廣弘明集 12.31

12.31

I, Gai, have heard: When Zhongni passed away, subtle words were cut off; when his disciples died, the great principles diverged. From then on, the *Odes* and *Documents* fell into confusion. When it came to the First Emperor of Qin burning and destroying them, the canonical records were scattered and lost. Emperor Wu of the Han took the initiative to revive them, and literary arts were once again expounded. As for occupying the hall of the Great Courtyard, dwelling in the chamber of the Mystic Palace, practicing the Dao of non-action, carrying out the teaching without words, taking modesty and deference as virtue, and lowliness and weakness as one's mindset, exclusively relying on pristine vacuity and severing benevolence and righteousness, striving to preserve admirable reclusion and renouncing bodily life and fame—among the nine lineages, this is the lineage of the Daoists. Thus the "Treatise on Literature" of the *Book of Han* states: "The Daoist lineage probably arose from the official historians, who recorded the ways of success and failure, ancient and modern. There were thirty-seven houses." The Laozi of today is merely one of those houses. As for establishing mansions along major thoroughfares, building palaces at Jieshi, expounding the traditions of Confucian learning, propagating the arts of letters, establishing the state and instituting governance to guide customs and instruct the people, cultivating rituals and music, and setting constitutional regulations in systematic order—among the nine lineages, this is the lineage of Confucian learning. Thus the "Treatise on Literature" of the *Book of Han* states: "The Confucian lineage probably arose from the office of the Minister of Education. They distinguished yin and yang, clarified moral transformation, took Yao and Shun as ancestral guides and Zhongni as their teacher. There were fifty-two houses." This is what is transmitted in the Confucian learning of today. Among the nine lineages, these two teachings are the foremost; within the hundred schools, these two studies take precedence. Each has its appropriate application, and neither can be discarded. Why is this? The Daoist methods are declarations of vacuity and non-being that run contrary to worldly customs; they cannot be used to rescue from degeneration. The Confucian arts are discourses on moral transformation that bring prudence to the people; they can be used to guide affairs. Examining and discussing them, they are indeed not without superior and inferior qualities. Looking into Laozi: he exclusively relied on non-action, seeking only to save himself with no mind for widespread rescue, lacking in practices that extend to others; this closely resembles the self-benefit of the śrāvakas. Therefore the *Sūtra on the Practice of the Pure Dharma* (*Qingjing faxing jing*) says: "Mahākāśyapa transformed into Laozi." Since Kāśyapa had a small mind, Laozi likewise had no grand ambition; the words of the *Faxing jing* are trustworthy and not mistaken. Confucius used skills and arts to instruct the people, and ritual teachings to regulate customs; early on he practiced benefiting others and gradually learned comprehensive deliverance, vastly resembling a bodhisattva's benefiting of others. Therefore the *Sūtra on the Practice of the Pure Dharma* says: "The Bodhisattva Mānavaka transformed into Kong Qiu." Since Mānavaka possessed a great mind, Kong Qiu likewise practiced comprehensive deliverance; how could the statements of the *Faxing jing* be in vain? Examining the Laoist canons down to the Confucian classics, the traces of their teachings indeed diverge, but their underlying principles ultimately unite. If one says that sealing the teachings of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius to send to the Western Regions would certainly result in the Hu not practicing them, does Yi not mean that when the Hu teaching comes here, the Han people also should not receive it? Classifying them by kind, their heights and depths are vast apart. When we look into the Buddha: he is the Great Sage whose transformation fills the ten directions; his majestic spiritual power descended from afar, which Emperor Ming of the Han witnessed in person. Sovereign and ministers were filled with joy and resonance, and the common populace turned their hearts toward him. Therefore envoys were sent west, traveling far to India; Mātaṅga then arrived, and his transmission and transformation have continued to this day. The Duke of Zhou and Confucius are minor sages; their virtue was confined to a single region. They could not project their majestic spiritual power from afar to make those abroad directly resonate. Therefore, the people of the Western Regions had no cause to give rise to faith, nor did they come here to welcome the scriptures of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius. For this reason, the Confucian teaching did not spread to the western lands. Deducing from this, it may well be known.