English
English version: He recited and understood Confucian classics and historical texts, and also comprehended the meaning of literary works. He passed the children's imperial examination. When he grew older and held high office, he renounced wealth and honor to enter the Buddhist path, dedicating himself to the practice of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and propagating the Dharma in the world. Later, while traveling to Weiyang, he reached the road to Liuhe, and suddenly lamented the decline of Buddhism, feeling that he was born at the wrong time and had not encountered the Buddha. Immediately, he heard a voice in the sky saying, 'Open your heart and you will see the Bodhisattva, like the wondrous Manjusri.' Then he was told to expose his head, and press it with his palm. He looked for and observed the red marks of four fingers, and the imprint constantly appeared. Tan said, 'This must be the heart-seal conferred upon me by the Great Sage.' Xuan Chang, in his youth, his entire family was destroyed by the Hu barbarians. The barbarians were about to kill Xuan Chang, but the barbarian leader saw him and stopped them, saying, 'This child has sharp eyes, he is no ordinary child.' Thus, he was spared. Later, he became a monk, widely versed in both internal and external scriptures. When he went to Liangzhou, he encountered cruel barbarians who eradicated Buddhism and killed monks. Only Xuan Chang managed to escape. He crossed the Taihang Mountains from the mountain valleys of Dai Commandery, turned south to Mengjin. He only carried a bundle of willow branches and a handful of scallion leaves. The barbarian cavalry was about to catch up, he stuffed the scallion leaves into his nostrils, crossed the Mengjin and escaped. Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty (424-453) knew of Xuan Chang's virtuous conduct and summoned him, offering him the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, but Xuan Chang declined. (The 'shuai' in 'lushuai' (虏帅), pronounced shuai, means commander. If pronounced 'lv', it means the soldiers led. Dai Commandery should be written as Dai Commandery 代郡) Dao Jie had a large head, Wen Xing had long eyebrows. Dao Jie, surname Yang, was a descendant of Yang Zhen, the Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty (25-220). He had a tall and handsome appearance, and his responses were appropriate. He was also well-versed in scriptures and treatises, and was learned in literature. He had fair skin and a large head, so the people of Bingzhou called him 'Big-Headed Jie', difficult to kill. However, he was proficient in the profound meaning of Buddhism, and one question or one challenge could make people sweat. Wen Xing was a monk from the Qi Kingdom (referring to the Qi Kingdom during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period). He propagated the Dharma at Jushan Mountain in Mouzhou. After his death, people considered the place where he lived to be extraordinary, and called it Xinggong Mound. Wen Xing's eyebrows were more than a foot long, hanging down on his face. If he wanted to see things, he would lift his eyebrows with his hand. Zhi Nan's strange arts, Tan Luan's immortal prescriptions. Vighnan, his family had been devoted to strange arts for generations, making fire worship their profession. At that time, a Shramana (a Buddhist monk who has left home to practice the Dharma) came and wanted to spend the night. Vighnan did not allow it. The Shramana then slept outside the door in the open, secretly casting a divine spell. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
事之火歘然变灭。举家迎归悔过。方信释氏之法灵应。乃投沙门出家。入汉境。广译经律。 昙鸾。住在五台。因感心气疾。言曰。命惟危脆。不定其常。欲求仙方以益寿。果克既已。方崇佛法。不亦善乎。乃往江南陶隐居处求其仙方。果见隐居。授与鸾仙方十卷。以为添寿之术。鸾将至洛下。逢中国三藏菩提留支。鸾往启曰。佛法中有此长生不死之法。胜此土仙方者乎。留支唾地曰。是何言欤。非相比也。此方何处有长生不死之门。纵益年光。轮回不绝。即以观经授鸾曰。此大仙方。依之修行。当得解脱生死也。峦乃焚仙方十卷。因而大悟佛乘。于时魏都解义之僧峦为第一。魏主重之。号神鸾。(传云昙鸾。亦作峦。字无定也)。 岑公养鼠 道判放羊 岑阇梨者。特具戒律。兼诵通经文五百余卷。俗士呼之也。居于伞盖山。衣帛乞食为常。余之馔。饲房中鼠。鼠数百来。显皆驯熟。亲依于岑。鼠有他之斗啮者。岑即责之而改。鼠有疾病者。岑即以手摩之而愈。 道判。博达儒释。显举当时。以齐乾明元年结侣二十余人发趾邺都。将入西方。周武敕给国书并资行调达。于突厥国。又请国书。至西可寒国。彼不识沙门。将加祸害。增人卫守不给粮食。但令饿死。时有周使在彼谏可寒曰。此佛 现代汉语译本：事情像火一样突然熄灭消失了。全家迎接他回来并忏悔过错。这才相信释迦牟尼佛的佛法灵验。于是投身沙门出家。进入汉地境内，广泛翻译佛经和戒律。 昙鸾（指北魏时期的僧人，约476-542年）。住在五台山。因为感觉心气不适，说：‘生命危脆，没有常态。我想寻求仙方来增益寿命，如果能够成功，再来崇尚佛法，不也很好吗？’于是前往江南拜访陶弘景（指南朝齐梁时期的道教思想家、炼丹家、医药学家，456-536年）求取仙方。果然见到了陶弘景，陶弘景授予昙鸾仙方十卷，作为增添寿命的法术。昙鸾将要到达洛阳时，遇到了来自中国的三藏菩提留支（指南北朝时期的佛经翻译家）。昙鸾前去请教说：‘佛法中有没有比这世间的仙方更好的长生不死之法？’菩提留支朝地上吐唾沫说：‘这是什么话！不能相比啊。这仙方哪里有长生不死之门？即使能增加寿命，轮回也不会停止。’随即把《观经》（《观无量寿经》的简称）授予昙鸾说：‘这是最大的仙方，依照它修行，就能解脱生死。’昙鸾于是焚烧了仙方十卷，因而大悟佛法。当时在北魏都城讲解佛经的僧人中，昙鸾是第一。魏主（指北魏的皇帝）很器重他，号称他为神鸾。（传说中昙鸾，也写作峦，字号不确定）。 岑公养鼠，道判放羊 岑阇梨（对出家人的尊称）这个人，特别严守戒律，兼能背诵通达五百多卷经文。世俗之人这样称呼他。居住在伞盖山。穿着丝绸衣服乞讨食物是常态。剩余的食物，用来喂养房中的老鼠。老鼠有数百只之多，都显得很驯服，亲近依靠着岑阇梨。老鼠之间有互相争斗撕咬的，岑阇梨就责备它们，它们就会改正。老鼠有生病的，岑阇梨就用手抚摩它们，它们就会痊愈。 道判，博学通达儒家和佛家。在当时很出名。在北齐乾明元年（560年），与二十多个人结伴从邺都出发，准备前往西方（指印度）。北周武帝（指北周的皇帝宇文邕，543-578年）下令供给国书和路上的资助。在突厥国，又请求了国书。到达西可寒国。那里的人不认识沙门，将要加以祸害。增加人手卫护，但不供给粮食，只想让他们饿死。当时有北周的使者在那里，劝谏可寒说：‘这些人是佛
English
English version: The matter vanished like a suddenly extinguished fire. The whole family welcomed him back and repented their faults. Only then did they believe in the miraculous efficacy of Shakyamuni Buddha's Dharma. Thereupon, he devoted himself to becoming a Shramana (Buddhist ascetic) and entered the Han territory, extensively translating Buddhist scriptures and precepts. Tanluan (referring to the monk during the Northern Wei Dynasty, c. 476-542 AD) lived in Mount Wutai. Feeling unwell in his heart, he said, 'Life is fragile and impermanent. I wish to seek an elixir to prolong my life. If I succeed, then I will revere the Buddha's Dharma. Wouldn't that be good?' So he went to Jiangnan to visit Tao Hongjing (referring to the Taoist thinker, alchemist, and medical scientist of the Southern Qi and Liang Dynasties, 456-536 AD) to seek an elixir. Indeed, he met Tao Hongjing, who gave Tanluan ten scrolls of elixirs as a technique to prolong life. When Tanluan was about to reach Luoyang, he encountered the Tripitaka master Bodhiruci (referring to the Buddhist scripture translator of the Northern and Southern Dynasties) from China. Tanluan went to inquire, saying, 'In the Buddha's Dharma, is there a method of immortality better than these worldly elixirs?' Bodhiruci spat on the ground and said, 'What are you saying! They cannot be compared. Where can these elixirs lead to immortality? Even if they increase lifespan, the cycle of rebirth will not cease.' Then he gave Tanluan the 'Contemplation Sutra' (short for 'The Sutra on Contemplation of Amitayus Buddha') saying, 'This is the greatest elixir. By practicing according to it, one can be liberated from birth and death.' Tanluan then burned the ten scrolls of elixirs and thus greatly awakened to the Buddha's teachings. At that time, among the monks in the capital of Northern Wei who lectured on the scriptures, Tanluan was the foremost. The Wei ruler (referring to the emperor of Northern Wei) greatly valued him and called him 'Divine Luan.' (Legend says Tanluan is also written as Luan, and his courtesy name is uncertain). Lord Cen Raises Mice, Dao Pan Releases Sheep The Shramana Cen (an honorific for a renunciate) was particularly strict in observing the precepts and could recite and understand over five hundred volumes of scriptures. This is how the common people addressed him. He lived in Umbrella Mountain. Wearing silk clothes and begging for food was his usual practice. The leftover food was used to feed the mice in his room. There were hundreds of mice, all of whom appeared tame and closely relied on Shramana Cen. If the mice fought and bit each other, Cen would scold them, and they would correct themselves. If the mice became ill, Cen would stroke them with his hand, and they would recover. Dao Pan was learned in both Confucianism and Buddhism. He was prominent at the time. In the first year of Qianming (560 AD) of the Northern Qi Dynasty, he set out from Yedu with a group of more than twenty people, preparing to go to the West (referring to India). Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (referring to Emperor Yuwen Yong of Northern Zhou, 543-578 AD) ordered that they be provided with a national letter and travel expenses. In the Turkic kingdom, they requested another national letter. Upon arriving in the kingdom of Xikehan, the people there did not recognize the Shramanas and were about to inflict harm upon them. They increased the number of guards but did not provide food, intending to starve them to death. At that time, there was an envoy from Northern Zhou there who advised Kehan, saying, 'These people are followers of the Buddha.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
弟子也。本国天子大兴其教。可寒乃信重。日给羊四口以充判等常食。判乃引出。因地放之。虽至饥饿之甚。日唯自采野草及菜食之。 宝琼龙瑞 慧哲象王 宝琼。受具已来。甚彰殊迹。讲说纵横义理洞达。梁高祖请于京都礼供。后于建安寺训授学徒。一旦老少相喧。竞曰建安精舍白龙出现。尽奔走到寺。唯见琼在座讲说。臣寮士庶咸曰。建安龙瑞飞腾。琼法师道行所感也欤。乃号为白琼法师。(龙瑞上。一有之字) 慧哲。习学众经。精究奥义。振名天下。天下仰之。又行步庠序。瞻视不眄。似象王之仪形。世共目之为象王哲。 (沃)明瞻直身 昙显翘足 明瞻。少有异操。内外俱通。时隋大业初。帝南郊毕还京。时有滥僧。帝怒召令释李二门致拜。瞻闻而往谏。帝大怒。李门便辞。帝欲以刑宪及瞻。竟直身而对。帝知是瞿昙之教深严。明瞻之志高直。寻便罢敕。 昙显。初游邺中。栖处无定。凡有法席。必陟讲座以说经。齐文宣嗣位。释李竞其优劣。道士陆修静妄加穿凿。帝遂敕沙门道士对校法术。于时道士咒诸沙门衣钵飞腾横竖。道士自伐神力如是。言白。沙门现一我当现二。帝令上统法师与修静角试。上统曰。方术不足试之。亦令最末位一僧上座论义。显居末位。 现代汉语译本： 弟子也是如此。在本国，天子大力弘扬佛法。可寒（官名或人名，具体含义需要根据上下文判断）非常信重佛教，每天供给羊四只，作为判等（官名或人名，具体含义需要根据上下文判断）的日常食物。判等却将羊牵出，在地上放生。即使饥饿到极点，每天只自己采摘野菜和蔬菜食用。 宝琼龙瑞，慧哲象王 宝琼（人名，僧人）：自从受具足戒以来，就显现出非凡的迹象。讲经说法纵横捭阖，对义理的理解非常透彻。梁高祖（南朝梁的皇帝，502年—549年在位）请他到京都供养。后来在建安寺教导学徒。有一天，寺中老少喧哗，争相说‘建安精舍出现白龙’，都奔跑到寺里观看。只见宝琼正在座位上讲经说法。朝廷官员和百姓都说，‘建安出现龙瑞飞腾的景象，是宝琼法师的道行所感召的吧’。于是称他为白琼法师。（‘龙瑞’上面，有的版本多一个‘之’字） 慧哲（人名，僧人）：学习各种经典，精深研究其中的奥妙。名声传遍天下，天下人都仰慕他。而且他行走时庄严肃穆，目光端正不斜视，像象王（佛教用语，比喻佛或大菩萨）的仪态。世人都称他为象王哲。 沃明瞻直身，昙显翘足 明瞻（人名，僧人）：从小就有与众不同的操守，对佛法和世俗学问都很通达。当时正值隋朝大业（605年—618年）初年，隋炀帝在南郊祭祀完毕返回京城。当时有一些不守戒律的僧人，隋炀帝大怒，下令让僧人和道士向李氏（指老子，道教创始人）致拜。明瞻听说了这件事，前去劝谏。隋炀帝大怒，李氏一方就推辞了。隋炀帝想用刑罚来惩治明瞻，明瞻却挺直身体抗辩。隋炀帝知道瞿昙（释迦牟尼的姓氏）的教义非常严格，明瞻的志向高尚正直，于是就取消了命令。 昙显（人名，僧人）：最初在邺城游历，居住的地方不固定。凡是有讲经说法的法会，必定登上讲座来宣讲佛经。北齐文宣帝（550年—559年在位）即位后，佛教和道教争论优劣。道士陆修静（人名，南北朝时期著名道士）胡乱穿凿附会。于是北齐文宣帝下令让沙门（出家佛教徒）和道士对校法术。当时道士用咒语使众沙门的衣钵飞腾横竖。道士炫耀自己的神力如此强大。话说完，沙门回应说，‘道士现出一种法术，我方应当现出两种’。北齐文宣帝命令上统法师（人名，僧官名）与陆修静角试。上统法师说，‘方术不值得试验’。又命令最末位的一个僧人上座论义。昙显当时地位最低。