唐護法沙門法琳別傳 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

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Compiled by Shi Yancong of the Hongfu Bodhimaṇḍa in the Capital

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The eleventh year of Zhenguan [637 CE], the first month of spring.

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The Emperor wished to propagate and illuminate his ancestral tradition and venerate his original lineage, whereupon he issued

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

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the imperial palace to present a memorial. They thereupon selected the Master to compose the memorial, which stated: “I, Falin, whose years approach the setting sun, have only just encountered an era of great peace; my appearance withers like willow and reeds, only now meeting a sage and enlightened ruler. I have heard that when a son sees a single good, he must present it to his father; when a subject sees a single good, he must present it to his sovereign. Between minister and son to sovereign and father, how could they dare not exhaust their devotion? Why is this? If a father has a remonstrating son, his person will not fall into unrighteousness; if a scholar has a remonstrating friend, his person will not be separated from a good name. Although we, Falin and the others, have joined the renunciation of household life (pravrajyā), we still remain among the ranks of subjects and sons. When there is a transgression, nothing should be concealed; how could we dare not set it forth? Respectfully I have observed

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the imperial edict stating that the state’s original lineage derives from the Archival Scribe, and the practice of venerating ancestors is recorded in former canons. Proclaimed to all under heaven, it is beyond praise. Ordering Daoist priests and the like to be placed above monks and nuns, we receive it with reverent compliance; how would we dare resist the edict? Yet examining Lord Lao’s handing down of models for governing the state and governing the family, the robes and emblems he wore were never altered. With lofty ambition in purity and vacuity, he stood aloof from the world, establishing no abbeys or temples, and leading no disciples. Dwelling as the Archival Scribe, he preserved the real; concealing dragon-like virtue, he nourished his nature. When the wise saw him, they called him wise; when the foolish saw him, they called him foolish. None other than the Minister of Crime of Lu (Confucius) could recognize him. Today’s Daoist priests do not follow his teachings. The caps and robes they wear are all the remnants of the Yellow Turbans, not the descendants of Lord Lao at all. Practicing the defiled arts of the Three Zhangs, they discard the wondrous gate of the Five Thousand Words. Conversely, like Zhang Yu, they indiscriminately practice mere chapters and verses. From the Han and Wei dynasties onward, they have continually converted vulgar folk through the way of ghosts, falsely claiming descent from Lord Lao, when in reality they are the sprouts of heterodox paths. If their rank is placed above monks and nuns, I truly fear that the Jing and Wei rivers will merge into a single stream, bringing harm to the governance of the state. If we do not submit a memorial, how can we express the devotion of subjects and sons? Respectfully I have recorded Daoist scriptures and the various histories of the Han and Wei dynasties regarding matters where the Buddha preceded the Dao, as listed to the left. I prostrate myself in the hope that

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Your Heavenly Compassion will condescend to listen and peruse it.” At that time the memorial was presented.

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The Emperor dispatched Cen Wenben, Vice Director of the Secretariat, to proclaim an oral edict, saying: "Say to the monks: an enlightened decree has already been promulgated; if you still do not submit, the state has severe statutes." The Dharma master held his breath and choked down his words, turned to the monks, and said: "The Emperor resides within the ninefold palace; the sacred countenance is difficult to behold. Even if one wished to pull at his robes and break the balustrade, there would be no way. It is not as good as following in the footsteps of Qu Yuan, wandering through the wild grasses, knotting orchids into a pendant and dwelling in purity." Later, in the autumn, the ninth month of the thirteenth year, there was a Yellow Turban named Qin Shiying, who was slightly versed in jiao rituals and spells and had a rough understanding of medical prescriptions. Harboring technical arts, he flattered the times, thereby finding favor with the Crown Prince. Secretly presenting the Dharma master's treatise, he alleged that it slandered the Imperial Ancestry and desecrated the royal forebears, a crime amounting to deceiving the Sovereign. The Emperor was blazing with wrath and purged the monks and nuns, issuing an edict ordering the dark-robed followers to all abide by the bequeathed teachings. [The edict added:] "As for Falin, since he has slandered Our lineage, he should be interrogated and judged at once. If indeed he has no defense, the state possesses penal laws." But the Dharma master, shaking his feathers with a mind to soar into the clouds, did not wait for a summons, but went of his own accord to the government office. The various officials, carrying out the Sovereign's will, harshly investigated the Dharma master, imprisoned him in the prefectural court, and bound him in cords and fetters. Mao Mingsu, the Minister of Works, had long wished to hear the Dharma master's untrammeled elegance and had always longed to see him. As [the master] was now held in confinement, he sent a poem to the Dharma master, saying: / Yezhang grew weary of bonds and fetters; / Han An lamented over the dead ashes. / Only now do we prove the timber in the mountains; / Only now do we know the worth of being useless. / The Dharma master was humbled by Su's poem and replied in gratitude: "This poor monk's capacity is dull and benighted, and I rashly failed to know my limits. With wild simpleness that made a display, I offended

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the Celestial Hearing. Unable to bring about my own demise, I merely cling to my remaining breath. Yet Your Excellency deigned to bestow your pure appreciation; how could Lin remain silent? With clumsy effort, I have composed a meager verse in reply, which runs: / Shuye lamented his hidden indignation; / Chensi suffered in blaming himself. / As for me, having missed my season today, / I am vainly akin to the ancients. / In the deep grass, it is hard to see the sun; / From the distant pine, the wind readily arrives. / For those who grasp the meaning beyond the words, / Who again can avoid adversity and success? / Mao Mingsu looked upon the Dharma master's poem and was astonished, asking to form the three friendships and deeply admiring the two difficulties. Su said: "Alas, how late I have come to know you!" In winter, the tenth month, on the day guihai, because the great assembly of Xingshan Monastery sent fine delicacies to the Dharma master, the Dharma master wrote a letter in thanks, saying: "I am honored by the morning meal you have brought, and on bent knees with sincere reverence, I receive it. Not only is it lustrous like jade liquid, but its fragrance also outvies the sweetness of orchids. Filled with gratitude, I look up to your benevolent forgiveness; its flavors have halted my emaciated exhaustion. Fortunate indeed! Fortunate indeed! I humbly trust that the great assembly's demeanor and deeds accord with the auspiciousness and peace of the season. Lin is truly without talent, having unworthily slipped into the dark-robed ranks. In the shifting turns of square and round, I found nowhere to lodge myself. Unable to stand above the throng, I ultimately met with the calamity that imperiled my person; unable to soften the light and mingle with the dust, I finally suffered an unaccountable punishment. In vain do I again clasp my knees, chant at length, feeling ashamed before my soul and condoling with my shadow. From this, I know that for those who eat the dregs and drink the lees, the integrity of the pine and cypress becomes ever more steadfast; for those who stir the mud and raise the waves, the fragrance of the lotus and osmanthus becomes ever purer. As for Lin, what kind of man am I? Naturally lacking the art of flattering court, unversed in making formal visits, I have both invited the slander of mediocre men and stepped into the tracks of lowest folly. Compared to the one who guarded his heels or dragged his tail, how vastly have I missed the mark! Moreover, the realized person has no yearning for glory; the Great Way adheres to keeping the role of the female. When the spring is pure yet the well leaks, how can one not feel sorrow? I was just about to conceal my shadow among precipitous crags and quell my voice in a secluded valley, wandering freely amid the white clouds, strolling under the green pines, inspecting the Grove of Wisdom in the morning and lodging in the Forest of Dhyāna at evening, whiling away these remaining years, unfettering my heart beyond worldly things. Since this wish is unfulfilled, how could I not feel troubled? Yet a prisoner's thoughts are agitated, words exhausted, and reasons scarce. I have merely used brush and ink to express my humble sentiments. But a foot of silk is easily filled, while the inch-wide heart is hard to exhaust." In winter, the tenth month, on the day bingshen, an edict dispatched Liu Dewei, Minister of Justice; Linghu Defen, Vice Minister of Rites; Wei Cong, Attendant Censor; Mao Mingsu, Minister of Works; and others to conduct an interrogation at the prefecture. They then asked the Dharma master, saying: "Shaving the hair and turning the heart to cold ashes requires tranquility; leaving household life and abandoning the mundane world must accord with the principle of non-action. You ought to conceal your tracks in the four dhyānas and lodge your spirit in the six pāramitās, discarding the dregs of the Confucians and Mohists and honoring the blossoms of the partial and complete [teachings]. Why then did you give rein to your intentions among the Nine Schools and entangle your heart with the Five Classics, extensively citing the Three Teachings to recount the rise and fall of governing ways, fully enumerating the Ten Rulers to indicate the superior and inferior in veneration? You sometimes recounted the priority of Buddhism and Daoism, and occasionally discussed the master-disciple relations of the Śākya and the Li. Extensively presenting the ten parables and nine admonitions, you vigorously argued that qi is the root of the Dao; speaking of faith and vilification, you set forth vivid mutual retributions; discussing classifications and appraisals, you ran through various texts. How could a monk know the errors of the Daoists? Devoting yourself to following the Buddha was entirely of your own taking; you are ordered to reveal everything in full. As for the origin of composing the treatise, you studied the heterodox and lingered there; if you have no defense, then your guilt is established." The Dharma master replied: "Lin has heard that the All-knowing One, named Siddhārtha, manifested births through dust-mote kalpas and paid homage to the many sages to study exhaustively. He sometimes displayed dwelling as a non-Buddhist, or manifested as a Confucian scholar, responding to fellow beings to guide ordinary people, and transforming creatures by assuming different forms. Only then was he called the Unsurpassed One and named the God among Gods. Deigning to leave his tracks in the Sahā world, his teachings flowed through sand-like realms. Sometimes relying on calm dhyāna to realize the Way, his heart was opened with wise understanding, bringing about the preaching of Dharma to save people and supernatural powers to transform creatures. But because sentient beings' conditions and awakenings are varied and dissimilar, he unfolded their minds with the partial teachings and complete teachings, and expounded the Way through the One Vehicle and Three Vehicles. To lead each to understand according to capacity—was not the intention here? Therefore, the Buddha commanded that among the twelve double-hours, one should study the heterodox for one double-hour, wishing to subdue rival factions and guide the worldly stream, progressing from shallow conditions to deep, with loving words and shared endeavors. Therefore, the Treatise on Comprehensive Study of the Inner Scriptures says: 'In the heavens, forming images, they become the sun and moon, yet their essences differ in firmness and gentleness; on earth, forming shapes, they become mountains and rivers, yet their qi differs in movement and stillness. As it is with things, so it is with humans. Thus, for the deportment of head and feet, one walks on the square [earth] and wears the round [sky]; for the operation of nature and feeling, it is gloomy in yin and expansive in yang. Honoring our sentience, among spiritual beings we are paramount; our mental conducts are not uniform, and our tastes and desires are not the same. Thus, endowed thinly or endowed richly, fools and worthies are naturally divided; without mindful reflection or with mindful reflection, the mad and the sage are separated. Where branching roads intersect, one weeps at the refusal to pluck a single hair; as the silk's color changes, one sorrows at not sparing to rub the head smooth. Truly, benefiting creatures follows many paths, and enriching the self employs different methods. Once the Nine Schools branched out, the hundred philosophers rose up in competition. The Confucians and Daoists regard ritual and music as disorderly spirits, while the Nine Immortals are held as chaotic gods; the Daoists take emptiness and mystery as their business, regarding the Six Classics as a loss of virtue; the School of Names and Legalists esteem severity, while the Vertical and Horizontal Alliancists prize disputation. Confucius declined to speak of military campaigns, and Duke Liu was drowned in a Confucian cap. Confined to one school, dullness stems from verses and commentary; stringing together compositions, the fault lies in superficiality. Worldly people liken the inner scriptures to nihilism; monks compare external books to chaff and bran. Preserving minor rules, they abandon the vaipulya; practicing the Great Way, they discard the vinaya. Wise men arrogantly assume the honor of leading to merit; meditators claim the treasury of guarding wisdom. Diverse and discordant teachings cannot be fully spoken of; when each suits what is fitting, how could one allow not studying them? Fond of conformity and loathing difference, clinging to delusion without returning—this is truly the cause of great sighs. Rarely realizing the comprehensive method, how lacking in understanding they are! How can it compare to combining the refined and the unadorned, integrating the secular and the true, widely perusing the various books and encompassing the diverse arts? Only the Benevolent and Capable One's all-encompassing knowledge surpassed ancient and modern times. Thus, there was the rustic of Rājagṛha who tested him with the secret of herding cattle, and the brāhmaṇa of the Jetavana who examined him with the marvel of counting leaves. His vast opening of the pattra leaves is truly difficult to detail. Therefore, the youth Sudhana sought spiritual friends without remiss, and the elder Jīvaka was devoted to learning and thereby achieved mastery. Indeed, not discarding a single speck of dust builds the vastness of the mountain of virtue; not leaving out a drop of water accumulates the greatness of the ocean of wisdom. Thus, there were Nāgārjuna of magnificent capacity and Aśvaghoṣa of profound virtue, who propagated the Way in their time and transmitted their fragrance for a thousand generations. As for Dao'an recognizing the cauldron of Lantian, and Falan discerning the ashes of Kunming; Senghui's speech and demeanor being clear and lofty, and Huiyuan's spiritual countenance being uninhibited and refined—all these were leaders of ancestral manners and models for later followers. How could it merely be Fangshuo who commanded fame through his manifold abilities, or Zhang Hua who became celebrated through his extensive erudition? I have heard that red salt invites the ridicule of ignorance, and the white pigeon gives rise to the taunt of unknowing. When there are versatile scholars who study comprehensively, they may be free of such shame. In my humble view, when virtue encompasses both the inner and outer, the various heterodoxies revere one's wind and withdraw their tracks; when understanding penetrates both the Great and Small [Vehicles], disparate capacities behold one's radiance and incline toward it. If one has not mastered the Lesser Teaching, one's wisdom-category will be insufficient; if one's external learning is deficient, one will still violate the chapters of precepts. Therefore, skillfully ornamenting literary expressions originally perfects the virtue of the four analytical knowledges; subtly mastering sounds and rhymes truly belongs to the methods of the five sciences. Yet while the Avataṃsaka reproaches much learning, and the Lotus Sutra cautions against close association, when I examine myself for lack of attachment, am I not quite different from them? It is not to hawk myself and vie for fame, or boast to the contemporary world; I merely wish to aid the True Path and provide resources for Right Awakening. If even Lord Tian's low-seat performers could still save the day, and the petty counting techniques of the men of Qi could still achieve their ends, how much more so for those who polish literary refinement and transmit morality? Just as metal, stone, silk, and bamboo all make pleasing music to the ear, and oranges, pomelos, hawthorns, and pears are all delicious tastes to the palate; the metaphor of the high mountain refers to the First Ground, and the Overcoming-the-Difficult follows the ways of the world. Thus, refined tradition has not fallen, and the culture is preserved herein! I hope to enable monks to combine worldly texts so as not to abruptly abandon the ancient mounds and graves, and Confucians to understand the Buddhist lineage so as not to slight the precepts and samādhi. Therefore it is said: 'The great being studies comprehensively; the versatile person hears widely.' How could they be like those solitary and narrow persons who guard a restricted mind? However, the reason Lin composed the Bianzheng lun had its origin. Formerly, in the mid-winter month of the fourth year of Wude, I obtained the Shiyi jiumi composed by Li Zhongqing, a Daoist of Qingxu Belvederes, and treatises such as the Xianzhen by Liu Jinxi, which insulted the Great Sage, blinded sentient beings, and falsely cited ancient canons to gloss over wrongs and make them seem right. Lin was lamented their lack of knowledge and pitied those innocent people. I therefore extensively collected the Nine Schools and composed a treatise in eight fascicles, describing the Three Teachings with the intention of clarifying what benefits the state. Indicating the ten eras was meant to display veneration. Relying on historical records, I discerned priority; based on instructions and admonitions, I clarified respect for the teachers. The ten parables refuted his ten differences; the nine admonitions broke his nine delusions. That qi is the root of the Dao is entirely found in the canons; faith and vilification are clearly shown, not without factual records. But Lin was formerly a Daoist and knows their fallacies in detail; thoroughly understanding that the Buddhist teachings are venerated by Confucius and Laozi, how could my devotion be of my own taking? Since principle aligns and matters are in accord, purity is made manifest; when the origin is shown, the delay is explained." Wei and the others again asked the Dharma master, saying: "Zhongqing's treatise on superiority and inferiority had only nineteen articles, and Jinxi's text of Xianzhen was merely one fascicle; nor did they falsely set forth good and bad or extensively cite emperors and kings. Why then were the words of the Bianzheng so tangled and contentious as this? Falsely citing the imperial academy, you merely constructed hollow words and falsely presented bodhisattvas and Confucian scholars without any factual basis. You only wished to analogize the ancient with the present, intending to criticize. We order you to state everything accurately without concealment." The Dharma master replied: "Lin has heard: Wuyou and Wangshi displayed Sima's rhetoric; the Child of Ink and Hanlin belonged to Yang Xiong's rhapsodies. Next, there were those of profound subtlety and keen discernment who transmitted magnificent prose in their day, and those who gave themselves to splendor and vast detachment, demonstrating literary mastery in former times. Since the canons are like this, how could Lin be different? If one does not borrow them to establish the theme, how could one fully exhaust the meaning to the end? Therefore, I initially presented the Three Teachings to recount the reason for writing the treatise; next, I displayed the nine admonitions to answer Zhongqing's arguments. Among them, there were also ancient perplexities common to all, which were explained and resolved through the treatise. Later, in the mid-spring month of the eighth year of Wude,

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Gaozu personally visited the National Academy to conduct the libation ritual, thoroughly laying out the Three Teachings to deliberate on their profound words. At that time, comprehensive men of the two assemblies gathered like clouds before the imperial seat, and talented scholars of the five capitals were arrayed like stars in the discussion hall. At that time, there was a Yellow Turban named Pan Dan who falsely asserted their priority, memorializing

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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,

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the sagely sovereign is reverent, enlightened, cultured, and thoughtful. What could there be that is not yet understood, requiring advice on what is fitting and improper to be presented? Reveal the underlying intention of criticizing the ruler and speak plainly on its meaning.' The Dharma Master replied: 'I have heard that the Confucian teaching aids the times, and people know to look up to it; the teachings of the Śākya and Laozi benefit beings, yet the ignorant give rise to doubts. Therefore, borrowing that supreme academy, I set forth what had not yet been understood; entrusting it to eminent scholars, I gave expression to this mysterious merit. Thus it is said: sacrificing oneself for the ruler and serving parents, loyalty and filial piety come first; preserving one's life and staying clear of harm, the Dao and virtue hold the highest place; relieving suffering and benefiting living beings, compassion serves as the foundation. Harboring loyalty and practicing filial piety can keep family and country intact; practicing the Dao and establishing virtue can spread one's reputation; giving rise to loving-kindness and exercising compassion can deliver all kinds of living beings. Delivering all kinds of living beings, one's kindness is shared equally across the six destinies; spreading one's reputation, glory covers one's whole family; keeping family and country intact, one's merits encompass the six directions. Therefore, loyalty and filial piety are the teachings that instruct mundane society; the Dao and virtue are the art of preserving oneself; compassion is the practice of nurturing beings. This is just like heaven having the three luminaries, each matching its virtue, or a tripod having three legs, each displaying its function. When the three teachings are venerated together, auspiciousness can be attained. At present,

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the sovereign dwells on high before the imperial screen, folding his hands in non-action. With his cultured thoughts and acute wisdom, how could one say he does not understand? It is only that people like Zhongqing have deep-rooted heterodox views; even though bathed in the imperial influence, they are unable to change for the good. Therefore, entrusting the dialogue to host and guest, I gave voice to those ancient canons, offering good words to pull their ears. I truly did not say that

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the August Emperor does not understand, requiring advice on what is fitting and improper to be presented. I beg you to examine the text of the treatise; the Jing and Wei rivers will naturally separate themselves.' Liu Dewei and the others questioned the Dharma Master again: 'In the second fascicle of the treatise, it says: "Examining all ancient histories and listening from afar to past Confucians, one does not hear the name of Lingbao, nor is there any record of the doctrine of Tianzun." It also states: "Arbitrarily making forced interpretations, they fabricated elaborate fasting rituals; nowhere seeing the method for ultimate liberation, they merely gave rein to the art of covetous pursuit. The title 'Daoist' has no origin from which it comes, and the words of Heshang Gong are completely devoid of any trace." However, the Daoists say that the marvel of Lingbao is kept secret in the Mysterious Terrace; Laozi explained the spirit of Tianzun as resting quietly in Daluo. The regulations of the Three Origins and the Ten Realized Ones are precisely the methods for ultimate liberation; how could the ceremonies of the Six Fasts and Seven Ranks be arts of covetous pursuit? The title 'Daoist' is an ancient one; the teachings of Heshang Gong have existed for a long time. Why do you disparage what the court venerates, and deny the devotion of family and state? You merely wish to undergo the five listeners' interrogation, yet you have not transgressed the three-clause penal law. Though the net of heaven is wide and coarse, how could it let you escape?' The Dharma Master replied: 'I have heard that the canons of the Nine Heads and Double Pupils, the writings of the Golden Heavens and the Fire Emperor, the plans of the White Qin and the Red Han, and the records of the Three Kingdoms and Two Capitals—these are what are called the Left Scribe and Right Scribe recording events and recording words; they wrote with straight brushes and spoke straight words, without falsity or deceit. Thus King Sun Quan of Wu asked the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Kan Ze: "The immortals have the method of Lingbao; what kind of teaching is it?" Kan Ze replied: "As for Lingbao, first, it has no clan or genealogy to rely on; second, it has no place where the Dao was realized. The teaching came out of a dark valley and is not known to men; it is truly an absurd claim from someone living in reclusion, not made by a sage." The King of Wu approved his answer. The title "Tianzun" comes from Buddhist scriptures; they stole our sagely traces and applied them to their own texts. Why? Examining the Five Classics and official histories from the Three Sovereigns onward, none state that there is another Tianzun dwelling in the heavens; they only relate that the Duke of Zhou and Confucius instituted the rites and edited the Odes. Thus among the Five Documents and Three Tomes, nowhere is the name "Daluo" to be seen; among former kings and past emperors, we do not hear of suburban sacrifices to Tianzun. How could there be one who holds a jade tablet, wears a yellow robe, lets hang white hair, and wears a golden cap, separately named Tianzun, resting quietly in the Hall of Nine Glories, solely termed the Great Dao, governing the Palace of Seven Radiations? Even if Daoist teachings speak of Tianzun, and the philosophers speak of Lingbao, this is merely gossip heard on the road; how can it be relied upon? Books of the alleys have nothing to do with state canons. Moreover, the fasting rituals are forged fabrications whose traces can be traced; none fail to display gold and silver abundantly and distribute patterned silks and colored cloth. These are all deceitful narrations of the Three Zhangs and the absurd words of Lu Xiujing; the rebuttals against their vacillation are fully presented in my treatise. Furthermore, the title of "Daoist" was originally absent from the teaching of Laozi, and the name "Heshang" is not recognized by the Confucian lineage. Why? The Book of Yao says that from the Han and Wei down to Fu Jian and Yao Xing, the assembly of monks were all referred to as Daoists. Down to the reign of Emperor Taiwu of Wei, the likes of Kou Qianzhi first stole the name "Daoist" and privately altered the title of "libationer". How could this be my own subjective judgment? It is clearly recorded in the historical records. Furthermore, Ban Gu’s Han shu, Annals of Emperor Wen, Pan Yue’s Records of Guanzhong, Ji Kang’s and Huangfu Mi’s Biographies of Eminent Scholars, and works such as Inquiries to Elders, contain no place where Heshang Gong built a thatched hut and manifested divine transformations. These matters are entirely baseless and false, not found in the classics or canons, yet they were recklessly fabricated in grand rhetoric, continually filling whole scrolls. At present, the sovereign rests his robes, inquires into the Dao, and sits in court; having united the nine clans, he brings harmony to all the common people. Truly, he should abolish the defiled arts of the Three Zhangs and elucidate the wondrous gate of the Five Thousand Characters. Today, I am outspoken and risk imperial wrath, hoping to reveal the sovereign as an enlightened ruler; if I were merely submissive and complied with the trend, I fear it would cast the sagely emperor into the role of an unenlightened monarch. I humbly hope that the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Chariots will deign to accept this humble view, as I dare to present my sincere words; if allowed, may these drops of dew add to the heights and depths [of the state].' Liu Dewei and the others questioned the Dharma Master again: 'In the third fascicle of the treatise, it says: "Emperor Wu of the Liang set his mind on the Buddhist scriptures, praying for blessings and renouncing his body; Emperor Wen of the Sui shouldered the four modes of birth, acting as a pillar for the triratna. The Tuoba dynasty sank the saddharma, and the Yuwen dynasty destroyed the venerable statues." If so, then harboring blessings should extend prosperity, and accumulating evil should invite calamity. Why, then, did the Wei occupy the throne for several generations, and the Zhou pass the succession through successive rulers, while the Liang suffered the disaster of Hou Jing, and the Sui fell after only two generations? From this we know that the Way of Heaven has no favorites is suddenly shown to be empty, and how could bringing calamity to the dissolute and blessing the good have been mistaken? Why is it that those who damaged and suppressed [the Dharma] instead enjoyed long life, while those who venerated it did not finish their allotted years? Their advantages and disadvantages are contradictory, and the facts are clear; your selection of examples is contradictory, fully showing its falsity.' The Dharma Master replied: 'I have heard that the Daoist teaching is shallow and broad, so how could it clarify the three retributions? The Confucian tradition is narrow, recounting only a single lifetime. Thus Confucius answered Ji Lu: "You do not yet know life and how to serve men; how could you serve ghosts and spirits in death?" Yuan Hong's Hou Han shu says: "The current of Daoists originated from Laozi. Laozi took pure emptiness and tranquil indifference as primary, and helping the good and hating evil as his teaching; keeping wives and children, they used talismans and registers; calamity, fortune, and karmic retribution occurred within a single lifetime." These are all petty assertions within the mundane world, not grand statements beyond the forms. Therefore, Xun Yue harbored great doubts, and Sima Qian was deeply perplexed. As for the supreme sages Yao and Shun, they fathered Danzhu and Shangjun; the utterly foolish Gusou gave birth to Shun. Yan Hui was a great worthy yet died young; Shangchen was exceedingly evil yet his line flourished. Robber Zhi indulged in violence yet died in prosperity; Boyi and Shuqi were of ultimate benevolence yet starved to death. Zhang Tang was a harsh official whose tassel of office hung down for seven generations; Bi Gan was an upright minister yet his body was slaughtered. Cases such as these—how could they all be mentioned? General confusion giving rise to doubts is indeed ordinary human feeling. Therefore, our Fully Enlightened One alone is titled the Omniscient, far-reachingly proclaiming the four modes of birth and broadly expounding the three retributions, wishing to roll back the thick fog of numerous doubts and disperse the clouds of long-standing obstructions, completely displaying the jade tablets and fully manifesting the golden words. Thus the sūtra says: "There is karma that manifests as suffering and brings a retribution of suffering; there is karma that manifests as suffering and brings a retribution of joy; there is karma that manifests as joy and brings a retribution of joy; there is karma that manifests as joy and brings a retribution of suffering." Sometimes, remaining blessings have not yet been exhausted, so evil retribution is not immediately added; sometimes, past transgressions still remain, while wholesome conditions have already emerged. Like ashes covering fire, how can it be called non-existent? If you seek the sound in the dark, you must know it is certainly there. Furthermore, that good and evil are never mistaken is like the eclipse of the sun when the qilin fights; that retribution has its destination is like the star appearing when the whale dies. Merely by examining the fraction of resonance, it is sufficient to clarify the coming of good and evil. Thus, as for the likes of Xiao, Yang, Zhou, and Wei, can they not be understood and resolved of themselves?' Liu Dewei and the others asked the Dharma Master again: 'In the fourth fascicle of the treatise, regarding Gaozu, the Martial Emperor, it seems as though you only began composing the treatise after the edict had already been issued.'

2.15

The present imperial lineage venerates Lao Dan as its ancestor, reverently following the one from beneath the pillars and decreeing Daoism to take precedence. Why did you stubbornly resist the imperial decree and presumptuously give rise to slander and denigration? Since the matter is no small one, you must give a detailed explanation; you may not merely gloss over your wrongs or waste ink in vain.” The Dharma Master replied: “The treatise composed by Lin originally arose because of Liu [Zhongqing] and Li [Zhongqing]; it certainly was not after the decree was issued, but before the eighth year [of Wude]. Merely because the posthumous title had not yet been promulgated, it first said ‘Emperor’; next, following the Han histories, it used ‘Retired Emperor’ (Taishang Huang); and later, seeing the emperor’s posthumous title promulgated, it only then inscribed ‘Dawu’. Please consult the fourth fascicle of the treatise: the point is clearly evident. In narrating his virtues, it merely records the eighth year, which is sufficient to know it is no error. How could I dare to openly slander and denigrate after the imperial decree was issued? When one seeks the truth and demands reality, the blame will have its proper place. I beg that you examine my delay so that its innocence will naturally become clear.” Wei and the others again asked the Dharma Master: “The fifth fascicle of your treatise says that, according to Yao Changqian's calendar, the Buddha was born in the jiayin year of King Zhao of the Zhou and only passed away in the renshen year of King Mu. Why then does Faxian state in his record that the Sage was born in the time of the Yin kings? Calculating by the records of the semblance and true [dharmas], it says the Buddha appeared in the era of King Ping of the Zhou. Dao'an composed a treatise firmly maintaining King Huan. Fei Changfang compiled a catalogue steadfastly asserting the era of King Zhuang. From this we know that the transmitted accounts are contradictory and confused, with no reliable standard to revere. State completely the reasons for their precedence, sequence, disparities, and chronological distance.” The Dharma Master replied: “Lin has heard: when the Great Sage manifests birth, it is fundamentally intended to benefit sentient beings; where there is a stimulus, he appears, leaving no spiritual capacity unilluminated. Thus the sūtra says: ‘What is proclaimed with a single voice is understood by each according to their kind.’ Since this is so for the sound of teaching, the same applies to its linguistic substance. Moreover, what the chronicles clarify is not without its critical rationale. Lin now relies correctly on drawing from those many houses, first laying out the true and then exposing the false. I respectfully rely on Master Tanmoxui of the Wei dynasty, Master Shangtong of the Qi dynasty, and the Erudite of the Bureau of Calendrical Computation Yao Changqian of the Sui, and based on the *Mu tianzi zhuan*, the *Zhoushu yiji*, Liu Xiang’s preface to the *Liexian zhuan* of the Former Han, both the ancient and old catalogues, the *Houhan faben neizhuan*, Fu Yi’s *Fawang benji*, and various books such as that by Kan Ze, the Director of the Secretariat of Wu; and according with sūtras such as the *Āgamas*, I calculate that the Buddha, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the twenty-third year (guichou) of the reign of Xia, King Zhao, the fifth ruler of the Ji clan of Zhou, manifested in the form of a white elephant and descended his spirit from Tuṣita to enter the womb of Māyā in the palace of King Śuddhodana. Thus the *Houhan faben neizhuan* says: ‘Emperor Ming asked Master She Moteng: “Can the month and day of the Buddha’s birth be known or not?” Teng replied: “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the guichou year, the Buddha entrusted his pregnancy to Māyā.” It was this very year.’ On the eighth day of the fourth month of the twenty-fourth year (jiayin) of King Zhao, he was born from her right flank beneath a poluo tree in the Lumbinī Grove. Thus the *Puyao jing* says: ‘He emitted a great light universally illuminating the trichiliocosm.’ This is what the *Zhoushu yiji* refers to: ‘On the eighth day of the fourth month of the twenty-fourth year (jiayin) of King Zhao, the rivers, streams, springs, and pools suddenly flooded; dry wells and gushing springs all overflowed. The palaces, human dwellings, mountains, rivers, and the great earth all trembled. That night, there was a five-coloured luminous vapour that penetrated the Great Subtlety and spread over the western quarter, turning entirely bluish-red. King Zhao immediately asked the Grand Astrologer Su You: “What kind of omen is this?” Su You said: “A Great Sage has been born in the western quarter, hence this auspicious sign appears.” King Zhao asked: “How will it be for the realm under heaven?” Su You said: “For the present there is nothing; a thousand years hence, his voice and teaching will reach this land.” King Zhao thereupon sent men to engrave a stone to record it and buried it in front of the heavenly shrine on the southern suburban altar.’ The Buddha’s birth was in this very year. In the forty-second year (renshen) of King Zhao, at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month, he leaped over the city wall to go forth. Thus the *Ruiying jing* says: ‘When the Prince was nineteen, at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month, a god peeked through the window, clasped his hands, and said: “The time has come to leave!” He then ordered his horse and set off.’ It was this very year. The second year (guiwei) of the sixth ruler of the Zhou, King Mu, whose taboo name was Man, on the eighth day of the second month, when the Buddha was thirty, he attained the Way. Thus the *Puyao jing* says: ‘When the morning star appeared, the Bodhisattva was suddenly and greatly enlightened.’ It was this very year. In the fifty-second year (renshen) of King Mu of the Zhou, on the fifteenth day of the second month, when the Buddha was seventy-nine, he only then passed away into nirvāṇa. Thus the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: ‘On the fifteenth day of the second month, when he approached nirvāṇa, he emitted diverse lights, and the great earth quaked in six ways. The sound reached the Peak of Existence (bhavāgra), and the light pervaded the trichiliocosm.’ This is what the *Zhoushu yiji* refers to: ‘At dawn on the fifteenth day of the second month of the fifty-second year (renshen) of King Mu’s reign, a violent wind suddenly arose, damaging human dwellings and breaking trees; the mountains, rivers, and great earth all quaked. After midday, the sky grew overcast and the clouds turned dark; in the western quarter there were twelve white rainbows extending through from south to north, not vanishing throughout the night. King Mu asked the Grand Astrologer Hu Duo: “What kind of portent is this?” Hu Duo replied: “In the western quarter a Great Sage has passed into nirvāṇa, and the signs of decline have merely manifested.”’ The Buddha’s entry into nirvāṇa was in this very year. From the manifestation of his birth in the twenty-fourth year (jiayin) of King Zhao down to the present thirteenth year (yihai) of Zhenguan of the Great Tang, exactly 1,618 (18 is perhaps an error for 66) years have passed. As for the claim that Faxian’s record says the Sage was born in the time of the Yin kings: Faxian, although he traveled to foreign lands, left a record that cannot be relied upon; the year and month are extraordinarily discrepant and vast like the Han River. Furthermore, Dao'an’s [calculation of] yichou and Shangtong’s [calculation of] jiayin lack grounds and are insufficient as proof. Also, the records of the semblance and true [dharmas] rarely show reliable evidence. Master Dao'an's treatise relied on Kumārajīva's record; Kumārajīva's record received it from An Shigao; and An Shigao translated in Luoyang during the time of Emperor Huan of the Han, trusting that the scribe relied on the era of King Huan [of Zhou]. However, Kumārajīva only arrived in the Qin, whereas Shigao arrived earlier in the Han dynasty; the two masters were separated by nearly three hundred years. He trusted that successive transmission and relied on it for his record; it was not that Dao'an's treatise committed an error in haste, but rather that it was all due to the fault of the transmitters of that time. Furthermore, the Sui dynasty's Scholar of Translation Fei Changfang claimed that the Buddha was born during the reign of King Zhuang; Changfang, because two Zhuangs were contemporary, equated the tenth year of King Zhuang of the Zhou with the seventh year of Duke Zhuang of Lu. Relying merely on the fixed stars as verification, he said the Buddha was born, failing to realize that the fixed stars were due to another matter. Lin notes that the *Mañjuśrīparinirvāṇa Sūtra* states that two hundred and fifty years after the Buddha’s extinction, Mañjuśrī went to the Snowy Mountains, converted five hundred ṛṣis, and then returned to his native land, emitting a great light that universally illuminated the world before entering nirvāṇa. The auspicious omen of the fixed stars was precisely that time. Changfang's claim that he was born on the eighth day of the second month was in fact the fourth month, not the second month. However, what Changfang determined did not investigate the root of the matter. Why? Changfang said that the Zhou took the eleventh month as the first month of the year; what is called the fourth month is the present second month. Although he called it the second month, it was ultimately the fourth month. If one examines the whole of the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, the year uses the years of Duke Zhuang of Lu, and the months take the months of the Zhou kings. Since the fixed stars were originally an omen in the Zhou era, one must rely on the seasons, months, and days of the Zhou. Changfang's statement that the Buddha was born on the eighth day of the second month of the tenth year of King Zhuang was extremely reckless. If it were the second month, one should not discuss the stars. Changfang also said that the Buddha descended into the womb on the eighth day of the fourth month: since descending into the womb used the Zhou month, his actual birth was also at a Zhou time. Now saying it was the second month is also incorrect. If the Zhou took the eleventh month as the first month of the year, the Tathāgata could not possibly have been born in the second month. An ordinary human entering the womb in the first month is born in the tenth month; entering the womb in the fourth month, they are born in the first month. The Buddha, stooping to match the human world, was in the womb for seven months and was therefore born in the fourth month. Wang Shao's *Qi zhi* says: ‘The Zhou fourth month is the Xia sixth month’ (the two characters ‘Zhou’ and ‘Xia’ can only work if transposed). Calculating backwards from this, one born in the fourth month was in the womb in the seventh month. Now saying the sixth month takes its solar terms; though it passed through seven months, it ultimately pertained to the sixth month. Truly we know that what Wang Shao said is not mistaken. Furthermore, Changfang's statement that the Buddha attained the Way in the nineteenth year (guihai) of King Hui of the Zhou, in the second month when the morning star appeared, also has a great flaw. Why? According to Liu Xiang’s ancient and old catalogues, in the time of King Hui of the Zhou, the Buddhist teaching had already gradually begun; one hundred and fifty years later, Laozi only then proclaimed the five-thousand-word text. If he had only attained Buddhahood in the time of King Hui, the scriptures and teaching could not already have been transmitted to the capital Luoyang. Moreover, calculating that King Hui was the grandson of King Zhuang, extrapolating from the guihai year, the separation was only thirty years; he could not have just attained Buddhahood while the scriptures and teaching had already arrived in this land. When we trace the Tathāgata's teaching in the world for forty-nine years, Kāśyapa's compilation occurred after the Buddha's extinction; the gradual eastward transmission of the Dharma gate was precisely during the Zhou. Liu Xiang’s words are truly not erroneous! Changfang’s catalogue definitely cannot be relied upon. In general, the holy manifestations have no fixed form and their principles are difficult to fathom. How much more so when east and west are separated by great distances, and the ages are so remote! Furthermore, they suffered the vertical and horizontal alliances of the Six States and the Qin burning of the Five Classics. Those who recorded chronologies have not been few, and those who arranged imperial calendars have been many houses; yet they have mutual discrepancies, additions, subtractions, appearances, and disappearances, each taking their own opinions as a guide. Lin has now roughly narrated what has been seen and heard, scrutinized the various historical records, briefly set forth the distant and near, and definitively clarified their sequence.”

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唐護法沙門法琳別傳 — Classical Chinese