續集古今佛道論衡 1.42

1.42

褚信對曰。茅成子云。太上者。靈寶天尊是也。造化之始謂之太素。豈虛妄乎。張衍曰。太素有貴德之名。更無言教之稱。今說有言教者。即是虛妄也。吾究尋典籍靈寶逈無氏族可依。推尋古今靈寶。亦無成道處所。若靈寶自然者。經典從何而生。若說靈寶出世者。古帝前王與誰說法。虛受太上之名。妄假天尊之號。此是仙覺法王說也。濟於六道普潤含靈。卿亦可歸真棄虛妄必須尊學。若不奉敬。可謂虛度百年無功而逝。卿若慢心不信。亦專心黃老。黃老者雖無法王之量。亦是前世聖人。撰集雖同諸子言行甚奧。託性無為道德之府也。昔孝景皇帝。常修行不倦。道學從此生焉。處百家之長。得擬佛法為次。至於茅成子列子莊子等書。並學自然逍遙塵外。亦是黃老之次。卿何慕焉。獨專於靈寶也。褚信對曰。靈寶有昇天隱地之功。符禁鬼神之力。履於水火無有不効。今者以火焚經。不蒙哀愍。吾大生恥辱。衍曰。大之制小。使其然也。譬如州郡令長各處一境判決自由。若對帝王威德不立。卿等比校亦復如是。今日卿等所學法者。欲使山無猛狩之文。世絕謬學之侶。一則就真辯偽。二則不誤將來。褚信默然不答。與南山道士費叔才自憾而死。

Zhu Shanxin replied, "Maochengzi says, 'The Taishang is the Lingbao Celestial Worthy. The beginning of creation is called the Great Simplicity.' How could it be hollow and false?" Zhang Yan said, "The Great Simplicity has the reputation of valuing virtue, but it has no name of verbal teachings. To claim now that it has verbal teachings is precisely false. I have thoroughly examined the records: Lingbao is utterly without a clan or lineage to rely upon. Searching through past and present, Lingbao also has no place of attaining the Way. If Lingbao is self-so, from where were the scriptures born? If it is claimed that Lingbao appeared in the world, to whom among the ancient emperors and former kings did he preach the Dharma? Empty is your assumption of the name 'Taishang'; false is your borrowing of the title 'Celestial Worthy.' This was spoken by the Dharma King of transcendent awakening, who saves the six realms of rebirth and universally nourishes all sentient beings. You too should take refuge in the real, abandon the hollow and false, and must venerate and study it. If you do not revere it, you can be said to have vainly passed a hundred years and departed without merit. If in your arrogance you do not believe, you should at least concentrate your mind on Huang-Lao. Although Huang-Lao lacks the measure of the Dharma King, they are nonetheless sages of former generations. Though their compiled writings resemble those of the various philosophers, their words and deeds are very profound: resting their nature in non-action, they are treasuries of the Way and virtue. In the past, Emperor Xiaojing practiced them tirelessly without fatigue, and from this the study of the Way arose. Standing at the head of the hundred schools, they may be placed next in line to the Buddha's Dharma. As for the books of Maochengzi, Liezi, Zhuangzi, and the like, they all study self-so ease beyond the dust of the world, and are likewise secondary to Huang-Lao. Why do you admire them and focus exclusively on Lingbao?" Zhu Shanxin replied, "Lingbao has the power to ascend to heaven and conceal itself in the earth, and the might of talismans to bind ghosts and spirits. In treading water or fire, it never failed to be effective. Today, when our scriptures were burned with fire, we did not receive pity. I feel great shame and humiliation." Yan said, "The great controls the small; that is why it happened so. For example, the magistrates and chiefs of provinces and commanderies each decide matters freely within their own territory, but before the majesty and virtue of an emperor, their power cannot stand. Your comparison is just like this. What you study today should ensure that the mountains have no texts of fierce predators and the world is devoid of companions in erroneous learning: first, to take refuge in the true and distinguish the false; second, not to mislead future generations." Zhu Shanxin was silent and did not reply, and together with the Zhongnan Mountain Daoist master Fei Shucai died of self-reproach.