---
title: "大唐西域求法高僧傳 · 太州玄照法師"
description: "大唐西域求法高僧传由唐代高僧义净撰著。本书成于武则天时期，记录了唐代僧人前往印度求法的历史。书中详述了义净本人及数十位僧人的西行经历，包括旅途见闻、印度佛教状况及各地风土人情。作为研究唐代中西交通、佛教史和南亚历史的重要文献，它与法显的佛国记、玄奘的大唐西域记并称为中国古代三大求法行记，是了解早期佛教传播与文化交流的权威史料。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmd08wluf012kjt04h2a7035j"
---

沙門玄照法師者。太州仙掌人也。梵名般迦舍末底唐云照慧乃祖乃父冠冕相承。而總髻之秋抽簪出俗。成人之歲思禮聖蹤。遂適京師尋聽經論。以貞觀年中乃於大興善寺玄證師處。初學梵語。於是仗錫西邁掛想祇園。背金府而出流沙。踐鐵門而登雪嶺。漱香池以結念。畢契四弘。陟葱阜而翹心誓度。三有途經速利過覩貨羅。遠跨胡疆到吐蕃國蒙文成公主送往北天。漸向闍闌陀國。未至之間。長途險隘為賊見拘。既而商旅計窮控告無所。遂乃援神寫契仗聖明衷。夢而感徵。覺見群賊皆睡私引出圍。遂便免難。住闍闌陀國經于四載。蒙國王欽重留之供養。學經律習梵文。既得少通。漸次南上到莫訶菩提。復經四夏。自恨生不遇聖幸覩遺蹤。仰慈氏所制之真容。著精誠而無替。爰以翹敬之餘。沈情俱舍既解對法。清想律儀兩教斯明。後之那爛陀寺。留住三年。就勝光法師學中百等論。復就寶師子大德受瑜伽十七地。禪門定㶑。亟覩關涯。既盡宏綱。遂往弶巨亮反伽河北。受國王苫部供養。住信者等寺復歷三年。後因唐使王玄策歸鄉。表奏言其實德。遂蒙降勅。重詣西天追玄照入京。路次泥波羅國。蒙王發遣送至吐蕃。重見文成公主。深致禮遇。資給歸唐。於是巡涉西蕃而至東夏。以九月而辭苫部。正月便到洛陽。五月之間途經萬里。于時麟德年中。駕幸東洛奉謁闕庭。還蒙勅旨令往羯濕彌囉國。取長年婆羅門盧迦溢多。既與洛陽諸德相見。略論佛法綱紀。敬愛寺導律師觀法師等。請譯薩婆多部律攝。既而勅令促去不遂本懷。所將梵本悉留京下。於是重涉流沙還經磧石。崎嶇棧道之側。曳半影而斜通。搖泊繩橋之下。沒全軀以傍渡。遭吐蕃賊脫首得全。遇兇奴寇僅存餘命。行至北印度界。見唐使人引盧迦溢多於路相遇。盧迦溢多復令玄照及使傔數人向西印度羅荼國取長年藥。路過縛渴羅到納婆毘訶羅唐云新寺覩如來澡盥及諸聖跡。漸至迦畢試國禮如來頂骨。香華具設取其印文。觀來生善惡。復過信度國方達羅荼矣。蒙王禮敬安居四載。轉歷南天。將諸雜藥望歸東夏。到金剛座旋之。那爛陀寺淨與相見。盡平生之志願。契總會於龍華。但以泥波羅道吐蕃擁塞不通迦畢試途多氏捉而難度。遂且棲志鷲峯沈情竹苑。雖每有傳燈之望。而未諧落葉之心。嗟乎苦行標誠利生不遂。思攀雲駕墜翼中天。在中印度菴摩羅跛國遘疾而卒。春秋六十餘矣言多氏者即大食國也。

> The monk Dharma Master Xuanzhao was a native of Xianzhang in Taizhou. His Sanskrit name was Pañcaśamati, which means "Illuminated Wisdom" in Chinese. His ancestors and father were both distinguished officials, passing down their official caps through generations. In his youth, he removed his hairpin and left the secular life. Upon reaching adulthood, he longed to follow in the footsteps of the saints. So he went to the capital to seek and listen to sutras and treatises. During the Zhenguan era, he began studying Sanskrit under Master Xuanzheng at the Daxingshan Temple. Thus, taking up his staff, he journeyed westward, his thoughts fixed on the Jetavana Grove. He left the Golden Prefecture and traversed the Flowing Sands, passed through the Iron Gate and ascended the Snowy Mountains. Purifying his mind at the Fragrant Pool, he fully embraced the Four Great Vows. Climbing the Onion Range, he aspired with a sincere heart to liberate all beings from the Three Realms. Along the way, he passed through Suli and Tukhara, crossing far into foreign lands until he reached the Tufan Kingdom, where he received assistance from Princess Wencheng, who sent him to Northern India. Gradually, he made his way toward the country of Jalandhara. Before arriving, on a long and treacherous path through narrow passes, he was captured by bandits. The merchants traveling with him were at a loss, with no one to appeal to for help. So, he turned to divine aid, placing his faith in the wisdom of the saints. Through a dream, he received a miraculous sign. Upon waking, he found all the bandits asleep and secretly led the group out of the encirclement, thus escaping danger. He stayed in the country of Jalandhara for four years, where the king held him in high esteem and provided for him. There, he studied sutras, vinaya, and Sanskrit. Once he had gained some proficiency, he gradually traveled south to Mahābodhi, where he spent another four summers. He lamented not being born in the time of the Buddha but felt fortunate to witness the traces he left behind. Gazing upon the true image created by Maitreya, he maintained unwavering devotion. In addition to his deep reverence, he immersed himself in the Abhidharma, mastering the teachings on reality and clarifying the disciplines of both the sutras and vinaya. Later, he went to Nalanda Monastery and stayed for three years. There, he studied treatises such as the \*Madhyamakaśāstra\* and \*Śataśāstra\* under the esteemed Master Shengguang, and received instruction on the seventeen stages of yoga from the great virtue Master Bao Shizi. He delved deeply into the methods of meditation and samadhi, thoroughly exploring their depths. Having grasped the broad framework, he then traveled to the north of the Ganges River, where he received support from King Shanbu and stayed at the Temple of the Faithful for another three years. Later, when the Tang envoy Wang Xuance returned to his homeland, he submitted a memorial reporting on Xuanzhao’s true virtue. Consequently, an imperial edict was issued, ordering Xuanzhao to return to the Western Regions and summon him to the capital. Passing through the country of Nepal, he received the king’s assistance and was sent to Tufan, where he once again met Princess Wencheng, who treated him with great courtesy and provided resources for his return to Tang. Thus, he journeyed through the Western Regions and arrived in the Eastern Land. He bid farewell to Shanbu in September and reached Luoyang by January, covering ten thousand li in just five months. During the Linde era, when the imperial carriage was in the eastern capital, he had an audience at the court. He then received an imperial decree ordering him to go to the country of Kashmir to fetch the longevity Brahmin Lukayiduo. After meeting with various virtuous monks in Luoyang and briefly discussing the essentials of the Dharma, he was invited by Master Daolüshi and Master Guan of Jing’ai Temple to translate the \*Sarvāstivāda Vinaya\*. However, an urgent imperial command forced him to depart before fulfilling his original intentions, leaving all the Sanskrit texts in the capital. Once again, he crossed the Flowing Sands and passed through rocky deserts. Along treacherous plank roads, he moved cautiously with half his shadow slanting, and beneath swaying rope bridges, he crossed with his whole body submerged. He encountered Tufan bandits but escaped with his life, and faced fierce nomadic raiders, barely surviving. When he reached the border of Northern India, he met Tang envoys who were escorting Lukayiduo on the road. Lukayiduo then ordered Xuanzhao and several attendants to go to the country of Rāja in Western India to obtain longevity medicine. Passing through Bakhara, they arrived at Navavihāra (meaning "New Temple" in Chinese), where they saw the bathing place of the Tathagata and other sacred sites. Gradually, they reached the country of Kapisa, where they paid homage to the Buddha’s parietal bone, made offerings of incense and flowers, and took impressions of its seal to observe the good and evil of future lives. Continuing through the country of Sindhu, they finally reached Rāja. There, they received the king’s respectful hospitality and stayed for four years. Then, traveling through Southern India, they gathered various medicines and set out to return to the Eastern Land. Upon reaching the Vajrasana, they turned back to Nalanda Monastery, where Jing (perhaps another monk) met with him. There, he fulfilled the aspirations of his lifetime, vowing to reunite at the Dragon Flower Assembly. However, the route through Nepal was blocked by Tufan, and the path through Kapisa was difficult to cross due to the control of the Dashi (Arab) people. Thus, he settled his aspirations at Vulture Peak and immersed his spirit in the Bamboo Grove. Though he often harbored the hope of transmitting the lamp of Dharma, he never realized his wish to return to his roots. Alas! Through austere practice, he demonstrated sincerity, yet his aim to benefit beings remained unfulfilled. Longing to soar among the clouds, his wings fell in mid-heaven. In the country of Amrapali in Central India, he fell ill and passed away, at over sixty years of age.

傷曰。卓矣壯志。頴秀生田。頻經細柳。幾步祁連。祥河濯流。竹苑搖芊。翹心念念。渴想玄玄。專希演法。志託提生。嗚呼不遂。愴矣無成。兩河沈骨。八水揚名。善乎守死。哲人利貞兩河即在西河。八水乃屬京都。