集沙門不應拜俗等事 3.36

3.36

至五月十五日。大集文武官寮九品以上。并州縣官等千有餘人。總坐中臺都堂將議其事。時京邑西明寺沙門道宣。大莊嚴寺沙門威秀。大慈恩寺沙門靈會。弘福寺沙門會隱等三百餘人。并將經文及以前狀。陳其故事以申厥理。時司禮太常伯。隴西郡王博。謂諸沙門曰　勅令俗官詳議。師等可退。時群議紛紜不能畫一。隴西王曰。佛法傳通帝代既遠。下　勅令拜　君親。又許朝議。今眾人立理未可通遵。司禮既曰。職司可先建議。同者署名不同則止。時司禮大夫孔志約。執筆述狀如後令。主事大讀訖。遂依位署人將大半。左肅機崔餘慶曰　勅令司別立議。未可輒承司禮請散。可各隨別狀送臺。時所送議文抑揚駁雜。今謹依所司上下區以別之。先列不拜之文。次陳兼拜之狀。後述致拜之議。善惡咸錄。件之如左焉。

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, a grand assembly was convened of more than a thousand civil and military officials of the ninth rank and above, together with officials of the prefectures and counties, all seated in the Capital Hall of the Department of State Affairs (Zhongtai) to deliberate on this matter. At that time, Śramaṇa Daoxuan of Ximing Temple in the capital, Śramaṇa Weixiu of Dazhuangyan Temple, Śramaṇa Linghui of Dacien Temple, and Śramaṇa Huiyin of Hongfu Temple, amounting to more than three hundred men, brought canonical scriptures and their previous memorials, laying out the precedents to expound their principles. Then the Grand Master of Rites of the Bureau of Rites (Sili taichangbo), Bo, Prince of Longxi Commandery, addressed the śramaṇas, saying, "The edict commands the lay officials to deliberate in detail; the reverend masters may withdraw." At that time, the multitude's opinions were confused and divided, unable to reach uniformity. The Prince of Longxi said, "The transmission of the Buddha's Dharma through imperial reigns has long been established. An edict has now been handed down commanding bowing to ruler and parents, yet court deliberation has also been permitted. As the reasons advanced by the assembly cannot yet be universally accepted, the Bureau of Rites, being the office responsible, may formulate a proposal first. Those who agree may sign their names; those who disagree need not." Thereupon, Grandee Kong Zhiyue of the Bureau of Rites took up his brush and composed a memorial as follows, ordering a director to read it aloud. Thereupon, following their ranks, most of the officials signed their names. Left Attendant-in-Chief Cui Yuqing said, "The edict commanded each department to formulate its own memorial separately; one cannot arbitrarily follow the Bureau of Rites and ask to disperse. Each may submit its separate memorial to the Department." At that time, the submitted memorials varied widely, praising and criticizing, varied and discordant. Now, carefully classifying and distinguishing them according to the offices high and low, I first set forth the texts against bowing, next present the memorials for partial bowing, and finally recount the arguments for rendering full homage. Both the good and the bad are fully recorded, listed item by item as follows.