廣弘明集 13.125

13.125

The Internal Admonition states: When the pure sun shines upon the sky, the blind cannot perceive its colors; when shaking thunder startles the earth, the deaf cannot hear its sounds—this is because the connection of resonance is severed. Against the violent and ferocious Zhi, Confucius's wisdom could not arrest his heart; against the enraged rustic, Ci's eloquence could not dispel his fury: this is also the disparity of dispositions. (Zhuangzi states that Confucius visited Robber Zhi, and Robber Zhi rebuked Confucius in turn; Confucius was frightened and retreated hesitantly. Liuzi states that Confucius's horse trampled a rustic's crops, and the rustic angrily detained his horse; Confucius sent Zigong to persuade and explain, but the rustic became even angrier; he then dispatched the stable hand to speak to him, and the rustic was pleased.) Therefore, when paths coincide, there is remote resonance over ten thousand li; when conditions diverge, internal organs are as estranged as Chu and Yue. How much more so when, across beginningless vastness, afflictions and affections match the boundless ocean in depth, and conditioned karma is vast, with worldly toil rivaling great peaks in height! The dispositions of the multitude cannot arrive at once; thus they are guided by gradual accumulation. The myriad practices cannot all be cultivated at once; thus they are spurred on by stages and boundaries. It is just as the three transformations of Heaven and Earth only begin to accord with Nature (Laozi says: 'Man models himself on Earth, Earth models itself on Heaven, Heaven models itself on the Dao'); Qi and Lu had to transform twice before reaching the supreme Way; dense clouds precede the timely rain, and firm ice begins with treading upon hoarfrost—all these speak of gradual accumulation. Thus, the two sovereigns unified the transformation (The *Sumeru Four Continents Sūtra* says that Bodhisattva Yingsheng was Fuxi, and Bodhisattva Jixiang was Nüwa), residing at the beginning of the pristine customs; the three sages established their teachings (The *Sūtra of Śūnyatā-śānta's Inquiry* says that Kāśyapa was Laozi, the Youth Māṇava was Confucius, and Guangjing was Yan Hui), arising at the close of what was already pristine. The tenets of mysterious emptiness and blended oneness were expounded flourishly by Huang-Lao; the texts of poetry, history, rites, and music were exalted in their teachings by the Duke of Zhou and Confucius. Illuminating modesty and preserving plainness are steps for ascending to the sages; the three awe-inspirations and the five constants are the gradations for humans and devas. These secretly tally with Buddhist principles, yet they are not the ultimate discourses of true discernment. It is like seeking the Way from the mute and deaf, gesturing toward directions without knowing near or far, or asking about a ford from a hare or a horse, knowing there is a crossing without measuring depth. Speaking on this basis, the eras of the Yin and Zhou were not the proper time for the Buddhist teaching to be practiced. It is like blazing brilliance that a child cannot gaze upon with direct eyes, or a swift thunderclap that a coward cannot open his ears to hear. Therefore, when rivers and ponds overflowed, King Zhao was terrified by the birth of the divine; when clouds and rainbows changed color, King Mu's queen rejoiced at the passing of the sage. (The *Record of Anomalies from the Books of Zhou* states: On the eighth day of the fourth month in the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao, all the rivers, streams, and ponds overflowed. On the fifteenth day of the second month in the fifty-second year of King Mu, a violent wind suddenly arose, breaking trees; the sky was dark with clouds, and there was the portent of a white rainbow.) How could they cross the Onion River to receive transformation, or transcend the Snow Mountains to show devotion? Vimalakīrti says: 'This is the fault of the blind, not the blame of the sun and moon.' If I were simply to exhaust the debate of gouging openings, I fear I would harm your primordial Chaos. This is beyond your knowledge; this is your first blindness.