佛祖歷代通載 6.87

6.87

"...the statutes of the realm. If this were not so, what could I set forth?" Chong and the others again submitted a remonstrance, stating in a memorial: "Your ministers are obtuse and shallow, insufficient to praise the sagely intention or proclaim the great righteousness. Prostrating to examine the luminous decree, we are terrified and tremble with anxiety. We forthwith carefully examined the matter: whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha is certainly not for your ministers to determine. Yet examining the surviving texts and penetrating their essential points, the prohibitions of the Five Precepts truly assist the king's transformation. They disparage overt renown and conduct, and esteem covert, hidden cultivation. Practicing virtue lies in forgetting oneself, embracing the subtle purity of the one mind. Moreover, it arose in the Han period and has reached down to the present; though the Dharma has had periods of prosperity and decline, its harms have never involved witchcraft or deception. In its enduring longevity, the divine way has had no equal. Where a proposal has drawbacks, how much more so should one consider if it is certain to have benefits! Your ministers' humble sincerity truly wishes that minute drops of dust and dew may add moisture to Mount Dai, and our humble offerings may assist the imperial ultimate above. Now, if they are commanded to bow, their dharma will immediately be destroyed, and the custom of cultivating goodness will be discarded in a sagely era. Habit becomes second nature; this will inevitably cause resentment and fear. In our hearts, your ministers secretly feel uneasy about it. Although your ministers are foolish and benighted, how would we dare mislead the sagely hearing with biased views? We merely observe that throughout the three generations, each monarch was more brilliant and sagely than the last. Not making regulations for them now causes no detriment to the king's governance, and the communication with the unseen realm will encounter no blockage. For this reason, we submit our humble sincerity again, begging your imperial consideration." Bing still considered it unacceptable, and another decree was issued saying: "I have examined what you set forth; it is detailed in emotion and intent. Obscure matters are truly not fully expressible through metaphor. Yet roughly surveying the overarching principles, the regular norms of humanity and spirits roughly possess their separate applications. Generally, in the laws established by the hundred kings, though refinement and simplicity varied with the times, none ever mixed governance with strange customs or adulterated transformation with extravagant absurdities. Could it be that former sages were unenlightened, while future sages are broadly penetrating? Furthermore, the minor goodness of the Five Precepts only roughly resembles human relations, yet they cast aside the etiquette and reverence of the world. Ritual is weighty! Reverence is great! The main cords of governance are fully contained therein. The lord of ten thousand chariots does not love being exalted; the commoners of the realm do not love being humble. Yet if exalted and humble are not arranged, the royal teachings cannot be unified; to divide them causes chaos. This is why former sages codified the state's constitution, making it appropriate and free of doubt. Men of universal talent who gather widely often encompass such matters: cultivating it in the family is acceptable, but applying it to the state and court is unacceptable. Is this not far removed? Examining what has been presented, you also have not truly clarified whether he exists or not. Even if it were clear, I would still say it cannot be mingled with governance; how much less so when it is entirely absent, should we allow both ways to run parallel?" Chong and the others submitted a third memorial maintaining their stance, stating: "Although your ministers are truly foolish and benighted, unable to fathom far-reaching intentions, we toil diligently day and night to consider upholding the royal ordinances; how could we stubbornly cling to narrow views and disrupt the great bonds of human relations? We only observe that from the Han and Wei down to the Jin, no dissenting opinion was heard, and the standards of high and low never suffered any temporary loss. Now the śramaṇas' observance of precepts is single-minded, and their rites are singular. As for the firmness of their observance, in sacrificing their lives they are never negligent; how would they dare use their physical forms to slight ritual and reverence? Whenever we see them burn incense and offer prayers, they invariably give priority to the state, wishing it prosperity and abundance, with boundlessly sincere emotion. Their veneration and obedience to their superiors arise from nature. The simplicity of their rites is merely due to their single-minded adherence to the Dharma. Therefore, former sages governing the world accommodated them without change. Indeed, heaven's net is wide; its mesh is coarse, yet nothing slips through. Your ministers humbly believe that not requiring them to bow brings no detriment to the laws. Benefiting them by according with what is advantageous to them, so that neither the worthy nor the foolish dare hold back their devotion—then above there will be the shelter of heaven and the support of earth, and below there will be people who preserve the one and cultivate the good. We respectfully present our shallow thoughts once more, hoping for your imperial consideration." Bing's proposal was thereupon dropped. He Chong, courtesy name Cidao, was a man of Qian in Lujiang, and a grandson of Yan, the Grand Master of the Palace for Ceremonial of the Wei. In his youth he was praised for his literary talent. Initially he was an assistant to Wang Dun. Dun's elder brother Han was governor of Lujiang and was corrupt. Dun once praised him at a gathering, saying: "My elder brother was truly excellent in his commandery; the literati of Lujiang praised him." Chong straightened his countenance and said: "I am a native of that commandery, and what I heard was different." Dun fell silent, and all the guests felt uneasy, but Chong remained calm and at ease. Prime Minister Yu Liang once recommended him to Emperor Ming, saying: "He Chong's capacity and integrity possess the expectations of ten thousand men. If he could manage the court administration, he would serve as a deputy to this old minister." When Chong was appointed Prefect of the Masters of Writing, he promoted the capable and rewarded merit, not using his position to bestow private favors; the world respected him greatly. Earlier, Ruan Yu had once teased him, saying: "Your ambition is as vast as the universe, and your courage surpasses antiquity." Chong inquired why he said so, and Yu said: "I aimed for a commandery of several thousand households and still could not achieve it; you aim to become a Buddha—is that not vast?" He died at the age of fifty-five. Thereafter, his household served the Buddha with great devotion. His grandsons Shangzhi, Dian, and Yin all established the great principles and propagated the Buddhadharma.