集沙門不應拜俗等事 1.49

1.49

That śramaṇas do not revere kings is something my feelings cannot comprehend, and in principle it remains unexplained. In this great affair of an entire generation, its structure must not be improper. I recently sent a letter to the Eight Ministers and now show it to you; you may state the reason for not showing reverence. This is an affair currently to be carried out. I have given detailed instructions, and I trust you will surely have the means to resolve my doubts. General of the Right Wang has strongly maintained this perspective, and recently we traveled together to Xie'an's garden and consulted him face to face; the reasoning he relied on fell far short of resolving my doubts. Now Regional Inspector of Jiangzhou Guo will collect your reply; you may hand it over directly to him.