佛祖統紀序
Preface to the Chronicles of the Buddha
參天地之才。司萬物之化。同功而異位者。其唯人道乎。故自有生以來。蚩蚩群氓。必立大人。為之君牧。是以四輪統乎四洲。粟散占乎異域。而南洲震旦。實為東方君子之國。伏羲稱皇。始畫八卦。降及三代。文物大明逮吾世尊出興天竺。將施化於此方也。乃先遣三聖。為世良導。以禮樂為前驅。以真道為後教。機成時至。大法可行。於是漢皇致夢感之祥。摩騰應東來之運。魏晉以降。盛譯群經。矯矯諸師。競登講席。雖各立義門。取名當世。而尚昧乎如來一代之化意。篤生天台。紹隆法運。以五時八教四種三昧。與夫事理即具境觀不二之旨。以為後學入道之本。歷代師承。寶茲大訓。至於今七百年。守之弗墜。翰林梁子之言曰。言佛法者。以天台為司南。則殊塗異論。往往退息。誠然哉斯論也。志磐手抱遺編。久從師學。每念佛祖傳授之迹。不有紀述。後將何聞。惟昔。良渚之著正統。雖粗立體法。而義乖文薉。鏡菴之撰宗源。但列文傳。而辭陋事疏。至於遺逸而不收者。則舉皆此失。於是並取二家。且刪且補。依放史法。用成一家之書。斷自釋迦大聖訖於法智。一佛二十九祖。並稱本紀。所以明化事而繫道統也。至若諸祖旁出為世家。廣智以下為列傳。名言懿行。皆入此宗。而表志之述。非一門義。具在通例。可以類知。既又用編年法起周昭王。至我本朝。別為法運通塞志。儒釋道之立法。禪教律之開宗。統而會之。莫不畢錄。目之曰佛祖統紀。凡之為五十四卷。紀傳世家。法太史公。通塞志。法司馬公。書成即負笈。詣白雲堂。仰求佛光法師為之考校。而同志之士。共謀鋟版以期流布。將令家藏其本。人觀此書。開人心之性靈。資國政之治化。豈不曰大有益於世哉。自寶祐戊午。首事筆削。十閱流年。五謄成藁。夜以繼晝。功實倍之。仰報佛恩。上酬
Throughout heaven, earth, and all beings, [One power] governs the transformations of the myriad things. They share the same function yet occupy different positions— Is this not the way of humanity?
Therefore, since the beginning of life, Among the teeming masses of ordinary people, There must be a great person established To serve as their ruler and shepherd.
Thus, the four wheels govern the four continents, And scattered grains [of rulership] occupy different lands. Among them, in the southern continent, the land of China Is truly the land of the Eastern gentlemen.
Fu Xi was proclaimed Emperor, And first drew the eight trigrams. Descending to the Three Dynasties, Culture and artifacts shone brightly.
Then our World-Honored One appeared in India. He was about to spread his teachings in this land, So he first sent three sages To serve as good guides for the world.
With ritual and music as the vanguard, And the true Way as the later teaching, When the conditions were ripe and the time had come, The Great Dharma could be practiced.
Thus, the Han Emperor had an auspicious dream, And Ma Teng responded to the destiny of the eastern arrival. From the Wei and Jin dynasties onward, The many scriptures were extensively translated.
The distinguished masters Competed to ascend the teaching platforms. Although they each established their own doctrinal gates And gained fame in their times, They were still unclear about the Tathāgata's intention for a single generation's teaching.
Then the Tiantai master was born, Continuing and prospering the Dharma's course. With the five periods, eight teachings, and four kinds of samadhi, Together with the principles of the identity of phenomena and principle, And the non-duality of contemplation and the contemplated, He established the foundation for later students to enter the path.
Through generation after generation of masters, This great instruction was treasured. Up to the present, for seven hundred years, It has been upheld without decline.
The words of Academician Liang said: "Those who speak of the Buddha's Dharma Take Tiantai as their compass. Thus, divergent paths and different theories Often retreat and cease." How true this statement is!
Zhipan, holding the remaining texts in hand, Has long studied under his teachers. He often thought: If the traces of the transmission of the Buddha and patriarchs Are not recorded, In the future, what would be heard?
In the past, Liangzhu's work "Orthodox Lineage," Although it roughly established a format, Had divergent meanings and polluted language. Jing'an's "Source of the Tradition" Only listed texts and biographies, With vulgar language and sparse events. As for omissions and things not included, They all suffered from this failing.
Therefore, I took both works, Deleting and supplementing, Following the methods of historical writing, To create a work of my own school.
Beginning from the Great Sage Shakyamuni And ending with Fazhi, One Buddha and twenty-nine patriarchs Are all placed in "Annals," Thus clarifying the transforming work and connecting the Dharma lineage.
As for the collateral branches of the patriarchs, They are in "Hereditary Houses." From Guangzhi onward, They are in "Biographies." Their famous words and virtuous conduct All enter this tradition.
The accounts of tables and treatises Are not limited to a single doctrine. They are all in the "General Principles," And can be understood by analogy.
After this, I used the chronological method, Starting from King Zhao of Zhou Up to our dynasty, I separately composed "Records of the Course and Obstruction of the Dharma."
The establishment of methods by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, The founding of schools by Chan, Doctrine, and Vinaya— I unified and brought them all together, Missing none, all were recorded.
I titled the work "Chronicles of the Buddhas and Patriarchs," In fifty-four volumes.
The annals, biographies, and hereditary houses Follow the method of the Grand Historian. The records of course and obstruction Follow the method of Sima Guang.
When the work was completed, I carried it on my back And went to the White Cloud Hall, Humbly requesting that Master Buddha Light Collate and proofread it.
With like-minded friends, We jointly planned to carve blocks for printing In hopes of widespread circulation.
We will cause every family to store a copy, And everyone to see this book, Awakening the nature and spirit in people's hearts, Assisting the governance and transformation of the nation. Can this not be said to be of great benefit to the world?
Since the Wuwu year of the Baoyou era, I began the work of editing and revising. Ten years have passed, Five drafts have been completed.
Working night and day, The effort has truly been doubled.
To repay the Buddha's kindness above, And to fulfill...
帝力。不負所學。其志在茲。
Imperial power must not betray what one has learned; one's aspiration lies in this.
宋咸淳五年歲在己巳八月上日。四明福泉沙門志磐寓東湖月波山。謹序。
同校正吉祥安樂山教忠報國教寺首座沙門必昇
校正前住持華亭先福教寺傳天台宗教沙門慧舟
校正住持吉祥安樂山教忠報國教寺傳天台宗教沙門善良
校正住持東湖月波山慈悲普濟教寺傳天台宗教沙門宗淨
校正特賜佛光法師左右街都僧錄主管教門公事住持上天竺教寺賜金襽衣法照