廣弘明集 9.83

9.83

臣笑曰。文始傳云。老子與尹喜遊天上。喜欲見太上。老曰。太上在大羅天玉京。山極幽遠。可遙禮闕。遂不見而還。以此推之。玄都玉京太上所住。今在上方。何不以上為首。而浪禮北方耶。然道生東陽也。何不東方為始。佛生西陰也。北亦陰也。前已鄙之。今復尊量而前禮乎。又罪根品云。大上道君同陽館中稽首禮元始天尊問十善等法。此誡乃天尊所說。何以不禮天尊。而想見太上乎。捨本逐末。誰之咎也。

Your subject laughs and says: The Biography of the Master of Wenshi states that when Laozi and Yin Xi roamed in the heavens, Yin Xi wished to see the Most High. Laozi said: ‘The Most High resides in the Jade Capital in the Heaven of Grand Net; the mountain is exceedingly secluded and distant; you may bow toward his palace gates from afar.’ Consequently, he did not see him and returned. Inferring from this: the Mysterious Metropolis and Jade Capital are where the Most High resides; now, being above, why not take the zenith as the head, but instead wildly bow toward the north? Moreover, the Dao was born in the eastern yang—why not begin from the east? The Buddha was born in the western yin; the north is also yin. Previously you already despised it, yet now you honor it and prostrate toward it first! Furthermore, the ‘Chapter on the Root of Sin’ says that the Dao-Lord of the Most High, in the Hall of Harmonious Yang, bowed his head to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and inquired about the ten virtues and other teachings. Since these precepts were taught by the Celestial Worthy, why do they not bow to the Celestial Worthy, but instead visualize the Most High? Abandoning the root to pursue the branches—whose fault is this?