集沙門不應拜俗等事 4.43

4.43

We respectfully submit that the two gateways of Buddhism and Daoism have flowed from afar; seeking through the canonical records, venerating and honoring them has been extensive. As for that which the Imperial Lineage takes as its ancestor, it truly brings glory across ten thousand generations; and that which was initiated under the Han house has likewise flourished for a thousand years. Furthermore, sovereign and father are among the Three Objects of Reverence, yet Confucianism has the rite of not serving as a subject; the profound and the quiet dwell in the Two Teachings, yet the regulations have no etiquette of bowing with clasped hands and prostrating. If the principle does not model antiquity, we request that it follow the old ways. Respectfully submitted.