禪林寶訓 3.42

3.42

Upādhyāya Miaoxi Gao said: “Whenever Zhantang acquired a letter or calligraphy by a past worthy, he would unfailingly burn incense, unroll, and read it, or engrave it on stone, saying: ‘How could one bear to cast aside the flourishing virtue and fine reputation of the ancient sages?’ Such was his refined taste. Therefore, when he died he had not accumulated even ten pieces of gold; there were only the ink-writings of various worthies from the Tang and Song in barely two bamboo hampers. The monastics competed to bid for them, obtaining more than eighty strings of cash to assist with the cremation ceremony” (Ke'an ji).