廣弘明集 25.7

25.7

The treatise says: Formerly, during the Eastern Jin, the Grand Defender Huan Xuan deliberated requiring śramaṇas to pay homage to kings. Master Yuan of Mount Lu, possessing elevated fame and great virtue, grieved that the banner of wisdom was on the verge of snapping and mourned that the jewel of precepts was about to sink; he thus composed the Treatise on Śramaṇas Not Paying Homage to Kings. The ritual of paying homage was thereupon dropped at that time. However, because his choice of words was subtle and concealed and his cited points were obscure and deep, later students, on opening and reading it, found it difficult to perceive the textual meaning. Availing myself of a leisurely day, I shall now briefly set it forth once more, retitling it the Treatise on the Field of Merit. All of a sudden, an esteemed guest arrived from afar, echoing Master Huan from afar and restating his former proposal. The host kept his correct mindfulness for a long time, and then answered with a resounding voice: "You seem not yet to have heard the essentials of the field of merit. I shall now discuss it for you. What is meant by the 'field of merit'? It refers to the triratna. One whose merits have accomplished wondrous wisdom and whose way has attained full enlightenment is the Buddha. The profound principle, quiet and calm, whose correct teaching is refined and sincere, is the Dharma. Those who maintain truth through the prohibitive precepts and whose deportment transcends the mundane are the Saṅgha. All of these are guiding leaders for the four forms of birth and a ferry across the six realms of rebirth; lofty, they surpass devas and humans; heavy, they exceed gold and stone. Comparing them to rare treasures falls far short of an adequate analogy. The Buddha takes the Lord of the Dharma as the foremost tenet; the Dharma takes the Teacher-Buddha as its root; and the Saṅgha, as disciples, reveres this Buddha and Dharma. They can indeed be called identical in rank regardless of high or low, and sharing the same gateway whether root or branch. In terms of phenomena, there are three types; in terms of the underlying reality, they are of one identical nature. Dwelling [in the world] for fifty years, [the Buddha] propagated eighty thousand texts; the destination pointed to by all that he expounded is solely this utmost culmination. Sinking his voice and extinguishing his form, he brought his journey to an end at the twin śāla trees; carving sandalwood and inscribing leaves, he left behind the standard for a single dispensation. Sages and worthies arose between whiles, their schools succeeding one another; harmoniously grouped into assemblies, the maintenance [of the Dharma] was entrusted to them. The golden man shone in the Han palace, and the semblance dharma spread to the banks of the Luo. Both revering the Former Enlightened One, they together inherited the old statutes. They resolved their minds upon what lies beyond the mundane realm and established virtue by renouncing the world. Official glories had nothing by which to move their ambitions; relatives could in no way entangle their affections. For clothing, they cut cloth into destroyed colors; for hair, they shaved it off to alter their appearances. They do not wear caps to establish their deportment; how could they bind belts to make ornaments? The ruler of the heavens above still constantly offers them rites; the kings of the earth below have indeed always paid them homage. With sūtras and vinayas, this teaching has never altered; whether in antiquity or at present, this Way has never been obstructed. Gauging the gravity and majesty of emperors and kings, they are second only to the scale of deities and spirits. The eight wildernesses admire their virtue, and the four seas submit to their benevolence; yet bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs paying courtly homage is something never heard of. If you harbor a different purpose, please state your refined views." The guest said: "The Zhou Changes states: 'The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is called life; the great treasure of the sage is called position.' Laozi says: 'Within the realm there are four great things, and the king occupies one of them.' I submit that none is not the king's land, upon which states are established; none is not the king's subject, who is bound to the ruler. Emulating Heaven and modeling after Earth, he shelters and sustains the myriad folk; comparable to spring and summer, he generates and grows the myriad things. He shines upon them with the light of the sun and moon, and moistens them with the vapors of clouds and rain. The six directions all revere him like the ocean, and the hundred surnames all look up to him like the polar star. The Rong and Yi barbarians change their countenances [in submission], and horses and oxen turn their heads. Even a snake bore gratitude to the Marquis of Sui, and fish were moved by Emperor Gaozu of Han. How could there be those exempted from the household registers and taking refuge under his dharma-gate who forget the magnanimous benevolence of deliverance and neglect the vast undertaking of making offerings, boasting haughtily of themselves and abruptly abandoning humility and deference? Comparing them to birds and beasts, what difference would there be? If they can indeed command supernatural penetrations and attain the holy fruition, their Way would cover the realm and the principle would lie beyond words. But now they pointlessly shave their heads while their three poisons still increase; they vainly change their garments while still defiled by the six sense objects. With precepts and patience uncultivated, and concentration and wisdom possessing nothing worth taking, they run counter to the clear instructions and are no different from commoners. How should they rely on the labor of reciting texts to treat the ruler of ten thousand chariots as an equal, or use their difference in appearance to withhold homage from the One Man? Formerly, bhikṣus touched the feet of laymen, and bodhisattvas bowed down before arrogant multitudes. These texts are clearly evident; what was the point of them? If you claim that expedient means are difficult to trace and that the buddha-nature ought to be honored, all the more so the ruler presiding over the people is never without divine descent. Boyang opened the standard for myriad ages; Zhongni spread the rules for a hundred kings. When it comes to audience and paying homage, one must comply with the court's statutes. Only śramaṇas dare to be overbearing and arrogant. If this can be tolerated, what cannot be excused? Corrupt customs are hard to reform, and evil streams easily persist. Without meeting an enlightened sovereign, who could prune and correct them? To suddenly cause an extraordinary change will invite sneers of untrustworthiness. My true words have evidence; I hope you will deign to examine them in detail." The host said: "What I maintain is the internal; what you raise difficulties about is the external. The internal penetrates the principle of the Dharma; the external is confined to human affairs. Looking at each other across such a great distance, how could they be equated? This is what is called studying without being comprehensive, and hearing without being thorough. As to your confusions, I shall resolve them for you. Let me try to bring forward the essentials: in total there are seven points. The first is that no virtue goes unrewarded. The second is that no good fails to be gathered in. The third is that expedient means are unobstructed. The fourth is that nirvāṇa is free from worldly glory. The fifth is that rituals must not be transgressed. The sixth is that robes must not be disordered. The seventh is that causes must not be forgotten. The first four points reply to the intent of your objections; the last three points cite and produce established models. I have heard that Heaven does not speak, yet the four seasons proceed; the king does not speak, yet the myriad states are well governed. What strength does the emperor exert? The people have no terms to name it. He brings things to completion without dwelling on them; he acts without relying on them. This is the consummate goodness of the former kings and the ultimate virtue of great men. All living kinds partake alike [in his favor], and all guests of the court participate equally. Fortunately distinguished from grass and trees, and certainly not insects or birds, wearing the round [heaven] and treading the square [earth], looking down and looking up, we harbor his kindness; eating grain and drinking water, fully satiated, we hold his favor. Since he has kindly permitted us to leave home and mercifully allowed us to enter the Way, cutting off crude karma of the past and praying for wondrous fruition in the future, having received such profound favor, we certainly contemplate a rich recompense. We rely upon the benefit of myriad goods; how could it consist in the homage of a single body? If one repays through goodness, the gathered reward is deep; if one demands homage of the body, the garnered benefit is shallow. Truly, when the Saṅgha loses its correct deportment, the secular realm loses its remaining blessings. That monks do not pay homage to the secular has already been explicitly stated by the Buddha. If you know this is trustworthy, in principle it should be followed and maintained. If you say it is difficult to follow, it should be abolished and discarded. How can you honor them wishing to seek their blessings, and yet humble them by rebuking them over ritual? If you make them follow court rituals, they are then identical to the secular; even if you say you seek their blessings, no moisture will yet be seen. This would be to preserve them while appearing to discard them, and to make them monks while making them resemble commoners—neither white nor black, having no name. I observe that in the Suburban Sacrifice and the general offerings, what is preserved is only looking up to blessings as venerable; monks still disdain this as lacking veneration, so how could you cause monks to pay homage to the secular? Heaven and Earth might be overturned, but this ritual can rarely be violated. I shall discuss this later; this is called the first: no virtue goes unrewarded. As the Dharma has gradually declined and humanity has also entered the final age, rare are those who are holy, just as you have said. Yet, though dwelling among the common run, they still bear the armor of patience; even if deficient in the learning of precepts, they still discourse upon the scriptures of wisdom. They are as precious as a stūpa, as venerable as the Buddha. Taking refuge in them, good arises; slandering them, sins accumulate. Aroused with fierce determination at the beginning, they can relinquish love, which is difficult to sever; guiding the commoners toward the ultimate goal, they can advance toward enlightenment, which is far distant. Therefore, on the day their hair is shorn, the deva-māras tremble from afar; on the day they dye their robes, Śakra rejoices from afar. When a courtesan merely donned it for a moment, the taintless [merit] was eventually fulfilled; when a drunkard temporarily shaved his head, a wholesome karmic condition was immediately formed. The nāga prince relied on it to quell his terror, and the king of elephants saw it and ceased his fear. Their spiritual presence resides herein, and their deportment and robes are the cause. Though many have not yet received full ordination, they proclaim the Buddha's purpose; the young cannot be slighted, for they glorify the power of the Saṅgha. When Upāli was delivered, the Śākya youths submitted their hearts; when Nanda also took refuge, King Prasenajit humbled his intention. Furthermore, whether old or young, what can be taken as master is the Dharma; whether lowly or noble, what is preserved is the Way. Moreover, between worthies and fools, between silence and speech, the uncultivated and the cultivated resemble each other; accepting or rejecting is not easy. Distinguishing with the fleshly eye, one fears missing the jewel; with equal faithful mind, one may happen upon the genuine. As soon as four persons are assembled, it forms a Saṅgha. When the Saṅgha extensively accepts [an offering], the Buddha is also universally present. Seeing the wonder of boiling water, one is moved to make offerings to the Saṅgha; seeing the marvelous woven gold cloth, one is instructed to present it to the assembly. Is not the majesty and virtue of the Saṅgha immense? It is sufficient to be called the foremost of good fields of merit and the principle of the holy teaching. This is called the second: no good fails to be gathered in. If we speak of the merits of Vimalakīrti, he had long ascended the cloud-like stages. His intention in lying ill fundamentally transcended worldly realms. Having long practiced the bases of supernatural power, all praised his eloquence. When new students prostrated with their heads at his feet, it was truly to thank him for his gift of the Dharma. This was an expedient measure, not a permanent norm. What is temporarily altered for the occasion has indeed many precedents: thus there was Ākāśagarbha lacking deference, yet the Tathāgata did not reprimand him; the novice having a great vow, while the preceptor yielded the front rank. Viewed directly at first glance, all of these might seem shocking and strange; but examining the scriptures and commentaries further, none of them are not common paths. The Great Being Sadāparibhūta alone initiated lofty conduct: warning the assembly of overweening pride, he offered this homage of a humble mind. He practiced this single path exclusively, relying straightforwardly on utmost sincerity. Since it was not of the three wisdoms, how could it be an invariable norm? Establishing practices in accordance with capacities is rare enough; if used to propagate transformation, it is difficult to establish as vinaya deportment. The Great Sage brought forth the clarity of the two knowledges and instituted the restrictions of the five divisions [of the Vinaya], setting aside worldly rank and age while maintaining precept seniority. From beginning to end, this was a universal instruction, looked up to equally by both the sharp and the dull. The elder and the young have their order, and precedence has no confusion. He never caused the seven assemblies to practice universally based on a single, isolated deed. The natural principle is clearly visible. Formerly, when his wife died, [Zhuangzi] sang and drummed on a basin; when [Xian Gao's brother] died, he buried the body exposed next to the earth. These were also the principles of common men; how could they match the systems of enlightened kings? How much more so the scriptures of the Awakened One are profound and deep, and the holy words obscure and hidden; grasping one-sidedly at one aspect runs completely counter to the fourfold unhindered eloquence. This is called the third: expedient means are unobstructed. Furthermore, the Archivist of Zhou was long bound to royal duties, and the Minister of Justice of Lu had already occupied the position of prime minister; only when returning their tenet to the Way and Virtue was it first called 'nameless,' and while instructing in the Songs and Documents, he ultimately spoke of 'not inventing.' Transmitting the ways of Yao and Shun, and taking King Wen and King Wu as models—bowing and paying homage, who else would do this? The style of Chao Fu and Xu You, viewed from antiquity, was still transcendent; the integrity of Bo Yi and Shu Qi, compared with today, remains far removed. How could they compare to soaring up and grasping the ten powers, and crossing far over the four floods, weary of the suffering of this conditioned existence and rejoicing in that solitary extinction [of nirvāṇa]? Monks do not bind their concerns to the public court, nor have they ever poured their affections into royal affairs. Being naturally liberated, they are truly different from the company of Confucians. This is called the fourth: nirvāṇa is free from worldly glory. As for sacrificing to ghosts and spirits and offering sacrifices to rivers and mountains, these are grand rituals of state decorum and fine topics in written records. Deities are respected by kings, yet monks do not even pay ritual respects to them; the assembly of monks is revered by deities, so how could a king conversely receive their homage? The high and low being inverted would contrarywise violate the true Dharma; reversing upper and lower garments, how could they compare? For deities to grant protection relies presently upon monks; when supplications reach their utmost, the power of dhāraṇī will surely unlock them; there is ultimately no principle for paying homage. This is called the fifth: rituals must not be transgressed. When august emperors and kings arise, they are surely genuine beings reincarnated. Although superior virtue is concealed in a pure mind, the outer form is still marked with secular appearance. Therefore, when the Way is manifested in dark robes, zealous exertion should be fierce; when practice is concealed in the profound gate, bodily homage should be severed. Seeking this in ancient precedents, it is fully heard of in the past. King Bimbisāra of his home country and his royal father Śuddhodana—in the past, all of them had already attained sageliness. Dedicated to cultivating faith and compliance, they took refuge in every matter. Even when seeing an ordinary monk, they still thought of venerating the Buddha. Not kneeling before parents was not deemed unfilial, and they pardoned it as not being the fault of unfilialness; not bowing to the lord was not deemed disrespectful, so how could it be the transgression of disrespect? What they model themselves upon is naturally distinct; what they model themselves upon is already different. Their entities are not commingled, and the regulations stem from this. This is called the sixth: robes must not be disordered. We respectfully examine the wondrous texts of the Tāra and the true exposition of Śākya: it says that one who occupies the kṣatriya rank is called venerable and relies upon prajñā for protection. When the four confidences are not destroyed and the ten virtues are not deficient, serving the Buddha and honoring the Saṅgha, merits and virtues accumulate. Thereafter, there is the descent of the essence of the sun and the image of the moon, and the response of red light and white vapor; the golden wheel having turned, the wish-fulfilling jewel hangs once more. Responding to Heaven and complying with the people, he holds the diagrams and grasps the mirror. In the beginning, he opens the methods of the five constants; at the end, he propagates the path of the eightfold correctness. He ought also to review past lives and recall former causes: revere the Buddha's teachings and honor the Saṅgha jewel, increase the fragrance of precepts and augment the power of wisdom. Naturally, the heavenly foundation will become increasingly exalted, matching the vastness of the Brahma palace; the holy lifespan will remain ever secure, enduring as long as the kalpa-stone. However, when thunderbolts reach their extreme force and the majesty of dragons and tigers is exalted, blessings surely extend to all, but offending them causes wrath to strike. When words are uttered and orders are proclaimed, the wind moves and the grass bends. Since the ritual of the Saṅgha has been suppressed, who dares to raise his scales? But I fear it will damage unseen merit and bring no aid to majestic undertakings. Devoting my sincerity and exhausting my life, it is just like this. This is called the seventh: causes must not be forgotten. Above, I have briefly cited my intentions to roughly remove your doubts. If you wish to acquire broad learning, you should consult the great scriptures." The guest said: "The host's citations of principles and precedents just now were abundant. Although I am mediocre and benighted, I have grasped quite a bit. The text encompasses both the hidden and the manifest; the eloquence embraces both the internal and the external. Yet regarding the discussion of sacrificial rituals, I still have doubts. The Zhou Changes says: 'One yin and one yang is what is called the Dao; that which yin and yang cannot fathom is called spirit.' I submit that the path of the spirits is dim and concealed, cut off from the human realm; to perform sacrificial rites, one must rely on ritual officers. Originally, the Master of Ceremonies was established to oversee the Grand Invocator. Even if they know matters of ghosts and spirits, they ultimately belong to the ranks of subjects. The true Buddha is already hidden, and holy monks have also passed into extinction; revering and trusting in the unseen path entirely elevates hidden spirits. Ordinary men of the final age, speaking slightly of dedicating merit, jointly plot for leisure and ease; imitating one another in shaving their heads, they take charge of almsgiving gatherings. That is why they are invested with dharma robes; they manage and guard stūpas and monasteries, which is why they are exempted from secular corvée. But as soon as they violate the king's net, they instantly fall back into the registers of commoners. Since they are the same as ritual officiants, how are they fit to be called a jewel? Homage paid at court to the Son of Heaven is indeed a permanent ritual. To stubbornly maintain obstinacy is certainly not thorough discernment. The old regulation of the Song dynasty is not far back; one should simply inherit it. What further words do you wish to offer?" The host said: "You know the first point, but have not understood the second. Please listen to fine words to remove some of your mistaken thoughts. I have heard that 'gui' [ghost] means returning—that into which death enters; 'shen' [spirit] means numinous—that to which physical form owes allegiance. Ghosts are inferior to humans, residing only in evil destinies; spirits surpass material forms, universally encompassing sentient beings. When the mind has numinous wisdom, we call it 'spirit'; when it is hidden and difficult to know, we call it 'unfathomable.' Examining its substance and function, it is sometimes active and sometimes still; categorizing its nature and desires, there are yin and yang. The purport of the Zhou Changes is indeed due to this. The divergent paths are manifest in a single qi, but true words are lacking regarding the six consciousnesses. The gradual nature of establishing teachings can clearly be known from this. The retributions of ghosts penetrate the unseen, coming secretly and departing mysteriously; marking them with the title of 'spirits' is specifically on account of this. Let me try to speak of it: receiving what is left by father and mother, and endowed with the portions of Qian and Kun, qi can be preserved and form can be established. As for one's spiritual path, it is surely one's own mental karma: it has never been influenced by Qian and Kun, nor obtained from father and mother. The consciousness contained in the womb-store pervades empty space; the mind bearing perfumed seeds overflows the world. Going and then being reborn, like the continuous emergence of flames; coming and then passing away, like the uninterrupted turning of water waves. Probing its root, one does not see its beginning; searching it to the end, how could one view its termination? Defiling it, it becomes ordinary; purifying it, it becomes holy. The spiritual path is subtle and profound; its principle is truly hard to examine in detail. The highest among spirits is called the Great Awakened One; beyond what thought can reach, who can exhaust his names and characteristics? The true body fundamentally has no transition or passing away; those born blind naturally do not behold it. One entrusts one's thoughts to pursuing former traces and pours one's heart into enjoying the bequeathed Dharma. If one wishes to shoulder the responsibility of transmission and opening the gate of essentials, one must rely on this assembly of monks who receive this entrustment from the Buddha. Availing themselves of the cloud of compassion as inner protection and relying upon the imperial majesty as outer strength, the profound breeze has reached far, arriving at this point. The teaching penetrates the three times, and the assembly is divided into four groups: two follow the Way, and two maintain the secular. Those following the Way wear robes modeled upon the venerable deportment; those maintaining the secular attend to overseeing offerings. 'Modeled upon the venerable' refers to bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs; 'overseeing offerings' refers to upāsakas and upāsikās. Those whose model is venerable do not join the ranks of spirits; those who oversee offerings are placed below, participating in the ranks of subjects. The original people who oversee offerings are the same as those tasked with presiding over sacrifices. I do not hold this office, so why do you make an erroneous citation? Because of your pressing words, my profound intent has been revealed. Since the principle is already clear, do not be confused any further. At the beginning of the Song dynasty, this suppression was temporarily carried out; that too ran counter to the truth, and there is no need to enter into discussion about it. I have never seen the beauty of the customs of the remote frontiers; to suddenly send down an order to conform to them is strange to the extreme." The guest said: "Meaningful indeed is this treatise! Having received instruction in the wholesome way, I beg to withdraw and return."