辯正論 5.7

5.7

A Confucian scholar asked: "The great Tang arose to fortune, and it is indeed the holy lineage of the Most High Lord Lao, the Zhou dynasty master Li Er. They initiated the transformation of wuwei and propagated the writings of the Daode [jing]; they examine the sons of noble families in the teachings of the Six Classics, and command the Minister of Education to spread the five teachings. Guiding [the people] by virtue and regulating them by propriety, benevolence is spread through the nine provinces; penalizing evil and encouraging good, their majesty is brought to bear across the four seas. Heaven is perfected and the earth is leveled, the distant are pacified and the near are solemnized; brilliantly occupying the realm, it has now been eight years. In the year of Xieqia (weiyin), during the month of the Jiazhong pitch-pipe (the second month), the Son of Heaven personally graced the Biyong Academy and attended the Shidian sacrifice in person. Both śramaṇas and Daoist masters participated in the ceremonial banquet. By verbal imperial decree, it was stated: 'The Daoist master Pan Dan submitted a memorial stating: "Prince Siddhārtha was unable to attain Buddhahood [on his own]; after seeking the Dao for six years, only then was he able to achieve Buddhahood. Thus, the Dao can give birth to the Buddha, and the Buddha is accomplished through the Dao. The Dao is the Buddha's father and master; the Buddha is the Dao's son and disciple. Therefore, the Buddhist sūtras state: 'Seek the supreme, correct, and true Dao.' They also state: 'Understand the Great Dao and produce the supreme aspiration.' The foreign tongue says: 'Anu[ttara]bodhi'; translated into the Jin pronunciation, this means 'the supreme Great Dao.' If one examines it on this basis, it can be known in fact that the Dao is great and the Buddha is small. How could one recklessly judge their precedence and their relationship as master and disciple?"'