禪林寶訓 4.63

4.63

靈芝照和尚曰。讒與謗同邪異邪。曰讒必假謗而成。蓋有謗而不讒者。未見讒而不謗者也。夫讒之生也。其始因於憎嫉。而終成於輕信。為之者諂佞小人也。古之人有輸忠以輔君者。盡孝以事親者。抱義以結友者。雖君臣之相得父子之相愛。朋友之相親。一日為人所讒。則反目攘臂擯逐離間。至於相視如寇讎。雖在古聖賢所不能免也。然有初不能辯久而後明者。有生不能辯死而後明者。有至死不能辯終古不能明者。不可勝數矣。子游曰。事君數斯辱矣。朋友數斯疏矣。此所以誡人遠纔也。嗚呼纔與謗不可不察也。且經史載之。不為不明。學者覽之。莫不知其非。往往身自陷於讒口噎欝至死。不能自明者是必怒。受讒者之不察為讒者之諂佞也。至有群小至其前復讒於他人。則又聽之以為然。是可謂聰明乎。蓋善為讒者。巧便鬪構迎合蒙蔽。使其瞢然如為鬼所魅。至有終身不能察者。孔子曰。浸潤之譖膚受之愬。言其浸潤之來不使人預覺。雖曾參至孝。母必疑其殺人。市非林藪。人必疑其有虎。間有不行焉者。則謂之明遠君子矣。予以愚拙疎懶不喜諂附妄悅於人遂多為人所讒謗。予聞之竊自省曰。彼言果是歟。吾當改過。彼則我師也。彼言果非歟。彼亦徒為耳。焉能浼我哉。於是耳雖聞之而口未嘗辯。士君子察不察在彼才識明不明耳。吾孰能申其枉直求知於人哉。然且不知久而後明邪。後世而後明邪。終古不明邪。文中子曰。何以息謗曰無辯。吾當事斯語矣（芝圖集）。

Master Lingzhi Zhao said: "Are slander and calumny the same or different?" He replied: "Slander must rely on calumny to succeed. There may be calumny without slander, but I have never seen slander without calumny. Now, the arising of slander begins in hatred and jealousy, and is ultimately accomplished through credulity. Those who commit it are flattering and deceitful petty people. Among the ancients, there were those who dedicated their loyalty to assist their lords, who exhausted their filial piety to serve their parents, and who held to righteousness to make friends. Even with harmony between lord and minister, affection between father and son, and closeness between friends, once they are slandered by someone, they turn hostile, roll up their sleeves, drive each other away, and become alienated, even coming to view one another as bitter enemies. Even the ancient sages and worthies could not escape this. Yet there are some [whose innocence] cannot be clarified at first but becomes clear after a long time; some cannot be clarified in life but become clear after death; and some cannot be clarified even unto death and remain unclear forever—they are beyond count. Ziyou said: 'In serving one's lord, frequent nagging brings disgrace; among friends, frequent nagging brings estrangement.' This is why people were admonished to keep slander at a distance. Alas, slander and calumny cannot go unexamined! Moreover, the classics and histories record them, not failing to make them clear. When scholars read them, none fail to know their wrongdoing. Yet they often fall into the mouths of slanderers themselves, suffocating in grief until death, unable to clear themselves. They are sure to be enraged, for the recipient of slander lacks discernment and the perpetrator of slander is flattering and deceitful. When a flock of petty men comes before them and again slanders others, they listen to them once more and take it to be true. Can this be called discernment? Those who are skilled at slander use clever contrivances to stir up intrigue, ingratiate themselves, and delude others, making them as bewildered as if possessed by ghosts, so that some fail to see through it for their whole lives. Confucius said: 'Slander that soaks in like water, and accusations that cut like flesh.' This means that its soaking-in comes without letting people perceive it beforehand. Even though Zeng Shen was supremely filial, his mother was sure to suspect that he had killed a man. Even though a marketplace is not a wooded marsh, people are sure to suspect there is a tiger. If occasionally someone is unaffected by such things, they are called an enlightened and far-sighted gentleman. Because of my foolishness, clumsiness, detachment, and laziness, I do not enjoy flattering, currying favour, or falsely pleasing others; consequently, I have often been slandered and calumniated by people. When I heard it, I privately examined myself, saying: 'If their words are truly correct, I ought to reform my faults; then they are my teacher. If their words are truly wrong, they are merely acting in vain; how can they defile me?' Thereupon, though my ears heard it, my mouth never argued. Whether a gentleman discerns it or not depends on whether his discernment is clear or not. How could I plead what is bent and straight to seek understanding from others? And yet, I do not know whether it will become clear after a long time, become clear in later generations, or remain unclear forever. Wenzhongzi said: 'How does one silence calumny? Say: do not dispute.' I shall practice these words." (Lingzhi Tuji)