No. 1262-A禪林寶訓音義序
Preface to the Pronunciation and Meaning of the Zen Forest Treasure Admonitions
寶訓一書。昔妙喜竹菴二師。慮末法之澆漓藂林之衰替。於是摭古德之嘉言善行。會萃成編。冀欲挽回佛日。重整頺綱。使凡庸之輩。因言企行。德業惟新者也。然編集雖成。未遑流布。葢法運有時。待緣方顯。嗣有東吳淨善師者。遊歷雲居。獲殘編於祖庵師。忻其所遇。脗浹于懷。第恨首尾不完。難成教義。是以重加纂集。廣搜先德之言。積累三百餘篇。斯寶訓所繇出也。其中扶揚法化。教誡僧徒。革藂林之弊政。警學者之疎愚。則是編也。顧可以少乎哉。奈何躁淺之流。視其詞章平易。而束之高閣者。比比有之。豈不負前賢之苦心溝壑之言哉。(建)自戊申。辭雪浪師于蘇之望亭。學之于長安。參預諸師門下。凡宗乘講演之期。曾不捨此。諄諄熟習。故彼方禪衲。淳朴之風猶在矣。惟是集也。文約義豐。事多愽涉。初學未諳。不無留阻。間有音義。傳寫未刊。遞悞成訛。參差魚魯。繇是音義所刊。烏容已也。今也山中多冊。擇其簡要者。以為定本。復于內外經書。參互考證。繼晷焚膏。日以積月。讐校方成。時諸法侶。覩斯善本。爰常住授梓流通。以便後來尋討。不揣荒陋。敘其本末云耳。
The Book of Admonitions for the Treasure of the Sangha. In the past, the two masters Miaoxi and Zhu'an, concerned about the decline of the Dharma in this latter age and the deterioration of monastic communities, gathered the wise words and virtuous deeds of ancient sages and compiled them into this collection. Their hope was to restore the light of the Buddha-Dharma, reestablish the faltering monastic guidelines, and inspire ordinary people to aspire to virtuous conduct through these teachings, thereby renewing their moral and spiritual practice. Although the compilation was completed, it was not yet widely circulated, for the propagation of the Dharma depends on timing and awaits the right conditions to manifest.
Later, Master Jing Shan of Dongwu, while traveling to Yunju Monastery, obtained a damaged copy from Master Zu'an. Delighted by this encounter, he felt deeply connected to its contents. However, he regretted that the text was incomplete, making it difficult to convey its full teachings. Therefore, he undertook a recompilation, extensively searching for the words of earlier virtuous masters, accumulating over three hundred entries. This is how the Admonitions for the Treasure of the Sangha came to be.
Within it, the Dharma is upheld and propagated, monastics are instructed and admonished, the corrupt practices of monastic communities are reformed, and the negligence and ignorance of learners are warned against. How can such a work be considered insignificant? Yet, those who are impatient and superficial, seeing its language as plain and straightforward, often set it aside on a high shelf. Is this not to betray the profound efforts of the former sages and their words, which are as deep as valleys?
Since the year Wushen, I left Master Xuelang at Wangting in Suzhou and studied in Chang'an, participating in the assemblies of various masters. Throughout the periods of Chan teachings and lectures, I never abandoned this text, diligently studying and familiarizing myself with it. Thus, the simple and sincere customs of the Chan practitioners there still remain.
This collection, though concise in language, is rich in meaning, covering a broad range of matters. Beginners, unfamiliar with its contents, may encounter difficulties. Occasionally, there are phonetic annotations and meanings that were not printed in earlier transcriptions, leading to errors and inconsistencies in transmission. Therefore, the inclusion of phonetic annotations and explanations cannot be delayed.
Now, with many copies in the mountains, I have selected the most essential ones to establish a definitive version. Furthermore, I have cross-referenced and verified the contents with both internal and external scriptures, burning the midnight oil day after day, month after month, until the collation was completed. At that time, fellow practitioners, seeing this improved version, requested that it be carved onto printing blocks for circulation by the monastery, to facilitate future study. Without considering my own limitations, I have recounted its origins and development here.
旹
At that time,
崇禎乙亥仲春三日梁溪比丘大建識
Recorded by the monk Dajian of Liangxi on the third day of mid-spring in the Yihai year of the Chongzhen reign.