弘明集 6.5

6.5

In the Yixi era of the Jin dynasty, I heard that the two worthy gentlemen, Yuan and He, south of the Yangzi River, were both discussing the principles of governance and criticizing the contemporary administration. Although I have not yet seen their texts, their ideas seem to follow Han Fei's chapter on the "Five Vermin", thereby mocking the shortcomings of the age and issuing a treatise on the "Five Obstructions", and the unencumbered śramaṇas were unjustly lumped into their categories. Fearing that this will dazzle the sentiments of the times and cause people to sink permanently into deviant delusion, and unable to endure the utmost indignation, I have therefore constructed a dialogue between guest and host to refute it.