唐護法沙門法琳別傳 2.11

2.11

高祖言。悉達太子不能得佛。六年求道方得成佛。此則道能生佛。佛由道成。道是佛之父師。佛乃道之子弟。遂引佛經云。求於無上正真之道。又云。體解大道發無上意等。當爾之時。有勝光寺釋慧乘者。學業鉤深才鋒映俗。裹糧坐鉀固敵是求。待問開宗鳴山鼓石。既瀉懸河之辯。兼吐飛龍之詞。義網高張玄梯廣布。莫不應機泉涌躡響風馳。遂使主上迴光群公拜首。于時九仙外道束體轅門。三洞黃巾望風結舌。法琳既緣此議。又撰佛道先後釋李師資等篇。又以博弈所上事云。後漢中原未全有信。晉魏夷虜信者一分。仲卿論云。石勒之日念其胡風與僧澄道人矯足毛羽。因此胡法始興於世。劉進喜云。胡來此土未全有信。姚石已後胡風乃盛。但琳緣此三人不能默已。遂廣陳君王宰輔敬佛度僧。用對彼辭顯其虛妄。後陳信毀交報。以示仲卿。彰善惡之有徵。使其悛改。但仲卿等。文雖二軸事有多條。縱琳八卷之書。猶為略報。方今主上欽明託想玄猷。興顯沙門遵崇釋教。豈敢以今況古。意有所非。理數曒然。誠為確論。威等又問法師曰。論第一云。大唐馭極聖皇垂拱。尚賢齒而返正。貴仁德以還淳。道佛二流在政非急。久欲陳其未喻不揆所疑。獻替可否幸詳其要。當今

memorialized Emperor Gaozu, saying: 'Prince Siddhārtha was unable to attain buddhahood on his own; only after seeking the Dao for six years was he able to achieve buddhahood. This shows that the Dao can give birth to the Buddha, and that the Buddha is realized through the Dao. The Dao is the Buddha’s father and teacher; the Buddha is the Dao’s son and disciple.' He then cited Buddhist sūtras, which say: 'Seeking the supreme, true, and correct Dao,' and 'Personally comprehending the great Dao and producing the supreme intention,' and so forth. At that time, there was the monk Huicheng of Shengguang Monastery, whose scholarship plumbed the depths and whose keen talent outshone the mundane world. Gathering provisions and donning his armor, he sought out the adversary with determination; awaiting interrogation, he established the tenets, resounding through the mountains and drumming against the rocks. He poured forth an eloquence like a suspended river and gave voice to expressions like a soaring dragon. The net of doctrine was raised high, and the mysterious ladder was broadly laid out; none failed to gush like springs in response to the moment, or to speed like the wind following the sound. He thus brought the sovereign to reflect and the myriad lords to bow their heads. At that time, the nine classes of immortals and non-Buddhists stood bound and submissive at the palace gates; the Yellow Turbans of the Three Caverns watched from afar with tied tongues. Because of this debate, Falin subsequently composed such essays as 'Precedence Between the Buddha and the Dao' and 'The Master-Disciple Relationship of the Śākya and the Li'. Furthermore, regarding the memorial submitted by Fu Yi, which claimed: 'Under the Later Han, the Central Plains did not entirely possess faith, while under the Jin and Wei, the barbarian captives had only a fraction who believed'; and Zhongqing’s treatise, which asserted: 'In the days of Shi Le, recalling his barbarian customs, he allowed the monk Fotudeng to display wings on his feet, and only on account of this did this barbarian teaching begin to flourish in the world'; and Liu Jinxi’s claim: 'When the barbarians came to this land, there was not yet full belief, and only after the Yao and Shi rulers did the barbarian customs flourish'—prompted by these three figures, Falin could not remain silent. Therefore, he broadly detailed how rulers, lords, chancellors, and ministers revered the Buddha and ordained monks, using this to counter their words and expose their falsity. Later, he set forth the alternating retributions of faith and denigration to show Zhongqing, manifesting the verifiable evidence of good and evil so as to bring about their reform. Although the writings of Zhongqing and the others comprised only two scrolls, their claims contained many points. Even with Falin's work in eight fascicles, it was still a concise response. At present, the sovereign is reverent and enlightened, setting his thoughts upon the mysterious path, promoting and elevating the śramaṇas, and venerating and honoring the teaching of the Śākya. How could I dare to compare the present with antiquity with any intention of faulting it? The principles and facts are clear and bright; this is truly an irrefutable argument.' Liu Dewei and the others asked the Dharma Master again: 'In the first fascicle of the treatise, it says: "The Great Tang guides the ultimate realm; the sagely sovereign hangs down his robes with folded hands. Honoring the virtuous and elders, he returns to correctness; prizing benevolence and virtue, he restores purity. The two currents of Daoism and Buddhism are not pressing matters in government. For a long time I have wished to present what is not yet understood, without measuring my doubts. Offering advice on what is fitting and improper, I hope to elaborate the essentials." At present,