." Xuanzang, Tripiṭaka Master of Great Universal Enlightenment of the Great Tang, translated it as Maitrāyaṇīputra. In the sūtra it is split into two; now it is requested to combine them into one invocation. It also says: "Homage to Ānanda-Rāhula"; these are two persons, yet the sūtra combined them into one; now it is requested to split them into two. What harm could there be in this? We humbly request that all instances such as these be corrected, so as to accord with the hopes of the people below and fulfill the heavenly intent above.' It is incorporated into the *Zhenyuan Newly Determined Catalogue of Buddhist Teachings* (traditionally said to have emerged in the Liang dynasty, it is appended to the Liang dynasty).

Linked texts (1)

貞元新定釋教目錄 — 圓照, Classical Chinese