諸祖道影。八十有八。國初自大內傳寫。安奉金陵之祖堂。萬曆甲申。紫栢大師。得新安丁南羽。臨寫三堂。散置名山。乙卯。憨山大師。更臨小冊。各為傳贊。以繫其後。崇禎壬申。嘉禾錢仙。上鋟板以行。其傳贊之文。止七十有七。缺者十一。歲甲申。予同年生𭬥李高寓公虞部為撰。補十一篇。又以雲棲紫栢憨山三大師益之。甫謀鐫布。以變中止。今歲秋。與寓公長君念祖。再晤廣陵。出其稿示予。欲付剞劂以竟先志。予力贊其決。念祖因以一言請。夫是編之從來。與其所以利益于世。羣公言之詳矣。予奚以益哉。抑聞古聖賢之所以垂訓于世者。有言有心。而更有身。言屬書為教。心屬道為宗。不讀其書。道不可得聞也。即盡讀其書。道未必遂聞也。求道于言。而子已有予欲無言之說。則言不足恃。求道于心。而釋又有覓心了不可得之說。則心亦未易恃。然則釋之蘄進于佛。與儒之蘄進于聖賢者。將安所從事哉。亦求諸其身而可矣。傳之云者。即其人之行。以存其人之道也。孔子云。吾無行而不與二三子者。孟子云。服堯之服。誦堯之言。行堯之行。是堯而已。夫古聖往矣。而其身之閱歷。與其所以入道而進德者。其跡不與俱往。故讀鄉黨篇。而孔子之所以聖可得而師也。讀孟子七篇。而子輿氏之所以賢可得而師也。推之邵周程張朱陸諸大儒。誠即其書。稽其言。考其行。其人之所以不愧聖賢者。亦皆可得而師也。今茲八十八祖之中。西天之祖師。東土之教外別傳。曹溪以下五宗之傳燈。旁出其間。若禪師。若教主。若戒律。若淨土。以至慈恩賢首天台瑜珈之諸宗不一。然其傳心嗣法。與其行解之卓然可述者。于是乎備矣。誠由諸傳而尋繹之。觀其所以出世。則超越者可師也。觀其所以治心。則精純者足法也。今有腰石任舂利刀斷臂之猛。以求師則罔不誠矣。有三登投子九上洞山之勤。以質學則罔不徧矣。有章安五載雪被氷牀之寂。以栖山則罔不安矣。有天台九旬鳥巢衣襵之靜。以安禪則罔不遺矣。有臨濟築拳斷崖奪拂之利。以當機則罔不超矣。有蓮池憨山之晝夜念佛課六萬聲。永明之持誦法華萬三千部。以脩淨業則罔不辦矣。有道林之鳥窠松。雪峰之枯木杌。高峰之死限三年。千巖碧峰紫栢之脇不至席。以冥心入悟。則罔不徹矣。學者惟志之弗立耳。如有志高蹤逸軌。無所取之取。諸此足也。若夫撥火而悟生。觀影而疑釋。或言句之盡捐。或心法之雙泯。則孔氏有不能私之于伯魚。釋迦有不能遽授之阿難者。諸祖奚為。而傳與贊。又奚為也。吾度今之從事于道者。儒未必皆顏淵。釋未必皆雲門趙州丹霞。其人也則亦語其常焉而已。抑是編緣起。紫栢大師肇之。憨公廣之。錢仙上承之。寓公父子終之。其功于諸祖一也。然其自大內以入祖堂。實在洪武戊申。而紫栢大師之臨寫。寓公之續傳。其歲皆在甲申。是書之成。遂與國運相終始矣。異哉。念祖之竟厥先志。其亟誠宜。而以成明。三百年梵典。一大異書。繫不尤重耶。

Portraits of the Patriarchs. Eighty-eight in total. In the early years of the dynasty, they were transcribed from the imperial palace and reverently installed in the Patriarch Hall of Jinling. In the *jiashen* year of the Wanli era, Master Zibo obtained three sets of copies newly transcribed by Ding Nanyu of Xin'an, distributing them among famous mountains. In the *yimao* year, Master Hanshan further produced a smaller album, composing a biography and eulogy for each to accompany them. In the *renshen* year of the Chongzhen era, Qian Xian of Jiahe had them carved onto printing blocks for circulation. The biographical texts, however, numbered only seventy-seven, with eleven missing. In the *jiashen* year, my fellow scholar Gao Yugong of Xiushui, a former official of the Ministry of Works, composed and supplied the missing eleven biographies. He also added those of the three great masters: Yunqi, Zibo, and Hanshan. Plans for carving and distribution were just underway when turmoil interrupted them. This autumn, I met again with Nianzu, Yugong's eldest son, in Guangling. He showed me the manuscript, wishing to have it carved and printed to fulfill his father's intent. I strongly encouraged this decision. Nianzu then requested a few words from me.

The origin of this compilation and its potential benefit to the world have already been discussed in detail by others. What more could I add? Yet I have heard that the way ancient sages and worthies left teachings for the world involves not only words and mind, but also the person. Words belong to the written teachings; mind belongs to the essence of the Way. Without reading their writings, one cannot hear of the Way. Yet even after exhaustively reading their writings, one may still not truly hear the Way. If we seek the Way in words, Confucius himself spoke of wishing to be without words—so words are not reliable. If we seek the Way in mind, the Buddha also said that searching for the mind, it cannot be found—so mind is not easily relied upon either. If so, how then should Buddhists, aspiring to Buddhahood, and Confucians, aspiring to sagehood, proceed? They can simply seek it within their own person.

What "biography" means is to preserve a person's Way through the record of their conduct. Confucius said, "In my actions, I have nothing to hide from you, my disciples." Mencius said, "Wear the clothes of Yao, recite the words of Yao, practice the conduct of Yao, and you are Yao." The ancient sages are gone, but the experiences of their lives and the traces of how they entered the Way and cultivated virtue have not vanished with them. Therefore, by reading the "Xiangdang" chapter, one can learn from how Confucius became a sage. By reading the seven books of Mencius, one can learn from how Ziyu became a worthy. Extending this to the great Confucian masters like Shao, Zhou, Cheng, Zhang, Zhu, and Lu—if one sincerely studies their books, examines their words, and investigates their conduct, how they became worthy of being called sages and worthies can also be learned from.

Among these eighty-eight patriarchs are the ancestral teachers of India, the special transmission outside the teachings in the Eastern Land, and the transmission of the lamp from Caoxi through the five schools, with others appearing alongside. There are Chan masters, founders of schools, masters of precepts, Pure Land practitioners, and those from various traditions like Faxiang, Huayan, Tiantai, and Yogacara—each different. Yet their transmission of mind and Dharma succession, along with their outstanding conduct and understanding worthy of narration, are all gathered here.

If one sincerely follows these biographies and delves into them: observing how they emerged into the world, those who transcended can be our teachers; observing how they mastered their minds, those of refined purity are worthy models. Here we find the fierce determination of carrying a stone at the waist while pounding rice, or severing an arm with a sharp blade in seeking a teacher—in this, none lacked sincerity. Here we find the diligence of visiting Touzi three times and Dongshan nine times in pursuing learning—in this, none lacked thoroughness. Here we find the stillness of Zhang'an for five years with snow for bedding and ice for a bed in dwelling in the mountains—in this, none lacked peace. Here we find the serenity of Tiantai for ninety days in a bird's nest with robes as a seat in serene meditation—in this, none lacked detachment. Here we find the sharpness of Linji's fist and Duan Ya's snatching of the whisk in responding to the moment—in this, none lacked transcendence. Here we find the practice of Lianchi and Hanshan reciting the Buddha's name sixty thousand times day and night, and Yongming reciting the Lotus Sutra thirteen thousand times in cultivating the Pure Land practice—in this, none lacked accomplishment. Here we find Daolin's nest in a pine, Xuefeng's withered stump, Gaofeng's three-year death limit, and Qianyan, Bifeng, and Zibo never letting their ribs touch the mat in immersing the mind to attain awakening—in this, none lacked penetration.

For learners, the only issue is a failure to establish their resolve. If one has the will to follow these lofty and extraordinary tracks, there is no better place to seek than right here. As for those who awakened by stirring ashes or resolved doubts by observing a shadow, or who utterly discarded words and phrases, or who simultaneously extinguished mind and dharmas—these are things Confucius could not privately give to his son Boyu, and things Shakyamuni could not hastily bestow upon Ananda. What, then, are the patriarchs doing? And what are the biographies and eulogies for? I reckon that among those today engaged in the Way, Confucians are not all Yan Yuan, nor Buddhists all Yunmen, Zhaozhou, or Danxia. For such people, we can only speak of the ordinary path.

Moreover, the inception of this compilation was initiated by Master Zibo, expanded by Master Hanshan, continued by Qian Xian, and brought to completion by Yugong and his son. Their service to the patriarchs is one and the same. Yet its journey from the imperial palace to the Patriarch Hall occurred precisely in the *wushen* year of the Hongwu era. And the years of Master Zibo's transcription and Yugong's supplemental biographies both fall in a *jiashen* year. Thus, the completion of this book seems to coincide with the span of the dynasty's fortune. How remarkable. For Nianzu to fulfill his father's intent is truly urgent and proper. And in completing this, it becomes a great and exceptional work within the Buddhist canon of the Ming's three hundred years—is its significance not especially profound?

Biographies and Eulogies of the Eighty-Eight Patriarchs (八十八祖道影傳贊)

Biographies and Eulogies of the Eighty-Eight Patriarchs (八十八祖道影傳贊)