佛祖歷代通載 20.103

20.103

明道曰。佛學只是以生死恐動人。可怪一千年來無一人覺。此是被他恐動也。聖賢以生死為本分事。無可懼。故不論死生。佛為怕死生。故只管說不休。本是利心上得來。故學者亦以利心信之。莊生云。不怛化者意亦如此。楊墨今已無。道家之說其害終小。唯佛學人人談之。彌漫滔天。其害無涯。傳燈千七百人。敢道無一人達者。有一人得易簣之理。須尋一尺布帛裹頭而死。必不肯胡服削髮而終。

Mingdao (Cheng Hao) said: 'Buddhist learning merely uses birth and death to frighten and agitate people. It is strange that for a thousand years not a single person has awakened to this; they have all been frightened and agitated by it. The sages and worthies regarded birth and death as their proper lot, nothing to be feared; hence they did not discourse on birth and death. Because the Buddha was terrified of birth and death, he spoke of it incessantly. It fundamentally arose from a desire for gain; hence students also believe in it with a mind for gain. When Zhuangzi spoke of "not being terrified by transformations," his meaning was also like this. The followers of Yang Zhu and Mozi are gone today; the doctrines of the Daoists do little harm in the end. Only Buddhist learning is spoken of by everyone; swelling to overwhelm the heavens, its harm is boundless. Among the seventeen hundred persons in the *Transmission of the Lamp*, I dare say not a single one was accomplished. If even one had attained the principle of Zengzi changing his mat, he would surely have sought a foot of cloth to wrap his head before dying, and would never have been willing to end his days in barbarian clothes with a shaved head.'