歷代三寶紀 10.2

10.2

Regarding the Song dynasty record: Liu Yu, styled Deyu, was a man of Duxiang in Pengcheng. At the time of his birth, a divine light illuminated the room. He was seven chi and six cun tall. He accepted the abdication of the Eastern Jin and proclaimed the Song, remaining with Jiankang as his capital. By the Yuanjia reign of the third ruler, a memorial was submitted stating: 'Recently, temples and stūpas have been overly adorned, and those who pursue merit have become increasingly extravagant and competitive day by day.' Emperor Wen questioned Palace Attendant He [Shangzhi], saying: 'Fan Tai and Xie Lingyun both maintained that the Six Classics were originally meant to aid the mundane, but for the true essentials of spiritual nature, one must take the Buddhist scriptures as a guide. These words of worthy and eminent figures truly hold truth. If all within the borders could be made pure by this transformation, then We could bring about supreme peace with folded hands and robes.' Shangzhi replied: 'The Central Court is far off, difficult to know completely. Since crossing the river, Wang Dao and Zhou Yi were the foremost of prime ministers; Wang Meng and Xie Shang were paragons of human virtue. Xi Chao, Wang Mi, and others were either called transcendent above the crowd or regarded as matchless. A summary of several dozen men—none were not outstanding talents. Upāsakas were never lacking at any time. Dharma Master Huiyuan said: "The transformation wrought by the Śākya clan may be applied anywhere without exception." Your subject considers this statement to accord with profound truth. Why is this so? In a village of a hundred households, if ten people uphold the five precepts, then ten people will be honest and cautious; in a town of a thousand families, if a hundred people cultivate the ten virtues, then a hundred people will live in harmony. When this moral teaching is spread across the entire realm, among millions of registered households there will be millions of benevolent people. For if one can practice one good deed, one eliminates one evil; if one eliminates one evil, one puts an end to one penalty. When one penalty is ended in a household, ten thousand penalties are ended in the state. Thus Your Majesty's words regarding bringing about supreme peace while seated are indeed correct. Therefore, when Fotudeng entered Ye, Shi Hu's slaughter was cut in half; the stūpa at Mianchi radiated light, and Fu Jian's saw-torture was thereby ceased. Juqu Mengxun, ruthless and turning on his kin, was as cruel as jackals and tigers, yet in his final years he awakened and reformed, ultimately becoming a good man. As for the monk Fatai, his strength was equal to ten thousand men; when on the verge of chaos along the Yellow and Wei rivers, he bound his own arms and willingly faced death to relieve his master's distress. How could this not be the pervasive reach of inner transformation?' At the time, the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Yang Xuanbao was seated there and came forward to say: 'Your subject secretly fears that when Qin and Zhao discussed the arts of military strength, and Sunzi and Wu Qi exhausted schemes of annexation, they found nothing to take from this.' The Emperor said: 'These are not instruments for the Warring States period; it is truly as you say.' Shangzhi said: 'If one honors recluses, warriors will grow lax; if one values benevolence and virtue, the military spirit will decline. If one holds the mindset of Sun and Wu, intent on swallowing up others, one would likewise find nothing to take from the Way of Yao and Shun. How could it only be the teachings of the Buddha?' The Emperor was delighted and said: 'Having you in the Śākya gate is just as Confucius had Zilu: so-called evil words do not enter the ear. Arguing on this basis, your words may indeed be called consummate.' The Dharma is made manifest through people; the Buddha entrusted it to emperors and kings. From this time onward, the Buddhist teachings flourished greatly under the Song dynasty. Renowned monks and wise scholars were as abundant as rice and hemp; precious monasteries and golden wheels stood thick as bamboo and reeds. Succeeding through eight rulers over fifty-nine years, the various translators, Chinese and foreign, monastic and lay, numbered twenty-three. In all, they produced sūtras, vinayas, prātimokṣa codes, karmavācanā texts, upadeśas, abhidharma treatises, biographies, and catalogues totaling two hundred and ten works in four hundred and ninety fascicles, compiled as the Song Dynasty Jiankang Catalogue.