集沙門不應拜俗等事 4.52

4.52

竊以。瀨鄉垂範。實東國之至人。祇園演法。乃西方之上聖。皆能割慈忍愛絕塵離俗。禮者忠信之薄。超道德而上馳。色為真相之空。遺形骸而幽賾。故前王待之方外。後帝許以不臣。習見生常其來自久。頓為改創恐乖聽矚且復。緇衣非揖拜之徒。黃冠異折旋之侶。縱使人非精感不能式景玄風。本立道生。庶以漸持真教。若浮沈類俗俯仰隨時。恐鷲嶺之業將虧茨山之風行替。變道從儒。未見其可。因循勿改。竊用為宜。謹議。

We venture to observe: Laixiang set forth models and was truly the ultimate man of the Eastern land; the Jeta Grove expounded the Dharma and was indeed the supreme sage of the Western regions. Both were able to sever affection, endure love, cut off dust, and leave the worldly. Propriety is the thinning of loyalty and good faith, whereas they soared upward surpassing the Dao and Virtue; form is empty of the true mark, and they left behind the physical body to probe the profound and obscure. Therefore earlier kings treated them as beyond the realm, and later emperors permitted them not to serve as subjects. Long-held custom has become ordinary practice, and its origins go far back. To alter and create anew all of a sudden would, we fear, conflict with what is seen and heard. Furthermore, the black-robed ones are not an assembly for making bows, and the yellow-capped ones are different from companions who turn and bend in ceremony. Even if men are not of quintessential inspiration and cannot emulate the profound style, yet when the root is established the Dao grows, and we may hope that they will gradually sustain the true teaching. If they drift and sink along with the common crowd, bowing and looking up in accordance with the times, we fear the legacy of Vulture Peak will be impaired and the style of Mount Ci will decline. To alter the Way to follow the Ruists—we do not see this as permissible. To follow past practice and make no change—we privately deem this to be fitting. Respectfully deliberated.