北山錄 3.4.5

3.4.5

反謂天下為緇者皆莫可也（膄無目也。 自無別識。 顧用姦邪之徒。 及至乖彰。 反責清眾豈不迷哉。 炙轂子喻之蠱惑也）用渝齊潔以愚參肖（將此凡庸之類渝濫者齊於清潔之徒。 愚濁參雜肖嗣也）曾不知僧有跡窅天府神虛累外。 出入死生動寂無方。 其至德克至於此者（僧有與天地合德。 擺落塵滓。 隨往不滯。 其至極之德能及此也）僧有器重名揚教宗人範。 可望不可邇（可以德望不可情狎）難進而易退（性同雲鶴世莫得親也）其高世而至於此者。 僧有慈良處意（爰物與樂曰慈。 無所干犯曰良）仁恕克己（周慈布惠曰仁。 忖度合度曰恕）讓則自及（謙身約已曰讓）慶則均人（勝事周隆曰慶）其潤物有如此者。 至若革囊天仙瓦礫珠璣（革皮也。 若見外現質朴謂之革囊瓦礫。 而不知內蘊天仙珠璣之行。 小珠曰璣）樂猶不笑。 義猶不取（樂而笑者情猶動。 義而取者欲尚具。 非同公叔文子之類）豈以己所不知而臆裁之也（世俗之徒。 已自不知僧行。 而以胸臆妄度之也）故三苗逆命。 夔龍有德（舜時三苗之國。 左洞廷。 右彭䗍不順。 帝命禹征之。 一月不服。 益請退而修德。 七旬而自來。 此乃相輔之德也。 夔龍舜輔相也）羲和沈湎。 天宗無廢（羲氏和氏世掌天地之官。 至太康過差不度。 沈湎于酒。 故命誅之。 而誓云。 殲厥渠魁脅從罔治意。 以三苗羲和喻姦回也。 夔龍天宗喻清眾也）夫求人於始義則淑慝可知也（觀其初始有義無義則知其善惡也。 淑善也。 慝惡也）考情於素行則狂哲可知也（素先也。 狂愚也。 哲智也）故僑扎之為僧必非調達善星也（僑子產也。 扎延陵季子也。 苦使良善之士為僧。 必不行惡行。 調達善星惡比丘）莊跖之為僧必非鶖子菽氏也（莊跖凶賊也。 鶖子舍利弗也。 菽氏目乾連也）奚為始得僧於莊跖而後責不賢乎。 始不知僧有僑扎而前謂無德乎。 夫有士君子之器。 必有士君子之僧。 有臺輿之性。 必有臺輿之僧（臺輿賤人）故以仁求僧可必也。 以僧求仁難乎必也（以仁行向僧中求之。 必可有仁行者。 若凡是僧便責其仁行即恐難也）且使安遠妄（道定惠遠）彼必不為妄。 真自有餘也。 使思顗暴（思大禪師也天臺智者禪師也）彼必不為暴。 仁自有餘矣。 使佛圖澄慧始妖（圖澄如上。 惠始元魏沙門。 甚有神異。 五十餘年未甞寢臥。 縱行泥塗足不污。 世謂白足也）彼必不為妖。 神力自有餘矣。 使僧旻智藏佞（僧旻住虎丘山。 梁蕭昂禮謁。 不與相見。 後門而遁。 智藏梁武帝撤宮闈之制恣沙門遊踐。 有司奏御座非沙門宜登。 智藏悖然鋸坐。 勵色抗聲曰。 貧道昔為吳中顧郎。 尚不慚御榻云云）彼必不為侫。 直自有餘矣。 是以。 忠孝之門不可使為亂。 德行之門不可使為濫。 宋文帝飯僧。 同眾御于地筵頒食遲。 眾疑將旰不食。 帝曰。 始可中耳。 生公曰。 白日麗天。 天言始中。 何得非中。 遂取鉢便食。 舉眾從之。 帝大悅（萬乘之君。 佛法之主。 執去留之柄。 有殺活之權。 若固守小道而拒之。 縱無具廢之禍。 得不乖於敬順之道乎。 如生公之見深為當矣）斯蓋大人與天地同其德。 日月同其明。 故言中則中矣。 況帝王之力可畏乎。 故避焚不俟乎師姆（姆女師也。 大夫之妻五十無子者入宮為女師。 起坐得之方行已嫁則不待也。 宋伯姬遭火待姆不來而燒死。 此為執滯也）拯溺豈嫌於捽首（孟子。 如人父溺水。 子捉頭髮以救之。 亦不為過。 蓋皆取其權急之宜故也）蝮嚙豈顧乎斷臂（蝮蛇類也。 支體豈不愛惜。 若遇蛇嚙。 懼死故須斷也）護法之理。 通於神明（為護法故豈顧小節而已）昔遠公臨終。 門人進[蜜-必+(癸-天)]漿俾且慎（俾使也。 且謹慎慮有乖違律方）檢律未得而終（無難故依法行）彼克峻于己。

On the contrary, they claim that throughout the realm, none of those who wear the dark robes are worthy (Blind, with no eyes. Having no discrimination themselves, they heedlessly employ treacherous and perverse elements; and when discord becomes evident, they turn around and blame the pure assembly—how is this not confusion? The *Zhiguzi* compares this to being deluded). They use the corrupt to adulterate the pure, mixing fools among the worthy (They equate such ordinary, corrupt types with the pure and immaculate, mixing the foolish and turbid with the worthy heirs). They do not know that there are monks whose traces are remote as the Heavenly Bureau, whose spirits are vacant beyond worldly entanglements, who enter and depart life and death, whose movement and quiescence are without fixed bounds: those whose supreme virtue can attain this (Monks who share in the virtue of Heaven and Earth, slough off dust and defilement, and go where they will without hindrance: their ultimate virtue can reach this). There are monks whose capacity is venerated, whose names are widely proclaimed, masters of doctrine and models of men, whom one can look up to from afar but cannot intimately approach (One can look up to their virtue from afar, but cannot treat them with familiar affection), who are difficult to advance and quick to withdraw (In nature like clouds and cranes, whom the worldly cannot become familiar with): those who rise above the world to attain this. There are monks who maintain minds of kindness and goodness (Caring for creatures and granting joy is called kindness; committing no offense is called goodness), benevolence and forbearance, subduing themselves (Extending benevolence and bestowing benefits is called benevolence; reckoning that meets the standard is called forbearance), yielding so that it reflects back upon themselves (Humbling oneself and restraining oneself is called yielding), rejoicing that fortune is shared with all (That supreme occasions are everywhere plentiful is called rejoicing): their enrichment of creatures is such. As for the leather bag containing a heavenly immortal, or potsherds concealing pearls (A leather bag is hide. When one sees an outward appearance of plain coarseness, one calls it a leather bag or potsherd, not knowing that within are treasured deeds of heavenly immortals and fine gems. Small pearls are called *ji*), though pleased they do not smile, and though righteous they do not take (One who smiles when pleased still has passions stirred; one who takes though righteous still possesses desire: they are not like Gongshu Wenzi and his sort). How could one, based on what one does not know oneself, arbitrarily judge them (Worldly people do not understand the conduct of monks themselves, and yet with preconceived notions recklessly surmise about them)? Thus, though the Sanmiao rebelled against orders, Kui and Long possessed virtue (In the time of Shun, the kingdom of the Sanmiao, with Dongting on its left and Pengli on its right, was disobedient. The Emperor ordered Yu to campaign against them; for a month they did not submit. Yi asked to withdraw and cultivate virtue; in seventy days they came of their own accord. This was virtue of assisting the ruler. Kui and Long were ministers who assisted Shun). Though Xi and He were immersed in drink, the heavenly ordinances were not abolished (The Xi and He clans had for generations held office over Heaven and Earth. Under King Tai Kang's excessive negligence, they became steeped in wine; thus execution was ordered, and the oath said: 'Kill their ringleaders; those compelled to follow will not be punished.' This means using the Sanmiao, Xi, and He to metaphorically represent the treacherous, and Kui, Long, and the celestial ordinances to represent the pure assembly). When evaluating people, if one begins from righteousness, the virtuous and the evil can be known (Observing whether they possess righteousness from the start allows one to know their goodness or evil. *Shu* is good; *te* is evil). If one examines their character through habitual conduct, the foolish and the wise can be discerned (*Su* means previously. *Kuang* is foolish; *zhe* is wise). Hence, if men like Qiao and Zha become monks, they will surely not be like Devadatta or Sunakṣatra (Qiao is Zichan. Zha is Jizi of Yanling. If fine, good gentlemen are made monks, they will surely not perform evil deeds. Devadatta and Sunakṣatra were evil bhikṣus). If Zhuang and Zhi become monks, they will surely not be like Śāriputra or Maudgalyāyana (Zhuang and Zhi were ferocious brigands. Śāriputra is Sāriputra. Shushi is Maudgalyāyana). Why take men like Zhuang and Zhi to be monks at the beginning, and later blame them for not being worthy? Why fail to recognize at the start that there are men like Qiao and Zha among monks, and earlier proclaim they have no virtue? If someone has the caliber of an exemplary gentleman, he will surely make an exemplary monk; if someone has the nature of a low menial, he will surely make a menial monk (Servants of the chariot are lowly men). Therefore, to seek monks based on benevolence can be certain of success; but to seek benevolence from mere monks can hardly be guaranteed (If one seeks among monks based on benevolent conduct, one is sure to find those with benevolent conduct. If one demands benevolent conduct of everyone simply because he is a monk, that is feared to be difficult). Furthermore, if one caused Daoan or Huiyuan to be false (Daoan and Huiyuan), they would surely not be false, for their truthfulness was more than sufficient. If one caused Huisi or Zhiyi to be fierce (Great Dhyāna Master Huisi and Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai), they would surely not be fierce, for their benevolence was more than sufficient. If one caused Fotudeng or Huishi to be sorcerous (Fotudeng is as above. Huishi was a śramaṇa of the Northern Wei, possessing great spiritual wonders. For over fifty years he never lay down to sleep; even when walking in mud, his feet were not soiled; people called him 'White-footed'), they would surely not be sorcerous, for their spiritual power was more than sufficient. If one caused Sengmin or Zhizang to be sycophantic (Sengmin dwelt on Mount Huqiu. When Xiao Ang of Liang came to pay respect, he would not see him and fled through the back door. When Emperor Wu of Liang dismantled the court boundaries to allow śramaṇas free entry, an official reported that the imperial throne was not fitting for śramaṇas to mount. Zhizang sat cross-legged with indignation, stern in countenance and raising his voice: 'When this poor monk was Master Gu in Wu, I was not yet abashed by the imperial couch,' and so forth), they would surely not be sycophantic, for their uprightness was more than sufficient. For this reason, families of loyalty and filial piety cannot be made to commit disorder; doors of virtuous conduct cannot be made to fall into licentiousness. When Emperor Wen of the Song dynasty fed the sangha, he sat on the floor mat with the assembly; the distribution of food was delayed, and the assembly suspected it was nearing midday and would not eat. The Emperor said: 'It is only just midday.' Master Daosheng said: 'The white sun shines in the heavens; the Emperor says it is just midday, so how could it not be midday?' He then took his bowl and ate, and the entire assembly followed him. The Emperor was greatly pleased (The ruler of ten thousand chariots is the master of the Buddha's Dharma, holding the handles of departure and remaining, possessing the power to kill and give life. If one rigidly clung to minor rules and opposed him, even without the disaster of total abolition, would one not violate the way of respectful compliance? Master Daosheng's insight was profoundly fitting). This is because the great man shares his virtue with Heaven and Earth, and his brightness with the sun and moon; therefore, when he said it was midday, it was indeed midday. How much more should the power of emperors and kings be feared! Thus, when fleeing fire, one does not wait for the governess (A governess is a woman teacher. The wife of a grand master who reached fifty without sons entered the palace as a governess; when rising or sitting she would support her mistress, but once married the mistress would not wait. Boji of Song met with a fire and died waiting for her governess, who did not arrive; this was rigid obstinacy). When saving the drowning, how could one object to grabbing them by the hair (Mencius: If someone's father is drowning, and the son grasps him by the hair to rescue him, it is not considered an excess; this is taking what is fitting according to expediency). When bitten by a viper, how could one mind severing an arm (The viper is a venomous snake; how could one not cherish one's limbs? Yet if bitten by a viper, fearing death, one must sever it). The principle of protecting the Dharma connects with spiritual illumination (For the sake of protecting the Dharma, how could one mind minor matters?). Long ago, when Master Huiyuan was nearing his end, his disciples presented fermented rice drink to be taken with caution (Fermented drink; they caused him to be careful, fearing it would violate the Vinaya); before verifying it with the Vinaya, he passed away (There was no danger, so he acted according to the Dharma). He was strict indeed with himself.