佛祖統紀 46.44

46.44

The author remarks: When Cai Jing first met Lin Lingsu, he thought him an extraordinary person, recommended and introduced him, intending to forge an alliance with him before the Emperor so as to consolidate his own favor. When Lingsu gained the sovereign's favor and acted tyrannically by suppressing Buddhism and promoting Daoism, Jing then became afraid of public criticism and hurriedly spoke of his falsehoods, but it was too late! This is just as when Jing initially recommended Tong Guan, considering him capable; when Guan held exclusive control of the northern expeditions and ceased to report fully to the court, Jing then developed a great hatred for him and repeatedly spoke of his faults, but it was too late! In general, Cai Jing, having the qualities of a wicked man, wished to enlist partisans to assist himself in monopolizing state governance; but Tong Guan and Lin Lingsu were also of the class of wicked men, and thus they could not tolerate each other and instead hated one another. Thus Cai Jing cannot be without blame for advancing these two villains. If someone should say that Jing was capable of exposing the crimes of the two villains because he knew remorse, I would reply to him: Jing spoke of their faults because the two villains monopolized power and did not cooperate with him; his accusations were words of hatred, not at all comparable to the pure criticisms of righteous and upright gentlemen.