[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [唐護法沙門法琳別傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051) › 2.4 # 唐護法沙門法琳別傳 2.4 唐護法沙門法琳別傳 2.4 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2.4) 明詔頒告黎元云。老君垂範。義在於清虛。釋迦貽訓。理存於因果。論其教也。汲引之迹殊途。求其宗也。弘益之風齊致。然則大道之興。肇於遂古。源出無名之始。事高有形之表。邁兩儀而運行。包萬物而亭育。故能經邦致治返朴還淳。至如佛教之興基於西域。爰自東漢方被中華。神變之理多方。報應之緣匪一。暨乎近世崇信滋深。人冀當年之福。家懼來生之禍。由是滯俗者。聞玄宗而大笑。好異者望真諦而爭歸。始波涌於閭里。終風靡於朝庭。遂使殊俗之典。欝為眾妙之先。諸夏之教。翻居一乘之後。流遯忘返于茲累代。朕夙夜夤畏緬惟至道。思革前弊納諸軌物。況朕之本系出自柱下。鼎祚克昌。既憑上德之慶。天下大定。亦賴無為之功。宜有解張闡茲玄化。自今已後齋供行立至於講論。道士女官。可在僧尼之前。庶敦本系之化。暢於九有。尊祖宗之風。貽諸萬葉。時京邑僧眾。咸詣 > an imperial edict to proclaim to the common people, saying: “Lord Lao handed down models whose principle resides in purity and vacuity; Śākyamuni left behind teachings whose reasoning rests upon cause and effect. In discussing their teachings, the traces of their guidance follow different paths; in examining their purport, the style of their vast benefit achieves the same end. However, the rise of the Great Dao began in remote antiquity; its source emerges before the beginning of the nameless, and its matters soar beyond the realm of physical form. Transcending the two forces of yin and yang it operates, embracing the myriad things it nurtures. Therefore it can regulate the state, bring about good governance, and restore simplicity and purity. As for the rise of Buddhism, it was founded in the Western Regions; only from the Later Han did it reach the central realm of China. The principles of its divine transformations are multifarious; the conditions of its retributions are not single. Arriving at recent generations, devotion and faith have grown increasingly deep. People hope for blessings in the present year, and families fear calamities in the life to come. Because of this, those attached to the vulgar laugh loudly upon hearing the mysterious tradition, while those fond of the extraordinary vie to take refuge upon seeing the true truth. At first it surged like waves in the villages and lanes, and finally swept like the wind through the imperial court. This has led the scriptures of a foreign custom to usurp the foremost place among the myriad wonders, while the teachings of the various Xia states, on the contrary, dwell behind the One Vehicle. Wandering astray and forgetting to return, this has continued for consecutive generations. Morning and night I revere and reflect upon the Supreme Dao, pondering how to reform past defects and bring everything into conformity with proper standards. Moreover, our original imperial lineage derives from the Archival Scribe (Laozi). That the imperial throne flourishes is already reliant on the blessings of the highest virtue; that all under heaven is greatly settled also depends on the efficacy of non-action. It is appropriate that measures be taken to untie and stretch the strings, expounding this mysterious transformation. From this time forward, in vegetarian feasts and offerings, walking and standing, and down to preaching and debates, Daoist priests and female Daoist officials may precede Buddhist monks and nuns. May this reinforce the transformation of our original lineage, spreading it throughout the nine provinces, and venerate the style of the imperial ancestors, bequeathing it to myriad generations.” At that time, the monastic assembly of the capital all went to > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2.3) - [Next: 2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2.5) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051~en-mt.2.4) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2051.2.4) · Pramāṇa