鐔津文集 19.29

19.29

夫明教大師。乃是大乘菩薩。知佛法有難。於是乘大願輪復生世間。著書輔教者也。昔宋之鉅儒縉紳先生嘗評其文曰。不惟空宗通。亦乃文格高。斯言是矣。歐陽子云。不意僧中有此郎耶。當時排佛之心。已廓然熄滅而無餘矣。古今僧中之為文者多。而未嘗有出其右者。所謂北斗以南一人而已。自昔兵變已來。書板磨滅。後之學者無所見聞。為可憂也。茲欲重刻吳中。所費繁夥。於是綴疏仰謁群賢同道學者。覩茲勝事得無慨然贊助者乎。

Master Mingjiao was indeed a Mahāyāna bodhisattva. Knowing that the Buddha-Dharma was in peril, he rode upon the wheel of his great vow to be reborn into the world and write books to support the teaching. In the past, the great scholars and gentry of the Song dynasty once appraised his writings, saying: 'Not only does he penetrate the Emptiness school, but the standard of his prose is also exalted.' These words were true indeed. Master Ouyang said: 'I did not expect that there could be such a fellow among the monks!' At that time, the mind bent on rejecting Buddhism was completely extinguished without remainder. Many have been the monks ancient and modern who wrote literature, but there has never been anyone who surpassed him; he was truly the only man south of the Northern Dipper. Since the military upheavals of the past, the printing blocks have been worn away and lost, and later scholars have had nothing to see or hear of them, which is deeply lamentable. Now we wish to recarve them in the region of Wu, but the expenses are considerable. Thereupon I have composed this memorial, respectfully approaching the assembly of worthies and like-minded scholars: beholding this excellent endeavor, could you fail to generously offer your support?