辯正論 1
English (machine translation) 1
- Language
- English
1.1
Preface to the Bianzheng lun
1.2
Composed by Chen Ziliang of Yingchuan
1.3
Now, it is heard that when Xuanni had his dream, the principles of the Ten Wings were clearly manifested; and when Boyang departed the pass, the significance of the two chapters was thereby established. Some plumb the depths and tie on images; others explore the arcane, subtle and indistinct. What names and words cannot proclaim, and yin and yang cannot measure, can still encompass heaven and earth and subsume ghosts and spirits. Yet their Dao does not suffuse the great chiliocosm, and their words have not surpassed the mundane realm. How much more so, then, the dharmakāya's nirvāṇa, wondrously transcending existence and non-existence! Its ultimate principle congeals in the profound; its traces obliterate the ultimate and the conventional; its essence transcends the three marks; and its burdens exhaust the seven rebirths. Being without mind is itself mind; not being form is itself form. Because being without mind is itself mind, it can mind-ify this mind; because not being form is itself form, it can form-ify this form. The vine and snake are thereupon both empty; form and name are therefore both stilled. Beyond the fish-trap and the hare-snare, how could it be spoken of? When the Western Earl was detained at Youli, he consequently made manifest what was refined and subtle; when Zijian suffered the silk-room, he ultimately fulfilled the intention of his predecessors. Thus the Changes says: "Did not those who made the Changes in antiquity have sorrow?" The rise of this treatise truly has its reason. The Dharma master's secular surname was Chen; he is a descendant of Chen Zhonggong, the magistrate of Taiqiu in the Han. His remote ancestors travelled as officials and moved to the region east of the Yangtze; recently, due to wandering and dwelling as refugees, they resided in Xiangzhou. During the Sui dynasty, he entered the passes to seek instruction from teachers. When the jade moved from the peaks of Chu, its immaculate nature became ever more manifest; when the cinnamon tree was transplanted from the dark forest, its fragrant wind reached even farther. The Dharma master answered to the auspicious omen of a true person and received the fortune of the yellow lower-garment. Internally, he embraced the Tripiṭaka; externally, he synthesized the nine philosophical schools. He was skilled in expressing emotions and particularly adept at depicting things. His compositions were graceful and elegant, and their principles and literary style were vigorous and splendid. Flamboyant and ornate, his writings were like patterned brocade; drifting and towering, his spirit soared into the clouds. The gold and jade of Ban Gu and Jia Yi cannot compare to him; the rivers and seas of Pan Yue and Lu Ji could hardly run neck and neck with him. As for the teachings of Master Zhuang and Master Mo, the books of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, the texts of the Three Clarities and the Three Caverns, the registers of the Nine Mansions and the Nine Immortals, the secrets of the Dengzhen yinjue, and the rituals of the Lingbao duming, he held them in his breast, explaining them as easily as pointing to his palm. Moreover, he was practiced of old in Mādhyamika and had accumulated the Lotus Sūtra from his youth. Since he possessed retentive memory, he recently concentrated on writing. Beyond the exercise of his thought, he guided and delivered others without fatigue. In discerning Mādhyamika, Nāgārjuna could be expected; in discussing spontaneity, Laozi and Zhuangzi were not far off. Thereupon, people flocked from the four quarters as if returning to the Elder's park; the seven noble lineages crowded in, as if rushing to the market of Huayin. His learning truly equaled Dao'an and Huiyuan, and his talent surpassed Sengzhao. He was truly a pillar and beam of the bodhisattvas, a rampart and moat of the citadel of the Dharma. But there were Daoist masters such as Li Zhongqing and Liu Jinxi who composed vulgar writings to slander and defame the true Dharma. People in secular society at times gave rise to wrong beliefs. The Dharma master pitied their blindness, fearing they would enter niraya; thereupon he aroused mahākaruṇā and composed this treatise. It may be called drumming this sea of the Dharma and shaking that peak of words. The sharpness of the Green Cock vied to gallop; the steeds of the Yellow Horse competed to sprint. There were none whose leaves did not fall and whose branches were not broken, like clouds melting and mists rolling away. It was like a great furnace burning a fine feather, like the blazing sun melting thin ice. The vanquished and the victorious can be seen herein. Briefly resting in the samādhi of loving-kindness, he had already broken the army of Māra; casually wielding the sword of wisdom, he forthwith subdued the foolish thieves. The sun of the Buddha thereupon shone again; the cloud of the Dharma was thereby broadly spread. Now, the poems, rhapsodies, petitions, eulogies, steles, elegies, memorials, treatises on the Mahāyāna teaching, the Poxie lun, and other works composed by the Dharma master total over thirty fascicles, which have long circulated in the world. However, this treatise, in eight fascicles, twelve chapters, and more than two hundred sheets of paper, plumbs the source of the teachings of Śākya and Laozi, and exhausts the famous principles of evaluation. Though composed over many years, it has not yet been widely disseminated. In ancient times, Duke Xiao of Qin fell asleep when listening to discourse on the thearchs, but was roused when hearing talk of hegemons. High Spring finds few to sing in harmony, which is deeply lamentable. But the Dharma master's exposition encompasses both the internal and external; it is feared that curious youth of later generations may fail to understand it. The disciple Chen Ziliang of Yingchuan recently prostrated in reverence, and seeking guidance thereupon, it shone brightly before his eyes: as if the bright moon had entered his breast, or silently responding to capacities, like a precious gem illuminating things. Having realized the illusion of the four crossroads, he halted his travels through the hundred cities. Thereupon, having been enlightened to what he had never heard, he briefly made an annotated commentary, hoping that like-minded persons in the future may fortunately examine its principles.
1.4
Composed by the Tang śramaṇa Shi Falin
1.5
Chapter 1: The Three Teachings and the Way of Governing (two parts: upper and lower)
Chapter 2: Veneration of the Buddha through Ten Dynasties (two parts: upper and lower)
Chapter 3: Precedence Between the Buddha and the Dao (Fascicle 5)
Chapter 4: The Teachers and Disciples of Śākya and Li
Chapter 5: The Ten Metaphors (Fascicle 6)
Chapter 6: The Nine Admonitions
Chapter 7: Qi as the Root of the Dao
Chapter 8: Retribution for Faith and Slander (Fascicle 7)
Chapter 9: Evaluation of Various Books
Chapter 10: The Forgeries and Errors of Daoism (Fascicle 8)
Chapter 11: Successive Dynastic Transmissions
Chapter 12: A Ground Where the Mind Takes Refuge
1.6
Chapter 1: The Three Teachings and the Way of Governing (Part One)
1.7
A young nobleman from the Imperial College asked a man versed in ancient learning, saying: “Now, I have heard that for changing and pervading, nothing surpasses yin and yang; for molding and covering, nothing surpasses heaven and earth. Tracing back to when the five cosmic movements had not yet taken shape, there were originally neither people nor things. (The Yi gouming jue says: ‘Before heaven and earth divided, there was the Great Change, the Great Beginning, the Great Origin, the Great Simplicity, and the Supreme Ultimate; these are the five cosmic movements. When forms and appearances have not yet taken shape, it is called the Great Change. When the primal qi first sprouts, it is called the Great Beginning. The inception of qi and shape is called the Great Origin. When forms change and have substance, it is called the Great Simplicity. When substance and shape are already complete, it is called the Supreme Ultimate. Because they transform and shift the five qi, they are named the five cosmic movements. It means that qi, shape, and substance are complete yet have not separated from one another; these are all five designations of the Great Change. At that time, all was empty and void; there were not yet people or things.’) When the Three Powers were established, noble and base were then ordered. (The Qian zaodu says: ‘Supreme Ultimate, Great Simplicity, and Great Unity are different names, but their principle is one.’ The Yiwei tonggua says: ‘The Great Ultimate generates the Two Modes. This means that the clear and light qi ascends to become heaven, and the turbid and heavy qi descends to become earth. With man joining them, they are called the Three Powers.’ The ‘Xugua’ of the Yijing says: ‘There being heaven and earth, thereafter myriad things are produced; then sovereign and minister are established, and the rites of father and son, elder and younger, husband and wife, as well as the distinctions of noble and base, superior and inferior, are fixed.’) Spontaneous transformation arose, and the wind of wuwei was widely spread. (The Hetu kuodixiang says: ‘When heaven and earth were first established, there was the Heavenly Sovereign. Placid and spontaneous, he shared the Dao with the ultimate. Wearing nine wings on his body, he ruled through the virtue of wood. With nothing contrived, transformations occurred spontaneously.’ The Kaishan tu says: ‘The Earthly Sovereign arose at the mountains of Xionger and Longmen, ruling through the virtue of fire.’ The Mingli xu says: ‘The Human Sovereign drove six-feathered mounts, rode a cloud chariot, and emerged from Gukou. He divided the Nine Provinces and presided over the world. There were nine brothers, who according to the topography of the mountains and rivers divided [the realm] into nine regions, each dwelling in one province.’ The Diji pu says: ‘The Heavenly Sovereigns each ruled for eighteen thousand years. The Earthly Sovereigns comprised one hundred and fifty generations ruling the world, totaling fifty-four thousand years. Next were the Five Dragon clans: Sovereign Eldest, Sovereign Second, Sovereign Third, Sovereign Fourth, and Sovereign Youngest. The five brothers all ascended and descended riding dragons, ruling the world for one hundred and eighty generations, totaling 9,273,600 years; these are precisely the five deities such as Lingweiyang. Next came Shennong, who drove six dragons, molded and surveyed the four seas, balanced cold and heat to distribute among the people, and regulated wind and rain. There were ten generations, each ruling for nine hundred years. Next came four clans, next came those who did not finish a single generation, next were seventy-two clans, and next were three clans. Some rode flying sheep or flying deer; they first taught the people to dwell in caves, eat the flesh of birds and beasts, and wear skins and furs. Next was Youchao, who drove dragons and qilin and rode phoenixes and tigers; he built nests of wood and taught the people to dwell in them so as to avoid harm from beasts and birds. Next was Suiren, who taught the people to drill wood to produce fire and turn raw food into cooked, so as to avoid raw and foul-smelling things; he cast metal blades, and the people greatly rejoiced. These comprised six epochs with ninety-three dynasties and 1,289 generations, totaling 10,101,840 years. From the transformations under heaven, they are collectively called the Three Sovereigns.’) Next came the sages with serpent bodies and oxen heads, (The Liuyi lun says: ‘Taihao, Thearch Fuxi, was surnamed Feng; with a serpent’s body and a human head, he possessed sagely virtue. When Suiren died, Sovereign Fuxi was born. In his era there were fifty-nine clans. Sovereign Fuxi first established systems and made regulations, all ruling through the virtue of wood. He instituted the rites of marriage, received the Dragon Chart, and recorded offices by dragons, hence he was called the Dragon Master. His reign lasted a total of 11,012 years. Yandi Shennong was surnamed Jiang; with a human body and an ox’s head, he possessed the auspicious omen of fire, ruling through the virtue of fire. There were seven generations, totaling five hundred years.’) and the sovereigns with pearl-weighing foreheads and sun-horn temples. (The Liuyi lun says: ‘Sovereign Xuan was surnamed Gongsun and was born after twenty-five months. He had the physiognomy of a pearl-weighing forehead and sun-horn temples. He ruled the world through the virtue of earth, establishing the month of yin as the start of the year. He had twenty-five sons with twelve surnames. There were thirteen generations, ruling for a total of 1,072 years. In a dream he received the imperial register, whereupon he patrolled the River with Tianlao and received it; he obtained the River Chart and River Writings, took a horse-herding boy as his master, and paid homage to Master Guangcheng at Mount Kongtong.’ The Diwang shiji says: ‘The era of the Three Sovereigns lasted a total of 20,297 years.’) They first drew the eight trigrams and doubled them into the eight pure ones; (The Hetu kuodixiang says: ‘Fuxi looked up and observed the phenomena in heaven, and looked down and examined the models on earth; he first drew the eight trigrams to commune with the virtue of the spiritual and luminous. Shennong doubled the eight trigrams into the sixty-four.’) they established cloud officials and arrayed bird designations. (The Liuyi lun says: ‘Sovereign Xuan had the omen of auspicious clouds and used clouds to record offices. Thearch Shaohao had the omen of the phoenix and thus named offices after birds.’) They taught hunting and fishing to relieve the populace, and made ploughs and shares to assist the people. (The Liuyi lun says: ‘Fuxi made nets and traps to hunt and fish, taking domestic animals to supply the kitchen, hence he was called Paoxi [the Preparer of Sacrifices]. Shennong chopped wood to make shares and bent wood to make ploughs, first teaching the world to plant the five grains, hence he was called Shennong [the Divine Farmer].’) They established markets (set up by Shennong); cast vessels, tamed oxen and rode horses, built palaces and houses, let garments hang down, made pestles and mortars, provided boats and oars, modeled writing on the tracks of birds, and according to the flow of transformation instituted rites and music. (These all occurred in the time of the Yellow Thearch. The Liuyi lun says: ‘The Yellow Thearch had seven assisting ministers: Cang Jie created writing; Da Nao created the sexagenary cycle; Li Shou created mathematics; Rong Cheng created the calendar; Qi Bo created medical prescriptions; Gui Shenqu created astrological observation; and Xi Zhong created chariots and musical pitch-pipes, and initiated the rites of the sacrificial altars.’) Coming down to the rulers who fostered goodness and transmitted sagacity, the sovereigns of abundant benevolence and sagely brilliance, they appointed the eight capable and eight virtuous men to office, (When Shun acted as regent, he promoted eight talented sons each from Gaoyang and Gaoxin to take charge of the duties of governing.) and commanded the officials Xi and He, and Xi Zhong. (The Xi and He clans served Yao as officials in charge of the sun, moon, and four seasons.) They sowed the hundred grains to encourage agriculture; (Houji sowed and planted the hundred grains.) they promulgated the five teachings to regulate creatures. Sincere, reverent, and truly yielding, their various undertakings all flourished. They harmonized the myriad states and brought clarity to the hundred clans. They banished the Four Evils to the four frontiers and exiled the Sanmiao to Mount Sanwei. (Hundun, Taowu, Qiongqi, and Taotie were the Four Evils; Yao banished them beyond the four quarters of the realm. The Youmiao clan rebelled, and Shun exiled them to Mount Sanwei.) They tuned the pitch-pipes to give vent to the eight winds, and inspected the armillary sphere to align the seven regulators. Yu of Xia channeled the Nine Rivers; (Acting for his father in controlling the floods, he leveled the famous mountains and great rivers of the Nine Provinces. He received the Nine Divisions of the Great Plan from the river god, and obtained the geography of the earth from the grottoes. The Nine Provinces offered copper to cast the Nine Cauldrons. Eight households formed a neighborhood [lin]; three neighborhoods formed a ming; three ming formed a hamlet [li].) he rode the four conveyances; (Traveling by land he rode chariots, by water he rode boats, through mud he rode sledges, and over mountains he rode spiked shoes.) according to the soil he levied tributes, cut through mountains, and settled the rivers. The King of Yin punished the guilty and consoled the people; (Yellow fish and black birds gathered on the altar and turned into black jade; thereupon he attacked Jie. Their favored colors were black and white. He moved the Nine Cauldrons to Bo, with one hundred households making a hamlet.) he pacified violence, quieted turmoil, opened the net, cut his hair, and rescued people from drowning and fire. Coming down to the illustrious, grand Zhou with its abundant multitude of officers, there was the virtue celebrated in ‘Guanju’ and ‘The Feet of the Lin’, (Tairen, consort of Jili, dreamed of a giant that moved her, and thus gave birth to King Wen. Taisi, consort of King Wen, gave birth to King Wu, Fa. Establishing the month of zi as the start of the year, their favored color was red. Five households formed a neighborhood [lin]; within the royal domain there were bi, lü, clans, parties, prefectures, and townships. When the Duke of Zhou acted as regent, the guilty were caught. In autumn there was a storm with wind and thunder that flattened the crops and uprooted trees. Opening the book in the metal-bound coffer, they welcomed the Duke of Zhou back. They divined a site at Luo, measured the land, established the cauldrons, and instituted rites and music. He died in Feng and was buried in Bi. ‘Guanju’ praises the virtue of the queen, and ‘The Feet of the Lin’ evokes the renown of a benevolent clan.) and the winds of ‘Zhou Nan’ and ‘Shao Nan’; (meaning that the moral influence of Zhou and Shao spread from north to south.) they set out the decorum of the five elements and the six rectitudes; (Wood, metal, water, fire, and earth are the five elements. Foreseeing coming events, promoting the good and advancing the worthy, being reverent and diligent without laxity, clearly discerning laws and statutes, declining emoluments and yielding gifts, and admonishing the sovereign when he errs—these are the six rectitudes.) they laid down the methods of the nine fields and four wells; (Three tiers formed nine fields, and three homesteads formed four wells.) they presented the rites of garments and the nine conferments; (ordering the garments of the five ranks and establishing the rites of the nine conferments.) they expanded the regulations for leather war chariots; (ten units formed a walled city, and each city provided one leather chariot.) serving as models for the world and patterns for creatures. Far removed and distant, years have moved through the Three Antiquities; expansive and remote, time has passed through a hundred kings. Wherever sagely virtue reached and spiritual transformation touched, dragon courts and phoenix nests observed the seasons and offered tribute; the regions of the sun and the continents of the qilin watched the wind and submitted at the frontiers. Springs and dews presented their precious flavors; herbs and trees altered their auspicious shapes. Swallow chins and fish bodies shone clearly among the feathered tribes; wolf hooves and ox tails sparkled among the furred herds. It was virtue alone that moved heaven, so that auspicious omens truly gathered. The Head of State extended the praise of ‘How bright!’, and his ministers unfurled the song of ‘How fine!’ Zhou divined an enduring reign, and Yin was praised for generation upon generation. As for its Way: human relations rely on it for advantageous establishment; myriad creatures depend on it to have life; states rely on it to be free of misfortune; rulers and ministers depend on it to achieve good order. Moral instruction covers the world, and transformation spreads over Chinese and barbarians; its Way threads through the five heavens, and its kindness reaches the common people. Establishing merits and deeds can be great and enduring. The meaning for the times is complete; its utility for the world is sufficient. As for the immortal prescriptions of Li Lao, their intention lies in feathering and ascending; the Sanskrit texts of Śākya expect nirvāṇa from the very start. Even if they embody themselves in the Great Clarity or let their spirits roam in the realm of constant bliss, valuing the smelting of the form for immortality or seeking tranquil illumination in unborn reality, they construct the allegories of the peng bird and the quail, and spread empty accounts of past and future. How does this differ from Zou Yan’s discourse on heaven, which in the end was completely vague, or Yuqiu’s analysis of dreams, which merely gave rein to florid words? Now the Great Tang steers the pinnacle of rule, and the Sagely Sovereign lets his robes hang in non-action. He esteems the worthy and honors the aged; he prizes virtue and values benevolence. Transformations that return to rectitude have been broadly propagated, and winds returning to purity are widely fanned. In principle, one should discard the redundant and take up the simple, eliminate the false and return to the true. In my foolish view, the two streams of Buddhism and Daoism are of no urgent concern to governance. I have long wished to submit a memorial about this, and ask to debate it now. Regardless of my inadequacies, I venture to present what I do not yet understand. You, sir, have wide knowledge of antiquity and deep mastery of the sources of learning; regarding what should be adopted and rejected, approved or denied, I hope you will clarify the essentials.” Thereupon the man versed in ancient learning composed his countenance, sat upright, and after a long while said: “Different indeed is this from what I have heard! A treatise says: ‘Observing the phenomena of heaven, one sees the divisions and degrees of the sun, moon, and five planets. Observing the phenomena of earth, one knows where the hundred streams and four great rivers converge. Observing the traces of past and present, one looks upward before the Supreme Ultimate and Primal Chaos, and looks backward to see future events before they have sprouted. To be without a hair’s breadth of doubt—this is called wisdom.’ Since you already know this yet deliberately ask, I shall summarize and briefly explain it. Examining the instructions of the six books of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, loyalty and filial piety tread at their head; the sprouts of Li Lao’s two chapters have the Dao and its virtue initiating their beginning; the texts of Gautama’s Tripiṭaka take loving-kindness and compassion as their root. Although their traces of affairs differ, their principles and reckoning are not disparate; all are completely beautiful and completely good, worthy of esteem and admiration. Therefore, they discuss the myriad wonders with an open mind, and open skillful means to guide and draw people forward. In the past, I once met the Master of Far Roaming and also heard quite a bit of this from him. He discoursed on the Comprehensive Doctrine, fully detailing the three teachings and jointly presenting the nine philosophical schools. The Master lived in seclusion among rocky crags; none knew his surname or personal name. His bearing was calm and refined, his actions worthy of admiration; his speech and laughter were warm and generous, his movements and pauses followed the rules. Although his words evaluated people, his mind was free of praise and blame. He fed on pine and atractylodes, so that none could fathom his years; he lodged amid mist and clouds, so that none thoroughly knew his generation. Yet, as for the origins and ends of the Three Antiquities, they were as vivid to him as in a mirror; the branches of the hundred schools were as clear as the palm of his hand. He exhausted the excellent canons of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, and plumbed the grand guidelines of Buddhism and Daoism. Examining what he harbored within, it lay in wandering at ease and leveling all things; observing what he esteemed, it returned to equal, intrinsically empty nature. In the leisure of his tranquil silence, the Master looked at me and said: ‘Those in the world who do not understand often criticize each other: they deem right what they consider right, and deem wrong what they consider not right; they do not deem wrong what they consider wrong, but deem wrong what they do not consider wrong. This is to consider right what they deem wrong, and to consider wrong what the other deems right. Now, in discussing the teaching of Confucianism: its intention lies in family life and governance, the proper order of elders and youth; superiors are not arrogant, inferiors do not cause disorder; ministers and sons fulfill their loyalty and filial piety; servants and concubines exhaust their joyful devotion. On a large scale, it matches Heaven and sacrifices to the Thearch, honors parents and makes offerings to ancestors, desiring heaven and earth to look down with clear inspection and ghosts and spirits to manifest their efficacy, so that disasters do not arise and rebellions do not occur. On a small scale, it pursues profit and seizes the proper time, exercises caution over oneself and practices frugality, implements governance within the women’s quarters, and extends kindness down to servants and slaves, so that all attend to their duties and each attains what is fitting. As for the teaching of Daoism: it says that that by which myriad things are generated and ultimate achievement is fulfilled must arise from the formless and come from the nameless. Yet the formless and nameless is the ancestor of myriad things. When detailing the Dao, it serves as the beginning and the mother; when discussing its teachings, it possesses both manifestations and subtleties. Therefore, the Primordial Beginning folds his hands in silence at the Golden Terrace, and the Highest Lord hangs his robes at the Purple Palace. They dispatch the Two Perfected Ones to guide the worldly, and command the Five Elders to unfold the charts. Treading the hidden while remaining bright, embracing unity and staying chaste, their souls are serene in the Great Net, lounging and resting in the Great Clarity. Thereafter, they establish the transformation of wuwei and practice the wordless teaching, spreading the writings of the Yellow Court and Purple Chamber, and conferring the registers of golden plates and silver cords. The wonder of mysterious frost and scarlet snow, the marvel of jade fluid and cloud essence, the brilliance of the bright mirror of the nine clouds, the splendor of the divine elixir refined eight times—these suffice to restore youth and cast off old age, and suffice to mount feathered chariots to long life, roaming the Langyuan gardens and forgetting to return, bathing in the Xianchi pool and never going back. At times they wear coarse hemp at the Gates of Heaven, or control cranes at Penglai; they quiet their thoughts on the slopes of Mount Guye, and contemplate subtleties atop Mount Kongtong. They endure as long as heaven and earth, and share dark and light with yin and yang. The teaching of the Buddha: how vast it is! It encloses the Flower Treasury, emerging beyond the ninefold round canopy; it illuminates the Cloud Terrace, swallowing what lies beyond the square substance of the eight bounds. Marvelous form that is non-form, its flowing radiance precedes Primal Chaos; dividing bodies and transformed bodies, its arrayed shadows stand at the start of the Great Void. Therefore, it expansively creates yin and yang, and acts as furnace and hammer to forge heaven and earth. The image of the Great Image nurtures the four images; the capacity of rigid materials conducts the five materials. The jade balance turns faintly—who can fathom its mechanism? The joined jades hang vast and hazy—who thoroughly knows their transformations? Neither dazzling nor dark, it is both subtle and manifest; it unites the spiritual mansions of all sages, and responds to the auspicious assemblies of all sentient beings. Thereupon, leaving the burning house, he drives the three carts; entering the river of desire, he wields the eight oars. He manifests rare occurrences—how could it be only in the Mango Tree Grove? He speaks inconceivable things—not merely in the kingdom of Magadha. With various skillful means, each and every one being loving-kindness and compassion, he shatters the cage of birth and death and crosses over to the other shore of nirvāṇa. There is none whose wish-fulfilling jewel does not blaze with radiance, whose torch of wisdom does not congeal its luster. Comprehensively taking in the hundred rivers, it is deeper than the Eastern Sea on earth; binding together the myriad phenomena, it surpasses the Northern Culmen in the heavens. How could it contend in superiority with others, or wrangle between Confucianism and Mohism? Truly, pushing it to the limit, it rests in the realm of reality; returning to it, it lies at the mysterious source. As for the mysterious source, both object and cognition vanish; as for the realm of reality, both the provisional and the real disappear. Broadly proclaiming the ultimate tenets, universally exercising the power of spiritual penetrations, when one examines the effects of his skillful harmonization and the accomplishments of his molding and bearing, creation cannot compare with it, and daily utility cannot match it. It is sufficient to encompass the four great elements and transcend the three luminaries. You should write this on your sash to serve as your mirror.’”} ],
1.8
The young gentleman said: “Fine though it may be, I still have doubts. For preserving the altars of soil and grain, nothing surpasses cherishing loyalty; for nurturing one’s parents, nothing surpasses showing filial piety; for regulating heaven and earth, nothing surpasses cultivating civil arts; for quelling calamity and disorder, nothing surpasses attending to military affairs; for bringing peace to superiors and inferiors, nothing surpasses promoting ritual propriety; and for transforming customs, nothing surpasses practicing music. These are indeed the essential teachings of august rulers and the grand methods of the way of governing. Vimalakīrti’s discourses on loving-kindness and compassion, or the treatise on Dao and virtue handed down from the District of Li, are not matters of urgency for succouring the world; they are merely equivocal words like the parable of the tree and the goose. Not only do I fail to submit to them, but worthy men also jointly cast them aside.”
The scholar of broad learning said: “Being slow in speech but prompt in action is praised by the noble man. Do not take your own limited hearing to serve as an analogy for classical treatises. Have you not heard the admonition to the Duke of Lu? ‘Do not speak much; do not take on many affairs. Much talk brings much harm; many affairs bring many troubles.’ If it is a matter of serving parents and devoting oneself to one’s sovereign, then loyalty and filial piety stand first. If it is averting harm and preserving one’s life, then Dao and virtue occupy the beginning. If it is benefiting living beings and saving them from suffering, then loving-kindness and compassion govern the source. Cultivating filial piety and cherishing loyalty can keep family and state intact. Practicing the Dao and establishing virtue can spread one’s person and name far and wide. Giving rise to loving-kindness and setting compassion into motion can deliver all kinds of beings. Delivering all kinds of beings distributes grace equally to the six destinies; spreading one’s person and name merely brings honor to a single clan; and keeping family and state intact has merits that embrace the nine assemblies. Therefore, loyalty and filial piety are teachings for instructing the common world; Dao and virtue are techniques for preserving oneself; and loving-kindness and compassion are deeds that nurture all creatures. It is like heaven having the three luminaries and a cauldron having three legs: each matches its virtue, and their merits are equally manifest. Complying with and upholding them will bring great blessings.”
1.9
The young gentleman said: “The ‘Bibliographical Treatise’ of the Book of the Former Han states that there are nine philosophical schools that preserve oneself and protect the state. The first is the Ru school, which refers to according with yin and yang, setting forth moral edification, recounting the governance of Tang and Yu, and honouring the Dao of Zhongni. The second is the Daoist school, which refers to maintaining weakness, abasing oneself, setting forth the virtue of yielding practiced by Yao and Shun, clarifying the art of governing while facing south, and upholding the extreme modesty found in the Book of Changes. The third is the Yin-Yang school, which refers to according with heaven, calculating celestial movements, and respectfully bestowing the seasons upon the people. The fourth is the Legalist school, which refers to making rewards clear and enforcing laws to assist ritual systems. The fifth is the School of Names, which refers to rectifying names, arranging ranks, so that words accord and undertakings succeed. The sixth is the Mohist school, which refers to sacrificing at the clear ancestral temples, nurturing the aged, and bestowing benefits. The seventh is the School of Diplomats, which refers to receiving missions as envoys and handling diplomatic affairs expediently on their own initiative. The eighth is the Eclectic school, which refers to combining the selections of Ruists and Mohists, embracing the instructions of the Schools of Names and Law, and understanding the general framework of the state so that no affair is not mastered. The ninth is the Agricultural school, which refers to encouraging plowing and sericulture, and fully setting forth provisions and goods. Following their Dao can bring peace to the multitude; executing their affairs can benefit the state. For governing, they are fully complete; for the people, they are sufficient. Even if you, Master, give broad-ranging explanations and words praising the Imperial Academy to the utmost, I fear they are completely unrelated, like straying cows and horses that never cross paths.”
1.10
The scholar of broad learning said: “From observing one, you can know a hundred; seeing this suffices to illuminate that. However, the Buddhist teaching is vast and boundless, and its terms and meanings are exceedingly numerous. To summarize them, it possesses profound records; now, for your sake, my friend, I shall briefly bring up its grand outlines. Ever since the auspicious rain scattered through the void and the marvelous lotuses appeared upon the ocean, the gates of the half-word and full-word teachings opened wide, and the doctrines of emptiness and existence were both promulgated. In the city of Vaiśālī, there were plans to turn sentiments toward the Dharma; at the Vulture Peak, there were instructions to gather the branches back to the root. In its function, it is like water dividing the reflection of a thousand moons; as its substance, it is like a mirror reflecting ten thousand forms. Those who draw lots and all sentient beings together rest in the shade of the cloud of loving-kindness; Buddha lands as numerous as dust and sand all receive the moisture of sweet dew. When [the Buddha] withdrew his light on the white felt and concealed his shadow by the Hiraṇyavatī River, thereupon the five hundred worthy of offerings shook their ivory fans and memorized the teachings; the eighty thousand sūtras brushed against the dragon couch and were transcribed into vessels. Pearl cases and jeweled seals already overflowed the royal palace; palm leaves and Sanskrit texts once again filled the ocean storehouse. By the tens of thousands, those ascending the hall competed to bathe the fields of their bodies; by the hundreds of millions, those leaning against the walls vied to open the trees of their minds. When Kāśyapa Mātanga entered Luoyang and Senggui traveled to Wu, the sound of the Dharma drum resounded far and wide, and the work of the wind of wisdom was jointly transmitted. Grouped according to category, there are also nine streams; to manifest their excellent titles, they are called the Nine Records. The first is the definitive exposition; the second, the provisional purport; the third, the precepts; the fourth, the gate of dhyāna; the fifth, incantations; the sixth, treatises; the seventh, commentaries; the eighth, subcommentaries; and the ninth, biographies. As for the definitive exposition, it is the core of the vaipulya and the essential contemplation of all Buddhas. In phenomena, it leaves nothing unintegrated; in principle, it leaves nothing unexhausted. Its words are skillful, and its meaning is profound and far-reaching. It encompasses the secret practices of the ten immortals and synthesizes the profound texts of the eight treasuries. When pratyekabuddhas seek to penetrate it, they are as bewildered as if drifting on an ocean; when śrāvakas hear it, they are as dazed as if peering up at heaven. This is the guiding principle of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. It is the grand doctrine that rends the net of views, the essential art that shatters the army of evil. A jewel clarifies turbid water; a medicinal herb appears in deep thickets. The illusion of the milk’s true color is clarified, and the drunkenness that spins heaven is suddenly sobered. The aspirations of the joyous people are completely fulfilled, and the eternal fruit remains perfected. This is the ultimate purport of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Three beasts blend their tracks, and the One Vehicle gathers all reins. The jewel in the garment has been revealed, and the gem in the topknot continues to be handed down. The ten unsurpassable, lofty standards, and the four pleasant and marvelous practices: reflecting upon what Prabhūtaratna did, one awakens to the original intention of the Elder. This is the synthesis of the Lotus Sūtra. Spreading these ten suchnesses and darkening these four absolutes: form is non-form, transcending names and devoid of name. Majestically sails the boat of the six perfections; gently does it ascend to the shore of the three emptinesses. Such is the profound tip of prajñā. The comprehensive embrace of principle lies in these four.”
1.11
“The provisional purports are the expedient teachings of the Hero of the World. He guides the multitudes of the five turbidities and accords with the capacities of the three vehicles. Welcoming weary companions, he erects the conjured city; leading the impoverished son, he has him carry the dung bucket. After the Tathāgata passed into extinction, Kāśyapa collected the sūtras—namely, the four kinds of Āgamas, the eight divisions of avadāna, the purports of jātaka and itivṛttaka, and discourses of gāthā and prose. They were divided and classified by Prince Zong, and compiled and cataloged by Dao’an and Sengrui. Because they were spoken according to varying conditions, the fascicles and rolls are exceedingly numerous. As for the precepts, they serve as the teacher in place of the Buddha and the exemplary model for instructing the saṃgha. Exiting must be through the doorway, and crossing over must rely upon a boat; they are the ladder and foundation of all ten thousand goods, and the feet and legs of the five vehicles. Formulated according to time and place, and according to circumstance and faculty, they give rise to distinct names of the seven categories and diverse purports of the five classes. Since their teachings on permission and prohibition differ, the aspects of light and heavy are not the same. When circulated in Tianzhu, they split into five divisions; transmitted and practiced in China, there are now four. Kāśyapa initiated their main ropes, and Upagupta divided their detailed strands. In instructing both monastics and laity, nothing is accomplished without ritual decorum; in extinguishing evil and producing good, nothing succeeds without the precepts. While the Buddha was in the world, the preservation [of the Vinaya] relied upon Gavāmpati; after his passing, its transmission was truly opened by Upāli. They are indeed the chronometer of the three karmic actions and the censor of the six sense faculties. As for the gate of dhyāna, it is the discipline for cultivating the mind among the three trainings. It serves as the cause for attaining sagehood and is most widely known as the essential factor for exhausting outflows. Therefore, when śrāvakas tether their thoughts, water becomes pure in the pool of the mind; when bodhisattvas perfume and cultivate, flowers bloom upon the tree of intention. Dhyāna can generate wisdom—the Buddha spoke true words on this. The four immeasurables and the six supernatural knowledges are attained only by resting in the forest of dhyāna; the eight liberations and the ten universal bases are accomplished only by relying upon the cave of samādhi. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: ‘Relying on the power of meditative concentration, one takes the medicine of wisdom; having attained supernatural knowledges, one returns to transform living beings.’ How much more so is this true for placing the world upon a single hair or solidifying the ocean water into the five flavors! Therefore it is said: ‘To observe objects based on phenomena—only when quiet can one illuminate.’ Does this not refer to such a state? As for incantations, they are instructions for living beings to extinguish sins and recipes to pacify and dispel poisonous harm. They humble pride, crush violence, rescue from danger, and raise the dead. Like Candī expelling demons, or like Śaṅkara commanding spirits; the disaster-dispelling of the six syllables, and the life-protecting of the seven Buddhas: they invert the conventional to accord with the Dao, and achieve affairs by adapting to circumstances. Among arts for succouring the world, which can compare to these? As for treatises, they are treasury houses of meaning that crush the heterodox and establish the correct, resolving blockages and enlightening the ignorant. Indeed, as eras shift between the true and resemblance Dharmas, people change from pure to decadent. The straight path is difficult to ascend, and heterodox ways are easy to enter, causing those gathering medicine on the Snowy Mountains to scramble for poisonous weeds, and those seeking pearls in deep water to vie in grasping broken tiles. Therefore, there are śrāvakas who master the Dharma and bodhisattvas who transmit the lamp: they refute those heterodox treatises and explicate these correct sūtras. When whales and leviathans have been removed, the five obscurations perish; when fogs and mists are cleared away, the three luminaries shine brightly. The preface of an ancient catalog states: ‘The carpenter’s line of the supreme sage is called a sūtra; the disciples’ explanation of the sūtras is called a treatise.’ A treatise is like Zuo Qiuming composing his commentary. Harivarman said: ‘If sūtras have treatises, their meaning is easily understood.’ Kātyāyana, because he deeply understood the real truth, created the text of the Jñānaprasthāna. The various sages, because they were richly versed in names and principles, continued the discourses of the Mahāvibhāṣā. Next, the Tattvasiddhi and Abhidharma have sharp and subtle formulations; when examined and scrutinized, they are the flower and brilliance of the Hīnayāna. As for erecting the banner of fearlessness, Aśvaghoṣa was foremost in reputation; as for lighting the torch of the true Dharma, Nāgārjuna governed its fundamental source. The Śataka Śāstra shatters external [paths] to distinguish the heterodox; the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā dispels internal one-sided clingings. The refined attainment of the Dvādaśamukha Śāstra and the grand depth of the Mahāyāna purport are together the pillars and ridgepoles of the great teaching. As for commentaries, they bring out the meaning following the text, belonging to the class of those who ‘transmit and do not create.’ They establish images to capture forms, and they deduce principles based on phenomena. Like Sengzhao and Daosheng annotating the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa, or Zhi Daolin and Lu Fayan instructing on prajñā: their diction is unconstrained, and their lofty intents set forth the extraordinary. In the past, after Zhongni passed away, his subtle words were entrusted to Xunzi and Mencius; after the Great Awakened One had departed, the Dharma seal was transmitted to scholars of broad learning. Looking up to the high mountain indeed enlightens those who are ignorant and obstructed. As for subcommentaries, they lift the net and take hold of the main cord, gathering omissions and mending gaps, penetrating the textual meaning of an entire work, and also serving as a safeguard against forgetting. When the great Dharma was first brought across, there was no leisure for commentary; Wei Shidu and Zhu Fonian first opened the profound chapters. Ever since, scholars have vied in waving the conversational whisk. From Kang Senghui expounding the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā, or Faliang and Huiliang expounding the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, to Jijing annotating the Abhidharma, or Jinglin annotating the Tattvasiddhi: not only are their words concise and their thoughts profound, but their principles are comprehensive and their expressions felicitous. They are like painting forms with vermilion and azure, or picturing shapes in clear water and a mirror. Together they hang suspended with the sun and moon, and are fully worthy of praise in affairs of state. As for biographies, they are historical records of the Buddhist fold. They are like the works composed by Ban Gu and Sima Qian, or the writings refined by Chen Shou and Fan Ye; Wang Yin writing the preface to the Jin court rituals, or Yuan Hong composing the Annals of the Later Han. These are merely minor arts for governing the common people, yet they stirred the extraordinary talents of great scholars; mere fragments of loyalty and filial piety set into motion the fragrant brushes of court historians. How much more so is this true when the three insights are easily obscured and the eight precepts difficult to conceive! Zhu Daoshuang enjoyed an excellent reputation, and Zhu Fakai spread his pure eloquence. Master Zhu Falan was compared to Ji Kang and Ruan Ji; Zhi Dun was also equated with Wang Bi and He Yan. There are writings on lofty recluse integrity and records of abandoning the world to wander far and wide. The masters of the ten categories who guide the world, and the worthy men of the five divisions who benefit living beings: their beautiful virtues and demeanors are fully preserved upon these simple bamboo and silk texts. When we investigate how the Dharma King handed down his models to halt the wheel of suffering, because diseases number in ten thousands of varieties, medicine cannot be based on a single rule. Consequently, tablets filled the celestial palaces, and verses accumulated in dragon dwellings. Even eight hundred million scented elephants could not bear the weight of the initial section; even five thousand arhats could not read through the scattered blossoms entirely. How much less can the ten stages comprehend, or eight Ganges-sands of beings measure, the precious scrolls as numerous as dust particles and the profound words dotted in ink! How could schools such as the Ru, Daoist, Names, and Legalist ever compare to or contemplate the gate to this ocean of essential nature?”
1.12
The young master said: "The ancients said: 'Where words are too profuse, the essentials are lost; where reason is scarce, reality is forfeit.' Now I see it indeed. Even granting the Śākya clan's discourses on definitive teachings, dhyāna, and the precepts, or their scriptures of incantations and biographies, these are merely a school of thought for encouraging oneself; they are not teachings of the Five Constants for administering the state. They are like square holes [fitted with] round patches: though fine in form, they fall short in actual application. Moreover, the classic texts contain the teaching of the Five Constants—namely, benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Showing pity and not killing is called benevolence; guarding against harm and avoiding lust is called righteousness; holding the mind in check and abstaining from alcohol is called ritual propriety; discerning clearly and not stealing is called wisdom; and not speaking unlawful words is called trustworthiness. These five virtues must not be breached for an instant, nor abandoned for a moment. Rulers practice them to govern the state, and superior men uphold them to establish their character; their application is never temporarily set aside, and therefore they are called 'constants'. You, sir, just now introduced the Buddhist teachings with unhurried words and roundabout reasoning; one cannot help but be astonished, for they are exceedingly broad and impractical. As for the Five Constants, in heaven they are the five planets; on earth, the Five Sacred Peaks; in space, the five directions; in humans, the five viscera; and in physical things, the five elements. Speaking broadly, there is nothing they do not encompass. Looking up to observe [heaven] and looking down to inspect [earth], how could anything surpass them?"
Thereupon, the comprehensive scholar gave a broad smile, contemplated for a long time, and slowly instructed him, saying: "The world says, 'A thousand pieces of gold are easily poured out, but a single word is hard to utter.' If one merely wastes hand gestures and explanations, I fear that by walking at night you cannot avoid slipping in your words. I will nevertheless compel myself to discuss the general outline. According to Shen Yue's Jun Sheng Lun (Treatise on the Equality of the Sages): 'At the beginning of the times of Yan Di and Taihao, at the dawn of unhewn simplicity, humans did not yet eat grains; without meat and skins, death would instantly arrive. Even with the earnest and attentive virtue of the sage wishing to deliver and spare them, since physical life depended on these things, principle made it difficult to abruptly strip them away. It was indeed appropriate to guide them by degrees, gradually opening the source. Thus the Fire-Driller altered the use of fire, changing raw meat to cooked. The transition from raw to cooked was indeed the budding sign of the Buddhist teachings.' A superior man said: 'Marquis Shen's learning synthesized the Mysterious [Daoism] and Confucianism, his reasoning combined Confucius and the Buddha; without such a man, how could there be such a treatise?' The reason for this is that Taihao was originally a Mahāsattva who responds to cries, and Zhongni [Confucius] was none other than the Bodhisattva Māṇava. They first traveled through this land, provisionally enacting gradual conversion, compassionately saving those in the five turbidities, and proclaiming the Five Constants. Yet you, my young friend, have not investigated what has been heard; now I will roughly lay out the origins for you. Why is this? When the Buddha first attained the Way, in order to draw near to and receive ordinary mortals, he opened the lesser teachings: on account of Śrī he taught the Three Refuges, and on account of Mārga he taught the Five Precepts; for King [Bimbisāra] of Magadha he taught the Ten Good Virtues, and for the elders he taught the Six Days of Abstinence. What are these four? The Three Refuges urge them to abandon the heterodox; the Five Precepts guard them against committing evil; the Ten Good Virtues cause them to attain nobility; and the Six Days of Abstinence cause them to obtain joy. The Shiming says: 'To take refuge means to turn toward; a precept means to restrain; goodness means excellence; abstinence means solemnity.' In speaking of the Three Refuges, they instruct people to turn toward the Three Honored Ones and ward off the five desires; fully receiving auspicious blessings and solemnly observing respectful deportment, the unseen spirits rejoice and gather, and signs of auspiciousness are genuinely bestowed. First is not killing; second is not stealing; third is avoiding sexual misconduct; fourth is not lying; and fifth is not drinking alcohol: these are the Five Precepts. 'Precept' means prohibition; it means restraint. Restraining the body and speech is like fitting a horse with a bridle; curbing passions and desires is like binding a monkey with a chain. The Da zhidu lun says: 'Among severe illnesses, precepts are good medicine; amidst great terrors, precepts are protection; within the dark night of death, precepts are a bright lamp; in the three evil destinies, precepts are a bridge; in the ocean of birth and death, precepts are a great ship.'
Now, as for not killing: beings that bear heaven upon their backs and tread the earth, creatures of round heads and square feet, those dwelling in water, land, mountains, or the open air, born from womb, egg, moisture, or transformation—speaking of their categories, there are in general four forms of birth. In every single form of birth, there are eighty-four thousand different shapes. Yet although humans and animals differ in status, and are said to be distinct, when it comes to trembling in fear of death and striving anxiously for life, fleeing pain to comfort their bodies, and seeking safety to nurture their lives, this feeling is of a single kind, this principle is identical in ten thousand ways. How could one unjustly harm the loyal and pure, or indiscriminately slaughter the honest and good? Thus when good scholars had their spirits extinguished, their hair was unbound, and they died together like [the ghosts of] Bo Zong and Du Bo, becoming great vengeful demons beating their breasts. Mount Mang heaps up the grief of resentful souls; the Qin pits displayed the cruelty toward the innocent. The song of 'Riding the Boat' has already been composed; the ode of 'The Yellow Bird' laments in vain. Next, hunting cordons are aligned at the Ba River, and game is pursued at the Yunmeng Marsh; nets are spread across the open wilds and hung continuously over the mountains. Fires rise and fall following the ridges; smoke drifts dense or thin with the grasses. Lightning-swift hawks vie in soaring up; wind-chasing horses compete in charging ahead. The monkey takes a baseless fright at the mere sight of an arrow; the wild goose drops from afar upon seeing the bow. The agony of pierced chests and punctured flanks; the anguish of severed necks and crushed brains. How is it only that the clams perish and the pond is emptied, causing the monkeys to die and the forest to be stripped bare? Furthermore, dropping lines onto curved shallows and casting hooks into deep pools, capturing red carp in the river's torrents and gathering purple-scaled fish in valley wells: all of these beings receive the Five Constants, fully contain the four breaths, equally partake in the Buddha-nature, and jointly possess spiritual illumination. How can one bear to spread out these mountains of meat, or set up these roasting-pillars? Ending the lives of fish and fowl, exhausting the herds of domestic cattle and sheep; stewing the soft-shelled turtle touched by the finger, and boiling the turtle red as cinnabar; providing lavish feasts like He Zeng's, preparing exquisite delicacies like Lou Hu's; finding relish in their hearts and livers to satisfy one's mouth and belly; making them welcome as one's bride, while delighting our fine guests; celebrating the glorious luster of the seven virtues, and reveling in the grand gathering of the nine achievements! This truly injures the original intent of Great Compassion; therefore the Supreme Sage prohibited it. Thus the elder who fed the fish was moved in his sleep by celestial flowers (seen in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra); the novice who saved the ants had his short lifespan extended in the unseen world (seen in the Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra). In this way one attains an adamantine body, which ultimately becomes the cause of long life (the causal conditions of protecting the Dharma produce an adamantine body; the retribution of not killing serves as the cause of long life; seen in the Nirvāṇa and Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtras). This forever cuts off past resentments; this is the first virtue.
As for not stealing: the conduct of Robber Zhi is not tolerated by the entire world; the rogue upon the crossbeam is a nuisance to everyone. A traveler's pouch left with not a remnant of goods; the pried-open chest left with ruinous poverty. Consequently, a cloth quilt cannot be supplied, and how could a coarse garment be considered? The elder feels shame at the burden of depending on others for food; the honest commoner is humiliated by the hard toil of butchering and peddling. How does this apply only to transgressing over vegetables, stealing fish, or filching private dates? It also includes stealing the sangha's garland goods or misusing the property of the permanent sangha. Seeking with evil motives, seeking insatiably, generating profit through profit, without the slightest blush of shame or the least qualm at heart. How does this merely bring trouble to the present believers? It also brings disaster and blame upon future lives (the Da zhidu lun says: 'All sentient beings depend on food and clothing to sustain themselves; if one takes by force or robs them, this is called robbing their life'). The Great Sage in his compassion instituted the precept to halt it; this is the second virtue.
As for avoiding sexual misconduct: destroying virtue and ruining oneself, none is worse than the crime of sexual misconduct. Therefore Concubine Mei brought ruin to the Xia, and Queen Da caused the loss of the Yin; Baosi caused the fall of the glorious Zhou, and Lady Li overturned the imperial Jin. The immortal suffered the humiliation of having his neck ridden; the heavenly shrine met with the catastrophe of having its body burned. Therefore it is called the root of all sins, and termed the source of accumulating calamities. In the near term, it runs counter to the world of Brahmā; in the long term, it obstructs bodhi. Severing and not practicing it is the third virtue.
As for not drinking alcohol: alcohol is the source of disorder and is also called the medicine of madness. It universally stirs up the offenses of the three poisons and fully creates the transgressions of the six sense faculties. Bodies are bared naked, and words are roared and shouted. The noble and the lowly are alike deceived; kin and strangers are equally cursed. Stupified and perverse, now weeping, now singing. The King of Yin drank like an ox and lost his court; the Viscount of Chu drank like a tiger and ruined his virtue. In Chengdu, one was ensnared in months-long drunkenness; in Zhongshan, one was overcome by a thousand-day sleep. The body is muddled like mud; the mind is dark as the night. The thirty-five faults and hazards arise together (seen in the Da zhidu lun and elsewhere); the eighty-four thousand defilements all awaken. In the present life, it obstructs the activities of wisdom; in the future, it incurs the retribution of folly. This offense is the gravest; therefore the Buddha does not permit it. Truly, if one can observe the precept, one will obtain inexhaustible blessings; this is the fourth virtue.
As for not lying: the mouth is the intermediary of disaster, and the tongue is called the root of contention. It can be the axe that fells the body, and is designated the gate to all evils. Knives and swords arise from between the throat; cords and ropes dwell along the lips and teeth. When speaking of the cold wind, it can make emerald boughs shed their leaves; when discussing the fragrant spring, it can cause withered wood to unfold flowers. Praise and blame depend on a single utterance; life and death issue from these three inches. Fraternal love turns into fire and water on account of it; households are estranged and torn apart by it. In its greater harm, it exterminates clans and topples states; in its lesser transgression, it endangers the person and destroys life. It brings about grave retributions in the future, and knits deep enmities in the present. Truly it is the root of the four oral faults and the dense thicket of the ten non-virtuous actions. The Buddhist scriptures recount the admonition of being 'like a nose'; the Zhou ancestral temple inscribed the motto of the bronze statue. Blessings can add nothing greater; this is the fifth virtue."
First 12 of 27 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 辯正論 — Classical Chinese