[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [佛祖統紀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035) › 35.95 # 佛祖統紀 35.95 佛祖統紀 35.95 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [35.95](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35.95) 述曰。智者荊溪之論曰。若眾生根性薄弱不堪深化。但授世藥。如周孔制禮作樂。五德行世。邊表根性不感佛興。我遣三聖化彼真丹。禮樂前驅真道後啟。清淨法行經云。月光菩薩彼稱顏回（別引法行經本稱光淨菩薩）。光淨菩薩彼稱孔子（別本稱儒童菩薩）。迦葉菩薩彼稱老子（別本云。迦葉應生震旦示號老子。設無外之教以治國。假神仙之術以治身）。此止觀輔行二處之證也。又據藏本冢墓因緣經云。閻浮界內有振旦國。我遣三聖在中。化導人民慈哀禮義具足（本文）。是知此土聖賢前後施化。皆我佛之所使。然而昧者不足以知。覽此二經可不增信善哉。李商隱（唐時）之讚佛曰。吾儒之師曰魯仲尼。仲尼師聃龍吾不知（史記孔子謂弟子曰。至於龍吾不知其乘風雲而上天。吾今目見老子其猶龍耶）。聃師竺乾善入無為（尹子西升經老子云。蓋聞竺乾有古皇先生。不生不滅善入無為。又云。古先生者即吾之師。甞化乎竺乾。又符子云。老氏之師名釋迦文）。稽首大覺吾師師師（三師者。言我師仲尼仲尼師老師釋也）。 > The author remarks: The discourse of Zhiyi and Jingxi says: 'If sentient beings' faculties and natures are weak and flimsy and they cannot endure deep transformation, we provide only worldly medicine—just as the Duke of Zhou and Confucius instituted rites and created music, and the five virtues were practiced in the world. Since the capacities of peripheral lands could not prompt the Buddha's arising, I sent three sages to transform that Cīnasthāna; rites and music served as the vanguard, and the true path was subsequently revealed.' The Scripture on the Pure Practice of the Dharma says: 'Bodhisattva Candraprabha is called Yan Hui there (another edition citing the Scripture on the Practice of the Dharma names him Bodhisattva Prabhāviśuddha); Bodhisattva Prabhāviśuddha is called Confucius there (another edition calls him the Youth Mānavaka); Bodhisattva Kāśyapa is called Laozi there (another edition says: Kāśyapa responded by taking birth in Cīnasthāna, manifesting under the name Laozi, establishing teachings without external bounds to govern the state, and adopting the techniques of divine immortals to cultivate the body).' These are proofs from two places in the Zhiguan fuxing. Furthermore, according to the edition of the Scripture on the Causes and Conditions of Tombs preserved in the canon, it says: 'Within the realm of Jambudvīpa there is the country of Cīnasthāna. I have dispatched three sages to dwell within it and guide the people so that benevolence, compassion, ritual propriety, and righteousness are fully realized' (this is the original text). Hence we know that the earlier and later teachings bestowed by the sages and worthies of this land were all commissioned by our Buddha. Yet the ignorant are incapable of recognizing this. Having examined these two scriptures, how could one not increase in faith? How wonderful! Li Shangyin's (of the Tang dynasty) praise of the Buddha states: 'The teacher of our Confucians is called Zhongni of Lu; / Zhongni took Dan as teacher, who like a dragon is beyond our ken / (the Shiji records that Confucius told his disciples: 'As for the dragon, I know not how it rides the winds and clouds to ascend to heaven; today I have seen Laozi, and he is just like a dragon!'). / Dan took as teacher the Indian who excelled at entering the unconditioned / (Yinxi's Xisheng jing quotes Laozi as saying: 'I have heard that in India there is the Ancient Celestial Sovereign, who neither arises nor perishes and excels at entering the unconditioned'; it also says: 'The Ancient Master is my teacher; he once transformed India.' Also, the Fuzi states: 'The teacher of Master Lao was named Śākyamuni'). / I bow my head to the Great Awakened One, the teacher of my teacher's teacher!' / (The 'three teachers' means: my teacher was Zhongni, Zhongni's teacher was Laozi, and Laozi's teacher was Śākyamuni.) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 35.94](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35.94) - [Next: 35.96](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35.96) - [Up: 35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035~en-mt.35.95) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35.95](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.35.95) · Pramāṇa