大寶積經并序
Mahāratnakūṭa Sutra with Preface
大唐太上皇製
Great Tang Emperor's Edict
朕聞：天之為大也高，上下之容可紀，地之為大也廣，縱橫之數可推，則知無去無來、不生不滅。拯沈淪於沙劫、救焚灼於塵區，毒龍懼其威光、醉象憚其神力，其大則包於宇宙，其小則隱於毫芒。七十二君，先在陶鈞之內，萬八千載，即為俄頃之間，漢日載其通暉，周星彰其降誕，鷲頭峯下演金口之微言，雞足山中舒玉毫之瑞色，干戈不用，梵志摧鋒，甲冑無施，波旬潰旅。闢圓明之淨域，啟方便之禪門，慧晷耀於昏衢，慈雲清於朽宅，無得而稱者，其惟正覺乎。然則教自西方、法流東夏、馬鳴、龍樹肇闡瓊編，羅什、道安承宣寶偈，關中道俗雖傳貝葉之文，江左黎元未極蓮花之旨。又以元魏迷於釋典，宇文扇於魔風，開皇之初暫為修建，大業之末遽即分崩。我大唐之有天下也。
I have heard: Heaven is vast and high, its expanse above and below can be measured; Earth is broad and wide, its dimensions across and through can be calculated. From this, we understand that which has no coming or going, no birth or death. It saves those drowning in the sands of kalpas, rescues those burning in the dust of realms. Poisonous dragons fear its majestic light, drunken elephants dread its divine power. In its greatness, it encompasses the universe; in its subtlety, it hides within the tip of a hair. The seventy-two rulers of old were first within its shaping potter's wheel; eighteen thousand years are but a moment in its presence. The Han dynasty sun carried its pervasive radiance; the Zhou dynasty stars revealed its descent into the world. At Vulture Peak, the golden mouth expounded subtle teachings; in the Cock's Foot Mountains, the auspicious light of the white hair-mark shone. Without resorting to weapons, Brahmin challengers were subdued; without deploying armor, the armies of Mara were scattered. It opened the pure land of perfect brightness, revealed the gate of skillful means in meditation. The sun of wisdom shines upon the dark paths; the cloud of compassion clears the decaying house. That which is beyond praise—is it not the Supreme Enlightenment?
Yet, though the teachings came from the West, the Dharma flowed to the Eastern Land—Maming and Longshu first expounded the precious scriptures; Kumarajiva and Dao'an transmitted the sacred verses. Though the monastic and lay communities of Guanzhong passed down the palm-leaf texts, the people south of the Yangtze had not yet grasped the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Moreover, during the Northern Wei, confusion arose regarding the Buddhist canon; under the Northern Zhou, demonic winds were fanned. At the beginning of the Kaihuang era, there was brief restoration, but by the end of the Daye period, it swiftly collapsed.
Now, our Great Tang holds the realm under Heaven.
叡聖重光，文思御曆，吞沙靜㜸，練石稱神，巢燧執鞭，羲農擁篲。懸法王之鏡，轉梵帝之輪，被正朔於蟠桃，混車書於細柳。三藏沙門菩提流志者，南天竺國淨行婆羅門種，姓迦葉氏也。年十有二，外道出家，事波羅奢羅，學聲明僧佉等論，并曆數呪術及陰陽等，年踰耳順遽乃心歸。知外法之乖違，悟釋教之深妙，隱居名岳積習頭陀，初就耶舍瞿沙三藏學經論，其後遍遊五天竺國。
The wise and sagely ruler has restored the light of virtue, governing with literary brilliance and profound thought. He has pacified the desert tribes and mastered the arts of alchemy, worthy of the divine. He guides the people as the ancient sages did, holding the whip like Suiren and Fuxi, wielding the broom like Shennong. He has hung the mirror of the Dharma King and turned the wheel of the Brahma Emperor, extending the calendar to the farthest lands and unifying customs among all peoples.
The Tripitaka Master Bodhiruci was a Brahmin of pure conduct from southern India, belonging to the Kāśyapa clan. At the age of twelve, he left home to follow a non-Buddhist path, studying under a teacher named Parashara. He mastered the theories of grammar and logic, as well as astrology, incantations, and the principles of yin and yang. However, upon reaching the age of sixty, he suddenly turned his heart toward the truth. Recognizing the errors of external teachings, he awakened to the profound wonders of the Buddhist Dharma. He retreated to a renowned mountain, diligently practicing asceticism. Initially, he studied the sutras and treatises under the Tripitaka Master Yaśas and Ghosa. Thereafter, he traveled extensively throughout the five regions of India.
高宗天皇大帝聞其遠譽、挹其道風，永淳二年遣使迎接。
Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, having heard of his distant reputation and admired his virtuous conduct, dispatched envoys in the second year of the Yongchun era to welcome him.
天后聖帝，應乾司契，當宇披圖，令住東都居福先寺，譯《佛境界》、《寶雨》、《花嚴》等經一十一部。
Empress Wu Zetian, fulfilling the mandate of Heaven and upholding the imperial seal, governed the realm with wisdom. She decreed that the monk should reside at Fuxian Temple in the Eastern Capital (Luoyang) to translate eleven Buddhist scriptures, including the Sutra of the Buddha's Realm, the Sutra of the Jewel Rain, and the Avatamsaka Sutra.
中宗孝和皇帝，循機履運，配永登樞。神龍二年令住京下，於崇福寺翻譯此經。俄屬靈祐虧徵，綿區集禍。
During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong Xiaohu, who ascended the throne in accordance with heaven's design, an event transpired in the second year of the Shenlong era. The Emperor ordered the sutra to be translated at Chongfu Temple in the capital. However, misfortune soon befell the land as the blessings of divine protection waned and calamities spread across the realm.
喬岳之仙長往，茂陵之駕不還。朕以庸虛，謬膺丕構，敬遵前旨，勗就斯編。法師尋繹故文、發揮新句，炎涼不懈、曉夕忘疲，舊翻新翻凡有四十九會，總其部帙一百二十卷成，以先天二年六月八日畢功進內。法師戒珠在握、慧炬明心，為法門之棟梁，啟僧徒之耳目。伏願上資七廟八百之祚長延，下及萬方億兆之甿恒逸，遠邇寧謐、朝野歡娛，致澆俗於淳源，歸迷生於壽域。暫乘紫機之暇，聊題緗帙之前。所有會名，具於其目。云爾。
The immortal has ascended the high peak, and the carriage will not return to Maoling. Though I, a sovereign of mediocre virtue, have unworthily inherited this great mandate, I respectfully follow the former decree and have completed this compilation. The Dharma Master has examined the ancient texts, brought forth new interpretations, toiling through heat and cold without rest, forgetting fatigue by day and night. Both old and new translations total forty-nine assemblies, bound into one hundred and twenty volumes, completed on the eighth day of the sixth month in the second year of the Xiantian era and presented to the palace. Upholding the pearl of precepts and lighting the torch of wisdom, the Master stands as a pillar of the Dharma and opens the eyes and ears of the monastic community. I humbly pray: above, may the blessings sustain the long lineage of the seven ancestral temples; below, may they extend to the countless people of all lands, granting them everlasting peace; may near and far be tranquil, the court and the common folk rejoice, turning shallow customs toward a pristine source, and guiding the lost toward the realm of longevity. In a brief moment of leisure from the great affairs of state, I write these words before the crimson cover. All assembly names are listed in the table of contents. Thus I speak.