東晉袁宏
Eastern Jin, Yuan Hong
《廣弘明集》
Here is the translation of 《廣弘明集》:
**The Collection for the Broad Propagation of
宏有逸才，嘗著《漢紀》云：「西域天竺，有佛道焉。佛者，覺也，將覺悟群生也。其教以修善慈悲為主，專務清淨，其精者，號沙門，漢言息心，蓋息意去欲，而歸於無為也。又以為人死，精靈不滅，隨復受形，生時行善惡，皆有報應，故所貴行善修道，以鍊精神，以至為佛也。世俗之人，或以為虛誕，然歸於玄微深遠，難得而測，故王公大臣，現生死報應之際，莫不矍然而自失焉。」
Hong, a man of exceptional talent, once wrote in his *Records of the Han*: "In the Western Regions of Tianzhu (India), there exists the Way of the Buddha. 'Buddha' means 'awakened one'—one who awakens all beings. The teaching centers on cultivating goodness and compassion, with a dedicated focus on purity. Its advanced practitioners are called śramaṇas, which in Chinese means 'those who still the mind'—essentially, they calm their thoughts and curb desires, returning to a state of non-action. It also teaches that when people die, their spirit does not perish; it takes on a new physical form and receives retribution according to the good or evil they did in life. Therefore, it values practicing virtue and cultivating the Way to refine one's spirit, ultimately attaining Buddhahood. Ordinary people may consider these teachings fantastical, but they are profoundly subtle and deep—difficult to fathom. Thus, when nobles and high officials witness the truth of retribution between life and death, they are all startled and lose their sense of self."