廣弘明集 26.15

26.15

The former minister says: 'The way of the spirits is obscure, and approaches to them are not uniform. Some favor sacrifices of blood and raw meat, while others relish the sincerity of simple aquatic weeds. Sages establish teachings according to the times, valuing what is good; if sincerity is without deceit, what would not reach them? If sacrificial feasts are in principle nonexistent, then the customs of the Four Dynasties were mistaken. If divine spirits truly exist, then the Way of the three times is vast. Speaking of their nonexistence, one does not need the purity of whole sacrificial beasts; resting upon their existence, one ought to maintain the benevolence of abolishing killing. King Wen of Zhou's summer sacrifice of simple herbs was already of ancient origin; if there is illustrious virtue, will the spirits spit it out? Yet using dough for sacrificial beasts is not yet understood in principle; compared with the prohibition on patterned brocades, is this not contradictory?'