高僧傳 6.72

6.72

Shi Daoheng was a native of Lantian. When he was nine years old, he was playing by the road, and the recluse Zhang Zhong, seeing him, sighed in admiration, saying, 'This boy has the physiognomy of an extraordinary man: in secular life he will certainly achieve the merit of assisting the administration of the realm, and in following the Dao he will surely be able to glorify the Buddhadharma. Alas, I am old and shall not live to see it!' Daoheng lost both parents at an early age; he served his stepmother and became famous for filial piety. The family was poor and possessed no savings, so he often painted by his own hand to support and nourish her, yet he was deeply fond of classical scriptures and studied day and night. When he reached the age of twenty, his stepmother also died; he performed the funeral rites in full accordance with propriety, and after completing the mourning period he left the household. He handled the subtleties of Buddhist doctrine with consummate ease, attaining mastery over many teachings; his erudition spanned both Buddhist and non-Buddhist writings, and his intellect was pure and sharp. When Kumārajīva entered the Pass, Daoheng immediately went to visit him. Kumārajīva greatly commended him, and when translating the various scriptures, Daoheng assisted in their careful examination and determination.