佛祖歷代通載 22.181

22.181

論曰。望五位以升階。轉二依而就果者。上乘菩薩也。以四向一坐而證成三生百劫而彰號者。緣覺聲聞也。聖賢品級教有明文。唯妙悟自心入佛知見者。千聖尚不為。何階級之有。大教東被三百五十餘年。後魏以趙郡沙門法果。為沙門統。供施之不足。又官品之。遂授輔國宜城子忠信侯。尋進公爵曰安城。封官自果始也。梁以惠超為壽光殿學士。後周選僧道中學問優贍者。充通道觀學士。仍改服色。隨以彥琮為翻經舘學士。唐中宗神龍二年。造聖善寺成。惠範惠珍法藏大行會寂元壁仁方崇先進國。九人加五品並朝散大夫。蓋以營像修造之功也。尋加惠範正議大夫上庸郡公。寺主至銀青光祿大夫。俸料房閣已上同職官給。玄宗卜平內難。僧清潤封官三品。醫寧王疾愈。僧賜緋袍。代宗加不空三藏。至開府儀同三司肅國公食邑三千戶。辭讓數四不允。空曰。吾以法濟世。不意垂死濫污封爵故秩。唯空為極矣。宋金兩朝南北殊風而封釋官秩頗存典故。然猶遵律印信未聞。迨我皇元世祖皇帝混一海宇。條綱制度一出睿思。謂以俗制於僧殊失崇敬。諭天下設立宣政院僧錄僧正都綱司。錫以印信。行移各路。主掌教門護持教法。賴聖天子不負佛囑也。然而稗販之流。好爵縻賢恃其所貴而貴之。奔走伺候處污不羞。以敲朴喧囂牒訴倥[傯-囪+(句-口+夕)]為得志。不奪不厭。致有囊加巴僧錄往取栲栳山僧錢罔咈律行。可謂師子身蟲也。仁宗皇帝居儲宮日。目擊其弊。降旨。除宣政院外。一例革之。是亦不負靈山付囑也。於戲朝廷尚行於爵秩。釋子乃競於官階。官階無盡期。貪愛無滿分。胡不養其妻子跪拜君親。何異織女七襄牽牛負軛者耶。識達於此無取焉。盛矣乎不空。粉澤。

Appraisal: Those who gaze upon the five ranks to ascend stages, and transform the two bases to attain the fruit, are bodhisattvas of the Great Vehicle. Those who, through the four directions of approach at a single sitting, realize fruition, or over three lifetimes and a hundred kalpas make manifest their title, are pratyekabuddhas and śrāvakas. The ranks of the noble and wise are clearly documented in the scriptures. Only those who wondrously awaken to their own mind and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision do not even dwell among the thousand sages—what ranks could they have? Since the Great Teaching spread eastward for more than 350 years, the Later Wei appointed the śramaṇa Faguo of Zhaojun as Controller of Śramaṇas; considering offerings and gifts insufficient, they also conferred official ranks upon him, thus granting him the titles of Supporter of the State, Viscount of Yicheng, and Marquis of Zhongxin, and soon promoting him to the ducal rank of Ducal Lord of Ancheng. Conferrer of official posts on monastics began with Faguo. The Liang dynasty appointed Huichao as Academician of the Hall of Shouguang. The Later Zhou selected monks and Daoists of abundant learning to serve as Academicians of the Tongdao Daoist Monastery, altering the color of their robes. The Sui appointed Yancong as Academician of the Translation Bureau. In the second year of the Shenlong era of Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang, when Shengguan Temple was completed, nine men—Huifan, Huizhen, Fazang, Daxing, Huiji, Yuanbi, Renfang, Chongxian, and Jinguo—were granted the fifth rank and made Court Gentlemen for Dispersion, because of their merit in constructing images and buildings. Soon Huifan was promoted to Grand Master for Decorous Council and Commandery Duke of Shangyong, and the abbot of the temple reached Silver and Blue Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, with their stipends and apartments matching those of official posts. When Xuanzong divined the pacification of inner troubles, the monk Qingrun was granted an official title of the third rank; when he cured Prince Ning of illness, the monk was granted a crimson robe. Daizong promoted the Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra (Bukong) to Specially Advanced with Equal Rank to the Three Excellencies, Ducal Lord of Suguang, with a benefice of three thousand households. When he declined several times without permission, Bukong said, "I deliver the world with the Dharma; I never expected that on the verge of death I would inappropriately defile the old ranks of official enfeoffment." Only with Bukong was this taken to the extreme. Under the Song and Jin dynasties, the northern and southern customs differed, yet official titles for Buddhist monastics somewhat preserved precedents; nevertheless, they still complied with the vinaya, and official seals of authority had not yet been heard of. When our Imperial Yuan's Emperor Shizu unified the seas and realms, the institutional regulations all issued from his sagely consideration: judging that controlling monastics with secular laws was a severe lapse in respect, he instructed the Empire to establish the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan), the Registrars of Monks, Rectors of Monks, and Directorates of General Controllers, bestowing them with seals of authority to dispatch directives across the circuits, to manage the teachings and protect the Dharma. This was due to the Sagely Son of Heaven not failing the Buddha's entrustment. However, peddlers of trade and seekers of fine posts ensnared the worthy, relying on what they valued to esteem themselves; they bustled about attending to masters, unabashed at dwelling in defilement, regarding floggings, noisy litigation, and harassing petitions as their triumphs. Never satisfied unless plundering, this led to such occurrences as the Monk Registrar Nang-jia-ba going to Mt. Kaolao to extort monastic funds, defying the vinaya rules and conduct. They may truly be called worms within the lion's body. When Emperor Renzong dwelt in the Heir Apparent's palace, he personally witnessed these abuses and issued a decree: with the exception of the Xuanzheng Yuan, all of them were abolished without distinction. This too was a failure not to disappoint the entrustment made on Vulture Peak. Alas! The court still confers titles and ranks, while disciples of the Śākya clan contend for official posts. Official posts have no end; greed and attachment know no satiety. Why do they not just support wives and children, and kneel in submission to lords and parents? How would they differ from the Weaving Maiden working through her seven changes, or the Herd Boy bearing the yoke? Those with discerning comprehension of this will have none of it. How magnificent was Bukong, who merely embellished the surface!