釋氏要覽 2.395

2.395

五分律云。比丘差次不知書記佛聽學書。不得為好而廢道業（魏韋誕字仲將。誡子孫曰。書但記姓名而已）。

The *Mahīśāsaka-vinaya* states: 'When monks, due to seniority rankings, did not know writing and record-keeping, the Buddha permitted them to learn calligraphy, but they were not allowed to pursue it as a fondness and thereby neglect their spiritual cultivation.' (Wei Dan of the Wei dynasty, styled Zhongjiang, admonished his descendants, saying: 'Calligraphy is only for recording names and nothing more.')