English
English version: I respectfully present a pure posture. Gazing into the distance, the departing boat has disappeared from sight. Soon after, I tread again upon the lands of Jiang and Huai. Monastics and laity alike spread the news. Joyfully, we support the Great King, who has first arrived at the other shore with Śīla-pāramitā (perfection of morality). Now, we seek to receive the wisdom of Prajñā-pāramitā (perfection of wisdom) from you. 'Soon after' is what the people of Jingzhou said when gazing into the distance as the boat disappeared. The wise one (referring to Zhiyi) returns again to Yangzhou, while the Prince of Jin is currently in the region of Shan, so he sends messengers to Jiangdu to welcome him. Having already received the precepts, now he requests a commentary on the Vimalakīrti Sutra, hence the saying 'now we seek to receive' and so on. The request document states: 'Your disciple is most fortunate to have received the teachings of a master. For countless kalpas, I have relied on the master's enlightenment. Form (matter) and mind (spirit) are originally uncreated. In past years, I reverently received the teachings, and although my body is flawed, my heart protects the jewel-like precepts. The grades of samādhi (meditative absorption) and branches of dhyāna (meditation) all return to stillness. Burdened with national responsibilities, guarding the borders, and serving as a subject and a son, how can I enter samādhi with these four entanglements? There are many examples of severing bonds like lightning, and not a few who are liberated through wisdom. Today, I wish to submit myself to your wisdom and discernment, taking the lead in upholding the teachings, forever swimming in the stream of Dharma, and using the Dharma to govern the country. I wonder if there are any obstacles that can be opened and transformed? Can the master's dignity and the venerability of the Way be lowered somewhat? Can the shallow roots of past lives be made to sprout? Can the Bodhisattva's skillful response be adapted to the times?' The book says: 'Life has three most important relationships, which should be treated with the same seriousness as a single matter.' How much more so when discussing Buddhist scriptures without following a teacher? Now, these humble words detail the past affections, hoping to accomplish this matter. Please discard the ornate rhetoric. This request document, in the title of the 'Hundred Records,' says that Wang Xie Tianguan still requests the 'Meaning Commentary on the Vimalakīrti Sutra.' The first ninety-seven characters are omitted, and there are also differences in the wording. Presumably, this is how Venerable Zhang'an handled the editing and collation. 'Form and mind are uncreated' is like the clouds not arising; even if they arise, their nature is uncreated. 'False form' refers to the Mahayana precepts. 'Grades of samādhi and branches of dhyāna' refer to the merits arising from the four dhyānas and eight samādhis. 'Four entanglements' refer to: 1. Burdened with national responsibilities; 2. Guarding the borders; 3. Serving as a subject; 4. Serving as a son. With these four entanglements, how can one enter samādhi? 'Severing bonds like lightning' is like Venerable Ānanda entering the lightning samādhi, severing the bonds, and attaining the four fruits. Also, as the Sutra of the Bequeathed Teachings says, 'It is like seeing lightning in the dark night, and then being able to see the road.' 'Those liberated through wisdom' cultivate the three foundations of mindfulness and achieve the three liberations, as is often explained. 'Life has three' refers to the three relationships of ruler and subject, father and son, and teacher and student. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
书具载多矣。请弃饰辞者。王请大师不须谦退。故云弃饰辞也。 答曰。谬承人泛。拟迹师资。顾此肤疏。以非时许。况隆高命。弥匪克当。徒欲沉吟。必乖深寄。 此乃不允所请者也。 重请云。学贵承师。事推物论。历求法界。措心有在。仰惟宿植善根。非一生得。初乃由学。俄逢圣境。南岳记莂。说法第一。无以仰过。照禅师来。具述斯事。于时心喜。以域寸诚。智者昔入陈朝。彼国明试。瓦官大集。众论鉾起。荣公强口先被折角。两琼继轨才获交绥。忍师赞叹嗟唱希有。弟子仰延之始。屈登无畏。释难如流。亲所闻见众咸瞻仰。承前荆楚莫不归伏。非禅不智验乎金口。比闻名僧所说。智者融会。甚有阶差。譬若群流归乎大海。此之包举始得佛意。唯愿未得令得。未度令度。乐说不穷。法施无尽。 说法第一者。如南岳印证云。于说法人中最为第一。照禅师乃南岳弟子。梁传前有列名。正传全失。惜哉。梁朝凡有两琼。彭城宝琼住建安院。身长七尺五寸。背脾龙文。三十九齿。一日讲次。外人见寺有白龙现。男女奔至寺。但见琼在座讲。因是号为白琼。建初宝琼。常被万椿树皮黑袈裟。故号乌琼。此衣后智者得之。进与炀帝。文在百录。两琼少时同学。后亦道价相当。继轨者。轨则。 现代汉语译本：书籍已经记载了很多了，请舍弃那些华丽的辞藻吧。大王请大师不必谦虚推辞，所以说要舍弃华丽的辞藻。 回答说：‘我错误地承受了大家的推举，想要效法老师们的足迹，但顾及到自己才疏学浅，在不适当的时候答应了。况且如此隆重的任命，实在难以胜任。如果只是沉默不语，必定辜负了大家的深切期望。’ 这实际上是不答应所请。 再次请求说：‘学问贵在继承老师的教诲，事情要推崇客观的评论。遍求佛法真谛，用心自有归宿。仰慕大师您宿世所植的善根，不是一生就能得到的。最初是从学习开始，不久就遇到了圣境。南岳慧思大师亲自印证您是说法第一，没有人能超过您。照禅师来此，详细叙述了这件事，当时我内心欢喜，以此表达我寸诚之心。智者大师过去在陈朝，那个国家公开考试，在瓦官寺举行大法会，各种议论像矛一样涌起。荣公凭借强辩的口才，首先被折服；两琼法师继承前人的规则，才得以互相认可。忍法师赞叹称扬，认为非常稀有。弟子我仰慕追随您，才敢于登上无畏的讲台，解释疑难像流水一样顺畅。这是我亲身所闻所见，大家都瞻仰敬佩。继承以前荆楚地区的传统，没有不归顺信服的。不是禅定就不能有智慧，这可以用金口玉言来验证。近来听说名僧所说的，智者大师的融会贯通，很有层次。譬如众多的河流归入大海，这样包容一切才能领会佛的真意。只希望没有得到的，让他得到；没有度化的，让他度化。乐于说法永不停止，佛法布施没有穷尽。’ ‘说法第一’，如南岳慧思大师印证说：‘在说法的人当中，您是最第一的。’照禅师是南岳慧思大师的弟子，《梁传》前面有列名，但《正传》完全遗失了，可惜啊。梁朝总共有两琼法师，彭城宝琼住在建安院，身高七尺五寸，背上有龙纹，有三十九颗牙齿。有一天讲经的时候，外面的人看见寺庙里有白龙出现，男女老少都跑到寺庙里，但只看见宝琼在座位上讲经，因此号称白琼。建初宝琼，常常披着万椿树皮做的黑色袈裟，所以号称乌琼。这件袈裟后来被智者大师得到，献给了炀帝，文字记载在《百录》里。两琼法师小时候一起学习，后来在佛法上的造诣也相当。‘继轨’，就是继承规则的意思。
English
English version: The books have already recorded much. Please abandon the ornate language. The King requests that the Master need not be humble and decline, hence the saying to abandon ornate language. He replied: 'I have mistakenly received everyone's recommendation, desiring to follow in the footsteps of the teachers. However, considering my own shallowness and lack of knowledge, I have agreed at an inappropriate time. Moreover, such a grand appointment is truly beyond my capabilities. If I were to remain silent, I would surely fail to meet everyone's deep expectations.' This is actually not agreeing to the request. He requested again, saying: 'Learning values inheriting the teacher's teachings, and matters should promote objective commentary. Seeking the truth of Dharma everywhere, the mind naturally has a destination. I admire that you, Master, have planted good roots in past lives, which cannot be obtained in one lifetime. Initially, it starts with learning, and soon one encounters the sacred realm. Nanyue Huisi (Master Huisi of Nanyue) personally certified that you are the foremost in Dharma speaking, and no one can surpass you. Zen Master Zhao (Zen Master Zhao) came here and described this matter in detail. At that time, my heart was filled with joy, and I expressed my sincere heart. Zhiyi (Master Zhiyi) in the past entered the Chen Dynasty, and that country held a public examination. A grand assembly was held at Waguan Temple, and various arguments arose like spears. Ronggong (Ronggong) relied on his strong eloquence and was first subdued. The Two Qiongs (Two Qiong Masters) inherited the rules of their predecessors and were able to mutually acknowledge each other. Master Ren (Master Ren) praised and exclaimed that it was extremely rare. I, your disciple, admired and followed you, and dared to ascend the fearless platform, explaining doubts as smoothly as flowing water. This is what I personally heard and saw, and everyone admired and respected. Inheriting the tradition of Jingchu (Jingchu region) in the past, there is no one who does not submit and believe. Without Chan (Zen), there can be no wisdom, which can be verified by golden words. Recently, I heard what the famous monks said, and Master Zhiyi's integration is very hierarchical. It is like many rivers returning to the sea, and only by encompassing everything can one understand the Buddha's intention. I only hope that those who have not obtained, let them obtain; those who have not been liberated, let them be liberated. May the joy of Dharma speaking never cease, and the Dharma giving be endless.' 'Foremost in Dharma speaking,' as Nanyue Huisi certified: 'Among those who speak Dharma, you are the foremost.' Zen Master Zhao is a disciple of Nanyue Huisi. The *Liang Zhuan* (Biographies of the Liang Dynasty) has his name listed in the front, but the *Zheng Zhuan* (Correct Biography) is completely lost, alas. There were a total of Two Qiong Masters in the Liang Dynasty. Pengcheng Baoqiong (Baoqiong of Pengcheng) lived in Jian'an Temple, was seven feet five inches tall, had dragon patterns on his back, and had thirty-nine teeth. One day, while lecturing, outsiders saw a white dragon appear in the temple. Men and women ran to the temple, but only saw Baoqiong lecturing on the seat, hence the name White Qiong. Jianchu Baoqiong (Baoqiong of Jianchu) often wore a black kasaya made of *wanchun* tree bark, hence the name Black Qiong. This kasaya was later obtained by Master Zhiyi and presented to Emperor Yang, and the text is recorded in the *Bailu* (Hundred Records). The Two Qiong Masters studied together when they were young, and later their achievements in Buddhism were also comparable. 'Inheriting the rules' means inheriting the rules. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
车辙也。初与智者论议。如世𩰖战皆接轨而上也。才获交绥者。绥乃马颏下之缨也。战则两马相触以争胜负。今两琼才始交绥。怯而便走。如左传云。交绥而退。荆楚者。荆州则旧楚国之地。非禅不智者。更有非智不禅句。经虽多出。今依观心论疏解之。疏云。空．无相．无作名三解脱。亦名三三昧。从正见入。定发无漏。智名大臣。定名大王。故名三三昧非智不禅也。正定生正见。发无漏。定为大臣。正见为大王。名三解脱非禅不智也。验乎金口。皆佛说也。闻众所说。智者以四悉檀融会经论。剖折诸家执争。如大海吞流包举而尽。正得佛意也。 复使柳顾言稽首虔拜(云云)。智者频辞不免。乃着净名经疏。河东柳顾言．东海徐陵。并才华族胄。应奉文义。缄封宝藏。王躬受持。 净名疏。大师为晋王撰者二十八卷。荆溪略成十卷。现世流行。并才华族胄者。似如同加润色饰也。徐陵。陈朝仆射。陈破后不入隋朝。乃常随智者。故有此言也。 今王入朝。辞归东岭。 杨州在西。天台在东。故云东岭。 吴民越俗扫巷淘沟。㳂道令牧幡华交候。 吴谓三吴。越谓东越。沟巷秽杂。扫去尘埃。淘去臭浊。㳂道。随所过路。令则县令。牧则大守。幢幡华盖祇候迎送。直到天台也 现代汉语译本： 这是车辙的比喻。当初与智者大师辩论，就像世俗的战争一样，都要沿着既定的轨道前进。即使是短暂的交锋，也只是像战马的颏下缨短暂接触而已。真正的战斗是两马相触，争夺胜负。现在我们两人只是像马的颏下缨短暂接触，我却胆怯地退走了，就像《左传》里说的‘交绥而退’。荆楚，指的是荆州，是以前楚国的所在地。‘非禅不智’，更有‘非智不禅’的说法。经典虽然很多，现在依据《观心论疏》来解释。疏中说：‘空、无相、无作，名为三解脱，也叫三三昧。从正见进入，禅定生发无漏智慧，智慧如同大臣，禅定如同大王，所以说三三昧非智不禅。’正定产生正见，生发无漏智慧，禅定如同大臣，正见如同大王，所以说三解脱非禅不智。这都验证了佛的金口玉言，都是佛说的。听闻大众所说，智者大师用四悉檀（四种普遍的施教方法）融会贯通经论，剖析各家的执着争论，就像大海吞纳百川一样包容一切，真正领会了佛的本意。 于是让柳顾言稽首虔诚地拜请（省略礼节性用语）。智者大师多次推辞，最终无法推脱，于是开始撰写《净名经疏》。河东的柳顾言、东海的徐陵，都是才华横溢的名门望族，应该负责润饰文辞，封存这部宝贵的著作，晋王亲自接受并奉持。 《净名疏》，是智者大师为晋王所撰写的，共有二十八卷。荆溪湛然大师略微整理成十卷，现在世上流传的就是这个版本。‘并才华族胄者’，好像是说他们如同给著作加以润色修饰。徐陵，是陈朝的仆射（官名），陈朝灭亡后没有进入隋朝，而是经常跟随智者大师，所以有这句话。 现在晋王要入朝，智者大师告辞返回东岭。 扬州在西边，天台山在东边，所以说是东岭。 吴地的百姓、越地的风俗，都清扫街道，疏通沟渠，沿途的县令、太守都树立幢幡华盖，恭敬地迎接智者大师，一直到天台山。