Translator’s Note:
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light holds an exceptionally important position in Buddhism. In the Chinese Buddhist canon, there are three extant translations of this scripture. The longest of these is Taishō T0665, translated by Yi Jing. This version is also the latest among the three. However, in many places it renders the Sanskrit in a more abbreviated manner; its greater length is mainly due to the addition of two extra chapters.
In the Tibetan Kangyur, toh 555 corresponds to a translation made in the ninth century from Yi Jing’s Chinese version. The 84000 Project has translated that Tibetan text into English.
https://84000.co/translation/toh555
For this reason, here I provide only a translation of the Tang emperor’s preface, which does not appear in the Tibetan version.
Preface to the Flourishing of the Sacred Teaching of the Tripiṭaka Brought by the Great Tang
Composed by Xiaohé Emperor, Zhongzong of Tang
Looking upward to that vast and azure heaven, the stars are arrayed and the celestial patterns are manifested. Looking downward upon this boundless earth, mountains and rivers are established and the forms of the land are completed. When observing the heavenly constellations, it is thus; when examining the principles of the earth, it is likewise so.
Yet the wondrous purport of the Dharma is profound and subtle. At that point the path of words comes to an end. The True Suchness of inherent nature is serene and still, where the meanings of nature and appearance alike are dissolved. Nevertheless, to awaken the deaf and blind hearts must rely upon the thunderous sound of the Dharma as it resounds like a storm. To guide beings who have lost their way, one must await the direction shown by the Awakened One. Therefore it is known that provisional names and appearances do not damage the eternal truth, and delight in expounding the teaching becomes the means by which the inexpressible realm is explained. As for that form beyond form, it alone is called the Honored One of the three realms. The deva among devas is the sage endowed with the six supernormal powers.
When the Dharma King appeared in the world to benefit beings, his advent was conceived before seventy-two earthly emperors had arisen. Brahmā and Śakra responded to the turning of the ages and presided across the span of eighteen thousand years. In the Zhou dynasty the stars displayed extraordinary radiance, their signs corresponding to the auspicious indications of the Buddha’s birth. In the Han dynasty there appeared luminous portents that fulfilled the tale of seeking the Dharma through a dream. Thus the teaching was able to display its majesty across kalpas as numerous as grains of sand, and its transformation spread throughout the vast world of dust. The white curl of light from the Buddha’s brow extended its illumination and dispelled darkness, while the golden mouth proclaimed its majestic sound and removed all obstructions.
To break the bandits of affliction, what need is there to rely upon spears and weapons? To destroy the armies of birth and death, wisdom alone is sufficient. It opens the realm of perfect and luminous harmony, vast enough to embrace limitless beings. It reveals the gate of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, universally encompassing all who possess consciousness. Even when the waves of desire rise to the heavens, once the winds of conditions cease they immediately become clear. Though the dust of emotion fills the sky, when the rain of Dharma moistens it the obscurity at once disperses.
Those who take refuge in the Buddha dispel calamities and obtain blessings. Those who dedicate their minds with single intent avoid danger and attain peace. Such wondrous merit is truly exalted. Vast indeed, beyond the reach of words. Yet the four kinds of beings remain ignorant and have not awakened to the principle of impermanence. The beings of the six destinies wander endlessly in circulation, bound fast by afflictions. Who among them understands that the flowers of emptiness are unreal and that the moon in water lacks solidity? They hurry and pursue within the five aggregates and wander in migration throughout the three realms. Only the Dharma Gates accommodate countless beings.
Since the time when the white horse carried the scriptures from the west and the true words were transmitted to the east, the World-Honored One has expounded his teachings according to the capacities of beings, and beings have awakened or remained deluded according to their own dispositions. The Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa displayed renown through the jeweled volumes of his writings, and the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna spread fragrance through his treasured verses. Thus the teaching spread far to the land of Zhen Dan and was widely diffused throughout Jambudvīpa. The teachings of the half the full were distinguished, while the Great Vehicle and the Lesser Vehicle advanced side by side. Eminent monks such as Seng Zhao and Seng Rui came in succession to the translation halls, while great worthies such as Hui Yuan and Dao’ An left their traces throughout the realm of the Dharma. In this way the subtle words established models, and their fair reputation was transmitted through a thousand ages. The ultimate truth circulated as a standard and its splendid achievements were proclaimed throughout the ten directions.
Not long afterward the Northern Zhou relinquished the imperial throne and stirred up the winds of Māra. Consequently the monasteries throughout the realm were destroyed, and the monks of the land were all reduced to the status of common people. Alas, the tranquil dwellings of meditation were left empty save for silent seats of contemplation. The gardens of wisdom lay desolate, with no longer any traces of walking meditation. When the Kai Huang era of the Sui dynasty arrived, reconstruction was undertaken once again. Yet before long the years of the Da Ye era brought another time of collapse and disintegration. Ghosts seemed to cry and spirits to howl, mountains roared and seas trembled. Amid such devastation and burning ruin, where could there remain any saṅghārāma? The True Dharma declined and fell, while erroneous views increased and spread. Thus people lost the path of awakening and wandered within the region of suffering and its cause. Worldly customs obscured the true teaching and entangled beings within the afflictions.
Since our Great Tang obtained the realm under heaven, it surpasses the achievements of the ancient rulers You Chao and Sui Ren, and when looking down upon the deeds of Fu Xi and Shen Nong they are scarcely worth mentioning. The radiance of the Three Sages shines forth anew, and the lands of myriad states are united into a single dominion. Its authority extends to the boundaries of the four seas, and its beneficent influence reaches across boundless regions. It covers the veins of the earth and returns them to simplicity, and it stretches across the edges of heaven so that all offer their sincere allegiance. Once again the sun of the Buddha has been raised aloft, and the realm of Brahmā has been restored to completeness. The palaces of the nāgas shall stand secure together with the mountains upheld by eight pillars, and Vulture Peak contends in height with the summits of the Five Sacred Mountains. The great propagation of the teaching of Śākyamuni truly belongs to the age of our imperial dynasty.
The Tripiṭaka Master Yi Jing of Dafuxian Monastery, who translates the scriptures, is a man of Fan Yang, his family surname being Zhang. Before five generations his lineage descended from the ministerial house of the state of Han, and before the Jin dynasty members of the family had served in the Three Excellencies. Vermilion and purple official robes shared their brilliance, and the sable-adorned crowns shone with equal splendor. His great-grandfather served as commandery governor of Eastern Qi. The influence of his benevolence spread afar, and sweet rain followed his carriage. His teaching unfolded the six principles of governance, and his ordinances were carried out through the ten administrative divisions. From the grandfather to the father the family turned away from worldly splendor. They wandered freely among hills and valleys and roamed at ease along the paths of reclusion. Holding within themselves harmonious balance, they embodied simplicity and purity. They cultivated the mind and nourished the spirit in tranquil calm, gathering the fine essence of ling chih from the eastern mountains and drawing clear waters from the southern streams. Truly they may be said to have sought hidden seclusion in the crimson dawn and to have dwelt in retirement among white clouds. Even the cranes of the marsh became silent in their presence, and the colts of the pasture stood tethered and did not gallop.
From childhood the Master was intelligent and perceptive, early displaying clarity and quick understanding. His mind already delighted in renouncing the household life just after the age of debate of the sun. Soon after the years of youthful wandering he formed the resolve to seek the lands of the west. His studies embraced the classics and histories, and his learning penetrated both ancient and present times. He mastered the profound essentials of the Tripiṭaka and understood the deep meaning of the single Buddha Vehicle. Thereafter he dwelt quietly in seclusion, cultivating stillness, calming his thoughts, and abiding in meditation. He entrusted himself to forests and mountains and kept far from the entanglements of worldly dust. When he reached thirty-seven years of age, he at last fulfilled the aspiration of his life.
In the second year of the Xian Heng era he traveled to the prefecture of Guang Zhou. There he initiated the journey and formed a vow of resolve. Ten companions set out together, raising the oars and spreading the sails, yet in the end he alone remained. He traversed the Southern Sea and journeyed far away, directing his course toward the western lands and hastening along the distant road. He crossed a thousand layered mountains and rocky peaks and passed over five thousand miles of surging waves. Gradually he arrived in India and successively reached Rājagṛha. Where the Buddha proclaimed the Lotus Sūtra, Vulture Peak still remained. Where the Tathāgata realized perfect awakening, the sacred traces still endured. In the city of Vaiśālī the marks of offering jeweled canopies had not disappeared, and in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍada the ground once purchased with gold still remained. The three jeweled stairways he personally beheld with his own eyes, and the eight great sacred stupas he reverently viewed from afar. Passing through more than thirty kingdoms, he spent over twenty years in travel. Beneath the Bodhi Tree he lingered repeatedly, and beside Lake Anavatapta he washed his crown tassels again and again as if to reflect upon the waters. The Master took compassion as his dwelling and patience as his robe. Through long observance of fasting he sustained himself on a single midday meal, and through prolonged meditation he sat quietly through the six periods of day and night without weariness.
Moreover, in ancient times those who undertook translation always first presented the Sanskrit text and afterward relied upon Chinese to render it. The selection of words depended upon learned scholars, and the determination of meaning was entrusted to the assembly of monks. Yet the Master does not follow this pattern. He understands the languages of the five regions of India and thoroughly comprehends the profound principles of the two truths, both ultimate and conventional. The translation of meaning and the linking of phrases are all completed by his own hand. In choosing expressions and determining principles he relies upon no other person. Thus he surpasses Mātaṅga of the Han dynasty and transcends Kumārajīva of the Later Qin. The Sanskrit scriptures he brought back amount to nearly four hundred texts, comprising five hundred thousand verses. He also brought one image of the true form of the Vajrāsana and three hundred relics. In the first year of the Zheng Sheng era, in the summer, in the fifth month, he finally arrived at the capital.
At that time the Great Sacred Emperor Ze Tian ascended the throne in accordance with the destined time, grasping the order of heaven and holding the reins of governance. She regarded the restoration and flourishing of the Dharma as her foremost task and the universal salvation of beings as the aspiration of her heart. Therefore she commanded the hundred officials and assembled the fourfold community. Rainbow banners shaded the light of the sun, and the music of phoenix flutes halted the drifting clouds. Fragrance scattered from robes of six-zhu silk, and flowers of five colors floated through the air. With solemn splendor they welcomed him at the Shangdong Gate and settled him in Shouji Monastery. Together with the Tripiṭaka Master from Khotan and the śramaṇa Fu Li, abbot of Dafuxian Monastery, and Fa Zang, abbot of West Chongfu Monastery, he translated the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Afterwards, at Dafuxian Monastery, together with the Tripiṭaka Masters of India, Baosi Moduo, and with Hui Biao, abbot of Shouji Monastery, and the śramaṇas Sheng Zhuang and Ci Xun, he translated the Vinaya of the Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition.
These great worthies all settled their thoughts in the stillness of the four dhyānas and united their hearts with the six perfections. Upon the terrace of the mind they suspended the bright mirror of the Dharma, and within the ocean of their nature they illumined the jewel of the precepts. Their literary skill stood forth in elegant excellence, spreading fragrance together with the tree of awakening. The torch of their wisdom radiated brilliance, reflecting with the clarity of the moon. They were like pure gold and uncut jade, truly pillars of the Brahma halls and indeed nāga-elephants of the Dharma Gate.
Already more than two hundred scrolls of various sūtras and vinaya texts have been translated and copied, and before long they will all be presented within the palace. The remaining vinaya texts and various treatises await explanation in the future. Through them the teaching of the five sections is clarified and the causes of the eight rules are understood in detail. Protect the goose which ate the pearl; not even the life of an insect is harmed. One must ensure that skin float is not broken and ultimately hope that the bowl of oil is never overturned. Thus the discipline of the sacred teaching is upheld and the ears and eyes of beings are opened.
With reverence I pray that above this may benefit the sages of former times and eternally strengthen the foundations of the seven ancestral temples. Below, even to my humble self, may it constantly assist the mandate of the nine heavens, enabling beings to enter the realm of long life, allowing shallow customs to return to their original simplicity, granting abundant harvests and harmonious seasons, bringing peace to distant regions and reverence to those nearby. Yet because the affairs of governance are countless and the matters of the four seas press urgently upon me, I have taken advantage of moments of leisure at night to praise these immeasurable virtues, to inquire into the stillness of the boundless void, and for the moment to compose this preface as written above.
Dharma Torch 