[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [佛祖統紀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035) › 47.31 # 佛祖統紀 47.31 佛祖統紀 47.31 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [47.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47.31) 述曰。高宗聰明而達於權道。故不放度牒。將抑僧以助農。如古人排佛。正以不耕為國蠧。可謂知政本矣。然嘗論之。今之為僧者。未暇以學道言之。或迫於兄弟之眾多。或因無田而不耕。皆天下之閒民也。深山蛇虎之鄉。邊海斥鹵之地。非田也。出家之士。率眾力憑志願。幸而可開為畝。皆天下之閒田也。以閒民食閒田。未嘗為農病也。矧今為農者常自多。常苦於天下之田少。而寺院之產常自定。不令閒民為僧則農益多。農多而常田少。農始病矣。去而為商賈。為百工。為遊乞。為倡優。趨末者紛紛然。又不能為則盜於海劫於陸。無所而不為矣。然則驅閒民而僧之。是亦為政之權道也。可不講明乎。 > The commentary says: Gaozong was discerning and understood expedients; hence he did not release ordination certificates, intending to curb monks to assist farmers. Just as the ancients opposed the Buddha precisely because not plowing was a vermin upon the state, he may be said to have known the foundation of government. Yet to reflect upon it: as for those who become monks today, leaving aside those who study the Way, some are pressured by having many brothers, and some do not plow because they have no land—they are all idle people of the realm. Regions of deep mountains, snakes, and tigers, or the barren salt-flats along the sea, are not farmable fields. Leaving the household, relying on the collective effort and their vows, if they are fortunate enough to reclaim them into fields, these are all the idle lands of the realm. For idle people to eat from idle lands has never been a detriment to farming. Moreover, nowadays those who engage in farming are inherently numerous, and constantly suffer from the shortage of land in the realm, whereas the properties of monasteries are fixed. If one does not let idle people become monks, then farmers will be even more numerous; with many farmers and little regular land, farming will begin to suffer. Going off to become merchants, artisans, itinerant beggars, or entertainers, those pursuing trivial professions will be in disarray; and if they cannot even do that, they will turn to piracy at sea and robbery on land, leaving nothing they will not do. That being so, driving idle people to become monks is also an expedient of governance; how could this not be clearly explained? > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 47.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47.30) - [Next: 47.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47.32) - [Up: 47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035~en-mt.47.31) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.47.31) · Pramāṇa