高僧傳 4.25

4.25

遁甞在白馬寺。與劉系之等。談《莊子．逍遙篇》，云：「各適性以為逍遙。」遁曰：「不然，夫桀跖以殘害為性，若適性為得者，彼亦逍遙矣。」於是退而注〈逍遙〉篇。群儒舊學，莫不歎服。後還吳，立支山寺。晚欲入剡，謝安為吳興，與遁書曰：「思君日積，計辰傾遲，知欲還剡自治，甚以悵然。人生如寄耳，頃風流得意之事，殆為都盡。終日慼慼，觸事惆悵，唯遲君來，以晤言消之，一日當千載耳。此多山縣閑靜，差可養疾，事不異剡，而醫藥不同，必思此緣，副其積想也。」王羲之時在會稽，素聞遁名。未之信，謂人曰：「一往之氣，何足言。」後遁既還剡，經由于郡，王故詣遁，觀其風力。既至，王謂遁曰：「逍遙篇可得聞乎？」遁乃作數千言，標揭新理，才藻驚絕。王遂披衿解帶，流連不能已。仍請住靈嘉寺，意存相近。

Dun was once at Baima Temple discussing the 'Carefree Excursion' chapter of the Zhuangzi with Liu Xizhi and others. [Liu] said: 'Each following their nature constitutes carefree excursion.' Dun said: 'Not so. The tyrant Jie and the robber Zhi took harming others as their nature; if following one's nature is to attain it, then they too would be carefree.' Thereupon he retired and wrote a commentary on the 'Carefree Excursion' chapter; none of the Confucian scholars and traditionalists failed to admire and submit to it. Later he returned to Wu and founded the Zhishan Temple. In his later years he wished to enter Shan. Xie An, who was then [governor of] Wuxing, wrote a letter to Dun: 'My longing for you accumulates daily; counting the hours, I wait with yearning. Learning that you wish to return to Shan to cultivate yourself in seclusion, I am deeply crestfallen. Human life is like a lodging; recently, all the occasions of elegant conversation and contentment have practically vanished. All day I am sorrowful, dejected at every turn. I only await your arrival to dispel it with conversation; a single day would be worth a thousand years. This is a mountainous commandery, quiet and tranquil, tolerably suited for recuperating from illness; in circumstances it is no different from Shan, yet the medicines available are different. Pray consider this affinity to satisfy my enduring hopes.' Wang Xizhi was in Kuaiji at the time and had long heard of Dun's fame. Not yet believing it, he said to others: 'His is merely an inflated reputation on first encounter; what is it worth speaking of?' Later, after Dun had returned to Shan and was passing through the commandery, Wang deliberately went to visit Dun to observe his bearing and vigor. Upon arriving, Wang said to Dun: 'May I hear about the "Carefree Excursion" chapter?' Dun then produced several thousand words, presenting novel principles with breathtakingly superb literary grace. Wang thereupon opened his lapels and untied his sash, lingering on and unable to leave. He then invited him to reside at Lingjia Temple, wishing to keep him close.