釋鑑稽古略續集 1.106

1.106

真覺國師　諱文才。號仲華。清水楊氏子。少孤事母。孝性捷敏。於書無所不讀。尤邃於性理之學。好古作善吟咏。所稟敦朴若無所知。至於談接。辭辨莫窺其涯。遍游講席盡得賢首宗旨。甞曰。學貴宗通言欲會意。以意逆志則得之矣。語言。文字糟粕之餘也。豈能開人慧目哉。初隱成紀。築室樹松將欲終焉。故人稱曰松堂和尚。世祖降旨令主洛陽白馬寺。學者彙至聲譽日隆。成宗建大萬聖祐國寺於五臺。詔求開山第一代住持。帝師迦羅斯巴薦之成宗。即鑄金印署師。為真覺國師。師辭曰。越分以居不祥。不肖而行不明。帝師曰此上命也。於是不得已而行。大弘清涼之道。至老無怠。是年九月朔示疾而逝。年六十二。塔於東臺之麓。有慧燈集懸談詳略肇論疏等（通載）。

National Preceptor Zhenjue: His taboo name was Wencai, styled Zhonghua. He was a son of the Yang family of Qingshui. Bereaved of his father at an early age, he served his mother. He was filial by nature, quick and astute, and read everything without exception, being particularly profound in the study of Nature and Principle. He was fond of antiquity and excelled in poetic recitation. By disposition he was honest and simple, as if knowing nothing, but when it came to discourse, the scope of his eloquence could not be measured. He traveled to all the lecture assemblies and fully mastered the essential doctrine of Xianshou. He once said: 'In learning, the value lies in penetrating the source; in words, one desires to grasp the meaning. If one uses the meaning to trace back to the intent, one grasps it. Speech and letters are mere dregs; how could they open the eye of wisdom in people?' Initially, he secluded himself in Chengji, building a hut and planting pines to spend his end there, so people called him Venerable Songtang. Shizu issued an imperial decree ordering him to preside over Baima Monastery in Luoyang; scholars gathered like a flock, and his reputation grew daily. Chengzong built Dawansheng Youguo Monastery on Mount Wutai, and decreed a search for an abbot to be its first generation founder. Imperial Preceptor Kālaska recommended him to Chengzong, who immediately cast a gold seal appointing the master as National Preceptor Zhenjue. The master declined, saying: 'To occupy a place beyond one's measure is inauspicious; for an unworthy person to act lacks clarity.' The Imperial Preceptor said: 'This is an imperial order.' Thereupon, having no choice, he went. He greatly propagated the Way of Qingliang, without negligence until old age. On the first day of the ninth month of this year, he manifested illness and passed away at the age of sixty-two. A stupa was built for him at the foot of the Eastern Terrace. He produced the Huideng ji, Xuantan xianglüe, and a commentary on the Zhao lun (Fozu tongzai).