集沙門不應拜俗等事 3.46

3.46

I have observed that in the order of the court, reverence and respect come first, and for the grace of birth and upbringing, serving parents with pleasant countenance is weightiest. The two teachings of Śākya and Laozi nowadays run entirely counter to this: they stand on equal terms with emperors and kings, and receive respect from fathers and mothers. Yet indulgence has been shown to them from antiquity down to the present age; examining its deep cause, there is indeed a reason for it. This is truly because shaving the head is distinct from wearing caps and crowns, and the kāṣāya has nothing in common with formal court garments. Those who have renounced the household revere the Dharma and abandon the mundane; how could they be constrained by the etiquette of the court? As for the Xuan teaching, it is pure, void, and its Daoist wind is far-reaching and spacious; holding their pursuit aloft, they do not bend before kings and marquises. When it is said that emperors and kings do not treat some as subjects, it refers precisely to this. Since the state already preserves their Way, it therefore does not bend their persons. We hope that following the previous statutes, there will be no departure from ancient custom. Respectfully submitted.