佛祖歷代通載 16.35

16.35

八月制曰。朕聞三代以前未有言佛。漢魏之後像教寖興。由是季時傳此異俗。因緣染習蔓衍滋多。以至於蠹耗國家而漸不覺。以至於誘惑人情而眾益迷。泊於九有山原兩京城闕。僧徒日廣佛寺日崇。勞人力於土木之功。奪人利於金寶之飾。移君親於師資之際。違配偶於戒律之間。壞法害人無逾此道。且一夫不田有受其飢者。今天下僧尼不可勝數。皆待農而食待蠶而衣。寺宇招提莫知紀極。皆雲架藻飾僭擬宮居。晉宋齊梁物力凋弊風俗澆詐。莫不由是而致也。況我高祖太宗以武定禍亂以文理天下。執此兩端而以經邦。豈以西方區區之教與我抗衡哉。貞觀開元亦嘗釐革剗除未盡。流衍轉滋。朕博覽前言旁求心輿議。弊之可革斷在不疑。而中外誠臣協予正意。條流至當宜在必行。懲千古之蠧源。成百王之典法。即人利眾予何讓焉。其天下所拆寺還俗僧尼收充稅戶。於戲前古未行似將有待。及今盡去豈謂無時。驅游惰不業之徒幾五十萬。廢丹雘無用之室凡六萬區。自此清淨訓人。慕無為之理。簡易齊政。成一俗之功。將使六合黔黎同歸皇化。尚以革弊之始日用不知。下制明廷宜體予意。

In the eighth month, an imperial proclamation stated: “We have heard that prior to the Three Dynasties, the Buddha was not spoken of. After the Han and Wei, the teaching of images gradually arose. From that time on, through decadent ages, these strange customs spread, and through conditioning and habit they spread and multiplied ever more, until they consumed the state without anyone gradually realizing it, and seduced human emotions so that the multitude became increasingly deluded. Down to the mountains and plains of the nine realms and the gates and walls of the two capitals, the followers of monks daily expanded, and Buddhist monasteries were daily exalted. They exhausted human labor on works of earth and timber, and robbed human resources for decorations of gold and jewels. They transferred duty to sovereign and parents into the relation between master and disciple, and violated the bonds of spouses within monastic discipline. In damaging laws and harming people, nothing exceeds this path. Moreover, when one man does not plow, there are those who suffer hunger for it. Now the monks and nuns throughout the empire are beyond count; all rely on farmers to eat, and rely on silkworms to be clothed. The monastic dwellings and saṅghārāmas are beyond limit, all with cloud-soaring brackets and painted decorations usurping the likeness of palace abodes. The exhaustion of material wealth and the degradation of customs into frivolity and deceit under the Jin, Song, Qi, and Liang were all brought about by this. How much more so given that Our High Ancestor (Gaozu) and Supreme Ancestor (Taizong) pacified calamity and disorder through martial might and ordered the empire through civil virtues! Taking hold of these two handles to govern the state, how could a trifling teaching from the Western Regions be permitted to contend with us? During the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras, reforms were also attempted, but the weeding-out was not exhaustive, and the spread grew ever more luxuriant. We have widely surveyed ancient records and broadly sought public opinion; that this evil can be reformed is decided beyond doubt. Furthermore, loyal ministers at court and abroad have harmonized with Our righteous intentions; the provisions are most fitting and should be carried out without fail. To punish the source of harm across a thousand ages and accomplish the canonical models of a hundred kings, to benefit the people and the masses, why should We defer? Let the demolished monasteries throughout the empire be converted and the secularized monks and nuns be collected to fill the tax-paying households. Ah! That this was not carried out in ancient times seemed to await [Our reign]; arriving at this day, to eradicate it entirely, can it be said to lack its proper time? We have driven out nearly five hundred thousand idle and non-working people, and abolished a total of sixty thousand painted and useless buildings. From this point forward, purity will instruct the people, who will admire the principle of non-action (asaṃskṛta); simplification will unify the administration and achieve the effect of a uniform custom. This will cause the black-haired commoners within the six directions to return together to imperial transformation. Fearing that at the beginning of reforming this abuse, people use it daily without knowing, this decree is promulgated at the luminous court; you should embody Our will.”