金光明最勝王經 序——現代漢語讀本
中宗孝皇帝製 · 大正藏 T16n0665 冠首〔起 T16 0403a03〕。段/行首〔T16 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨。
〔T16 0403a03〕蓋聞蒼蒼者天，列星辰而著象；茫茫者地，奠川嶽以成形。仰觀天文，既如彼也，俯循地理，又若斯焉。 夫以妙旨幽微，名言之路攸絕；真如湛寂，性相之義都捐。然則發啟心聾，資法雷之激響；獎導迷眾，俟覺首以司方。故知假名不壞於常名，樂說乃詮於無說。至若象外之象，獨稱三界之尊；天中之天，爰著六通之聖。法王利見，孕育於七十二君；梵帝乘時，牢籠於萬八千歲。周星閱彩，言符降誕之徵；漢日流祥，載叶通神之夢。故能威揚沙劫，化被塵區，玉毫舒耀而除昏，金口弘宣而遣滯。破煩惱之賊，詎藉干戈？壞生死之軍，惟憑慧力。闢圓明之界，廣納於無邊；開常樂之門，普該於有識。縱使浮天欲浪，境風息而俄澄；漲日情塵，法雨霑而便廓。 歸依者，銷殃而致福；迴向者，去危而獲安。可謂巍巍乎其有神功，蕩蕩乎而無能名者矣！但四生蠢蠢，未悟無常；六趣悠悠，俱纏有結。詎知空華不實，水月非堅！馳逐於五陰之中，播遷於三界之域，納諸品彙，終俟法門。 自白馬西來，玄言東被，世尊則隨類敷演，眾生乃逐性開迷。馬鳴擅美於瓊編，龍樹騰芳於寶偈。於是遙通震旦，遠布閻浮。半滿之教區分，大小之乘並騖。澄安俊德，接武於譯場；林遠高人，駢踪於法宇。遂使微言著範，歷千古而暢英聲；至𦣱流規，周十方而騰茂實。 頃屬後周膺運，大扇魔風，遂使天下招提咸從毀廢，寰中法侶並混編甿。嗟乎！閴寂禪居，空留宴坐之處；荒凉慧苑，無復經行之蹤。爰洎開皇，重將修建，旋逢大業，又遇分崩。鬼哭神吟，山鳴海沸，既遭塗炭，寧有伽藍？正法消淪，邪見增長，於是人迷覺路，邅迴於苦集之區，俗蔽真宗，覇絆於蓋纏之內。 我大唐之有天下也，上凌巢燧，俯視義軒，三聖重光，萬邦一統。威加有截，澤被無垠，掩坤絡以還淳，亘乾維而獻款。再懸佛日，重補梵天。龍宮將八柱齊安，鷲嶺共五峯爭峻。大弘釋教，諒屬皇朝者焉。 大福先寺翻經三藏法師義淨者，范陽人也，俗姓張氏。五代相韓之後，三台仕晉之前，朱紫分輝，貂蟬合彩。高祖為東齊郡守，仁風遠扇，甘雨隨車，化闡六條，政行十部。爰祖及父俱厭俗榮，放曠一丘，逍遙三徑。含和體素，養志恬神，摘芝秀於東山，挹清流於南澗。可謂尋幽丹嘺，棲偃白雲。皐鶴於是吞聲，場駒以之縶影。 法師幼挻明晤，夙彰聰敏。纔踰辯李之歲，心樂出家；甫過遊洛之年，志尋西國。業該經史，學洞古今，總三藏之玄樞，明一乘之奧義。既而閑居習靜，息慮安禪，託彼山林，遠玆塵累。三十有七，方遂雅懷。 以咸亨二年行至廣府，發蹤結契，數乃十人，鼓櫂昇航，惟存一已。巡南溟以遐逝，指西域以長驅；歷巖岫之千重，凌波濤之萬里。漸屆天竺，次至王城。佛說《法華》，靈峯尚在；如來成道，聖躅仍留。吠舍城中，獻蓋之蹤不泯；給狐園內，布金之地猶存。三道寶階，居然目覩；八大靈塔，邈矣親觀。所經三十餘國，凡歷二十餘載。菩提樹下，屢攀折以淹留；阿耨池邊，幾濯纓而藻鑒。法師慈悲作室，忍辱為衣，長齋則一食自資，長坐則六時無倦。 又古來翻譯之者，莫不先出梵文，後資漢譯。摭詞方憑於學者，銓義別稟於僧徒。今玆法師不如是矣！既閑五天竺語，又詳二諦幽宗。譯義綴文，咸由於已出；指詞定理，匪假於旁求。超漢代之摩騰，跨秦年之羅什。所將梵本經僅四百部，合五十萬頌，金剛座真容一舖，舍利三百粒，以證聖元年夏五月方屆都焉。 則天大聖皇帝出震膺期，乘乾握紀，紹隆為務，弘濟為心，爰命百寮，兼整四眾，虹幡㨹日，鳳吹遏雲，香散六銖，華飄五色，鏘鏘濟濟，煒煒煌煌，迎于上東之門，置于授記之寺。共于闐三藏及大福先寺主沙門復禮、西崇福寺主法藏等翻《華嚴經》，後至大福先寺，與天竺三藏寶思末多及授記寺主惠表沙門勝莊、慈訓等譯《根本部律》。其大德等，莫不四禪凝慮，六度冥懷，懸法鏡於心臺，朗戒珠於性海。詞林挻秀，將覺樹而聯芳；慧炬揚輝，澄桂輪而合影。渾金𤩶玉，諒屬其人，誠梵宇之棟梁，實法門之龍象。 已翻諸雜經律二百餘卷，繕寫云畢，尋並進內。其余戒律諸論，方俟後詮。五篇之教具明，八法之因備曉。鵞珠尚護，蟲命無傷，浮囊必取於不虧，油鉢終期於靡覆。崇聖教之紀綱，啟含生之耳目。伏願上資先聖，長隆七廟之基，下逮微躬，恒佐九天之命，遷懷生於壽域，致薄俗於淳源，歲稔時和，遠安邇肅。顧以萬機務總，四海事殷，爰憑乙夜之余，式賛彌天之德，課虛扣寂，聊題序云。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
〔序題〕〈大唐龍興三藏聖教序〉。中宗孝皇帝製。
〔一·天地呈現形象〕（0403a03）聽說，青蒼無際的是天；天把星辰排列開來，顯出種種天象。廣大無邊的是地；地安置河川山嶽，形成自己的樣貌。抬頭觀看天上的紋象，確實就是那樣；低頭順著大地的脈理察看，也正是如此。
〔二·超越言說的佛法仍以言說濟世〕（0403a03）佛法微妙的宗旨幽深細密，語言和概念都無法抵達；真如澄澈寂靜，連『性』與『相』的分別也完全放下。然而，要使內心像聽不見法音的人醒來，仍要借助法雷的震響；要勸勉、引導迷失的眾人，仍須等待覺者之首為他們辨明方向。所以可以知道：借用名稱，並不破壞恒常之理；以樂說辯才宣說，正是為了詮明不可言說之法。至於超越一切形象的形象，只有祂被稱為三界之尊；一切天眾之上的天人導師，於是顯出具足六種神通的聖德。法王出現，使眾生得見大利；祂的教化孕育於七十二位君王之世。梵王與帝釋順應時機護持，法化籠括一萬八千年。周朝的星辰顯出異彩，正與佛陀降生的徵兆相合；漢代的日光流布祥瑞，又應驗了漢明帝夢見金人的感通之夢（傳說漢明帝夢見頭頂放光的金人，由此遣使西域求法）。因此，佛陀的威德能夠遠揚於沙數劫，教化遍及如微塵般廣大的世界；眉間白毫（佛陀眉間的白色毫毛，經典所說的莊嚴相）放出光明，除去昏暗；佛陀金口廣宣正法，消除心中的滯礙。要擊破煩惱這一群盜賊，哪裡需要刀兵？要摧毀生死這一支大軍，只須依靠智慧的力量。祂開闢圓滿光明的境界，廣大到能容納無邊眾生；祂開啟常、樂之門，普遍涵蓋一切有知覺的生命。縱使欲望的波浪高得像要浮起天空，只要外境之風停息，頃刻便能澄清；縱使情念的塵埃漲得像要遮蔽太陽，一經法雨滋潤，也立即開朗廓清。
〔三·歸依、迴向與六趣眾生〕（0403a03）歸依三寶，能消除災殃而帶來福祉；把善根迴向眾生與菩提，能離開危難而獲得安穩。這種功德真可說巍然高大，具有不可思議的作用；又廣闊無邊，沒有任何名稱足以說盡！只是，胎生、卵生、濕生、化生這四類眾生（『四生』，佛典對眾生出生方式的分類）仍在紛紛擾動，還沒有覺悟無常；天、人、阿修羅、畜生、餓鬼、地獄六條去路中的眾生（『六趣』，眾生隨業流轉的六種境界）長久漂泊，都被有漏生命的結縛纏住。他們哪裡知道：眼病所見的空中幻花並不真實，水面映出的月影也不能久存！眾生在色、受、想、行、識五陰之中奔逐（『五陰』即『五蘊』，構成身心經驗的五類聚合），又在欲界、色界、無色界三界之內輾轉遷流。要把這一切不同品類的眾生全都收攝進來，終究還須等待相應的佛法門徑。
〔四·白馬西來與歷代弘傳〕（0403a03）自從白馬從西方來到中國（『白馬西來』，指漢明帝遣使求法後，以白馬馱載佛經與佛像東還的傳說），幽深的佛法言教便向東流布。世尊按照眾生不同的種類和根性分別宣說，眾生也各自依其性情而開解迷惑。馬鳴（古印度佛教詩人與論師，著述以文采見稱）在珍貴如美玉的篇章中獨擅佳美；龍樹（古印度大乘論師，漢傳佛教尊崇的中觀祖師）在寶貴的偈頌中傳揚盛名。於是，佛法遠遠通達震旦（古代佛典對中國的稱呼），也廣布閻浮提（佛教世界觀中人類居住的這一洲）。『半字教』與『滿字教』（古代判教用語，分別譬喻方便、未圓滿之教與義理完備之教）由此區分；大乘與小乘也同時並進。佛圖澄與道安（『澄安』，先後弘法、整理佛教教學與翻譯事業的高僧）德才卓越，在譯經場中前後相接；支道林與慧遠（『林遠』，即支遁與廬山慧遠，東晉名僧）品格高尚，在佛寺與法會中並肩留下足跡。這便使佛法精微的言教成為典範，歷經千古仍傳揚美名；最深奧的義理也流布為準則，遍及十方而結出茂盛的實果。
〔五·後周毀廢與隋代再建〕（0403a03）不久，後周掌握國運，猛烈煽起摧毀佛法的風潮（『後周毀廢』，指北周武帝禁毀佛教、拆廢寺院並令僧尼還俗）。於是，天下的招提（佛寺的舊稱）都遭到毀壞廢棄，境內的僧眾也全被混入編戶齊民，恢復一般百姓身分。可嘆啊！禪修的住處寂靜無人，只留下從前安坐修禪的空間；修習智慧的園地一片荒涼，再也看不到僧人往返經行（緩步往返、攝心修習）的足跡。到了開皇年間（隋文帝年號，公元581—600年），寺院和佛教制度才重新修建；不久又逢大業年間（隋煬帝年號，公元605—618年），天下再次分裂崩解。鬼哭神吟，山岳鳴動，海水沸騰；人民既然陷入塗炭般的苦難，哪裡還能保有伽藍（僧眾共同居住修行的寺院）？正法沉沒，邪見增長，於是人們迷失覺悟的道路，在苦與苦因聚集的區域裡盤旋不前；世俗遮蔽了真實宗旨，使人被各種蓋障與纏縛（覆蔽心性的煩惱與束縛）羈絆其中。
〔六·大唐復興佛教〕（0403a03）我大唐取得天下以後，向上超越巢燧（有巢氏與燧人氏，傳說中教人構屋、取火的上古聖王），俯視義軒（這裡並舉伏羲與軒轅黃帝兩位上古聖王）。唐初三位聖君相繼重放光明，天下萬國歸於一統。皇威加於四方有界之地，恩澤散布到無邊之處；覆蓋大地的脈絡，使民風回復淳厚；貫通天空的四維，使遠方都來表示歸順。佛日再次高懸，梵天的莊嚴重新補全；收藏佛典的龍宮彷彿八根支柱一同安定，佛陀說法的鷲嶺（靈鷲山）也彷彿與五座高峰競相峻拔。如此大力弘揚佛教，確實要歸功於本朝。
〔七·義淨的家世〕（0403a03）大福先寺的翻經三藏法師義淨，是范陽人，俗家姓張。他出自五代相韓的家族（祖上曾連續五代在戰國七雄之一的韓國任宰相），又承繼晉代有人位列三台的門第（『三台』是朝廷最高級官位的合稱）。家族中高官的朱衣、紫衣交相輝映，冠上的貂尾與蟬飾彼此增彩（『朱紫』『貂蟬』都是古代顯貴官服與冠飾的標誌）。他的高祖曾任東齊郡守，仁厚的風化遠遠傳播；及時甘雨彷彿隨著他的車駕而來（『甘雨隨車』，以行車所至即降甘雨讚美地方官施政惠民）。他以六條治政準則推行教化，政令施行於所轄十部。到了義淨的祖父和父親，兩人都厭倦世俗榮華，放開胸懷退居一座山丘，在三徑間自在生活（『三徑』是隱士宅前小路的典故，借指退隱生活）。他們含養和氣，守持質樸本性；安定志趣，恬養精神；在東山採取靈芝的秀實，在南澗掬飲清澈的流水。真可說是在丹嘺尋訪幽境（『丹嘺』指幽深高遠的仙山），又在白雲之間安然棲息。九皐的仙鶴因而收住鳴聲（『皐鶴』化用深澤之鶴聲聞於外的古典，這裡反襯隱居之深），場中的白駒也像被繫住身影（『場駒』以野外小馬受繫反襯足不出山）；這兩句都形容他們幽居不出的生活。
〔八·少年立志，三十七歲遂願〕（0403a03）義淨法師幼年便天資明敏，很早就顯出聰慧。剛過孔融十歲登門拜見李膺、機敏應對的年紀（『辯李』典故，以少年孔融與名士李膺問答標示早慧），心裡便喜愛出家；才過郭亮剛到成童之年便遊學洛陽的年紀（『遊洛』典故，《後漢書》記郭亮十五歲便遊學洛陽），就立志前往西方諸國求法。他的學業涵蓋經書與史籍，學問貫通古代與當代；總攝經、律、論三藏的玄妙樞要，明白一乘佛法（以成佛為唯一究竟道路）的深奧義理。此後，他閑居修習寂靜，使思慮平息而安住禪定；寄身山林，遠離塵俗牽累。直到三十七歲，才終於實現長久懷抱的志願。
〔九·咸亨二年啟程，巡禮二十餘載〕（0403a03）咸亨二年（公元671年），義淨行至廣府（唐代廣州地區），開始尋找同行、相約出發時，共有十人；等到敲槳登船，真正留下啟航的卻只有他一人。他巡行南海，向遙遠之地航去；指向西域，展開漫長行程。他穿過千重岩嶺，越過萬里波濤，漸漸抵達天竺（古代中國對印度的稱呼），接著到達王城（王舍城一帶，佛陀時代的重要都城）。佛陀宣說《法華經》的靈峯（靈鷲山）仍然存在；如來成道之處，神聖遺跡也還留在那裡。吠舍城（古印度毘舍離城）中，眾人向佛陀獻上寶蓋的舊跡沒有消失；給狐園（給孤獨園，即長者給孤獨以黃金鋪地購得、供佛陀居住說法的祇園精舍）內，當年鋪金買地之處依然可見。佛陀從忉利天返回人間時所踏的三道寶階（傳說佛陀由金、銀、琉璃三道階梯下降）清楚呈現在眼前；紀念佛陀一生八項重大事蹟的八大靈塔，他也從遙遠異域親自觀看。義淨走過三十多個國家，前後總共經歷二十多年。他屢次在菩提樹下攀枝流連（佛陀成道處的菩提樹），又幾次在阿耨池邊洗濯冠纓、映照清影（『阿耨池』即阿耨達池，佛教地理所說的聖湖）。法師以慈悲作為居室，以忍辱作為衣服（《法華經》用來譬喻弘法者心行的語句）；長期持齋時，每天只以一餐維持身體；長時安坐修行時，晝夜六時都不曾倦怠。
〔十·親自主譯並攜梵本歸國〕（0403a03）從古以來從事翻譯的人，無不是先由一人誦出或寫出梵文，然後再借助他人譯成漢文；選取漢語詞句，要依靠通曉文辭的學者，衡量、判定義理，又要另向僧人請教。如今這位法師卻不是這樣！他既熟悉五天竺各地的語言，也詳知二諦的幽深宗旨（『二諦』即世俗諦與勝義諦）。翻譯義理、組織漢文，全都由他自己完成；指定用詞、判定義理，也不借助旁人尋求。他超越漢代的摩騰（攝摩騰，漢代來華譯經僧），跨過秦代的羅什（鳩摩羅什，後秦著名譯經師）。他所攜回的梵本經典接近四百部（原文『僅』用古義，意思是『近、將近』，不是表示數量很少），合計五十萬頌；另有金剛座真容一舖（佛陀成道處金剛座聖像的一幅圖像）和舍利三百粒。直到證聖元年（公元695年）夏季五月，他才抵達京城。
〔十一·則天迎歸與兩處譯場〕（0403a03）則天大聖皇帝（武則天的尊號）以帝王之姿應時而出，承受天命、掌握國家綱紀；她把繼承並振興佛法當作要務，以廣泛救濟眾生為本心。於是，她命令百官出迎，又整齊召集比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷四眾（佛教僧俗男女四類弟子）。彩虹般的旗幡拂映太陽，鳳簫般的樂聲高得像能阻住雲層；六銖天衣般輕細的香氣四處飄散（『六銖』是傳說中極輕的天衣重量），五色花朵從空中飄下。出迎的人群行列整齊、聲勢鏗鏘，光彩盛大而輝煌；他們在上東門迎接義淨，再把他安置在授記寺。義淨先與于闐三藏（來自于闐的三藏法師）、大福先寺寺主沙門復禮、西崇福寺寺主法藏等人，共同翻譯《華嚴經》。後來到了大福先寺，他又與天竺三藏寶思末多，以及授記寺寺主惠表、沙門勝莊、沙門慈訓等人，一同翻譯《根本部律》。這些大德無不以四禪收攝思慮（『四禪』是色界四層禪定），在內心默契六度（布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、般若六種菩薩行）；把佛法明鏡高懸於心臺，使戒行寶珠照亮自性之海。他們在文章詞采的園林中挺拔秀出，彷彿與覺悟之樹連枝並芳；智慧火炬放出光輝，又與清澈的月輪相映成影。他們像未經熔鑄便純淨的金，也像未經雕琢便珍貴的玉；這樣的美譽確實屬於這些人。他們真是佛寺的棟梁，也是佛法門中的龍象（以龍、象譬喻力量卓越的大修行人）。
〔十二·譯成二百餘卷與御製序文〕（0403a03）當時已翻成各類經、律二百多卷，全部繕寫完畢，不久便一併進呈宮中。其餘戒律和各種論書，還要等日後再作詮譯。戒律五篇的教法已完整說明（『五篇』是律典依罪相分列的五類），八法之因也已充分明曉（『八法』指律制所說的八項規範及其制戒因緣）。即使為了保全鵝所吞的珠子而受打，也仍守護鵝的性命（『鵞珠』典故：持戒僧不揭露珠被鵝吞，寧可受責也不使鵝被殺）；即使微小蟲命，也不加傷害。渡海所用的浮囊，必定保持毫無破損（『浮囊』譬喻戒律如渡海的氣囊，一處破漏也足以危及生命）；手中所持的油鉢，始終務求一滴不灑、全鉢不翻（『油鉢』譬喻專注守護戒行，如端著滿油之鉢行走）。這些譯典尊崇聖教的綱紀，也開啟一切有情眾生的耳目。謹願向上資助已故先帝的福德，使皇室七廟所代表的宗祧基業長久興隆；向下直到我自身，也永遠輔佐如九天般崇高的帝命。願把一切有生命者遷入長壽安樂的境域，使浮薄世風回到淳厚源頭；年年穀物豐收，四時和順，遠方安定，近處肅然有序。只是，我統理萬端政務，四海事務又十分繁重，於是趁乙夜的餘暇（『乙夜』即夜間第二更，約晚上九時至十一時），用這篇文字讚揚義淨遍滿天下的德行。我衡量自己才學空疏，叩問寂靜玄理，只姑且題寫這篇序文。
〔Preface title〕 Preface to the Sacred Teaching of the Tripiṭaka at the Dragon-Rising of the Great Tang. Composed by Zhongzong Xiaohuangdi.
〔1 · Heaven and earth disclose their forms〕 (0403a03) We have heard that what stretches blue and boundless above is heaven: it arrays the stars and constellations, making the signs in the sky visible. What spreads vast and measureless below is earth: it sets rivers and mountains in place, giving itself form. Look up at the patterns of heaven, and they are indeed like this; look down and follow the contours of the land, and they are just the same.
〔2 · The Dharma beyond speech still uses speech to save the world〕 (0403a03) The wondrous purport of the Dharma is subtle and profound, beyond every path that names and words can travel. Suchness is lucid and still; even the distinctions of nature and appearance fall entirely away. Yet to awaken those whose hearts are deaf to the Dharma, one must still rely on the peal of Dharma thunder. To encourage and guide bewildered people, one must still await the foremost awakened guide to show the way. We therefore know that using provisional names does not damage the abiding truth, and that eloquent exposition serves precisely to articulate what cannot be spoken. Beyond every image is an image for which he alone is called the Honored One of the Three Realms. As the teacher above all heavenly beings, he manifests the holiness of one who possesses the six supernormal powers. The Dharma King appears so that beings may behold great benefit; his teaching is nurtured through the ages of seventy-two rulers. The Brahmā kings and Indra uphold it as the time requires, and its reach encompasses eighteen thousand years. Under the Zhou, the stars displayed an extraordinary radiance that accorded with the signs of the Buddha’s birth. Under the Han, the sun shed an auspicious light that fulfilled Emperor Ming’s numinous dream (the tradition that Han Mingdi dreamed of a golden figure whose head shone with light and then sent envoys westward to seek the Dharma). Thus the Buddha’s majesty can resound through kalpas as countless as grains of sand, while his transforming teaching covers worlds as numerous as dust. The white curl between his brows (a luminous mark of the Buddha described in the scriptures) emits its radiance and dispels darkness; his golden mouth proclaims the Dharma far and wide and clears every obstruction. What need is there for weapons to defeat the bandits of affliction? Only the power of wisdom is needed to destroy the army of birth and death. He opens the realm of perfect illumination, vast enough to receive beings without limit. He opens the gate of constancy and bliss, embracing every sentient life. Even if waves of desire rise as though they would float the sky itself, once the winds of circumstance fall still, those waves become clear in an instant. Even if the dust of emotion swells as though to cover the sun, once the rain of Dharma moistens it, the whole expanse immediately opens and clears.
〔3 · Refuge, dedication, and beings in the six destinies〕 (0403a03) To take refuge in the Three Jewels dispels calamity and brings blessings. To dedicate wholesome roots to beings and awakening removes danger and brings peace. How lofty is this wondrous efficacy, and how vast—beyond the power of any name to exhaust! Yet beings born from womb, egg, moisture, or transformation (the “four modes of birth,” the Buddhist classification of how beings come into existence) still swarm restlessly, unaware of impermanence. Beings in the six destinies—gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings—wander on, all bound by the knots of conditioned existence. How could they know that flowers seen in empty space by diseased eyes have no reality, or that the moon reflected in water has no lasting substance? They chase about within form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—the five aggregates that make up embodied experience—and migrate through the Desire, Form, and Formless Realms. To gather in all these different classes of beings, one must ultimately await the Dharma gate suited to each.
〔4 · The white horse comes from the west, and the Dharma is transmitted through the dynasties〕 (0403a03) From the time the white horse came east from the west (the “white horse from the west” tradition, in which scriptures and images were carried back to China on white horses after Han Mingdi sent envoys in search of the Dharma), the profound teaching spread eastward. The World-Honored One taught according to the different kinds and capacities of beings, and beings in turn dispelled delusion according to their own dispositions. Maming (an ancient Indian Buddhist poet and treatise master celebrated for literary brilliance) excelled in writings precious as jade; Longshu (an ancient Indian Mahāyāna treatise master honored in Chinese Buddhism as a patriarch of the Middle Way) sent his renown soaring through jeweled verses. The Dharma thus reached distant Zhendan (China) and spread far across Yanfu (the continent inhabited by humankind in Buddhist cosmology). The “half-word” and “full-word” teachings were distinguished (old doctrinal classifications comparing provisional or incomplete teaching with teaching of complete purport), while the Lesser and Great Vehicles advanced side by side. Fotucheng and Daoan—the eminent “Cheng and An,” who successively supported Buddhist teaching and translation—followed one another in the translation hall. Zhi Daolin, also called Zhidun, and Huiyuan—the lofty “Lin and Yuan” of the Eastern Jin—left parallel tracks in monasteries and Dharma assemblies. In this way, the subtle teaching became a model whose fine reputation has sounded through a thousand generations. Its most profound principles became enduring norms, spreading through the ten directions and bearing luxuriant fruit.
〔5 · The Northern Zhou suppression and the Sui restorations〕 (0403a03) Before long, the Hou Zhou (Northern Zhou) held the mandate and fiercely fanned a wind hostile to the Dharma. The result was the Northern Zhou destruction of Buddhism (the suppression under Zhou Wudi, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, in which monasteries were abolished and monastics were ordered back into lay life). Every zhaoti, an old name for a Buddhist monastery, was destroyed or abandoned, and monastics throughout the realm were merged into the registered common population. Alas! Meditation dwellings fell silent and empty, retaining only the places where practitioners had once sat in contemplation. Gardens of wisdom became desolate, with no trace left of walking meditation, the measured pacing used to collect the mind. In the Kaihuang era (581–600 CE) of Sui Wendi, monasteries and Buddhist institutions began to be rebuilt. Soon, however, the Daye era (605–618 CE) of Sui Yangdi brought another collapse and fragmentation. Ghosts cried, spirits groaned, mountains roared, and seas boiled. Once the people had fallen into misery as if into mud and fire, how could monasteries remain? The true Dharma sank from view and wrong views multiplied. People lost the path of awakening and circled helplessly in the region of suffering and its arising. Worldly convention obscured the true purport, binding them within the coverings and entanglements of affliction.
〔6 · The Great Tang revives Buddhism〕 (0403a03) When our Great Tang came to possess all under heaven, it rose above Chao and Sui—Youchao and Suiren, the legendary sage rulers who taught people to build shelters and make fire—and looked down upon Yi and Xuan, here pairing Fuxi with Xuanyuan Huangdi. Three sage rulers at the beginning of the Tang successively renewed the light, and the myriad states were united. Imperial authority reached every bounded region, while beneficence spread without limit. It covered the earth’s network and restored simplicity; it extended through the supports of heaven, and distant lands offered allegiance. The sun of the Buddha was hung aloft once more, and the splendor of the Brahmā heaven was restored. The dragon palace that preserves Buddhist scriptures seemed secure upon all eight of its pillars; Jiuling, Vulture Peak where the Buddha preached, seemed to vie in height with five great summits. So grand a propagation of the Buddhist teaching truly belongs to this imperial house.
〔7 · Yijing’s family background〕 (0403a03) The scripture-translating Tripiṭaka Master Yijing of Dafuxian Monastery was a native of Fanyang, and his lay surname was Zhang. His family descended from men who had served as chancellors to the state of Han for five generations, and from a lineage that had held the highest “Three Terraces” offices under the Jin. The vermilion and purple robes of high officials shone together, and the marten tails and cicada ornaments on their crowns added color to one another (Zhuzǐ and Diaochan were emblems of eminent office). His great ancestor served as governor of Dongqi Commandery. His humane influence spread afar, and timely sweet rain seemed to follow his carriage (Gan yu sui che, “sweet rain follows the carriage,” praises a local governor whose beneficial rule brings timely rain). He advanced moral transformation through six principles of government, and his administration operated through the ten divisions under his charge. Yijing’s grandfather and father both grew weary of worldly honor. They lived freely on a secluded hill and wandered at ease along the “three paths” (the paths at a recluse’s dwelling, hence a figure for retirement). They nurtured harmony and embodied simplicity, steadied their aspirations, and kept their spirits tranquil. They gathered fine numinous mushrooms on Dongshan and cupped clear water from a southern stream. One could say that they sought seclusion on Danqiao (a remote, lofty mountain of the immortals) and rested beneath white clouds. Even the crane in the deep marsh ceased its cry (Gaohe adapts the old image of a crane heard beyond its hidden marsh, here intensifying the depth of their retreat), and the white colt in the field seemed to have its very shadow tethered (Changju evokes a young horse held from roaming). Both images portray a life withdrawn deep in the mountains.
〔8 · A youthful vow fulfilled at thirty-seven〕 (0403a03) From childhood, Master Yijing was endowed with clear understanding and showed remarkable intelligence early. He had barely passed the age at which the ten-year-old Kong Rong visited Li Ying and answered him with precocious wit (the Bian Li allusion, marking extraordinary intelligence in youth) when his heart delighted in leaving home. He had only just passed the age at which the fifteen-year-old Guo Liang went to study in Luoyang (the You Luo allusion recorded in the Book of the Later Han) when he aspired to seek the western lands. His studies encompassed the Classics and histories, and his learning penetrated past and present. He grasped the profound pivot of the sūtra, vinaya, and treatise collections, the Three Baskets, and understood the deep purport of the One Vehicle, in which buddhahood is the single ultimate path. Thereafter he lived quietly and cultivated stillness, brought thought to rest, and settled into meditation. Entrusting himself to forests and mountains, he remained far from the burdens of dust and society. Only at the age of thirty-seven did he finally fulfill the cherished intention he had long carried.
〔9 · Departure in Xianheng 2 and more than twenty years of pilgrimage〕 (0403a03) In Xianheng 2 (671 CE), Yijing reached Guangfu, the Tang administrative region around Guangzhou. When he first sought companions and made a pact to depart, the group numbered ten. By the time the oars struck and the ship set sail, he alone remained to embark. He crossed the southern sea and traveled into the distance, setting his course for the western regions and pressing on through a long journey. He passed a thousand layers of rocky peaks and traversed ten thousand li of waves. Gradually he reached Tianzhu (India), and next came to Wangcheng (the region of Wangshecheng, an important royal city in the Buddha’s time). Lingfeng, Vulture Peak where the Buddha taught the Lotus Sūtra, still stood. The sacred traces of the place where the Tathāgata attained awakening also remained. In Feishecheng (a major ancient city visited by the Buddha), traces of the offering of jeweled canopies had not disappeared. In Gihuguan, the Garden of the Solitary Benefactor (the monastery for which the elder known as the Solitary Benefactor covered the ground with gold so that it could be purchased and offered to the Buddha), the gold-covered ground could still be seen. The three jeweled stairways by which the Buddha was said to descend from Daolitian, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three—made of gold, silver, and crystal—stood plainly before his eyes. Though far from home, he personally viewed the eight great sacred stupas commemorating eight major events in the Buddha’s life. He passed through more than thirty countries and spent more than twenty years in all. Beneath the Puti tree, the tree at the Buddha’s place of awakening, he repeatedly handled its branches and lingered. Beside Anouchi, also called Anouda Pond in Buddhist sacred geography, he several times washed his cap strings and contemplated their clear reflection. The master made compassion his dwelling and patience his robe (a Lotus Sūtra image for the conduct of one who teaches the Dharma). Keeping a long fast, he sustained himself with one meal a day. Sitting for extended practice, he never tired through the six periods of day and night.
〔10 · He translates on his own authority and returns with Sanskrit manuscripts〕 (0403a03) Translators in earlier times invariably had one person first recite or set out the Sanskrit text and then relied on others to produce the Chinese translation. To select Chinese words and phrases, they depended on learned men of letters; to weigh and determine the meaning, they separately received instruction from Buddhist monks. This master is not like that. He knows the languages of the Five Tianzhu regions and also understands the profound teaching of the two truths—the conventional truth and the ultimate truth. Translating the meaning and composing the Chinese text are all his own work. Identifying the terms and settling the doctrinal principles likewise require no search for help from anyone else. He surpasses Moteng, the scripture translator who came to China under the Han, and outstrips Luoshi, the renowned translator under Hou Qin (the Later Qin). He brings with him nearly four hundred Sanskrit works (the source’s jin has its older sense, “near” or “nearly,” rather than a restrictive sense), together comprising five hundred thousand verses; one picture of the true likeness at the Jingangzuo, the Diamond Seat where the Buddha awakened; and three hundred relic grains. He does not reach the capital until the summer, in the fifth lunar month of Zhengsheng 1 (695 CE).
〔11 · Empress Wu receives him, and two translation assemblies begin〕 (0403a03) Zetian Dasheng Huangdi (Empress Wu, Wu Zetian) arose at the destined time with imperial authority, received the mandate of heaven, and grasped the ordering principles of the state. She made the continuation and flourishing of the Dharma her task and broad deliverance her intention. She therefore ordered the full ranks of officials to go out in welcome and assembled the fourfold Buddhist community—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Rainbow-colored banners brushed the sun, and music like the cry of phoenixes seemed to halt the clouds. Fragrance as light as the celestial “six-zhu” robe spread through the air (six zhu is the legendary weight of an extraordinarily light heavenly garment), while flowers of five colors floated down. The receiving crowds moved in stately order with ringing splendor, brilliant and magnificent. They welcomed Yijing at Shangdong Gate and lodged him at Shouji Monastery. Together with the Tripiṭaka master from Yutian (Khotan), the monk Fuli, abbot of Dafuxian Monastery, and Fazang, abbot of Western Chongfu Monastery, among others, he translated the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Later, at Dafuxian Monastery, he worked with the Tianzhu Tripiṭaka master Baosimoduo; Huibiao, abbot of Shouji Monastery; and the monks Shengzhuang and Cixun, among others, to translate the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. Every one of these eminent monks collected his thoughts through the four meditative absorptions and inwardly accorded with the six perfections—giving, ethical discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. They hung the mirror of Dharma high upon the mind’s terrace and made the jewel of precepts shine over the sea of their nature. They rose distinguished in the forest of words, joining the tree of awakening in shared fragrance. Their torches of wisdom cast light and joined their reflection to the lucid disk of the moon. They were like gold pure even before refining and jade precious even before carving; such praise truly belonged to them. They were indeed the ridgepoles of Buddhist monasteries and the dragons and elephants of the Dharma gate, figures of extraordinary strength among practitioners.
〔12 · More than two hundred fascicles completed, and the imperial preface composed〕 (0403a03) More than two hundred fascicles of various scriptures and vinaya texts had already been translated. Once their fair copies were complete, they were soon presented together to the palace. The remaining vinaya texts and treatises still awaited later translation and exposition. The teaching of the five divisions of disciplinary offenses was fully explained, and the causes behind the eight rules were thoroughly clarified. Even when beaten because a pearl had disappeared, a monk would still protect the goose that had swallowed it (the “goose and pearl” story: rather than reveal that the goose swallowed the pearl and cause it to be killed, a monk who kept the precepts endured accusation); not even the life of a tiny insect would be harmed. A flotation bladder used to cross the sea had to remain entirely unpunctured (the flotation-bladder image compares the precepts to a float whose smallest leak can endanger one’s life). A bowl filled with oil was to be carried without spilling a drop or overturning (the oil-bowl image compares careful protection of the precepts to walking with a brimful bowl of oil). These translations honored the ordering framework of the sacred teaching and opened the ears and eyes of every living being. Reverently, I pray that they may above increase the merit of the departed sage emperors and long strengthen the foundation represented by the seven ancestral temples; and that below, extending even to my own humble person, they may continually support the mandate lofty as the nine heavens. May they move all living beings into a realm of longevity and well-being, return shallow customs to their source in simplicity, bring abundant harvests and harmonious seasons, make distant lands secure, and keep nearby regions reverently ordered. Yet I bear responsibility for the myriad affairs of government, and the business of the four seas is pressing. I have therefore relied on the spare moments of the yinye, the second watch of night, approximately 9:00–11:00 p.m., to praise Yijing’s virtue, which fills the heavens. Conscious of my own empty learning, I have knocked at the gate of still and subtle truth and have simply inscribed this preface.
考據Apparatus
本層立本序之源信——譯史以序文自證，並以經錄、僧傳互核；典故隨段標其所出。大正藏數位本將一千七百一十五字正文分作十二段，十二段卻全承同一行〔T16n0665 0403a03〕，其後方見 0403a04。故下表各項出處相同；這是底本編排，並非漏標。
互核四書為《大唐西域求法高僧傳》T51n2066、《開元釋教錄》T55n2154、《宋高僧傳》T50n2061、《貞元新定釋教目錄》T55n2157。下文分稱《求法傳》《開元錄》《宋傳》《貞元錄》；破折號表示該書未核得同一事項，不以近似數目補入。
一 譯史（序自證·經錄僧傳互核）
| 項 | 序文所載（出處） | 互核 |
|---|---|---|
| 譯主 | 大福先寺翻經三藏法師義淨，范陽人，俗姓張。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》自署沙門義淨，並記從西國還、在室利佛逝撰，未載籍貫姓氏〔T51n2066 0001a03–07〕；《開元錄》《貞元錄》作齊州張氏、字文明〔T55n2154 0568b05–08；T55n2157 0869a09–12〕；《宋傳》同序作范陽張氏、字文明〔T50n2061 0710b08–11〕。范陽、齊州兩載並錄。 |
| 志向 | 甫過遊洛之年即志尋西國；三十有七，方遂夙懷。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；其餘三書皆記十五歲志遊西域、三十七歲遂行〔T55n2154 0568b07–10；T50n2061 0710b10–14；T55n2157 0869a11–15〕。 |
| 發足 | 咸亨二年（671）至廣府；相約者十人，登舟時惟餘一己。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；《開元錄》《貞元錄》同作初約十人而終至孤行〔T55n2154 0568b09–12；T55n2157 0869a13–17〕；《宋傳》作初有同志數十人，終亦孤行〔T50n2061 0710b12–16〕。十人、數十人兩載並錄。 |
| 行歷 | 漸屆天竺，禮覲靈峯、吠舍、祇園、寶階、靈塔、菩提樹、阿耨池；所經三十餘國，凡歷二十餘載。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》親記義淨在那爛陀與金剛座，又隨行薜舍離、俱尸等地，足證其中一段行跡，未載三十國與年數〔T51n2066 0002a15–16、0004c01–03〕；《開元錄》《貞元錄》作三十餘國、二十年〔T55n2154 0568b13–17；T55n2157 0869a17–21〕；《宋傳》作三十餘國、二十五年〔T50n2061 0710b16–18〕。二十與二十五兩載並錄。 |
| 攜歸 | 梵本經僅四百部、五十萬頌、金剛座真容一舖、舍利三百粒。此處僅為古義，猶言近、將近，非謂數量微少。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；其餘三書皆明作近四百部，並合五十萬頌、真容一舖、舍利三百粒，正可互證僅字之義〔T55n2154 0568b17–19；T50n2061 0710b18–21；T55n2157 0869a21–23〕。 |
| 屆都與迎置 | 證聖元年（695）夏五月屆都；則天遣百寮、四眾迎於上東門，置授記寺。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；其餘三書皆記證聖元年仲夏還至河洛、上東門迎、佛授記寺安置〔T55n2154 0568b17–22；T50n2061 0710b18–22；T55n2157 0869a21–25〕。 |
| 華嚴譯場 | 與于闐三藏及復禮、法藏等共翻《華嚴經》。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；其餘三書皆明于闐三藏為實叉難陀，並載義淨同翻《華嚴經》〔T55n2154 0568b21–23；T50n2061 0710b22–23；T55n2157 0869a25–26〕。 |
| 律藏譯場與同譯 | 後在大福先寺，與天竺三藏寶思末多、授記寺主惠表及勝莊、慈訓等譯《根本部律》。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；其餘三書載根本說一切有部律典及譯場人員，其中有阿儞真那、復禮、慧表、法藏、慈訓等〔T55n2154 0568b23–c06；T50n2061 0710b23–c04；T55n2157 0869a26–b09〕。《開元錄》正文作成莊、異本作勝莊；《宋傳》《貞元錄》作勝莊。四書未見寶思末多之同名記載，故不把阿儞真那與之強合。 |
| 已翻卷數 | 已翻雜經律二百餘卷，繕寫畢而進內；其餘戒律、諸論尚待後譯。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；《開元錄》—；《宋傳》—；《貞元錄》—。四書另有不同時段的收錄數或生涯總數，未核得本序同一時點的二百餘卷，故不移填。 |
| 撰序與標引 | 序題下署中宗孝皇帝製。〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | 《求法傳》—；《開元錄》載和帝製序褒揚，名《大唐龍興三藏聖教序》，並令義淨新翻諸經標引〔T55n2154 0568c14–16〕；《宋傳》載帝製此序並宣示新翻之經〔T50n2061 0710c10–12〕；《貞元錄》亦載製序及新翻並令標引〔T55n2157 0869b18–21〕。 |
二 典故（隨段·標其所出）
- 周星閱彩〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《法苑珠林》引《周書異記》，載周昭王二十四年佛誕時五色光氣入貫太微，序取為佛降誕之徵〔T53n2122 0378b15–17〕。
- 漢日流祥〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《法苑珠林》引《法本內傳》，載漢明帝夢金人、項有日光，因遣使求法；序取為佛法通漢之祥夢〔T53n2122 0700a21–24〕。
- 白馬西來〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：漢明帝遣使西求佛法、以白馬馱經還洛之傳說；《法苑珠林》並以白馬負經與白馬寺相連〔T53n2122 1029b26–28〕。攝摩騰入洛事另見《高僧傳》〔T50n2059 0322c15–0323a03〕。
- 馬鳴〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：印度佛教詩人、論師，序以瓊編稱其著述；本傳見《馬鳴菩薩傳》〔T50n2046 0183a23–0184a12〕。
- 龍樹〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：中觀祖師，序以寶偈稱其著述；本傳見《龍樹菩薩傳》〔T50n2047a 0184a16–0185b07〕。
- 澄安〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：以佛圖澄、道安各取一字合稱，舉中國早期高僧與譯場、義學之傳；二傳見《高僧傳》〔T50n2059 0383b15 以下、0351c03 以下〕。
- 林遠〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：以支道林、慧遠各取一字合稱，舉東晉名僧；二傳見《高僧傳》〔T50n2059 0348b08 以下、0357c23 以下〕。
- 後周毀廢〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：北周武帝建德三年（574）禁斷佛、道二教，令僧道還俗，寺產入官；見《廣弘明集》〔T52n2103 0136b07–10〕，亦見《續高僧傳》〔T50n2060 0626c24–27、0629b19–22〕。
- 開皇〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：隋文帝年號；開皇之初廣建寺塔、重興佛教，見《續高僧傳》〔T50n2060 0549a12–18〕。
- 大業〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：隋煬帝年號；序以大業末年國勢分崩承接開皇重建之後，《續高僧傳》亦以大業崩後亂離為時界〔T50n2060 0595b01–03〕。
- 巢燧〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：有巢氏教民構木為巢，燧人氏教民鑽木取火，皆上古文明肇始之君；慧琳《一切經音義》並釋二名〔T54n2128 0370b05–07〕。
- 義軒〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：伏羲與軒轅黃帝之合稱。伏羲作八卦見《周易·繫辭下》，軒轅事見《史記·五帝本紀》；《廣弘明集》亦作義軒，並注及羲軒以前文字未興之說〔T52n2113 0633a03–04〕。
- 吠舍城獻蓋〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《維摩詰所說經·佛國品》載毘耶離長者子寶積與五百長者子各持寶蓋供佛，佛合諸蓋為一〔T14n0475 0537b25–28〕。
- 給狐園布金〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：給狐園即祇樹給孤獨園；須達欲購祇陀太子之園，以金布地，見《賢愚經·須達起精舍品》〔T04n0202 0419c04–26〕。
- 三道寶階〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：如來從三十三天下降僧迦舍，帝釋造金、水精、白銀三階，佛履中階，梵王、帝釋左右侍從；見《大唐西域記》〔T51n2087 0893a24–b05〕。
- 八大靈塔〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：佛誕生、成道、初轉法輪、現大神通、從忉利天下降、王舍城化度、廣嚴城念壽、拘尸那入滅八處之塔；見《佛說八大靈塔名號經》〔T32n1685 0773a07–25〕。
- 菩提樹〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：金剛座上的畢鉢羅樹，佛坐其下成正覺，故名菩提樹；見《大唐西域記》〔T51n2087 0915b27–c01〕。
- 阿耨池〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：阿那婆答多池，唐言無熱惱；舊譯阿耨達池，位於香山之南、大雪山之北，為諸大河源地；見《大唐西域記》〔T51n2087 0869b07–12〕。
- 慈悲作室、忍辱為衣〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《妙法蓮華經·法師品》以如來室為大慈悲心、如來衣為柔和忍辱心；序移以稱義淨之行〔T09n0262 0031c22–28〕。
- 摩騰〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：攝摩騰，漢明帝時入洛的西域譯僧，傳與白馬寺相連；見《高僧傳》〔T50n2059 0322c15–0323a03〕。
- 羅什〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：鳩摩羅什，後秦譯師；其入關及譯業見《高僧傳》〔T50n2059 0330a10 以下〕。
- 五篇〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：戒律罪科的五類，即波羅夷、僧殘、波逸提、提舍尼、突吉羅；名目見《四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔》〔T40n1804 0048c02–06〕。
- 八法〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：序僅云八法而未具名。古律所見八法不止一義：《十誦律》以八法統攝迦絺那衣法等部類，又在數法中列八眾、八正道、八施、八世法等多組〔T23n1435 0206c05 以下、0367c15–28〕；根本說一切有部律另有比丘尼八尊敬法〔T24n1451 0350b08–0351b12〕。本句無足以定指的限定語，並錄而不強判，所出未詳。
- 鵞珠〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《大莊嚴論經》載鵝吞珠，比丘為免珠師殺鵝取珠，受逼打而不肯告知；用以喻護戒兼護生〔T04n0201 0319a20–0321a06〕。
- 浮囊〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《大般涅槃經》以渡海者護浮囊、雖少分亦不肯割與羅剎，喻菩薩守戒不使小缺〔T12n0374 0432b04–17〕。
- 油鉢〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：《雜阿含經》載人持滿油鉢穿過眾中，身後有持刀者，失一滴即斬，故專心繫念、不敢旁顧；喻攝心正念〔T02n0099 0174b24–c13〕。
- 七廟〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：天子宗廟之制，《禮記·王制》定天子七廟；佛典亦引禮經天子七廟之說〔T53n2122 0750a18–20〕。序願以譯經功德上資先聖、長固皇統。
- 乙夜〔T16n0665 0403a03〕：古分一夜為甲、乙、丙、丁、戊五夜，乙夜即第二更。《顏氏家訓·書證》辨此五夜之名；序謂中宗於萬機之暇、夜間撰序。
三 譯法自證（序所獨標）
序以一段專論義淨譯法：
「又古來翻譯之者，莫不先出梵文，後資漢譯。摭詞方憑於學者，銓義別稟於僧徒。今玆法師不如是矣！既閑五天竺語，又詳二諦幽宗。譯義綴文，咸由於已出；指詞定理，匪假於旁求。超漢代之摩騰，跨秦年之羅什。」〔T16n0665 0403a03〕
此段先說古來譯場分任：有人宣出梵文，學者供詞，僧徒銓義；繼而稱義淨兼通五天竺語與二諦義理，故譯義、綴文、定詞、明理皆不假旁求。末以摩騰、羅什作極高的比較。這是序作者中宗的推崇語；本編照錄其說，不據此另立義淨優於摩騰、羅什之判。
四 題署（序作中宗孝皇帝製）
序題為大唐龍興三藏聖教序，題下署中宗孝皇帝製〔T16n0665 0403a03〕。《開元錄》《宋傳》《貞元錄》均把此序繫於中宗，並記宣示義淨新翻、令加標引〔T55n2154 0568c14–16；T50n2061 0710c10–12；T55n2157 0869b18–21〕。
就正文查核，金光明與最勝王俱不見；華嚴經與根本部律各一見。序之所稱美，是佛教東傳、歷代興替、義淨西行、所攜梵本、譯才與譯業，並非專論《金光明最勝王經》。就本經現存編排而言，它位於卷一經題之前，故是本經冠首之御製序；就序文內容及經錄所載施行範圍而言，則是為義淨新翻諸經所製、所標引的聖教序。兩層關係並誌，不相化約。
This layer establishes the preface's source-trust: its translation history is attested by the preface itself and cross-checked against ancient catalogues and monastic biographies, while each allusion is traced to its source. In the digital Taishō text, the 1,715-character body is divided into twelve paragraphs, but all twelve remain under the single line anchor 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕; 0403a04 follows the end of the preface. The identical locus throughout the table is therefore a feature of the base text, not an omission.
The four works checked are the Memoirs of Eminent Monks Who Sought the Dharma in the Great Tang's Western Regions T51n2066, the Kaiyuan Catalogue T55n2154, the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks T50n2061, and the Zhenyuan Catalogue T55n2157. An em dash means that the work did not yield the same datum; a merely similar number has not been substituted.
I. Translation history (preface self-attestation · catalogue and biography cross-checks)
| Item | As recorded in the preface (locus) | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Translator | Yijing, Tripiṭaka translation-master at Dafuxian Monastery; a native of Fanyang, surnamed Zhang. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | The Memoirs identifies its author as the monk Yijing, returned from the Western Regions and writing at Śrīvijaya, but gives neither birthplace nor surname〔T51n2066 0001a03–07〕. The Kaiyuan and Zhenyuan catalogues give Qizhou, the surname Zhang, and the style name Wenming〔T55n2154 0568b05–08; T55n2157 0869a09–12〕. The Song Biography, like the preface, gives Fanyang, Zhang, and Wenming〔T50n2061 0710b08–11〕. Fanyang and Qizhou are recorded side by side, without adjudication. |
| Aspiration | Shortly after the age associated with “roaming at Luo,” he resolved to seek the Western Regions; at thirty-seven he at last fulfilled the long-held intent. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The other three works all place his resolve at age fifteen and his departure at thirty-seven〔T55n2154 0568b07–10; T50n2061 0710b10–14; T55n2157 0869a11–15〕. |
| Setting out | In the second year of Xianheng (671) he reached Guangfu. Ten had pledged to go, but when the ship sailed he alone remained. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The Kaiyuan and Zhenyuan catalogues agree on an initial company of ten and an eventual solitary departure〔T55n2154 0568b09–12; T55n2157 0869a13–17〕; the Song Biography gives several tens of companions, but likewise ends with Yijing traveling alone〔T50n2061 0710b12–16〕. The two counts are retained side by side. |
| Travels | He reached India and visited Vulture Peak, Vaiśālī, Jetavana, the jeweled stairs, the holy stūpas, the Bodhi tree, and Lake Anavatapta; he passed through more than thirty countries over more than twenty years. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | The Memoirs places Yijing at Nālandā and Vajrāsana and records a route with a companion through Vaiśālī and Kuśinagara, corroborating part of the itinerary but not the totals〔T51n2066 0002a15–16, 0004c01–03〕. The Kaiyuan and Zhenyuan catalogues give more than thirty countries and twenty years〔T55n2154 0568b13–17; T55n2157 0869a17–21〕; the Song Biography gives more than thirty countries and twenty-five years〔T50n2061 0710b16–18〕. The twenty- and twenty-five-year records are retained side by side. |
| Texts and relics brought back | Nearly four hundred Sanskrit texts, comprising five hundred thousand verses; one image of Vajrāsana and three hundred relic grains. The preface's jin has its older sense “nearly” or “approaching,” not the modern restrictive sense. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. Each of the other three works explicitly says “nearly four hundred” and confirms the five hundred thousand verses, one image, and three hundred relics, thereby corroborating that older sense〔T55n2154 0568b17–19; T50n2061 0710b18–21; T55n2157 0869a21–23〕. |
| Return and reception | He reached the capital in the fifth month of summer, first year of Zhengsheng (695). Empress Wu sent the officials and fourfold assembly to meet him at the Upper East Gate and lodged him at the Monastery of the Buddha's Prophecy. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The other three works all record his return to the Luo region in midsummer of the first year of Zhengsheng, the reception at the Upper East Gate, and lodging at the Monastery of the Buddha's Prophecy〔T55n2154 0568b17–22; T50n2061 0710b18–22; T55n2157 0869a21–25〕. |
| Avataṃsaka translation | He joined a Tripiṭaka master from Khotan, Fuli, Fazang, and others in translating the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The other three works identify the Khotanese master as Śikṣānanda and record Yijing's participation in the Avataṃsaka translation〔T55n2154 0568b21–23; T50n2061 0710b22–23; T55n2157 0869a25–26〕. |
| Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya translation and colleagues | Later, at Dafuxian Monastery, he translated the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya with the Indian Tripiṭaka master Baosimoduo, Huibiao, Shengzhuang, Cixun, and others. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The other three works record Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya texts and members of the translation establishment, including Anizhenna, Fuli, Huibiao, Fazang, and Cixun〔T55n2154 0568b23–c06; T50n2061 0710b23–c04; T55n2157 0869a26–b09〕. The Kaiyuan base text reads Chengzhuang, with Shengzhuang in its variant witnesses; the Song and Zhenyuan texts read Shengzhuang. None of the four works yielded the same name Baosimoduo, so it is not silently equated with Anizhenna. |
| Number translated | More than two hundred fascicles of miscellaneous scriptures and Vinaya texts had been translated, copied out, and submitted to the palace; further Vinaya works and treatises remained to be rendered. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —; Kaiyuan Catalogue —; Song Biography —; Zhenyuan Catalogue —. The works give other subtotals or career totals, but no matching figure for the same moment; none has been imported here. |
| Composition and attachment | The title line attributes the preface to Emperor Zhongzong the Filial. 〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 | Memoirs —. The Kaiyuan Catalogue says Emperor He composed and titled this preface and ordered it attached to Yijing's newly translated scriptures〔T55n2154 0568c14–16〕. The Song Biography records the composition and public presentation of the new translations〔T50n2061 0710c10–12〕. The Zhenyuan Catalogue likewise records the preface and the order to attach it to the new translations〔T55n2157 0869b18–21〕. |
II. Allusions (passage by passage · each source marked)
- “The Zhou constellations received many-colored radiance”〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Fayuan zhulin cites the lost Record of Anomalies in the Zhou Book, according to which five-colored light passed through the Taiwei enclosure in the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao of Zhou at the Buddha's birth; the preface uses it as a nativity omen〔T53n2122 0378b15–17〕.
- “The Han sun streamed forth auspice”〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Fayuan zhulin, citing the Faben neizhuan, records Emperor Ming of Han's dream of a golden man with sunlight at his neck and the mission sent west for the Dharma; the preface uses it as the auspicious dream of Buddhism's arrival in Han China〔T53n2122 0700a21–24〕.
- “The white horse came from the west”〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the tradition of Emperor Ming's envoys returning to Luoyang with Buddhist scriptures borne on a white horse; the Fayuan zhulin connects the horse carrying the scriptures with White Horse Monastery〔T53n2122 1029b26–28〕. Kāśyapa Mātaṅga's arrival is separately narrated in the Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2059 0322c15–0323a03〕.
- Aśvaghoṣa〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Indian Buddhist poet and exegete, praised here for his jeweled writings; see the Biography of the Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa〔T50n2046 0183a23–0184a12〕.
- Nāgārjuna〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Madhyamaka patriarch, praised here for his precious verses; see the Biography of the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna〔T50n2047a 0184a16–0185b07〕.
- Cheng and An〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: a paired contraction of Fotucheng and Daoan, representing early Chinese eminent monks associated with translation and doctrinal learning; their biographies appear in the Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2059 0383b15 ff., 0351c03 ff.〕.
- Lin and Yuan〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: a paired contraction of Zhi Daolin and Huiyuan, two eminent Eastern Jin monks; their biographies appear in the Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2059 0348b08 ff., 0357c23 ff.〕.
- The Later Zhou suppression〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: in the third year of Jiande (574), Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou proscribed Buddhism and Daoism, returned clergy to lay status, and confiscated monastic property; see the Guang hongming ji〔T52n2103 0136b07–10〕 and the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2060 0626c24–27, 0629b19–22〕.
- Kaihuang〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the reign period of Emperor Wen of Sui; at the opening of Kaihuang he sponsored monasteries and restored Buddhism, as recorded in the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2060 0549a12–18〕.
- Daye〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the reign period of Emperor Yang of Sui. The preface contrasts the realm's disintegration at the end of Daye with the Kaihuang restoration; the Continued Biographies likewise uses the collapse of Daye as a chronological boundary for the ensuing disorder〔T50n2060 0595b01–03〕.
- Chaoshui〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: Youchao, who taught people to build nests, and Suiren, who taught them to kindle fire, both culture heroes of earliest antiquity; Huilin's Sounds and Meanings of All the Scriptures glosses both names〔T54n2128 0370b05–07〕.
- Yixuan〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan. Fuxi's making of the trigrams appears in the Xici commentary to the Book of Changes, and Xuanyuan in the “Basic Annals of the Five Emperors” in the Records of the Grand Historian; the Guang hongming ji also writes Yixuan and adds a note concerning the period before Xixuan, when writing had not yet arisen〔T52n2113 0633a03–04〕.
- The offering of canopies at Vaiśālī〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: in the “Buddha Land” chapter of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Ratnākara and five hundred Licchavi youths each offer a jeweled canopy, which the Buddha joins into one〔T14n0475 0537b25–28〕.
- Spreading gold in Anāthapiṇḍada's garden〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the preface's “Garden of the Solitary Benefactor” abbreviates Jetavana, the Grove of Jeta and Anāthapiṇḍada. Sudatta covers the ground with gold to purchase Prince Jeta's garden in the “Sudatta Builds the Monastery” chapter of the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish〔T04n0202 0419c04–26〕.
- The three jeweled stairs〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: when the Buddha descended at Sāṃkāśya from the Heaven of the Thirty-three, Śakra fashioned three stairs of gold, crystal, and silver. The Buddha descended in the center, attended by Brahmā and Śakra on either side; see the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions〔T51n2087 0893a24–b05〕.
- The eight great holy stūpas〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the eight sites of the Buddha's birth, awakening, first turning of the wheel, great miracle, descent from Trāyastriṃśa, teaching at Rājagṛha, reflection on his lifespan at Vaiśālī, and Parinirvāṇa at Kuśinagara; see the Sūtra Naming the Eight Great Holy Stūpas〔T32n1685 0773a07–25〕.
- The Bodhi tree〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the pippala tree at Vajrāsana beneath which the Buddha attained complete awakening and which therefore received this name; see the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions〔T51n2087 0915b27–c01〕.
- Lake Anavatapta〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Anavatapta, “Free from Heat and Affliction,” called Anouda in the older transcription, lying south of the Fragrant Mountains and north of the Great Snow Mountains and serving as the source of great rivers; see the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions〔T51n2087 0869b07–12〕.
- “Making compassion his chamber and forbearance his robe”〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the “Dharma Preacher” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra identifies the Tathāgata's chamber with great compassion and his robe with gentle patience; the preface transfers the figure to Yijing's conduct〔T09n0262 0031c22–28〕.
- Kāśyapa Mātaṅga〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Western Regions translator said to have reached Luoyang under Emperor Ming of Han and associated in the tradition with White Horse Monastery; see the Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2059 0322c15–0323a03〕.
- Kumārajīva〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the great translator of the Later Qin; his arrival within the passes and translation career are narrated in the Biographies of Eminent Monks〔T50n2059 0330a10 ff.〕.
- The five divisions〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: five classes of Vinaya offense—pārājika, saṃghāvaśeṣa, pāyattika, pratideśanīya, and duṣkṛta—listed in the Procedures for Conduct Abridged and Supplemented from the Four-Part Vinaya〔T40n1804 0048c02–06〕.
- The eight dharmas〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the preface gives the bare expression “eight dharmas” without a qualifier. Ancient Vinaya literature uses the term in more than one sense. The Ten Recitations Vinaya organizes a major division as “Eight Dharmas,” beginning with the Kaṭhina-robe procedure, and elsewhere groups several different octads under the same numerical heading, including the eight assemblies, the Eightfold Path, eight kinds of gift, and the eight worldly conditions〔T23n1435 0206c05 ff., 0367c15–28〕. The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya separately gives the eight venerable rules for nuns〔T24n1451 0350b08–0351b12〕. Because the sentence supplies no qualifier that fixes the referent, the possibilities are recorded without forcing a decision: precise source undetermined.
- The goose and the pearl〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Mahālaṃkāra Treatise Sūtra tells of a goose swallowing a pearl. To prevent the jeweler from killing the goose to recover it, a monk endures accusation and beating without revealing what happened; the story figures both protection of precepts and protection of life〔T04n0201 0319a20–0321a06〕.
- The flotation bladder〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra compares exact observance of precepts to a sea traveler who will not surrender even the smallest part of his flotation bladder to a rākṣasa, lest its air leak away〔T12n0374 0432b04–17〕.
- The oil bowl〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the Saṃyukta Āgama describes a man carrying a brimful bowl of oil through a crowd while an executioner follows, ready to kill him if one drop spills. He keeps his attention fixed and never glances aside; the simile teaches collected mindfulness〔T02n0099 0174b24–c13〕.
- The seven ancestral temples〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: the ritual establishment of the Son of Heaven's ancestral temples. The “Royal Regulations” chapter of the Book of Rites prescribes seven temples for the Son of Heaven; Buddhist literature also cites the same ritual rule〔T53n2122 0750a18–20〕. The preface dedicates the merit of translation upward to the former sovereigns and the endurance of the imperial line.
- The second night watch〔T16n0665 0403a03〕: an ancient night was divided into the jia, yi, bing, ding, and wu watches, making yi the second watch. The “Textual Evidences” chapter of the Family Instructions for the Yan Clan explains these five names; the preface says that Zhongzong composed it at night, amid leisure from the myriad affairs of government.
III. Self-attestation of translation method (singled out by the preface)
The preface devotes one complete passage to Yijing's method:
「又古來翻譯之者，莫不先出梵文，後資漢譯。摭詞方憑於學者，銓義別稟於僧徒。今玆法師不如是矣！既閑五天竺語，又詳二諦幽宗。譯義綴文，咸由於已出；指詞定理，匪假於旁求。超漢代之摩騰，跨秦年之羅什。」〔T16n0665 0403a03〕 — The passage first describes the divided labor of earlier translation assemblies: one person recited the Sanskrit, learned assistants supplied the wording, and monastics determined the meaning.
It then praises Yijing as conversant both with the languages of the five regions of India and with the subtle doctrine of the two truths, so that rendering the meaning, shaping the prose, fixing the terms, and determining the principle all came from him without recourse to outside help. Its closing comparison with Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Kumārajīva is Emperor Zhongzong's encomium. This edition records that encomium as written; it does not turn it into an independent judgment that Yijing surpassed either translator.
IV. Title and attribution (the preface reads “composed by Emperor Zhongzong the Filial”)
The title is Great Tang Dragon-Ascending Preface to the Saintly Teaching of the Three Baskets, followed by the attribution composed by Emperor Zhongzong the Filial〔T16n0665 0403a03〕. The Kaiyuan Catalogue, Song Biography, and Zhenyuan Catalogue all associate the preface with Zhongzong and record its presentation with Yijing's newly translated works〔T55n2154 0568c14–16; T50n2061 0710c10–12; T55n2157 0869b18–21〕.
Within the preface body, Golden Light and Supreme King occur zero times; the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya occur once each. Its praise concerns Buddhism's transmission eastward, dynastic suppression and restoration, Yijing's westward journey, the texts he brought back, his linguistic and doctrinal competence, and his translation career. It is not a text-specific discussion of the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King. In the received arrangement of the text it stands before the title of fascicle one and is thus the imperial preface at this sūtra's head; in content and in the catalogues' account of its use, it is the Sacred Teaching preface composed for attachment to Yijing's newly translated works. Both relations are recorded without collapsing one into the other.