佛祖歷代通載 7.40

7.40

First, the letter from Fu Jian said: 'The Emperor respectfully inquires after Upādhyāya Lang of Mount Tai. The Great Sage responds to the times; his spiritual expedients are transcendent. His umbrella shelters the ten directions, and his transformation blends without exterior. Like the four seas nourishing all living beings, he equals Heaven and Earth nurturing the myriad things. He nourishes the living and saves the dead, clarifying the spirit in quietude and subtlety. In my emptiness and unworthiness, I live to meet the sage, yet separated by the myriad affairs of state, I cannot come by carriage. Now I dispatch an envoy with a cushioned carriage to invite you, hoping that your spiritual radiance will shine from afar to shelter the capital city. Now I also present several jin of purple gold to be used for gilding images, thirty bolts of patterned damask, and three servant boys to provide for sweeping and cleaning. The perfected person does not go against [the wishes of others]; I earnestly hope you will accept them. I presume that with your mysterious discernment you will perceive my intention.' Having invited him, he served him with the etiquette due a master.