緇門警訓 3.7

3.7

A questioner asked: "Why do you compile monastic histories and investigate historical episodes in brief?"
I replied: "I wish to revive the Buddhist way and cause the saddharma to abide long."
The questioner said: "At present, the Son of Heaven honors the Buddhist way, esteems the Daoist portals, and practices the Confucian arts, bringing about great peace, which is already a revival. By what power of a mere bhikṣu could the wheel be turned, that you speak of reviving the Buddhist way?"
I replied: "I only wish to aid in that revival. If the sons of the Śākya clan do not understand the Dharma, do not engage in practice, do not diligently study the subjects, and do not comprehend their original origins, how could they match the emperor's flourishing initiative?"
Someone asked: "What power do you have to cause the saddharma to abide long?"
I replied: "The Buddha said: 'Understanding the Dharma, understanding the mātṛkā, protecting, upholding, and gathering them in can prevent the Dharma from being cut off.'"
He also asked: "The various masters have already written extensively; why wait for your efforts?"
I replied: "The writings of the ancients were deficient when put to practical use. They simply failed to understand that the three teachings circulate, ending and beginning again. When the One Person is above, he is high without peril. Because there is the One Person, he promotes the flourishing of the three teachings; because there are the three teachings, they assist in the governance of the One Person. Furthermore, as for Confucianism: from the Three Kings onward, it was promulgated for practical use and was appropriate. As for Daoism: prior to the Five Thearchs, it silently tallied with non-governance. In the past, Sima [Qian]'s history elevated Daoism above the Nine Streams; Ban [Gu]'s history singled out Confucianism to head the Treatise on Literature. Zichang wished to return to unhewn simplicity and restore purity, esteeming the Way of the Thearchs. Mengjian reflected on making benevolence primary and righteousness ancestral, putting into practice the Way of the Kings. From the Xia, Shang, and Zhou down to the present, how many hundreds of thousands of years have elapsed? If one uses Huang-Lao to govern, it is like taking a slow-acting medicine for an acute illness. From this, benevolence and righteousness grow faint, while ritual and penal law arise. Once people overstep ritual and transgress penal law, the Confucians merely fold their hands. The gate of the Śākya clan is comprehensive in its application: with compassion it transforms cruelty and evil; with sympathetic joy and equanimity it transforms stinginess and greed; with equality it transforms enmity and affection; with forbearance it transforms anger and harm. It understands that when a person dies, the conscious spirit is not annihilated; it understands that reaching a destiny, one receives karmic retributions and is born again. Rewarding them with heavenly realms, punishing them with hells—it is like a mold casting clay, or a die casting metal. A crooked mold or a leaky die, when shaping an object, will certainly produce something ugly; a fine die or an excellent mold, when transmitting a form, will inevitably present it as upright and dignified. These matters are not mere talk; all witness them with their own eyes. For this reason, emperors revere and believe in it, and the multitudes submit their hearts. The wind over the grass bends it all at once. Yet [Buddhism] can also rely on Laozi on the side and make concurrent use of Confucianism. Achieving wisdom still relies on three fools; governing a state must follow the numerous sages. Effecting the world's untiring endeavors, and resuming the day-long diligent labor, when applied to governing things, is like the arm directing the hand, or the hand moving the fingers: capturing or releasing, wherever it goes, how could it not be good? Thus, the three teachings are the possessions of one single family; the Lord of Ten Thousand Chariots is the ruler of that one family. Looking upon one's family, one must not show partiality. If there is partiality, contention arises; if contention arises, the teachings are harmed. Residing within, one naturally becomes unsettled; when one is unsettled, one regrets having harmed one's teachings. If one does not wish to harm the teachings, there is nothing better than being impartial. Once the three teachings are in harmony, the Dharma can abide long. Moreover, consider how the First Emperor of Qin burned [the books] and buried the Confucians alive: this matter originated with Li Si. The Later Wei slaughtered the śramaṇas: the responsibility lay with Kou Qianzhi and Cui Hao. Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou abolished the two teachings of Buddhism and Daoism: he was boasting of his own cleverness, which occurred because the court lacked upright men. Emperor Wuzong of the Tang destroyed monasteries and statues: the Daoist Zhao Guizhen led Liu Xuanjing in joining forces to slander and falsely accuse them, while Li Deyu secretly assisted. How exceedingly swift was the retribution experienced by these four rulers and these ministers! I respectfully exhort our cohort to warn and safeguard one another so as not to incur faults and transgressions. If emperors do not tolerate us, upon what can the Dharma be established? Moreover, the Daoist current preserves its treasures and does not seek to be first under heaven; what harm is there if śramaṇas yield with courtesy to harmonize with them? One should conform to the Buddha's words: 'Revere and trust all.' Have faith in Lord Lao, the former sage; have faith in Confucius, the former teacher. Were it not for these two sages, how could the Śākya teaching be made manifest, marching alongside them to elevate the ruler above Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor? If one opposes these words, it is like unruly scoundrels fighting without cause, implicating their parents, ruining their estates, and suffering punishment. However, harming the great principles of the three teachings is merely a temporary, minor loss. When the sun and moon pass through an eclipse, how does that diminish their brightness? Do you not see: when Qin burned the books of the hundred schools, the sages had already hidden them inside the walls of houses; when it buried them to exterminate them utterly, the Yang, Ma, and two Dai scholars were born one after another. How were there ever no survivors? Emperor Wu of Liang abandoned Daoism, yet it flourished vigorously in the Later Wei. The Tuoba clan slaughtered monks, yet their descendants revitalized them. The Later Zhou destroyed the two teachings, and immediately afterward they were restored. Wuzong crushed the Śākya gate, and before his heel could turn, Xuanzong revived it tenfold. How could a tilted palm block the flow of the Milky Way? A raised fist cannot overcome the ferocity of tigers and rhinos. Furthermore, among monks none was like Dao'an: Dao'an associated with Xi Zuochi, revering Confucianism. Among monks none was like Huiyuan: Huiyuan saw off Lu Xiujing, crossing Tiger Creek, esteeming Daoism. I admire how these two eminent monks liked Confucianism and esteemed Daoism; yet the sons of Śākya may still criticize them. Since I respect others, how could others look down on me? Please trust that the deeds of Dao'an and Huiyuan are worthy of emulation. The Book of Odes says: 'Carving an axe handle, carving an axe handle; the pattern is not far off.' Mencius said: 'The timeliness of heaven is not as good as the advantages of earth; the advantages of earth are not as good as harmony among people.' Is this not what is meant?"