大明高僧傳敘
Preface to the Biographies of Eminent Monks of the Great Ming Dynasty
皇明天台山慈雲禪寺沙門釋如惺識
The Venerable Shì Rúxīng of the Cíyún Chan Temple on Mount Tiantai, in the Great Ming Dynasty
釋迦世尊自周昭王甲寅降生西竺成道涅槃。垂千餘載而至漢明帝。摩騰竺法蘭始入中國。帝為首創白馬寺以居之。自是佛法興而僧徒漸盛。於是則有吳之康僧會晉之釋道安寶誌僧倜支遁無讖。神僧名釋靈軌芳踪遍於天下。微言道韻高論良謨盈於簡牘。作史者豈容己哉。故六朝廬山遠公唐宣律師宋贊寧輩乃修僧史及高僧傳。各若干卷。又達磨大師遙知震旦機熟。不遠數萬里而來。特授教外別傳之旨。六傳而至曹溪其道大振。載傳而至青原南岳馬祖石頭。其枝分𠏉布派溢源深。可謂魯一變而至於道矣。然後百丈出叢林備則。有開堂入室竪拂拈椎一千七百則葛藤蔓延寰宇。首以道原禪師學士楊大年附馬李遵勗輩作傳燈諸錄。各若干卷。入我 國朝 成祖文皇帝於萬機之暇。乃於僧史傳燈錄間採諸靈異者。別曰神僧傳。又若干卷。於戲可謂盛典矣。夫孔子作春秋而亂臣賊子懼。太史公作史傳天下不肖者恥。今吾釋氏而有是書。則使天下沙門非惟不作師子身中蟲。而甚有見賢思齊。默契乎言表得免亡罤者。詎可量哉。然僧史始於漢明。傳燈遠遡七佛皆終於宋。惟神僧傳迄于元順而止 明興 太祖高皇帝開國以來。國家之治超于三代。佛法之興盛于唐宋。獨僧史傳燈諸書尚寥寥無聞。良可歎也。然吾儕有力者不以為念。有志者無以為緣。而我 國朝人物其果不若唐宋乎。予於庚子校刻前代金湯編。今歲又緝 國朝護法者以補其缺。間於史誌文集往往有諸名僧載焉。因隨喜錄之。自南宋迄今略得若干人。命曰大明高僧傳。以備後之修史者採摭。云爾。
The World-Honored Shakyamuni was born in the Western Regions during the Zhou Dynasty, in the year of Jiayin under King Zhao. After attaining enlightenment and entering nirvana, over a thousand years passed until the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, when Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna first brought Buddhism to China. The emperor established the White Horse Temple to house them. From then on, Buddhism flourished, and the community of monks gradually grew. Thus, figures such as Kang Senghui from the Wu Kingdom, Shi Dao'an, Bao Zhi, Sengchou, Zhi Dun, and Dharmakshema from the Jin Dynasty emerged. Holy monks and renowned masters left their traces across the land, their profound teachings and lofty discourses filling the records. How could historians remain silent? Therefore, during the Six Dynasties, Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu, the Vinaya Master Daoxuan of the Tang Dynasty, and Zanning of the Song Dynasty compiled monastic histories and biographies of eminent monks, each in several volumes.
Moreover, the Great Master Bodhidharma, knowing from afar that the time was ripe in China, traveled tens of thousands of miles to transmit the special teaching outside the scriptures. Through six generations, it reached Caoxi, where the Way flourished greatly. Passing further to Qingyuan, Nanyue, Mazu, and Shitou, its branches spread wide and its sources ran deep. Truly, it was like the transformation of Lu, reaching the ultimate Way. Later, Baizhang established the rules for monastic communities, and with the opening of halls, entering of chambers, raising of whisks, and lifting of staffs, the 1,700 cases of entangled vines spread throughout the world. First, Chan Master Daoyuan, Scholar Yang Dayan, and Imperial Son-in-Law Li Zunxu compiled various records of the transmission of the lamp, each in several volumes.
During our Great Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu, in his leisure amidst myriad affairs, selected extraordinary accounts from monastic histories and lamp records, compiling them into the *Biographies of Divine Monks*, also in several volumes. Ah, this can indeed be called a grand compilation! Confucius wrote the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, and treacherous ministers and wicked sons feared; Sima Qian wrote the *Records of the Grand Historian*, and the unworthy of the world felt shame. Now, with such a work in our Buddhist tradition, it will not only prevent monastics from becoming parasites within the lion’s body but also inspire them to emulate the virtuous, silently comprehending what lies beyond words, thereby avoiding ruin. How immeasurable is its value!
However, monastic histories began with Emperor Ming of Han, and lamp records trace back to the Seven Buddhas, both ending with the Song Dynasty. Only the *Biographies of Divine Monks* extends to the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Since the rise of the Ming Dynasty, with Emperor Taizu founding the state, the nation’s governance has surpassed the Three Dynasties, and the flourishing of Buddhism has exceeded that of the Tang and Song. Yet, works such as monastic histories and lamp records remain scarce and unheard of—truly lamentable! However, those among us with power do not take it to heart, and those with aspiration lack the opportunity. Are the figures of our Great Ming Dynasty truly inferior to those of the Tang and Song?
In the year Gengzi, I collated and published the *Jintang Compilation* of previous dynasties. This year, I have gathered protectors of the Dharma from our Great Ming Dynasty to supplement what was missing. Occasionally, I found records of renowned monks in historical annals, collected writings, and literary collections. Moved by joy, I recorded them, compiling brief accounts of several individuals from the Southern Song Dynasty to the present. I have titled it *Biographies of Eminent Monks of the Great Ming Dynasty*, to serve as a resource for future historians. Thus, it is recorded.
大明萬曆丁巳仲夏吉旦書于嘉興楞嚴之般若堂
Written at the Prajna Hall of the Shurangama Monastery in Jiaxing, on an auspicious day in mid-summer, the year Ding-Si of the Wanli era of the Great Ming Dynasty.
大明高僧傳卷第一
Great Ming Biographies of Eminent Monks, Volume 1
皇明天台山慈雲禪寺沙門釋 如惺 撰
Compiled by Monk Shi Ruxing of the Ciyun Chan Temple on Mount Tiantai during the Great Ming Dynasty