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A Record of Collected Proofs of the Efficacy of the Diamond Sutra: Jin’Gang Bore Jing Jiyan Ji 金剛般若 經集驗記 Composed by Meng Xianzhong 孟獻忠, Adjutant of Zizhou 梓州司馬

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A Record of Collected Proofs of the Efficacy of the Diamond Sutra: Jin’Gang Bore Jing Jiyan Ji 金剛般若 經集驗記 Composed by Meng Xianzhong 孟獻忠, Adjutant of Zizhou 梓州司馬 _full_alt_author_running_head (neem stramien B2 voor dit chapter en nul 0 in hierna): Jin’gang bore jing jiyan ji _full_articletitle_deel (kopregel rechts, vul hierna in): Collected Proofs of the Efficacy of the Diamond Sutra _full_article_language: en indien anders: engelse articletitle: 0 Collected Proofs of the Efficacy of the Diamond Sutra 297 A Record of Collected Proofs of the Efficacy of the Diamond Sutra: Jin’gang bore jing jiyan ji 金剛般若 經集驗記 Composed by Meng Xianzhong 孟獻忠, Adjutant of Zizhou 梓州司馬 Roll One (with Preface) Prajñāis the mother of the wisdom of all Buddhas and the quintessence of the consummate path. Being the wellspring of the Dharma ocean, it is in fact the actual secret storehouse of the Tathāgata. When words are spoken, the path is severed; when the mind functions, the abode is destroyed.1 Being beyond name and appearance, as well as the elements and fields of cognitive experience, it is said to cognize and yet not grasp. It is free from seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing. When discriminative consciousness expresses it, it becomes more distant. Without practice, there is no benefit; one thus perfects its merit. Without abiding, there is no defilement; one thus attains its wisdom. For those who in- vestigate its wonders, [wherever] they practice are places of the [Buddhist] path; for those who comprehend its principles, their undertakings are Bud- dhist practice. It extends to the twelve classics2 and the eighty-four thousand teachings,3 and equals the competing brilliance of the sun, moon, and 1 These verses come from roll 54 of the Dazhidu lun 大智度論 (Sk. Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra; Great treatise on the perfection of wisdom; T25.1509: 448b5–8). This 100-roll treatise was purportedly composed around the third century by Nāgārjuna and translated by Kumārajīva. 2 There are at least four possibilities here; it may refer to: (1) The Chunqiu 春秋 (Spring and autumn annals), which records the affairs of the twelve dukes. (2) The six Chinese classics (Shijing 詩經, Shangshu 尚書, Yili 儀禮, Yuejing 樂經, Yijing 易經, and Chunqiu) and the books of omens appended to them. (3) The twelve Confucian classics (Yijing, Shijing, Shangshu, Zhouli 周禮, Yili, Liji 禮記, Zuo zhuan 左傳, Gongyang zhuan 公羊傳, Guliang zhuan 穀梁傳, Lunyu 論語, Xiaojing 孝經, and Erya 爾雅). (4) The twelve divisions of Buddhist canon or twelve styles/genres in which Buddhist teachings are presented (shierbu jing 十二部經). I have taken it to refer to the twelve Chinese classics because if Prajñā is universal, it is also present in the Chinese classics—this is more in tune with Meng Xianzhong’s line of thought. 3 Also known as bawan siqian famen 八萬四千法門 (Sk. catur-aṣītyā dharma-skandha- sahasraiḥ), this term refers to all the teachings that the Buddha expounded upon in his life- time to save all beings from eighty-four thousand afflictions, that is, all afflictions. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004406728_008 298 Jin’gang Bore Jing Jiyan Ji stars.4 Relying on the light of its wisdom, one attains the same luminosity, like the racing gallopers at the junction of five thoroughfares entering [the path of] the true vehicle and tracking together. [In] only quietude and tranquility will stimulus be reciprocated.5 Whatever consideration and thought [one might have], sincerity will surely be respond- ed to. If someone with one thought of pure faith accepts and upholds the four- line verse [of the sutra],6 that person’s good fortune will be immeasurable and boundless, as extensive as the dharma realm. If the fruit is not borne, it does not perish; the ultimate is the same as the empty space. Thus, one can cause the asura army to flee on hearing its sound, and the cavalry of Māra7 to tremble in disarray and beat a hasty retreat on hearing its echo. Whether they are wild beasts with hook-like claws and saw-like fangs, or overpowering blades and lethal weapons, [none can harm the votary of the Diamond Sutra];8 be they titanic waves or intense fires, the votary tames the waves and put out the blaze. His indomitable force causes [even] fumes to so- 4 The sanchen 三辰 probably refers to the sun, moon, and stars, although it could also refer to the Great Dipper. 5 The character tong 通 has many connotations, which include to pass through, to reach, to convey, to penetrate, to communicate, to convey, and so on. I would like to focus on two senses of this character: It may refer to the communicative responses from the spiritual realms to the earthly realms by Buddhas and bodhisattvas who are moved to respond by the sincerity (stim- ulus) of the practitioner and work wonders through different means. On the other hand, su- pernormal powers are also translated as gantong 感通 in the sense that these powers are spiritual penetration. Therefore, tong also refers to the ability of the practitioner to penetrate, reach, or communicate with the spiritual realms beyond the normal boundaries of the senses. In Diamond Sutra tales, the practitioner’s religious practice serves as a stimulus that pene- trates the spiritual realms and calls forth a response. I have translated tong as “to reciprocate” to include these two senses of the character. 6 This refers to the following portion in the Diamond Sutra (T8.235: 750a23–24): 須菩提！若 有善男子、善女人，以恒河沙等身命布施；若復有人，於此經中，乃至受持四句 偈等，為他人說，其福甚多。 Watson’s (2010, 85) translation of this is as follows: “Subhūti, suppose there were good men and good women who gave their bodies and lives as a form of almsgiving for as many times as there are sands in the Ganges. Much greater would be the good fortune gained by a person who accepted and upheld one four-line verse of this sutra and taught it to others!” 7 Here, boxun 波旬 is a transliteration of the Sanskrit pāpīyās, which means murderer, evil one, or the devil that terminates goodness. It generally refers to Māra, the devil king, who tried to prevent the Buddha from attaining awakening under the Bodhi tree and from preaching Buddhist teachings. He is also identified as the devil king of the highest heaven in the realm of desire, the sixth heaven. 8 This phrase originates from the Wudu fu 吳都賦 (Fu on the capital of Wu) by the Jin literatus Zuo Si 左思 (250–305). Referring to dangerous situations, the original reads: 莫不衄銳挫 芒，拉捭摧藏 (Wen xuan 5: 224)..
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