廣弘明集 9.25

9.25

Your servant laughs, saying: The 'Guangshuo pin' says: The king of Shilaoguo heard the Celestial Worthy preach the Dharma, and together with his wife and children all attained the fruit of srotāpanna. The king of Qingheguo heard of this and went with his ministers to the abode of the Celestial Worthy, and they all ascended to heaven in broad daylight. The king became the head of the Brahmā Heaven, styled Master of the Law of Xuanzhong. His wife, upon hearing the Dharma, flew up likewise and became the King of the Wonderful Brahmā Heaven. Later, she was born in Jibin with the title King Fentuoli. He was murderous and devoid of the Way. Master of the Law of Xuanzhong needed to transform and save him. He manifested birth in the womb of Madam Li. After eighty-two years, he cleaved her left armpit, born already white-haired. After three months, riding a white deer, he traveled west with Yin Xi to hide in Mount Dande. Three years later, King Fentuoli saw them while hunting, and immediately burned and drowned them. Laozi did not die. The king submitted, shaved his head, and changed his clothing. Taking the surname Shi, the personal name Fa, and the title Śramaṇa, he attained the fruit and became Śākyamuni Buddha. Down to the Han dynasty, the Dharma flowed into Eastern Qin. Moreover, the Wenshi zhuan says: When Laozi converted the barbarians, he deferred to Yin Xi as master to convert them. The Xiaobing jing says: Yin Xi deferred to Laozi as master. The Wenshi zhuan says: 'My master is called Buddha. Buddha-matters are the unsurpassed Way.' It also says: 'The unsurpassed Way, relying on the majestic spiritual power of the Buddha, entrusted Yin Xi to be the Buddha.' Examining these various accounts, master and disciple are thrown into utter confusion! How can any moral instruction remain? Moreover, both the Huahu jing and the Xiaobing jing say: When Laozi converted Jibin, he himself became the Buddha. The 'Guangshuo pin' says: King Fentuoli was Laozi's wife, who attained the Way and was called Śākyamuni Buddha, who was the one whose [teaching] flowed during the Qin and Han. The Xuanmiao pian says: Laozi entered the pass and reached the realm of Weivei in India. He entered the mouth of Madam Qingmiao. On the eighth day of the fourth month of the following year, he cleaved her left armpit and was born. Raising his hand, he said: 'Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am supreme. The three realms are all suffering; what is there to enjoy?' Following this, within the single country of Jibin, there are as many as five Buddhas appearing together: the first is Yin Xi, named Rutong; the second is Laozi who converted Jibin; the third is Laozi's wife, King Fentuo, named Śākya; the fourth is Laozi becoming a Buddha in Weivei, also named Śākya; the fifth is the white-and-pure prince Siddhārtha becoming a Buddha, again named Śākya. Examining the Wenshi zhuan, it says: 'Every five hundred years comes a worthy; every thousand years, a sage.' Now five Buddhas appear together—do they not feel this is troublesome? If you say that sages can divide their bodies to transform beings, their preaching of scriptures must also take many forms; why then are the transformations of Lao[zi] numerous, yet his scripture is only two fascicles and never changes? As for the Buddhist scriptures of the young scholar Yin Xi and King Fentuo, none are heard of today; there are only those preached by the white-and-pure prince. Inferring from this, that Lao and Xi were Buddhas is an exposed falsehood. Furthermore, the secret doctrines of the Daode jing do not permit people to hear them; from beginning to end they take turns, truly with profound intent. Yet if Lao[zi] could become a Buddha, that was merely one man, a Daoist. Not knowing to revere the Buddha is extreme confusion! If a father is a Daoist, could it be that because the Buddhist monk is a son, he becomes a Daoist? Or could it be that on account of being a Buddhist monk, one would not acknowledge his own father?