北山錄 10.11

10.11

唐憲宗即位元年。建號元和。于時文章彬郁。類麟鸞虬虎蘭桂珠貝。騰精露芒。溢區宇間。若韓退之．柳子厚．元微之．白居易．劉禹錫．李觀。悉以才刃勍造化。譬孫吳起翦當戰國際爭武勇權術之勝也。河南丘𤀹。甞閱史傳。及其遺編。必慨然興感。恨不得追其肩踵焉。今年春正月。被黜歸歙。遘疾寓武林鄰淨住律剎。一日僧惟賢贄謁于陋止始見之。溫儼清邃。疑有所蘊而來也。俄與之語。則志氣頴銳。將欲脫去境照。漠然無礙。學書易風雅。春秋尤確。況本教乎。忽袖中出緗表五編。且曰。此東蜀紹竺乾弟子神清譔述也。目之為北山錄。首之以艾儒。終之以外信。凡十六篇。祕蓄三紀。恐失傳布。鍾蔽善之罰。曩慕君子公於其道不諛於世態者。異摭其可否爾。𤀹遂受之。是夕弗就枕。燭以閱之終三鼓。考其大概。以□立空寂為本。欲天下派歸于巨壑也。會[禾*(〦/(坐-土+十))]老子．孔子經術。莊．列．荀．孟．管．晏．楊．墨．班．馬之說。馳騖其間。約萬岐而趨一正。峙之則如山。渟之則如淵。變之則風霆。平之則權衡。其恢宏辯博如是之甚矣。嗟夫元和丙戌迄。

In the first year of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang's ascension to the throne, the reign era was established as Yuanhe. At that time, literary writing flourished with elegance and splendor, like qilin, luan-phoenixes, horned dragons, tigers, orchids, cassia, pearls, and cowries, soaring in radiance and flashing with brilliance, overflowing throughout the realm. Figures such as Han Tuizhi, Liu Zihou, Yuan Weizhi, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi, and Li Guan all possessed talent so sharp and mighty as to rival the creative cosmos—comparable to Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Bai Qi, and Wang Jian when contending for military valor and strategic dominance during the Warring States period. I, Qiu Jun of Henan, have often perused the historical records and biographies, and whenever I came across their surviving writings, I would sigh with deep emotion, regretting that I could not follow in their footsteps. In the spring of this year, during the first month, having been dismissed from office I returned to She; falling ill, I lodged in Wulin, adjacent to the Jingzhu Vinaya Monastery. One day, the monk Weixian came to pay a call at my humble lodging, and I met him for the first time. Gentle, dignified, pure, and profound, he seemed to harbor something deep within as he arrived. Soon, as I spoke with him, his spirit and intellect proved sharp and keen, poised to transcend external cognitive objects and abide indifferent and unhindered. He studied the Classic of Documents, the Book of Changes, and the Odes, and was especially solid in the Spring and Autumn Annals—to say nothing of his own teaching. Suddenly, from within his sleeve he produced five volumes bound in light yellow silk, saying, 'This was composed by Shenqing, a disciple from Eastern Shu who carries on the lineage of Tianzhu. It is titled Beishan lu. It begins with "Venerable Ruist" and concludes with "External Convictions," comprising sixteen chapters in total. It has been kept secretly stored for three twelve-year cycles. Fearing that its transmission and dissemination might be lost, incurring the blame of concealing goodness, and having long admired the gentlemen who are impartial toward the Way and do not flatter worldly fashions, I came to seek your judgment on its merits and faults.' I then received it. That night I did not go to bed, reading it by candlelight until the third watch was over. Examining its general import, it takes the establishment of emptiness and quiescence as its foundation, wishing to guide all the world's diverging streams back into the great ocean. It brings together the classical arts of Laozi and Confucius, as well as the doctrines of Zhuangzi, Liezi, Xunzi, Mengzi, Guanzi, Yanzi, Yangzi, Mozi, Ban Gu, and Sima Qian, galloping freely among them; it binds the myriad diverging paths to converge upon the one correct course. When towering upright, it is like a mountain; when still and deep, it is like an abyss; when shifting, it is like wind and thunder; when balanced, it is like steelyard and weights. Its vastness and eloquent erudition are so immense as this! Alas, from the bingxu year of Yuanhe (806) down to