姚少師 道餘錄 跋
Postscript to Yao Shaoshi's Dao Yu Lu
昔我 太祖開天，爰有四海，則金華宋文憲公出而仕焉。制禮作樂，闡揚佛乘，大興教化，民樂其天；今觀諸護法錄，可槩知其詳也。繼而 成祖御極，則吳郡姚少師出而佐焉，推誠衛國，宣力協謀，克紹前業，大有可觀。至於重光佛日，照映邦家，猶勝於前多矣！今閱諸《道餘錄》，令人不能無感於少師也！
In the past, when our Taizu opened the heavens and brought the four seas under one rule, the Honorable Lord Song Wenxian of Jinhua came forth to serve. He established rituals and created music, expounded and spread the Buddhist vehicle, and greatly promoted edification, so the people rejoiced in their natural lot. Reading his various records on protecting the Dharma today, one can gain a general understanding of the details. Later, when Emperor Chengzu ascended the throne, Master Yao Shaoshi of Wujun came forth to assist him. He offered sincere loyalty in guarding the nation, exerted his strength in coordinated planning, and was able to carry on the former legacy, achieving much that was noteworthy. As for restoring the brightness of the Buddha's sun to illuminate the nation and its families, this surpassed what came before by far! Reading the various records in the Daoyu Lu today, one cannot help but feel deeply moved by the Master Yao Shaoshi!
少師負一世獨秉之資，卓識絕倫，英風峻邁，際遇賢明之主，建立莫大之勳，精於治道，嚴於處身，位極三公，衣僅一衲！每博極內外典墳，尤留神儒釋一貫之旨，故雲棲老人，向所推重，謂當代之留侯也。既而因宋儒立言著書，末覷佛之底蘊，多從一己之偏，殊闕至公之鑑；往往專以攘詆佛老為心。甚至乖違正理，流入邪途，誠可怖畏！由是少師憫之，攀條據理，逐一剖析，妙適機宜，彰明權實，誠破昏之慧炬也。嗚呼！於少師者，可謂有功于教化矣。
The Junior Preceptor possessed a unique, peerless talent rarely seen in a generation. His insight was unmatched, his heroic spirit lofty and commanding. He met with an enlightened ruler and accomplished tremendous merits. He was skilled in governance, strict in conducting himself; though his rank was the highest of the Three Excellencies, he wore but a single patched robe!
He extensively studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts, and paid special attention to the unified principle of Confucianism and Buddhism. Therefore, the venerable master of Yunqi had long praised him, calling him the Zhang Liang of his era.
Later, because Song-dynasty Confucian scholars wrote books and expressed views, occasionally peering at the depths of Buddhism but mostly following their own biases and sorely lacking impartial judgment—often devoting themselves solely to attacking and slandering Buddhism and Daoism. Some even violated correct principles and fell into misguided paths—truly a fearsome thing!
Moved by compassion, the Junior Preceptor grasped the branches and followed the principles, analyzing each point one by one. His words perfectly suited the occasion, illuminating both the provisional and the ultimate—truly a torch of wisdom to dispel delusion. How marvelous! The Junior Preceptor can indeed be said to have rendered great service to the teaching and transformation of beings.
今世之稱儒者，識鑑末必如少師，勳業未必如少師，無論佛之底蘊，即孔氏淵源，猶未識真，每竊宋人些少糟粕，當己功能，徒爭競門牆，虛飾局面而已。安知存心養性之道，明心見性之旨哉！
People today who call themselves Confucians may not have the insight of a great master, nor the achievements of a great minister. Never mind the depths of Buddhism—they do not even truly understand the roots of Confucius's own teachings. They merely steal a few scraps of secondhand ideas from the Song scholars and claim them as their own accomplishments. They do nothing but fight over whose school is superior and put on a show of propriety. How could they possibly know the way of nurturing the mind and cultivating one's nature, or the true meaning of understanding the mind and seeing one's true nature!
且觀明三百年來，列聖相承，真儒輩出，莫不尊崇佛教，留心此道，無敢議其私者，是有利益於天下國家也。今是錄復梓行矣，少師一副肝腸，重新剖露，堪與日月爭光，世儒觀者，亦當悚然而思；惕然而省，庶可追回渾古之風，洞明一貫之旨，而樂於大化之天，則不以予言為贅也。
Consider how, over the past three hundred years of the Ming dynasty, sages succeeded one another and true Confucian scholars emerged in great numbers. None of them failed to honor Buddhism and pay attention to this Path to Cessation—not one dared to dismiss it as a private matter. This shows that it benefits the world and the state. Now this record has been reprinted and circulated once more. The Junior Preceptor has laid bare his whole heart anew, and it shines with the sun and moon. Scholars of the world who read it should feel a stir of reflection and a jolt of self-examination, so that they may recover the plain and ancient ways, clearly understand the single thread running through all things, and take joy in the vast transforming power of Heaven. Then they will not find my words superfluous.
歲寬文丙午(一六六六)六年仲冬朔旦黃檗沙門南源派敬跋
In the winter of the year Bingwu during the Kuanwen era (1666), on the first day of the month, the monk Nanyuan of the Huangbo lineage respectfully [recorded this].