釋氏要覽 1.6

1.6

the Emperor extended his bright and vast grace, universally granting pravrajyā to all the postulants under heaven. Consequently, collating the texts and grouping them by category, while supplementing them with various authors' biographies, commentaries, and abbreviated texts, I divided them into twenty-seven sections, analyzed into three fascicles, and entitled it Shishi yaolan. Moreover, feeling sympathy for those newly entering the Dharma gate who do not yet know these things, if they should take pleasure in this work and store its words in their spiritual storehouse, they will for their entire lives avoid the ridicule of 'wearing the robes improperly.' As for persons of all-around talent and eminent learning, how could they discard the words of the sages merely because of my insignificance?