佛祖統紀 45.30

45.30

The author remarks: In my youth, when I served my teacher Master Yuan (named Ji, who was Prefectural Director of Studies and nephew of Lord Jiezhai Zhengxian), I saw him reading military texts of Sun and Wu with local scholars. I heard him discuss: "The warfare of Confucians accords with the Constant Way. Cherishing and nurturing the officers and men, not slaying a single person without cause—this is benevolence. Saving the times and braving perils without forgetting one's sovereign—this is righteousness. Two armies facing off sending envoys back and forth—this is propriety. Securing the borders, bringing rest to the people, and each keeping the covenant—this is trustworthiness. As for being in the right while the other is in the wrong, sending forth troops with correctness and gaining victory through unorthodox strategy—this is wisdom. Now, one with wisdom does not stagnate in one corner. There are those who calculate beforehand and conquer, and there are those who adapt to circumstances on the spot and conquer. The application of wisdom is unfixed, communicating with the divine; even the closest kin, father and son, cannot tell one another. That being so, how could words on paper be sufficient to exhaust its meaning?" Forty-five years have passed since I heard these words. Now observing what is recorded in the *Donglin lu*, I am even more convinced that Lord Yuan's words share the same intent as Zuyin's.