佛祖統紀 39.51

39.51

述曰。或謂太宗手自誅殺。真忍人也。殊不知隋為不道。天將興唐。太宗方間關於軍伍之中。當梗化害政。適在目擊。不亟剪去則有妨於機事。奉天命以除殘賊。非如桀紂無辜殺人貫盈罪惡之比。天下既定仁心自存。唯知佛法可為拯濟。建齋行懺惠及幽關。蓋所以拔沈苦以遂有生。真仁恕之君也。

The Narrator states: Some say that Taizong personally slaughtered people and was truly a cruel man. Little do they know that the Sui was unprincipled, and Heaven was about to raise up the Tang. Taizong was caught in the midst of military campaigns; encountering those who obstructed transformation and harmed governance directly before his eyes, had he not swiftly cut them down, it would have hindered strategic operations. Obeying Heaven's mandate to eradicate brutal bandits is not to be compared with Jie and Zhou murdering the innocent, whose guilt and evil reached full measure. Once the realm was settled, his benevolent heart naturally remained. Knowing only that the Buddhadharma could bring salvation, he established vegetarian feasts, performed repentance, and extended kindness to the nether regions; this was how he plucked [souls] out of deep suffering and fulfilled living beings. He was truly a benevolent and forgiving sovereign!