釋門歸敬儀 1.44

1.44

Fourth, explaining the Three Jewels of upholding and sustaining: humans can propagate the Way, which pours forth compassion for ten thousand years; the Way relies on humans to propagate it, and the three stages of the Dharma thereby establish their positions. Thus across generations it was raised and established, and everywhere transmitted and propagated; without relying on the Saṅgha to proclaim it, the Buddha Dharma would have sunk into oblivion. As when Emperor Wu of Han was at the height of his power, he first heard the Buddha's name, but since there was no transmission by the Saṅgha, the opening of the lineage was cut off. When Emperor Xianzong opened the Dharma, he searched far off to Huaxu, which led to Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna arriving with dignity, expounding and disseminating the oral teachings, civilizing customs and fulfilling affairs, inspiring faith and turning hearts; this truly depended on the labor of unfolding and explaining, and sincerely relied on the power of external forms: this is named the Saṅgha Jewel. The spoken words and phrases primarily express principle; if principle were not for texts and words, there would be no way to grasp awakening; therefore, based on nominal teachings, the conditions of speaking and listening are named the Dharma Jewel. This principle is profound and abstruse, unknown except to the noble; though the noble ones are said to have perished, shadow-images were erected: this is named the Buddha Jewel. Yet because living beings' blessings are shallow, they cannot reach the transformation source; having a slight reserve of surplus resources, they still encounter the bequeathed Dharma.