[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [集古今佛道論衡](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104) › 3.19 # 集古今佛道論衡 3.19 集古今佛道論衡 3.19 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3.19) 貞觀十二年　皇太子集諸官臣及三教學士於弘文殿。開明佛法。紀國寺慧淨法師預斯嘉會。有令召淨開法華經。奉旨登座。如常序胤。道士蔡晃講道論好獨秀時英。下令遣與抗論。晃即整容。問曰。經稱序品第一。未審序第何分。淨曰。如來入定徵瑞放光現奇動地雨花假近開遠。為破二之洪基作明一之由漸。故為序也。第者為居。一者為始。序最居先。故稱第一。晃曰。第者第也。為弟則不得稱一。言一則不得稱弟。兩字矛盾。何以會通。淨曰。向不云乎。第者為居。一者為始。先生既不領前宗。而謬陳後難。便是自難何成難人。晃曰。言不領者。請為重釋。淨啟令曰。昔有二人。一名蛇奴。道帚忘掃。一名身子。一聞千解。然則蛇奴再聞不悟。身子一唱千領。此非授道不明但是納法非俊。晃曰。法師言不出脣。何以可領。淨曰。菩薩說法聲震十方。道士在坐如迷如醉。豈直形骸聾瞽。其智抑亦有之。晃曰。野干說法何由可聞。淨曰。天宮嚴衛理絕獸蹤。道士魂迷謂人為畜。有國子祭酒孔頴達者。心存道黨潛扇斯玷曰。承聞佛家無諍。法師何以構斯。淨啟令曰。如來存日已有斯事。佛破外道。外道不通。反謂佛曰。汝常自言平等。今既以難破我。即是不平。何謂平乎。佛為通曰。以我不平破汝不平。汝若得平即我平也。而今亦爾。以淨之諍破。彼之諍。彼得無諍即淨無諍也。於時皇儲語祭酒曰。君既勦說真為道黨。淨啟常聞君子不黨。其知祭酒亦黨乎。皇儲怡然大笑。合坐歡躍。今日不徒法樂以至於斯。淨頻入宮闈抗論無擬。殿下目屬其神銳也。尋下令曰。紀國寺慧淨法師。名稱高遠行業著聞。綱紀伽藍必有弘益。請為普光寺主。仍知本寺上坐事。復下書與普光及以淨所廣述寺綱住持惟人在寄等事也。淨本趙郡房氏。即隋國子博士徽遠之猶子也。家代儒宗流略固其常習。而精爽清舉卓明文雄。機論標放乘時搆采。少出家遊學三河不專師傳。於大小乘探賾沈隱。開皇末曆觀化帝京。優柔教義亟發光問。大業之紀聲唱轉高。預有才人無不臨造。或決疑豫或示新文。讎校古今商搉儒墨。問之不已。乃為敘述。古來詩人雅什雖多罕登百二。群髦重其慧悟服其品藻。遂勸纘詩英華。自梁高齊宣已下逮于皇運。為編十卷。吳王文學劉孝孫序之。并俱舍毘曇大乘莊嚴論等。咸為著疏。各三十卷。法華已下行用諸要亦纘疏述令成誦之。并注經集論不能委述。貞觀嗣寶宰伯咸欽僕射玄齡尤所敬重。每有勝集引諸寮寀預聽法筵。日下當時以為榮觀之極也。然能事匪一學罕兼通。淨之陳迹可謂玄儒並騖。所以吹爇易發。光華莫不由此。年逾縱心風疾交集。然猶憑几談寫敘對時賢。余曾問其疾苦。答云。淨甞疾甚。無計可投。承聞病是著因。固當捨著。遂召五眾一切都捨。夜覺有間。晚又重發。依前都捨。疾間亦然。今則七十有餘。生事極矣。安有為命而捨財乎。念念死計無情財事。昔人年至百歲。猶不體命行無常淨今悟之。任時而已。然其恕己謙光接誘道俗迎送禮遇不爽恒倫。至於同法論難知窮。引通不咎前失人代。即目聞見自多故不曲盡。其宗轄其道化履歷。具見續高僧傳。 > In the twelfth year of Zhenguan, the Crown Prince assembled various officials and scholars of the three teachings in the Hongwen Hall to expound the Buddha's teachings. Dharma Master Huijing of Jiguo Temple participated in this auspicious gathering. An order was given summoning Jing to expound the Lotus Sūtra. Receiving the command, he mounted the seat, presenting the lineage of the preface as usual. The Daoist priest Cai Huang, who gave lectures on Daoist treatises and was fond of standing out as the foremost genius of his time, was commanded by decree to engage in debate with him. Huang immediately composed his expression and asked: "The sūtra says: 'Introductory Chapter, Number One.' I wonder how the 'introduction' and the 'number' are divided?" Jing said: "The Tathāgata entered samādhi, manifested omens, emitted light, displayed wonders, shook the earth, and rained down flowers; using the near to open up the distant, he established the grand foundation for destroying the two and created the gradual path for clarifying the one. Hence it is the 'introduction' (xu). 'Number' (di) means position. 'One' means the beginning. The preface occupies the very forefront; hence it is called 'number one' (diyī)." Huang said: "Di means 'younger brother' (di). Being a younger brother, one cannot be called 'first' (yī); if one speaks of 'first', one cannot speak of 'younger brother'. The two words contradict each other. How can they be harmonized?" Jing said: "Did I not just say? 'Di' means position; 'one' means the beginning. Since you, sir, did not grasp the previous premise and falsely posed a subsequent objection, this is objecting to yourself; how can it count as objecting to another?" Huang said: "If you say I did not grasp it, please explain it again." Jing addressed the assembly upon order, saying: "In ancient times there were two men: one named Snake Servant (Śuddhipanthaka), who said 'broom' and forgot 'sweep'; the other named Sāriputra, who understood a thousand things upon hearing one. Thus Snake Servant was unenlightened even after hearing twice, while Śāriputra grasped a thousand upon a single utterance. This was not because the transmission of the teaching was unclear, but merely because the receiver of the Dharma was not sharp." Huang said: "The Dharma Master's words did not leave his lips; how could they be grasped?" Jing said: "When a bodhisattva preaches the Dharma, his voice shakes the ten directions. The Daoist priest sits here as if confused and drunk; is it only his physical form that is deaf and blind? His intellect must also be so." Huang said: "When a jackal preaches the Dharma, how could it be heard?" Jing said: "The heavenly palace is strictly guarded; fundamentally there are no traces of beasts. The Daoist priest's soul is so bewildered that he takes a human to be a beast." The Chancellor of the National University, Kong Yingda, inwardly favoring the Daoist faction, covertly fanned these blemishes, saying: "I have heard that the Buddhist house knows no contention. Why does the Dharma Master fabricate such things?" Jing addressed the assembly upon order, saying: "During the Tathāgata's lifetime, such things already occurred. When the Buddha refuted non-Buddhists and they could not respond, they turned to the Buddha and said: 'You always say of yourself that you are impartial. Now that you refute me with objections, that is partial. How can you call it impartial?' The Buddha answered them, saying: 'By my partiality I refute your partiality. If you attain impartiality, that is my impartiality.' Today it is likewise: by my contention I refute his contention; if he attains non-contention, that is my non-contention." At that time, the Heir Apparent said to the Chancellor: "Since you pluck words to speak, you truly belong to the Daoist faction." Jing said: "I have always heard that a gentleman does not form factions. Who knew that the Chancellor also forms factions?" The Heir Apparent laughed heartily, and the whole assembly rejoiced; today was not merely the joy of Dharma reaching such a height. Jing frequently entered the palace halls and debated without rival; His Royal Highness looked upon his sharp spirit with admiration. Soon he issued an order, saying: "Dharma Master Huijing of Jiguo Temple has a lofty and far-reaching reputation, and his practice and conduct are renowned. In overseeing monasteries, he will surely bring vast benefits. We invite him to be the abbot of Puguang Temple, while still managing the affairs of the senior seat of his original temple." Furthermore, letters were sent to Puguang and to Jing's dwelling, elaborately describing how the monastery's governance and maintenance depended on entrusted personnel. Jing was originally from the Fang clan of Zhaojun, the nephew of the Sui dynasty Professor of the National University Fang Huiyuan. His family had been Confucian masters for generations, so the broad currents of scholarship were his standard practice. His spirit was pure and elevated, and he was an outstanding master of literature. His sharp disputations were lofty and unconstrained, gathering brilliance as opportunities arose. Leaving the household young, he studied in the Sanhe region, not confining himself to a single master's tradition. In both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, he explored the profound and the hidden. In the final years of the Kaihuang era, he observed cultural transformation in the imperial capital; deeply versed in doctrinal teachings, his luminous reputation often shone forth. During the Daye era, his renown rose higher still; among the talented men of the time, none failed to visit him, either to resolve doubts or to present new writings, collating ancient and modern texts and evaluating Confucian and Mohist ideas. Because inquiries never ceased, he composed writings for them. Although fine odes by ancient poets were numerous, rarely did they surpass hundred and twenty. The gathered talents valued his wisdom and insight and deferred to his appraisals; they then urged him to compile the best of poetry, from Emperor Gao of Liang and Emperor Xuan of Northern Qi down to the imperial dynasty, compiling ten fascicles. Liu Xiaosun, Erudite of the Prince of Wu, wrote a preface for it. In addition, for the Abhidharmakośa, the Abhidharma, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra, and others, he wrote commentaries of thirty fascicles each. For the Lotus Sūtra and other essential texts in practical use, he also compiled commentaries and treatises so that they could be recited. In addition, there were annotations of sūtras and collections of treatises that cannot be detailed here. In the Zhenguan era, when the throne was inherited, ministers and leaders all admired him; Grand Preceptor Fang Xuanling especially respected him. Whenever there was a distinguished gathering, he would lead his subordinates to attend the Dharma banquet, which the capital regarded at that time as the pinnacle of glorious spectacles. However, capable functions are not single, and learning is rarely comprehensive; Jing's past traces can be described as galloping in both Daoist and Confucian realms. Thus his sparks easily caught fire, and his brilliance was entirely due to this. When his age exceeded the time of following his heart's desires, wind ailments struck together. Yet he still leaned on his armrest, chatting and writing, conversing with the worthy of the time. I once asked about his illness. He replied: "Once I was severely ill, with no recourse. Having heard that illness is caused by attachment, one surely ought to relinquish attachment. Thereupon I summoned the fivefold assembly and relinquished everything. At night I felt some relief; in the evening it recurred severely. As before, I relinquished everything, and when the illness abated, it was the same. Now I am over seventy; my life's affairs are at their end. How could I relinquish wealth for the sake of life? In thought after thought, I consider death, with no feelings for wealth or affairs. In ancient times, people reaching a hundred years of age still did not realize that life and impermanence are pure; now I have awakened to it. I merely leave it to the times." Yet in forgiving others and humbling his brilliance, receiving and guiding clergy and laity, his courtesies in welcoming and sending off never deviated from constant norms. When fellow practitioners reached an impasse in debate, he guided them through without holding past mistakes against them. In this world, what is seen and heard with one's own eyes is abundant, so I do not exhaustively detail it. His doctrinal mastery, religious conversions, and life history are fully presented in the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3.18) - [Next: 3.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3.20) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104~en-mt.3.19) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [佛祖歷代通載](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2036.11.28) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.3.19) · Pramāṇa