Sundo Opens Goguryeo順道肇麗
1Opening Words
順道肇麗〔道公之次亦有法深·義淵·曇嚴之流相継而興教.然古傳無文,今亦不敢編次.詳見僧傳.〕
Sundo opens Goguryeo
〔After Sundo there were also men like Beopsim, Uiyeon, and Dameom who raised up the teaching one after another. But the old records have nothing written about them, so no order is ventured here. The details are in the Seungjeon.〕
Interlinear notes 1
道公之次亦有法深·義淵·曇嚴之流相継而興教. 然古傳無文, 今亦不敢編次. 詳見僧傳.
After Sundo there were also men like Beopsim (法深), Uiyeon (義淵), and Dameom (曇嚴) who raised up the teaching one after another. But the old records have nothing written about them, so no order is ventured here. The details are in the Seungjeon (僧傳).
2The Buddha's Law First Enters Goguryeo
髙麗夲記云小獸林王即位二年壬申,乃東晉咸安二年,孝武帝即位之年也,前䄅符堅遣使及僧順道送佛像經文〔時堅都關中即長安.〕.又四年甲戌阿道來自晉.明年乙亥二月創肖門寺以置順道,又創伊弗蘭寺以置阿道.此髙麗佛法之始.僧傳作二道來自魏云者誤矣.實自前秦而來.又云肖門寺今興國,伊弗蘭寺今興福者亦誤.按麗時都安市城,一名安丁忽在遼水之北,遼水一名鴨渌今云安民江.豈有松京之興國寺名.
The Basic Record of Goguryeo (高麗本記) says this.
The second year after King Sosurim ascended the throne, the year imsin, was the second year of Xian'an (咸安) of the Eastern Jin (東晉), the year Emperor Xiaowu came to the throne. Fu Jian (苻堅) of the Former Qin (前秦) sent an envoy and the monk Sundo (順道) with Buddha images and scriptures.〔At that time Fu Jian had his capital in Guanzhong, that is, Chang'an.〕
Again, in the fourth year, the year gapsul, Ado (阿道) came from Jin (晉). The next year, the year eulhae, in the second month, Chomunsa (肖門寺) was built to house Sundo, and Ibullansa (伊弗蘭寺) was also built to house Ado. This was the beginning of the Buddha's law in Goguryeo.
The Seungjeon says the two monks came from Wei (魏), but that is wrong. In fact they came from the Former Qin.
It also says that Chomunsa is the present Heungguksa and Ibullansa the present Heungboksa, but that is wrong too. On examination, in the Goguryeo period the capital was at Ansiseong (安市城), also called Anjeongdol (安丁忽), north of the Liao River (遼水), and the Liao River is also called the Amnok, now called the Anmin River (安民江). How could there have been the name Heungguksa of Songgyeong (松京) there?
Interlinear notes 1
時堅都關中即長安.
At that time Fu Jian had his capital in Guanzhong, that is, Chang'an.
3In Praise
讃曰.鴨渌春深渚草鮮,白沙鷗鷺等閑眠,忽驚柔櫓一聲逺.何處漁舟客到烟.
In praise it is said:
Spring is deep on the Amnok, and the grass by the water is fresh; on the white sand the gulls and herons doze at their ease. Suddenly they start at the single sound of a soft oar far off. From where comes that fishing boat, bringing a traveler through the mist?