高僧傳 6.3

6.3

釋慧遠，本姓賈氏，雁門婁煩人也。弱而好書，珪璋秀發，年十三，隨舅令狐氏遊學許洛。故少為諸生，博綜六經，尤善《莊》、《老》，性度弘博，風鑒朗拔，雖宿儒英達，莫不服其深致。年二十一，欲渡江東，就范宣子共契嘉遁。值石虎已死，中原寇亂，南路阻塞，志不獲從。

Shi Huiyuan, originally of the Jia clan, was a man of Loufan in Yanmen. From his youth he was fond of books, showing the brilliance of fine jade; at the age of thirteen, he accompanied his maternal uncle of the Linghu clan to study in Xu and Luo. Thus from his early years he was among the scholars, broadly mastering the Six Classics and being especially skilled in Zhuangzi and Laozi. His disposition was vast and broad, and his discernment lucid and outstanding; even veteran scholars and eminent men of letters all yielded to the depth of his understanding. At the age of twenty-one, he wished to cross the Yangzi to the east to join Fan Xuanzi in noble seclusion. It happened that Shi Hu had already died, the Central Plains were thrown into turmoil by bandits, and the southern road was blocked, so his aim could not be realized.