[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [弘明集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102) › 3.7 # 弘明集 3.7 弘明集 3.7 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3.7) 答曰。客可謂達教聲而不體教情者也。謂聖人有殺心乎。曰無也。答曰。子誠知其無心於殺。殺故百姓之心耳。夫時移世異物有薄純。結繩之前。陶然大和。暨于唐虞禮法始興。爰逮三代刑罔滋彰。刀斧雖嚴而猶不懲。至于君臣相滅父子相害。吞噬之甚過於豺虎。聖人知人情之固於殺不可一朝而息。故漸抑以求厥中。猶蝮蛇螫足。斬之以全身。癰疽附體。決之以救命。亡一以存十。亦輕重之所權。故刑依秋冬。所以順時殺。春蒐夏苗。所以簡胎乳。三驅之禮禽來則韜弓。聞聲覩生肉至不食。釣而不綱。弋不射宿。其於昆蟲每加隱惻。至於議獄緩死眚災肆赦。刑疑從輕寧失有罪。流涕授鉞哀矜勿喜。生育之恩篤矣。仁愛之道盡矣。所謂為而不恃長而不宰。德被而功不在我。日用而萬物不知。舉茲以求。足以悟其歸矣。 > I answered: 'The guest may be said to have reached the outward voice of the teaching, but not to have embodied the inner spirit of the teaching. Do you say that the sages harbored a mind to kill? He said, "No." I answered: You truly know that they had no mind to kill; killing was merely the mind of the common people. Times shift and generations differ; things have their shallowness and purity. Before the tying of knots, all was harmonious in great peace. Reaching the eras of Tang and Yu, rites and laws began to arise. When it came to the Three Dynasties, penal nets became ever more manifest. Though knives and axes were severe, people were still not restrained. It reached the point where lords and ministers destroyed each other, fathers and sons harmed each other, and their devouring of one another exceeded even jackals and tigers. The sages knew that human feelings were deeply ingrained in killing and could not be halted overnight. Therefore, they gradually curbed it in search of moderation. It is like when a viper bites the foot: one cuts it off to preserve the whole body; when an ulcer afflicts the body, one lances it to save the life. Losing one to preserve ten is also an expedient measure of weighing lightness and gravity. Therefore, punishments accord with autumn and winter in order to follow the seasonal killing; spring hunting and summer weeding are used to spare pregnant and suckling beasts. According to the rites of the three drives, when prey comes toward one, the bow is cased; upon hearing an animal's voice or seeing it alive, when the meat arrives, one does not eat it. One angles with a line but does not use a net; one shoots with a corded arrow but does not shoot at roosting birds. Toward insects, one always extends hidden pity. As for deliberating over lawsuits to delay death, pardoning disasters and granting amnesties, choosing leniency when punishment is doubtful, and preferring to let a guilty person go free; weeping while conferring the battle-axe, and having sorrow and pity without rejoicing in convictions—the kindness of nurturing life was deep indeed, and the path of benevolence and love was fully realized! This is what is meant by acting without relying upon it, leading without dominating, virtue covering all while claiming no merit for oneself, and being used daily while the myriad things remain unaware. If one examines things with this, it is sufficient to understand their ultimate destination.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3.6) - [Next: 3.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3.8) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102~en-mt.3.7) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2102.3.7) · Pramāṇa