禪林寶訓 4.13

4.13

Master Yuetang Chang said: "In the past, Chan Master Dazhi, concerned that bhikṣus of the final age would become arrogant and indolent, specially instituted monastic regulations to prevent this. According to their capacity and ability, he established their respective offices: the abbot dwelled in the abbot's quarters, while the assembly dwelled in the communal hall; he set up the solemn order of the ten departmental prefects just like government offices. Those above maintained the overarching principles; those below attended to the diverse particulars. This caused superiors and subordinates to support one another, like a body employing its arms and arms employing their fingers, none failing to comply. For this reason, the predecessors observed, supported, and faithfully practiced them, because the legacy of the former sages had not yet perished. Recently, I have seen the monastic groves decline. Learners value worldly talent and despise maintaining integrity; they esteem superficial ostentation and disdain genuine simplicity. Growing day by day and steeping month by month, they have gradually descended into shallow corruption. At first, they merely snatched a momentary ease, but once they grew habituated through long familiarity, they deemed it the natural principle, not calling it unrighteous, not calling it unreasonable. Those above tremble with fear before their subordinates, while those below gaze intently, watching their superiors. In ordinary life, they use sweet words and bow their bodies to flatter and please one another; when an opportunity arises, they employ cruel hearts and deceitful schemes to butcher and trade one another away. The successful are deemed worthy, and the defeated are deemed foolish, no longer asking about the order of noble and base or the principle of right and wrong. If someone else does it, this one imitates it; if the subordinate speaks of it, the superior complies with it; if the predecessor practiced it, the successor copies it. Alas! Without an eminent sage master riding the power of vows and accumulating a hundred years of effort, these abuses are so firmly entrenched that none can reform them." (Letter to Master Shun)