佛祖統紀 38.88

38.88

二年二月。集百僚僧道論三教先後。以儒為先。道次之。釋居後○詔群臣沙門道士。於內殿博議三教。法猛法師立論理勝。司隷大夫甄鸞上笑道論。凡三十六篇。用笑道家三十六部。以釋教有十二部。今三倍勝之（弘明集）○帝集僧道。宣旨曰。六經儒教於世為宜。真佛無像空崇塔廟。愚人信順徒竭珍財。凡是經像宜從除毀。父母恩重沙門不敬。斯為悖逆之甚。國法豈容。並令反俗用崇孝養。時慧遠法師出眾抗答曰。若以形像無情。事之無福。國家七廟豈是有情。帝曰。佛經外國之法。故當廢之。七廟上世所立。朕亦不以為然將同廢之矣。師曰。若以外國之法非此所用。仲尼所說出自魯國。秦晉之地亦應不行。七廟若廢則五經無用。三教同廢何以治國。帝曰。魯與秦晉。封域雖殊。莫非一王之化。師曰。若秦魯同一王化。震旦天竺同在閻浮輪王一化。何不同遵。帝與師往復數至十二。帝不能屈。三年五月。帝欲偏廢釋教。令道士張賓飾詭辭以挫釋子。法師知玄抗酬精壯。帝意賓不不能制。即震天威以垂難辭。左右吒玄聽制。玄安庠應對。陳義甚高。陪位大臣莫不欽難。獨帝不說。明日下詔。并罷釋道二教。悉毀經像。沙門道士並令還俗。時國境僧道反服者二百餘萬○六月詔釋道有名德者。別立通道觀。置學士百二十員。著衣冠笏履。以彥琮等為學士。沙門道安有宿望欲官之。安以死拒號慟不食而終（前曾作二教論）○法師靜藹聞詔下。詣闕奉表求見。帝引對。極陳毀教報應之事。帝改容謝遣之。遂遁入終南山。號泣七日。坐磐石引刀自條其肉。掛膓胃于松枝。捧心而卒。白乳旁流凝於石上。聞者莫不流涕。

In the second month of the second year, the Emperor gathered the civil and military officials, Buddhist monks, and Daoists to debate the hierarchy of the Three Teachings, placing Confucianism first, Daoism second, and Buddhism last. An imperial edict summoned the ministers, monks, and Daoists to conduct an extensive debate on the Three Teachings in the inner palace. Dharma Master Fameng's reasoning was superior in his argumentation. Zhen Luan, Director of the Censors, presented the Xiaodao lun (Treatise Laughing at the Dao) in thirty-six chapters, ridiculing the thirty-six divisions of Daoism on the grounds that the Buddhist teachings have twelve divisions, and Daoism now merely claimed a threefold excess (found in the Hongming ji). The Emperor assembled the monks and Daoists and proclaimed his imperial decree: "The Six Classics of Confucianism are suitable for the world. The true Buddha is formless, yet stupas and shrines are built in vain. Ignorant people blindly follow, squandering precious wealth to no avail. All scriptures and images should be destroyed. The kindness of parents is profound, yet the monks do not revere it; this is the height of defiance and rebellion, which the laws of the realm can by no means tolerate. Let them all be returned to secular life to practice filial support." At that time, Dharma Master Huiyuan stepped forward from the assembly and countered: "If images are considered inanimate and serving them yields no blessing, can the state's seven ancestral temples be considered animate?" The Emperor said: "The Buddhist scriptures are laws of foreign countries, and therefore should be abolished. The seven ancestral temples were established by past generations; I do not consider them correct either, and intend to abolish them as well." The Master said: "If foreign laws are not to be used here, what Confucius taught originated in the state of Lu; it should likewise not be implemented in the lands of Qin and Jin. If the seven ancestral temples are abolished, then the Five Classics are useless; if all three teachings are abolished, how will the state be governed?" The Emperor said: "Although the boundaries of Lu, Qin, and Jin were distinct, none lay outside the transformation of a single king." The Master said: "If Qin and Lu belonged to the single transformation of one king, then Cīnasthāna and Tianzhu both exist within Jambudvīpa under the single transformation of a wheel-turning king; why not follow them together?" The Emperor and the Master debated back and forth as many as twelve times, and the Emperor was unable to make him yield. In the fifth month of the third year, the Emperor wished to abolish Buddhism alone, so he ordered the Daoist Zhang Bin to formulate deceptive arguments to confound the Buddhist monks. Dharma Master Zhixuan responded with vigorous refinement. Sensing that Bin could not restrain him, the Emperor displayed his imperial wrath and handed down difficult challenges. The attendants shouted at Xuan to listen to the imperial will. Xuan calmly answered, presenting exalted principles. None of the attending ministers failed to hold him in awe; the Emperor alone was displeased. The next day, an edict was issued simultaneously abolishing both Buddhism and Daoism. All scriptures and images were destroyed, and both monks and Daoists were ordered to return to secular life. At that time, more than two million monks and Daoists within the realm were forced to change their attire. In the sixth month, an edict ordered the famous and virtuous among Buddhists and Daoists to establish a separate Tongdao Abbey, staffing it with one hundred and twenty academicians, who wore official robes, caps, tablets, and shoes. Yancong and others were made academicians. Because the monk Dao'an held high renown, the Emperor wished to appoint him to office. Dao'an refused to the death, weeping loudly, fasting, and passing away (he had earlier composed the Treatise on the Two Teachings). When Dharma Master Jing'ai heard that the edict had been issued, he went to the palace gate and presented a memorial seeking an audience. The Emperor summoned him for an audience, during which he fully expounded upon the retribution for destroying the teaching. The Emperor changed his expression, expressed his regrets, and dismissed him. Jing'ai then withdrew into Mount Zhongnan, wept loudly for seven days, and sitting upon a boulder, took a knife and sliced off his own flesh, hanging his intestines and stomach upon pine branches, and died holding his heart. White milk flowed beside him and congealed upon the rock. None who heard of it could refrain from weeping.