佛祖歷代通載 22.7

22.7

冐名僭聖偽十二（第四十八化云。商太宰問夫子曰。夫子聖人歟。孔子對曰。聖則丘何敢焉。然則丘博學多識者也。太宰曰。三王聖者歟。孔子曰三王善任智勇者。聖則丘不知。太宰曰。五帝聖者歟。孔子曰。五帝善任二義者。聖則丘弗知。太宰曰。三皇聖者歟。孔子曰。三皇善任因時者。聖則丘弗知。太宰大駭曰。然則孰者為聖。孔子動容有問。曰丘聞西方之人有聖者焉。不治而不亂。不言而自信。不化而自行。蕩蕩乎民無能名焉。丘疑其為聖人也。史志經云。孔子在魯。老子在周。以魯望周之洛陽。故在西方。蓋指老子為西方聖人也。孔子問禮之時。先有猶龍之歎。故此指老子也）。

Usurping Names and Arrogating Sagehood, the Twelfth Fabrication: (The forty-eighth transformation says: 'The Grand Steward of Song asked Master Kong: "Is the Master a sage?" Confucius replied: "As for being a sage, how could Qiu presume? I am merely broadly learned and well-informed." The Grand Steward said: "Were the Three Kings sages?" Confucius said: "The Three Kings were good at employing wisdom and courage; whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." The Grand Steward said: "Were the Five Emperors sages?" Confucius said: "The Five Emperors were good at employing benevolence and righteousness; whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." The Grand Steward said: "Were the Three Sovereigns sages?" Confucius said: "The Three Sovereigns were good at adapting to the times; whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." The Grand Steward, greatly startled, said: "If so, then who is a sage?" Confucius, his expression moving, paused and said: "Qiu has heard that among the people of the West there is a sage: he does not govern, yet there is no disorder; he does not speak, yet he is naturally trusted; he does not convert, yet things naturally proceed. Vast and boundless, the people cannot find a name for it! Qiu suspects he is a sage." The Shizhi jing says: 'Confucius was in Lu, and Laozi was in Zhou. Looking toward Luoyang in Zhou from Lu, it was in the west. This referred to Laozi as the sage of the West. When Confucius inquired about the rites, he earlier made the sigh of "like unto a dragon," so this refers to Laozi.')