弘明集 1.15

1.15

問曰。夫福莫踰於繼嗣。不孝莫過於無後。沙門棄妻子捐財貨。或終身不娶。何其違福孝之行也。自苦而無奇。自極而無異矣。牟子曰。夫長左者必短右。大前者必狹後。孟公綽為趙魏老則優。不可以為滕薛大夫。妻子財物世之餘也。清躬無為道之妙也。老子曰。名與身孰親。身與貨孰多。又曰。觀三代之遺風。覽乎儒墨之道術。誦詩書修禮節。崇仁義視清潔。鄉人傳業名譽洋溢。此中士所施行。恬惔者所不恤。故前有隨珠。後有虓虎。見之走而不敢取何也。先其命而後其利也。許由栖巢木。夷齊餓首陽。舜孔稱其賢曰。求仁得仁者也。不聞譏其無後無貨也。沙門修道德。以易遊世之樂。反淑賢。以背妻子之歡。是不為奇。孰與為奇。是不為異。孰與為異哉。

The question was asked: "No blessing exceeds continuing one's lineage; no lack of filial piety surpasses having no descendants. The śramaṇas abandon wives and children, cast away wealth and goods, and some do not marry throughout their lives; how exceedingly they violate the practice of blessings and filial piety! They trouble themselves with no extraordinary result; they exhaust themselves with nothing remarkable." Mouzi said: "He who extends to the left must shorten to the right; he who enlarges what is in front must narrow what is behind. Meng Gongchuo was more than qualified to be an elder of Zhao or Wei, but could not be an officer of Teng or Xue. Wife, children, and material goods are the leftovers of the world; purifying one's person in non-action is the subtlety of the Dao. Laozi said: 'Which is closer to you, your name or your person? Which is worth more, your person or your goods?' He also said: 'Observe the remaining customs of the Three Dynasties; look upon the arts and methods of the Confucians and the Mohists: reciting the Odes and the Documents, cultivating rites and propriety, exalting benevolence and righteousness, and regarding purity—the villagers pass down this trade and their reputation overflows; this is what middling gentlemen put into practice, but the tranquil and indifferent do not care for it.' Therefore, if the pearl of Sui lies ahead and a roaring tiger lurks behind, when someone sees them, he runs and dares not take [the pearl]—why? He puts his life first and his profit second. Xu You nested in a tree; Boyi and Shuqi starved on Mount Shouyang. Shun and Confucius praised their worthiness, saying: 'They sought benevolence and attained benevolence.' One has never heard that they were criticized for having no descendants or no wealth. The śramaṇas cultivate the Dao and virtue to exchange for the pleasures of wandering in the world, and turn away from worldly goodness to turn their backs on the delights of wives and children. If this is not extraordinary, what is extraordinary? If this is not remarkable, what is remarkable?"