佛祖歷代通載序
Preface to the Comprehensive Records of the Buddhas and Patriarchs
浮圖氏之論世。動以大劫小劫為言。中國文字未通。蓋不可知也。摩騰竺法蘭至漢而後。釋迦佛之生滅。可以逆推其歲年。自是中國之人。得以華言記之。自天竺及旁近諸國東來者。莫盛於西晉。至于姚秦石趙等國。其人則鳩摩羅什佛圖澄那連耶舍曇無讖諸師。而東土卓絕奇偉之士。生肇融叡等相為羽翼。翻譯經義盡為華言。而佛理之精無不洞究。先覺之士至有逆知。其至理之未至者。佛學之行莫博於此時矣。彌天道安至於遠公辟地東南佛陀耶舍遠相從游而辟世。君子相依於離亂之世。乃若寶公雙林諸公起而說法。而佛學大盛於東南矣。若夫智者弘法華於天台。三藏開般若於唐初。清涼廣華嚴於五臺。密公說圓覺於草堂。宣公嚴律教於南山。金剛啟祕密於天寶。大小三乘唯識等論。專門名家豪分縷析。汗牛充棟。學者千百。有皓首而不能窮極者焉。達磨之來則有五傳其衣。五宗斯立。同源異派自梁歷宋。謂之傳法正宗。我
The Buddhist teachings speak of the world in terms of great and small eons—concepts that were unknown in China before the arrival of Buddhist scriptures. Only after Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna came to the Han dynasty could the dates of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s birth and death be calculated backward. From that time onward, Chinese people were able to record these events in their own language.
The influx of monks from India and neighboring regions was most abundant during the Western Jin dynasty, continuing into the states of Later Qin and Later Zhao. Among them were masters such as Kumārajīva, Fo-tu-deng, Narendrayaśas, and Dharmakṣema. They were supported by extraordinary figures from the East—like Sengzhao, Daosheng, Daorong, and Huirui—who worked alongside them. Through their translations, the essential teachings of the Buddha were fully rendered into Chinese, and no part of the Buddhist doctrine remained unexplored. Some enlightened beings even foresaw truths that had yet to appear. Never was the study of Buddhism more widespread than in that era.
From Maitreya and Dao’an to Master Huiyuan, who settled in the southeast, and Buddhayāśas, who traveled far to join him, virtuous people of wisdom sought refuge from the chaos of war. Later, masters like Baozhi and the Twin Forest Patriarchs began to teach, and Buddhism flourished greatly in the southeast. Then came the masters of the great schools: Zhiyi, who expounded the Lotus Sutra on Mount Tiantai; Xuanzang, who opened the door to the Perfection of Wisdom in the early Tang; Qingliang, who broadened the teachings of the Avataṃsaka Sutra on Mount Wutai; Guifeng Zongmi, who explained the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment at Caotang Temple; Daoxuan, who laid down the strict precepts on Mount Zhongnan; and Amoghavajra, who revealed the esoteric teachings during the Tianbao era. The three vehicles and the various schools of consciousness-only all became specialized fields. Scholars multiplied, and the scriptures they produced filled buildings beyond counting. Many studied for a lifetime, their hair turning white, without reaching the end of their learning.
Then came Bodhidharma, who transmitted the teachings through five generations of patriarchs, giving rise to the Five Houses of Chan. Though they diverged, they shared the same source—from the Liang dynasty through the Song. This is called the True Lineage of the Dharma.
國朝祕密之興義學之廣。亦前代之所未有。此其大略也。記載之書昔有寶林等傳。世久失傳。而傳燈之錄僧寶之史。僅及禪宗。若夫經論之師各傳於其教。宰臣外護因事而見錄。豈無遺闕。近世有為佛祖統紀者。儗諸史記書事無法。識者病焉。時則有若嘉興祥符禪寺住持華亭念常。得臨濟之旨於晦機之室。禪悅之外博及群書。乃取佛祖住世之本末。說法之因緣。譯經弘教之師。衣法嫡傳之裔。正流旁出散聖異僧。時君世主之所尊尚。王臣將相之所護持。論駁異同參考訛正。二十餘年始克成編。謂之佛祖歷代通載。凡二十二卷。其首卷則言彰所知論器世界情世界道果無為五論。則我
During the present dynasty, the flourishing of esoteric teachings and the expansion of doctrinal studies surpassed that of previous eras. This, in brief, is the situation. Texts such as the *Bao Lin Zhuan* once existed but have long been lost. Meanwhile, *Transmission of the Lamp* records and historical chronicles of Buddhist masters only cover the Chan lineage. The teachings of sutra and shastra masters were transmitted within their own schools, and records of imperial ministers and lay protectors were compiled based on events—inevitably leaving gaps.
In recent times, some attempted a comprehensive chronological history of Buddhism, but their approach lacked proper method, drawing criticism from knowledgeable readers. At this juncture, Monk Nianchang, abbot of Xiangfu Chan Monastery in Jiaxing, having received the essence of Linji lineage from the silent mechanism of the Wuji hall, delved widely into scriptures beyond his meditative practice. He compiled the complete record of the Buddha's life, the causes and conditions of his teachings, translators and propagators of scripture, the legitimate dharma heirs, mainstream and collateral lineages, scattered sages and unconventional monks, as well as imperial patronage and protection by kings and ministers. He compared divergent views, corrected errors, and after over twenty years completed a compilation titled *Fo Zu Li Dai Tong Zai* (*Comprehensive Chronicle of the Buddhas and Patriarchs Through the Ages*), in twenty-two volumes.
The first volume discusses five treatises: *On What Is Revealed*, the world of instruments, the world of sentient beings, the path and its fruits, and the unconditioned. This is what I have decided upon.
世祖皇帝時。
During the time of Emperor Shizu,
發思八帝師對
Fasiba, the Imperial Preceptor, said to him:
御之所陳說。是以冠諸篇首。其下則以天元甲子。紀世主之年。因時君之年。紀教門之事。去其繁雜謬妄。存其證信不誣。而佛道世道污隆盛衰。可竝見於此矣。嗟夫十世古今不離當念。塵影起滅何足記哉。甞見溈山有問於仰山。每有年代深遠之對。則亦憫先覺之無聞者乎。而法華一經。前劫後劫十號無二。又曰。觀彼久遠猶古今日。則此書宜在所取乎。至正元年六月十一日。微笑菴道人虞集序。