集沙門不應拜俗等事 4.32

4.32

自佛教之興始於天竺。臣經三使頗有見聞。臣聞輸頭檀王是佛之父。摩訶摩耶是佛之母。僧優波離者本王家僕隷。王親遍禮敬同於佛。臣又見彼國僧尼法。不拜諸天神祠。亦不拜君王父母。君王父母皆禮僧尼及諸道眾。臣經難彼僧曰。此之僕隷始落髮披緇。殊無所識。即令君父致敬。大不近人情。僧對曰。雖初剃髮形已同佛。復能震動魔宮。雖曰無知豈不如埿木。埿木一立為主像。縱博通貴勝得不致敬。僧不拜俗亦已明矣。

The rise of Buddhism began in Tianzhu. Your minister has been an envoy three times and has seen and heard a fair amount. Your minister has heard that King Śuddhodana was the Buddha's father and Mahāmāyā was the Buddha's mother. The monk Upāli was originally a slave of the royal household; the king and his kin bowed to all of them, showing reverence identical to that shown to the Buddha. Your minister also saw the rules of monks and nuns in that country: they do not bow to the shrines of gods and spirits, nor do they bow to rulers and parents. Kings and parents all pay homage to monks, nuns, and the various assemblies of the Way. Your minister once challenged those monks, saying: 'These slaves have only just shaved their hair and put on black robes, possessing no special understanding. Yet the ruler and father are made to pay reverence to them; this is deeply contrary to human sentiment.' The monk replied: 'Though they have only just shaved their heads, their form is already identical to the Buddha's, and they can moreover shake Māra's palace. Although they are said to lack knowledge, are they not like mud and wood? Once mud and wood are set up as the principal image, even if one is widely learned, noble, and eminent, can one fail to pay reverence?' That monks do not bow to laypeople is already clear.