佛祖歷代通載 20.122

20.122

屏山曰。元城之論。固盡善矣。惜哉未甞見華嚴圓教之旨。佛先以五戒十善開人天乘。後以六度萬行行菩薩道。三綱五常盡在其中矣。故善財五十三參。比丘無數人耳。觀音三十二應。示現宰官居士長者等身。豈肯以出世法壞世間法哉。梁武帝造寺度僧持戒捨身。甞為達磨所笑。跋摩尊者謂宋文帝。王者學佛不同匹夫。省刑罰則民壽。薄賦斂則國富。其為齋戒不亦大乎。惜一禽之命。輟半日之飡。匹夫之齋戒爾。此儒者學佛不龜手之藥也。

Pingshan said: "Yuancheng's argument is certainly quite fine; yet it is regrettable that he had not seen the purport of the Perfect Teaching of the Avataṃsaka. The Buddha first opened the human and heavenly vehicles through the five precepts and ten virtuous deeds, and later practiced the bodhisattva path through the six perfections and ten thousand practices; the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues are fully contained therein. Therefore, among Sudhana's fifty-three spiritual encounters, monks were only a few; Avalokiteśvara's thirty-two manifestations revealed bodies such as officials, householders, and elders. How could they ever destroy worldly dharmas through world-transcending dharmas? Emperor Wu of Liang built temples, ordained monks, upheld precepts, and renounced his body, only to be laughed at by Bodhidharma. Venerable Guṇavarman said to Emperor Wen of Song: 'A king's study of Buddhism is different from a commoner's. Lightening punishments brings longevity to the people; lowering taxes brings wealth to the state. Is this fasting and precept-keeping not magnificent? Sparing the life of a single bird or skipping half a day's meal is merely a commoner's fasting and precept-keeping.' This is the salve that prevents chapped hands for Confucians studying Buddhism."