佛祖統紀 44.7

44.7

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.