弘明集 12.89

12.89

詳省別告及八座書。問沙門所以不敬王者。意義在尊主崇上。遠存名體徵引老氏。同王侯於三大。以資生運通之道。設宜重其神器。若推其本以尋其源。咸稟氣於兩儀。受形於父母。則以生生通運之道為弘資。存日用之理為大。故不宜受其德而遺其禮。沾其惠而廢其敬。此檀越立意之所據。貧道亦不異於高懷。求之於佛教。以尋沙門之道理則不然。何者佛經所明凡有二科。一者處俗弘教。二者出家修道。處俗則奉上之禮。尊親之敬。忠孝之義。表於經文。在三之訓彰于聖典。斯與王制同命有若符契。此一條全是檀越所明。理不容異也。出家則是方外之賓。迹絕於物。其為教也。達患累緣於有身。不存身以息患。知生生由於稟化。不順化以求宗。求宗不由於順化。故不重運通之資。息患不由於存身。故不貴厚生之益。此理之與世乖。道之與俗反者也。是故凡在出家。皆隱居以求其志。變俗以達其道。變俗則服章。不得與世典同禮。隱居則宜高尚其跡。夫然。故能拯溺俗於沈流。拔幽根於重劫。遠通三乘之津。廣開人天之路。是故內乖天屬之重。而不違其孝。外闕奉主之恭。而不失其敬。若斯人者。自誓始於落簪。立志成於暮歲。如令一夫全德。則道洽六親澤流天下。雖不處王侯之位。固已協契皇極大庇生民矣。如此豈坐受其德虛霑其惠。與夫尸祿之賢同其素餐者哉。檀越頃者以有其服而無其人。故澄清簡練容而不雜。此命既宣。皆人百其誠。遂之彌深非言所喻。若復開出處之迹。以弘方外之道。則虛衿者挹其遺風。漱流者味其餘津矣。若澄簡之後猶不允情。其中或真偽相冐。涇渭未分。則可以道廢人。固不應以人廢道。以道廢人則宜去其服。以人廢道則宜存其禮。禮存則制教之旨可尋。跡廢則遂志之歡莫由。何以明其然。夫沙門服章法用雖非六代之典。自是道家之殊制。俗表之名器。名器相涉則事乖其本。事乖其本則禮失其用。是故愛夫禮者必不虧其名器。得之不可虧亦有自來矣。夫遠遵古典者。猶存告朔之餼羊。餼羊猶可以存禮。豈況如來之法服耶。推此而言。雖無其道必宜存其禮。禮存則法可弘。法可弘則道可尋。此古今所同不易之大法也。又袈裟非朝宗之服。鉢盂非廊廟之器。軍國異容戎華不雜。剔髮毀形之人忽廁諸夏之禮。則是異類相涉之象。亦竊所未安。檀越奇韻挺於弱年。風流邁於季俗。猶參究時賢以求其中。此而推之。必不以人廢言。貧道西垂之年。假日月以待盡情之所惜。豈存一己苟悋所執。蓋欲令三寶中興於命世之運。明德流芳於百代之下耳。若一旦行此佛教長淪。如來大法於茲泯滅。天人感歎道俗革心矣。貧道幽誠所期。復將安寄。緣眷遇之隆。故坦其所懷。執筆悲懣不覺涕泗橫流。

I have carefully examined your special letter and the letter from the Eight Ministers inquiring into why śramaṇas do not revere kings. Their intent is to honor the ruler and exalt the superior, preserving from afar name and substance, quoting Laozi to equate kings and lords with the three greats, and taking the way of supporting life and facilitating movement as the reason. They assume that his sacred vessel ought to be honored. If we trace their origin and seek out their source, all receive qi from the two modes (heaven and earth) and take form from their parents. Thus, taking the way of continuous generation and facilitating movement as vast support, they consider preserving the principles of daily usage to be paramount. Hence one should not receive his favor while omitting the rituals toward him, or partake of his kindness while neglecting respect for him. This is the basis for your premise, Danapāla, and I, a poor monk, do not differ from your noble sentiments. Yet if one seeks it in the Buddhist teachings to investigate the principles and reasons of a śramaṇa, it is not so. Why is this? What the Buddhist scriptures explain falls into two categories: the first is residing in secular life to propagate the teaching; the second is leaving the household to cultivate the Way. Residing in secular life, the etiquette of serving the superior, the respect of honoring parents, and the duty of loyalty and filial piety are expressed in the scriptural texts. The instruction on the three [bonds] is manifest in the sacred scriptures. This shares the same mandate with the royal regulations, fitting like tallies. This single point is entirely what you, Danapāla, have clarified; in principle there is no room for difference. As for leaving the household, such a person is a guest beyond the realm, whose traces are severed from worldly things. As for the teaching: he realizes that troubles and fetters arise from possessing a physical body, and does not preserve the body in order to bring an end to trouble; he understands that continuous generation derives from receiving transformation, and does not comply with transformation to seek the ultimate principle. Seeking the ultimate principle does not come from complying with transformation; hence he does not value the resources that facilitate movement. Bringing an end to trouble does not come from preserving the body; hence he does not prize the benefits of enriching life. This is where principle diverges from the world, and the Way is contrary to the secular. For this reason, whoever leaves the household lives in seclusion to pursue their aspiration and alters secular ways to realize their Way. Altering secular ways, their garments and insignia cannot share the same rituals as secular statutes; living in seclusion, their conduct ought to be exalted. Because it is so, they are able to rescue the worldly from drowning in the sinking torrent and uproot dark roots through repeated kalpas, opening the ford of the three vehicles afar and broadly opening the path of humans and gods. Therefore, internally they deviate from the weight of natural kinship, yet do not violate filial piety; externally they lack the deference of serving the ruler, yet do not forfeit respect. For such people, their vow begins when they cast aside the hairpin, and their aspiration is accomplished in their declining years. If even a single man attains complete virtue, his Dao reaches the six relations and his bounty flows throughout the world. Although he does not occupy the station of kings and lords, he has already harmonized with the August Ultimate and broadly sheltered the living populace. Being such, how could he be merely sitting and receiving benefits, vainly enjoying favors, sharing unearned sustenance with those virtuous ones who hold sinecures? Recently, Danapāla, considering that there are those who wear the vestments but lack the person, you therefore purified and selected them, tolerating no disorder. Once this order was proclaimed, all were a hundredfold more sincere; the depth of its compliance is beyond words to convey. If you again broaden their way of appearing in the world and retiring, so as to propagate the Way beyond the realm, then those of open mind will draw upon its lingering breeze, and those who rinse with streams will savor its remaining waters. If after purification and selection it still does not satisfy expectations, and among them truth and falsehood are intermixed with the Jing and Wei rivers still indistinct, then one may discard the person on account of the Way, but surely one must not discard the Way on account of the person. If discarding the person on account of the Way, one should remove their robes; if discarding the Way on account of the person, one should preserve their rituals. When rituals are preserved, the intent of establishing the teaching can be traced; when traces are abandoned, the joy of fulfilling aspirations has no recourse. How is it known to be so? The śramaṇa's vestments and ritual implements, though not statutes of the Six Dynasties, are naturally the distinct system of the house of the Way, the sacred vessels outside the secular world. If sacred vessels are confounded, matters deviate from their root; if matters deviate from their root, rituals lose their function. Therefore, those who cherish ritual will never diminish its sacred vessels; that their non-diminution is obtained also has its provenance. Those who remotely comply with ancient statutes still preserved the sacrificial sheep of the new moon; if a sacrificial sheep could still preserve ritual, how much more so the Dharma robes of the Tathāgata? Inferring from this, even if the Way is absent, one must preserve its rituals; when rituals are preserved, the Dharma can be propagated; when the Dharma can be propagated, the Way can be pursued. This is the immutable Great Dharma shared by past and present. Furthermore, the kāṣāya is not court attire for audiences, and the alms bowl is not a vessel for temple halls. The military and the state have different deportments; the barbarian and the Chinese do not mix. For one who has shaved their hair and altered their form to suddenly take part in the rituals of the Xia states is a phenomenon of different kinds confounding each other, and privately I find no peace in it. Danapāla, your extraordinary grace was outstanding in your youth, and your elegance surpassed the declining age; yet you still consult with contemporary worthies to seek the middle path. Inferring from this, you will surely not discard the words on account of the person. I, a poor monk, am in my declining years, borrowing the sun and moon to await my end; what my heart cherishes is hardly the preservation of myself or stubborn attachment to what I hold. It is simply that I desire the Three Jewels to undergo revival in this epoch-making juncture, and bright virtue to shed fragrance down through a hundred generations. If once this is carried out, the Buddhist teaching will sink forever, and the Great Dharma of the Tathāgata will be obliterated here; gods and humans will sigh in lamentation, and both religious and secular will turn their minds. Where then will my hidden sincerity find rest? Because your favor and regard have been so grand, I have laid bare my feelings. Holding the brush in grief and distress, I do not notice the tears and snivel streaming down.