高僧傳 8.14

8.14

Shi Hongchong was a native of Liangzhou. In his youth he had ambition and strength; he was versed in the *Zhuangzi* and *Laozi*, and understood the scriptures and vinaya. At the end of the Daming era, he crossed the Yangtze River and initially stayed at Duobao Temple. He was skilled in propounding objections, and senior scholars were often bested by him. Later he opened his own Dharma assembly, where sharp points of contention clashed. As Chong's thought reached the profound and subtle, and his eloquence was divinely effortless, he cleared away doubts and resolved difficulties without leaving any defect. Whenever he lectured on the *Lotus Sūtra* and the *Daśabhūmika*, the hall was filled with listeners. The Song Grand Tutor, Yigong, Prince Wenxian of Jiangxia, deeply respected him. When Emperor Ming ascended the throne, he built Xianggong Temple and invited Chong to act as director, whereupon Chong moved his residence there.