集沙門不應拜俗等事 3.13

3.13

Monk Weixiu and others state: Prostrate, we have received the luminous edict ordering monks to bow and kneel to ruler and father. In righteousness, we ought to act in accordance with it, and in principle there should be no resisting the imperial decree. However, the clear teachings of both Confucianism and Buddhism all set forth texts of righteous admonition; their various transformations expand broadly, both advancing the counsels of the humble. We monks have borne the heavy favor of the state, being permitted the etiquette of those beyond the realm; residing peacefully throughout the realm, we have been able to propagate the aspiration to transcend worldly bounds. For this reason, sovereigns and kings since antiquity have all alike observed these norms, respecting the rituals of those who change mundane customs and maintaining intact the traces of those who treat each other as equals, thereby causing scriptural teachings to spread and grow more numerous generation after generation, and masters of the lineage to emerge from time to time over great distances. From the Han through to the Sui, travelers faced repeated obstacles; the winds of the numinous peaks were still obscured, and the influence of the immortal gardens was still sparse. This cannot compare to the rise of the Imperial Fortune, bordering beyond the seas, where the five Indias and the five sacred peaks anchor the world together, and the Divine Land equals Great Xia in culture. The missions of royal envoys have flourished, and the roads of light carriages have seen axle touching axle; none fail to revere these sacred traces and erect surviving monuments, so that Brahminic companions arrive in orderly processions without end. If we were now to revert to bowing to ruler and father, this would contradict the various sūtras, instantly provoking the reputation of shocking custom, or perhaps giving rise to the danger of slighting and reviling. In the past, when Emperor Cheng of the Jin was young, Yu Bing forged an edict; Huan Xuan feigned deceit, and Wang Mi raised his voice in protest. In the late years of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song, when he was about to multiply oppressive measures, he decreed that monks bow to the sovereign, but soon after it was suspended. This was truly because the matter is not a canon for administering the state, and the principle oversteps the etiquette of heavenly constants. Although rumors spread, it ultimately fell under open deliberation. Moreover, when Helian Bobo of the Xia decreed bowing, he drew down the wrath of High Heaven; when Tuoba Tao of the Northern Wei carried out slaughter, he incurred the chastisement of leprosy below. These examples have long been recorded and are fully available to sight and hearing. We monks revere your decree with trepidation, and having lost our place of refuge, we know not where to turn. We fear that once the silken cord of the edict is issued, it will circulate through all the ten thousand realms, inevitably causing the surrounding seas to look upon this trend and spread abroad the reputation of departing from propriety; and in the distant future, generations may carry on the tradition of following this bad precedent. Prostrate, we reflect that Your Majesty has revived the Three Jewels, compassionately gathers the four classes of living beings, personally received the entrustment of the Buddha, and encourages the charge given to practitioners. Internally, we monks comply with the correct teaching, resolutely cutting off the demeanor of kneeling and prostrating; externally, we receive the luminous edict, ordering us to conform to the reverence of Confucian propriety. Examining ourselves up and down, we find only fault, and our shame and fear are truly deep. If we do not submit our petition, we will fall short of the duty of ministers and subjects; yet if we obscure the Buddha's transformation, we will commit the crime of deceiving the sovereign. Respectfully arranging the passages from various sūtras on not bowing to laypeople, we presume to submit this tablet. Prostrate, we pray that Heavenly Compassion deign to illuminate and examine it, so that court deliberations may become harmonious, ultimately following the path of the Jin ministers, and setting aside ordinary talk, all may return to the standard of the Qi empress. Befouling your awe-inspiring majesty, our trembling and apprehension are profound indeed. Respectfully submitted on the twenty-first day of the fourth month of the second year of Longshuo.