佛祖統紀 47.31

47.31

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?