高僧傳 2.18

2.18

什為人神情朗徹，傲岸出群，應機領會，鮮有倫匹者。篤性仁厚，汎愛為心，虛己善誘，終日無勌。姚主常謂什曰：「大師聰明超悟，天下莫二，若一旦後世，何可使法種無嗣。」遂以妓女十人，逼令受之。自爾以來，不住僧坊，別立廨舍，供給豐盈。每至講說，常先自說譬喻，如「臭泥中生蓮花，但採蓮花，勿取臭泥也。」

As a person, Kumārajīva had a clear and penetrating spirit, standing proud and lofty above the crowd; in grasping matters according to the circumstances, he had few equals. He was by nature deeply humane and kind, with universal love in his heart, humble in demeanor and skillful at guiding others, never tiring all day long. The ruler of Qin, Yao Xing, often said to Kumārajīva: 'The master's intelligence and transcendent awakening are without equal in the world. If suddenly you pass away, how can we let the lineage of the Dharma have no successor?' Thereupon he forced ten courtesans upon him, compelling him to accept them. From that time on, Kumārajīva did not reside in the monastic quarters, but had a separate official residence built for him, where supplies were lavishly provided. Whenever he was about to deliver a lecture, he would always first offer a parable himself, saying: 'Just as a lotus flower grows out of foul mud, only gather the lotus flower, do not take the foul mud.'