佛祖歷代通載 9.89

9.89

(41) Du Bi, whose courtesy name was Fuyan, was a native of Quyang in Zhongshan. At the age of thirteen he became a jinshi. When Zhen Chen questioned him on policy, his brush flowed like water. Wang Cheng saw his answers and sighed, saying, "He has the talent of a king's aide." Serving Gao Huan, he was treated with great respect. When the Wei emperor sent him on an embassy, knowing that Bi was profound in Buddhist principles, he asked, "What is the difference between buddha-nature and dharma-nature in the scriptures?" Bi said, "They are precisely one principle." The emperor said, "Commentators say that dharma-nature is broad and buddha-nature is narrow; how is this?" Bi said, "When in what is broad, it becomes broad; when in what is narrow, it becomes narrow. If one discusses the substance of nature, it is neither broad nor narrow." The emperor said, "Since you say it becomes broad and becomes narrow, how can it be neither narrow nor broad?" Bi said, "If it were definitively broad, it could not become narrow; if it were definitively narrow, it could not become broad. Because it is neither broad nor narrow, it can be broad and can be narrow. Though what is accomplished differs, that which can accomplish is always one." The emperor said, "Excellent." Having completed his mission to the emperor's satisfaction and returned, King Wenxiang asked about the essentials of governance. Bi said, "The great affairs of the world do not exceed the two ends of punishment and reward. If one rewards one person and the whole world is pleased, and punishes one person and the whole world submits, when these two matters attain the mean, all will naturally be good." Wenxiang was delighted and said, "Though the words are not many, they are very essential in principle."