弘明集 6.8

6.8

You say that they are of no benefit to contemporary governance and harmful to the Dao of good order. Now, when those who propagate the Dao benefit the world, living things use it daily without knowing it. Thus Laozi said: 'Under the transformation of non-action, the common people all say, "We are naturally so."' These words are apt indeed! Therefore, Duanmu Ganmu pillowed his head in retirement and the State of Wei was greatly governed; Gengsang Chu instructed well and the villagers of Weilei turned toward benevolence. While śramaṇas in this world truly have no visible achievements subject to immediate administrative assessment, beyond the teaching of names they are genuinely beneficial to the unseen realm. Near at hand, using the five precepts to instruct living beings is something beyond the realm of the Five Classics. Far afield, averting the obscure perils of the eight difficulties is no match for criminal penal laws. Please consider that assessing transgressions by the Tripiṭaka is not the stream of statutes and decrees, and resolving delusion through prajñā is not what Laozi and Zhuangzi spoke of. The untainted factors of the path and the causes and conditions that eradicate suffering—these are matters that the teachings of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius put aside without discussing. Exhausting principle beyond physical forms and instruments reaches the utmost of the supreme Dharma, simultaneously refining the spirit and discerning the subtle and the gross, ascent and descent; their superiority and inferiority cannot be mentioned in the same breath. Formerly, Baidu aided transformation and supported governance with the Dao: the state borders were tranquil, the people understood righteousness, the harvest was piled high year after year, and nothing suffered blemish or pestilence. If this is not benefit, what is it? You say that the world has five pests and the śramaṇa is one of them. In general, those called pests are so designated because their minds have no noble calling, wandering dissolutely without a name; or they gamble and behave licentiously, squandering their family estates; or their names are registered on the household rolls while they idle away their entire lives; or they hold sinecures and eat the bread of idleness, unwilling to apply their minds; or they wield power and position to prey upon the common folk; or they scramble after advancements, damaging both public and private interests; or they give free rein to violence and villainy, constantly committing lawlessness. All these harm moral teachings, disorder uprightness, and thoroughly corrupt customs. For this reason Xun Yue wielded his brush and the 'Discourse on Wandering Knights' arose; Han Fei trimmed his quill and the treatise 'Five Vermin' was composed. Calling these 'pests' is indeed reasonable; applying this to śramaṇas—is that not slanderous? Our state is currently competing above with the towering splendor of Tang and Yu, and matching below the flourishing civilization of Yin and Zhou; it does not allow the banks of the Ji and Ying rivers alone to possess gentlemen who look down on the world, nor Mount Shang and the Luo River alone to boast guests of fine seclusion. It is just about to vigorously fan the breeze of recluses and revere masters beyond the secular sphere. Observing your thoughts and plans for current governance, you actually wish to follow in the treacherous footsteps of the tiger-and-wolf Qin in its demise, and inherit the harsh, petty, and corrupt laws of Lord Shang: burying scholars and burning Confucian classics so that government lacked order; instituting taxes exceeding half of income so that households had no surplus wealth; establishing mutual-responsibility groups of three and five, guarding against the people as if they were bandits. The realm was thrown into boiling turmoil, and the people had no means to live, bringing the Ying clan to an end before three generations had passed, while the disasters that befell those two men brought execution upon them in their own time. Only on the day facing execution did they belatedly feel remorse! The initial error in legislating was originally meant to pacify the state and quiet the people, but they failed to consider that when dykes are too steep, they will conversely fail to contain oneself. Once the affair has passed, what is the use of lamenting? You say: 'On one hand they entice and lead, on the other they coerce.' Now, living beings have deep or shallow conditions, sharp or dull faculties, easy or difficult comprehension, shallow or deep practice. Therefore, the ways of enlightening and instructing them are not single; the reasons for their awakening are not uniform. Modulating, checking, and turning, they strive to cause them to follow goodness. These are the sharp spurs of expedient means, the ford and bridge of wondrous salvation; this is by no means what is called enticing and coercing.