佛祖統紀 47.30

47.30

二十七年八月。禮部侍郎賀允中上殿。上問。天下僧道幾何。答曰。僧二十萬。道士萬人。上曰。朕見士大夫奉佛者。多乞放度牒。今田業多荒。不耕而食者二十萬人。若更給度牒。是驅農為僧也。佛法自漢明入中國。其道廣大終不可廢。朕非有意絕之。正恐僧徒多則不耕者眾。故暫停度僧耳（聖政錄）。

In the twenty-seventh year, in the eighth month: Vice Minister of Rites He Yunzhong went up to the hall. The Emperor asked: 'How many monks and Daoists are there in the realm?' He answered: 'Two hundred thousand monks, and ten thousand Daoists.' The Emperor said: 'We see that among scholar-officials who venerate the Buddha, many beg for the release of ordination certificates. Now farmland is largely deserted, yet two hundred thousand people eat without plowing. If We grant more ordination certificates, this would be driving farmers to become monks. Since Han Mingdi, the Buddha's Dharma entered the Central Kingdom; its Way is vast and grand, and ultimately cannot be abolished. It is not that We intend to extinguish it; We only fear that if the monastic followers are numerous, those who do not plow will be many, so We merely temporarily suspend the ordination of monks.' (Record of Imperial Policies).