天童寺為浙江鄞縣太白山之名寺、乃四明甲剎，東南數千里亦皆推為第一。太白山又名天童山，位於鄞縣之東，距治六十里。晉永康元年（二九一），太白祖師義興始結茅菴於此，漸成精舍，後毀於孫恩之亂。唐開元二十年（七三二）法璿禪師重建精舍。至德二年（七五七）宗弼禪師徙建精舍於太白峰下。乾元二年（七五九）敕賜精舍為「天童𤫩瓏寺」。咸通十年（八六九）賜改名為「天壽寺」。宋景德四年（一〇〇七）賜改為「景德禪寺」，紹興二年（一一三二），宏智禪師正覺始建僧堂。紹興四年（一一三四）範千銅佛列於閣。紹熙四年（一一九三）重建千佛閣。其後歷元、明、清三代，屢有增修，蔚為四明第一佛教聖地，自晉永康以來，海內禪宗群尊為祖庭。明洪武二十五年（一三九二）定名為「天童禪寺」，曾稱為天下禪宗五山之第二。其於禪宗之地位可知。明嘉靖年間，楊明輯「天童寺集」七卷，崇禎五年（一六三二）張客卿等纂「天童寺志」，崇禎十四年（一六四一）黃毓祺重纂之。清聞性道、釋德介復參稽舊志，為纂新志，卷首為序、山圖、寺圖與凡例；下分十考：山川、建置、先覺、盛典、雲蹤、法要、塔像、表貽、轄麗附莊產、附餘。考各一卷，都十卷。山川、建置，於各名勝各軒亭下輒引前人詩文以注之。先覺、盛典、雲蹤、法要、塔像等五門，記歷代高僧之行誼與弘法，要為存釋氏之文獻。表貽一門，則載有關天童之文字。轄麗則詳附見之蕃寺，亦引前人詩文注其下。附餘一門，則考雜事，唯多附會。全志各篇，有正疏、有附紀、有正誤、有質實、有從正、有存俟、有應刪、有附證，參稽頗詳，詮次明晰，要為天童寺文獻之淵藪也。茲據清嘉慶間重刋本景印。
Tiantong Temple is a famous temple on Taibai Mountain in Yin County, Zhejiang, and the foremost monastery in Siming; for a thousand miles across the southeast it is likewise honored as second to none. Taibai Mountain, also called Tiantong Mountain, lies east of Yin County, sixty li from the seat of government. In the first year of Yongkang of the Jin (291), the founding master Taibai, Yixing, first built a thatched hermitage here, which gradually became a monastery; it was later destroyed in the rebellion of Sun En. In the twentieth year of Kaiyuan of the Tang (732), Chan Master Faxuan rebuilt the monastery. In the second year of Zhide (757), Chan Master Zongbi moved and rebuilt the monastery at the foot of Taibai Peak. In the second year of Qianyuan (759), by imperial decree the monastery was named "Tiantong Linglong Temple." In the tenth year of Xiantong (869), it was granted the new name "Tianshou Temple." In the fourth year of Jingde of the Song (1007), it was granted the name "Jingde Chan Temple." In the second year of Shaoxing (1132), Chan Master Hongzhi Zhengjue first built the monks' hall. In the fourth year of Shaoxing (1134), a thousand bronze Buddhas were arranged in the pavilion. In the fourth year of Shaoxi (1193), the Thousand Buddha Pavilion was rebuilt. Thereafter, through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it was repeatedly enlarged and repaired, flourishing as the foremost Buddhist sacred site of Siming; since the Yongkang era of the Jin, the Chan schools throughout the land have honored it as a patriarchal seat. In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu of the Ming (1392), it was formally named "Tiantong Chan Temple," and was once called the second of the Five Mountains of Chan under Heaven. Its standing in the Chan school may thus be known. During the Jiajing era of the Ming, Yang Ming compiled the "Tiantong Temple Collection" in seven fascicles; in the fifth year of Chongzhen (1632), Zhang Keqing and others compiled the "Gazetteer of Tiantong Temple"; in the fourteenth year of Chongzhen (1641), Huang Yuqi recompiled it. In the Qing, Wen Xingdao and the monk Dejie further cross-checked the old gazetteers and compiled a new one: at the head of the volume are the preface, the mountain map, the temple map, and the general rules; below these it is divided into ten examinations: Mountains and Rivers, Construction, Former Worthies, Grand Ceremonies, Cloud Traces, Essentials of the Dharma, Stupas and Images, Inscriptions and Gifts, Adjuncts and Dependent Estates, and Addenda. Each examination is one fascicle, ten fascicles in all. Under Mountains and Rivers and Construction, beneath each scenic spot and each pavilion, the poetry and prose of earlier writers is regularly cited by way of annotation. The five sections—Former Worthies, Grand Ceremonies, Cloud Traces, Essentials of the Dharma, and Stupas and Images—record the conduct and teachings of eminent monks of past ages, their essential purpose being to preserve Buddhist documents. The section Inscriptions and Gifts records writings connected with Tiantong. Adjuncts and Dependent Estates gives details of affiliated branch temples, likewise citing earlier poetry and prose beneath each by way of annotation. The section Addenda examines miscellaneous matters, though much of it is far-fetched. Throughout the gazetteer, each piece has its correct exposition, its appended record, its corrections of error, its verified substance, its accepted readings, its items held in doubt, its entries to be deleted, and its supporting evidence; the cross-checking is quite thorough and the arrangement clear, making it truly a treasury of Tiantong Temple documents. This is reproduced from the reprinted edition of the Jiaqing era of the Qing.