佛祖統紀 34.3

34.3

序曰。佛之道本常而未始離乎世相推遷之際。自釋迦鶴林諸祖繼出。所以傳持此道東流震旦。逮于今而不息。大較聖主賢臣宿稟佛囑常為尊事。而儒宗道流之信不具者。時有排毀。然終莫能為之泯沒。以此道本常也。夫世稱三教。謂皆足以教世。而皆有通塞。亦時使之然耳。列三教之迹。究一理之歸。繫以編年。用觀通塞之相。

The preface says: The Way of the Buddha is originally eternal, yet it has never departed from the shifting vicissitudes of worldly appearances. Since Śākya[muni] at the Crane Forest, the various patriarchs have appeared in succession, whereby they transmitted and preserved this Way, which flowed east to Cīnasthāna and down to the present day without ceasing. In general, sage rulers and worthy ministers, having formerly received the Buddha's entrustment, have constantly revered it, whereas those of Confucian lineage and Daoist current whose faith was incomplete have occasionally denounced and attacked it; yet in the end they could never eradicate it, because this Way is originally eternal. Now, the world speaks of the 'three teachings,' maintaining that all are sufficient to educate the world, yet all experience prosperity and obstruction—this is also caused by the times. By detailing the traces of the three teachings and exploring the convergence of the single Principle, appended in chronological order, one may observe the signs of their prosperity and obstruction.