佛祖歷代通載 16.51

16.51

（三十　乙亥）　○（勅法師辨章為三教首座）是年潭州道林沙門疏言。詣太原府訪求藏經。高士李節餞以序曰。業儒之人喜排釋氏。其論必曰。禹湯文武周公孔子之代。皆無有釋。釋氏之興。襄亂之所奉也。宜一掃絕剗革之使不得滋。釋氏源於漢。流於晉。瀰漫於宋魏齊梁陳隋唐。孝和聖真之間。論者之言粗矣。抑能知其然。未知其所然也。吾請言之。昔有一夫。膚腯而色凝。氣烈而神清。未嘗謁醫。未嘗禱鬼。恬然保順。罔有札瘥之患。固善也。即一夫不幸而有寒暑風濕之痾。背癃而足躄。耳瞶而目瞑。於是功熨之術用焉。禳禬之事紛焉。是二夫豈特相反耶。蓋病與不病勢異耳。嗟乎三代之前世康矣。三代之季世病矣。三代之前禹湯文武德義播之。周公孔子典教持之。道風雖衰漸漬猶存。詐不勝信惡知避善。於是有擊壤之歌。由庚之詩人人而樂也。三代之季道風大衰。力詐以覆信。扇澆而散樸。善以柔退。惡以強用。廢井田則豪窶相乘矣。貪封略則攻戰亟用矣。務實帑則聚斂之臣升矣。務勝下則掊剋之吏貴矣。上所以御其下者欺之。下所以奉其上者苟之。上下相仇激為怨俗。於是有汨羅之客。有負石之夫。人人愁怨也。夫釋氏之教以清淨恬虛為禪定。以柔謙退讓為忍辱。故怨爭可得而息也。以菲薄勤苦為修行。以窮達壽夭為因果。故陋賤可得而安也。故其喻云。必煩惱乃見佛性。則本衰代之風激之也。夫衰代之風舉無可樂者也。不有釋氏以救之。尚安所寄其心乎。論者不責衰代之俗。而尤釋氏之興。則是抱疾之夫。而責其醫禱攻療者也。徒知釋因衰代之興。不知衰代須釋氏之救也。何以言之耶。夫俗既病矣。人既愁矣。不有釋氏使安其分。勇者將奮而思鬪。智者將靜而思謀。則阡陌之人將紛紛而群起矣。今釋氏一歸之分而不責於人。故賢智俊朗之士皆息心焉。其不達此者愚人也。惟上所役焉。故罹衰亂之俗。可得而安賴此也。若之何而剪去之哉。論者不思釋氏扶世助化之大益。而疾其雕鎪綵繪之小費。吾故曰。能知其然。不知其所以然者也。會昌季年武宗大剪釋氏巾其徒。且數萬之民隷具其居。容貌於土木者沈諸水。言詞於紙素者烈諸火。分命御史。乘驛走天下。察敢隱匿者罪之。由是天下名祠珍宇。毀撤如掃。天子建號之初。雪釋氏之不可廢也。詔徐復之。而自湖以南。遠人畏法。不能酌朝廷之體。前時焚撤書像殆無遺者。故雖明命復許制立。莫能得其書。道林寺湖西之勝游也。有釋疏言。警辨有謀。獨曰。太原府國家舊都多釋祠。我聞其帥司空范陽公天下仁人。我弟往來購釋氏遺文。以惠湘川之人。宜其聽我而助成之矣。即辭而北游。既上謁軍門。范陽公果諾之。因四求散逸不成蘊秩者。至釋祠不見毀而副剩者又命講匃以補繕闕漏者月未幾。凡得釋經五千四十八卷。以大中十年秋八月。輦自河東而歸於湘焉。嘻釋氏之助世。既言之矣。向非我君洞鑒理源。其何能復立之耶。既立之。且亡其書。非有疏言遠識而誠堅。孰克弘之耶。吾喜疏言奉君之令演釋之宗。不憚寒暑之勤。德及遠人。為敘其事且贈以詩。詩曰。湘水狺狺兮俗獷且很。利殺業偷兮吏莫之馴。繄釋氏兮易暴使仁。釋何在兮釋在斯文。湘水滔滔兮四望何已。猿狖騰拏兮雲樹靡靡。月沈浦兮烟冥山。檣席卷兮櫓床閑。偃仰兮嘯詠。鼓長波兮何時還。湘川超忽兮落日晼晼。松覆秋庭兮蘭被春畹。上人去兮幾千里。何日同游兮湘川水。

(Thirty; yihai) ○ (An imperial decree appointed Dharma Master Bianzhang as the Leader of the Three Teachings.) In this year, the śramaṇa Shuyan of Daolin in Tanzhou went to Taiyuan Prefecture to search for and request a set of the Tripiṭaka. The eminent scholar Li Jie saw him off with a preface, which said: "Those whose profession is Confucianism delight in rejecting the Buddhists. Their argument invariably says: 'In the eras of Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, none of them had Buddhism. The rise of Buddhism was honored only in times of rebellion and chaos. It should be swept away, eradicated, and reformed in one stroke, so that it cannot proliferate.' [They say that] Buddhism originated in the Han, spread in the Jin, and overflowed in the Song, Wei, Qi, Liang, Chen, Sui, and Tang—between Xiaohu and Shengzhen. What these critics say is superficial! They merely know that it is so, but do not know why it is so. Allow me to speak on this. Formerly, there was a man whose flesh was plump and complexion firm, whose breath was vigorous and spirit clear; he had never visited a physician nor prayed to spirits; tranquil and naturally preserved, he was without the calamity of pestilence or sickness. This was indeed fine. Suppose this same man was unfortunately afflicted by the sicknesses of cold, heat, wind, and dampness, his back hunched and feet crippled, his ears deaf and eyes blinded; thereupon the techniques of cautery and hot compress were applied, and the practices of exorcism and sacrifice proliferated. Are these two men completely different? It is simply that the circumstances of being sick and not being sick are different! Alas, the world before the Three Dynasties was healthy; the declining ages of the Three Dynasties became sick. Before the Three Dynasties, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu broadcast virtue and righteousness, and the Duke of Zhou and Confucius upheld the canons and teachings. Although the custom of the Way declined, its pervasive influence still survived; deceit could not overcome trust, and evil knew to yield to goodness. Thereupon there was the song of beating the earth and the poem 'You Geng'; everyone rejoiced. In the declining ages of the Three Dynasties, the custom of the Way severely deteriorated; power and deceit overturned trust, blowing away substance and scattering simplicity. Goodness retreated through gentleness; evil prevailed through force. When the well-field system was abandoned, the powerful and the destitute encroached upon one another; when greed for territory arose, warfare was repeatedly employed; when treasuries were sought to be filled, ministers of exaction were promoted; when superiority over inferiors was sought, extortionate officials became esteemed. Superiors used deceit to govern their inferiors; inferiors behaved opportunistically to serve their superiors. Superiors and inferiors resented each other, inciting a bitter culture. Thereupon there was the traveler of the Miluo River and the man who carried a rock [into the sea]; everyone was grieved and resentful. Now, the teaching of Buddhism takes purity and tranquil emptiness as dhyāna-meditation, and gentle humility and yielding as forbearance (kṣānti); thus resentment and contention can be brought to rest. It takes austerity and hardship as religious practice, and poverty, success, longevity, and early death as cause and effect; thus humbleness and lowliness can be accepted with peace of mind. Therefore its metaphor says: 'Only in affliction (kleśa) is Buddha-nature seen.' This was originally stimulated by the customs of a declining age! In the customs of a declining age, there is nothing at all to rejoice in; without Buddhism to rescue it, where else could one lodge one's mind? Critics do not blame the customs of a declining age, but instead fault the rise of Buddhism; this is like a man afflicted with illness who blames the physician, prayers, and medical treatments! They only know that Buddhism arose due to a declining age, but do not know that a declining age requires the rescue of Buddhism! Why do I say this? When the customs are already diseased and the people already aggrieved, if there were no Buddhism to cause them to be content with their lot, the brave would fiercely contemplate fighting, and the clever would quietly contemplate plots; then the people of the paths and fields would rise up in turmoil in swarms! Now Buddhism attributes everything to one's lot and does not blame others; therefore, the worthy, wise, eminent, and clear-minded all quiet their minds. Those who do not understand this are foolish people, who are merely employed by superiors. Thus, relying on this, the customs stricken by decline and disorder can be made peaceful! Why then should one cut it away and discard it? Critics do not consider Buddhism's great benefit in upholding the world and aiding transformation, but merely resent its small expense of carving, chiseling, and painting! Hence I said: 'They can know that it is so, but do not know the reason why it is so.' In the final years of the Huichang era, Emperor Wuzong severely cut down Buddhism and defrocked its disciples; furthermore, several tens of thousands of households were assigned to its dwellings. Images crafted of earth and wood were drowned in water; words recorded on paper and silk were burned in fire. Censors were dispatched in separate directions, riding post-horses across the realm to investigate and punish any who dared conceal them. As a result, famous shrines and precious halls across the empire were destroyed and dismantled as if swept away. At the beginning of the present Son of Heaven's reign era, he clarified that Buddhism could not be abolished, and decreed its gradual restoration. However, south of the Lake, the distant folk feared the law and could not fathom the court's overall intentions; previously, the burning and dismantling of texts and images had left virtually nothing behind. Therefore, even though clear decrees were issued granting permission to re-establish them, none could obtain their scriptures. Daolin Monastery is a renowned site of scenic excursions west of the Lake. There was a Buddhist named Shuyan, alert, eloquent, and full of plans. He said to himself: 'Taiyuan Prefecture is an old capital of our state and has many Buddhist shrines. I have heard that its military commissioner, the Minister of Works, the Duke of Fanyang, is a benevolent man of the empire. I shall go there and purchase the surviving texts of Buddhism to benefit the people of the Xiang River region; he will surely listen to me and help accomplish this.' Thereupon he took his leave and traveled north. Once he presented himself at the military headquarters, the Duke of Fanyang indeed gave his consent. Thus he searched everywhere for scattered volumes that did not form complete sets, and visited Buddhist shrines that had escaped destruction to collect duplicates and surplus texts; he also ordered lectures and solicited donations to repair and supplement missing leaves. In less than a few months, he obtained a total of 5,048 fascicles of Buddhist scriptures. In the eighth month, autumn, of the tenth year of Dazhong, he loaded them onto carts from Hedong and returned to Xiang. Ah! That Buddhism assists the world has already been stated. Had our sovereign not possessed a penetrating insight into the source of principle, how could he have re-established it? And once re-established, when its books were lost, without Shuyan's far-reaching vision and steadfast sincerity, who could have propagated it? I rejoice that Shuyan has obeyed the sovereign's command and expounded the school of the Buddha, not fearing the labor of cold and heat, with his virtue reaching distant people; I have recorded these events and presented him with a poem. The poem says: / 'The waters of the Xiang bark and roar, and the customs are fierce and perverse; / Profiting from slaughter and taking thievery as their trade, officials cannot tame them. / Ah, it is Buddhism that transforms the violent and makes them benevolent! / Where does Buddhism reside? Buddhism resides in these scriptures. / The waters of the Xiang surge and swell; looking in all directions, when will it end? / Apes and monkeys leap and seize, and cloudy trees spread far and wide. / The moon sinks into the bay, and mist darkens the mountains; / Sails and mats are rolled up, and the oar-bench rests in leisure. / Reclining and looking up, whistling and chanting, / Beating the long waves, when will you return? / The Xiang River is vast and distant, and the setting sun sinks gently; / Pines cover the autumn courtyard, and orchids carpet the spring plot. / The Master has departed, several thousand li away; / On what day shall we travel together again upon the waters of the Xiang?'"