大宋僧史略 1.72

1.72

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?