高僧傳 6.63

6.63

Shi Daorong was a native of Linlü in Jijun. He left household life at the age of twelve. His master loved his fine spirit and first had him study non-Buddhist texts, sending him to the village to borrow the Analects. Without even bringing the volume back, he had already memorized it there. His master borrowed the text again to check it against him, and not a single character was missing. Already amazed, he marvelled at him and thereafter gave him free rein to travel and study. By the time he reached thirty, his talent and understanding were exceedingly brilliant, and the non-Buddhist and Buddhist scriptures were completely mastered in his mind. Hearing that Kumārajīva was in Guanzhong, he went there to seek instruction. Kumārajīva was astonished upon seeing him and said to Yao Xing, "Yesterday I met Master Rong; he is indeed a remarkably clever disciple of Śākya." Yao Xing granted him an audience, deeply admired him, and ordered him into the Xiaoyao Garden to assist in checking and translating. Daorong then requested Kumārajīva to produce the Bodhisattva-prātimokṣa, which circulates in the world today. Later, when the Madhyamaka-śāstra was being translated and only two fascicles had been completed, Daorong immediately began lecturing on it, dissecting its literary expressions and grasping its beginning and end in advance. Kumārajīva also instructed Daorong to lecture on the new Saddharmapuṇḍarīka. Kumārajīva listened to it himself and exclaimed with praise, "For the revitalization of the Buddhadharma, Rong is the man!"