佛祖歷代通載 10.36

10.36

（十三　戊戌）　周武承光二年。滅北齊據鄴都。用韋孝寬楊堅等眷東平高氏。召前修大德並赴殿下。帝登座序廢立義。其略曰。六經儒教禮義忠孝。於世有宜。故須存立。且真佛無相遙敬表心。佛經廣歎崇建浮圖徒廢民財。凡是經像皆毀滅之。一切僧尼並令還俗。朕意如此。諸大德謂理何如。于時沙門大統五百餘人。咸以王威震赫決諫難從。關內已除。義非孤立。眾各默然。下勅催答。並相顧無色。俛首垂淚。于時有沙門惠遠者。姓王氏。乃曇始和上之門資也。聲名光價。乃自惟曰。佛法之寄四眾是依。豈以杜言謂能通理。遂排眾出對曰。陛下統臨大域得一居尊。隨俗致詞憲章三教。詔云。真佛無相誠如天旨。但耳目生靈賴聞經佛藉像表真。今若廢之無以興敬。帝曰。虛空真佛咸自知之。何假經像。遠曰。漢明已前經像未至此土。含生何故不知虛空是佛。帝時無答。遠曰。若不藉經教自知有法者。三皇以前未有文字。人應自知有五常等法。當時諸人何故但識其母不識其父同於禽獸。帝又無語。遠曰。若以形像無情事之無福故須廢者。則國家七廟豈是有情而妄相尊事。帝又不答。乃曰。佛經外國之法。此國不須。國家七廟上代所立。朕亦不以為是。將同廢之。遠曰。若以外國之經非此用者。仲尼所說出自魯國。秦晉之地亦應廢而不行。又以七廟為非將亦廢者。則是不尊祖考。祖考不尊則昭穆失序。昭穆失序則五經無用。前存儒教其義安立。若是則三教同廢。將何治國。帝曰。魯邦之與秦晉封域乃殊。莫非王者一化。故不類佛經。七廟之難帝無以通。遠曰。若以秦魯同遵一化經義通行者。其震旦之與天竺國界雖殊。莫不同在閻浮四海之內輪王一化。何不遵佛經而令獨廢。帝又無答。遠曰。退僧還家崇孝養者。孔經亦云。立身行道以顯父母。即是孝行。何必還家。帝曰。父母恩重交資色養。棄親向疎未成至孝。遠曰。若如是者陛下左右皆有二親。何不放之乃使長假五年不見父母。帝曰。朕亦依番上下得歸侍奉。遠曰。佛亦聽僧。冬夏隨緣修道。春秋歸家侍養。故目連乞食餉母。如來檐棺臨葬。此理大通未可獨廢。帝又無答。遠抗聲曰。陛下今恃王力自在廢滅佛法。是邪見人。阿鼻地獄下揀貴賤。陛下何得不怖。帝悖然作色大怒。直視於遠曰。但令百姓得樂。朕亦不辭地獄諸苦。遠曰。陛下以邪法化人現種苦業。當共陛下同趣阿鼻。何處有樂可得。帝屈無對。所圖意盛更無所答。但云。僧等且還。有司錄取論僧姓字。帝已行虐。師知時不濟。隱居楚澤青蓮山養道。造涅槃等疏。有擲筆凌空之驗。武既怒佛道二宗俱被廢滅。東川寺觀凡四萬餘區。並賜王公。僧道三百萬人悉充軍民。財產並收入官。帝以為得志焉。傷哉。

(13. Wuxu) In the second year of Chengguang, Emperor Wu of Zhou destroyed Northern Qi and occupied the capital of Ye. Employing Wei Xiaokuan, Yang Jian, and others, he took control of the east and pacified the Gao clan. He summoned all the preeminent bhadantas of previous training to gather below the palace hall. The Emperor ascended the throne and laid out the reasoning for proscription and preservation. In brief, he said: “The Six Classics of Confucian teaching—ritual, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety—are appropriate for the world, and therefore must be preserved and maintained. Moreover, the true Buddha has no form; revering him from afar demonstrates the mind. Buddhist scriptures widely praise the construction of stūpas, vainly wasting the people's wealth. All scriptures and images are to be destroyed, and all monks and nuns ordered to return to secular life. Such is our intention. What do you bhadantas think of its logic?” At that time, over five hundred grand leaders of the śramaṇas all felt that the royal majesty was terrifyingly glorious, that direct remonstrance would be hard to accept, and since [the religion] had already been eradicated within the Passes, its doctrine was not an isolated matter, so each remained silent. An imperial decree was issued pressing for an answer; they all looked at one another, pale, bowing their heads and weeping. At that time, there was a śramaṇa named Huiyuan, whose surname was Wang, a disciple of the Upādhyāya Tanshi. His fame and prestige were illustrious. He thought to himself: “The Buddha-Dharma's entrustment relies upon the fourfold assembly. How can we imagine that holding our tongues can communicate the truth?” He thereupon pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, and replied: “Your Majesty presides over the great realm and holds supreme honor as the One. Adapting to the world, you deliver speech and take the three teachings as models. The edict says: 'The true Buddha has no form.' This is truly as Your Majesty dictates. Yet sentient beings with ears and eyes rely on hearing scriptures and seeing Buddhas, depending on images to manifest the truth. If they are abolished now, there will be no way to arouse reverence.” The Emperor said: “All naturally know the true Buddha of empty space. What need is there for scriptures and images?” Yuan said: “Before Emperor Ming of the Han, scriptures and images had not arrived in this land. Why did sentient beings not know that empty space is the Buddha?” At that time, the Emperor had no answer. Yuan said: “If one can know the Dharma naturally without relying on scriptural teachings, then before the Three Sovereigns, when there was no writing, people should have naturally known matters such as the Five Constants. Why did the people of that time only recognize their mothers and not their fathers, being the same as birds and beasts?” The Emperor was silent again. Yuan said: “If it is because images are insentient and serving them brings no merit that they must be abolished, then can the state's Seven Ancestral Temples be sentient, such that they are arbitrarily revered and served?” The Emperor again gave no answer, but said: “Buddhist scriptures are the methods of foreign countries; this country has no use for them. The state's Seven Ancestral Temples were erected by former eras; we also do not consider them correct, and will abolish them together.” Yuan said: “If because they are scriptures from a foreign country they are not to be used here, then what Confucius spoke originated from the state of Lu; the lands of Qin and Jin should also abolish it and not put it into practice. Furthermore, if the Seven Ancestral Temples are considered wrong and will also be abolished, then this is not revering the ancestors. If ancestors are not revered, the order of generational altars will be lost; if the generational altars lose their order, the Five Classics are useless. On what basis, then, is the previous preservation of the Confucian teaching established? If it is like this, all three teachings will be abolished together. With what will you govern the state?” The Emperor said: “The domains of the state of Lu and those of Qin and Jin were indeed distinct, yet they were all subject to the single transformation of a king, and thus they are not comparable to Buddhist scriptures.” To the refutation concerning the Seven Ancestral Temples, the Emperor had no way to respond. Yuan said: “If Qin and Lu together followed a single transformation and the meaning of their scriptures was universally practiced, then although the borders of Zhen Dan (China) and Tianzhu are distinct, do they not all equally reside within the Four Seas of Jambudvīpa under the single transformation of a cakravartin? Why not follow the Buddhist scriptures instead of ordering their sole abolition?” The Emperor again had no answer. Yuan said: “As for returning the monks home to emphasize filial nurturing, Confucius's scripture also says: 'Establishing oneself and practicing the Way so as to glorify one's parents is the conduct of filial piety.' Why must they return home?” The Emperor said: “The kindness of parents is profound, demanding sustenance with pleasant expressions. Abandoning close kin to turn toward the distant does not constitute utmost filial piety.” Yuan said: “If so, those at Your Majesty's left and right all have parents. Why not release them, rather than causing them to take long furloughs and not see their parents for five years?” The Emperor said: “They also take turns on duty, being able to return home to serve.” Yuan said: “The Buddha also allows monks to cultivate the Way according to conditions in winter and summer, and return home to serve their parents in spring and autumn. Thus Maudgalyāyana begged for food to feed his mother, and the Tathāgata carried his [father's] coffin to the funeral. This principle is widely unobstructed; it must not be abolished alone.” The Emperor again had no answer. Yuan raised his voice and said: “Your Majesty now relies on the sovereign power of your position to willfully abolish and destroy the Buddha-Dharma. You are a person of wrong view. Avīci Hell does not distinguish between the noble and the base; how can Your Majesty not be afraid?” The Emperor suddenly changed countenance in great fury, stared directly at Yuan, and said: “So long as the common people obtain happiness, we shall not shirk all the sufferings of hell!” Yuan said: “Your Majesty uses erroneous teachings to transform the people, now planting bitter karma; they will accompany Your Majesty to Avīci together. Whence could there be happiness obtained?” The Emperor was bested and had no response; his intention to execute the plan was fierce, and he said no more, only saying: “The monks may return for now. Let the officials record the names of the monks who debated.” The Emperor had already carried out the atrocities. The Master knew that the times could not be helped, so he went into seclusion in the Mount Qinglian of the Chu marshes to cultivate the Way, writing commentaries on texts such as the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra; there was the miracle of his brush leaping into the air. Emperor Wu, having grown angry, abolished and eradicated both the Buddhist and Daoist traditions. Over forty thousand monasteries and abbeys in Dongchuan were all bestowed upon princes and dukes. Three million monks and Daoists were all drafted as soldiers and commoners, and their property was entirely confiscated by the state. The Emperor considered his ambitions achieved. How lamentable!