佛祖歷代通載 17.14

17.14

論曰。甚矣宋景文公詆毀吾先師之厚也。屢欲直其辭而為之解嘲。及得大顛對退之之論。李節贈疏言之敘。凡予所欲言者彼既言矣。故不別論。且憲懿二宗誠為崇奉太過。至於高祖沙汰三教。詔下而位移。武宗大滅釋氏。未逾歲而被禍。此亦不得不懼也。雖然真佛也者聖凡之大本也。體與太虛等遍。用與眾庶同功。無為而無所不為。無在而無所不在。然則心外見佛而過奉之者。非正見也。昧乎大本而故毀之者。即自毀也。景文斥其奉之之弊。而匿其毀之之失。豈良史之謂哉。

The critical assessment says: "How severe was Duke Song Jingwen's deep slander of our former master! I often wished to speak straightforwardly to refute his criticisms, but when I found Dadian's discussion with Tuizhi [Han Yu] and Li Jie's preface presenting the memorial, everything I wished to say had already been stated by them; therefore, I do not discuss it separately. Furthermore, while the two emperors Xianzong and Yizong were indeed excessive in their veneration, when it came to Emperor Gaozu's suppression of the Three Teachings, as soon as the edict was issued his throne shifted; and when Emperor Wuzong largely exterminated the Buddhist teachings, within a year he met with calamity—of this too one cannot help but be fearful. Nevertheless, the true Buddha is the great root of sages and ordinary mortals alike. His essence is universally pervasive like great empty space; his function shares merit with all living beings. He is unconditioned yet leaves nothing undone; he is nowhere present yet nowhere absent. Thus, to see the Buddha outside the mind and excessively worship him is not right view. Yet to be blind to the great root and intentionally slander him is to slander oneself. Jingwen denounced the abuses of worshipping him, but concealed the faults of slandering him; how can he be called a fine historian?"