廣弘明集 13

English (machine translation) 13

Language: English

13.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoxuan of Ximing Temple of the Great Tang.

13.2

Discerning Heterodoxy, Part 2, Section 9.

13.3

Treatise Discerning the Correct: Chapter on the Ten Analogies and Nine Admonitions.

13.5

Chapter on the Ten Analogies, Part One: Answering Daoist Li's Treatise on the Ten Discrepancies.

There was the Yellow Turban Li Zhongqing, whose learning fell short of looking through a tube, and whose wisdom was ashamed before mere conjecture. Boasting of the wings of an egret, he looked toward terrifying Mount Song and Mount Hua; carrying the light of a tiny torch, he vied for brilliance with the sun and moon. Thereupon he composed the 'Ten Discrepancies and Nine Delusions' to belittle the Supreme Sage. I lament his lack of knowledge and pity his blameless ignorance. For now, I compose ten analogies to enlighten him, and nine admonitions to warn him, making it as plain as pointing to one's palm. I hope that enlightened and eminent gentlemen will examine this and rectify their errors.

13.7

The first external discrepancy states:

13.8

"The Supreme Venerable Lord lodged his spirit in the Profound and Marvellous Jade Maiden, and was born by tearing through her left armpit.

13.9

Śākyamuni resided in the womb of Queen Māyā, and was born by opening her right side."

13.10

The first internal analogy states:

13.11

"The Venerable Lord went against the norm by lodging in a shepherdess and emerging from the left; the World-Honored One accorded with transformation by relying on a sacred mother and being born from the right."

13.12

The Bodhisattva says: According to the Collected Explanations of the Five Thousand Characters by Lu Jingyu, Dai Shen, Wei Chuxuan, and others, as well as the Examination of Categories of Meaning by Emperor Yuan of the Liang and Zhou Hongzheng, 'Supreme' has four meanings, referring to the Three Sovereigns and Yao and Shun. This means that in high antiquity there were these rulers of great virtue who oversaw the ten thousand people, and therefore they are called 'Supreme.' Guo Xiang and Zhuangzi state: 'The worthy of the time is the ruler; he whose talent is not suited to the age is the minister.' Laozi was neither emperor nor sovereign, and does not fall within the scope of these four categories. On what canonical authority does he arbitrarily claim the title 'Supreme'? Examining Daoist scriptures such as the Xuanmiao Jing, the Zhongtai Zhutao Yuzha Jing, and the Chusai Ji, it states that Laozi was born of Mother Li, and makes no mention of a 'Profound and Marvellous Jade Maiden.' Since it is not an orthodox account, it is all the more a fabricated and erroneous assertion. The Jade Register of the Immortals says: 'Immortals have no wives, and jade maidens have no husbands; though they receive a female body, they never give birth.' If there were such an auspicious sign, it would indeed be praiseworthy. Why then is there no text in the Records of the Grand Historian, and no record in the Book of Zhou? Seeking truth amidst falsehood, should one believe the words of deceivers?

13.13

The Rites state: 'Those who are demoted and lose their positions are transferred to the left.' The Analects state: 'Fastening the collar on the left is contrary to the rites.' If the left were superior to the right, why do Daoists, when performing rituals, not circle to the left instead of turning to the right? The imperial decrees of the state all say 'as stated to the right' [i.e., above]; these all accord with the constancy of Heaven.

13.14

The second external discrepancy states:

13.15

"The Venerable Lord bequeathed instruction, opening up the eternal life of no-birth and no-extinction.

13.16

Śākyamuni set forth teachings, demonstrating the perpetual extinction of no-extinction and no-birth."

13.17

The second internal analogy states:

13.18

"Li Dan was endowed with physical substance, having both birth and extinction; fearing the suffering of being born, he instead incurred white hair.

13.19

Śākyamuni manifested signs, displaying both extinction and birth; returning to the extinction of tranquil cessation, his golden body shone forth."

13.20

The Bodhisattva says: Laozi says: 'The reason I have great misfortune is none other than having a body. If I had no body, what misfortune would I have?' The origin of misfortune is nothing other than the body. Since Laozi suffered from having a body and sought to be without affliction, he could not escape white hair, being no different from the mundane world. If you speak of eternal life, why did he die so early?

13.21

The third external discrepancy states:

13.22

"The Venerable Lord manifested birth and emerged in this Eastern Xia.

13.23

Śākyamuni descended in traces, appearing among those Western Rong."

13.24

The third internal analogy states:

13.25

"Li Er was born in physical form, dwelling in Ku County of Eastern Zhou.

13.26

The Benevolent and Capable One descended in traces, appearing in the divine continent of the Central Xia."

13.27

The Bodhisattva says: The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom states: 'Because it is counted by thousands upon thousands, it is called three thousand; doubling this and adding another thousand, it is called a great thousand. Kapilavastu lies in the very center of it.' The Loutan Jing states: 'East of the Onion River is named Cīnasthāna, because the sun first rises and shines upon the eastern corner, hence it receives this name.' When the Buddhas appear in the world, they are all in the central region, never born in border regions. If they were born in border regions, the earth would tilt on their account. According to the Fayuan Zhuan, the Biographies of Eminent Monks, the Yongchu Ji, and other texts: During the Song dynasty, He Chengtian and Dharma Master Zhiyan debated the border and the center. The Dharma Master said: 'In the land of Central India, at noon on the day of the summer solstice, an upright stick casts no shadow. On the shadow platform of the Han land, when that time arrives and a gnomon is erected, there is still a remaining shadow.' According to the computational texts, one inch in Heaven corresponds to one thousand li on Earth. How could he not realize this? The center and border are settled by investigating facts: the country of Central India is the center of the earth, separated from the oceans in all four directions by more than fifty thousand li. If we measure this land, bordering the ocean to the east, then Cīnasthāna is inherently located in the east, and Kapilavastu would never be considered the west. Its principle is verified!"

13.28

The fourth external discrepancy states:

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"In the days of King Wen, the Venerable Lord was the ancestral master of the flourishing Zhou.

13.30

In the time of King Zhuang, Śākyamuni was the religious leader of Jibin."

13.31

The fourth internal analogy states:

13.32

"Boyang's position was that of a minor official, unworthily serving as an archivist; he was not in the days of King Wen, nor was he the master of the flourishing Zhou.

13.33

Śākyamuni held the position of crown prince, and his person attained supreme reverence; during the prime years of King Zhao, he was the religious leader of Jambudvīpa."

13.34

The Bodhisattva says: The Book of the Former Han states: 'Confucius belongs to the uppermost class; he is a sage. Laozi belongs to the upper-middle class; he is a worthy.' He Yan and Wang Bi say: 'Laozi had not yet attained sageliness.' The Treatise on the Two Teachings states: 'The Archivist serving in the court was originally not a counsellor; departing Zhou and entering Qin, he expounded the Dao for the Guardian of the Pass. He was unheard of among the feudal lords and was never received by the Son of Heaven.' If he were the teacher of Zhou, history would have clear proof. Since this does not match orthodox accounts, how could it be accepted? According to the Records of the Grand Historian and Wang Jian's Genealogy of the Hundred Families: The Li family descended from Gaoyang. Their founding ancestor was Gaoyao, who served as Shun's judicial officer (li), and thus adopted it as his clan name. The rise of the surname Li began with Dan. Prior to Dan, there was no surname Li; there was only the clan name Li (理). Because he was born beneath a plum tree (li), he adopted the surname Li. Laozi's son was named Zong, who served Marquis Wen of Wei; he was a person of the Six States period, at the end of the Spring and Autumn era. In the time of King Wen, there was not yet even the surname Li; how could there have been a Dan appearing as the master of the Zhou? The chronology is contradictory and has no reliable foundation. When Ge Hong's Baopuzi says he appeared in the era of King Wen, and Ji Kang and Huangfu Mi both say he was born at the end of the Yin, these refer to fabricated Daoist texts, not what is recorded in the state classics.

13.35

The fifth external discrepancy states:

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"The Venerable Lord descended in traces in the era of the Zhou kings, hiding three times and appearing three times for over five hundred years.

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Śākyamuni manifested birth at the time of the Hu kingdoms; with one extinction and one birth, his lifespan was merely eighty."

13.38

The fifth internal analogy states:

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"The Li clan's hiding three times and appearing three times has no reliable evidence to support it; even if it were about five hundred years, it would still fall short of the lifespan of turtles and cranes.

13.40

The Dharma King manifested one extinction and one birth, displaying a form as manifold as fine dust; in the span of eighty years, he guided and delivered assemblies as numerous as the sands of the Ganges."

13.41

The Bodhisattva says: Examining all the standard histories and orthodox canons, there is no text mentioning hiding three times and appearing three times. Only Zang Jing, Zhu Cao, and others, in their Examination of Meaning and Rules, state: 'Expounding the roots of benevolence, righteousness, rites, and music for Confucius was the first time. In the reign of King Cuo [i.e., Nan], when a thousand households suffered from epidemics, the Venerable Lord bestowed the one hundred and eighty precepts along with one hundred and seventy fascicles of the Taiping Jing; this was the second time. In the reign of Emperor An of the Han, he transmitted the Orthodox One and Bright Authority teaching to Celestial Master Zhang, at which time he called himself the Archivist of Zhou dispatched by the Supreme; this was the third time.' Now, manifesting a form to establish teachings must rely on causal conditions; guiding and delivering people depends on disciples. How could it be that over the course of five hundred years there were no disciples at all? In his three appearances and three concealments, no followers were to be seen receiving his teachings in person. These are nebulous, unfounded fabrications, baseless rumors of the alleyways. In the Zhou he could barely drive a small carriage, his sideburns hanging like silk threads; yet upon coming to the Han, he could command flutes and drums, gathering crowds like clouds and rain! Gan Bao's In Search of the Supernatural makes no mention of such tales, and the Qi Xie and Records of Anomalies do not record such marvels. Subjective conjecture and fabrication have reached an extreme!

13.42

The sixth external discrepancy states:

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"The Venerable Lord's descent into the world began in the days of King Wen of the Zhou and ended at the time of Confucius.

13.44

Śākyamuni's birth originated in the household of Śuddhodana, during the reign of our King Zhuang."

13.45

The sixth internal analogy states:

13.46

"Kāśyapa was born in the dingmao year of King Huan and passed away in the renwu year of King Jing; although his life ended at the time of Confucius, he did not appear during the era of Ji Chang [King Wen].

13.47

"The Tamer of Men was born in the jiayin year of King Zhao and passed away in the renshen year of King Mu; he was the descendant of Śuddhodana, originally born prior to King Zhuang."

13.48

The Bodhisattva says: Confucius went to Zhou, met Lao Dan, and inquired of him about the rites—the Shiji records this fully. Yet as for his being the teacher of King Wen, there is no textual evidence at all. That he appeared at the end of the Zhou can be investigated from the facts, but if he lived at the beginning of the Zhou, the historical texts record nothing of it. Furthermore, examining the official system of the Zhouli, in the reigns of Wen, Wu, Cheng, and Kang there was no title of archivist (zhushi) or keeper of the archives (cangli). He must have been a minor scribe at the end of the Zhou whose office was omitted from the canonical statutes.

13.49

The Seventh Difference of the Outsiders says:

13.50

Lord Lao was born in the Zhou dynasty and later went to the shifting sands; where he ended cannot be fathomed, and no one knows his whereabouts.

13.51

Śākya was born in the western lands and ended at the river Hiraṇyavatī; his disciples beat their chests, and the barbarian throngs wailed loudly.

13.52

The Seventh Comparison of the Insiders says:

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Laozi was born in Lai township and buried in Huaili; consider Qin Yi's mourning visit, where the fault lay in escaping from nature's form.

13.54

Gautama departed from that royal palace and withdrew under these crane-white trees; transmitted down to the time of Han Ming[di], this was kept secret in the books of the Orchid Terrace.

13.55

The Bodhisattva says: The 'Inner Chapters' of the Zhuangzi state that when Lao Dan died, Qin Yi went to mourn him, wailed three times, and came out. The disciples wondered and asked, 'Were you not a friend of our master?' Qin Yi replied, 'Just now when I entered to see, the young were weeping for him as if weeping for a father, and the old were weeping for him as if weeping for a son. In ancient times this was called escaping from nature's form. At first I thought he was such a man, but now I see he was not.' 'Escaping' means hiding. 'Nature' (tian) means release from bondage. 'Form' means the body. This means that at first he took Laozi to be an immortal who had freed himself from bondage and hidden his form, but now he saw it was not so. He lamented that by flattery and deviousness Laozi had captivated people's affections, so that he could not escape death, and thus was no true friend of his.

13.56

The Eighth Difference of the Outsiders says:

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Lord Lao stepped on the five and grasped the ten, with beautiful eyebrows and a square mouth, twin pillars, interspersed marks, sun-horns, and the moon suspended. These are the marks of a sage of the Central Kingdom.

13.58

Śākya's nose was like a gold bar and his eyes were like the well constellation, their radiance like blue lotuses, with hair coiled in spirals on his head. These are the marks of a Buddha of the Western Regions.

13.59

The Eighth Comparison of the Insiders says:

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Old Li had Qiang eyebrows and a square mouth, which are merely the signs of an elder; stepping on the five and grasping the ten

13.61

do not constitute the marks of a sage.

13.62

The Bhagavān gathered the radiance of the sun and the color of molten gold, manifesting signs that are exceedingly rare; the wonders of the svastika and the thousand-spoked wheels truly indicate the marks of a sage.

13.63

The Bodhisattva says: Sūtras such as Laozi zhongtai jing state that Lao Dan was yellow in color, with a broad forehead, long ears, large eyes, widely spaced teeth, and thick lips; his hands grasped the character for 'ten', and his feet stepped on strokes forming two fives. These are merely abnormal features among humans, not the wondrous appearance of a sage. Historical records also state that Laozi had a high, thin nose, a pointed head, a high mouth, widely spaced teeth, squinting eyes, pulled-back ears, dark grey hair, an olive complexion, thick lips, and long ears. His form was like this; how could he compare to the Buddha? The Tathāgata's body is sixteen feet tall, upright and unswerving. His halo of seven feet illuminates all the dark realms. On his crown is an uṣṇīṣa, and his hair is dark violet-blue. His ears cover and hang down in lobes; his gaze is bright and clear. His cheeks are like a lion's; his seven places are full and rounded. His mouth has forty teeth, square, white, even, and straight. His tongue can cover his face, resembling the petal of a lotus. The inside and outside of his hands grip firmly, with palm lines fully formed. His voice roars like thunder, endowed with eight kinds of vocal qualities. Upon his chest is the svastika, and beneath his feet are wheels entwined a thousandfold. His complexion blends with purplish gold, his marks and signs difficult to name. He possesses the thirty-two marks and eighty auspicious signs. By emitting a single ray of light, the hells find rest; by expounding a single Dharma, bitter torments become peaceful and calm. All of this is listed in detail throughout the scriptures, so there is no need to recount it point by point.

13.64

The Ninth Difference of the Outsiders says:

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When Lord Lao established his teachings, in reverence, deference, and majestic deportment he naturally adhered to the Central Xia.

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When Śākya instituted his laws, in respectful, solemn appearance and demeanor he returned to following foreign lands.

13.67

The Ninth Comparison of the Insiders says:

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Lao was a mundane man whose official post was of the lowest rank; in cap and robes he prostrated himself, naturally obeying the court statutes.

13.69

The Buddha is a sacred sovereign whose path diverges from the mundane; how could his clothing, appearance, and majestic deportment conform to common regulations?

13.70

The Bodhisattva says: Long ago, Yu Jiuxing of Danyang composed the Mingzhen lun to refute the Daoists and expose their falsity and deceit. Examining that treatise, it says that the cap and coarse cloth robe are precisely the attire worn in ancient days by Confucians and Mohists. In the past, the deer-hide cap of the Five Thearchs and the leather cap of Xu You were both the attire of common people. The coarse robe had a body three zhang and six chi long, with three hundred and sixty inches, said to model the thirty-six decans of a year or symbolize the three hundred and sixty days of a year. The coarse robe had two sashes in front, said to model the division of yin and yang. The two corners of the cap likewise modeled the Two Modes. Mr. Yu also said: during the Zhou and Qin, the tenth month of the Xia was taken as the beginning of the year; when it comes to the degrees of the celestial divisions, the additions and subtractions, and the calculations of calendar cycles, how could one obtain the number three hundred and sixty? If one investigates Yao, Shun, Zhou, and Confucius, they did not wear this attire. Inquiring into the Yellow Emperor's encounter with the August Person and the spirits of the Nine Realized Ones, which then descended to Emperor Ku and down to Yu of the Xia, who opened the repositories of Mount Tu and Mount Zhong, examining all these garments there is not a single piece of evidence for them. According to the Zhou, they had the omen of the red sparrow and experienced the auspicious sign of the cinnabar writing; since this corresponded to the virtue of Fire, the world wore red robes. Lao was a man of the Zhou and furthermore a petty official; in cap and shoes he prostrated himself, naturally adhering to the constant rituals. Those who are called 'parish heads' were originally named 'ghost soldiers'; their yellow turbans and red registers did not follow Boyang. In consecrating water and executing talismans, they took the Zhang clan as their direct master. Being neither Daoist nor mundane, whose tradition did they emulate?

13.71

The Tenth Difference of the Outsiders says:

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The teaching of Lord Lao takes the restoration of filial piety and parental affection as the root of virtue.

13.73

The law of Śākya takes abandoning relatives as the priority of practice.

13.74

The Tenth Comparison of the Insiders says:

13.75

Lao's instruction was wild and perverse, taking the slaughter of one's two parents as the priority of practice.

13.76

The Buddhist teaching is benevolent and compassionate, taking the salvation of the four forms of birth as the root of virtue.

13.77

The Bodhisattva says: Your Huahu jing says: 'Xi wished to follow Dan. Dan said: If you are sincerely determined to follow me, you must cut off the heads of seven people—your father, mother, wife, and children—and only then may you go. Xi was so completely sincere that he personally cut off the heads of his parents and the seven persons, and brought the heads before Dan, whereupon they turned into seven pigs' heads.' Now, that which accords with the Way of Heaven and Earth is conduct; that which does not harm harmonious breath is filial piety. Ding Lan's sincerity moved the rotting wood; Dong Yong's filial piety brought down the heavenly maiden. Even birds and beasts have mothers and offspring and know affection; how much more so should Dan and Xi, in practicing the Way throughout the world, not have done this! Cutting off his parents' heads—how can that be called filial? Slaughtering his wife and children—how can that be termed compassionate?

13.78

Ten Comparisons of the Insiders in Reply to the Ten Differences of the Outsiders

13.79

Insiders: First, difference in excellence and inferiority regarding birth;
Second, difference in depth and shallowness in establishing the teachings;
Third, difference in height and lowness of virtuous status;
Fourth, difference in breadth and narrowness of conditions for conversion;
Fifth, difference in length and shortness of lifespan;
Sixth, difference in precedence in traces of transformation;
Seventh, difference in clarity and obscurity in passing away;
Eighth, difference in quantity of marks and auspicious signs;
Ninth, difference in similarity and dissimilarity of majestic deportment;
Tenth, difference in suddenness and gradualness of Dharma gates.

13.80

The Outsiders: First, Difference in Birth from the Left and Right

13.81

The Outsiders' treatise says: The response traces of sages are different from ordinary mortals: either they mount a dragon or elephant to dwell in the womb, or they suddenly open the ribs and armpit to emerge into the world. Although this is equally unrelated to the two breaths and does not depend on two parents, when it comes to the distinction between left and right, their difference in superiority and inferiority is the first point.

13.82

The Insiders: Difference in Excellence and Inferiority Regarding Birth

13.83

The Insiders' comparison says: Buttoning on the left is honored by the Rong and Di barbarians, while precedence of the right is esteemed by the Central Florescence. Therefore the Chunqiu says: 'The senior minister has no mandate, but the secondary minister has one—is this not [ranking him on] the left?' The Shiji states: 'Lin Xiangru's merit was great, and his seat was to the right of Lian Po; Po was ashamed of it.' It also states: 'Zhang Yi, as prime minister, favored Qin on the right and disfavored Wei on the left; Xishou, as prime minister, favored Han on the right and disfavored Wei on the left.' This refers to it being disadvantageous. The Liji says: 'Those who use heterodox ways (zuodao, lit. left paths) to disrupt the masses are to be put to death.' Does this not show that the right is superior and the left is inferior? Huangfu Mi's Gaoshi zhuan states: 'Laozi was a man of Xiang in Chu, residing to the north of the Guo River; he served Changsongzi as his master. When Master Chang was ill, Er went to inquire after his illness.' Ji Kang said that Li Er studied the arts of the nine immortals from Juanzi. Examining the various books such as that of the Grand Astrologer, none says that Laozi was born from an incision in the left armpit. Since there is no canonical source for this, it is evident that it cannot be credited. It is verified that wielding the lance and grasping the brush are the forebears of civil and military affairs; the five breaths and three lights are the heads of yin and yang. Therefore, the turning to the right in the Buddhist school conforms to human custom, whereas Zhang Ling's heterodox path truly runs contrary to heavenly constancy. Why so? Śākya aroused unconditioned compassion and responded to the summons of those with potential. Speaking of his traces, his practice was fulfilled over three asaṃkhyeyas and his marks perfected over a hundred kalpas; descending his spirit, he mounted a jade elephant, and obscuring his brilliance, he gave birth to a golden form. Thirty-two auspicious omens unfolded in the subterranean realms, and eighteen Brahma-heaven signs astounded the celestial palaces. His wondrous marks spanned the ten directions, and his divine radiance illuminated the eight extremities. Recounting his root, he long ago realized the perfect and bright, so that dust and sand cannot calculate his lifespan; he early ascended to serene illumination, so that empty space cannot measure his body. How could he merely be compared to holding a branch as a wondrous sign, or verifying white hair to prove an omen? It is like a firefly's gleam competing in brilliance with the dragon-torch, or a fish's eye shining alongside the snake's pearl. This is the first inferiority of your Dao.

13.84

The Outsiders: Second, Difference in the Teachings regarding Arising and Cessation

13.85

The Outsiders' treatise says: As for being equally free from arising and cessation, their principles are identical; yet in guiding the world and leading the ordinary, they are not without difference. However, life is what creatures delight in, and death is what creatures loathe. Thus the Dao of life is difficult to attain and must await the cultivation of merit, whereas the method of cessation is easy to seek—why should it require toilsome study? Therefore we know that by ascending with the spirit and riding the sun's rays, one can preserve one's body for accumulated kalpas; when the breath is exhausted and the form perishes, the spirit naturally departs in a single moment. This is the second distinction in the teachings.

13.86

The Insiders: Difference in Depth and Shallowness in Establishing the Teachings

13.87

The Insiders' comparison says: Destroying the body out of dread for great calamity, cutting off knowledge to avoid prolonged toil, regarding living beings as suspended wens, and equating the loss of nature with royal joy—these are the sayings of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Furthermore, as for continuous, eternal abiding, the ancient sovereigns neither died nor ended; as for being endlessly nameless, Master Lao returned again to nothingness. Yet constant preservation is not a term for eternal cessation; how could nothingness be a transformation into long life? Let us further clarify their depth and shallowness. As for the passages on maintaining weakness and keeping to the female, or the discourses on emptying the mind and filling the belly, they recognize that floating life has a limit, and lament that the waters of wisdom have no bound. Speaking of their greatness, they are confined within the realm; their potter's wheel does not exceed one's natural allotment. Such is their aspiration! How could this compare to the Great Awakened One opening inexhaustible conditions and manifesting the radiance of the ultimate roundness? Investigating the subtle, he exhausts the gapless void; probing the principle, he commands the directionless realm. His fine breath harmonizes with the primordial vapor, and his divine body equals the firm endurance of the great void. Speaking of his measure, it is like Mount Song and Mount Hua being completely different in height from an ant-hill, or the vast ocean being different in depth from a puddle in a well. This is the second inferiority of your Dao.

13.88

The Outsiders: Third, Difference in Directions between East and West

13.89

The Outsiders' treatise says: The two directions, east and west, naturally have the distinction of yin and yang; the two positions, left and right, constitute the difference between benevolence and righteousness. Benevolence solely nurtures goodness, and yang furthermore promotes life; righteousness primarily governs regulation, and yin pertains to stern austerity. When the two breaths constitute the teachings, yin does not match yang; when the five virtues are discussed, benevolence is deep and righteousness is shallow. This is the third distinction in orientation. (A critique says: Qian is yang and represents the father, positioned in the northwest; Kun is yin and represents the mother, divined in the southwest. The north, a region of abundant yin, becomes the position of the middle son; the south, a place of abundant yang, turns into the abode of the middle daughter. Since male and female have no fixed directions, yin and yang do not adhere to constant standards. Therefore, wood destroys earth, which is why Ji is taken as the wife of Jia; metal overcomes wood, which is why Yi is taken as the wife of Geng. Since Qian holds the highest position, it resides in the northwest; Zhen can produce the Thearch, yet it is in the east. As for ceremonial mats, if laid out north to south, the west is considered supreme, signifying compliance with Qian's nobility; if arranged east to west, the south is considered supreme, signifying following the height of yang. Is this not where superiority and inferiority show themselves?)

13.90

The Insiders: Third, Difference in Height and Lowness of Virtuous Status

13.91

The Buddhist response says: Now, metal as husband and wood as wife—how can yin and yang be held to unconditionally? Li is south and Kan is north—male and female have no fixed directions. Thus, the reason east of the zi-wu line is considered yang is taken from sons and daughters being born in the east. That west of the zi-wu line is considered yin means parents grow old in the west. This, then, demarcates yin and yang in terms of birth and aging; it does not speak of superiority and inferiority in terms of high and low rank. Even if parents are in the west, they should hardly be lower than their sons; when sons and daughters are in the east, how would they dare be higher than their fathers? Benevolence without righteousness cannot be established; righteousness without benevolence cannot nurture. Therefore, east of the zi-wu line is benevolence, and the father in the west is righteousness. Standards are set according to circumstance; do not be confused about the Great Way! If one were narrowly restricted by birthplace and confined by regional borders, then because the Great Yu came from the Western Qiang, his universally benevolent virtue would suddenly be void; and because King Wen was born among the Eastern Yi, his governance of moral ordering would forever be lacking. Swallowing the Yangtze and receiving the Han is no cramped, vulgar dwelling; floating upon the Wei and commanding the Jing is no miraculous abode for an emperor. (First, refuting the perverse; next, praising the orthodox.) Now, as for Śākya: in heaven and on earth, he pre-eminently occupies supreme dignity; in the three realms and six paths, he stands out towering in his marvel. Moreover, the companions of the Lesser Learning and the Two Vehicles, and the cohorts of the five ranks with minds aspiring to greatness, are like the multitude of stars revolving around the North Star, like golden mountains gracing the azure sea. It is enough to make those with heads like deer and faces like elephants bend their proud and rebellious minds, and to lead the six heterodoxies and ten ṛṣis to express reverent submission. How is this merely subduing Xu Jia among common men, guiding Yin Xi among pass-keepers, receiving instruction on the subject of teeth (the *Gaoshi zhuan* says: 'Chang Songzi opened his mouth; Laozi said, "Is it not that the teeth, being hard, perish, while the tongue, being soft, endures?" Changzi said, "That is everything"'), or gaining renown while keeping the archives? This is the third inferiority of your Dao.

13.92

External: The distinction between Hua and Yi in adapting conversion: Four

13.93

The external treatise says: Ritual separates the Chinese and the barbarians, and high and low are evident in the classic canons. The difference between fringe and central ways, and who prevails or falls, is recorded in the historical annals. The lords of the Rong and Di are not permitted to usurp the title of king; the rulers of Chu and Yue thus demoted themselves to the rank of viscount. How can the petty artisans among the Xiongnu be matched against the great teachers of our Heavenly Kings? This is the fourth distinction between Hua and Yi.

13.94

Internal: Conditions for conversion have broad and narrow scopes

13.95

The Buddhist response says: According to the 'Preface to the Daode[jing]', Laozi cultivated the Way in self-effacing obscurity, making namelesness his task; as the Zhou declined he departed through the pass, and only then was the teaching in two sections composed. Yet the classic models and counsels of the *Documents of Zhou* contain nothing composed by Laozi. According to the *Treatise on the Two Teachings*, the five-thousand-word text was what Rongcheng expounded, and Laozi merely discussed it with Yin Xi—indeed, he transmitted and did not innovate. Furthermore, his office was only archivist; his rank was not that of prime minister. As for being the master of the glorious Zhou—was he not perhaps non-existent? (First, refuting the perverse; next, praising the orthodox.) Śākyamuni descended with miraculous spirit into Kapilavastu, taking human form in the royal palace. In wisdom, he possessed innate knowledge; in the Way, he attained universal awakening. He proclaimed the brightness of wisdom across billions of worlds, and spread the Dharma clouds throughout the great trichiliocosm. His spiritual moisture encompassed the ten directions; his miraculous conversion reached beyond the four borders. Scriptures as majestic as lofty peaks and steep crags, and writings housed by dragons and borne by elephants, have verily overflowed herein! Even with Sang Hongyang’s secret calculations, none could tally its finest dust; even with Zou Yan’s discourse on the heavens, none could appraise a single droplet of it. How could it merely be eighty chapters of exposition or five thousand words in sequence? It is regrettable that you have not peeked over the wall of many fathoms, thereby giving rise to Wushu’s slander; yet how could this injure the sun and moon? We merely take pity on your ignorance. This is the fourth inferiority of your Dao.

13.96

External: The distinction between early death and long life in endowed birth: Five

13.97

The external treatise says: Lord Lao’s Way accords with the center of the ring, possessing a measure equal to empty space; his spirit transcends beyond appearances, adapting to transformations without end. Therefore, his lifespan is certainly not like that of ordinary mortals, and his hiddenness or manifestation is distinctly different from the worldly.

13.98

Śākyamuni’s life was limited, his lifespan indeed of a short term; once extinguished, he could not be born again. (Rebuttal: Since Laozi is said to enjoy longevity, in which commandery or county does he reside today?) Eighty years—what a fragile anticipation! This is the fifth distinction in lifespan.

13.99

Internal: Lifespan has elongation and shortness: Five

13.100

The Buddhist response says: The Preface says: 'He was conceived in Lady Li's womb, remaining inside for eighty-one years.' This is the number of Great Yang. His lifespan was one hundred and sixty years, yet staying in the womb already took up more than half. Changing three times to reach five hundred—is this not a fabricated marvel? The Grand Astrologer considered that Lao Laizi of Chu and the Grand Astrologer Dan of Zhou were both Laozi. Some say two hundred and thirty years, some say one hundred and sixty years. Huangfu Mi said: 'The writings of the various masters have lately become hard to trust; only Qin Yi’s mourning of him proves that his death from old age is a fact.' Seeing that 'the valley spirit never dies' and 'it is called the mysterious female', meddlers subsequently fabricated legends upon it. The *Biographies of Divine Immortals* says that Yuhuazi, Luohuizi, Chuanyuzi, Dachengzi, Chijingzi, Wuchengzi, Yinshouzi, Zhenxingzi, Xishezi, Master Fanyi, and others were all Laozi's embodiments; but this only appears in fragmented writings and does not come from authentic immortal classics, so it cannot be relied upon. As long as there are heaven and earth, there are arts of the Way. When have masters of the arts of the Way ever been briefly lacking? How could it always be the single person of Laozi alone? It all stems from later scholars who craved curiosities and valued the bizarre, arbitrarily wishing to exalt Laozi so as to make him boundless; Daoists of shallow views wished to make Laozi supernatural so that future scholars would believe in him, and therefore made up deceptive claims. How true these words are! They can serve as a mirror. Now, wondrous bliss relies on the three virtues to be achieved; the dharmakāya is established by the fivefold division. Therefore, when arising and ceasing are completely discarded, the nature of perfect awakening is manifested. When emptiness and existence are harmoniously fused, the wonder of the spiritual form resides therein. Hence, his form transcends the bounds of sight and hearing, and his name reposes beyond the dust of passions. Serene and eternally joyful, he is beyond what line and text can delineate; towering and perfectly bright, he is past what words and appearances can fathom. Even if the peaches of the Queen Mother of the West ripen repeatedly, they do not bring true longevity; even though the mulberry fields of the Eastern Sea change several times, they are not eternal. Among the five clouds and the ninefold elixir, one grieves for the fleeting stay of the tethered bird; flying snow and dark frost are compared to the wandering colt, hard to trust in their stability. Zhongkui does not possess the longevity of the great chun tree; the mayfly rarely attains the years of the tortoise or crane. This is the fifth inferiority of your Dao.

13.101

External: The distinction between earlier and later in taking birth: Six

13.102

The external treatise says: The Daoist and Buddhist scriptures each set forth their own explanations: either saying that they appear kalpa after kalpa, competing in having none before them, or saying that they are born generation after generation, disputing who has endured the longest. Such distant matters are difficult to verify. Now, relying on historical records to establish their eras: speaking in terms of human relations, the elder is revered and the younger is low; speaking in terms of the village, there is also the elder brother and the younger brother. This is the sixth distinction in earlier and later.

13.103

Internal: Traces of conversion have earlier and later

13.104

The Buddhist response says: Śākya was born at the beginning of the glorious Zhou; Laozi was born at the end of the Ji lineage. In terms of years, they differ by more than two hundred; in terms of generations, by more than ten kings. The purple vapor and the green ox did not exist in the eras of Kings Zhao and Zhuang; the miraculous light and the white elephant had nothing to do with the years of Kings Huan and Jing. However, a profound fog obscures the heavens, and muddy torrents shroud the earth. When Wenzhong performed improper sacrifices, Confucius censured him as unwise; when Ziqin disparaged the Sage, Cigong ridiculed his erroneous words. A blemish in words is hard to erase; a four-horse team cannot overtake the tongue. This is truly not false! (First, refuting the foolish; next, praising the Sage.) Now, condescending with traces in response to common mortals, he lodged his body in a fragile vessel; seizing the opportune moment to transform beings, he shared a lifespan of a hundred years. Hence, because fruits are bound by causal cultivation, the bodhisattva Xinxin thereby gave rise to doubt; because his age was short while his conversions were wide, Maitreya for that reason raised questions. A colossal peak cannot be weighed by balances and weights—this illustrates that his long lifespan is yet unimaginably distant. The profound void cannot be measured by feet and rods—this compares to the kalpas being remote and limitless. How could one know that seeking immortality in a snake’s cave instead shortens one's life in the world, and awaiting medicine from a rainbow ribbon still fails to prolong one's age? This is like a rising quail striving for height alongside the roc's wings, or a galloping nag competing in distance with the steed's strides. This is the sixth inferiority of your Dao.

13.105

External: The distinction in moving the spirit and returning to stillness: Seven

13.106

The external treatise says: Since the day of Lord Lao’s birth was already unlike that of ordinary men, the time of his concealing his traces was naturally distinct from the world. Thus, heading west to the shifting sands, his journey passed through Hangu Pass; the green ox crossed the border, and purple vapor floated in the sky. None could fathom his beginning or end; none knew his whereabouts. Śākyamuni caught a grave illness in Śrāvastī and announced his demise in the Twin Groves; burning the coffin and incinerating the corpse followed the customs of the barbarians. His breath finished and spirit departed, in no way different from ordinary men. This is the seventh distinction in departing the world.

13.107

Internal: Passing away has manifestation and concealment

13.108

The Buddhist response says: The Preface says: 'He lodged his form in Lady Li's womb, showing humans the principle of beginning and end.' Is this not arising and ceasing? This is precisely what Master Zhuang meant when he said: 'Lao Dan died, and Qin Yi mourned him.' Born in Lai village and dying in Huaici—yet you say his beginning and end cannot be fathomed; how blind you are! (First, refuting the perverse; next, praising the orthodox.) Now, when the Great Compassionate One’s conversions were complete, his virtue fulfilled, his conditions expired, and his responsive mechanism ceased, the boat of benevolence sank in the Two Rivers, and the sun of wisdom set behind the Twin Trees. The ranks of the six heavens and eight kingdoms, the cohorts of Dharma companions and the holy assembly, arrived as swift as lightning and wind, gathering like clouds and mist. The miraculous teeth and auspicious bones displayed supreme blessings in foreign lands; the dark-blue hair and red nails demonstrated divine power across endless generations. From this we know that, neither coming nor going, the virtue of his vast salvation was magnificent; neither manifested nor obscured, the wind of his glorious renown flourished. How could this be like the lake where the cauldron was cast, whence there was no return, while only the mound of Mount Qiao remains; or the shifting sands with no return, while the tumulus at Fufeng is set up in vain? (The *Huanglan* says: 'The tomb of the Yellow Emperor is on Mount Qiao; the tomb of Laozi is in Fufeng.') This is the seventh inferiority of your Dao.

13.109

External: The distinction in the marks and characteristics of the sages: Eight

13.110

The external treatise says: The wondrous marks of the sages were originally distinct from ordinary men: some had eight colors and double pupils, river-like eyes and sea-like mouths, dragon countenances and crane-like gaits, overturned foreheads and extraordinary moles. As for curly hair and green irises, these are the original features of barbarians; high noses and deep-set eyes are the common appearance of the Hu people. How could these be matched against our sages and taken as extraordinary marks? If one obtains this retribution by serving the Buddha, gentlemen and ladies of the Central Plains would instead turn into Hu appearances. This is the eighth distinction in marks and characteristics.

13.111

Internal: Marks and characteristics have many and few

13.112

The Buddhist response says: The bodily marks of sages are not fixed; they manifest wonders according to the region. Thus, the sage with a snake's body and a dragon's head brought harmony to the Way in the high antiquity; the lord with double pupils and four breasts illuminated virtue in the middle antiquity. The Duke of Zhou’s inverted grip was merely a single hair of a fine steed; Yu’s ears reaching his shoulders were just a flake of jade from Mount Kunlun. (First, resolving doubt; next, praising the orthodox.) Now, the dharmakāya is equal to Thusness; boundless, its principle transcends designation. The transformation body arises from responding to beings; its wondrous form can be touched upon by names and words. Therefore, it possesses the radiance of the white ūrṇā and dark-blue eyelashes, the beauty of fruit-like lips and flower-like eyes, the marks of the svastika and the thousand-spoked wheel, and the distinctive excellence of the sun’s disk and moon’s radiance. It has the appearance of non-matter that is wondrous matter, and the body devoid of signs yet complete with all signs. Bhākula possessed them but incompletely; a wheel-turning king possesses them but not brightly. (The *Satyaka-sūtra* says: 'The nature born of non-matter surpasses all marks. First, the merit of surpassing the eighty minor marks adorns the Buddha's sun-like body. For example, if all beings of the four forms of birth in the trichiliocosm were to become wheel-turning kings, and this were multiplied a hundredfold, it would only equal the merit of a single hair of the Tathāgata. Multiplied another hundredfold, it forms the merit of a single minor mark. Multiplied another hundredfold, it forms the merit of a single major mark. Multiplied another hundredfold, it forms the merit of the white ūrṇā between the eyebrows. Multiplied another hundredfold, it forms the mark of the invisible uṣṇīṣa. Multiplied another hundredfold, it forms the merit of the spiral hair curls.') The ṛṣi wept in grief upon seeing him, lamenting that his own withered leaves were in the twilight of their day; the brahmacārin was moved upon witnessing him, sighing that the miraculous flower is rarely encountered. How could this merely be stepping on five and clasping ten to mark the extraordinary, or having a square face and an emaciated frame to display distinctiveness? (Cao Zhi’s *Treatise on Physiognomy* says: 'Confucius’s face was like a square ghost-mask; the Duke of Zhou’s form was like an emaciated tree.') How could the ugly resemble the beautiful, or Meng Ju compete in loveliness with Long Lian? This is the eighth inferiority of your Dao.

13.113

External: The distinction in internal and external dignity of deportment: Nine

13.114

The External Treatise states: In the teaching of Laozi, deportment, prostrations, bowings, yielding, dark caps, yellow coarse garments, holding tablets, and trailing shoes manifest the principles in outward forms. These are indeed the ancient regulations of China. (A refutation notes: Daoist masters originally wore Ruist attire, no different from commoners. Only in the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou did they begin wearing crosswise mantles with twenty-four seams to correspond to the twenty-four qi of yin and yang. This arose from human contrivance and lacks any canonical basis.) The Śākya instructions prescribe the kāṣāya, with the collar to the left and baring the right shoulder; a skirt made of an entire bolt of plain cloth; and a garment draped over one shoulder. With shaved hair, exposed crowns, sitting like dogs, and crouching like foxes, they do not participate in human relations, which is truly the custom of the barbarian tribes. How could such forms and attire compare with our decorum? This is the ninth [difference], the difference in deportment and attire.

13.115

Internal: Deportment Has Similarities and Differences

13.116

The Internal Metaphor states: Jade pendants and golden marten furs are not worn in the woods and wilds; lotus garments and orchid girdles do not tread into royal courts. Therefore, alms bowls are not displayed in ancestral shrines, and dyed garments are different from the court robes of audience. Thus, those who mount the Way either accord with capacity to guide things, or, relying on virtue, rectify their times to instruct the world. For this reason, regarding cutting one's hair and tattooing one's body, Zhongni praised Taibo’s excellence; regarding defying normality to accord with the Way, the poet lauded the blossoms of the cherry-plum. How much more so when one is about to reverse one's nature, clarify the spirit, separate from the worldly, and tread upon the sacred—that one should not alter deportment and attire has never been heard of! Thus, the robe is modeled after the field of merit, and the vessel's measure is beyond estimation. Strings and paulownia do not beguile their ears; vermilion and purple do not dazzle their eyes; light furs and sleek steeds do not approach their bodies; rivalry for power does not startle their minds. Therefore the sūtra says: 'An arhat is a true person; sound and form cannot defile them, honor and rank cannot move them.' Why must one bind and constrain oneself under a pheasant cap or a sparrow cap, clicking teeth and exhaling breath to claim the Way? Climbing a tree to seek a fish leaves one all the further from it; notching a boat to await a dropped sword—how vulgar! This is the ninth inferiority of your Dao.

13.117

External: The Establishment of Norms Differs in Perversion and Accordance (Tenth)

13.118

The External Treatise states: Lord Lao established models centered solely on filial piety and loyalty, saving the world and delivering people with ultimate compassion and ultimate love. Therefore, his vocal teachings are transmitted eternally, unvaried across a hundred kings; his dark style is spread long, without error through myriad ages. Thus they are an ever-abiding standard for governing the state and governing the family. The Buddhist teaching abandons parents, lacking benevolence and lacking filial piety. King Ajātaśatru killed his father, yet it is contrarily claimed he committed no offense; Devadatta shot at his brother, yet it is unheard that he incurred guilt. Guiding ordinary people with this only fosters evil further; using this to model the world, how could it bring forth good? This is the tenth [difference], the difference in perversion and accordance.

13.119

Internal: The Dharma Gate Has Gradual and Sudden

13.120

The Internal Metaphor states: Righteousness is held lowly by the Dao and virtue; propriety arises from the thinness of loyalty and trust. Petty benevolence is decried in a common woman; great filial piety lies in being inexhaustible. Yet singing and laughing in the face of misfortune contradicts the demeanor of the Central Xia; striking a basin while attending a bereavement is not the instruction of Chinese custom. (When the mother of Yuan Rang died, he leaned on her coffin and sang, yet Confucius assisted in the rites without rebuking him. When Zisang died, Zigong went to condole, but the four men looked at each other and laughed. When Zhuangzi’s wife died, he struck a basin and sang.) Thus, teaching people filial piety is the means to respect those who are fathers to the world; teaching people loyalty is to respect those who are rulers to the world. Transforming all the myriad realms is the supreme benevolence of an enlightened sovereign; manifesting it across the four seas is truly the immense filial piety of a sage king. The Buddhist sūtras state that the consciousness-body transmigrates through the six realms, where none has not been a parent; in the transformations of birth and death within the triple world, who can distinguish enemy from kin? They also state: 'Ignorance covers the eye of wisdom; coming and going within birth and death, in coming and going much is done: mutually becoming father and son; enemies repeatedly become friends, and friends repeatedly become enemies.' Therefore, when śramaṇas renounce the secular and hasten to the true, they treat all classes of beings equally as their own kin; relinquishing glory to approach the Way, they equate all breath-bearing beings with their own parents. (Practicing an impartial and upright mind is equivalent to the intention of universally treating all as kin.) Furthermore, your Dao values pure emptiness, yet you prize love and affection; the Dharma values impartiality, yet you select between enemies and kin. Is this not confusion? Leaving kin behind in the race for power is clear in the historical records—Duke Huan of Qi and King Mu of Chu belong to this sort. To use this to disparage the Sage, is it not an error? This is the tenth inferiority of your Dao.

First 120 of 157 passages. Read on

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廣弘明集 — Classical Chinese