大宋僧史略 1.72

1.72

夫學不厭博。有所不知。蓋闕如也。吾宗致遠。以三乘法而運載焉。然或魔障相陵。必須禦侮。禦侮之術。莫若知彼敵情。敵情者。西竺則韋陀。東夏則經籍矣。故祇洹寺中有四韋陀院。外道以為宗極。又有書院。大千界內所有不同文書並集其中。佛俱許讀之。為伏外道。而不許依其見也。此土古德高僧能攝伏異宗者。率由博學之故。譬如夷狄之人。言語不通。飲食不同。孰能達其志通其欲。其或微解胡語。立便馴知矣。是以習鑿齒道安以詼諧而伏之。宗雷之輩慧遠以詩禮而誘之。權無二復禮以辨惑而柔之。陸鴻漸皎然以詩式而友之。此皆不施他術。唯通外學耳。況乎儒道二教義理玄邈。釋子既精本業。何好鑽極以廣見聞。勿滯於一方也。

Now, in learning, one should not tire of breadth. If there is something one does not know, there is indeed a deficiency. Our school aims for what is distant, conveying it through the teachings of the three vehicles. Yet when obstacles and hindrances arise to oppress, one must ward off the insult. In the art of warding off insult, nothing surpasses knowing the enemy's condition. As for the enemy's condition: in Western India it is the Vedas, and in the Eastern Land it is the canonical classics. Therefore, within the Jetavana Monastery, there were four Veda courtyards, which the non-Buddhists regarded as the ultimate truth. There was also a library courtyard where all the different writings throughout the great thousandfold world were gathered; the Buddha permitted them all to be read in order to subdue the non-Buddhists, though he did not permit relying on their views. That the ancient masters and eminent monks of this land could subdue heterodox schools was generally due to their broad learning. For instance, with foreign tribes whose languages do not communicate and whose food and drink are different, who could understand their intentions and reach their desires? But if one understands a bit of their barbarian speech, they immediately become docile and familiar. Thus, Dao'an subdued Xi Zuochi with wit; Huiyuan guided the likes of Zong Bing and Lei Cizong with poetry and rites; Fuli pacified Quan Wuer through resolving doubts; and Jiaoran befriended Lu Hongjian through poetic forms. None of them employed other arts, but were merely conversant in outer learning. How much more so, as the principles of the two teachings of Confucianism and Daoism are profound and far-reaching: once a son of the Śākya clan has mastered his primary vocation, why should he not be fond of delving deeply into them to broaden his knowledge, rather than being confined to a single corner?