歷代三寶紀 12.93

12.93

右六部合九卷。日嚴寺沙門釋彥琮撰。琮俗緣李氏。趙郡柏仁人也。世號衣冠門稱甲族。少而通敏才藻內融。識洞幽微情同水鏡。遇物便曉事無再詳。其論傳辭並皆精洽通極者。破世諸儒不信因果。執於教跡好生異端。此論所宗佛理為極。辯教者。此明釋典。宣真孔教弘俗論老子教不異俗儒靈寶等經則非儒攝。通學者勸誘世人遍師孔釋。令知外內備識俗真。善知識者是大因緣。登聖超凡。不因知識無由達到。此勸於人廣結知識若善財焉。

The above six works comprise nine fascicles in total. Written by Śramaṇa Shi Yancong of Riyansi Temple. Yancong's secular surname was Li, and he was a native of Bairen in Zhaojun. His family was celebrated through generations as officials and renowned as a premier lineage. From his youth he was thorough and keen, his literary talent harmoniously melded within. His discernment penetrated the profound and subtle, and his mind was like a clear mirror. Encountering any matter, he understood it immediately without needing to examine it twice. The language of his treatises and biographies is thoroughly refined and fluent. As for 'Penetrating the Ultimate': it refutes the various Confucians of the world who do not believe in karmic cause and effect, cling to pedagogical traces, and love to generate bizarre heterodoxies; this treatise takes the Buddhist principle as ultimate. As for 'Distinguishing the Teachings': it clarifies that Buddhist scriptures proclaim the ultimate truth, Confucian teachings promote worldly norms, Laozi's teachings do not differ from worldly Confucianism, while scriptures such as the Lingbao are not subsumed under Confucianism. As for 'Comprehensive Learning': it exhorts and guides worldly people to take both Confucius and the Buddha as teachers everywhere, so that they may know the external and internal and fully understand the worldly and the ultimate truth. A good friend (kalyāṇamitra) is a great causal condition: climbing to sagehood and transcending the ordinary cannot be accomplished without a good friend. This exhorts people to form extensive bonds with good friends, just like Sudhana.