傳譯第三
Translation, Chapter 3
晉京師道場寺佛馱跋陀羅。唐魏國西寺地婆訶羅。大周神都佛授記寺實叉難陀。
Buddhabhadra of Daochang Temple in the Jin capital, Divākara of the Western Monastery of the Tang Wei Kingdom, and Śikṣānanda of the Buddha Prophecy Monastery in the Shenzhou capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
晉京師道場寺佛馱跋陀羅。此云覺賢。本姓釋氏。迦維羅衛人。甘露飯王之苗裔也。祖達摩提婆。此云法天。甞遊天竺。因以居焉。父達摩修利耶。此云法日。賢三歲偏孤。八歲喪母。為外氏所養。從祖鳩摩利。聞其聰敏。憐其孤幼。乃迎還度為沙彌。至年十七。與同學數人。俱以習誦為業。眾皆用功一月。賢一日當之。師歎曰。賢一日敵三十夫也。及受具戒。修業精懃。博學群經。多所綜達。少以禪律馳名。常與同學僧伽達多。遊處積年。達多雖服其才德。而未測其深淺也。後於密室閉戶坐禪。忽見賢來。驚問所從。答曰。暫上兜率。致敬彌勒。言訖便隱。達多方知是聖人也。後屢見賢神變。乃至誠方知得不還果。常欲遊方弘化。備觀風俗。會有秦沙門智嚴。至罽賓。訪問彼國僧眾。誰能流化東土。咸云。有佛馱跋陀羅者。本生天竺那可梨城。族姓相承。世遵道學。聰明博贍。位行難測。童稚出家。已通經論。受業於大禪師佛陀大仙。佛陀大仙。時亦在罽賓聞嚴求人。乃謂嚴曰。可以振維僧徒。宣授禪法者。佛馱跋陀其人也。嚴既要請苦到。賢遂默而許焉。於是辭師。裹糧東逝。涉路三載。寒暑備更。乃有層巖重蔭。連凍千里。清旭啟旦則崎嶇陵嶮。潛晷告昏。則枕廗氷雪。飛梯懸蹬。側足傍踐。援繩挂索。仰接雲岸。自氷雪之外艱途萬數。糧用中竭。分粒繼飡。爰憑聖祐。僅而得濟。既度葱嶺。略經六國。國主矜其遠化。竝欣懷資俸。至交趾附舶循海而行經一嶋下。賢舉手指山曰。可泊於此。舶主曰。客行惜日。調風難遇。不可停也。遂行二百餘里。忽值返風吹舶。還至前島。船人各悟其神。咸師事之。一稟其進止。後遇便風。同侶皆發。賢曰。不可動。舶主乃止。既而先發者一時覆敗。後於中夜。忽令眾船俱發。無肯從者。賢自起收纜。一船獨發。俄爾賊至。留者悉被抄害。次之達青州東萊郡。聞鳩摩羅什在長安。欣然而來。則秦弘始十年四月也。什大歡悅。共論法相。振發玄微。多所啟悟。因謂什曰。君所解不出人意。而致高名耶。什曰。吾年老故爾。何必能稱美談。什每有疑義。必共論決。沙門道才．曇暢．僧叡．慧觀等。六百人俱稟禪訓。其所指授。莫非真要。自遺法東遷。四百餘年開發之深。無若此也。其言理辨物。必求諸中。不苟適當時。不求勝人之口。其所得。則辨明無遺。其所不知。則時闕如也。秦太子泓欲聞賢說法。乃要命群僧。進論東宮。羅什與賢。數番往復。文多不載。秦主姚興。專志佛法。三千餘僧。竝預宮闕。盛修人事。唯賢守靜。不與眾同。後語弟子云。我昨見本鄉有五舶俱發。後經歲許。遇外舶至。既而訊訪。果是天竺五舶先所見者也。傾境聞之。競來禮事。其有奉施。悉皆不受。持鉢分衛。無論豪賤。甞與弟子慧觀。次第乞食。至陳郡袁豹。素不敬信。待之甚薄。未飽辭退。豹曰。似未足。且復小留。賢曰。檀越施心有限。故令所設已罄。豹即呼左右。益飯飯果盡。豹大慚。既而問慧觀曰。此沙門何如人。觀曰。德量高邈。非凡所測。豹深歎異之。賢儀軌率素不同華俗。而志韻清。遠雅有深致。法師僧弼。與沙門寶材。書曰。鬪場禪師。甚有大心。便是天竺主。何風流人也。到義熙十四年。吳郡內史孟顗。右衛將軍褚叔度。則請賢出此經。乃手執梵文。共沙門法業慧嚴等百有餘人。於道場寺譯出。詮定文旨。會通方言。妙得經意。故道場寺猶有華嚴堂焉。大教流傳。蓋其力也。初譯經時。堂前池內。每有二青衣。從池中出。奉以香華。舉眾皆見。亦有神祇。營衛左右。賢以元嘉六年卒。春秋七十有一矣。手屈三指。明得阿那含果焉。
The monk Buddhabhadra (known as "Juexian" in Chinese) was a native of Kapilavastu and a descendant of King Sweet Dew Rice, with the surname Shakya. His grandfather was Dharmadeva (meaning "Heavenly Dharma"), who once traveled to India and settled there. His father was Dharmashuriya (meaning "Sun of Dharma"). When Buddhabhadra was three, he lost his father, and at eight, his mother passed away. He was raised by his maternal relatives. His uncle, Kumaravishnu, recognized his intelligence and, feeling sympathy for the orphaned child, brought him back and ordained him as a novice monk.
At seventeen, Buddhabhadra studied and recited scriptures alongside several peers. While others spent a month memorizing texts, he could accomplish the same in a single day. His teacher remarked, "One day of Buddhabhadra equals the work of thirty men." After receiving full ordination, he diligently cultivated his practice, extensively studied the scriptures, and gained profound mastery. From a young age, he was renowned for his meditation and discipline.
He often lived and traveled with his fellow monk Sanghadeva. Though Sanghadeva admired his talent and virtue, he could not fathom his depth. One day, while Sanghadeva sat in meditation behind closed doors, he suddenly saw Buddhabhadra appear. Startled, he asked where he had come from. Buddhabhadra replied, "I briefly visited the Tushita Heaven to pay respects to Maitreya," and then vanished. Only then did Sanghadeva realize that Buddhabhadra was a saint. Later, having witnessed his spiritual powers time and again, Sanghadeva became convinced that Buddhabhadra had attained the state of a non-returner.
Buddhabhadra often wished to travel and spread the Dharma, observing diverse customs. Around this time, the Chinese monk Zhiyan arrived in Kashmir, inquiring among the local sangha for someone capable of bringing the Dharma to the East. They all said, "There is Buddhabhadra, born in Nalakara City in India. His family has upheld the Way for generations. He is intelligent, learned, and his spiritual level is difficult to gauge. Orphaned young, he left home and had already mastered the sutras and commentaries by childhood. He studied under the great meditation master Buddhadasa." When Buddhadasa heard that Zhiyan was seeking someone, he told him, "The one who can uphold the sangha and teach meditation is Buddhabhadra." After Zhiyan earnestly invited him, Buddhabhadra silently agreed.
Thus, Buddhabhadra bid farewell to his teacher, packed provisions, and set off eastward. The journey took three years, enduring heat and cold. They traversed layered cliffs and frozen landscapes spanning a thousand miles. At dawn, they climbed treacherous paths; at dusk, they slept on ice and snow. They used flying ladders and hanging ropes to ascend cloud-high cliffs. Beyond the icy regions, the hardships were countless. When provisions ran out, they rationed grains. Relying on divine blessing, they barely survived.
After crossing the Congling Mountains, they passed through six countries. Each king, moved by his distant mission, gladly offered support and gifts. Reaching Jiaozhi, they boarded a ship and sailed along the coast. Passing an island, Buddhabhadra pointed to a mountain and said, "We can dock here." The captain replied, "Travelers value time, and favorable winds are rare. We cannot stop." They sailed another two hundred miles when suddenly a headwind blew them back to the island. The crew then recognized his spiritual power and treated him as a teacher, deferring to him for all decisions.
Later, when a favorable wind arose and the other ships set sail, Buddhabhadra said, "Do not move." The captain complied. Soon after, the ships that had departed all capsized. Another night, he suddenly ordered all ships to set sail, but none obeyed. Buddhabhadra personally pulled the anchor, and his ship departed alone. Shortly after, pirates arrived, and those who stayed behind were all captured or killed.
They eventually reached Donglai Commandery in Qingzhou. Hearing that Kumarajiva was in Chang'an, Buddhabhadra joyfully went there, arriving in the tenth year of the Hongshi era of Qin (408 CE). Kumarajiva was delighted and discussed Dharma principles with him, revealing profound truths. Buddhabhadra said to Kumarajiva, "Your understanding is nothing extraordinary, yet you have such a high reputation." Kumarajiva replied, "I am old, that's all. Why should I deserve such praise?" Whenever Kumarajiva had doubts, they would discuss them together. Over six hundred monks, including Daocheng, Tanchang, Sengrui, and Huiguan, received meditation instruction from Buddhabhadra. His teachings were all essential truths. Since the Dharma spread eastward over four hundred years earlier, none had delved as deeply as he did.
When discussing principles or matters, he always sought the middle way, never pandering to current tastes or trying to out-argue others. What he knew, he explained clearly without omission; what he didn't know, he honestly left open. Qin Crown Prince Yao Hong wished to hear Buddhabhadra teach and invited many monks to the Eastern Palace for discussion. Kumarajiva and Buddhabhadra engaged in several exchanges, too extensive to record here. Qin Emperor Yao Xing was deeply devoted to Buddhism, and over three thousand monks frequented the palace, engaging in worldly affairs. Only Buddhabhadra remained secluded, unlike the others.
Later, he told his disciples, "Yesterday I saw five ships from my homeland setting sail." About a year later, foreign ships arrived. Upon inquiry, they were indeed the five ships from India he had seen previously. When people heard, they rushed to pay respects. Anyone who offered donations, he refused. He always carried his alms bowl, begging for food without discriminating between rich and poor.
Once, while begging with his disciple Huiguan, they came to the house of Yuan Bao in Chen Commandery. Yuan, who was not a believer, treated them poorly. Before finishing their meal, they prepared to leave. Yuan said, "It seems you haven't eaten enough. Please stay a little longer." Buddhabhadra replied, "Your donor's generosity is limited, so the offerings are already exhausted." Yuan called for more food, but the food was indeed finished. Ashamed, Yuan later asked Huiguan, "What kind of monk is this?" Huiguan replied, "His virtue and capacity are lofty and beyond ordinary measure." Yuan was deeply impressed.
Buddhabhadra's manner was simple and unlike Chinese customs, yet his aspirations were pure, refined, and profound. Monk Sengbi wrote to the monk Baocai, "The meditation master from the battlefield has great resolve—he is truly an Indian master, a person of refined elegance!"
In the fourteenth year of the Yixi era (418 CE), at the request of Meng Yi, Governor of Wu Commandery, and General Chu Shudu, Buddhabhadra translated this sutra. Holding the Sanskrit text, together with over a hundred monks including Faye and Huiyan, he translated it at Daochang Temple. He refined the wording, harmonized with the local language, and skillfully captured the sutra's meaning. Thus, Daochang Temple still has the Avatamsaka Hall. The great Dharma spread widely, largely due to his efforts.
During the translation, two figures in blue robes would emerge from the pond in front of the hall, offering incense and flowers. Everyone saw this, and spirits guarded the surroundings. Buddhabhadra passed away in the sixth year of the Yuanjia era (429 CE) at the age of seventy-one. He bent three fingers, indicating that he had attained the fruit of the non-returner (Anagamin).
中天竺國三藏法師地婆訶羅。唐言日照。婆羅門種。幼而出家。住摩訶菩提及那蘭陀寺。三藏風儀溫雅。神機朗俊。負笈從師。研精累歲。器成琱玉。學擅青藍。承沙門玄弉傳教東歸。思慕玄門。留情振旦。既而占風聖代。杖錫來儀。載闡上乘。助光神化。爰以永隆初歲。言屆京師。高宗弘顯釋門。克隆遺寄。乃詔緇徒龍象。帝邑英髦。道誠律師。薄塵法師十大德等。於魏國西寺。翻譯經論之次時有賢首法師。先以華嚴為業。每慨斯經闕而未備。往就問之云。齎第八會文。今來至此。賢首遂與三藏對挍。遂獲善財善知識天主光等十有餘人。遂請譯新文。以補舊闕。沙門復禮執筆。沙門慧智譯語。更譯密嚴等經論十有餘部。合二十四卷。竝皇大后御製序文。深加讚述。今見流行於代焉。三藏辭鄉之日。其母尚存。無忘鞠育之恩。恒思顧復之報。遂詣神都。抗表天闕。乞還舊國。初未之許。再三固請。有勅從之。京師諸德。造緋羅珠寶袈裟。附供菩提樹像。勅錫神鐘一口。及請幡像供具遵途。以垂拱三年十二月二十七日。體甚康体。告門人曰。吾當逝矣。右脇而臥。無疾而終於神都魏國東寺。會葬者數千萬人。聖母聞之。深加悲悼。施絹千匹。以充殯禮。道俗悲慕。如喪所親。香華輦輿瘞於龍門山陽。伊水之左。門人修理靈龕。加飾重閣。因起精廬其側。掃灑供養焉。後因梁王所奏請。置伽藍。勅內注名為香山寺。危樓切漢。飛閣凌雲。石像七龕。浮圖八角。駕親遊幸。具題詩讚云爾。
The Tripitaka Master Divakara, a Dharma teacher from Central India, was known in Tang China as Sunlight (Rizhao). He was born into a Brahmin family and renounced the world to become a monk at a young age, residing at Mahabodhi Temple and Nalanda Monastery. This Tripitaka Master was gentle and refined in demeanor, with a sharp and clear intellect. Carrying his manuscript case, he traveled to study under teachers, delving deeply into the scriptures for many years. His attainments were like polished jade, and his scholarship surpassed that of his teachers.
Having heard of the monk Xuanzang's mission to bring the Dharma eastward to China, Divakara yearned for the land of wisdom and set his heart on returning the favor to China. In time, he followed the winds of fortune to our sacred dynasty. Staff in hand, he arrived in the imperial capital. He propagated the Great Vehicle extensively, aiding in the illumination of our enlightened civilization.
It was in the first year of the Yonglong era that he first arrived in the capital. Emperor Gaozong, who greatly promoted the Buddhist order and upheld its legacy, summoned the foremost monastic leaders—the Dragons and Elephants of the Sangha—and the brightest talents of the imperial city. These included Master Daocheng of the Vinaya school, Master Bocheng, and other great elders. At the Wei Kingdom's Western Monastery, while they were engaged in translating scriptures and treatises, the Venerable Xianshou (Fazang), who had long devoted himself to the Huayan Sutra, often lamented that this scripture was incomplete.
Xianshou went to consult with Divakara, who said, "I have brought the text of the Eighth Assembly with me; it has now arrived here." Xianshou then collaborated with Divakara to collate the texts, discovering more than ten additional figures, including the spiritual friend Tianzhuguang in the story of Sudhana's pilgrimage. They then requested to translate the new text to supplement the missing portions. The monk Fuli served as scribe, while the monk Huizhi acted as translator. Together, they also translated over ten additional scriptures and treatises, such as the *Shurangama Sutra* and others, amounting to twenty-four volumes.
All these works were graced with a preface composed by the Empress Dowager herself, who praised them deeply. These texts remain in circulation today.
When Divakara left his homeland, his mother was still alive. Never forgetting the debt of upbringing, he constantly longed to repay her care. He thus journeyed to the Eastern Capital (Luoyang), submitted a memorial to the palace requesting permission to return to his native country. Initially, his request was denied, but after repeated and earnest pleas, an imperial decree was issued granting his wish. The eminent monks of the capital made a crimson silk robe adorned with pearls and jewels as an offering to the Bodhi tree image. The Emperor bestowed upon him a sacred bronze bell, along with banners, images, and other offering implements for his journey.
On the 27th day of the twelfth month of the third year of the Chuigong era, although still healthy in body, Divakara told his disciples, "I am about to pass away." Lying on his right side, he died without illness at the Eastern Monastery of the Wei Kingdom in the Eastern Capital. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral. The Empress Dowager, hearing of his passing, was deeply grieved and donated a thousand bolts of silk to cover the funeral expenses. Both monastics and laypeople mourned with such sorrow as if they had lost a beloved relative.
His body, accompanied by incense and flowers, was carried on a palanquin and interred at the southern slope of Longmen Mountain, to the left of the Yi River. His disciples repaired the shrine, adorned it with a multi-storied pavilion, and built a hermitage nearby, where they performed sweeping, cleaning, and offerings. Later, at the request of Prince Liang, a monastery was established on the site. By imperial decree, it was named Xiangshan Temple (Fragrant Mountain Temple). Its towering buildings brushed the Milky Way, its flying pavilions soared into the clouds. There were seven stone-image shrines and an octagonal pagoda. The Emperor himself visited the site, composing poems and verses to praise it.
大周神都佛授記寺沙門實叉難陀。唐云喜覺。于闐國人。智度弘曠。利物為心。善大小乘。兼異學論。天后明揚佛日。敬重大乘。以華嚴舊經處會未備。遠聞于闐有斯梵本。發使求訪。并請譯人。實叉與經。同臻帝闕。以天后證聖元年乙未。於東都大內遍空寺。譯華嚴經。天后親臨法座。煥發序文。自運仙毫。首題名品。南印度沙門菩提流志。沙門義淨。同宣梵文。後付沙門復禮法藏等。於佛授記寺。譯至聖曆二年己亥功畢。又至久視元年庚子。於三陽宮內。譯大乘入楞伽經。及於西京清禪寺東都佛授記寺。譯文殊授記等經。前後總譯一十九都。沙門波崙玄執等筆受。沙門複禮綴文。沙門法寶弘景等證義。太子中舍人。賈膺福監護至長安。四年實叉。緣母年老。請歸覲省。表書再上。方蒙允許。勅御史崔嗣光。送至于闐。後和帝龍興。重暉佛日。勅再徵召。方屆帝城。以景龍二年。達于茲土。帝屈萬乘之尊。親迎於開遠門外。京城緇侶。備諸幢幡。逆路導引。仍裝飾青象。令乘入城。勅於大薦福寺安置。未遑翻譯遘疾彌留。以景雲元年十月十二日。右脇疊足。終于大薦福寺。春秋五十有九。緇徒悲噎。歎法棟之遽摧。俗侶哀號。恨群生之失導。有詔聽依外國法葬。以十一月十二日。於開遠門外古燃燈臺焚之。薪盡火滅。其舌猶存。斯是弘法之嘉瑞也。至十二月十三日。本國門人悲智。勅使哥舒道元。送其餘骸及斯靈舌。遂歸于闐。起塔供養。後人復於焚屍之所。起七層塔焉。
During the Zhou dynasty, the monk Śikṣānanda (meaning "Joy of Enlightenment" in Chinese) from the country of Khotan was ordained in the Divine Enlightenment Monastery in the sacred capital. He possessed vast wisdom and compassion, making it his mission to benefit all beings. He excelled in both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, as well as other philosophical systems.
Empress Wu Zetian, who promoted the Buddha's teachings, deeply respected the Mahayana tradition. Noticing that the existing Chinese translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra was incomplete, she sent envoys to Khotan to search for the original Sanskrit text and request a translator. Śikṣānanda arrived at the imperial court along with the sutra.
In the first year of the Zhengsheng era (695 CE), he began translating the Avatamsaka Sutra at the Biankong Temple within the eastern capital's imperial palace. The Empress herself presided over the Dharma assembly, composed a preface, and personally inscribed the title and chapter headings with her brush. The southern Indian monk Bodhiruci and the monk Yijing jointly recited the Sanskrit text, which was then handed over to monks Fuli and Fazang for translation at the Divine Enlightenment Monastery. The work was completed in the second year of the Shengli era (699 CE).
Later, in the first year of the Jiuwei era (700 CE), Śikṣānanda translated the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra at the Sanyang Palace. He also translated texts such as the Mañjuśrī-vyākaraṇa Sūtra at the Qingchan Monastery in the western capital and the Divine Enlightenment Monastery in the eastern capital. In total, he translated nineteen scriptures. Monks Bolun and Xuanzhi served as scribes, Fuli crafted the prose, and Fabao and Hongjing verified the meaning. The imperial secretary Jia Yingfu oversaw the work until the Chang'an era.
In the fourth year of the Chang'an era (704 CE), Śikṣānanda requested permission to return home to care for his elderly mother. After two petitions, the Empress finally consented. She ordered the censor Cui Sigao to escort him back to Khotan.
When Emperor Zhongzong restored the Tang dynasty, he revived the Buddha's teachings and recalled Śikṣānanda. The monk arrived in the imperial capital in the second year of the Jinglong era (708 CE). The Emperor, setting aside his imperial dignity, personally welcomed him outside the Kaiyuan Gate. The capital's monastic community, adorned with banners and canopies, lined the streets to greet him. They decorated a blue elephant, upon which the monk rode into the city. He was lodged at the Great Fortune Monastery. However, before he could resume translation work, he fell gravely ill. On the twelfth day of the tenth month in the first year of the Jingyun era (710 CE), he passed away at the Great Fortune Monastery, lying on his right side with his legs crossed, at the age of fifty-nine.
Monastics wept in grief, lamenting the sudden fall of a pillar of the Dharma, while laypeople mourned the loss of a guide for all beings. The imperial court allowed his funeral to be conducted according to foreign customs. On the twelfth day of the eleventh month, his body was cremated on the ancient lamp-lighting platform outside the Kaiyuan Gate. When the fire died out, his tongue remained intact—a miraculous sign of his propagation of the Dharma.
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, his disciple Beizhi, along with the imperial envoy Gēshū Daoyuan, transported his remaining bones and the miraculously preserved tongue back to Khotan, where they built a stūpa for veneration. Later, a seven-story pagoda was erected at the site of his cremation.