集古今佛道論衡 2.27

2.27

集論者云。夫邪正糺紛在智猶惑。幽明路絕顯驗斯形。自皇覺照臨。滿於空有之域。靈瑞感應。充於凡聖之心。自赤澤降神青丘化及威德之清昏識。神光之燭幽都。無不喪膽求師款懷請道。所以掃六師于舍衛。梵王傾誠。偃十陣於伽耶。魔天稽首。安得與夫區區老叟黃巾奉而抗衡。瑣瑣尹生黔首則而齊化。故使周昭宅生已後。唐文教迹以前。未聞釋尊儀相靈祇之所輕毀。至於李老形像頻被欺陵。曲沃同座而別焚。彭門僧拜而道偃。斯徒眾矣。略舉知之。頑俗多迷疑陽自結。終非果敢。故抱遲惟。余以近歲通訪古蹤。行至鄠西地名樓觀。古樹摧𭣍院宇曾重。中有宗聖觀。觀南有尹先生別廟。周訪道士。云此是老君之本地也。尹喜聞道。故置廟以處之。其觀地逼南山。近坡有一土臺。叢樹森疎。云是老君之墓也。訪問周歷暮宿觀西尹邨尹長樂家。因問氏族。長樂年雖遲暮。惠解清明言晤徵擊。諸道怯其過往。自云。是尹令之餘胤也。東邊樓觀。此乃先君尹令之故宅也。先君志重丘園情敦稼穡。地廣苗厚通觀莫因。遂結草為樓以用觀望。故云樓觀也。本非老君之宅。先君承老君西遁將往流沙。道左邀攜逆旅相待。老君遂之此宅。周眺久之。東南高崗即先君之古臺也。當時亦與李老共登此臺。祖宗相承墳墓峙列。不聞先君與李老西邁。此乃出自道書。非關古史。又云。昔聞李老生陳郡苦縣。長亦東川。老方入秦死於槐里。未聞正說。西化流沙雖史遷浪言非為定指。莊蒙所及斯途有歸。自餘云云不可尋檢。余又往始平之西二十餘里。渭水之北槐里古城基趾尚存。中有一冢。訊問耆舊。斯冢是誰。皆莫知其由。案縣圖經但述古城。亦不測其年代。冢跡今遠。訪問流沙即燉煌鳴沙之地是也。彼有流沙之地而無伯陽之風。檢道化胡西昇經等。聃往化胡。胡人不受。乃令尹喜為佛化胡。胡人方服。今窮其浮辯較其宗匠。自天竺已北諸外國者乃稱胡國。人皆奉佛未承喜化。還祖天竺釋迦如來。若此搜求聃行不遠槐里死矣。秦失弔之頗。為實錄。自餘虛引未足稱之。故隋尚書令楚國公楊素。行經樓觀。見壁畫尹喜化胡之像。素告諸道士曰。承聞老君化胡。胡人不受。令喜變身作佛。胡人方受。是則佛能化胡。胡人奉佛。道不能化。云何言老子化胡。深思此言也。故列時緣露布惟遠。後進未廣。安能博詣。想有識者。顧此懷諸。

The compiler of the debates remarks: When heterodoxy and orthodoxy become entangled, even the wise are perplexed. When the paths of the hidden and manifest are severed, evidential proofs make themselves visible. Ever since the Sovereign Awakened One shed his radiant illumination, filling the realms of emptiness and existence, his numinous omens and responses have pervaded the minds of both ordinary beings and sages. From the descent of his spirit in the Red Marsh to his transformation reaching the Green Hills, the clarity of his awe-inspiring virtue has cleared away benighted consciousness, and the shine of his divine light has illuminated the nether regions. None have failed to lose their nerve, seek him as their master, and with sincere hearts request the Dao. Hence, he swept away the six heterodox masters at Śrāvastī, and the King of Brahmā poured out his devotion; he subdued the ten arrays of Māra at Gayā, and the gods of Māra bowed their heads. How could he be rivaled by that petty old fellow whom the Yellow Turbans venerate to vie for supremacy, or matched in transformation by that trivial Officer Yin whom the common people emulate? Thus, after King Zhao of Zhou's household witnessed his birth and before the vestigial teachings of Emperor Wen of Tang, it was never heard that the image and appearance of the Śākya Honoured One were ever disrespected or damaged by numinous spirits. Yet the images of Lao Li have repeatedly suffered insult and degradation: at Quwo, sharing the same altar, his alone was burnt; at Pengmen, when the monks bowed, the Daoist image fell over. Instances such as these are numerous; I cite them briefly so they may be known. The stubborn populace is mostly deluded, nurturing doubts within themselves; ultimately lacking resolve, they harbor hesitation. In recent years, having widely investigated ancient relics, I traveled west of Hu to a place named Louguan. Ancient trees were snapped and broken, and the halls and courtyards stood in multiple tiers. Inside was the Zongsheng Monastery, and to the south of the monastery was a separate shrine to Master Yin. Inquiring of the Daoist priests all around, they said this was the native place of Lord Lao; Yin Xi had heard the Dao here, so a shrine was established to house him. The monastery's site lies close to the Southern Mountains. Near the slope is an earthen terrace with clustered, sparse trees, which is said to be the tomb of Lord Lao. Having made inquiries everywhere, I stayed at dusk in Yin Village to the west of the monastery, at the home of Yin Changle. I proceeded to ask about his lineage. Although Changle was in his twilight years, his wisdom and understanding were clear and bright, and his words were verified and incisive; all the Daoists feared conversing with him. He said of himself: "I am a descendant of Magistrate Yin. The Louguan to the east was originally the old residence of our ancestor, Magistrate Yin. Our ancestor set his mind on fields and gardens and cherished farming. The land was broad and the shoots were dense, so that there was no way to overlook the whole area; he then bound grass to make a tower from which to gaze out. Hence it was called 'Louguan' (Tower Observation). It was originally not the residence of Lord Lao. When our ancestor heard that Lord Lao was escaping to the west, on the verge of traveling to the Drifting Sands, he invited him at the wayside and welcomed him as a guest. Lord Lao then came to this residence and surveyed the surroundings for a long time. The high mound to the southeast is indeed our ancestor's ancient terrace. At that time, he also climbed this terrace together with Lao Li. The tombs of our ancestors stand arrayed in succession; it was never heard that our ancestor went west with Lao Li. This merely comes from Daoist books and has nothing to do with ancient history." He also said: "Formerly I heard that Lao Li was born in Ku County of Chen Commandery and also grew up in Dongchuan. Only when he was old did he enter Qin, dying at Huaili. I have never heard an authentic account of him going west to convert the Drifting Sands; although Sima Qian spoke of it vaguely, it was not a definitive assertion. What Zhuangzi reached was the end of this journey; the rest of the idle talk cannot be verified." I also went more than twenty li west of Shiping, north of the Wei River, where the foundations of the ancient city of Huaili still survive. Within it is a mound. Inquiring of the village elders whose mound it was, none knew its origin. Consulting the county's illustrated gazetteer, it merely describes the ancient city and likewise does not determine its era. The traces of the mound are now remote. As for the inquiry regarding the Drifting Sands, it refers to the site of the Mingsha in Dunhuang. That place has the terrain of the Drifting Sands, but none of the influence of Boyang. Examining the Daoist Scripture of Converting the Hu, Scripture of the Western Ascension, and others, they claim that when Lao Dan went to convert the Hu, the Hu people did not accept him, so he ordered Yin Xi to become a Buddha to convert the Hu, and only then did the Hu people submit. Now, scrutinizing their superficial arguments and comparing them with the principal figures, all foreign countries from Tianzhu northwards are called Hu kingdoms; their people all revere the Buddha, yet they never received Xi's conversion, but rather trace their lineage back to Śākyamuni Tathāgata of Tianzhu. If sought in this manner, Dan did not travel far and died at Huaili. Qin Shi mourning him was indeed a factual record; the rest are false fabrications unworthy of praise. Therefore, Yang Su, Minister of the Department of State Affairs and Duke of Chu under the Sui, passed by Louguan and saw the wall painting depicting Yin Xi converting the Hu. Su said to the Daoist priests: "I have heard that when Lord Lao converted the Hu, the Hu people did not accept him, so he ordered Xi to transform his body into a Buddha, and only then did the Hu people accept him. If so, then it is the Buddha who was able to convert the Hu, and the Hu people revere the Buddha; the Dao could not convert them. How can it be said that Laozi converted the Hu? Think deeply on these words!" Therefore, I have recorded the circumstances of that time and promulgated them far and wide. If later scholars do not broaden their learning, how could they attain extensive knowledge? I trust that those with discernment will reflect on this and keep it in mind.