廣弘明集 4.16

4.16

先生靜默良久徐而對曰。觀子馳騁於名利荒昏於色聲。戴天猶不測其高。履地尚不知其厚。吾聞埳井之內。本無吞舟之鱗。榆枋之間。詎有垂雲之翼。吾非子之徒與。其可識乎。試當為子言之。幸子暫留高聽。吾師也德本深搆。樹自三祇之初。妙果獨高成於百劫之末。總法界而為智。竟虛空以作身。寧惟氣稟二儀道周萬物而已。斯故身無不在。量極規矩之外。智無不為。用絕思議之表。不可以人事測。豈得以處所論。將啟愚夫之視聽。須示真人之影跡。其猶谷風之隨嘯虎。慶雲之逐騰龍。感應相招抑惟常理。於是降神兜率之宮。垂像迦毘之域。氏曰瞿曇。種稱剎利。俗名悉達。道字能仁。乃白淨王之太子也。家世則輪王迭襲。門風則聖道相因。地中三千。既殊於雒邑。國朝八萬。有踰於鷲嶺。宗親籍甚。孰可詳焉。暨吾師生也。坤形六動方行七步。五淨雨花滿國。二龍灑水遍空。神瑞畢臻吉徵總萃。觀諸百代曾未之有。然復孕異堯軒產殊禹契。至如黑帝入夢之兆。白光滿室之徵。徒曰嘉祥。詎可擬議。身邊則金色一丈。眉間則白毫五尺。開萬字於胸前。躡千輪於足下。大略以言三十有二。非可以龍顏虎鼻八采雙瞳方我妙色校其昇降者也。雖復呂公之相高帝世謂知人。若譬私陀之視吾師未可同日。於是崇業大寶正位少陽。甲觀洞開龍樓逈建。至如多才多藝允文允武。非關師保自因天骨。或於太子池臨泛之辰。博望苑馳𨉯之際。力格香象氣冠神功。試論姬發曹丕莫之與擬。漢盈夏啟寧足涉言。父王宿衛甚嚴喻視彌篤。九重禁闥。聲聞則四十里。三時密殿。姬麗則二萬人。然以道性恬凝志願冲固。雖居三惑之境。不改一心之節。歷王城之四門。哀老病之三苦。乃自嗟曰。人生若此在世何堪。脫屣尋真其於斯矣。于時桃則新花落雨。青春始仲。月則半輪低閣。永夜方深。觀妓直之似橫屍。悟宮闈之如敗冢。天王捧白馬而踰城。給使持寶冠而詣闕。雖復秦世蕭史周時子晉。許由洗耳於箕山。莊周曳尾於濮水。方茲去俗何其蔑如。是以仙林始抽簪之地。禪河起苦行之迹。沐金流之淨水。遊道場之吉樹。食假獻糜座因施草。於是十力智圓六通神足。魔兵席卷大業剋成。獨稱為佛。是吾師也。法輪則奈國初轉。僧侶則憍陳始度。至於迦葉兄弟。目連朋友。西域之大勢。東方之遍吉。二十八天之主。一十六國之王。莫不服道而傾心。餐風而合掌。於是他化宮裏乃弘十地。耆闍山上方會三乘。善吉談無得之宗。淨名顯不言之旨。伏十仙之外道。制六群之比丘。胸前則吐納江河。掌內則搖蕩山谷。論劫則方石屢盡。辯數則微塵可窮。斯乃三界之大師。萬古之獨步。吾自庸才談何以盡。縱使周公之制禮作樂。孔子之述易刊詩。予賜之言語。商偃之文學爰及左元放葛孝先河上公柱下史。並驅之於方內。何足道哉。自我含靈福盡法王斯逝。遂使北首提河春秋有八十矣。應身粒碎流血何追。爭決最後之疑。競奉臨終之供。嗚呼智炬消慈雲滅。長夜諸子誠可悲夫。於是瞻相好於香檀。記筌蹄於貝葉。三藏受持四依補處。而我師風無墜。於斯乎但世道紛華群情矯薄人代今古。暨于像運既當徂北稍復東漸。所以金人夢劉莊之寢。摩騰佇蔡愔之勸。遺教之流漢地。創發此焉。迄今五百餘年矣。自後康僧會竺法維佛圖澄鳩摩什。繼踵來儀盛宣方等。遂使道生道安之侶。慧嚴慧觀之徒。並能銷聲掛冠翕然歸向。緇門繁熾焉可勝道。吾少長山東。尚素王之雅業。晚遊關右。慕黃老之玄言。俱是未越苦河。猶淪火宅。可久可大其惟佛教也歟。遂乃希前代之清塵。仰群英之遠迹。歸斯正道拔自沈泥。本號離慾之逸民摧邪之大將。吾之儔黨其謂此乎。公子蹙頞而言曰。觀先生之辯。雖可談天。然其所說何太虛誕。竊尋佛本啟化之辰。當我宗周之運。自云。娑婆總攝靡所不歸。或復光照無際聲振有頂。或復八部雲臻十方輻湊。計天竺去我十萬里餘。俱在須彌之南。並是閻浮之內。那忽此間士庶無至佛所。如來亦何獨簡不賜餘光。弗生我秦漢。靡載我墳籍。詳此二三疑惑逾甚。僕聞貞不絕俗隱不違親。所以和光於塵裏。披蓮於火內。至若束帶垂纓無妨修德。留鬚長鬢足可閑居。且道本虛通觸無不是。何棄於冠籫專在於錫鉢。竊以不傷遺體始著孝心。莫非王臣終從朝命。今既赭衣髠髮。未詳其罪。不仕天子。無乃自高敢諮先生。請當辯析。

The Master was silent for a long while; then slowly he replied: "I observe that you dash after fame and profit, and are muddled by sights and sounds. Bearing heaven above, you still do not fathom its height; treading earth below, you still do not know its depth. I have heard that within a collapsed well there are inherently no fish that can swallow a boat, and between the elm and sappanwood branches how could there be wings that drape down like clouds? I am not of your kind; how could you understand me? Let me attempt to speak of it for you; please grant me your lofty ear for a moment.
"As for my Master, the roots of his virtue were deeply laid, planted from the beginning of the three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. The wondrous fruit stood uniquely lofty, achieved at the end of the hundred kalpas. Gathering the entire dharma-realm as his wisdom, he filled empty space to make his body. How could he merely receive the pneumas of the two modes and whose Dao extends to all things? Thus his body is nowhere absent, its measure supreme beyond all rules and compasses; his wisdom leaves nothing undone, its function surpassing all conception. He cannot be measured by human affairs; how could he be discussed in terms of location? Intending to enlighten the sight and hearing of foolish men, he had to display the shadow and trace of a true person—just as the valley wind follows the roaring tiger, or the auspicious cloud pursues the soaring dragon: stimulus and response beckon each other, which is indeed a constant principle.
"Thereupon he descended his spirit into the palace of Tuṣita, and lowered his image into the realm of Kapilavastu. His clan was called Gautama, his caste termed kṣatriya, his worldly name was Siddhārtha, and his style in the Way was Śākyamuni. He was the crown prince of King Śuddhodana. As for his family lineage, cakravartins succeeded one another; as for his clan tradition, holy ways followed upon one another. The three thousand [realms] within the earth were far different from the city of Luoyi; the eighty thousand kingdoms and courts surpassed the Vulture Peak. His kindred and lineage were illustrious and famous; who could recount them in full?
"When my Master was born, the earthly form quaked in six ways, and he paced straightway in seven steps. The five pure [heavens] rained flowers throughout the country; two dragons showered water across empty space. Divine marvels all arrived, and auspicious omens entirely gathered. Looking through the hundred generations, never has there been the like. Moreover, his conception was different from Yao and Xuan[yuan], and his birth was distinct from Yu and Xie. As for the omen of the Black Emperor entering a dream, or the portent of white light filling the chamber, they are called fine signs in vain; how could they bear comparison?
"Beside his body was golden light of one zhang; between his brows was a white curl of five chi. The svastika opened upon his chest, and he trod upon thousand-spoked wheels under his feet. To speak of them in general, there were thirty-two [marks]; one cannot compare the dragon face, the tiger nose, the eight-colored [eyes], and double pupils to measure the ascent and descent against our wondrous form. Even though Duke Lü's physiognomy of the High Emperor [Gaozu] is hailed in worldly accounts as knowing men, if compared to Asita looking upon our Master, they cannot be spoken of on the same day.
"Thereupon he exalted his achievements in the great treasure, and held the proper place in the Shaoyang [palace]. The splendid halls were opened wide, and the dragon towers were raised loftily. As for his many talents and skills, fully accomplished in culture and warfare, they were not due to tutors and guardians, but naturally derived from his heavenly bones. Whether at the hour of boating on the Crown Prince's Pool, or at the time of galloping in the Bowang Park, his strength grappled with fragrant elephants and his spirit surpassed divine feats. Even if we discuss Ji Fa and Cao Pi, none could be compared to him; Han Ying and Xia Qi—how could they even be mentioned?
"His royal father's night guards were extremely strict, and his loving regard was all the more earnest. Within the ninefold secluded palace gates, sounds could be heard for forty li; in the secluded palaces of the three seasons, beautiful consorts numbered twenty thousand. Yet because his nature in the Way was tranquil and composed, and his vows were profound and firm, though dwelling in the sphere of the three delusions, he did not change the integrity of his single mind. He passed through the four gates of the royal city, and grieved over the three sufferings of old age and sickness. He then sighed to himself, saying: 'Human life is like this; how can one bear to remain in the world? Casting off one's shoes to seek the truth must be done right now!'
"At that time, fresh peach blossoms fell like rain in the early middle of green spring; the moon's half disc hung low by the pavilion, and the long night was just deepening. Observing the courtesans on duty looking like sprawled corpses, he realized the inner palace was like an abandoned tomb. Heavenly kings held up the white horse as he leaped over the city wall; a servant took his jewelled crown and returned to the palace. Even if we speak of Xiao Shi of the Qin era or Zijin of the Zhou period, of Xu You washing his ears at Mount Ji, or Zhuang Zhou dragging his tail in the Pu River, compared to this renunciation of the worldly, how utterly trifling they are!
"Therefore, the grove of immortals was the place where he first untied his hairpin; the Dhyāna River marked the traces where he initiated his austerities. He bathed in the pure waters of the golden current, and went to the auspicious tree of the bodhimaṇḍa. For food, he relied on an offering of milk-gruel; for his seat, he depended on given grass. Thereupon, the wisdom of the ten powers was perfected, and the six supernatural knowledges were thoroughly mastered. The māra armies were swept away like a mat, and the great undertaking was achieved. He alone was hailed as the Buddha: this is my Master.
"The wheel of the Dharma was first turned in the country of Nai, and among monks, Kauṇḍinya was the first to be saved. Down to the Kāśyapa brothers, Maudgalyāyana and his friend [Śāriputra], the Great Being of the Western Regions [Samantabhadra], and the Universally Good of the East, the lords of the twenty-eight heavens, and the kings of the sixteen great lands—none did not submit to the Way and incline their hearts, receiving his teaching and joining their palms.
"Thereupon, in the Palace of Paranirmitavaśavartin, he expounded the ten stages; atop Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, he unified the three vehicles. Subhūti discussed the doctrine of non-attainment; Vimalakīrti revealed the purport of speechlessness. He subdued the non-Buddhists of the ten ṛṣis, and restrained the monks of the group-of-six. From his chest, he spewed forth and drew in rivers; in his palm, he shook and swayed mountains and valleys. To speak of kalpas, square stones are repeatedly worn away; to compute numbers, fine motes of dust can be exhausted. He is indeed the Great Master of the three realms, the uniquely walking one through ten thousand ages! I myself am of mediocre talent; how could I speak of him fully?
"Even if the Duke of Zhou instituted rites and made music, Confucius commented on the Changes and edited the Odes, [Zai] Yu and [Duanmu] Ci were eloquent, and [Yan] Yan and [Bu] Shang excelled in literature, down to Zuo Yuanfang, Ge Xiaoxian, Heshanggong, and the Scribe Beneath the Pillar—though running neck and neck within the realm, how are they worth mentioning?
"Since the merit of us sentient beings was exhausted, the King of the Dharma passed away. Thus, heading north by the river Ajitavatī, his years were eighty. His response-body shattered into grains; his blood flowed—how can it be recalled? Men vied to resolve their final doubts, and competed to present the last offering. Alas! The torch of wisdom was extinguished, and the cloud of compassion vanished; how truly pitiable are the sons in the long night!
"Thereupon they gazed at his marks and features carved in fragrant sandalwood, and recorded his 'fish-traps and hares' snares' on palm-leaves. The Tripiṭaka was upheld, and the four reliances took their succession, so that my Master's style has not fallen to the ground. Up to this day! But worldly paths are tumultuous and flamboyant, the sentiments of the masses are feigned and shallow, and human ages change from past to present. When the period of the Semblance Dharma arrived, it was to pass north and gradually make its way eastward. Thus the golden man was dreamed of in Liu Zhuang's bedchamber, and [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga awaited the invitation of Cai Yin. The flowing of the bequeathed teaching into the land of the Han first originated here. Down to the present, it has been more than five hundred years.
"Afterwards, Kang Senghui, Zhu Fahu, Fotudeng, and Kumārajīva arrived one after another, gloriously proclaiming the Vaipulya scriptures. Thus fellows like Daosheng and Dao'an, and disciples like Huiyan and Huiguan, were all able to silence their fame, hang up their caps of office, and harmoniously take refuge. The Black Robes flourished abundantly; how can it all be recounted?
"In my youth I grew up east of the mountains, esteeming the elegant heritage of the Uncrowned King; in later years I traveled west of the Pass, admiring the profound words of Huang-Lao. Both still failed to cross the river of suffering, and remained submerged in the burning house. What can endure long and be great is only the teaching of the Buddha! Thereupon I aspired to the pure dust of former generations, looked up to the distant traces of the gathered luminaries, took refuge in this correct Way, and extricated myself from the sinking mire. Originally called 'the secluded recluse free from desires' and 'the great general who smashes heterodoxy'—does this not refer to me and my fellows?"

The young gentleman knitted his brows and said: "Observing the Master's eloquence, though it can 'talk of heaven,' what you say is exceedingly hollow and fabricated. I have quietly investigated the time when the Buddha first initiated his conversion, which corresponded to the era of our ancestral Zhou. He claimed of himself: 'Sahā is totally gathered under me, with none that does not return to me.' Or else, his light shone without bound, and his sound shook the Peak of Existence. Or else, the eight classes gathered like clouds, and the ten directions converged like spokes at a hub. By calculation, India is over one hundred thousand li away from us; both are south of Mount Sumeru, and both are within Jambudvīpa. How is it that the scholars and commoners here did not reach the Buddha's place? Why did the Tathāgata uniquely exclude them and not bestow any leftover light? He was not born in our Qin or Han, nor is he recorded in our ancient classics. Looking closely into these two or three matters, my perplexity grows even greater.
"I have heard that integrity does not sever one from the world, and reclusion does not violate filial duty to parents. Therefore one softens his light within the dust, and opens the lotus within fire. As for binding the sash and hanging the cap-strings, it does not hinder the cultivation of virtue; retaining a beard and long sideburns is quite enough for living in seclusion. Furthermore, the Way is originally empty and pervasive, and wherever one touches it, there is nothing that is not it. Why discard the cap and hairpin and concentrate solely on the tin staff and alms-bowl? In my humble opinion, not injuring the body received from one's parents is the beginning of filial piety; no one is not a king's subject, and in the end one must follow the court's commands. Now that you wear ochre robes and shave your head, though your crimes are not yet clear, and you do not serve the Son of Heaven, are you not exalting yourself? I venture to ask you, Master: please analyze and explain this for me."