佛祖歷代通載 12.72

12.72

（三十一）　詔斂天下僧錢。日一文聚作大像於白馬阪。宰相狄仁傑上疏諫曰。為政之本必先人事。陛下矜念群生迷謬弱喪無歸。欲令像法兼行覩相生善。然今之伽藍制過宮室。窮奢極壯刻繪盡功。寶技殫於綴嚴。瓌材極於輪奐。工不役鬼。物不天來。既皆出於民。將何以堪之。且生之有時。用之無度。編戶所奉常若不充。痛切肌膚不辭捶楚。游僧一說矯陳禍福。剪髮解衣仍漸其少。亦有離間骨肉事均路人。身自納妻謂無彼我。皆託佛法詿誤愚人。里陌動有經坊。闤闠尤多精舍。化誘諄切倍於官徵。法事供需嚴逾制勅。膏腴物業水磑庄園。富有其多不知厭斁。逃丁辟罪駢集法門。且一夫不耕猶受其弊。浮食者眾又劫人財。臣每念之實切悲痛。昔梁武簡文捨施無算。及三維浪沸五嶺烟騰。列剎盈衢莫救危亡之禍。緇衣蔽路。豈有勤主之功。況北風塵屢擾征役稍繁。遽興此務力所未堪。伏惟功德無量。何必興建大像以勞費為名乎。雖斂僧錢百未及一。尊容既廣不可露居。覆以百層尚憂未遍。臣今兼採眾議。咸以為如來設教以慈悲為主。普濟群品是其用心。豈以勞人而存虛飾哉。疏奏。則天不納。

(31) An imperial edict was issued to collect money from monks throughout the empire, at one coin per day, to pool together and make a great statue at Baimaban. Prime Minister Di Renjie submitted a memorial admonishing her, saying: "The root of governance must prioritize human affairs. Your Majesty takes pity on the multitudes who are confused and deluded, weak and perished without refuge, wishing to advance the Semblance Dharma and cause them to produce goodness upon seeing the sacred images. Yet today's monasteries surpass the imperial palaces in scale; their luxury and magnificence are pushed to the utmost, exhausting human skill in carving and painting. Precious artistry is consumed in adornment, and rare timbers are spent lavishly on magnificent structures. The laborers are not ghosts put to service, nor does the material come from heaven; since both derive from the people, how can they endure it? Moreover, wealth is generated at fixed times, but consumed without measure; what the registered households supply is constantly insufficient, suffering pain to the skin and marrow without escaping beatings. Wandering monks, with a single speech, falsely proclaim fortune and misfortune; people shave their hair and shed their clothes, yet still feel ashamed that their offerings are few. There are also those who sever family ties, treating relatives like strangers, while taking wives themselves under the claim that there is no distinction between self and other; all of them rely on the Buddha-Dharma to mislead foolish people. In every lane and street there are scripture shops; in the marketplaces there are even more vihāras. Their solicitations are more persistent and pressing than official levies; their requisitions for Buddhist rituals are stricter than imperial decrees. They possess fertile estates, water mills, and manors, becoming exceedingly wealthy without knowing satiation. Those evading taxes and fleeing crimes gather densely within the gates of the Dharma. Now, if one man does not plow, the empire already suffers the harm; when there are so many who eat in idleness, they rob the people of their wealth. Whenever your servant reflects on this, he is truly cut with deep grief. Formerly, Emperors Wu and Jianwen of the Liang made gifts and offerings beyond count; yet when the three borders boiled like waves and the Five Ridges rose in smoke, the rows of monasteries that filled the thoroughfares could not save them from the disaster of peril and collapse. When black robes covered the roads, how did they exert any effort to aid their ruler? Furthermore, the dust of the northern winds repeatedly causes turmoil, and military campaigns have become somewhat burdensome; suddenly undertaking this enterprise exceeds our strength. I humbly submit that Your Majesty's merit is immeasurable; why must you construct a great statue under the pretext of an onerous and costly endeavor? Although money is to be collected from monks, it will not cover even one percent. Once the sacred visage is vast, it cannot stand in the open; even covering it with a hundred storeys, there is still fear that it will not be completely housed. Your servant has now gathered diverse opinions, and all believe that the Tathāgata established his teachings taking compassion as the primary foundation, and universally saving all kinds of beings is his true intention. How could he trouble the people merely to maintain empty adornment?" When the memorial was submitted, Zetian did not accept it.