述詞
昔楊仁山居士取藏中高僧傳分刊之用廣流傳且識之曰梁會稽沙門慧皎撰高僧傳十六卷至天監中而止唐釋道宣續之終於貞觀間凡四十卷曰續高僧傳宋釋贊寧又續之迄於端拱之初凡三十卷曰宋高僧傳至明季沙門如惺輯錄南宋元明大德僅成六卷曰明高僧傳竊以宋明命名未恰蓋宋傳多唐五代人而明傳多宋元人也當易其名曰初集二集三集至於明傳遺漏殊多未臻完善擬博採羣書自北宋以迄於今擇其道行超著者彙為一編名曰四集嗟夫楊子固有志於斯而未之逮也戊午之秋避地北來寓於燕都法源寺時
In the past, layman Yang Renshan selected and published the Biographies of Eminent Monks from the Buddhist Canon to widely circulate them, and he noted: "The monk Huijiao of Kuaiji in the Liang dynasty compiled the Biographies of Eminent Monks in sixteen volumes, which ends during the Tianjian era. The Tang dynasty monk Daoxuan continued it, concluding during the Zhenguan period, totaling forty volumes, titled the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks. The Song dynasty monk Zanning further continued it, ending at the beginning of the Duangong era, totaling thirty volumes, titled the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks. By the late Ming dynasty, the monk Ruxing compiled the biographies of eminent monks from the Southern Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, completing only six volumes, titled the Ming Biographies of Eminent Monks." I believe the naming of the Song and Ming collections is not entirely appropriate, as the Song collection includes many figures from the Tang and Five Dynasties, while the Ming collection includes many from the Song and Yuan dynasties. They should be renamed as the First Collection, Second Collection, and Third Collection. As for the Ming collection, it has many omissions and is far from complete. I intend to extensively gather materials from various sources, selecting those with outstanding spiritual practice from the Northern Song dynasty to the present, and compile them into a single volume, titled the Fourth Collection. Alas, Yang Renshan had the ambition for this but never accomplished it. In the autumn of the Wuwu year, I fled the turmoil and came north, residing at the Fayuan Temple in Yanjing.
道階長老久懷悲願欲繼往修屢舉相屬然自揆檮昧罔鬯弘旨不敢輕許但為修輯寺志數月以來志稿初就復申前請辭不獲已乃從事搜討舊編徵求遺簡窮年矻矻忽焉五稔潦艸命觚大致麤就祇以明傳六卷分合為難躊躇再四商之同學僉謂仁山之言無以易也於是取其精詳汰其重複自北宋以至清季都六十六卷名曰續高僧傳四集仍楊議也至於分科別目雖參新誼實率舊章幾經咨度就正有道若夫追尋源派判析宗門詣有兼通唯其獨至猶慮異方僻處囿於見聞採訪未徧滋愧尤深輒復檢字排印先塵
Venerable Elder Daojie had long cherished a compassionate vow to continue the work of compiling the biographies of eminent monks. He repeatedly urged me to take on this task, but considering my own shallow understanding and inability to fully grasp the profound meaning, I dared not accept lightly. However, while compiling the monastery’s chronicles over several months, the draft was just completed when he renewed his request. Unable to decline, I began searching through old records and seeking out lost texts. For five years, I worked diligently day and night, and a rough draft was finally completed. Yet, the six volumes of the Ming Dynasty biographies proved difficult to organize and divide. After much hesitation, I consulted fellow scholars, and all agreed that Renshan’s words could not be improved upon. Therefore, I took what was detailed and removed the repetitions, compiling from the Northern Song Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty a total of sixty-six volumes, titled *Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, Fourth Collection*, still following Yang Yi’s approach. As for categorizing and organizing the content, although new insights were incorporated, the original framework was largely retained. After repeated consultations and seeking guidance from the wise, I traced the origins and analyzed the different schools, striving for both breadth and depth. Still, I feared that due to limited perspectives in remote places, some sources might have been missed, leaving gaps in the collection. With this concern, I proceeded to typeset and print the work, presenting it first for review.
清覽者所冀當代
What the discerning reader seeks in our time
高賢名藍
耆德董而正之匡其未備翹首雲天企之久矣
The venerable elders, with their profound virtue, have guided and rectified the Way, mending what was incomplete. Looking up to the vast heavens, they have long awaited this moment with earnest anticipation.
癸亥夏四月朔日衡陽喻謙謹述
On the first day of the fourth lunar month in the summer of the Guihai year, Yu Qian of Hengyang respectfully composed this preface.