弘明集 14

English (machine translation) 14

Language: English

14.1

Compiled by the Vinaya Master Shi Sengyou of Jianchu Monastery in Yangdu of the Liang

14.2

Denunciation of Mount Tai by Zhu Daoshuang
Declaration of War on Māra by Shi Zhijing
Declaration of Victory over Māra by Shi Baolin
Postface to the Hongming lun by Shi Sengyou

14.3

Denunciation of Mount Tai by Zhu Daoshuang

Śramaṇa Zhu Daoshuang makes bold to inform the divine mansion of the Eastern Peak of Mount Tai and the Emissary of the General Register: When the Dark Primal first cleaved apart, the two modes of ether began to divide. Above, the armillary sphere was installed and assisted by the three luminaries; below, Empress Earth was established and anchored by the five peaks. Yin and yang spread their transformations through the eight directions, and the myriad things were born therein. Thus, Mount Tai occupies the domain of the Azure Dragon; Heng and Huo dwell in the disposition of the various yang [energies]; Huayang displays the realm of Ling and Ban; Heng and Bo arrange the guests of the Dark Warrior; Song towers amidst the royal rivers, anchoring the mounds of the four waterways. These all receive the circulation of primal qi and are genuinely free from the filth of evil; their spirit path is naturally revered and upright, not false. Following Heaven’s covering and compliant with Earth’s bearing, they are genuine, straightforward, placid, dark, and pure. Advancing the Dao, they head the four seasonal movements; retiring to action, they embody the essence of the five teachings. Internally they harbor the resources to penetrate the subtle; externally they shine with the brightness of the Dao and its virtue. Above, they reach non-being; below, they nurture the common people. Holding virtue, they secretly communicate, leaving nothing distant unpenetrated; wandering along the nine cliffs, they soar through the dark portals. Thus they can have no rigid bodily form, breathing in and out yin and yang, grasping the cosmos, and pacing the eight wastes. Now, as for the Eastern Peak: it is the beginning of the Dragon Spring, the qi of pure yang, which fosters motion, sprouts life, and is the seat of the Royal Father. The Southern Winnowing Basket and Northern Dipper, the middle stars and nine heavens, the King of the East and the Queen Mother of the West, the Boundless Ancestral Lords—they mount the qi and soar like phoenixes, leaving this dark mystery behind; they are purified in the Great Simplicity and do not dwell among humans. Ridding all foulness, their way is natural. How is it, then, that ghosts of omen and specters of the wilderness falsely claim the Dao of the Eastern Peak and attach themselves to the spirit residing in the mountain? Taking advantage of the madness and deceit of wandering spirits, they delude the foolish sentiments of worldly people. Carving divine scriptures, they falsely erect spirit forms; originally having no written record, at the end having no canonical text. Externally there is the noxious qi that harms living things; internally there is the roaming of a hundred demons. By day, offerings of grain and cooked rice establish their power; by night, a host of evils dwells in their courtyard. These are all a pack of wolves and serpents among ghosts, the hollow fame of owls and pythons! From the time the Three Sovereigns laid the foundation down to the present day, throughout the veneration of successive generations, such phenomena have never been witnessed! Thus the Lingzheng ji says: 'When a spirit is upright, it conceals its radiance in the darkness; above, it ascends to the high constellations, and below, it disports in the dark portals. Carefree in the shadows of the clouds, it soars like a dragon through the eight extremes; winds arise, rain falls, and its transformations are like thunder and lightning. No traveling kitchen is set up, for a hundred flavors are natural. Containing compassion and upholding purity, its moisture enriches the common people. Its grace surpasses that of parents' dual care, and its kindness is like the morning sun. Eating in response to Heaven, it does not harm living beings.' This is the marvelous conduct of soaring spirits, the spirit way of clear emptiness. 'If a spirit is not upright, it meddles with the myriad things; seizing the opportune time and uttering hollow sounds, it spreads delusion to the ears of the world. Generating evil omens and scattering simplicity, it agitates human minds. It exhausts wealth and slaughters to the utmost, severing the lives of beings. Wrongfully harming those in the prime of life, it sacrifices their flesh and bones on the chopping block; their spirits scatter, grievously wounding the primal qi.' How could the spirit of the Eastern Peak be speaking of this?! Thus the Zhenzhong jie says: 'Do not harm any creature that contains qi, whether squirming or creeping, or the hundred insects. Do not eat birds’ eggs, for there are spirits within them. The Heavenly Origin receives mandates, and the Earthly Court has forms; they originally receive from the two modes of ether—how could they harm life?' These are all contrary to principle and violate the fundamental scriptures of the Dao. The common people possess compassion and follow Heaven in not killing; how much less should one slaughter pigs and sheep and drink their blood? Deducing from this: this is no spirit!

14.5

Furthermore, the true spirits of the Five Peaks are the auguries of quintessential energy. Above, they model themselves on the armillary sphere; below, they support Heaven and Earth. Endowed with the Dao of clear emptiness, they are without voice or sound. Honoring them does not make them pleased; slighting them does not make them sorrowful. Amidst a thousand praises or ten thousand slanders, the spirits neither gain nor lose. Yet you make fraudulent claims and falsely attach yourselves to living humans; stirring up qi out of emptiness, slaughter and harm flow from your mouths. If people obey you, you bestow favors; if they disobey you, misfortune strikes. Advancing or retreating, you are fawning and deceitful, forever lacking the tracks of the worthy. You dishonor the true spirits; this is not their Dao! Thus the Xuanzhong ji of the Huangluozi jing says: 'Those who call themselves mountain peak spirits are surely pythons and snakes. Those who call themselves river and sea spirits are surely giant turtles, alligators, fish, and softshell turtles. Those who call themselves spirits of Heaven, Earth, father, or mother are surely wildcats, foxes, and wild beasts. Those who call themselves general spirits are surely brown bears, black bears, tigers, and leopards. Those who call themselves scholar-official spirits are surely monkeys, macaques, and apes. Those who call themselves house spirits are surely dogs, sheep, pigs, and calves. Things like doors, windows, wells, stoves, and broken vessels, and the false forms assumed by ghosts and sprites—all are called spirits. They terrify the myriad people; they are the qi of illicit spirits.' These are recorded in the scriptures, clear verifications handed down through the ages! Since your evil omens gradually began more than six years ago, they have summoned people from all directions, none of whom failed to respond. Those who travel to you bringing illnesses are like small streams flowing to the ocean; those who receive death and return fill the roads with wailing. When severe cases die early, you promptly claim their lifespans were exhausted; when mild cases are easily resolved, you credit your own blessings. If severe afflictions are hard to relieve, then you have no kindness to offer; moderate ailments are not what you can cure. Neither shows efficacy—how can you be served? Yet you cause the multitude of people to devote their hearts and take refuge, though you have neither good doctors nor fine medicines; nor can you descend through [shamans with] disheveled hair. Months and weeks pass without the slightest sign of retribution. Deducing from this: what proof or verification is there? Furthermore, the Great Yuan Huan Prince and the granted enfeoffments—the admirable standards of the six states, the auxiliary radiance of the three stellar platforms, assisting the imperial house so that the black-haired people were joyous—when heavenly misfortune errantly struck and his body suffered a slight ailment, he thought your divinity could be moved by numinous virtue. Therefore, demonstrating virtue and relying on faith, he dispatched an envoy to your spirit shrine, offering the three sacrificial animals and presenting additional rare treasures. If your sagely Dao reached to Heaven and attained the marvelous, why did you not petition the Nine Sovereigns above and consult Empress Earth below, gather all the spirits, and openly manifest subtle arts to make this fine minister of the state dispel his disease and attain peace? Since there was no response, he suddenly passed away. With this proof of your falsehood, how could you be worthy of being served?!

14.6

Furthermore, in the past, stones stood upright on Mount Tai, altars relocated, and numinous spirits descended in visible forms, their renown echoing for ten thousand generations. This was a response of Heaven and Earth, manifestly acting as auspicious omens of the times. You falsely claim such sanctity, yet you can neither raise clouds nor bring rain to display divine virtue; scheming demonic heterodoxy, you impair the true Dao. Even if you could make chopsticks move over dishes or raise cups to drain wine, it would still merely be demonic illusion, not genuine truth. How much less so when there are no signs whatsoever—what kind of spirit are you? Furthermore, Mount Tai is under the administration of King Yama; its land is dark and obscure, a numinous realm distinct from the mundane world. The Emissary of the General Register descends in accordance with divine operations, fixing one's original lifespan in the imperial records, inspecting the general registers in the Heavenly Offices. Among the host of evils, none, however subtle, is spared; among delicate goods, none, however minute, is omitted. It gathers spirits and souls; it is no mansion responsive to the living! How is it that wretched ghosts deceitfully claim this mandate, acting wildly and insolently in the human realm, practicing myriad forms of deception and deceit? Trees in overgrown groves and fields of crows and magpies—agitating both near and far, you are listed in the sacrificial codes. Gathering men and women, you plant worldly intentions. Foul qi incites [strife] externally, and owl-like cries spread afar; the poison concentrates in the royal domain, causing harm all the more grievous. When clouds and mist obscure Heaven, a multitude of evils eclipses what is upright. Since your bizarre omens appeared, you have caused much harm. Though I am of the lower stream, I fully possess the three monastic robes. Whenever I peruse the scriptures and records and behold such monstrosities, deducing from the past and examining the present, heterodoxy cannot overcome the upright! I shall cleanse away the filth and glorify the sagely Dao. When this proclamation arrives, we will strictly drag your party of specters back to wander among graves and tombs, eating fruits and drinking from springs—paths sufficient to sustain life. We shall thereby bring an end to the common people's plight of exhausting their wealth, and spare birds and beasts the disaster of nets. If you still linger, hoping for offerings and refusing to depart, I shall assemble the Divine King Vaiśravaṇa, the Heluozi, and others, conferring upon them the vajra, stationing true masters whose martial valor is like autumn frost, shaking the three thousand worlds with ferocious might difficult to withstand. Glancing at spears and shining swords, wherever they aim, mountains collapse; subduing dragons and taming Māra, none fails to bow their head to the ground. You are mere petty ghosts, yet dare to affront the Three Luminaries! It is like swan feathers falling into coals, fish swimming in a boiling cauldron, tilting the river to extinguish a fire, or morning dew exposed to the sun! Bearing compassion in mind, I pity your deeds; divining your perilous state, my heart aches at the thought. Swiftly return to your original form before me, and retire forever ten thousand li away to the shores of the azure ocean! Do not linger any longer! Obey and carry this out clearly!

14.7

Declaration of War on Māra

14.8

Shi Zhijing

14.9

Shi Zhijing kowtows, kowtows at the chariot of the Bright General. Together we walk mysterious paths with different fords, yet humans and devas share a single governance. Though our ancestral masters differ, the three realms are largely the same. I have constantly planned for a fine assembly to express what has long accumulated; yet because our flags and banners have not united in obscurity, we have been separated. Now the Dharma King rules the world, and the ten directions contemplate compliance; the numinous net is just now being unfurled, and the great cords are ever more tightly bound. The great penetration has its appointed time, and our exalted meeting is at hand. Unable to bear my eager yearning, I write this letter to convey my meaning.

14.10

Now, when times are blocked there comes passage; when obstruction reaches its end, peace follows. Thousands of sages have succeeded one another, and hosts of masters have inherited the lineage in turn. In the past, our imperial ancestor, the primal heavenly king, embodied transformation in response to cosmic tallies and arose like a dragon in the primordial domain. Relying on provisional forms to embrace the myriad states, brandishing the axe of wisdom to cover the universe, his awe-inspiring power swept away the four evils, clearing the three realms of existence. Just as he was about to raise the grand netting throughout the eight quarters and stretch the divine net across the universe, pacifying the seven wastes and unifying the nine lands, the profound ancestor did not extend pity: his true countenance became frozen in stillness, the double radiance hid its light, and the empty boat capsized in the waves. Consequently, ant-like evils sprang up in succession, and owl-like views violently arose, clouding and defiling the true path, disturbing and perplexing the pure multitude. Cruelty fell upon the common people, and poison flowed through myriad kalpas. All sentient beings cherishing the Dao, though differing in thought, shared the same indignation. Our King of the Dharma, succeeding to the cycle and responding to the time, governed disorder. Above, he inherited the lofty lineage; below, he received the entrustment of the multitudes' hearts. Holding high the celestial banner to enfold the three thousand [worlds], clasping the sacred blueprint to make grand the great undertaking, clouds rose above the four palaces and the luan bird soared over Tianzhu. He descended his spirit at Kapilavastu, serving as a rampart for the age. Comforting and nurturing the common folk, bringing peace and security to the ministers, encouraging and guiding the feelings of the masses, he consoled the sick. He honed the axe of wisdom in his breast and donned the armor of the spirit upon his body. Pitying the innocence of the eighteen [elements] and mourning that the path of the three vacuities was cut off, he resolved to rectify the great wilderness and inevitably level many hardships. A hundred domains and a thousand states bowed low in submission to his transformative influence. Yet we learn that you, unawed, are doubly deluded and self-concealing. Deeply clasping your foolish mind, you stubbornly cling to counterfeit views, perching like a wolf upon the heavens of desire and screeching like an owl at the divine palace. Rebellious along the borderlands, you resist the sacred commands, claiming that the great throne can be ascended and that the grand design can be altered. Looking upon this twofold and threefold folly, we can only sigh! In the past, when Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū governed the world, the myriad regions followed him like shadows. There was a false and foolish celestial Māra who did not comply with the correct commands, disturbing the sacred ears and troubling the divine thoughts. Leading troops to block the void and manifesting provisional forms in myriad changes, his refined armor reflected the sun, and his frosted halberds swept the realm. Divine drums vied in sounding, their noise striking beyond the bounds. Stalking about with overweening steps, he considered himself mighty and strong. But once the royal host made a single thrust, all the hosts of evil were wiped out and perished; the deluded multitudes reformed their hearts, bending in submission like shadows before the wind. How much less can you, a single general, with merely a few valiant foot-soldiers and an undisciplined crowd that does not even form an army, hope to rebel, oppress the splendid cities, usurp divine authority, and vault past the Supreme One! To consider yourself equal to the True One—is that not an utter delusion? Now Śākyamuni governs the world; his Dao surpasses previous kalpas. His wonderful transformation is vast and boundless, and his divine net is extended far and wide. Men of wisdom are harmonious and numerous, their cloud-like stratagems overshadowing the age; martial warriors leap like dragons, drawing bows in myriad companies. Coordinating their plans to correspond to reality, their marvelous strategies are transcendent. Therefore, an order has been issued to Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Vanguard Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of Jambudvīpa, and Marquis Who Returns to Righteousness, Sadā[prarudita], uniquely endowed with celestial wonders, whose profound mirror is veiled in dust, whose spirit towers over Sumeru, whose fierce vigor blankets the world, who excels in martial arts and is versed in culture, whose loyalty is manifest to the imperial palace: he leads a host of four hundred billion to spur their mounts and take the lead on the road. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Far-Reaching Awe Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Four Heavens, and Duke of Trāyastriṃśa, the guide of martial excellence, supreme among the multitude, superior in culture, with boundless plans and wondrous thoughts, detached from dust, his mind roosting beyond dreams, forgetting his own body out of sorrow for the times, resolved to rectify the world: he leads a host of one trillion to soar like luan birds along the celestial thoroughfare. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Subduing Māra Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Six Heavens, King of Tuṣita, and Vimukticandra, whose wondrous thought reaches into the vacuous and profound, stepping high beyond worldly dust, his strategies rivaling the Kumārabhūta, his merits equal to the nine grounds, mourning the three paths of suffering, indignant as if evil were given free rein, drawing his sword in passionate resolve, wheeling like a dragon eager to exert himself: he leads a host of four trillion to swirl like clouds through the heavenly gate. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Penetrating the Subtle Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Seven Heavens, King of the Four Dhyānas, and Vajragarbha, whose bright essence reflects the sunlight, whose golden countenance shines afar, whose favor surpasses the nine bestowals, whose power overturns mountains and seas—glancing to the right, Mengfan surges in waves; looking to the left, Fusang casts down its glow—whose virtue leaves nothing unilluminated, whose awe leaves none unsubmitted: he leads a host of seven trillion to gaze like a tiger upon Sumeru. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Pacifying the Realm Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Nine Heavens, King of the Eighth Stage, the Great Vimalakīrti, whose extraordinary calculations are inconceivable, whose axe of the Dharma vibrates afar, his essence harboring divine grace, his expedient means surpassing myriad transformations—breathing in, the nine provinces follow like clouds; roaring out, the ten directions bend like grass before the wind—pitying the common people below in their innocent bitterness: he leads a host of nine trillion to water their horses at the ford of vacuity. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Surveying the Rear Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Thirteen Heavens and of All Military Affairs of the Minor Chiliocosm, King of the Ninth Stage, the Great Mañjuśrī, inheriting his lineage from the distant origin, his bodily radiance illuminating the three realms, descending from the Purple Palace, lofty in spirit and great in form, adapting to a thousand ways with tens of thousands of profound calculations—all moving beings are felt within his single person, all thoughts are stilled within a single instant of thought—deeply embracing loving-kindness and compassion, his feelings encompassing the four means of embracing: he leads a host like dust to soar over this land. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Rectifying the Teaching Generalissimo, Controller of All Military Affairs Concerning Māra, Colonel of the Host of Evils, King of the Medium Chiliocosm, Avalokiteśvara, whose wisdom and strategy are profound and deep, whose axe of wisdom vibrates afar, clearly penetrating the four ways, brightly inspecting the three stabilities, sometimes leaving his traces among the host of evils, flashing brilliant blades that rise up, sometimes manifesting provisional forms in the eighteen realms to relieve their miseries—waving his hand, the Iron Encircling Mountains crumble into cliffs; exhaling a breath, the floating clouds collapse over precipices—able to serve as an unasked friend to the myriad regions: he leads an inconceivable host, brandishing halberds and roaring like tigers. Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Spreading Transformation Generalissimo, Commander-in-Chief of the Three Realms, King of the Succession, the Great Maitreya, whose marvelous substance traverses the net [of phenomena], whose celestial bearing is preeminent, whose body surpasses adamantine diamond, whose mind encompasses what lies beyond the dust, whose fierce vigor surges into the clouds, whose axe of wisdom is brandished afar—non-arising revolves within his chest, expedient wisdom responds outside worldly affairs—whatever his will aims at, nothing fails to be accomplished, awe and kindness exercised together, the ultimate and the conventional established in tandem: he leads a host of eighty-four thousand, strictly alert and awaiting commands. The ranks of those who courageously advance overflow the great chiliocosm; the warriors of adamantine resolve fill the eight extremities. All yearn to assist in the expedition to sweep across the universe. Riding in the jeweled chariots of the perfections, keeping to the cultivated road of the eightfold path, striding atop the divine steeds of the six spiritual penetrations, grasping the sacred reins of the vacuous lineage, drawing the stiff bows of the four dhyānas, releasing the sharp arrows of expedient views, their neighing steeds are majestic, their swift strides spirited. Receiving the commands of the sacred court, they have never had any deficiency. Your noble sons, the excellent sons among guides, numbering five hundred, profoundly discerned the celestial decree and came to take refuge in the royal transformation. The sacred ruler opened his heart and, moved by their submission, granted them titles, nobility, rewards, and fiefdoms; their merit equals that of veteran ministers, their renown covering the myriad regions. What mind possess you, then, to harbor deviant plans out of turn, lounging proudly on the desolate frontier, intending to secure your permanent position, causing venom and harm to erupt among the common people, and calamity to flow for eternal kalpas? Is this not lamentable? Is this not a delusion? Formerly, owing to the times, you were misled by external things; mad and confused in mind, you plunged into peril and fled abroad. Though one fault in a hundred deeds is often committed by the wise and virtuous, it has long been thought that you would become aware, turn from your folly, present your guilt before the palace gates, bind your body, cast off your hairpin, and mingle with the crowd of worthies, rejoicing in the Dao and preserving an honorable name from beginning to end. Why do you hold onto foolishness, cling to error, and steal ease in a deviant position, relying on the mountain of ignorance to exalt yourself, depending on the grove of views to disport yourself, indulging in the foul dust of the six desires, toying with deviant delusions to gratify your nature, erecting the high banner of arrogance, and leading the sinister battle arrays of fundamental ignorance, boldly striding on the wild paths and lightly trifling with the sacred vessels, usurping the celestial palace and rivaling the sun and moon? We fear this cannot be accomplished! Raising a hand to block out the three luminaries, or clutching earth to fill the vast sea—though envisioned in mind as an empty aim, the task is difficult to fulfill. General, you have cultivated blessings in the profound ford, and your origins trace far back; your splendid countenance is dazzling, attracting the gaze of the multitude. The foundation of high expectations is easy to mount; the merit accumulated of old is truly a pity to waste. You ought to turn back from the past and cultivate the future, swiftly returning in allegiance to make apology before the vermilion gates. Equal in friendship through the Dao, family and state will both be preserved; lord and minister will be glorified together, and your person and name will attain security. With enlightened vision and thorough insight, your kinsmen will be at peace. Would this not be fine? Now the royal host is bound to take the field; in the ten directions, reins are eagerly raised. In their hands they hold the net of Dharma, and the sages dance in unison. The axe of the Dao shines before the vanguard; the divine drums resonate behind the rearguard. Once the sacred bell is struck, the ten directions will overturn, ocean waves will surge in breakers, and the land and plains will boil over. At that time, Sumeru will be enclosed in a single dust mote, heaven and earth will revolve upon a single chariot wheel, the Immovable [Realm] will rest upon the left lapel, and Extreme Joy will shine upon the right hand. With spiritual power such as this, how could it be resisted? Our King of the Dharma embodies the Dao with benevolence and compassion, unable to bear an immediate assault; he provisionally halts the armies and briefly pauses the divine reins, sending this letter on the road, hoping to turn back your misguided chariot. You should promptly determine a sound plan, bind your hands, and return to the palace, entrusting your life to the imperial court and wandering leisurely in the profound realm. With exalted renown shining within and a wanderer's form entrusted without, if you were not to assume office in the realm above, who else could? Now, wisdom values recognizing the opportune moment; clarity prizes avoiding calamity. Reaching an extremity and knowing to return is what the superior person praises. This is precisely the grand season to avert disaster and the fine time to achieve merit. In antiquity, when Jie of Xia was without the Dao, the King of Yin launched an expedition; when Zhou of Shang initiated chaos, King Wu of Zhou raised an army. These are the divination shells and tortoise-shells of past and present, a clear warning for you, General. Although our paths have parted in recent years, our refinement should be one in the flavor of the Dao. Why should the rugged distance between heaven and man cause estrangement? We expect you will promptly and unreservedly submit in response to this letter. The reason we have taken the pain to write these words in such detailed and earnest prose is that we do not wish the fragrant orchid to wither in summer, or the tall branch to have its shoots snapped. Ponder these words deeply and calculate well. Do not let your person be cast into the three wretched destinies, nor let the six heavens be overgrown with tares and weeds. Our hairs stand on end as we look about, our hearts filled with trepidation on your behalf. Sending this letter on the road, our feelings are much agitated; our words cannot fully convey our intent.

14.11

Text of the Open Proclamation on the Defeat of Māra

14.12

Composed by Shi Baolin

14.13

In the Dust-Particle Year of the Great Chiliocosm of the Wise Kalpa; on the new moon when the Five Turbidities boil up; on the day of the present life-span of one hundred years. The Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs in the Gangā-Sands Worlds, Subduing Māra Generalissimo, Inspector of Jingzhou, King of the Tenth Stage, Subject Vajragarbha; and the Commissioner Bearing the Tally, Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs of the Eighty Thousand Pāramitās, Severing Bonds Generalissimo, Colonel Commanding the Barbarians of Māra, Grand Minister of War, Inspector of Fan Prefecture, Duke of the Eighth Stage, Subject Vimukticandra, and others, bow their heads, pay reverent homage, and submit this statement:

14.14

To the Department of State Affairs of the Sacred Court: We respectfully submit that within the six directions, all share the mirror of the radiant sun; all streams flow into the king of a hundred valleys. The ten thousand transformations are equal in empty profundity; all wonders take the single wisdom as their source. This is because principle possesses a thread of ultimate sovereignty, and things meet in no disparate destiny. Therefore, the Tathāgata crossed the deepest darkness to arise alone, accumulating diligent merits over vast kalpas. Radiating the lofty brightness that illuminates the three wretched paths, he plucked out immense delusion from its very inception. He plumbed the innermost recesses of sage virtue, and investigated the empty principle of non-production. Observing the pivotal turning of material transformation, he grasped the guiding bond of vast virtue. As for his peerless, heroic form and the dazzling brilliance of his divine radiance, even if a thousand suns were to shine together, he would still surpass them by far. His body varies in ten thousand forms yet is not many; his essence unites with supreme wonder yet is not one. He manifests emergence in the five paths of rebirth yet is not born; he displays entry into the cessation of form yet does not perish. Inaudible and subtle, indistinct and hazy, without name and without mark, none can fathom his depth, nor can any know his breadth. Responding to the manifold sentiments of beings, he never grows weary; traversing the ten thousand movements of things, he remains ever still. He crosses the sands of the Ganges in an instant, and consoles the eight wildernesses in the blink of an eye. Though Heaven and Earth were to collapse, he would not be disrupted; though hidden shifts might bear all away with force, he would not change. Inhaling the great fire [of the kalpa's end], he is not scorched; immersed in the great flood, he does not drown. Heaven and Earth are insufficient to express his virtue; literature and profound mysteries are inadequate to illuminate his Way. Immensely encompassing the six directions, his greatness cannot be measured; subtly entering what is without gap, his smallness cannot be named. Thereupon, he nurtures and matures all living beings, his transformation rivaling the primordial Mother. Free from desire and of non-action, yet there is nothing he does not do. He soars along the paths of responding to conditions, and wanders at ease beyond being and non-being. Towering above the foremost ranks of all sages, he rests serene and tranquil within the realm of Nirvāṇa. The Two Vehicles hide their thoughts in the attainment of manifold forgetting; the Ten Abodes still their reflections before the subtleties of motion and stillness. The King of the Brahmā gods sighs in admiration and yields to his virtue; Śakra submits his heart and disdains his own throne. For a sage to be such, it is indeed the ultimate! Thereupon, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Dīpaṅkara, and verifying the portents and charts of Mahābhijñā[jñānābhibhū], he emerged through the five paths of rebirth with the rising of a dragon, surpassing emperors and kings to give law to his age. As king of the Way, he rules the three realms; his virtue covers the ten directions. His royal domain spans the sands of the Ganges, and his capital is the great chiliocosm. He reposes in the tranquil chambers of the nine concentrations, and ascends the cloud towers of the seven limbs of awakening. He bathes in the pure pools of the eight liberations, and strolls through the vast gardens of dhāraṇī. Thereupon, he dwells in the palace of compassion, and occupies the throne of Kongtong. Robed in imperial dragons and adorned with the secondary signs, his crown is marked with the uṣṇīṣa. Flanked on the left by the retinue of Maitreya, and supported on the right by the peers of Mañjuśrī; before him are sung the elegant odes of the Great Direction (Mahāyāna), while behind him are danced the imperial fan ceremonies of the four means of embracing. He is guarded by the virtuous gentlemen of the eight abodes whose bodies are empty; he is attended by the transcendent immortals of the four fruits who rise above the rest. The Three Terraces consist solely of sages; the Six Ministries consist solely of worthies. Thereupon, he proclaims teachings to King Wen of Ji and Confucius, governs as chancellor and wardens over Yu and Tang, brandishes his might to Tang and Wu, and serves as pastoral governor to the Three Sovereigns. As for his transforming work: he clears the level highway of the eightfold correct path, opens the open crossing of the three vehicles, lines up the marvelous mansions of non-action, and ferries beings across great suffering amid the weary dust. He bars the treacherous paths of the three evil destinies, and opens joy and delight to gods and humans. He confers nobility through the positions of the fruits [of practice], and bestows emoluments through the nourishment of sweet dew (amṛta). Those of immense merit he rewards with enfeoffments in pure lands; those of lesser achievement he directs to the safety of the conjured city. This is indeed a vast enterprise surpassing a hundred kings, the ultimate beginning of Great Peace! It is the pure court where the forms wandering the five destinies attain office, and the supreme summit for the ranks of scholars among the four modes of birth. Yet the deluded multitude meet with steep cliffs and turn their backs on the truth ever more distantly, rejoicing in the nearby satisfaction of moistening each other with foam, and forgetting how to preserve their wholeness afar in rivers and lakes. Therefore, the Demon King Pāpīyān planted the roots of folly in the beginningless past, accumulating deluded thoughts toward deceptive realms. Drifting on the great waves of the three taints, he plunged into the dense thicket of heterodox views. He went so far as to usurp the divine regalia, masquerading falsehood as truth, boasting himself a king in the heavenly palace and partitioning the lands of the sacred peaks. Issuing commands across the six heavens, he gave free rein to his biased might. Domestically, he appointed the various poisons as the Three Excellencies, and the nine bonds as the ministers of state; externally, he took the six heterodox masters as his generals, and the four arms of the military as his foot soldiers. Behaving arrogantly within, he had no dread of the imperial laws, vying in brilliance like fireflies against the heavenly sun. Thus of late, he raised his troops and brandished weapons at the Tree of the Way to resist divine majesty, thundering with the sounds of lightning and crashes, and deploying hordes that carried mountains and spat fire. Moreover, he brought delusion upon Dhāraṇīśvara in his quiet room, and caused Sadāprarudita to wail in grief in the city marketplace. These are all mad, unrestrained acts of violence that violated the sage's decorum, disturbing China for a long time. The Sage Emperor grieved over the blindness and deafness of the benighted world; sorrowing over the fallen and lost, his grief only deepened. Intending to bring all heterodoxies together into a single view, and to merge the nine schools into the same crossing, he thereupon ordered generals of the company of Mahāsthāmaprāpta and selected soldiers of the ranks of the Vajrapāṇis—men who chew gold and crunch iron, warriors who charge through ice and tread upon fire. The brave soldiers were numerous as grains of sand, and the valiant heroes numbered hundreds of millions. Like streaming stars and rising winds, like dragons ascending, they advanced into the realm of the demons. They deployed the army with flawless strategies, pressing the foes into the fields of certain death. But the demonic bandits were disobedient, daring to cling to their barbarous obstinacy, and resisting like insolent outlaws. They planted their banners in lands of self-pride, and fortified themselves along the precipices of cloud-covered delusion, lining up their layers of resistance like fish scales. As for their tactical formation: the craggy Mountains of Folly defended their front, the surging Waters of Craving expanded at their rear, the dense Forests of Heterodoxy shadowed their left, and the deep Ravines of Ignorance girded their right. The soldiers of dust and toil glared like wolves at the front line, while the generals of the six heterodox masters strutted like tigers along the broad roads. Seen from afar, they rose like clouds eclipsing the heavens, or mists choking the six directions. Such a grand display has rarely been seen since the creation of the world! We, your servants, thereupon received the far-reaching majesty of the Sacred Court and deployed extraordinary strategies that surpassed the manuals of warfare. We encircled them with the cage of lofty calculation, and encompassed them with the net of profound plans. With elite cavalry a thousand ranks deep, infantry marching in ten thousand rings, and light detachments shading the wilderness, we occupied and blocked all strategic passes. We commanded the Front General Dāna to advance directly toward the banner of parsimony; the Rear General Vīrya drove the sluggish soldiers forward from behind; Dhyāna led skirmishing cavalry along their left flank; and Śīla guarded against stealthy treachery on their right. The Outer Army of Upāya deployed squadrons of surging cavalry across the level plains, and maneuvered light infantry beneath the winding gullies; they arrayed the tiger cohorts to soar high, and laid ambushes in hidden recesses. The Central Army of Prajñā grasped the wondrous mirror of the profound pivot, held the extraordinary arts of victory, commanded hundreds of millions of valiant generals, and directed vigorous soldiers numerous as the sands of the dust. Thereupon, the various armies echoed the call and advanced competitively by ten thousand roads, shaking the six directions and making Heaven and Earth tremble with their roar. Heroic warriors exerted their might, surging forward as the glitter of their naked blades eclipsed the sunlight, and the sound of the Dharma drums drowned out the peals of thunder. Diligent horses leaped and bounded; swift elephants flew as they were spurred into a charge. Bows of dhyāna rose like smoke and gathered like clouds; arrows of prajñā poured down like rain, flying through the sky. They whipped the foe with the lash of provisional names, driving them into the wilderness of non-being; they ground them down with the roar of the lion, and pierced them with the sounds of suffering and emptiness. Brandishing swords of Ganjiang, they cleaved wildly; thrusting spears and halberds, they vied in winning victory. Bodies of dust were strewn across the wilds, and blood of toil flowed into the long rivers. They smashed the crags of the Mountain of Folly, and dried up the torrents of the Waters of Craving. They tracked the usurpers down into the caverns of wrong views, and brought low the heights of the nests of the seven conceits. Thereupon, the demonic bandits had no scales left to raise in defense before them, and no hiding places in which to hope for escape behind them. With thoughts exhausted and roads cut off, they wavered in terror without support. The Demon King surrendered bound before the headquarters courtyard; the various generals surrendered their lives at the army gates. The gods submitted swiftly as lightning; the deluded followers hastened along the first rays of light like the wind. The imperial majesty swept through, just like the sun striking the dawn, or frost turning into a torrent to extinguish fire. Thus the fugitive rebels of ten thousand generations collapsed like crumbling earth in a single morning; the ancient troubles of China were cleared away in an instant! This was truly the miraculous achievement of the Sage Emperor's spiritual union [with the Way], a glorious deed renowned in the world across the ages. Even when Tang of Yin established cloud-like merits on the outskirts of the Xia, and King Wu of Zhou swept away the murky atmosphere on the fields of Shang, these were merely heroic deeds of high antiquity—how could they ever compare to the sacred merits [of today]? We, your servants, respectfully proclaimed the imperial plans to soothe and comfort those newly attached, establishing them in the mansion of Kongtong, nourishing them with the streams of the eight liberations, guarding them with the propriety of the precepts and virtues, and training them in the customs of the six perfections. The elderly have awakened to the truth through the new proclamations; the fallen and lost have finally heard the call to return home. Now, to accord with Heaven and comply with punishment is the way of the Chunqiu; to establish achievements and settle chaos was praised by the ancient kings. The chief evil has submitted and now reverently obeys the sacred laws. The six directions share the same brilliance, and all within the universe has been cleared. The profound breeze blows afar, and throughout the entire land all harbor celebration. The court sings the song of Kangzai, and the wilderness hums with poems of the joyful realm. The merit is lofty and the Way is great, beyond what sight can represent; the sage's thoughts are dark and deep, beyond what words can proclaim. We have outlined in brief the imperial majesty's extraordinary calculations, and also arrayed the soaring power of the various armies. Speeding as on electric relays and shooting like stars, we respectfully present this open declaration. We, your servants, are filled with sincere awe and clap our hands in praise.

14.15

In my leisure from lecturing, I have whiled away the long days by resorting to allegories and borrowing events, hoping to illuminate the Great Way and wishing that those who fancy shortcuts may return before straying too far. The sūtra says: 'Nirvāṇa is without arising, yet there is nothing it does not give rise to; supreme wisdom is without illumination, yet there is nothing it does not illuminate.' Can this be achieved by anyone other than the Tathāgata? Winning victory relies not on the merit of shields and spears; taking territory relies not on dominating the world by force of arms. The august emperors are not the sole sovereigns of honor; the hegemonic lords and ministers do not possess the nobility of Duke Huan of Qi or Duke Wen of Jin. The teachings of Confucius and the Duke of Zhou are far removed from this; the words of Laozi and Zhuangzi seem fitting, but are not quite apt. Therefore, one knows that the ultimate principle resides beyond worldly views, and the supreme sovereign reigns within the true mirror. Mediocre people hesitate between being and non-being, while the utter fools are startled into laughter within their realm of constant delusion. Now, I hope that readers will cast aside the self-conceit of the River Earl in 'Autumn Floods' and travel afar to the abyssal gates of Ruo of the Northern Sea, not binding their sentiments to worldly teachings and taking fright at far-fetched and grandiloquent statements.

14.16

Postface to the Hongming lun

14.17

By monk Sengyou

14.18

My collection, the Hongming [ji], was made to defend the Dharma against offense. Elegant treatises by broad-minded scholars and marvelous expositions by superior men—the rams that smash heterodoxy and destroy doubt, the moats that propagate the Way and defend the Dharma—are already complete within it. However, the wise are not deluded, while the deluded run contrary to wisdom. If one guides them by the profound Dharma, in the end they will fail to grasp it. Therefore, I have once again summarized secular classics and pointed to affairs to draw proof. The language is not ornate, and the principle returns to substance and truth. May people on the deluded paths return before straying too far, so that all doubts are fully resolved. Hence it is called the Hongming lun.

14.19

Now, the two truths differ, and thus the way of liberation and secular life are demarcated. The Dharma is empty and quiet; it encompasses the three realms to view them impartially. Secular teachings are confined and stagnant; they cling to a single kingdom to restrict the mind. When the mind is restricted to a single kingdom, everything beyond the reach of ears and eyes is doubted. When the view impartially encompasses the three realms, the principle of divine transformation is constantly illumined. Clinging to doubt so as to obscure illumination is why the multitude of beings are forever submerged. If one closely examines secular teachings, they all take the Five Classics as their model: what they revere is only Heaven, and what they emulate is only the sages. Yet none can fathom Heaven's form, and none can peer into the minds of the sages. Though men revere and believe in them, they remain dim and unenlightened. How much more so is the Buddha more venerable than Heaven and the Dharma more wondrous than the sages! His transformation extends beyond the mortal domain; its principles transcend mundane bounds. Jianwu was still frightened [by Jieyu's words as vast as] the Milky Way; how could secular scholars not be perplexed and terrified by the ocean of awakening? Being terrified by the ocean of awakening, their astonishment matches [Jianwu's fear of] the Milky Way. First, they doubt that the scripture's teachings are wildly fabricated, grandiose, and without verification. Second, they doubt, holding that when man dies the spirit is extinguished, and there are no three times. Third, they doubt because none sees the true Buddha, so he is of no benefit to the governance of the realm. Fourth, they doubt because antiquity had no Dharma teachings, which only recently emerged during the Han dynasty. Fifth, they doubt because the teachings arose in barbarian regions, so their transformation is not meant for Chinese customs. Sixth, they doubt because the Dharma was faint in the Han and Wei, only flourishing in the Jin period. Because of these six doubts, their faithful mind is not established; about to drown, they ought to be rescued. Hence I discuss and compare them. As for those who doubt that the scriptures' teachings are wildly fabricated, grandiose, and without verification, it is simply because accumulated kalpas are inexhaustible and worlds are boundless. People of the present age all know that beyond a hundred years there must be ten thousand years, yet they do not believe that the transformations of accumulated myriad [years] reach to vast kalpas. This is restricting the mind to measure the creation of the cosmos. They all know that beyond the Red County there must be the four extremities, yet they do not believe that far beyond the extremities there are further worlds. This is clinging to [narrow] views to judge the Great Emptiness. Formerly, Tang asked Ge: 'Do the upper, lower, and eight directions have an extremity?' Ge said: 'Beyond the boundless there is again the boundless; within the inexhaustible there is again the inexhaustible. From this, I know it is boundless and inexhaustible.' The great worthies of high antiquity instructed sages based on principle; across a thousand years their tallies match, coinciding from afar with the scriptures. How could men of well-frog understanding know the extraordinary? When, with a mind only a square inch in size, one schemes for one's own body and yet falls into error, and with pupils of a rounded fraction one cannot see through walls, yet one wishes to insult the revered scriptures, turn against the teachings of the sages, slander the accumulated kalpas, and deny the [countless] worlds—this is the first thing to be lamented. If they doubt, holding that when man dies the spirit is extinguished and there are no three times, they are slandering their own spiritual nature and despising their ancestors. Indeed, when the Duke of Zhou and Confucius instituted the canons, they spoke openly of ghosts and spirits. The Classic of Changes says: 'The roaming soul undergoes transformation; by this one knows the nature and circumstances of ghosts and spirits.' Since they have both nature and circumstance, how could they lack form? The Classic of Poetry says: 'The three former kings are in Heaven; King [Wen] is paired [with God] in the capital,' and 'His ascending spirit reached the high heavens'—how could they be said to be extinguished? The Classic of Rites says: 'The Xia revered the mandates [of Heaven], served ghosts, and respected spirits'—this was revered by the Great Yu; could it be empty and fabricated? The Classic of Documents records the Duke of Zhou offering himself in place of King Wu, saying: 'I am able to serve ghosts and spirits'—Ji Dan prayed for his kin; could this be empty and false? If in death there is a spirit, then the three times are like a mirror: who can know the limit of transformations and samsāra? Secular scholars cling to rites while turning their backs on the Five Classics; this is not only slandering the Buddha, but also insulting the sages. If one believes in ghosts from the Five Classics but doubts the spirit in the Buddha's preachings, such people are truly deaf and blind, beyond the reach of discussion. This is the second thing to be pitied. If they doubt because none sees the true Buddha and thus he is of no benefit to the governance of the realm, then the pure sacrifices and offerings from afar ought also to be discarded. Why? In the vast, azure sky, who has seen the countenance of the Lord on High? In the boundless mounds of earth, how can one recognize the form of Lord Millet? The people till the fields themselves; what strength does the God of the Soil exert? Men build ramparts and dykes; what merit do the Zha spirits have? Yet they still lavish expenses on sacrificial animals and multiply the seasonal offerings—is it not because unseen spirits ought to be revered, and because the people should be taught fine recompense? How much more so is the Buddha's wisdom all-pervasive throughout the realm of space, and his spirit concentrated beyond the mortal domain! The Lord on High completes Heaven owing to [the Buddha's] fashioning compassion; sage kings rule people relying on [the Buddha's] nurturing precepts. When the Dharma is venerated, the six heavens all rejoice; when the Way is abandoned, the myriad spirits grow furious. Today, though people do not see Heaven's form, they claim that the suburban sacrifice brings blessings; yet when they do not see his golden countenance, they say that revering and serving him brings no recompense. Neglecting the root and prizing the branches—this is the third thing to cause dread. If they doubt because antiquity had no Buddhist teachings and they only recently emerged during the Han dynasty: the concealment and manifestation of divine transformations—who can fathom their beginning and end? Tracing back to Fuxi, it is remote, and even his governing achievements are obscured; if there were Dharma teachings there, how could one hear of them? Formerly, Fotudeng knew that at Linzi there was an old image and a dew basin under a buried stone; Gandhara saw the foundations of an ancient monastery in Mount Panchi. When the multitude tried digging, it was all just as they had said. These are the surviving proofs of ten thousand generations, the evident verifications in the Jin period! Who can judge that there was definitely no Buddha in high antiquity? Liezi states: 'In the time of King Mu of Zhou, a transformed man came from the western extremity; he entered water and fire, pierced metal and stone, turned mountains and rivers around, and moved walled cities; he mounted the void without falling and touched solids without hindrance. His thousand changes and myriad transformations could not be exhausted. He could change a person's shape and alter a person's thoughts. King Mu revered him like a spirit and served him like a lord.' Viewing his miraculous traces, it was indeed the transformation of an opening being [bodhisattva]. The dawn of the Great Dharma was already visible at the beginning of the Zhou; the gradual emergence of resonance and response did not begin in the Han dynasty. Yet to cling stubbornly to a single period—this is the fourth thing over which to sigh. If they doubt because the teachings arose in barbarian regions, so their transformation is not meant for China: that would mean the former sages clung to locality to establish teachings, rather than setting up teachings to alter customs. In antiquity, the Three Sovereigns practiced non-action and the Five Emperors governed with moral transformation; the Three Kings used rites and punishments, and the Seven States destroyed each other through force. The land remained the lands of Xia, yet the secular teachings changed nine times. Now, conversely, with the fountainhead of the Utmost Way and mirroring the instructions of Great Wisdom, when stimulated it penetrates everywhere—whither would it not reach? Yu came from the Western Qiang, and Shun was born among the Eastern Yi: who says their land was lowly and thus discards their sagehood? Confucius wished to dwell among the Yi, and Laozi went to the Western Rong: does the place where the Way resides choose its territory? If secular sages in setting up teachings were still not bound by the distinction of Chinese and barbarian, how much more so with the Buddha who commands a great chiliocosm—how could his transformation be confined to the Western Regions? According to the 'Royal Regulations' in the Classic of Rites: 'Within the four seas it is three thousand li square'; the territory held by the Central Xia was already not vast. The Yi and Luo rivers were originally Xia territory but became ruins of the Rong; Wu and Chu were originally barbarian but turned into Chinese towns. The Way has its flowing movements, while land has no permanent transformation. Moreover, the Earth is boundless, realms have differing systems, and the Northern Dipper lies to the northwest; hence we know that Tianzhu resides in the center. Now, using a trivial central land to call oneself Chinese and resist the true Dharma—though one may wish to block it, divine transformations are ever-penetrating. This is the fifth thing to cause sorrow. If they doubt because the Dharma was faint in the Han and Wei and only flourished in the Jin period: the rise and fall in the course of the Way cannot be interrogated like this. Tracing the śramaṇas' cultivation of Śākyamuni's teachings, how does it differ from Confucius's recounting of Tang and Yu? Confucius compiled the Five Classics to leave a model for a hundred kings. Yet the feudal lords of the Spring and Autumn period refused to comply with and apply them; during the Warring States period they were despised and nearly fell to the ground. Then, under the First Emperor of Qin, they were burned to ashes. Was this because Confucius was unworthy, or that the Odes and Documents were shallow and base? Only when reaching Emperor Wu of the Han did Confucian teachings first become prominent: he raised ministers versed in the Classics and exalted the arts of the sage Confucius. Could it be that because they were slighted by the Seven States, they should have been discarded in later ages? According to the Han era of Emperor Yuan, Liu Xiang's Preface to the Immortals states: 'Seventy-four people appear in the Buddhist scriptures.' Thus we know that scriptures flowing into the Central Xia have a long history. Coming to Emperor Ming's sensing of the dream, Fu Yi spoke of the Buddha. Thereupon Qin Jing was sent east, and She Moteng and [Zhu Falan] arrived from the west. Images were painted at the Kaiyang Gate pavilion, and scriptures were stored in the Orchid Terrace chamber. Deep texts were not expounded, and no one recognized the profound meaning. Therefore, King of Chu practiced benevolent and pure sacrifices, and Emperor Xiaohuan established the canopy worship; the characteristics of the Dharma were not yet fully harmonized, and they merely treated it as a spirit. When Cao Cao with his heroic insight wrote an account of the wondrous transformation, and Sun Quan with his grand strategy erected stupas and monasteries, by the beginning of Emperor Wu of the Jin, the faculties and conditions gradually deepened. Jīvaka displayed the traces of divine penetration, and Dharmarakṣa assembled the treasury of the Dharma jewel. Thereupon the various officials and the gentry cleansed their minds to advance their virtue; the people and the worthy across the myriad states applied their wills to move toward goodness. When Emperor Ming of the Jin, with his sharp awakening, embraced unity and settled his spirit, he personally painted precious images to display them for joyous viewing. Soon after, Master Dao'an propagated the scriptures east of the mountains, and Master Kumārajīva proclaimed the Dharma west of the pass. Once the refined doctrines were unfolded, the true mark shone ever brighter. Heroic talents and profound intellects verified the principles and bowed in conviction. Hence we know that the cloud of Dharma begins by brushing against the rock, and the water of wisdom has its origin in a small cup. Teachings must proceed by degrees; this is the constant boundary of divine transformation. Resonance and response follow the times; without conditions, what can be done? Thus, Confucian arts were not foolish in Qin and wise in Han: it was simply a matter of being used or not used. The Buddha's Dharma was not shallow in Han and deep in Jin: it was simply a matter of being clarified or not clarified. From this we know that the Five Classics are constantly good, while their exaltation or decline depends on destiny; Buddhist transformation is constantly blazing, while its opening or blockage lies in conditions. If one reflects with this alone, one will have no deep confusion. Yet clinging to doubts without awakening—this is the sixth thing to be deeply grieved. Indeed, faith and compliance are the foundation of blessing; delusion and slander are the gate to disaster. How much more so when the dim-witted multitude mostly do not measure their own strength, using what they do not know to slander the all-knowing omniscience of the First Awakened One, and using what they do not see to deny the clear vision of the Utmost Person! Seeing through the three times is conversely branded as heterodox; exclusively bound to what is before their eyes, they call themselves wise. Thereupon, confusion and doubt congest their chests, and slander fills their mouths. With frivolous discussions they purchase heavy suffering; with overt denunciation they incur unseen punishments. Their words have not the least grain of merit; their thoughts have not the slightest fraction of benefit. The flowing stream passes as if flying; hiding the boat in the valley vanishes like lightning. Once a single breath does not return, suddenly they arrive at future lives. Retribution follows like a shadow; can regret then be overtaken? Indeed, divine transformations are boundless; the unseen and the visible alternate in movement. How could the transformations in the five destinies ever be deficient? The manifest verification of heavenly palaces is shown in the gifts given to Zhao Jianzi and Duke Mu of Qin. The mutual retribution of the ghostly realm is shown in the appearances of Du Bo and Pengsheng. Cultivating virtue with responsive blessings is shown in the verifications of Wu Ding of Yin and Duke Jing of Song. The disaster incurred by much killing is proven by Bai Qi and Cheng Pu. The unseen subtleties of the present world are recorded in detail in classical texts; the dark responses of future lives are spread throughout the revered scriptures. But the principle of conditioned response is profound, and the meaning of cause and effect is subtle. Because subtle things are difficult to grasp, I have passed over them and not set them forth in detail. What former philosophers have argued has already correctly fixed the crucial points. With rash and humble intent, I add this at the end. Although the phrasing is not of jade, the matters are sufficient to serve as an adornment and a mirror. May the gentle and dignified gentleman seek much blessing for himself!

First 19 of 21 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

弘明集 — 僧祐, Classical Chinese