釋鑑稽古略續集 2.130

2.130

戊辰洪武二十一年。遷僧錄司於天禧寺。試經度僧給與度牒　三月十四日。僧錄司左善世弘道等。於中右門欽奉聖旨恁。僧錄司行文書各處僧司去。但有討度牒的僧。二十已上的。發去烏蠻曲靖等處。每三十里造一座菴。自耕自食。就化他一境的人欽此　四月二十六日。僧錄司左善世弘道等。於奉天門欽奉聖旨。靈谷天界能仁鷄鳴等寺。係京剎大寺。今後缺大住持。務要叢林中選舉有德行僧人。考試各通本教。方許著他住持。毋得濫舉欽此　五月乙酉。五色雲見。劉三吾進曰。雲物之祥。徵於治世。舜之時興於詩歌。此實聖德所致。上曰。古人有言。天降災祥。在德誠使吾德靡悔。災亦可弭。苟爽其德。雖祥無應國家之慶。不專於此也　以庶吉士解縉。為監察御史。縉吉水人。天性英悟。七歲能賦詩。日記數千言。十八鄉試第一。連登進士。草封事凡萬言以進。未幾遣歸。

In the wuchen year, the twenty-first year of Hongwu [1388], the Central Buddhist Registry was moved to Tianxi Monastery to examine scriptures, ordain monks, and issue ordination certificates. On the fourteenth day of the third month, Left Exalter of the World Hongdao and others of the Central Buddhist Registry received an imperial edict at the Central Right Gate: 'You of the Central Buddhist Registry are to send dispatches to the various regional Buddhist registries: any monks requesting ordination certificates who are twenty years of age or older shall be sent to places such as Wuman and Qujing; every thirty li they shall build a hermitage, plow and eat of their own labor, and directly convert the people of that area. Respect this!' On the twenty-sixth day of the fourth month, Left Exalter of the World Hongdao and others of the Central Buddhist Registry received an imperial edict at the Fengtian Gate: 'Monasteries such as Linggu, Tianjie, Nengren, and Jiming are the capital's grand monasteries. From now on, whenever a grand abbot is lacking, monks of virtuous conduct must be selected from the monasteries and tested for their thorough comprehension of their own traditions, only after which they may be permitted to serve as abbot. There must be no indiscriminate appointments. Respect this!' In the fifth month, on the yiyou day, five-colored clouds appeared. Liu Sanwu presented [a memorial] saying: 'The auspicious omen of clouds and phenomena is a sign of an ordered age. In the time of Shun it arose in poems and songs; this is truly brought about by sagely virtue.' The Emperor said: 'The ancients had a saying: Heaven sends down disasters or auspicious omens according to virtue. If indeed My virtue is without regret, even disasters can be dispelled; if I err in My virtue, though there be auspicious signs, they will bring no response. The prosperity of the state is not exclusively based on this.' Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy Xie Jin was appointed Investigating Censor. Jin was a native of Jishui, naturally brilliant and perceptive; at age seven he could compose poems, and daily he memorized several thousand words. At eighteen he was first in the provincial examinations, and in succession passed the metropolitan examinations. He drafted a sealed memorial of ten thousand words to present [to the throne]. Before long, he was sent home.