弘明集 8.45

8.45

滅惑論曰。雙樹晦跡形像代興。固已理積無始而道被無窮者也。按李叟出關。運當周季。世閉賢隱故。往而忘歸。接輿避世猶滅其迹。況適外域孰見其蹤。於是姦猾祭酒造化胡之經。理拙辭鄙。廝隸所傳尋西胡怯弱北狄凶熾。若老子滅惡棄德用形。何愛凶狄而反滅弱胡。遂令玁狁橫行毒流萬世。豺狼當路而狐狸是誅。淪湑為酷覆載無聞。商鞅之法未至此虐。伯陽之道豈其然哉。且未服則設像無施。信順則拏戮可息。既服教矣。方加極刑。一言失道眾偽可見。東野之語其如理何。

The Treatise Destroying Delusions states: When the traces vanished between the Twin Trees, images arose in their stead; the principle had already accumulated from the beginningless, and the Way had covered the boundless. Examining Old Li's exit through the pass, it was timed during the decline of the Zhou; because the times were blocked and the worthy went into hiding, he left and forgot to return. If Jieyu in avoiding the world still concealed his traces, how much more so when going to external realms—who saw his footprints? Thereupon treacherous libationers fabricated the scripture on converting the barbarians, with clumsy reasoning and vulgar diction, handed down by domestic slaves. Examining the Western Hu, they are cowardly and weak, while the Northern Di are ferocious and fierce. If Laozi eliminated evil, discarded virtue, and employed physical punishment, why would he cherish the fierce Di and conversely annihilate the weak Hu, thereby allowing the Xianyun to run rampant and spread their poison for ten thousand generations? Jackals and wolves block the road, yet foxes are punished; descending into utter ruin as a cruelty is unheard of under heaven and earth. The laws of Shang Yang did not reach such cruelty; could the Way of Boyang be like this? Furthermore, when they were not yet submissive, establishing images would have been ineffective; once they believed and obeyed, executions could have ceased. Yet after they submitted to the teaching, capital punishment was then applied! With a single word straying from the Way, numerous fabrications become evident. What can such wild words from Dongye do against reason?