弘明集 1.11

1.11

The question was asked: "The Buddhist scriptures are vast and numerous. One wishes to take their essentials and discard the rest, speaking directly of their reality while removing their embellishments." Mouzi said: "No. The sun and the moon are both bright, yet each has what it illuminates; the twenty-eight lunar lodges each have what they govern; the hundred medicines grow together, yet each has what it cures; a fox-fur coat provides against the cold, while fine and coarse linen fend off the heat; boats and carriages take different paths, yet both convey travellers to their destinations. Confucius did not consider the Five Classics complete in themselves, but further composed the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Classic of Filial Piety because he wished to broaden the arts of the Dao and indulge people's dispositions. Although the Buddhist scriptures are numerous, their convergence is one. It is like the seven classics: though different, their prizing of the Dao, virtue, benevolence, and righteousness is also one. The reason why filial piety is explained in many ways is that it is imparted according to each person's conduct. For instance, when Zizhang and Ziyou both asked about the one topic of filial piety, Zhongni gave each a different answer, addressing each one's shortcoming. Why should anything be discarded?"