八不道人傳(老人親筆評語三處附。○取《中論》八不，《梵網》八不之旨。)
Biography of the Master of the Eight Negations
八不道人，震旦之逸民也。古者有儒，有禪，有律，有教，道人既蹴然不敢，今亦有儒，有禪，有律，有教，道人又艴然不屑，故名八不也。俗姓鍾，名際明，又名聲，字振之。先世汴梁人，始祖南渡，居古吳木瀆。母金氏，以父岐仲公持白衣大悲咒十年，夢大士送子而生，蓋萬歷二十七年己亥，五月三日亥時也。七歲茹素，十二歲就外傅，聞聖學，即千古自任，誓滅釋老。開腪酒，作論數十篇闢異端，夢與孔顏晤言。十七歲，閱《自知錄．序》，及《竹窗隨筆》，乃不謗佛，取所著《闢佛論》焚之。二十歲，詮《論語》，至「天下歸仁」，不能下筆，廢寢忘餐三晝夜，大悟孔顏心法。冬喪父，聞《地藏本願》，發出世心。二十二歲，專志念佛，盡焚窗稿二千餘篇。二十三歲，聽《大佛頂經》，謂世界在空，空生大覺，遂疑何故有此大覺，致為空界張本？悶絕無措。但昏散最重，功夫不能成片，因決意出家，體究大事。二十四歲，夢禮憨山大師，哭恨緣慳，相見太晚。師云：「此是苦果，應知苦因。」語未竟，遽請曰：「弟子志求上乘，不願聞四諦法。」師云：「且喜居士有向上志，雖然，不能如黃蘗、臨濟，但可如巖頭、德山。」心又未足，擬再問，觸聲而醒。因思古人安有高下，夢想妄分別耳。一月中，三夢憨師，師往曹谿，不能遠從，乃從雪嶺師剃度，命名智旭。雪師，憨翁門人也。夏秋，作務雲棲，聞古德法師講《唯識論》，一聽了了，疑與《佛頂》宗旨矛盾，請問，師云：「性相二宗，不許和會。」甚怪之，佛法豈有二岐邪？一日，問古師云：「不怕念起，只怕覺遲。且如中陰入胎，念起受生，縱令速覺，如何得脫？」師云：「汝今入胎也未？」道人微笑。師云：「入胎了也。」道人無語。師云：「汝謂只今此身，果從受胎時得來者邪？」道人流汗浹背，不能分曉，竟往徑山坐禪。次年夏，逼拶功極，身心世界，忽皆消殞。因知此身，從無始來，當處出生，隨處滅盡，但是堅固妄想所現之影，剎那剎那，念念不住，的確非從父母生也。從此性相二宗，一齊透徹，知其本無矛盾，但是交光邪說，大誤人耳。是時，一切經論、一切公案無不現前，旋自覺悟解發，非為聖證，故絕不語一人。久之，則胸次空空，不復留一字腳矣。二十六歲，受菩薩戒。二十七歲，遍閱律藏，方知舉世積訛。二十八歲，母病篤，四刲肱不救，痛切肺肝(既悟此身非父母生，何故又刲肱救母？參)。葬事畢，焚棄筆硯，矢往深山。道友鑒空，留掩關於松陵，關中大病，乃以參禪工夫，求生淨土。三十歲，出關朝海，將往終南，道友雪航，願傳律學，留住龍居，始述《毗尼事義集要》，及《梵室偶談》。是年遇惺谷、歸一兩友，最得交修之益。三十一歲，送惺谷至博山薙髮，隨無異禪師至金陵，盤桓百有十日，盡諳宗門近時流弊，乃決意宏律。然律解雖精，而煩惱習強，躬行多玷，故誓不為和尚(三業未淨，謬有知律之名，名過於實，此道人生平之恥)。三十二歲，擬註《梵網》，作四鬮問佛，一曰宗賢首，二曰宗天台，三曰宗慈恩，四曰自立宗。頻拈得台宗鬮，於是究心台部，而不肯為台家子孫。以近世台家，與禪宗、賢首、慈恩，各執門庭，不能和合故也
The Eight-No Monk was a recluse of the Middle Kingdom. In ancient times, there were Confucians, Chan masters, Vinaya masters, and doctrinal masters, but the monk dared not tread their paths. In his own time, there were also Confucians, Chan masters, Vinaya masters, and doctrinal masters, yet he disdained to follow them. Hence, he was called "Eight-No."
His lay surname was Zhong, given name Jiming, also known as Sheng, with the courtesy name Zhenzhi. His ancestors were from Bianliang. His forefather moved south during the Southern Song dynasty and settled in Mudu, ancient Wu. His mother, née Jin, gave birth to him after his father, Qizhong, had recited the Great Compassion Mantra for ten years and dreamed of Guanyin Bodhisattva delivering a son. This was at the hour of Hai on the third day of the fifth month in the year Jihai of the Wanli era (1599).
At age seven, he adopted a vegetarian diet. At twelve, he began studying with a tutor, learned of the Sage's teachings, and took it upon himself to uphold the ancient way, vowing to eradicate Buddhism and Daoism. He drank wine and wrote dozens of essays refuting these "heterodox" paths, dreaming of conversing with Confucius and Yan Hui.
At seventeen, after reading the preface to *The Record of Self-Knowledge* and *Bamboo Window Essays*, he ceased slandering Buddhism and burned his *Essays Refuting Buddhism*.
At twenty, while annotating the *Analects*, he reached the phrase "all under Heaven returns to benevolence" and could not proceed. For three days and nights, he neither ate nor slept, until he had a great awakening to the mind-method of Confucius and Yan Hui. That winter, his father passed away. Upon hearing the *Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Sutra*, he resolved to seek liberation from the world.
At twenty-two, he devoted himself solely to reciting the Buddha's name and burned over two thousand pages of his draft writings.
At twenty-three, while listening to the *Shurangama Sutra*—which speaks of the world existing in emptiness, and emptiness giving rise to the great awakening—he became perplexed: Why is there this great awakening, which serves as the basis for the realm of emptiness? He was so troubled he found no resolution. Moreover, his mind was heavy with dullness and distraction; his practice could not become unified. He thus resolved to leave home and investigate the great matter.
At twenty-four, he dreamed of paying respects to Master Hanshan Deqing. Weeping, he lamented their meager karmic connection and that they met too late. The master said, "This is a bitter fruit; you should know its bitter cause." Before he could finish, the monk hastily asked, "This disciple aspires to the supreme vehicle; I do not wish to hear the Four Noble Truths." The master said, "It is good that you, layman, have such lofty aspiration. However, you cannot be like Huangbo or Linji; you can only be like Yantou or Deshan." Still unsatisfied, he intended to ask more but was awakened by a sound. He then reflected: How could the ancients be ranked as higher or lower? This was just deluded discrimination in a dream. Within a month, he dreamed of Master Hanshan three times. As the master had gone to Caoxi, he could not follow him far, so he took tonsure under Master Xueling, who was a disciple of Master Hanshan, and was given the monastic name Zhixu.
In summer and autumn, he worked at Yunqi Monastery. Hearing the ancient virtuous Dharma Master lecture on the *Treatise on Consciousness-Only*, he understood it clearly upon hearing, yet suspected it contradicted the tenets of the *Shurangama*. He asked the master, who said, "The Nature and Characteristics schools are not to be reconciled." This greatly puzzled him: Could the Dharma have two divergent paths? One day, he asked Master Gu: "Do not fear the arising of thoughts, only fear slowness of awareness. Take the intermediate state entering the womb: a thought arises and one takes rebirth. Even if one becomes aware quickly, how can one be liberated?" The master asked, "Have you entered a womb now?" The monk smiled. The master said, "You have entered." The monk was silent. The master said, "Do you think this present body truly came from the time of conception?" The monk broke into a profuse sweat. Unable to comprehend, he went to Mount Jing to practice meditation.
The following summer, through intense pressure in his practice, his body, mind, and the world suddenly vanished. He then realized this body, from beginningless time, arises right where it is and ceases right where it is. It is merely a shadow manifested by solidifying deluded thoughts, moment to moment, thought after thought, never abiding. It truly is not born from parents. From then on, both the Nature and Characteristics schools became utterly clear to him. He knew they were fundamentally not contradictory; it was merely the erroneous teachings of Jiaoguang that greatly misled people. At that time, all sutras, treatises, and all public cases appeared before him. Soon he realized this awakening of understanding was not a sage's confirmation, so he spoke of it to no one. After a long time, his mind became utterly empty, not retaining a single trace of words.
At twenty-six, he received the Bodhisattva Precepts. At twenty-seven, he thoroughly studied the Vinaya canon and only then realized the accumulated errors throughout the world. At twenty-eight, his mother was critically ill. He cut flesh from his arm four times but could not save her, his grief piercing his heart and lungs.(Since he had realized this body is not born from parents, why did he cut his arm to save his mother? Ponder this.) After her funeral, he burned and discarded his writing tools, vowing to go deep into the mountains. His Dharma friend Jiankong persuaded him to undertake a retreat in Songling. During the retreat, he fell seriously ill and thus used his Chan meditation practice to seek rebirth in the Pure Land.
At thirty, he left retreat to make a pilgrimage. Intending to go to Zhongnan Mountain, he was asked by his Dharma friend Xuehang, who wished to transmit Vinaya studies, to stay at Longju Monastery. There he began compiling *The Collected Essentials of Vinaya Matters* and *Casual Talks from the Brahma Room*. That year, he met two friends, Xinggu and Guiyi, with whom he benefited most from mutual cultivation.
At thirty-one, he accompanied Xinggu to Boshan for tonsure. Following Chan Master Wuyi to Jinling, he stayed for a hundred and ten days, fully witnessing the recent shortcomings of the Chan school, and thus resolved to propagate the Vinaya. However, although his understanding of Vinaya was precise, his habitual afflictions were strong, and his personal conduct was flawed. Therefore, he vowed not to become a precept master.(His three karmas were not pure, yet he mistakenly gained a reputation for knowing Vinaya. His fame exceeded his reality—this was the shame of his life.)
At thirty-two, intending to annotate the *Brahma Net Sutra*, he made four lots to inquire of the Buddha: first, to follow the Huayan school; second, to follow the Tiantai school; third, to follow the Faxiang school; fourth, to establish his own school. He repeatedly drew the Tiantai lot. He then delved into Tiantai teachings but refused to become a Tiantai descendant, because the contemporary Tiantai school, along with the Chan, Huayan, and Faxiang schools, each clung to their own sectarian positions and could not harmonize.
(時人以耳為目，皆云道人獨宏台宗，謬矣謬矣)。三十三歲秋，惺谷、壁如二友去世，始入靈峰過冬，為作請藏因緣。三十五歲，造西湖寺，述《占察行法》。三十七歲，住武水，述《戒消災略釋》，《持戒犍度略釋》，《盂蘭盆新疏》。三十八歲，住九華。次年，述《梵網合註》。四十一歲，住溫陵，述《大佛頂玄義文句》。四十二歲，住漳州，述《金剛破空論》，《蕅益三頌》，《齋經科註》。四十四歲，住湖州，述《大乘止觀釋要》。四十六歲，住靈峰，述《四十二章經》，《遺教經》，《八大人覺解》。四十七歲，住石城，述《周易禪解》。是秋，住祖堂。越二年，述《唯識心要》，《相宗八要直解》，《彌陀要解》，《四書蕅益解》。五十一歲冬，返靈峰，述《法華會義》。次年，述《占察疏》，重治《律要》。五十四歲，住晟谿，草《楞伽義疏》，遷長水而始竟。尚有《閱藏知津》，《法海觀瀾》，《圓覺》、《維摩》、《起信》諸疏，厥願未完，姑俟後緣而已。生平嘗有言曰：「漢宋註疏盛，而聖賢心法晦，如方木入圓竅也。隨機羯磨出，而律學衰，如水添乳也。《指月錄》盛行，而禪道壞，如鑿混沌竅也。《四教儀》流傳，而台宗昧，如執死方醫變證也。是故舉世若儒、若禪、若律、若教，無不目為異物，疾若寇讎。」道人笑曰：「知我者，唯釋迦、地藏乎？罪我者，亦唯釋迦、地藏乎？」孑然長往，不知所終。
(People at the time judged by hearsay and all said that the Master exclusively promoted the Tiantai school—a grave mistake, a grave mistake.) In the autumn of his thirty-third year, after his friends Xinggu and Biru passed away, he first entered Lingfeng to spend the winter and initiated the cause for requesting the Buddhist canon. At thirty-five, he built Xihu Temple and composed the *Practice Method for the Divination Sutra*. At thirty-seven, residing in Wushui, he wrote *A Brief Explanation on Eliminating Disasters Through Precepts*, *A Brief Explanation on the Vinaya Section of Precepts*, and *A New Commentary on the Ullambana Sutra*. At thirty-eight, he lived on Mount Jiuhua. The following year, he composed the *Combined Commentary on the Brahma’s Net Sutra*. At forty-one, dwelling in Wenling, he wrote the *Profound Meaning and Textual Analysis of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra*. At forty-two, residing in Zhangzhou, he produced the *Treatise on Shattering Emptiness in the Diamond Sutra*, *Three Verses by Ouyi*, and *A Sectional Commentary on the Sutra on the Uposatha*. At forty-four, living in Huzhou, he composed the *Essential Explanation of the Mahāyāna Śamatha-vipaśyanā*. At forty-six, staying in Lingfeng, he wrote commentaries on the *Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters*, the *Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teaching*, and the *Explanation of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings*. At forty-seven, dwelling in Shicheng, he produced the *Chan Interpretation of the Book of Changes*. That autumn, he resided in the Patriarch Hall. Two years later, he wrote the *Essentials of Consciousness-Only*, the *Direct Explanation of the Eight Essentials of the Characteristic School*, the *Essential Explanation of the Amitābha Sutra*, and *Ouyi’s Interpretation of the Four Books*. In the winter of his fifty-first year, he returned to Lingfeng and composed the *Meaning of the Assembly in the Lotus Sutra*. The following year, he wrote the *Commentary on the Divination Sutra* and revised the *Essentials of Vinaya*. At fifty-four, living in Shengxi, he drafted the *Meaning Commentary on the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra*, which he completed after moving to Changshui. There remained works such as *A Guide to Reading the Canon*, *Waves in the Dharma Ocean*, and commentaries on the *Perfect Enlightenment Sutra*, the *Vimalakīrti Sutra*, and the *Awakening of Faith*—wishes left unfulfilled, to be taken up as conditions allowed in the future. In his life, he once said: “When Han and Song commentaries flourished, the mind-dharma of the sages became obscure—like fitting a square peg into a round hole. When the *Saṅghakarman* procedures spread, the study of Vinaya declined—like adding water to milk. When the *Record of Pointing at the Moon* became popular, the Way of Chan was damaged—like boring holes into primordial chaos. When the *Outline of the Four Teachings* circulated, the Tiantai school grew dim—like applying a rigid prescription to a changing illness. Thus, the whole world—whether Confucians, Chan practitioners, Vinaya masters, or doctrinal teachers—all regarded me as an oddity, hostile as if I were a bandit or an enemy.” The Master laughed and said: “Who understands me? Only Śākyamuni and Kṣitigarbha. Who blames me? Also only Śākyamuni and Kṣitigarbha.” Alone, he went his way, and none knew his final end.
(先大師示寂，不肖成時，謬膺同門嚴命，輯《靈峰宗論》。輯成，載老人自傳於卷首。因念老人癸巳、甲午二年中，行腳還山，并所有著述，及乙未正月，末後一段光明，皆缺然無紀。同門又謬謂不肖侍行腳，知其事為詳，理應附記，辭不獲，合十稽首記曰。)
When our great teacher entered nirvana, I, Chengshi, unworthy as I am, was entrusted by our fellow disciples with the solemn task of compiling the *Lingfeng Collected Discourses*. After completing the compilation, I placed the master’s autobiography at the beginning of the volume. Reflecting on this, I realized that the master’s travels back to the mountain in the years of Guisi and Jiawu, along with all his writings, and the final radiance of his last days in the first month of Yiwei, remained unrecorded. Our fellow disciples again insisted, mistakenly believing that I, having accompanied him on his travels, knew these matters in detail, and should therefore append an account. Unable to decline, I joined my palms, bowed my head, and recorded as follows.
靈峰蕅益大師自傳，成於壬辰臘月。次年癸巳，老人五十五歲，夏四月，入新安，結後安居，於歙浦天馬院，著《選佛譜》，閱《宗鏡錄》，刪正法涌、永樂、法真諸人所竄雜說，引經論之誤，及歷來寫刻之訛，於三百六十餘問答，一一定其大義，標其起盡。閱完，作〈校定宗鏡錄跋〉四則。又汰《袁宏道集》，存一冊，名《袁子》。秋八月，遊黃山白嶽諸處。冬，復結制天馬，著《起信裂網疏》。次年五十六歲，甲午，於正月，應豐南仁義院請，法施畢，出新安。二月後，褒灑陀日，還靈峰。夏臥病，選西齋淨土詩，製贊，補入淨土九要，名《淨土十要》。夏竟，病愈。七月，述《儒釋宗傳竊議》。八月，續閱大藏竟。九月，成《閱藏知津》、《法海觀瀾》二書。冬十月，病，復有獨坐書懷四律，中有「庶幾二三子，慰我一生思」之句。十一月十八日，有病中口號偈。臘月初三，有病閒偶成一律，中有「名字位中真佛眼，未知畢竟付何人」之句。是日，口授遺囑，立四誓，命以照南、等慈二子傳五戒、菩薩戒，命以照南、靈晟、性旦三子代座代應請命。闍維後，磨骨和粉麵，分作二分，一分施鳥獸，一分施鱗介，普結法喜，同生西方。十三，起淨社，有願文。嗣有求生淨土偈六首。除夕，有艮六居銘，有偈。乙未元旦，有偈二首。二十日，病復發，二十一日，晨起病止。午刻，趺坐繩床角，向西舉手而逝。時生年五十七歲，法臘三十四僧夏。從癸亥臘月，至癸酉自恣日，又從乙酉春，至今乙未正月，共計夏十有九。丁酉冬，門人如法茶毗，髮長覆耳，面貌如生，趺坐巍然，牙齒俱不壞，因不敢從粉骴遺囑，奉骨塔於靈峰之大殿右。(丁酉下四十二字，係戊戌春茶毗後補記。)嗚呼，痛哉！世閒眼滅，正法幢摧。惡心向佛之魔邪，誰與救正？好心遭毒之男女，誰與扶持？良以吾輩業重，不能感哲人久住故耳。老人傳末云：「尚有《閱藏知津》，《法海觀瀾》，《圓覺》、《維摩》、《起信》諸疏，厥願未完，姑俟後緣。」又閱藏畢，然香願文中云：「一者竊見南北兩藏，並皆糢糊失次，或半滿不辨，或經論互名，或真訛不分，或巧拙無別，雖有宋朝《法寶標目》，明朝《彙目義門》，並未盡美盡善。今輒不揣，謬述《閱藏知津》、《法海觀瀾》二書，儻不背佛旨，乞得成就流通。二者如《圓覺》、《維摩》、《彌陀》、《地藏》，乃至《大涅槃經》，夙有微願，再加解釋，并《僧史》、《寶訓》，亦願增修，仰求庇護，令得速成。又定嗣註經目，有《行願品續疏》，《圓覺經新疏》，《無量壽如來會疏》，《觀經疏鈔錄要》，《十輪經解》，《賢護經解》，《藥師七佛經疏》，《地藏本願經疏》，《維摩補疏》，《金光明最勝王經續疏》，《同性經解》，《無字法門經疏》，《十二頭陀經疏》，《仁王續疏》，《大涅槃合論》，《四阿含節要》，《十善業道經解》，《發菩提心論解》，《摩訶止觀輔行錄要》，《僧史刪補》，《緇門寶訓》，共二十一種。上三處所列，唯《閱藏知津》、《法海觀瀾》、《起信疏》告成，餘俱不可復得矣。雖然，老人著述頗富，識取綱宗，更何所欠，況大用方新，願輪正轉，珍池受記之後，速入娑婆，收拾有緣，喘息未了，公案當可頓完。吾輩現在未來，皆可親近受學，勿以時方形骸不實之相，貳其心可也。但成時受恩最深，負恩最重，又緬想哲人閒出，妙法難逢，又念大事因緣，關繫萬世，雖流通有時，而眾生障難殷繁，爰然香一千炷，捨身洪流，一報師恩，助轉願輪，二供妙法，生生值遇，三轉劫濁，救苦眾生，四代粉骴，滿師弘誓，五懺重罪，決生珍池。嗚呼！知我罪我，唯大地眾生乎？」
The Autobiography of Master Ouyi Zhixu of Lingfeng was completed in the twelfth month of the Renchen year. The following year, Guisi, the Elder was fifty-five years old. In the summer, in the fourth month, he entered Xin'an and settled there for the later summer retreat at Tianma Temple in Shepu. There, he composed the *Selection of Buddhas Guide*, studied the *Mirror of the Source Record*, and corrected the erroneous additions and misinterpretations inserted by Fayong, Yongle, Fazhen, and others, as well as mistakes in citing scriptures and treatises, along with textual errors from previous transcriptions and printings. For over three hundred and sixty questions and answers, he systematically clarified their main principles and delineated their scope. After completing his study, he wrote four postscripts titled "Colophon on the Collated *Mirror of the Source Record*." He also edited the *Collected Works of Yuan Hongdao*, preserving one volume titled *Master Yuan*.
In the autumn, in the eighth month, he traveled to various places, including Huangshan and Baiyue. In winter, he again observed the summer retreat at Tianma Temple and composed the *Commentary on the Awakening of Faith*. The following year, at age fifty-six, in the Jiawu year, during the first month, he accepted an invitation to Renyi Temple in Fengnan. After completing his Dharma offerings, he departed Xin'an. After the second month, on the Uposatha day, he returned to Lingfeng. That summer, he fell ill and selected poems from the *Pure Land Verses of the Western Studio*, composing praises and adding them to the *Nine Essentials of the Pure Land*, naming it the *Ten Essentials of the Pure Land*. At the end of summer, he recovered from his illness.
In the seventh month, he wrote *A Humble Discussion on the Transmission of Confucian and Buddhist Teachings*. In the eighth month, he completed his reading of the entire Buddhist canon. In the ninth month, he finished two works: *Guide to Reading the Canon* and *Waves in the Dharma Ocean*. In winter, in the tenth month, he fell ill again and composed four regulated verses titled "Thoughts While Sitting Alone," which included the lines, "Perhaps two or three disciples will comfort the thoughts of my lifetime." On the eighteenth day of the eleventh month, he recited a verse of aspiration while ill. On the third day of the twelfth month, he composed another regulated verse titled "Composed at Leisure During Illness," which included the lines, "Within the stage of names, the true Buddha-eye—to whom, after all, will it be entrusted?" That day, he orally dictated his will, establishing four vows. He instructed his disciples Zhaonan and Dengci to transmit the Five Precepts and the Bodhisattva Precepts, and appointed Zhaonan, Lingsheng, and Xingdan to act on his behalf in giving teachings and accepting invitations.
After his cremation, his bones were to be ground into powder and mixed with flour, divided into two portions: one to be offered to birds and beasts, and the other to aquatic creatures, universally bestowing Dharma joy and enabling all to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. On the thirteenth day, he established a Pure Land society and composed a vow text. Subsequently, he wrote six verses on seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. On New Year's Eve, he composed an inscription for the Genliu Residence and a verse. On the first day of the Yiyou New Year, he wrote two verses. On the twentieth day, his illness recurred; on the twenty-first day, he rose in the morning, and his illness ceased. At noon, he sat upright on a rope-bed, faced west, raised his hands, and passed away. He was fifty-seven years old, with thirty-four years of monastic seniority. From the twelfth month of the Guihai year to the Pravarana day of the Guiyou year, and again from the spring of the Yiyou year to the first month of the Yiwei year, he observed a total of nineteen summer retreats.
In winter of the Dingyou year, his disciples conducted the cremation according to the Dharma. His hair covered his ears, his face appeared as if alive, he sat upright and majestic, and all his teeth remained intact. Therefore, they did not dare to follow his instruction to grind his bones into powder, and instead enshrined his bones in a stupa to the right of the main hall at Lingfeng. (The forty-two characters following "Dingyou" were added in spring of the Wuxu year after the cremation.)
Alas, how sorrowful! The eye of the world has closed; the banner of the true Dharma has fallen. Who will correct the evil-minded demons and heretics who oppose the Buddha? Who will support the good-hearted men and women who suffer harm? Truly, it is because our karmic obstructions are heavy that we cannot inspire wise ones to remain long in this world.
At the end of the Elder's biography, it is written: "There are still the *Guide to Reading the Canon*, *Waves in the Dharma Ocean*, and commentaries on the *Perfect Enlightenment Sutra*, *Vimalakirti Sutra*, and *Awakening of Faith*. These vows remain unfulfilled, awaiting future conditions." Also, after completing his reading of the canon, in a incense-offering vow text, he stated: "First, I have observed that both the northern and southern editions of the canon are disorganized and unclear: sometimes failing to distinguish between complete and partial teachings, sometimes confusing sutras and treatises in their titles, sometimes mixing authentic and spurious texts, sometimes lacking discernment between skillful and unskillful works. Although there are the Song dynasty *Catalogue of the Dharma Treasure* and the Ming dynasty *Classified Guide to the Canon*, they are not entirely perfect. Now, presumptuously, I have composed two works: *Guide to Reading the Canon* and *Waves in the Dharma Ocean*. If they do not contradict the Buddha's intent, I pray they may be accomplished and circulated. Second, regarding the *Perfect Enlightenment Sutra*, *Vimalakirti Sutra*, *Amitabha Sutra*, *Ksitigarbha Sutra*, and even the *Mahaparinirvana Sutra*, I have long held a humble wish to provide further explanations. I also wish to revise and expand the *Monastic History* and *Precious Admonitions*. I earnestly seek protection to enable their swift completion."
He also listed a set of sutras and treatises for future commentary, including: *Continued Commentary on the Practices and Vows Chapter*, *New Commentary on the Perfect Enlightenment Sutra*, *Commentary on the Amitayus Buddha Assembly Sutra*, *Essential Selections from the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra*, *Explanation of the Ten Wheels Sutra*, *Explanation of the Bhadrapala Sutra*, *Commentary on the Medicine Master and Seven Buddhas Sutra*, *Commentary on the Ksitigarbha Fundamental Vows Sutra*, *Supplementary Commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra*, *Continued Commentary on the Sutra of Golden Light Supreme King*, *Explanation of the Sutra of the Same Nature*, *Commentary on the Wordless Dharma Gate Sutra*, *Commentary on the Twelve Dhuta Practices Sutra*, *Supplementary Commentary on the Benevolent King Sutra*, *Compendium on the Mahaparinirvana Sutra*, *Essential Selections from the Four Agamas*, *Explanation of the Ten Wholesome Actions Sutra*, *Explanation of the Treatise on Generating the Bodhi Mind*, *Essential Selections from the Supplementary Practices of the Great Calming and Contemplation*, *Revised and Expanded Monastic History*, and *Precious Admonitions for the Sangha*—twenty-one works in total.
Of the three lists mentioned above, only the *Guide to Reading the Canon*, *Waves in the Dharma Ocean*, and the *Commentary on the Awakening of Faith* were completed. The rest could no longer be attained. Nevertheless, the Elder's writings are abundant. By grasping their essential principles, what more could be lacking? Moreover, his great function is ever-renewing, and his vow-wheel continues to turn. After receiving predictions in the Jeweled Pond, he will swiftly return to this Saha world to gather those with affinities. Before this task is even completed, these pending works can surely be finished. Whether in the present or future, we can all draw near to learn from him. Let us not allow the impermanent, physical forms of this world to cause doubt in our minds.
However, I, Chengshi, have received the deepest kindness and bear the heaviest debt of gratitude. I reflect on how rarely wise ones appear and how difficult it is to encounter the wondrous Dharma. I also consider the great matter of causation, which concerns ten thousand generations. Although there is a time for the circulation of the Dharma, sentient beings face numerous obstacles and difficulties. Therefore, I offer one thousand sticks of incense and vow to relinquish my body to the great river: first, to repay my teacher's kindness and aid in turning the vow-wheel; second, to make offerings to the wondrous Dharma, encountering it life after life; third, to transform the kalpa of defilement and rescue suffering beings; fourth, to fulfill my teacher's great vow in place of grinding his bones to powder; fifth, to repent of heavy offenses and decisively seek rebirth in the Jeweled Pond.
Alas! Whether you understand me or blame me, it rests solely with the beings of the great earth.
順治乙未臘月十二日，不肖門人成時稽首謹記。
On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Yǐwèi of the Shunzhi reign, your unworthy disciple, Chengshi, bows and respectfully records this.