廣弘明集 13.108

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.