佛祖統紀 38.89

38.89

述曰。佛道本常。有時而阨者。世人之業感耳。以故大小三災業感之大。三武滅僧。業感之小。然每當滅則必有聖賢者出。魏武有曇始。周武有知玄道安靜藹。皆為法忘身求復大教。而藹之條肉捧心。世或謂。其徒自苦辛。殊不知縱無益於當朝。猶足以感動世人俾知為法之切有若此者。武帝廢之。宣帝復之。曾不數年其道復振。疇知非藹師誠感之應乎。

The commentary says: The Buddha-Way is fundamentally eternal; its encountering distress at times is merely the karmic resonance of the people of the world. Thus, the three greater and lesser calamities are great karmic resonances; the three Emperors named Wu who destroyed the saṅgha are small karmic resonances. Yet whenever a destruction occurs, sage-like and worthy people surely appear. Emperor Wu of Wei had Tanshi; Emperor Wu of Zhou had Zhixuan, Dao'an, and Jing'ai. All of them sacrificed themselves for the Dharma, seeking to restore the Great Teaching. As for Jing'ai's slicing his flesh and holding his heart, worldly people might say that his suffering was in vain. Little do they know that even if it brought no immediate benefit to that court, it was still sufficient to move the people of the world, letting them know that devotion to the Dharma was as profound as this! Emperor Wu abolished it, and Emperor Xuan restored it; within merely a few years, the Way flourished again. Who can say that this was not an answer moved by Master Jing'ai's sincerity?