肇論疏 2.47

2.47

is the third part, the general conclusion. "Detailed examination" means to scrutinize and examine in detail. "It was also well apprehended" means grasping your meaning. "Yet their assigned positions seem each to have their own basis": Master Huiyuan took the Dharmatā as the fundamental doctrine, holding that the emptiness of nature (prakṛti-śūnyatā) is not the Dharmatā. Master Sengzhao took the emptiness of nature as the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), differing from Master Huiyuan. "Lately I have also distributed it to those who cherish [the Dharma]": ban (班) means to distribute, derived from the Erya's gloss of fenbu (to distribute). "Those who cherish" refers to people who harbor understanding in their hearts. "There were frequently those who struck its rhythm" means there were many people who raised challenging objections to its key sections. "And regretted not being contemporaries of this person": they marvelled that Master Sengzhao was so capable, regretting that they were not contemporaries. The people at that time knew it was authored by Master Sengzhao, but said this by borrowing an ancient event to praise it; hence they spoke thus. The Shiji says: Yang Deyi of Shu served as the keeper of the hunting hounds attending the Emperor. The Emperor read the "Rhapsody of Sir Vacuous" and praised it, saying, "How I regret that I alone am not a contemporary of this person!" Deyi said, "My fellow townsman Sima Xiangru said that he wrote this rhapsody." The Emperor was astonished, and summoned and questioned Xiangru. Xiangru said, "It is so. But this is an affair of the feudal lords and is not worth reading; permit me to compose a rhapsody on the Son of Heaven's hunting excursion." When the rhapsody was completed and presented, the Son of Heaven was greatly pleased. Here, speaking of the various people praising the Zhaolun just as Emperor Wu of Han praised the "Rhapsody of Sir Vacuous," they therefore lamented not being contemporaries.