No. 1543-A東林十八高賢傳序
Preface to the Biographies of the Eighteen Eminent Masters of Donglin
往余令鍾陵。曾過東林寺虎谿橋上遠公社。竟作牛馬走騷驛之場。為之慨然。去今十餘年。乃得東林十八高賢傳讀之。諸公皆糞壤富貴。膏肓泉石。心超淨穢之區。境際人天之勝。令人脉脉心動。摳從亡階。況親承接引。妙契因依。豈必入淨土而極樂。上蓮座而興瞻哉。此傅刻在廬山。未獲流布。樂愚上人謀新業于棲賢山中。尋授吳門毗耶室梓行。予故喜而序之。使信奉此傳。人人見遠師。人人會廬山也。余謂上人尚宜索龍眠十八賢圖附之。以傳千載。何羨蘭亭輞川哉。昔宗少文對衡陽王有言。祿如秋草。時過即腐。試問學道人。此片白蓮花。有腐敗不。不也。
In the past, I was posted to Zhongling and once visited the Temple of Eastern Grove, crossing the Tiger Creek Bridge to the distant community. It had become a bustling thoroughfare for travelers, which filled me with deep regret. More than ten years have passed since then, and now I have finally come across the *Biographies of the Eighteen Noble Ones of Eastern Grove*. These venerable figures all regarded wealth and honor as dust, while their hearts were captivated by springs and rocks. Their minds transcended the realms of purity and impurity, and their spirits dwelled in the sublime state between humanity and divinity. Reading their stories stirs a quiet longing in my heart—a yearning to follow in their footsteps. How much more profound would it be to have received their direct guidance and to have shared in their profound understanding! Must one enter the Pure Land to experience ultimate bliss, or ascend the lotus throne to behold its splendor? This text was originally carved on Mount Lu but had not been widely circulated. The venerable monk Leyu sought to revive its legacy in the Qixian Mountains and later entrusted its printing to the Piye Studio in Wumen. I am thus delighted to write this preface, hoping that all who revere this text may see the spirit of Master Huiyuan and connect with the essence of Mount Lu.
I also suggest that the venerable monk seek out the *Painting of the Eighteen Noble Ones by Longmian* to accompany this text, ensuring its transmission for millennia to come. Why envy the gatherings at Lanting or Wangchuan? As Zong Shaowen once said to Prince Hengyang, "Worldly fortunes are like autumn grass—they wither and decay once their time has passed." But let us ask those who walk the path of cultivation: Can this pure white lotus ever decay? No, it cannot.
武林寓生 黃汝亨 書
Written by Huang Ruheng of Wulin.