釋氏稽古略 4.169

4.169

In Bianjing, since the destruction of monasteries during the [Later] Zhou dynasty, they were revived during the Jianlong era of Emperor Taizu. The monasteries of the Two Streets merely engaged in the scholastic study of the commentaries on the Nanshan Vinaya school and the Cien and Xianshou [doctrines]. Learned scholar-officials who excelled in intelligence were all weary of hearing about terminology and cause-and-effect, while the Tiantai stopping and seeing and the Bodhidharma Chan school had not yet flourished. From the Chunhua era (the reign title of Taizong) onwards, Venerable Zhili of Siming and Master of Repentance Zunshi of Tianzhu practiced the Way in the southeast, and the eye of the school of mind-contemplation shone brightly across the realm. Hanlin academicians Yang Yi and Chao Jiong were the first to elucidate it. At this time, the Palace Eunuch Li Yunning memorialised, donating a residence in Bianjing to establish a Chan assembly. The emperor bestowed an inscribed plaque reading 'Shifang Jingyin Chan Monastery'. The emperor turned his mind to the school of emptiness and ordered the Three Departments to deliberate and select a person possessing the Way to serve as abbot. Lord Ouyang Xiu and Lord Chen Shimeng submitted a memorial recommending Junu of Yuantong Monastery on Mount Lu. Yunning personally rushed with the imperial edict down to Jiangzhou. Nu excused himself on account of eye disease and would not rise [to the summons]. [The court] respected him all the more and allowed him to recommend someone to take his place. Nu therefore recommended Huailian to respond to the imperial decree (Sengbao zhuan).