釋鑑稽古略續集 2.75

2.75

御製授了達德瑄溥洽僧錄司。諭曰。西說東來妙演無量。或云不二法門。斯道也本苦空寂寞。從斯道者果若是。宜其然哉。邇來僧錄司首僧闕員。召見任者。命詢問其人。各首僧承命而還。不數日來告曰。臣弘道等若干人。前奉勅詢高僧於諸山。即會叢林大眾。僉曰。惟淛右上天竺僧溥洽。京師鷄鳴寺僧德瑄。能仁寺僧了達。東魯之書頗通。西來之意博備。若以斯人備員僧錄司。實為允當。嗚呼昔人有云。世不絕聖國不絕賢。近者僧錄司闕員。朕將以為無人矣。及其詢問乃有人焉。今朕域之內慕清淨。而欲出三界者。有其名而無其實。其泛泛者不下五七萬。爾今三人不屈五七萬之下。伸於五七萬之上。可謂志矣可謂道矣。然昔如來道備於雪嶺歸演五天。妙音無量靈通上下。天人會聽。若斯之演聽四十九秋。自是之後五百餘年流傳東土。雖九夷八蠻。一聞斯道無不欽崇頂禮。何況中國文物禮樂之邦。人心慈善易為教化。若僧善達祖風者。演大乘以覺聰。談因緣以化愚啟聰愚。為善於反掌之間。雖有國法何制乎。縲絏刑具亦何以施。豈不合乎柳生之言。陰翊王度。豈小小哉。今爾僧了達德瑄溥洽達祖風。遵朕命則法輪常轉。佛日增輝。名僧於吾世足矣。往欽哉。

The Imperial Instruction Appointing Liaoda, Dexuan, and Puqia to the Central Buddhist Registry stated:
'The Western teaching came east, wonderfully expounding the boundless, sometimes called the non-dual Dharma gate. This Way is originally painful, empty, and solitary; if those who follow this Way are truly like this, it is as it should be. Recently, vacancies occurred among the senior monks of the Central Buddhist Registry. I summoned the incumbents and ordered them to seek out candidates. The senior monks received my command and returned, and in not many days came to report: "Your servant Hongdao and others previously received the imperial command to inquire after eminent monks among the various mountains. We immediately convened the assembly of the monasteries, and all said: 'Only the monk Puqia of Upper Tianzhu in eastern Zhejiang, the monk Dexuan of Jiming Monastery in the capital, and the monk Liaoda of Nengren Monastery are quite conversant in the books of the Eastern Lu, and broadly equipped with the import of the coming from the West. If these men are used to fill the vacancies in the Central Buddhist Registry, it would truly be appropriate.'" Alas! Ancients had a saying: "The world is never without sages; the state is never without worthies." When the Central Buddhist Registry had vacancies recently, I thought there were no candidates; yet when inquiries were made, there were indeed such men! Now, within my realm, those who admire purity and wish to escape the three realms have the name but lack the reality; those of mediocre standing are no fewer than fifty to seventy thousand. Today, you three men have not bent beneath those fifty to seventy thousand, but stand above those fifty to seventy thousand; this can be called having resolve, this can be called having the Way! Yet in antiquity, the Tathāgata completed the Way on the Snow Mountains and returned to expound it throughout the Five Indies. His wondrous voice was boundless, spiritually penetrating above and below, and devas and humans gathered to listen. Expounding and listening like this went on for forty-nine autumns. For more than five hundred years after that, it spread to the Eastern Land; even the Nine Yi and Eight Man, once they heard this Way, all venerated and bowed their heads in homage. How much more so in China, a land of cultural artifacts, rites, and music, where human hearts are kind and easily transformed! If monks well understand the ancestral style, expound the Great Vehicle to awaken the intelligent, and discourse on causes and conditions to transform the foolish, enlightening both the intelligent and the foolish, turning them to goodness will be as easy as turning over one's hand. Even if state laws exist, what need would there be to restrain them? How could bonds, fetters, and instruments of torture ever be applied? Does this not accord with Liu Zongyuan's words: "Secretly assisting the royal governance"—is that a small thing? Now, you monks Liaoda, Dexuan, and Puqia comprehend the ancestral style; obey my command, and the wheel of Dharma will constantly turn, and the sun of the Buddha will increase in brilliance. To have noted monks in my age is sufficient. Go and be reverent!'