釋鑑稽古略續集 2.112

2.112

諭鍾山寺僧勅曰。且佛之為教也善。其大也溥被生死。仲尼有云。西方有大聖人。不言而化。不治而不亂。可謂能仁矣。云何大覺金仙。又讚之以能仁。以其不繩頑而頑化美善而善光。其行苦而不苦。其心素而弗素。雖儔雪嶺之孤燈似白晝之單影。目星見性超出塵淪。復有人天之說四十九秋。其演也妙備載大藏。未甞有訴逋逃於廷。致愆於水火者耶。況昔禪祇樹千二百五十人。從逋逃者未聞。仲尼有云。道千乘之國敬事而信。節用而愛人。今僧佃逃未審節用。而致然耶。抑愛人而有此耶。若非此而有此。則府謂僧云。當自善來。若論以如律。恐傷佛性。如勅奉行。

An edict instructing the monks of Zhongshan Monastery stated: "The teaching of the Buddha is good; its greatness universally covers life and death. Zhongni said, 'In the west there is a Great Sage who transforms without speaking, and without governing there is no disorder.' He may truly be called Capable of Benevolence (Nengren). Why is the Golden Immortal of Great Awakening also praised as 'Capable of Benevolence'? Because he does not coerce the recalcitrant yet the recalcitrant are transformed, he exalts the good and the good shines forth. His practice was arduous yet not arduous; his mind was pure yet not plain. Though matching the lone lamp of the Snowy Peak, like a solitary shadow in broad daylight, looking upon the star he saw the nature and transcended the defilements of the world. Furthermore, there were the discourses for humans and devas over forty-nine autumns; his expositions were wondrous, fully recorded in the Great Canon. Did he ever appeal to the court about absconders, thereby causing offenses amid flood and fire? Moreover, of the ancient one thousand two hundred and fifty men who meditated in the Jeta Grove, we have never heard of any following absconders. Zhongni said, 'To guide a state of a thousand chariots, be attentive to affairs and trustworthy; be thrifty in expenditure and love the people.' Now, as for the tenant farmers of the monks absconding, I wonder whether this has come to pass because [the monks] were not thrifty in expenditure, or whether this occurred because they loved the people? If it was not due to these, yet this occurred, then the prefecture says to the monks: 'You should welcome them with goodness.' If we were to judge them according to the vinaya, I fear it would harm the buddha-nature. Carry this out as decreed."