鐔津文集 9.27

9.27

月日沙門某。謹獻書于集賢相公閣下。某雖不敏。平生輒以護法勸善為己任。每求縉紳先生之知圓機通乎天下之至理者相與維持。故嘗以其書曰輔教編者。因崔黃臣太博而貢于下執事者。誠以閣下高識遠覽知佛博大盛備為古之聖人也。欲幸閣下推而勸之。尚不知其書果嘗達閣下之聽覽乎。而某今者西來。固欲以其禪書祖圖願進之天子。至京師日。實先欲奉閣下教其去就可不之宜。而濡滯不能上進。數日前幸得請於閽者值客。仍門徒留刺依然而還。然閣下相天下事固殷矣。恐不暇盡其山林所來之意。輒復書此。幸閣下垂察。然某所來本以吾佛氏之教其祖其宗曖昧不甚明。適抱其書曰傳法正宗記十餘萬言與其所謂定祖圖者。一面欲賴聖明垂于大藏傳之以正。夫吾教三學佛子。使其萬世知其所統也。其志上于是矣。匪學他輩自為身名之計僥倖欲苟所求耳。閣下儻以其誠不謬教而成之。不惟自幸而已。亦乃天下教門之幸也。干冒台明而罪無所逭。不宣。某謹白。

On such a month and day, the śramaṇa [Qisong] respectfully presents this letter to the Chancellor of the Hall of Assembled Worthies. Although I am not clever, I have throughout my life taken protecting the Dharma and encouraging goodness as my personal responsibility. I have always sought gentlemen of the official class whose rounded functioning grasps the ultimate truth of the realm so that we might uphold it together. Thus, I previously presented my book entitled Fujiao bian to your attendants through Erudite Cui Huangchen, truly because your lofty insight and farsighted view recognise the Buddha as vast, magnificent, complete, and as an ancient sage. Hoping you would promote and advocate it, I still do not know whether that book ever reached your hearing and sight. Now that I have come west, I wished indeed to present my Chan texts and the patriarchal chart to the Son of Heaven. The day I arrived in the capital, I in fact wished first to receive your instruction on whether it was fitting to proceed or withdraw; yet, delayed, I have been unable to submit them upward. A few days ago, having fortunately gained an audience through the gatekeeper, I happened to encounter other guests; I therefore left my calling card with your attendants and returned empty-handed. But your assisting in governing all under heaven is indeed arduous; I fear you have no leisure to fully grasp the intent of one who has come from the mountain forests, so I write this again, hoping you will deign to look upon it. What I came for is fundamentally that in the teachings of our Buddha, the patriarchs and ancestral lineage have been murky and not very clear. Carrying my book entitled Chuanfa zhengzong ji in over one hundred thousand words and the so-called Dingzu tu, on the one hand I wish to rely on the Sacred Luminary to deign to place them in the Great Canon and transmit them with correctness, so that the Buddhist disciples of the Three Studies in our teaching will for myriad generations know the proper lineage. My aspiration goes no further than this; I do not learn from those who merely calculate for their own reputation, seeking to obtain what they want by chance. If you, taking my sincerity to be unconfused about the teaching, bring it to fruition, it will not only be my own fortune, but indeed the fortune of the entire gate of the teaching in the realm. Trembling as I trespass before your illustrious radiance, I cannot escape my offense. Respectfully submitted.