弘明集 12.8

12.8

佛教以罪福因果有若影響。聖言明審令人寒心。然自上古帝皇文武周孔。典謨訓誥靡不周備。未有明述三世顯敘報應者也。彼眾聖皆窮理盡性照曉物緣。何得忍視陷溺。莫肯授接。曾無一言示其津逕。且釣而不綱。弋不射宿。博碩肥腯。上帝是享。以此觀之。蓋所難了。想二三子揚攉而陳。使劃然有證祛其惑焉。

The Buddhist teaching regards transgressions and blessings, cause and effect, as being like shadows and echoes. The sage's words are clear and exact, striking fear into people's hearts. Yet from the ancient emperors and monarchs, Wen and Wu, to the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, their canons, counsels, instructions, and proclamations lacked nothing in completeness; yet none clearly set forth the three times or openly expounded karmic retribution. Those many sages all exhausted principle and fully plumbed human nature, illuminating the conditions of things; how could they bear to watch people sink and drown without being willing to lend a hand, without ever offering a single word to point out the ford and path? Furthermore, 'he angled but did not use a net; he shot at birds with an attached cord, but not at roosting birds'; 'broad, large, and fat animals are offered up to the Sovereign on High.' Judging from this, it is indeed difficult to understand. I hope you gentlemen will explain and present this in outline, providing clear evidence to dispel this confusion.