Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s4.t2.76

v1.c7.s4.t2.76

According to volume II of *Buddhist Biography in Song Dynasty*, volume IX of *The Kai-yuan Record of Buddhist Books*, Siksananda was from Northern Khotan (present-day Hotan in Sinkiang). He was intelligent and generous, had remarkable charms and great learning. He not only mastered Mahayana and Theravada but was also proficient in other areas of knowledge. During Wuzhou period, people advocated Buddha dharma, especially Mahayana. At that time *Buddhavatamsaka-Mahavaipulya-Sutra* had no complete Chinese translation. When Empress Wu Zetian heard that there was a complete scripture in Khotan, she despatched an envoy to search for it and invite translators for it. Therefore, Siksananda came to China with the *Buddhavatamsaka-Mahavaipulya-Sutra* in Sanskrit. He reached Luoyang in the first year of Zhengsheng (695 CE), lived in the Dabiankong Temple in the imperial palace and began the translation of the scriptures in March with Śramaṇa Bodhiruci from southern India and Śramaṇa Yijing reading out, Śramaṇa Hongjing, Yuance and Fazang writing and checking the meaning, and Śramaṇa Fuli reviewing. Empress Wu Zetian often came to the translation workshop in person, wrote the preface and first named it. The translation was finished in October of the second year of Shengli (699 CE) in Foshouji Temple, with 80 volumes in 39 categories. In the first year of Jiushi (700 CE), Empress Wu Zetian came to Sanyang Palace in Yingchuan, ordered Siksananda to translate seven volumes of *Lankāvatara-sutra* and wrote a preface for it. Later, Siksananda finished the translation of *Manjuśri Vyākarana Sutra* in Qingchan Temple in Chang’an and Foshouji Temple in Luoyang, with Śramana Bolun and Xuangui writing, Śramana Fabao and Hengjing checking the meaning, Śramana Fuli arranging the sentence patterns and official Taizi Zhongshe, Jia Yingfu monitoring. In the fourth year of Chang’an (704 CE), Siksananda made the request to return with the reason that he wanted to serve the aged mother and finally received the approval under repeat requests. Empress Wu Zetian ordered the censor Huo Siguang to escorted him to Khotan. After Emperor Zhongzong of Tang regained the throne, Siksananda was called up to Chang’an in the second year of Jinglong (708 CE). He was sent a beautifully decorated elephant to come riding, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang in person greeted him outside Kaiyuanmen and all the monks awaited him holding their own banners. Siksananda lived in Dajianfu Temple but fell ill before beginning the translation. On October 12 of the first year of Jingyun of Emperor Ruizong of Tang (710 CE), he died at the age of 59, lying on the right side with feet together. A month later, he was cremated at Gurandeng Platform outside Kaiyuanmen. It was said that his tongue remained after firewood burned up. Ten days later, his bone ash and tongue were returned to Khotan under the escort of disciple Beizhi and official Geshu Daoyuan. A tower was built specially for the storage. In Chang’an, a pagoda with seven floors was also built at the place he was cremated for commemoration. It was named Huayan Sanzang Pagoda by local people. In addition to the above scriptures, Siksananda also translated two volumes of *Dizang Bodhisattva Invocation Sutra*, and one volume each of *Sutra Spoken by Great Samantabhadra*, *Tathagatas Grahaka-citta-abhava State Sutra*, *Tathagatas Wisdom Grahaka-citta-abhava Sutra*, *The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action*, *Sutra of the Benefit of Walking Around Pagoda Clockwise*, *Four Sutra of Mahayana*, *Avalokiteshvara Secret Buddhadharma Nyo-i-rin Dharani Mantra Sutra*, *Ambrosia Dharani Sutra*, *Sutra of the Dharani for Miaobi Seals and Banners* and *The Dharani Sutra of 100,000 Seals*, with each having one volume. According to the record in *The Kai-yuan Record of Buddhist Books*, his translated works belonged to 19 categories and were in total 107 volumes.