釋氏稽古略 3.211

3.211

In the ninth year of the Yuanhe era, in the first month, Liu Zihou composed the stele inscription for Vinaya Master Daming of Nanyue. An excerpt reads: "Confucianism establishes benevolence and righteousness by means of ritual propriety; without it, they are ruined. Buddhism maintains meditative concentration and wisdom by means of monastic discipline; discarding it, they are lost. Therefore, one who separates ritual propriety from benevolence and righteousness cannot be spoken of together with Confucianism; one who divorces monastic discipline from concentration and wisdom cannot be spoken of together with Buddhism. The only one who has penetrated this Way is Master Daming. Whenever the Way of the Buddha declines, its adherents inevitably make light of monastic discipline and cast away the scriptures. Daming feared this. Thereupon he thoroughly investigated the monastic precepts and regulations so that the Great Dharma was established; he mastered the canonical teachings so that the profound meaning was cultivated. In all robes and utensils, in every movement he adhered to the model of a master; his speech, conduct, action, and stillness served as a standard for all beings." The complete text is contained in the Collected Works of Liu.