續高僧傳 24.12

24.12

釋法琳。姓陳氏。頴川人。遠祖隨宦寓居襄陽。少出家。遊獵儒釋博綜詞義。金陵楚郢從道問津。自文苑才林靡不尋造。而意存綱梗不營浮綺。野栖木食於青溪等山。晝則承誨佛經。夜則吟覽俗典。故於內外詞旨經緯遺文。精會所歸咸肆其抱。而風韻閑雅韜德潛形。氣揚采飛方陳神略。隋季承亂。入關觀化。流離八水顧步三秦。每以槐里仙宗互陳名實。昔在荊楚梗概其文。而祕法奇章猶未探括。自非同其形服塵其本情。方可體彼宗師靜茲紛結。乃權捨法服長髮多年。外統儒門內希聃術。遂以義寧初歲。假被巾褐從其居館。琳素通莊老談吐清奇。道侶服其精華。膜拜而從遊處。情契莫二共敘金蘭。故彼所禁文詞。並用諮琳取決。致令李宗奉釋之典包舉具舒。張偽葛妄之言銓題品錄。武德初運還蒞釋宗。擁帙延光栖惶問道。以帝壤同歸名教。是則鼓言鄭衛易可箴規。乃住京師濟法寺。至武德四年。有太史令傅奕。先是黃巾深忌佛法。上廢佛法事十有一條。云釋經誕妄言妖事隱。損國破家未聞益世。請胡佛邪教退還天竺。凡是沙門放歸桑梓。則家國昌大。李孔之教行焉。武皇容其小辯。朝輔未能抗也。時謂遵其邪逕通廢宏衢。莫不懼焉。乃下詔問曰。棄父母之鬚髮。去君臣之章服。利在何門之中。益在何情之外。損益二宜請動妙適。琳憤激傅詞側聽明勅。承有斯問。即陳對曰。琳聞至道絕言。豈九流能辯。法身無象非十翼所詮。但四趣茫茫漂淪欲海。三界蠢蠢顛墜邪山。諸子迷以自焚。凡夫溺而不出。大聖為之興世。至人所以降靈。遂開解脫之門。示以安隱之路。於是中天王種辭恩愛而出家。東夏貴遊厭榮華而入道。誓出二種生死。志求一妙涅槃。弘善以報四恩。立德以資三有。此其利益也。毀形以成其志。故棄鬚髮美容。變俗以會其道。故去君臣華服。雖形闕奉親。而內懷其孝。禮乖事主。而心戢其恩。澤被怨親以成大順祐怙幽顯豈拘小違。上智之人依佛語。故為益。下凡之類虧聖教故為損。懲惡則濫者自新。進善則通人感化。此其大略也。而傅氏所奏。在司猶未施行。奕乃多寫表狀。遠近公然流布。京室閭里。咸傳禿丁之誚。劇談酒席。昌言胡鬼之謠。佛日翳而不明。僧威阻而無勢。于時達量道俗勳豪成論者非一。各疏佛理具引梵文。委示業緣曲垂邪正。但經是奕之所廢。豈有引廢證成。雖曰破邪終歸邪破。琳情正玄機獨覺千載。器局天授博悟生知。睹作者之無功。信乘權之有據。乃著破邪論。其詞曰。莊周云。六合之內。聖人論而不議。六合之外。聖人存而不論。老子云。域中有四大。而道居其一。考詩書禮樂之致。忠烈孝慈之先。但欲攸序彜倫。意存敬事君父。至德惟是安上治民。要道不出移風易俗。自衛返魯。詎述解脫之言。六府九疇。未宣究竟之旨。案前漢藝文志所紀眾書一萬三千二百六十九卷。莫不功在近益。俱未暢遠途。誠自局於一生之內。非逈拔於三世之表者矣。遂使當見因果理涉旦而猶昏。業報吉凶義經丘而未曉。斯並六合之寰塊。五常之俗謨。詎免四流浩汗為煩惱之場。六趣諠譁造塵勞之業者也。原夫實相杳冥。逾要道之道。法身凝寂。出玄之又玄。惟我大師體斯妙覺。二邊頓遣萬德斯融。不可以境智求。不可以形名取。故能量法界而興悲。揆虛空而立誓。所以見生穢土誕聖王宮。示金色之身吐玉毫之相。布慈雲於鷲嶺。則火宅焰銷。扇惠風於雞峯。則幽途霧卷。行則金蓮捧足坐則寶座承軀。出則天主導前。入則梵王從後。聲聞菩薩儼若朝儀。八部萬神森然翊衛。演涅槃則地現六動。說般若則天雨四花。百福莊嚴。狀滿月之臨滄海。千光照曜。如聚日之映寶山。師子一吼。則外道摧鋒。法鼓暫鳴。則天魔稽首。是故號佛。為法王也。豈與衰周李耳比德爭衡。末世孔丘輒相聯類者矣。是以天上天下。獨稱調御之尊。三千大千。咸仰慈悲之澤。然而理深趣遠。假筌蹄而後悟。教門善巧。憑師友而方通。統其教也則八萬四千之藏。二諦十地之文。海殿龍宮之旨。古諜今書之量。莫不流甘露於萬葉。垂至道於百王。近則安國利民。遠則超凡證聖。但以時運未融。致令漢梵殊感。故西方先音形之奉。東國後見聞之益。及慈雲卷潤慧日收光。迺夢金人於永平之年。覩靈骨於赤烏之歲。於是漢魏齊梁之政像教勃興。燕秦晉宋已來名僧間出。或神力救世。或異迹發人。或慧解開神。或通感適化。及白足臨刃不傷。遺法為之更始。志上分身員戶。帝王以之加信。具諸史籍其可詳乎。並使功被將來傳燈永劫。議者僉曰。僧惟紹隆佛種。佛則冥衛國家福廕皇基。必無廢退之理。我大唐之有天下也。應四七之辰。安九五之位。方欲興上皇之風開正覺之道治致太平永隆淳化。但傅氏所述酷毒穢詞。並天地之所不容。人倫之所同棄。恐塵黷聖覽。不可具觀。伏惟陛下。布含弘之恩。垂鞠育之惠。審其逆順議以真虛。佛以正法遠委國王。陛下君臨斯當付囑。謹上破邪論一卷。用擬傅詞。文有三十餘紙。自琳之綴釆貫絕群篇。野無遁賢朝無遺士。家藏一本咸誦在心。並流略之菁華。文章之冠冕。茂譽於是乎騰廣。昏情由之而開尚矣。琳又以論卷初出意在弘通。自非廣露其情。則皂隷不塵其道。乃上啟儲后諸王及公卿侯伯等。並文理弘被庶績咸嘉。其博詣焉。故奕奏狀因之致寢。遂得釋門重敞。琳寔其功。東宮庶子虞世南。詳琳著論。乃為之序胤而傅氏不愜其情重施密譖。搆扇黃巾用為黨類。各造邪論貶量佛聖。昏冒生靈衒曜朝野。薰蕕既雜時所疑焉。武德九年春。下詔京置三寺惟立千僧。餘寺給賜王公。僧等並放還桑梓。嚴勅既下莫敢致詞。五眾哀號於槁街。四民顧嘆於城市。于時道俗蒙然投骸無措。賴由震方出帝氛祲廓清。素襲啟聞範究宗領。登即大赦還返神居。故佛日重朗於唐世。又由琳矣。琳頻逢黜陟。誓結維持。道挫世情良資寡學。乃探索典籍隱括玄奧。撰辯正論一部八卷。頴川陳子良注之。并製序曰。昔宣尼入夢。十翼之理克彰。伯陽出關。二篇之義爰著。或鉤深系象。或探賾希夷。名言之所不宣。陰陽之所不測。猶能彌綸天地包括鬼神。道無洽於大千。言未超於域內。況乎法身圓寂妙出有無。至理凝玄迹泯真俗。體絕三相累盡七生。無心即心非色為色。筌蹄之外豈可言乎。若夫西伯拘羑遂顯精微。子長蠶室卒成先志。故易曰。古之作易者。其有憂乎。論之興焉。良有以矣。道士李仲卿劉進喜等。並作庸文謗毀正法。在俗人士或生邪信。法師愍其盲瞽遂著斯論。可謂鼓茲法海振彼詞鋒。碧鷄之銳競馳。黃馬之峻爭騖。莫不葉墜柯摧雲銷霧卷。但此論窮釋老之教源。極品藻之名理。恐好事後生。意有未喻。弟子近申頂禮。從而問津。爛然溢目。若日月之入懷。寂乎應機。譬寶珠之燭物。既悟四衢之幻。便息百城之遊。於是啟所未聞。為之注解。良以文學雄伯群儒奉戴。誘勸成則其從如雲。貞觀初年帝於南山大和宮舊宅。置龍田寺。琳性欣幽靜。就而住之。眾所推美舉知寺任。從容山服詠歌林野。至十三年冬。有黃巾秦世英者。挾方術以邀榮。遂程器於儲貳。素嫉釋種。陰陳琳論謗訕皇宗。罪當誷上。帝勃然下勅沙汰僧尼。見有眾侶乃依遺教。仍訪琳身據法推勘。琳扼腕奮發。不待追徵。獨詣公庭。輕生徇理。乃縶以縲紲。下詔問曰。周之宗盟異姓為後。尊祖重親寔由先古。何為追逐其短。首鼠兩端。廣引形似之言。備陳不遜之喻。把毀我祖禰。謗黷我先人。如此要君。罪有不恕。琳答曰。文王大聖。周公大賢。追遠慎終。昊天靡答。孝悌之至通於神明雖有宗周義不爭長。何者皇天無親竟由輔德。古人黨理而不黨親。不自我先不自我後。雖親有罪必罰。雖讎有功必賞。賞罰理當。故天下和平。老子習訓道宗。德教加於百姓。恕己謙光。仁風形于四海又云。吾師名佛。佛者覺一切人也。乾竺古皇。西昇逝矣。討尋老教。始末可追。日授中經示誨子弟言。吾師者善入泥洹。綿綿常存。吾今逝矣。今劉李所迹。謗滅老氏之師。世莫能知。著茲辯正論。有八卷。略對道士。六十餘條。並陳史籍。前言實非謗毀家國。自後辯對二十餘列。並據琳詞。具狀聞奏。勅云。所著辯正論。信毀交報篇曰。有念觀音者。臨刃不傷。且赦七日令爾自念。試及刑決能無傷不。琳外纏桎梏內迫刑期。水火交懷訴仰無路。乃緣生來所聞經教及三聖尊名。銘誦心府。擬為顯應。至于限滿。忽神思彯勇橫逸胸懷。歡慶相尋頓忘死畏。立待對問。須臾勅至云。今赦期已滿。當至臨刑。有何所念。念有靈不。琳援筆答曰。自隋季擾攘四海沸騰。役毒流行干戈競起。興師相伐舍檀兵威。臣佞君荒不為正治。遏絕王路固執一隅。自皇王弔伐載清陸海。斯寔觀音之力。咸資勢至之因。比德連蹤道齊上聖。救橫死於帝庭。免淫刑於都市琳於七日已來。不念觀音。惟念陛下。勅治書侍御史韋悰問琳。有詔令念觀音。何因不念。乃云惟念陛下。琳答。伏承觀音聖鑒塵形六道。上天下地皆為師範。然大唐光宅四海。九夷奉職八表刑清。君聖臣賢不為抂濫。今陛下子育恒品如經。即是觀音。既其靈鑒相符。所以惟念陛下。但琳所著正論。爰與書史倫同。一句參差任從斧鉞。陛下若順忠順正。琳則不損一毛。陛下若刑濫無辜。琳則有伏屍之痛。具以事聞。遂不加罪有勅徙于益部僧寺。行至百牢關菩提寺。因疾而卒。時年六十九。沙門慧序。經理所苦。情結斷金。曉夕同衾慰撫承接。及命將盡在序膝上。序慟哭崩摧淚如駛雨。乃召諸關旁道俗。葬於東山之頂。高樹白塔。勒銘誌之。行路望者知便下淚。序本雍州武功人。善經籍通佛理。明攝論以為敷化之訓。體道開俗言無品藻。將護遊僧用為家操。本住京輦後移梁益。以百牢衝會四方所歸。道俗栖投往還莫寄。序乃宅寺關口。用接遠賓。故行侶賴之。詠歌盈耳。于時治書侍御史韋悰。審英飾詐。乃奏彈曰。竊以大道欝興。沖虛之迹斯闡。玄風既播。無為之教寔隆。未有身預黃冠志同凡素者也。道士秦英。頗學醫方薄閑呪禁。親戚寄命羸疾投身。姦婬其妻禽狩不異。若情違正教心類豺狼。逞貪競之懷。恣邪穢之行。家藏妻子門有姬童。乘肥衣輕出入衢路。楊眉奮袂無憚憲網。健羨未忘觀繳在慮。斯原不殄至教式虧。請寘嚴科以懲婬侈。乃入大理。竟以狂匿被誅。公私怪其死晚。琳所著詩賦啟頌碑表章誄大乘教法并諸論記傳。合三十餘卷。並金石擊其風韻。縟錦繢其文思。流靡雅便。騰焰彌穆。又善應機說導。即事騁詞。言會宮商義符玄籍。斯亦希世罕嗣矣。

Shi Falin's secular surname was Chen; he was a native of Yingchuan. His remote ancestors, following official postings, came to reside in Xiangyang. He underwent pravrajyā in his youth, and hunted through Confucian and Buddhist works, broadly mastering literary expressions and their meanings. From Jinling to the regions of Chu and Ying, he sought the Way and inquired after passages. From groves of letters to forests of talent, there was nowhere he did not seek out and visit. Yet his intent lay in the essential and unyielding; he did not pursue superficial elegance. He lived in the wilds and ate from the trees on the mountains of Qingxi and elsewhere; by day he received instruction in Buddhist sūtras, and by night he chanted and perused secular classics. Thus, regarding the inner and outer texts, their aims, and the warp and weft of inherited writings, he grasped their core conclusions and fully gave free rein to his aspirations. His manner was refined and elegant, yet he concealed his virtue and hid his form; only when his spirit soared and his brilliance shone did he display his divine strategies. During the disorder at the end of the Sui, he entered the passes to observe the transformation of the realm, drifting along the Eight Rivers and pacing through the Three Qin. He often discussed the reality behind the names of the Daoist schools of Huaili; previously, in the Jing and Chu regions, he had gathered the outlines of their writings, yet their secret methods and marvelous texts he had not yet explored. Unless he assumed their form and attire and soiled his original feelings, he would not be able to understand their masters and calm these entanglements. Thereupon he provisionally cast aside his Dharma robes and grew his hair for many years, outwardly mastering the Confucian gates and inwardly seeking the arts of Laozi. Thus, in the first year of Yining, he put on a cap and hempen cloth, following their dwellings. Falin was already conversant with Zhuangzi and Laozi, and his speech was pure and extraordinary. The Daoist companions submitted to his brilliance; they prostrated themselves and followed him wherever he went. Their affinity was unparalleled, and they pledged a bond of golden orchids. Therefore, the Daoist texts that had been kept secret were all presented to Falin for consultation and decision. This allowed the texts concerning Laozi's veneration of the Buddha to be comprehensively gathered and presented, and the false words of Zhang Ling and Ge Hong to be evaluated, graded, and catalogued. At the beginning of the Wude era, he returned to oversee the Buddhist order. Embracing his book satchel, he extended his light; distressed and unsettled, he sought the Way. Taking the view that the imperial realm adhered uniformly to orthodox teachings, and that just as licentious airs of Zheng and Wei can be easily admonished and corrected, he went to dwell at Jifa Temple in the capital. By the fourth year of Wude, the Grand Astrologer Fu Yi—who had previously been a Daoist and deeply resented the Buddhadharma—submitted a memorial with eleven articles urging the abolition of the Buddhadharma, claiming: 'The Buddhist scriptures are boastful and absurd; their words are bizarre and their affairs concealed. They harm the state and ruin families; we have never heard of them benefiting the world. We request that the barbarian Buddha's heterodox teachings be sent back to Tianzhu, and that all śramaṇas be dismissed back to their hometowns. Then the families and the state will flourish, and the teachings of Laozi and Confucius will prevail.' Gaozu tolerated Fu Yi's petty eloquence, and the court ministers were unable to counter it. At that time, it was feared that his heterodox course would be followed, leading to the general abolition of the great highway, and everyone was terrified. Thereupon an imperial edict was issued asking: 'You abandon the beard and hair given by your parents, and cast aside the official insignia and robes of ruler and minister. Within what gate does the benefit lie? Outside what sentiment does the profit reside? Where the balance of harm and benefit lies, please present your fine answers.' Falin was outraged by Fu Yi's words and listened intently to the bright edict. Hearing of this inquiry, he immediately stated in response: 'Falin has heard that the Ultimate Way transcends words; how could the nine schools debate it? The dharmakāya is without form; it is not what the Ten Wings can explain. Yet the four destinies are vast and drift drowned in the sea of desire; the three realms are teeming and tumble down the mountain of heterodoxy. The children are deluded and burn themselves; ordinary mortals sink and cannot emerge. The Great Sage appeared in the world for this reason; the Ultimate Man descended in spirit for this purpose. He thereupon opened the gate of liberation and revealed the path of peace. Thus, the royal lineages of central Tianzhu renounced affection and affection to undergo pravrajyā; the nobles of the Eastern Xia grew weary of glory and entered the Way. They vowed to transcend the two kinds of birth and death, and aspired to seek the one wondrous nirvāṇa; they propagated goodness to repay the four kindnesses, and established virtue to aid the three realms of existence. This is its benefit. They deface their form to fulfill their aspiration; hence they abandon their beard, hair, and beautiful appearance. They alter secular ways to accord with the Way; hence they cast aside the splendid attire of rulers and ministers. Though their form lacks service to their parents, inwardly they cherish filial piety; though their ritual diverges from serving the sovereign, in their hearts they harbor gratitude. Their grace extends to both foes and kin, fulfilling great compliance; their protection reaches the unseen and the manifest—how could it be bound by minor divergences? When persons of superior wisdom follow the Buddha's words, it brings benefit; when inferior and ordinary mortals fall short of the sacred teachings, it causes harm. Punishing evil causes the corrupted to renew themselves; promoting goodness causes capable people to be transformed. This is its general outline.' Yet Fu Yi's memorial had not yet been put into effect by the relevant offices. Fu Yi then made many copies of the memorial and openly circulated them near and far. In the alleys and neighborhoods of the capital, the mockery of 'shaven-headed rascals' spread everywhere; at banquet tables and gatherings, the slander of 'barbarian ghosts' was openly proclaimed. The Buddha-sun was obscured and dimmed; the awe of the Saṅgha was impeded and without force. At that time, of the Daoist and secular luminaries and nobility with broad capacity, more than one composed treatises; each explicated Buddhist principles and cited Indic texts, detailing karmic causes and conditions and discerning heterodoxy from orthodoxy. But since the sūtras were precisely what Fu Yi wished to abolish, how could citing what he abolished serve as proof? Though called 'destroying heterodoxy', in the end it was destroyed by heterodoxy. Falin possessed an upright spirit and profound insight, independently awakened across a thousand years; his caliber was naturally endowed, and his comprehensive comprehension was innate. Seeing that the authors had accomplished nothing, and trusting that using expedient means had authority, he composed the *Poxie lun* (Treatise on Destroying Heterodoxy). Its text stated: 'Zhuang Zhou said: "Within the six directions, the Sage acknowledges but does not discuss; beyond the six directions, the Sage accepts but does not expound." Laozi said: "Within the realm there are four greats, and the Way is one of them." Examining the intent of the *Book of Odes*, the *Book of Documents*, the rites, and music, and the priority of loyalty, valor, filial piety, and benevolence: they merely seek to arrange the ordinary human relations in proper order, intending to honor and serve ruler and father. The supreme virtue is merely to pacify superiors and govern the people; the essential way does not go beyond transforming customs and altering habits. Returning from Wei to Lu, did he ever speak words of liberation? The Six Treasuries and Nine Categories never proclaimed the ultimate meaning. Examining the various books recorded in the bibliographic treatise of the *History of the Former Han*, amounting to 13,269 fascicles, none failed to focus their efficacy on immediate benefits; none clearly expounded the distant path. Truly, they were confined within a single life, and did not transcend beyond the three periods of time! Consequently, when facing cause and effect, the principles remain dark as if before dawn; regarding karmic retribution, good fortune, and misfortune, the meanings remain unclear even to Confucius. These are all worldly schemes within the four corners of the universe and mundane maxims of the five constants; how could they avoid the churning of the four currents as a ground of defilement, or the tumult of the six destinies generating karmic deeds of worldly dust? Now, the true aspect is profound and dark, transcending the way of essential ways; the dharmakāya is tranquil and still, surpassing the mystery of mysteries. Only our Great Master embodied this wondrous enlightenment; the two extremes were suddenly cast aside, and the myriad virtues converged. It cannot be sought through realm or cognition; it cannot be grasped through form or name. Thus he was able to measure the dharmadhātu and arouse compassion, and survey empty space to establish vows. Therefore, he manifested birth in an impure land, born as a sage in a royal palace; he displayed a golden-colored body and emitted the sign of the jade urna. Spreading the clouds of compassion over Vulture Peak, the flames of the burning house were extinguished; fanning the wind of wisdom upon Cock's Foot Mountain, the mists of the dark paths were dispersed. When he walked, golden lotuses supported his feet; when he sat, a jeweled seat bore his body. When he went forth, the Lord of Heaven led the way; when he entered, the King of Brahmā followed behind. The śrāvakas and bodhisattvas stood solemn as if in imperial court ceremony; the eight classes and myriad spirits stood dense as guardians. When he expounded nirvāṇa, the earth manifested six kinds of shaking; when he preached prajñā, heaven rained down the four kinds of flowers. Adorned with a hundred blessings, he was like the full moon rising over the vast sea; illuminated by a thousand lights, he was like the gathered sun shining upon a jeweled mountain. With a single lion's roar, the heterodox teachers' vanguard was broken; when the Dharma drum was sounded once, the heavenly māras bowed their heads. Therefore he is titled Buddha, the Dharma King. How could he be compared in virtue or set alongside Laozi of the declining Zhou, or casually placed in the same rank as Confucius of the latter age? Thus, above heaven and below heaven, he alone is called the Honoured One, the Tamer; the three thousand great thousand worlds all look up to the moisture of his compassion. Yet the principle is deep and the purport distant; one awakens only by relying on the trap and the snare. The gates of teaching are skillful; one gains passage only by depending on masters and friends. Unifying his teachings, there are the eighty-four thousand treasuries, the texts of the two truths and the ten stages, the purports of the ocean palaces and dragon abodes, and the weight of ancient records and modern books. None fail to pour forth sweet dew across ten thousand generations, and bestow the ultimate way upon a hundred kings. Close at hand, they pacify the state and benefit the people; far off, they transcend the ordinary and realize the sage. Yet because the turn of the times had not yet matured, the responses of China and India were different: the Western regions first enjoyed the veneration of his voice and form, while the Eastern realms later received the benefit of seeing and hearing. When the cloud of compassion withdrew its moisture and the sun of wisdom retracted its light, the golden man was dreamt of in the Yongping era, and the spiritual relics were witnessed in the Chiwu era. Thereupon, during the governance of the Han, Wei, Qi, and Liang, the semblance teachings flourished vigorously; from the Yan, Qin, Jin, and Song onwards, famous monks appeared in succession. Some saved the world through spiritual powers; some inspired people through extraordinary traces; some opened minds through wisdom and understanding; some accommodated transformations through spiritual resonance. When Baizu faced the blade and was unhurt, the bequeathed Dharma began anew; when Zhi Shang divided his body in the circular gate, emperors and kings increased their faith. All this is detailed in the historical records—can it be scrutinized? Together, their merit covered future generations, transmitting the lamp for eternal kalpas. The discussants all said: "The Saṅgha merely continues the prosperity of the Buddha-seed; the Buddha secretly protects the state and confers blessings upon the imperial foundation. There is certainly no reason for abolition." Our Great Tang possesses the realm: answering to the time of the twenty-eight constellations, occupying the ninth-five position of sovereignty. It is about to revive the style of the ancient emperors and open the way of correct enlightenment, governing so as to achieve supreme peace and perpetuate pure transformation. But the cruel, poisonous, and foul words stated by Fu Yi are what heaven and earth cannot tolerate, and what human relations mutually cast aside. Fearing they would defile the imperial view, they cannot be fully inspected. We humbly pray that Your Majesty spread your all-embracing grace and bestow your nurturing benevolence, examining what is compliant and what is rebellious, deliberating on the true and the false. The Buddha entrusted the orthodox Dharma to the kings of states in the distance; Your Majesty ruling the realm is precisely the one to whom it is entrusted. I respectfully present one fascicle of the *Treatise on Destroying Heterodoxy* to respond to Fu Yi's words.' The text comprised over thirty sheets. Since Falin composed it, its brilliant composition surpassed all other writings: no worthy remained hidden in the wilderness, and no scholar was omitted at court. Every household kept a copy, and all recited it by heart; it was the essence of literary collections and the crown of letters. His splendid reputation thereupon spread far and wide, and deluded minds were enlightened and elevated by it. Falin also thought that as the fascicle of the treatise had just appeared, his intention lay in broad dissemination; unless he widely revealed its purport, ordinary folks would not have their ways corrected. He therefore presented it to the Crown Prince, the various princes, the dukes, ministers, marquises, and counts. Its literary principles were broadly distributed, and all achievements were praised; they deeply appreciated it. Thus Fu Yi's memorial was consequently shelved, and the Buddhist gate was reopened; this was truly Falin's achievement. Yu Shinan, Vice Mentor of the Eastern Palace, examined Falin's treatise and composed a preface for it. Yet Fu Yi was displeased and again secretly slandered him, inciting and fanning the Daoists to form a faction, each composing heterodox treatises to demean and disparage the Buddha and sages, blinding living beings and flaunting themselves before court and country. Good and evil were mingled, and the times became suspicious. In the spring of the ninth year of Wude, an imperial edict ordered that only three temples be established in the capital and only one thousand monks be maintained; the remaining temples were to be granted to princes and dukes, and the rest of the monks were all dismissed back to their hometowns. Once the strict edict came down, none dared to speak out. The five assemblies wept bitterly on Gaogai Street, and the four classes of people looked on and sighed in the city markets. At that time, clerics and laypeople were at a loss and had nowhere to turn. Fortunately, an emperor arose from the east, and the ominous vapors were cleared away; having long been accustomed to hearing the Dharma and fully grasping its essential tenets, he immediately declared a great amnesty and returned them to their spiritual dwellings. Thus, the Buddha-sun shone brightly once again in the Tang era, also thanks to Falin. Falin frequently experienced demotions and promotions, and vowed to maintain the Dharma; since the Way was thwarted by worldly sentiments, he relied upon compiling learning. Thereupon he searched through texts and gathered profound meanings, composing the *Bianzhenglun* (Treatise on Discerning the Correct) in one work of eight fascicles. Chen Ziliang of Yingchuan annotated it and composed a preface, stating: 'Formerly, when Confucius had a dream, the principles of the Ten Wings were clearly displayed; when Boyang went out of the pass, the meaning of the two chapters became manifest. Some hooked deep into attached images; some explored the subtle and obscure. What names and words cannot declare, and what yin and yang cannot measure, could still encompass heaven and earth and embrace ghosts and spirits; yet their Way did not extend over the great thousand worlds, and their words did not transcend the realm. How much more so for the dharmakāya, which is perfect and tranquil, wondrously transcending being and non-being; the ultimate principle is profound, its traces obliterating the true and the conventional. Its substance transcends the three characteristics, and its defilements exhaust seven rebirths; no-mind is mind, non-form is form—beyond the trap and the snare, how can it be spoken of? As when the Earl of the West was imprisoned at Youli, he displayed the subtle and refined; and when Sima Qian was castrated in the silkworm chamber, he fulfilled his former aspiration. Therefore the *Book of Changes* states: "When the makers of the *Changes* wrote in antiquity, did they not have sorrow?" The arising of this treatise truly had its reasons! The Daoists Li Zhongqing, Liu Jinxi, and others all composed vulgar writings slandering the orthodox Dharma, causing laypeople to give rise to heterodox beliefs. The Dharma master pitied their blindness and composed this treatise. It may be said that he stirred the sea of Dharma and brandished his literary spear. The sharpness of the Green Rooster vied in racing; the steepness of the Yellow Horse contended in gallop. None failed to see their leaves fall, branches break, clouds disperse, and mists roll away. However, this treatise plumbs the origins of the teachings of Buddhism and Laozi, and exhausts the principles of classification. Fearing that enthusiastic youths might not understand its meaning, this disciple recently paid homage, inquired after the path, and it brilliantly filled my eyes like the sun and moon entering my bosom; tranquil and responding to capacity, like a precious pearl illuminating things. Having awakened to the illusion of the four crossroads, I ceased wandering through a hundred cities. Thereupon, revealing what had not been heard, I annotated it.' Because his literary scholarship was superior and all the Confucians respected him, his guidance established standards and followers gathered like clouds. In the early Zhenguan era, the Emperor established Longtian Temple at the old site of Dahe Palace on the Southern Mountains. Falin naturally delighted in seclusion and went to reside there; praised by all, he was appointed to take charge of the temple duties. Leisurely in mountain attire, he chanted and sang in the forests and wilds. By the winter of the thirteenth year, there was a Daoist named Qin Shiying who, relying on occult arts to seek glory, presented his skills to the Crown Prince. Having long resented the Buddhist order, he secretly submitted that Falin's treatise slandered the imperial lineage and committed the crime of deceiving the sovereign. The Emperor angrily issued an edict to purge the monks and nuns; those current members of the Saṅgha were ordered to follow the Bequeathed Teachings. He then investigated Falin's person and interrogated him according to the law. Falin gripped his wrists and roused his spirit; not waiting for summons, he went alone to the official court, risking his life for the sake of the principle. He was bound in chains, and an imperial edict questioned him: 'The covenant of the Zhou clan placed those of different surnames behind; venerating ancestors and honoring relatives truly originates from antiquity. Why do you chase after shortcomings, hesitating between two ends, broadly citing specious words, and presenting disrespectful analogies, disparaging my ancestors and defaming my forebears? Seeking advantage over your sovereign in this manner, your crime cannot be pardoned.' Falin replied: 'King Wen was a great sage; the Duke of Zhou was a great worthy. They were careful to attend to their parents' funeral rites and follow them when gone with due sacrifices, yet boundless Heaven did not respond. The perfection of filial piety and fraternal duty reaches spiritual beings; though the Zhou had its clan, in principle they did not contend for precedence. Why is this? August Heaven has no favorites; in the end it only aids virtue. The ancients sided with principle and did not side with relatives; they did not consider who came first or who came later. Though a relative commits a crime, they must be punished; though an enemy has merit, they must be rewarded. When rewards and punishments accord with principle, the world is at peace. Laozi practiced and instructed in the Daoist ancestral teachings; his virtuous instruction extended to the common people, forgiving others and maintaining humility, his benevolent breeze manifesting across the four seas. He also said: "My master is named Buddha; Buddha means one who enlightens all people." The ancient sovereign of Tianzhu went west and passed away. Investigating Laozi's teachings, their beginning and end can be traced. In the *Rishou zhongjing* he instructed his disciples, saying: "My master entered well into nirvāṇa, continuously existing; now I shall pass away." Now Liu and Li have left writings slandering and destroying Laozi's master; the world cannot know this. I composed this *Bianzhenglun* in eight fascicles, briefly responding to the Daoists on over sixty points, all citing historical records and former words, truly not slandering the imperial house.' Thereafter, he debated on more than twenty matters, all based on Falin's words, and fully reported them in a memorial. An edict stated: 'In your *Bianzhenglun*, in the chapter on "Mutual Retribution of Faith and Slander", it says: "Those who are mindful of Avalokiteśvara will not be harmed when facing a blade." I grant you a reprieve of seven days to be mindful yourself. When the execution takes place, let us see whether you remain unhurt or not.' Falin was outwardly bound by shackles and inwardly pressed by the execution date; water and fire warred in his bosom, and there was no way to appeal. He therefore fixed his mind on the scriptures and teachings he had heard throughout his life and the names of the Three Sages, memorizing and reciting them in his heart, hoping for a manifest response. When the time limit expired, his spirit suddenly became brave and boundless across his chest; joy followed upon joy, and he instantly forgot the fear of death. Standing, he waited for the interrogation. Presently, the edict arrived, saying: 'Now the reprieve is over, and your execution is at hand. What have you been mindful of? Has your mindfulness shown spiritual efficacy?' Falin took up his brush and replied: 'Since the turmoil at the end of the Sui, the four seas boiled over; the plague of labor corvée spread, and weapons arose in rivalry. Armies were raised to attack one another, abandoning benevolence and relying on military might; ministers were flattering and sovereigns dissolute, failing to maintain righteous governance. They blocked the royal roads and obstinately held their corners. Since the August Emperor punished the guilty and comforted the people, clearing the land and seas, this has truly been the power of Avalokiteśvara, and all aided by the causes of Mahāsthāmaprāpta. Your virtue matches theirs, your course aligns with the highest sages: saving from untimely death in the imperial court, and sparing excessive punishment in the city markets. During these seven days, Falin has not been mindful of Avalokiteśvara; I have only been mindful of Your Majesty.' The Emperor ordered the Assistant Censor Wei Cong to question Falin: 'An edict commanded you to be mindful of Avalokiteśvara; why were you not mindful of him, but said you were only mindful of His Majesty?' Falin replied: 'I humbly understand that Avalokiteśvara's holy discernment manifests across the six destinies; above heaven and below earth, he is an exemplar for all. Now the Great Tang brightly rules the four seas; the nine barbarian tribes render service, and across the eight borders punishment is clear. The ruler is sage and the ministers are worthy, without injustice or excess. Now Your Majesty nurtures the common people like the sūtras describe; you are Avalokiteśvara. Since the spiritual discernment matches, I was only mindful of Your Majesty. As for the *Zhenglun* I composed, it is on par with the histories; if a single sentence is erratic, I submit to the axe. If Your Majesty follows loyalty and rectitude, Falin will not lose a single hair; if Your Majesty punishes the innocent in excess, Falin will suffer the grief of a prostrated corpse.' These matters were fully reported, and in the end no punishment was inflicted; an edict ordered him banished to a Buddhist temple in the Yizhou region. Reaching the Bodhi Temple at Bailao Pass, he died of illness, at the age of sixty-nine. The śramaṇa Huixu attended to his sufferings; their affection was as strong as snapping metal. Day and night they shared a quilt, comforting and serving him. When his life was about to end, he was upon Huixu's knees; Huixu wailed and collapsed, tears flowing like swift rain. He summoned the clerics and laypeople near the pass and buried him at the top of the Eastern Mountain, erecting a tall white stūpa and carving an inscription to record it. Passers-by who looked upon it and knew of him shed tears. Huixu was originally from Wugong in Yongzhou; he was skilled in classics and conversant with Buddhist principles, clarifying the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* as an instruction for spreading transformation. Understanding the Way and opening up secular folk, his words were without bias; caring for traveling monks was his household rule. Originally residing in the capital, he later moved to Liangzhou and Yizhou; because Bailao was an intersection where people from all four quarters gathered, and clerics and laypeople lodging and traveling had nowhere to rely, Huixu resided at the temple at the mouth of the pass to receive distant guests. Thus travelers relied on him, and praises filled their ears. At that time, Assistant Censor Wei Cong investigated Qin Shiying's deceptions, and submitted an impeachment, stating: 'I consider that when the Great Way flourishes, the traces of emptiness and tranquility unfold; when the mysterious breeze is broadcast, the teaching of non-action thrives. Never has there been one who wears the yellow cap while his mind is identical to the vulgar and profane. The Daoist Qin Ying studied medical prescriptions slightly and was barely familiar with incantations. Relatives entrusted their lives to him, and the frail and ill cast themselves upon him; yet he committed adultery with their wives, no different from beasts. His sentiments violate orthodox teaching, his mind resembles jackals and wolves; indulging his greedy and contentious heart, giving free rein to heterodox and foul conduct. He hides wives and children in his house, and keeps young maids and boys at his gate; riding fat horses and wearing light furs, he comes and goes on the thoroughfares. Raising his eyebrows and shaking his sleeves, he has no fear of the legal net. His intense envy is not forgotten, yet disaster is looming. If this origin is not eradicated, the ultimate teaching will be undermined. I request that severe statutes be applied to punish his licentiousness and extravagance.' Qin Ying was sent to the Court of Judicial Review, and was ultimately executed for his madness and deception. Both public and private observers wondered why his death came so late. Falin's compositions—poems, rhapsodies, memorials, eulogies, stelae, petitions, elegies, Mahāyāna Dharma treatises, along with various commentaries, records, and biographies—totaled more than thirty fascicles. All resounded with the rhythm of metal and stone, and their literary thoughts were patterned like rich brocade; flowing, elegant, and agile, their flames rose ever serene. Furthermore, he was skilled at preaching according to capacities, setting forth words on the spur of the moment; his words matched musical notes, and his meanings agreed with profound texts. Truly, he is rare in the world, with few successors.