佛祖統紀 11.9

11.9

四明法智之作興也。天下學士靡然向風。嗣其業而大其家者。則廣智神照南屏三家為有傳明佛意示家法。用廣垂裕無窮之謀中興教觀。逮今為有賴。此諸師列傳之所由作也。若夫慈雲一家。昌韶諸師之後。五世而蔑聞。今備敘列傳。而先慈雲之派者。將以順其承襲。而不使紊雜乎四明三家之子孫也。

When Fazhi of Siming arose, scholars under heaven bowed before his wind. Those who inherited his enterprise and magnified his lineage were the three houses of Guangzhi, Shenzhao, and Nanping; having transmission, they clarified the Buddha's intention and demonstrated the family method. Using this to extensively hand down an inexhaustible plan for the revitalization of the teaching and contemplation, down to the present day it has been relied upon. This is the reason why these biographies of the various masters were composed. As for the single house of Ciyun, after masters such as Chang and Shao, nothing was heard of them after five generations. Now, in fully arranging the biographies, that we place Ciyun's branch first is in order to follow its succession and not let it become mixed and disorderly among the descendants of the three houses of Siming.