辯正論 1.22

1.22

通人曰。趙書云。石虎嘗問國師佛圖澄曰。佛法既不許殺罰。今為天下之主。非刑殺無以肅清海內。既違戒殺生。雖復事佛詎獲福耶。澄答曰。帝王事佛。當在體恭心順顯暢三寶。不為暴虐不害無辜。至於凶愚無賴非化所遷不能改惡且有罪不得不殺。有惡不得不刑。但當殺可殺刑可刑耳。若暴虐恣意殺害非罪。雖復傾財事佛。無解殃禍。願陛下省欲興慈廣及一切。則佛教永隆帝祚方遠。石雖不能盡行而為益不少。

The Master of Penetrating Knowledge said: The *Book of Zhao* states that Shi Hu once asked the National Preceptor Fotudeng: "Since the Buddhadharma does not permit killing or punishing, yet now I am the ruler of the realm, without executions and punishments I have no means to pacify the empire. Having violated the precept against killing, though I venerate the Buddha, how can I obtain merit?" Deng replied: "When emperors and kings venerate the Buddha, it must lie in bodily reverence and mental compliance, visibly making the Three Jewels flourish, neither acting with tyrannical cruelty nor harming the innocent. As for the ferocious, foolish, and rogue who cannot be converted by transformation and will not reform their wickedness, having committed crimes they must be put to death, and having committed evil they must be punished. One should simply kill only those who should be killed and punish only those who should be punished. If one indulges in tyranny and slaughter without crime, even if one drains one's wealth to serve the Buddha, it will not avert calamity. May Your Majesty reduce desires and generate loving-kindness broadly extending to all; then the Buddha's teaching will long flourish and the imperial destiny will be far-reaching." Although Shi [Hu] could not carry it out completely, the benefit was considerable.