辯正論 6.122

6.122

外論曰。夫聖人應化隨方接引。在胡則禿髮露頂。處漢則端委縉紳。此華夷之常形。非教方之勝負。若佛苟令去茲冠冕皂服被緇。棄我華風遠同胡俗。則不能兼通冠冤。便是智力不周。何謂天竺隨方現形而為設教。苟若不能。則佛自是天竺之胡神。非中華之大聖。豈有禿髮之訓施於正國。若漢學胡形。剪髮便名事佛。則應胡習漢法。著巾亦為奉道。是知露頂。括髮鄉俗不同。嗟乎士民用為修善。可謂貴隣室之弊襜。賤自家之黼黻。世不能知。迷之八也。

The external treatise states: When sages respond and transform, they guide beings according to the region. Among the Hu, they shave their hair and bare their heads; among the Han, they wear the ceremonial robe and sash. These are the standard appearances of the Chinese and barbarians, not a measure of superiority or inferiority between their teachings. If the Buddha simply commanded people to discard the cap and crown, put on dark robes, wear black, and abandon our Chinese customs to assimilate from afar into barbarian habits, then he would be unable to accommodate both the cap and crown, which means his intellectual power is not comprehensive. How could it be said that in Tianzhu (India) he manifested forms according to the region to establish teachings? If he could not, then the Buddha is merely a barbarian deity of Tianzhu, not the Great Sage of China. How could the instruction of shaving the head be applied in the central state? If the Han learn barbarian forms and shaving hair is called serving the Buddha, then the Hu should practice Han ways, and wearing headscarves should be practicing the Dao. Thus we know that baring the head and binding the hair are differing local customs. Alas, scholars and commoners use this to cultivate goodness; it may truly be called valuing the ragged skirt of a neighbor while despising the embroidered robes of one's own house. The world cannot know this—this is their eighth delusion.