宋高僧傳 30.48

30.48

前代諸家或云：「僧傳、僧史記錄，乃題號不一，亦聲迹有殊。」至梁沙門慧皎云：「高僧傳蓋取高而不名者也。」則開其德業，文為十科，見於傳內。厥後有《唐續高僧傳》，倣仰梁之大體而以成之，洎乎皇朝《有宋高僧傳》之作也。清風載揚，盛業不墜。贊寧自至道二年奉叡恩，掌洛京教門事，事簡心曠之日，遂得法照等行狀。撰已易前來之闕如，尋因治定其本。雖大義無相乖，有不可者以修之。先者所謂加我數年，於僧傳則可矣已。斯幸復治之，豈敢以桑榆之年為辭耶。時方徹簡，咸平初承詔入職東京右街僧錄，尋遷左街，乃一日顧其本未及繕寫，命弟子輩緘諸篋笥，俾將來君子知我者以僧傳，罪我者亦以僧傳，故於卷後而書之云耳。

Various authors of former generations said: 'The records of biographies of monks and monastic histories have diverse titles, and their reputations and traces differ.' When it came to the śramaṇa Huijiao of the Liang, he said: 'The Biographies of Eminent Monks are named so because they select those who were eminent rather than merely renowned.' Thereupon he set forth their virtuous deeds and divided them into ten categories, which appear within the work. Afterwards there was the Tang Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, which took the general outline of the Liang as its model and completed it, down to the composition of the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks under the present imperial dynasty. The pure breeze has been raised again; the glorious enterprise has not fallen. Since the second year of Zhidao, I, Zanning, having received imperial favor, have overseen the affairs of the teaching in the Western Capital. In days of few duties and a relaxed mind, I subsequently obtained the biographical accounts of Fazhao and others. Having written them to supply previous deficiencies, I thereupon edited and established the original text. Although the overall meaning does not conflict, where there were defects I revised them. As was said of old, 'Grant me a few more years,' and the monastic biographies would be complete. Having had the good fortune to revise it once more, how could I dare decline on account of my twilight years? Just as I had finished clearing the manuscripts, in the beginning of the Xianping era I received an imperial edict to assume the post of Saṅgha Rectification Office of the Right Street in the Eastern Capital, and was soon transferred to the Left Street. One day, looking at the draft that had not yet been copied out, I ordered my disciples to lock it in chests, so that future gentlemen who understand me will do so through these monastic biographies, and those who condemn me will also do so through these monastic biographies. Therefore, I write this at the end of the scroll.