佛祖統紀 43.38

43.38

述曰。凡釋道二家之言天。名可不同而體不可不同也。如來聖人如實知見三界。不可謂不盡也。而道家諸書淺繆無識。故名與體皆不同。如度人經諸道書。或云三十六天。謂欲界六天色界十八天無色界四天。此二十八為三界內有生死。其上更有四梵天為三界外。斷生死一災。又其上有三清天。最上為大羅天。此等雖欲比同佛經三界之語。殊不知四梵三清竟無實位。蓋凡言界外斷生死者。即三乘與佛耳。豈當復指三清諸天輪轉之徒哉。張無盡述息諍論。引黃帝內書云。太一者。元一之氣。始生於太虛之上。有玉京山。四方各有八天。三十二帝。玉京之上有玉清上清太清。三清之上有虛皇十天。元老元君元尊天真九皇居之。天皇真人。降天真九氣分六元。而為混沌之象云云。無盡斷之曰。夫言玉京山三十二帝者。即佛之所謂須彌山頂忉利天也。虛皇天者。即佛所謂大梵天也。三清天者。即佛所謂空居天也。大梵天為世界主。不知上有光音諸天。而言我能有所生。有所生則氣有所降。此天真九皇所以降氣而造世界也。氣有陰陽則人有男女。如道家三清。侍以金童玉女。此欲界空居為三清天也（空居即夜摩為大清。兜率為上清。樂變化為玉清。他化自在為大羅天。然道書言天。矛盾自多難以定一）又王欽若奉詔撰翊聖真君傳。其間論佛最為失義。如翊聖云。諸天萬靈仙眾梵佛。悉來朝上帝。夫佛為三界師為天中尊。佛所住處梵天帝釋皆來衛從。明知天帝所以奉佛也。今傳言佛來朝帝。甚為無狀。翊聖既自言。帝輔其位高矣。未應有此失理之言。欽若稍稱知佛。作傳之辭亦未必有此語。特恐道流不知天位。妄撰此言入於傳中。雖欲尊天而卑佛。適所以誣天而慢佛也。戒之哉。

The commentary states: Whenever the two schools of Buddhism and Daoism speak of the heavens, their names may differ, but their substantial reality cannot differ. The sage Tathāgata knows and sees the three realms in accordance with reality; one cannot say he does not fathom them completely. Yet the various Daoist texts are shallow, absurd, and ignorant; hence both their names and substantial reality differ [from the truth]. For instance, Daoist texts such as the *Scripture of Salvation* sometimes speak of thirty-six heavens, claiming there are six heavens of the desire realm, eighteen heavens of the form realm, and four heavens of the formless realm. These twenty-eight are within the three realms and subject to birth and death. Above them, they further claim there are four Brahmā Heavens outside the three realms, where birth and death and the single calamity are severed. Further above them are the heavens of the Three Purities, and the highest is the Heaven of Grand Net (Daluo). Although these [Daoists] wish to equate [their scheme] with the words of the Buddhist scriptures concerning the three realms, they are completely unaware that the four Brahmā Heavens and the Three Purities actually possess no real stations. Generally speaking, those said to sever birth and death outside the realms are merely the Three Vehicles and the Buddhas. How could they possibly refer to the heavens of the Three Purities, which are mere retinues within the cycle of transmigration? Zhang Wujin authored the *Treatise on Quelling Disputes*, citing the *Inner Scripture of the Yellow Thearch*, which states: 'The Great One is the pneumatic vapor of the Primordial One, originating above the Great Void. There is Mount Yujing. In each of the four directions there are eight heavens and thirty-two thearchs. Above Yujing are Jade Purity, Highest Purity, and Grand Purity. Above the Three Purities are the ten heavens of the Void Sovereign, inhabited by the Primordial Elder, Primordial Lord, Primordial Sovereign, and the Heavenly Realized Nine Thearchs. The Realized Person of the Heavenly Sovereign sends down the nine pneuma of the heavenly realized, dividing the six primordials, forming the likeness of chaos,' and so on. Wujin judged this, saying: 'The thirty-two thearchs of Mount Yujing mentioned here are precisely what the Buddha called the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven atop Mount Sumeru. The Heaven of the Void Sovereign is precisely what the Buddha called the Mahābrahmā Heaven. The heavens of the Three Purities are precisely what the Buddha called the heavens dwelling in empty space. The Mahābrahmā Heaven is the master of the world; not knowing that the heavens of Ābhāsvara and above exist, he claims: "I can engender beings." If he engenders beings, then pneuma descends; this is why the Heavenly Realized Nine Thearchs descend their pneuma to create the world. Since pneuma possesses yīn and yáng, human beings have male and female. Just like the Daoist Three Purities, who are attended by golden youths and jade maidens, these heavens dwelling in the empty space of the desire realm are the heavens of the Three Purities.' (Those dwelling in empty space are: Yāma as Grand Purity, Tuṣita as Highest Purity, Nirmāṇarati as Jade Purity, and Paranirmitavaśavartin as the Heaven of Grand Net. However, Daoist texts contain many contradictions when speaking of the heavens, making it difficult to determine a single system.) Furthermore, Wang Qinruo composed the *Account of the True Lord Assisting the Sagely* by imperial edict. Its discussions of the Buddha miss the mark most severely. For instance, the Assisting Sagely [True Lord] said that the myriad spirits of all the heavens, assemblies of immortals, and Brahmā-buddhas all come to pay court to the Sovereign on High. Now, the Buddha is the teacher of the three realms and the most venerable among the devas. Wherever the Buddha dwells, Brahmā and Śakra all come to protect and escort him. This clearly shows that the heavenly sovereigns revere the Buddha. Now the *Account* claims that the Buddha comes to pay court to the Sovereign, which is utterly improper. Since the Assisting Sagely [True Lord] spoke of himself as an imperial assistant, his rank was high; he should not have uttered such unreasonable words. Qinruo was moderately reputed to know Buddhism; his words in drafting the *Account* would not necessarily have contained this statement. One fears especially that Daoists, ignorant of heavenly ranks, falsely invented these words and inserted them into the *Account*. Though they wished to exalt Heaven and belittle the Buddha, it precisely resulted in slandering Heaven and slighting the Buddha. Let this be a warning!