廣弘明集 10.6

10.6

Emperor Wu was suspicious and jealous of the black-robed [monks] and received the teachings of Huang-Lao. He wished to preserve the Daoist teachings and eliminate the Buddhist lineage. But public opinion was unanimous in revering the teachings of Śākya. The Emperor had harbored this desire for a long time, and this was by no means his original plan. When Dharma Master Dao'an submitted the Treatise on the Two Teachings demonstrating that the Daoist teachings were unheard of [in antiquity], his mind was all the more unsubmissive. Unable to overcome the shared sentiment of the multitude, and seeing the logic difficult to retain [Daoism] alone, he abolished both teachings in a fit of internal fury. Before a month had passed, he issued an edict saying: ‘The Supreme Dao is vast and profound, formed chaotically without boundary; its essence encompasses emptiness and existence, its principle reaches the ultimate obscurity. Yet as diverging paths separated, the branching streams grew ever further apart; simplicity parted and uncarved wholeness scattered, so that material vessels conflicted. Consequently, the three Mohist and eight Confucian factions competed like vermilion and purple, while the nine lineages and seven arts vied with differing doctrines. The Dao has been obscured by minor accomplishments for a long time! Without a convergence, contention will never cease. Let there now be established the Abbey of Universal Dao. The subtle words of sages and wise ones, the classic instructions of former worthies, the golden statutes and jade registers, the secret and profound texts—those that succor and nourish the common people, and support and accomplish pedagogical principles—shall all be broadly expounded and unified with a single thread. Let those who play upon earthen mounds recognize the towering height of Mount Song and Mount Tai; let those who keep to gravel and rocks realize the deep clarity of the Bohai Sea. Would this not be fitting? Let the relevant authorities determine the number of personnel, and let their stipends and corvée exemptions deliberately differ from ordinary regulations. Let the directors put this into effect.’