佛祖統紀 44.7

44.7

述曰。道法師序僧史略稱。內翰王公觝排釋氏。過於韓子。而獨於寧通慧推服之不暇。蓋其學行才識有可取也。今觀小畜集。其修僧史則贈以七言。撰聖賢錄則賀以五言。歸葬錢唐則誌其墓。所著內外集則冠以序。而於通論之作。贊之以書。且盛稱其駁董難王斥顏非史歷詆諸家自周秦已來未之見。是知王公之於通慧不敢排以佛。而獨有取於學識之高。可謂能誠服矣。至於通慧道德之盛。則王公未學。不足以知。非如梁敬之之知荊溪柳子厚之知重巽也。

The commentary states: Dharma Master Daofa's preface to the Outline History of the Monks states that Wang Yucheng, Academician of the Hanlin Academy, attacked and rejected the Buddhists even more fiercely than Han Yu, yet toward Tonghui [Zanning] alone he could not praise and admire him enough. This was because his learning, conduct, talent, and insight had much to commend them. Now, examining the Xiaoxu ji, when Zanning compiled the history of monks, Wang presented him with a seven-character poem; when he compiled the Record of Sages and Worthies, Wang congratulated him with a five-character poem; when his remains returned to Qiantang for burial, Wang composed his epitaph; Wang introduced the collections of his internal and external writings with a preface; and regarding the composition of the General Treatise, Wang praised it in a letter, enthusiastically commending his refutations of Dong, censuring of Wang, denunciations of Yan, and criticisms of the Shitong, as well as his item-by-item critique of the various masters, as something unseen since the Zhou and Qin dynasties. From this we know that regarding Tonghui, Wang did not dare reject him on account of Buddhism, but uniquely esteemed the excellence of his scholarship and insight; this can indeed be called sincere submission. As for the abundance of Tonghui's virtue and spiritual realization, Wang had not studied them and was not qualified to know them—unlike Liang Jingzhi who understood Jingxi [Zhanran], or Liu Zihou who understood Chongxun.