廣弘明集 11.93

11.93

We reply: Why did King Lie of Zhou's younger brother King Xian usurp the throne? Forty-eight years later, King Dao was enthroned, and after one hundred and one days was murdered by the son of a concubine, Prince Chao. King Jing's younger brother King Ai reigned for three months and was deposed by King Si; King Ai's younger brother reigned for five months and King Si murdered him; King Xiao in turn killed King Si. Three kings stood together within a single year (derived from Yang Jie's Shimu and Master Tao's Nianji). Fu Yi says: "As for the Hu barbarians of the Western Regions: Danmo had 320 soldiers; Xiaowan had 200 soldiers; Ronglu had 300 soldiers; Qule had 300 soldiers; Yinai had 350 soldiers; Yulishi had 331 soldiers; Shanxiang had 45 soldiers; Guhu had 45 soldiers. In all, the Hu troops of these eight kingdoms amounted to 1,891 men. Yet they were all able to inherit their royal enterprises, occupy their lands, and attack and slaughter other peoples' kingdoms among themselves. How much more so now, when the Great Tang has 200,000 monks and nuns who band together under the Hu law and are quite capable of winning people's hearts! How can we not take precautions against them?" We reply: Examining the "Treatise on the Western Regions" in the Hanshu, Danmo, Xiaowan, and the other eight kingdoms were all barbarian states of the Han realm east of the Congling mountains; by estimation their distance from Chang'an does not even reach ten thousand li. They were originally not India, the land of the Buddha's birth, nor were there monks and nuns plotting rebellion among them. Even if they committed evil, what does that have to do with these monks? It is simply that a mad ghost has entered Fu Yi's heart, leading him to stir up deviant theories outwardly, falsely citing past events to fabricate slanders against present-day worthies. Those who understand know these to be wild words, but the foolish will inevitably generate aberrant views, sowing confusion and chaos in court and country. How deeply deplorable this is!