廣弘明集 9.80

9.80

又案三張之術畏鬼科曰。左佩太極章。右佩昆吾鐵。指日則停空。擬鬼千里血。又造黃神赤章殺鬼。朱章殺人。或為塗炭齋者。黃土泥面。驢𩥇泥中懸頭著柱。打拍使熟。自晉義熙中。道士王公期除打拍法。而陸修靜猶以黃土泥額。反縛懸頭。如此淫祀眾淫同笑。又案漢婕妤。帝疑其詛。對曰。若鬼神有知。不受無理之詛。如其無知。詛之何益。故不為此。以事推測。常人之智尚識達之。況鬼有靈聰明正直而受愚厭者。未之有也。今觀其文。詞義無取。有同俗巫解奏之曲。何期大道。若此容而不非乎。將不耽嗜糟汁湎淫終歲。以理推誠。豈得爾耶。

Furthermore, examining the rites of fearing ghosts of the Three Zhangs, it says: ‘On the left wear the Great Ultimate Seal; on the right wear the Kunwu iron. Point at the sun and it stops in the void; aim at a ghost and there is blood for a thousand li.’ They also make the yellow spirit and cinnabar seal to slay ghosts, and vermilion seals to slay humans. Sometimes they perform the Fast of Mud and Charcoal: smearing yellow mud on their faces, like donkeys rolling in mud, suspending their heads from pillars, and beating them until ripe. Since the Yixi era of the Jin dynasty, the Daoist priest Wang Gongqi removed the beating method, yet Lu Xiujing still smeared yellow mud on his forehead, bound his hands behind his back, and suspended his head. Such licentious sacrifices are ridiculed by all. Furthermore, examining the Favorite Beauty of the Han, when the Emperor suspected her of cursing, she replied: ‘If the ghosts and spirits have consciousness, they will not accept an unreasonable curse; if they have no consciousness, what benefit is there in cursing? Therefore I did not do it.’ Inferring from this matter, the wisdom of an ordinary person is still able to understand this; how much less could spirits who are numinous, intelligent, and upright be subjected to foolish exorcisms! This has never occurred. Now observing their texts, the words and meanings have nothing worthy to be adopted, resembling the songs of common shamans submitting petitions for expiation. How could one expect the Great Dao to tolerate such things as this and not consider them wrong? Can it be that they are addicted to wine dregs and indulge in debauchery all year round? Inferring sincerely by principle, how could it be so?