The Administration of Buddhism in China: A Study and Translation ...

Blessings for an entire day and seven declarations.¹⁶² By imperial decree he was granted an honorific robe, and his title changed to “Comprehensive Wisdom.” He was appointed to the Hanlin Academy, and had the same duties as Tao Gu.¹⁶³ On occasions where matters [of government] were discussed with Qing, Suo, Zhu, Ying, An, and Rong,¹⁶⁴ he convinced them on the basis of Confucian scriptures, but they did not dare show deference to him.


(3) In the eighth year [of the taiping xingguo era] (983), [Taizong] commissioned [Zanning] to compile a Song dynasty biography of Buddhist monks, and he requested to return [to Hangzhou]. When the writing of it was completed, he went to the palace to see the emperor. When he presented it, the Palace Academician Wang (note in original: Yucheng) offered a commemorative poem: “The Honorable Zhi[dun] combined both the talents of leadership and the shrewdness of a fox;¹⁶⁵ with his (Zanning’s) compilation of the historical biography complete, darkness has lifted.” And when he went up to the palace he even rode a horse [like] Zhidun’s, wielding a writing brush, as if we were attending to Confucius. [It was as if] a unicorn had been presented to His Highness, and an imperial letter praised its exquisiteness. Soon after, he was summoned to the capital. He took up residence at Tianshou Monastery,

(4) In the second year of the chunhua era (991), he was appointed to compile and edit an administrative history [of the Buddhist clergy]. In the inaugural year of the zhidao era (995), he was administrator for the regulation of [Buddhist] Doctrinal Affairs in the Western Capital. When the Emperor [Zhenzong] ascended the throne, the imperial response toward [Zanning] became even more courteous. In the first year of the xianping era (998), he was appointed Buddhist Registrar of the Right Precincts [of the Capital]. In the third year [of the xianping era] (1000), he participated in administration after being transferred to Buddhist Registrar of the Left Precincts [of the Capital]. When Su Yijian¹⁶⁶ compiled the Noteworthy Achievements of the Sages and Worthies of the Three