弘明集 3.7

3.7

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.'