弘明集 1.19

1.19

問曰。孔子云。未能事人焉能事鬼。未知生焉知死。此聖人之所絕也。今佛家輒說生死之事鬼神之務。此殆非聖哲之語也。夫履道者。當虛無惔怕歸志質朴。何為乃道生死以亂志說鬼神之餘事乎。牟子曰。若子之言。所謂見外未識內者也。孔子疾子路不問本末以此抑之耳。孝經曰。為之宗廟以鬼享之。春秋祭祀以時思之。又曰。生事愛敬。死事哀慼。豈不教人事鬼神知生死哉。周公為武王請命曰。旦多才多藝能事鬼神。夫何為也。佛經所說生死之趣。非此類乎。老子曰。知其子復守其母。沒身不殆。又曰。用其光復其明。無遺身殃。此道生死之所趣。吉凶之所住。至道之要實貴寂寞。佛家豈好言乎。來問不得不對耳。鍾鼓豈有自鳴者。捊加而有聲矣。

The question was asked: "Confucius said: 'When you are not yet able to serve people, how can you serve ghosts? When you do not yet know life, how can you know death?' These are matters that the sage shunned. Now the Buddhists constantly speak of matters of life and death, and the business of ghosts and spirits; these are surely not the words of a sage or wise person. One who treads the Dao ought to abide in non-being and tranquillity, directing his will back to simplicity; why speak of life and death to disturb the mind and discuss superfluous matters of ghosts and spirits?" Mouzi said: "What you say is what is called seeing the outside without understanding the inside. Confucius disliked Zilu's failure to inquire about the fundamental and the branch, and restrained him with this. The Classic of Filial Piety says: 'They build ancestral temples for them and offer sacrifices to them as ghosts; in spring and autumn they offer sacrifices to remember them in season.' It also says: 'In life, serve them with love and respect; in death, serve them with grief and sorrow.' How could this not be teaching people to serve ghosts and spirits and to know life and death? When the Duke of Zhou prayed for King Wu's life, he said: 'Dan has many talents and arts, and can serve the ghosts and spirits.' Why did he do so? Are not the destinies of life and death expounded in the Buddhist scriptures of this very kind? Laozi said: 'Knowing its child, return to hold fast to its mother; to the end of one's life, there will be no danger.' He also said: 'Use its light, and return to its brightness; leave no calamity to one's person.' This explains the destinies of life and death, and where auspiciousness and misfortune reside. The essence of the ultimate Dao truly prizes stillness and silence. How could the Buddhists be fond of speaking? When questioned, they cannot but reply. Does a bell or a drum ever sound by itself? Only when struck does it produce a sound."