廣弘明集 10.22

10.22

奏曰。弘法之本。必留心於達人通化之首。要存志於正道。勿見忤己以惡者。懷之以踈隔。容己以美者。歡心以親近。是則自惑於所見。自亂於所聞。不可數聞有謗正之言。遂便信納從唱而和乘生是非。尋討愆短日懷憎薄。是則以偽移真。眾聲惑志。故令當疎者更進之。當親者更遠之。遂使談論偏駮取捨專非。斯乃害真之禍患。喪德之妖累。於是帝不答。乃更開異途以發論端。問曰。朕聞君子舉厝必合於禮。明哲動止要應於機。比頻賜卿食。言不飲酒食肉。且酒是和神之藥。肉為充肌之膳。古今同味。卿何獨鄙。若身居喪服。禮制不食。即如今賜自可得食。可食不食豈非過耶。

[Dao]lin presented a memorial, saying: "The basis of propagating the Dharma requires fixing one's mind upon persons of discernment; the head of extending transformation requires keeping one's aspiration upon the correct Way. Do not, seeing someone who opposes you with malice, harbor estrangement toward them; or seeing someone who accommodates you with flattery, happily draw close to them. This is to become deluded by what one sees and confounded by what one hears. One must not, upon repeatedly hearing words that slander the correct, immediately accept them, chime in with the chorus, and thereby generate rights and wrongs, searching out faults and harboring daily resentment and disdain. This is to displace the true with the false, letting the clamor of the crowd confuse the will. Consequently, those who should be kept at a distance are brought closer, and those who should be kept close are sent farther away. This leads discussions to become biased and inconsistent, and acceptances and rejections to be entirely erroneous. Such are the disasters that harm the true and the monstrous encumbrances that ruin virtue."

Thereupon the Emperor did not answer, but opened another avenue to initiate debate. He asked: "We have heard that the gentleman's conduct must accord with ritual propriety, and the wise man's actions must respond to the opportune moment. Recently, We repeatedly bestowed food upon you, but you said you do not drink alcohol or eat meat. Alcohol is a medicine that harmonizes the spirit, and meat is food that fills the belly; their flavors have been the same from antiquity to the present. Why do you alone despise them? If one is in mourning clothes, ritual regulations forbid eating them; but under the present bestowal, you may naturally eat them. To refrain from eating what may be eaten—is this not an error?"