高僧傳 4.24

4.24

Zhi Dun, styled Daolin, originally surnamed Guan, was a man of Chenliu, or as some say, of Linlü in Hedong. In his youth he possessed spiritual insight and was brilliantly perceptive and exceptionally sharp. When he first arrived at the capital, Wang Meng of Taiyuan esteemed him greatly, saying: 'His skill in attaining the subtle is no less than that of [Wang] Fusi.' Yin Rong of Chen Commandery once associated with Wei Jie, praising Wei's spirit and intelligence as outstanding and clear, unmatched by any among the younger generation. Upon meeting Dun, he sighed, considering that he had met such a person once again. His family had served the Buddha for generations, and he early awakened to the truth of impermanence. While living in seclusion in Mount Yuhang, he pondered deeply upon the 'Daoxing' chapter [of the Prajñāpāramitā] and thoroughly investigated the scripture of the Huiyin [Buddhapratijñāmudrā-sūtra]; standing out uniquely, his insights came from his innate celestial nature. At the age of twenty-five he took pravrajyā. Whenever he attended a lecture platform, he was adept at highlighting the overarching essentials; although he occasionally neglected textual details and sentences, for which he was looked down upon by literalists of the time, Xie An heard of it and praised him, saying: 'This is Jiufang Gao's way of appraising horses: overlooking their color and grasping their swift excellence.' Wang Qia, Liu Hui, Yin Hao, Xu Xun, Xi Chao, Sun Chuo, Huan Yanbiao, Wang Jingren, He Cidao, Wang Wendu, Xie Changxia, Yuan Yanbo, and others—all celebrities of their generation—formed intimate bonds with him beyond the mundane dust.