[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [佛祖歷代通載](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036) › 15.31 # 佛祖歷代通載 15.31 佛祖歷代通載 15.31 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [15.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15.31) （二十三）　重巽法師。自湘西赴其叔父中丞之請。柳子厚贈之以序曰。或問宗元曰。悉矣子之得於巽上人也。其道果何如哉。對曰。吾自幼學佛。求其道積三十年。世之言者罕能通其說。於零陵吾獨有得焉。且佛之言。吾不可得而聞之矣。其存於世者。獨遺其書。不於其書而求之。則無以得其言。言且不可得。況其意乎。今是上人。窮其書得其言諭其意。推而大之。逾萬言而不煩。總而括之。立片詞而不遺。與夫世之析章句徵文字。言至虛之極則蕩而失守。辨群有之夥則泥而皆存者。其不以遠乎。以吾所聞知。凡世之善言佛者。於吾則惠誠師。荊則海雲師。楚之南則重巽師。師之言存。則佛之道不遠矣。惠誠師已死。今之言佛者加少。其由儒而通者。鄭中書洎孟常州。中書見上人執經而師受。且曰。於中道吾得以益達。常州之言曰。從佛法生得佛法分。皆以師友命之。今連帥中丞公具舟來迎。飾館而俟。欲其道之行於遠也。夫豈徒然哉。以中丞公之直清嚴重。中書之辯博。常州之敏達。且猶宗重其道。況若吾之昧昧者乎。夫眾人之和由大人之唱。洞庭之南竟南海。其土汪汪也。求道之多半天下。一唱而大行於遠者。是行有之。則和焉者將若居蟄之有雷不可止也。於是書以為巽上人赴中丞叔父召序。 > (23) Dharma Master Chongxun went from Xiangxi to attend to the invitation of his uncle, the Palace Censor. Liu Zihou presented him with a preface, saying: Someone asked Zongyuan, "You have thoroughly understood what you received from Master Xun; what indeed is his Way?" I answered: "I have studied the Buddha since youth, seeking his Way for thirty accumulated years. Those in the world who speak of it can rarely penetrate its teachings; only at Lingling did I uniquely gain something. Furthermore, as for the Buddha's words, I cannot hear them directly; what remains in the world is only his preserved scriptures. If one does not seek it in his scriptures, there is no way to obtain his words; if even his words cannot be obtained, how much less his meaning! Now this master has exhausted his scriptures, obtained his words, and comprehended his meaning. Extending it on a large scale, he exceeds ten thousand words without prolixity; summarizing it in brief, he establishes a single phrase without omission. Compared with those in the world who dissect lines and hunt for letters—who, speaking of the utmost emptiness, drift and lose their footing, or in distinguishing the myriad existents, get bogged down and cling to them all—is he not far superior? According to what I have heard and known, among those in the world who speak well of the Buddha: for me there was Master Huicheng; in Jing there was Master Haiyun; and to the south of Chu there is Master Chongxun. As long as this master's words remain, the Way of the Buddha will not be far away. Master Huicheng is already dead, and those who speak of the Buddha today are even fewer. Among those who have penetrated it through Confucianism are Secretariat Drafter Zheng and Prefect Meng of Changzhou. When the Secretariat Drafter saw the master, he held the scriptures and received instruction as a disciple, saying, 'In the Middle Way, I was able to attain greater realization.' Prefect Meng's words said, 'Born from the Buddha's Dharma, I obtained a share of the Buddha's Dharma.' Both addressed him as teacher and friend. Now the Regional Commander, the Lord Palace Censor, has prepared a boat to welcome him and adorned a residence to await him, desiring his Way to travel far. How could this be in vain? With the Lord Palace Censor's upright purity and gravity, the Secretariat Drafter's eloquence and erudition, and the Changzhou Prefect's keen penetration, they still revere and honor his Way—how much more so one as unenlightened as I! The harmony of the multitude arises from the initiative of great men. From south of Dongting to the South Sea, the land is vast; those who seek the Way comprise half the realm. Once initiated, that it may broadly spread to distant lands will indeed happen on this journey; then those who harmonize with it will be like thunder rousing the hibernating creatures, unable to be stopped. Therefore, I write this as a preface for Master Xun's attending the call of his uncle, the Palace Censor. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 15.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15.30) - [Next: 15.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15.32) - [Up: 15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036~en-mt.15.31) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [三教平心論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.14) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.15.31) · Pramāṇa