Sŏk Mangmyŏng 續亡名 was a native of Koguryŏ. He concentrated in the attainment of the Way and abided by benevolence. He cherished the truth and based his conduct on moral power. He remained unsoured even when his merits were unrecognized by others.[205] He cultivated virtue to such an extent that his reputation was invariably high in his own country; morever, his fame overflowed and spread even beyond his native land.[206] The Master of the Law[207] Chih Tun 支遁[208] (314-366) of Chin sent him a letter saying:[209] “The honorable monk Chu Fa-shen 竺法深 (286-374) was a disciple of Master Liu Yüan-chen 劉元眞[210] of Chung-chou 中州. With an upright and lofty nature, he was a controlling force over both the clergy and the laity. Formerly, while in the capital, he maintained the religious standards[211] and was respected both by people inside and outside the circle[212] as a master in propagating the way.” Since [Chih] Tun [1016b] was a famous person in China, his associates must all have been of great talent and importance. In the case of a foreigner, had he not been superior even to them, how could he have been treated thus?
Moreover, after the introduction of Buddhism into Korea from Chin, there must have been heroic personages during the times of Sung and Ch‘i, but regrettably no record of them exists. When Chu Ling-ch‘i 朱靈期[213] of [Liu] Sung (420-479) returned as an envoy from Koguryŏ, he was shipwrecked and stranded on an island and there he obtained the begging bowl of Pei-tu 杯度.[214]
It is also said that during the Ch‘i (479-502), people in Korea were still unaware of the birth of Buddha. Someone asked the eminent monk Fa-shang 法上 (495-580)[215] about it, and he replied by relating an auspicious omen that had occurred during the reign of King Chao of Chou. Therefore, lofty persons and famous gentlemen in China must have laughed at our ignorance. In truth, however, a number of people inquired about the essentials of Buddhism. What is really regrettable is that no good historian kept a detailed record.