夫業於儒者。雖未窮五常之源而行之。要知先聖文宣王之垂世立教權輿壼奧。有來問者粗說之。可稱為儒。為釋氏者亦然。既捨爾姓而投釋種。本師如來出興行化一大事因。必先覼縷。然後方名為釋子。噫無二人。儻有。焉何未嘗耳目其一二。今始興山人默公字無寄。為人拙而無華。㒵如其心。少遊天台山。專精空假中。手述如來行蹟。編之以五字。隨句而註。書成兩軸。規將繡梓以遐傳。其愽覽該通。則於此毛知鳳矣。且如釋迦宗派。與金口言之詳。未老夫不之學。安敢措手於其間。末如也已。但美其強記而精述云。

For those engaged in Confucianism, even if they have not fully explored the roots of the Five Constants, they must understand the profound teachings established by the ancient sage King Wenxuan (Confucius) for guiding the world. If someone comes to ask, they should explain it roughly—this qualifies one as a Confucian. The same applies to followers of Buddhism. Once you have left your surname and joined the Buddhist lineage, the original teacher, the Tathagata, appeared in the world to teach the great matter of enlightenment. You must first thoroughly explain this matter before you can truly be called a disciple of the Buddha. Alas, there are no such people. If there were, why have I never witnessed even a fraction of it?

Now, there is the Mountain Hermit Mogong, also known as Wuji. He is honest in character, unadorned, and his appearance reflects his mind. In his youth, he traveled to Tiantai Mountain, where he devoted himself to the principles of Emptiness, Provisionality, and the Middle. He composed a work on the life of the Tathagata, writing it in five-character verse, with commentary for each line. The complete work spans two scrolls, and he intends to have it carved for printing so that it may be widely circulated. From this, one can see his broad knowledge and thorough understanding. As for the lineage of Shakyamuni and the detailed accounts transmitted by the golden mouth of the Buddha, I, an old man, have not studied these, so how dare I meddle in such matters? I am utterly incapable. All I can do is praise his remarkable memory and careful composition.

Verses on the Deeds of Śākya Tathāg (釋迦如來行跡頌)

Verses on the Deeds of Śākya Tathāg (釋迦如來行跡頌)