高僧傳 6.25

6.25

Yao Xing, the ruler of Qin, admired the reputation of Huiyuan's virtue and praised his talent and thought. He sent letters with great warmth, and messengers bearing gifts arrived in continuous succession. He presented him with an image woven with fine threads of diverse transformations from the country of Kucha to express his sincerity, and also ordered Yao Song to offer a pearl image. When the *Dàzhìdù lùn* was newly produced, Yao Xing sent the treatise along with a letter, saying: "The *Dàzhì lùn* has newly finished being translated. Since this was composed by Nāgārjuna and is the ultimate drift of the Vaipulya teachings, a preface should be written for it to express the author's intention. However, these various men of the Way have all deferred to one another, none daring to take up their brush. May the Dharma Master compose a preface for it, to bequeath to future students."