No. 1517-B
Sutra No. 1517-B
切聞。滄海浩大。非驪龍無以察其淺深。佛法幽微。非智人無以究其源本。然三才筆立之初。世號鴻荒。人方穴居野處。不辨尊卑。而斯民之耳目。猶塗於見聞也。自庖犧晝八卦。而文籍始生。神農作耒耜。而畊稼始立。黃帝造律本。而樂音始著。堯舜垂衣裳。而禮制始明。凡數聖人。所以開天地之經。立生人之紀。使後之作者有所持循。而百王綱理世變之道。由此而出也。至于姬周之世。合三十七君。其間三教聖人先後出興。曰佛。曰老子。曰夫子。見於史傳。則昭然耳。自第四君昭王二十四年甲寅四月八日。佛之示現西竺迦維羅衛國。降誕王宮。以剎利瞿曇為姓。以悉達太子為名。成道以釋迦為氏。號曰牟尼。此譯寂默。言三業離於諠雜。金軀一丈六尺。具三十二相八十種好。而號為佛。佛者覺義。謂其弘法自覺覺他。住世七十九年。逮第二十一君定王三年丁巳。越三百四十有五年。而老子方生於楚苦縣厲鄉曲仁里。姓李。名耳字伯陽。諡聃。或云身長四尺六寸。厖眉皓首。故謂之老子。子者男子之通稱也。至二十四君靈王二十一年庚戌。則老子年五十四歲時。夫子始生於魯昌平陬邑。而先人禱於尼丘山而誕。首上圩頂。因名丘。字仲尼。姓孔氏。儀表九尺六寸。夫子者盖丈夫之稱爾。年七十三而卒。乃恭王四十一年壬戌也。老子方書。說養性以保長生。周孔圖書。則訓人而脩禮樂。釋迦之教。能施慈悲。攝於有情。作眾生之福田。為愛河之舟楫故萬物之內。惟人最靈。三界之中。惟佛至尊。法演西乾。教流東震。真身舍利。代代欽崇。玉軸金文。人人諷誦。宏資國化。廣利眾生。聊纂斯文。厥書于后。明佛祖之垂慈。彰王臣之皈仰。結為歷朝釋氏資鑑錄云。
I have heard that the vast ocean is so immense that without a black dragon, one cannot fathom its depths. The profound and subtle Dharma of the Buddha is so deep that without a wise person, one cannot investigate its source and foundation.
In the early days when Heaven, Earth, and Humanity were first established, the world was called the Age of Chaos. People dwelt in caves and lived in the wild, unable to distinguish between noble and humble. The eyes and ears of the common people were still obscured by what they saw and heard. It was only when Fu Xi drew the Eight Trigrams that writing and records began. When Shen Nong created plows and hoes, farming and agriculture were established. When the Yellow Emperor invented the pitch pipes and musical standards, music and sound became prominent. When Yao and Shun set down the rites and attire, ceremonial institutions first became clear. These several sages opened the path of Heaven and Earth and established the guidelines for human life, providing a foundation for later generations to follow. The principles by which all kings govern and adapt to the changing ways of the world all emerge from this.
When we come to the Zhou dynasty, which had thirty-seven rulers combined, during this period the sages of the three teachings appeared one after another. They are the Buddha, Laozi, and Confucius. These are clearly recorded in historical texts. From the twenty-fourth year of the reign of King Zhao, the fourth ruler of Zhou, in the year of Jiayin, on the eighth day of the fourth month, the Buddha manifested in the Western land of Kapilavastu in India. He was born in the royal palace, took the clan name Shakya, and the name Siddhartha as a prince. After attaining enlightenment, he became known as Shakyamuni, which translates as "the Silent Sage," meaning that his three actions were free from noise and distraction. His golden body was sixteen feet tall, adorned with thirty-two major marks and eighty minor characteristics, and he was called the Buddha. "Buddha" means awakened one, indicating that he spread the Dharma, awakening himself and awakening others. He lived in the world for seventy-nine years.
Then, in the third year of the reign of King Ding, the twenty-first ruler of Zhou, in the year of Dingsi, three hundred and forty-five years later, Laozi was born in the village of Quren in the Li district of Ku County in the state of Chu. His family name was Li, his given name Er, and his courtesy name Boyang. He was posthumously titled Dan. Some say he was four feet six inches tall, with thick eyebrows and white hair, for which he was called Laozi. "Zi" is a general term for a distinguished man. Then, in the twenty-first year of the reign of King Ling, the twenty-fourth ruler of Zhou, in the year of Gengxu, when Laozi was fifty-four years old, Confucius was born in the Zou district of Changping in the state of Lu. His parents had prayed at Mount Niqiu before his birth. The top of his head was sunken, so he was named Qiu, with the courtesy name Zhongni, and the clan name Kong. His appearance was nine feet six inches tall. "Fuzi" is a term for a great man. He died at the age of seventy-three, in the forty-first year of the reign of King Gong, in the year of Renxu.
Now, the writings of Laozi speak of nurturing one's nature to attain long life. The books of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius instruct people in cultivating rites and music. The teachings of the Buddha can bestow compassion and embrace all sentient beings. He is the field of blessings for all living beings and the boat that ferries them across the river of craving. Thus, among all beings, humans are the most intelligent. Throughout the three realms, only the Buddha is supremely honored. The Dharma spread from the Western Lands, and its teachings flowed into the Eastern Lands of China. The Buddha's true body and relics have been revered generation after generation. His scriptures, bound in jade rollers and written in golden letters, are chanted by everyone. They greatly enhance the nation's culture and broadly benefit all sentient beings.
I have briefly compiled these writings, recording them here, to illuminate the compassionate descent of the Buddha and to reveal the reverence of kings and ministers. They are gathered into this "Historical Record of the Buddhist Faith Through the Ages."