高僧傳 5.30

5.30

Zhu Sengfu's clan origins are unknown. He was thoroughly versed in the various scriptures, being especially adept in the Fangguang jing and the Daoxing bore. In the upheavals at the end of the Western Jin, he moved south of the Yangtze and stayed at Waguan Temple in the capital, where he frequently opened lectures; among the veteran monks of Jianye, none did not defer to him. At that time, the śramaṇa Daosong of the same temple was also next to him in talent and understanding. In a letter to Dao'an, [Daosong] wrote: "Master Fu's subtle investigations and outstanding insight are beyond what we can equal." At the time, those of divergent schools all maintained that the conscious spirit possesses form, being merely more subtle than the myriad things. Relying on their eloquence, they contended with and overwhelmed one another. Fu then composed the Shen wuxing lun (Treatise on the Formlessness of the Spirit), arguing that where there is form there is number, and where there is number there is an end; since the spirit is endless, we know it has no form. The debaters of the time had engaged in rampant disputes, but once the principle had found its proper resolution, they were fully satisfied and convinced. Later, he also wrote commentaries on the meaning of the Fangguang, Daoxing, and other texts.