廣弘明集 25.36

25.36

We humbly consider that although all who occupy official posts observe the way of revering superiors, when someone acts as a teacher, there is still the principle of not treating him as a minister. How much more so when the Buddha bequeathed his teachings, his deeds transcending the bounds of the mundane! Shaving the hair is akin to self-mutilation; clasping the monk's staff is different from court headwear and ribbons. Leaving home is not the domain of material filial support; departing from the dust is hardly the place to register one's name in state service. Its merit is profound in salvation, and its Way reaches the summit of height and nobility. Why must one breach that dark gate and drag it into these Confucian tracks, donning Śākya robes yet performing Confucius's bows, or treading mundane paths yet receiving Dharma etiquette? To preserve its teaching yet ruin its Way, or to seek its blessings yet bend its body—re-examining and investigating this again and again, we deem it contrary to universal principle. Moreover, although Daoism as a teaching preserves the hair and skin intact, leaving home and transcending the mundane share the same single principle. In addition, reaching back to mark the heavenly foundation and greatly opening the imperial basis, the principle relies on veneration and dignity, so as to conform to lofty nobility. Both should follow old precedent, without staining the enduring statutes. If changes must be made, we fear it would not be following antiquity. Although the emperor's reverence for ruler and parents moves his spiritual heart, the difficulty of diminishing the Dharma of the Way will yet linger in his sagely thoughts. Having received the edict soliciting grassroots counsel, we dare to exhaust the sincerity of dust and mountains. Fearing our words may not be agreeable, we are deeply seized by trembling and dread.