廣弘明集 7.13

7.13

Ji said: 'The bequeathed teaching of the Buddha's house prescribes: do not plow or cultivate fields; do not store wealth or grain; beg for food, wear patched robes, and make dhūta practices one's duty. Nowadays this is not so. Several hundred thousand followers have no mind for the araṇya. If many follow the teaching of not plowing, the world will suffer the anxiety of hunger and lack. If they violate the teaching to set up laws, then since they do not practice it, what need is there for this teaching? Neither retreating nor advancing is fully reasonable. This is the fifth unprincipled thing.'

[Daoxuan's rebuttal:] Now, if Ji knew there was a bequeathed teaching, then he should know there are followers of the araṇya. He did not know that the teaching has relaxation and tightening; how could he understand the foundation of the triratna? The Buddha's virtue is vast and great; heavenly offerings still descend upon the field of the Saṅgha, and because the blessed field is broad, the spirits of the earth rightfully surge forth from below. The teaching has open and closed aspects, regulated according to capacity; it cannot be narrowly limited to grain and provisions, but uses the Way to bring comprehensive benefit to beings. Thus the scripture says: "If my disciples cultivate in accordance with the Dharma, then even if they take only one part out of hundreds, thousands, or myriads of parts of the immeasurable merit within the Tathāgata's white curl mark between the brows, my disciples will receive and use it endlessly." Therefore we know that one leaves home for the sake of the Way, raises offerings for the sake of the Way, receives them for the sake of the Way, and magnifies blessings for the sake of the Way. The Way is originally empty and pervasive, not something for worldly estimation. Hence receiving the four requisites traces back to the Buddha's virtue. The scripture says: "If offerings are received according to the Dharma, one may accept even a thousand pieces of gold; if it must go against the Buddha's transformation, not even a cup of water is permitted." How can he falsely say that they are only greedy for wealth and food? Furthermore, the scripture says: "Those who abide in my giving and receiving enter darkness and have no vision; those who act contrary to this are inexhaustible like space"—this is it. From this we know that outside the mind there is no realm, and seeing a realm is just the mind; therefore, causing offerings to follow the mind, accumulating and dispersing are not external. The scripture says: "The six perfections reside in the mind and do not reside in external matters." This is a correct statement; quoting it as evidence makes this clear.