唐護法沙門法琳別傳 2.4

2.4

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