弘明集 1.16

1.16

The question was asked: "The Yellow Emperor let down his robes and instituted garments and ornaments; Jizi expounded the Great Plan, where appearance was the foremost of the five matters; Confucius composed the Classic of Filial Piety, where dress was the beginning of the three virtues. It also says: 'Correct your clothing and cap, and make your gaze dignified.' Although Yuan Xian was poor, he did not part with his splendid cap; when Zilu met with disaster, he did not forget to tie his cap strings. Now the śramaṇas shave their hair and don red cloth; when seeing people, they have no ritual of kneeling and rising, and no demeanour of pacing and turning. How exceedingly they violate the system of appearance and dress, and run contrary to the ornaments of the gentry!" Mouzi said: "Laozi said: 'Highest virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue; lowest virtue does not lose virtue, therefore it is without virtue.' In the time of the Three Sovereigns, people ate meat and wore skins, nesting in trees and dwelling in caves to exalt simplicity. How could they have needed the cap of Zhangfu or the ornament of curved furs? Yet those people were praised as possessing virtue, being simple, sincere, trustworthy, and acting through non-action. The conduct of the śramaṇas resembles this."