北山錄 8.4

English (machine translation) 8.4

Language: English

8.4.1

The square baskets, round baskets, meat stands, and offering chalices (all being ancestral temple sacrificial vessels), their systems and adornments, are the implements of propriety. Ascending, descending, going up and down, circling about, wearing coarse coats and outer robes (a coarse coat is an overcoat made of fur. The Liji says: 'When overcoating where one should not enter the duke's gate, one must add a coarse coat over it; fox-white fur robes and patterned garments are covered with a coarse coat, which is this') are the outer patterns of propriety. Bells, drums, flutes, and stone chimes (bells are metal, drums are hide, flutes are bamboo, and stone chimes are stone), pheasants' feathers, flutes, shields, and battle-axes (feathers are pheasant-feather standards; flutes are like pipes with three holes, these being the rites of the civil dance; shields are bucklers, and battle-axes are jade axes and broadaxes, these being the rites of the martial dance) are the implements of music. Bending and stretching, bowing and looking up, the positions and movements, slow and fast, are the outer patterns of music. Set these aside, and propriety and music fall into ruin. Copying scriptures, painting, carving, incense tables, and Dharma lecterns are the implements of the Way and Virtue. Shaving the head, baring the shoulder, prostrating, circumambulating, meditation, lecturing, fasting, and upholding the precepts are the outer patterns of the Way. Relax these, and the Way and Virtue wane (to relax is to abandon; to wane is to be hidden). When the Buddha ascended to Trāyastriṃśa for three months (seven days after the Buddha was born, Māyā was reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; the Buddha went there to pass the summer retreat and expound the Dharma for his mother), King Udayana (the king of the Southern Sea) cherished verses of lamenting his non-return. Maudgalyāyana, taking thirty-two craftsmen, went to behold his marks and signs, and carved red sandalwood into an image. The king and the people of his country felt as though they stood face to face with the divine. The arising of establishing images began from this. When the Buddha first attained awakening, he dwelt beneath the King of Trees. Merchants presented food (when the Buddha first attained awakening, the elders Trapuṣa and Bhallika brought five hundred carts trading goods to the foot of the mountain; wind and rain were severe; the mountain deity told them: 'The Tathāgata has attained awakening, you may go and make offerings,' whereupon they came to the mountain) and requested to be shown how to generate merit. The Great Sage bestowed upon them his hair and nail clippings, ordering them to return to their country and raise a stūpa. The arising of stūpas and shrines began from this. Over a year after attaining awakening, his transformative power spread like the wind. He descended upon Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and entered the great city of Rājagṛha (translated here as 'Supreme Residence,' governed by Bimbisāra). King Bimbisāra led the officials, scholars, and commoners under his rule to greet him in the suburbs and fields, and consequently dedicated the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove as a jeweled dwelling for the Buddha (Kalandaka is translated here as 'sweet-sounding bird.' Long ago, a king went hunting and fell asleep beneath a tree; a great snake emerged from the tree about to sting that king; this bird cried mournfully to awake the king; consequently he gave away this grove for the birds to dwell in; now the king gave it away to build a monastery; some say Kalandaka is a squirrel, which is incorrect). The Buddha ordered that it be a residence for the saṅgha. The arising of saṅghārāmas began from this. The true Dharma has two aspects: namely, teaching and realization. Teaching relies on upholding and explaining; realization lies in cultivation and practice. If one does not uphold it, the true texts will be lacking. If one does not explain it, the ultimate principle will be obstructed. If one does not cultivate it, the noble lineage will be severed. Thus Vasubandhu said: 'The Dharma has no long or short duration; it abides in the world following three persons (the three persons are the masters of sūtra, vinaya, and abhidharma; also, the three persons of upholding, explaining, and realization).' When the persons are present, the Dharma is present; when the persons perish, the Dharma perishes. Some say that the periods of the true and semblance Dharma are a thousand years, and the final age ten times that; this merely raises the general limits to indicate its flourishing and ruin in the world. Others note that the Great Sage said: 'If there are assemblies that recite the precepts in accordance with the Dharma, then my Dharma will abide.' Because Vinaya masters maintain the Vinaya, the lifespan of the Buddha's Dharma abides for five thousand years (the Precept Scripture says: 'If one does not maintain the prohibitive precepts and perform the poṣadha as should be done, it is likened to the setting of the sun, when the whole world becomes dark and gloomy'). This is merely citing the benefit to manifest encouragement. Therefore, the sūtras, vinaya, and treatises are the root teachings for maintaining the Dharma, and the saṅgha's property and food are the meritorious deeds for maintaining the Dharma. When the teachings are pursued diligently, the Dharma assembly flourishes; when meritorious deeds are proclaimed, the Golden Realm is well-ordered. Thus the ultimate Way remains pure, noble, and consolidated in flavor without scattering, like the Great Broth in the cauldron (the broth used in sacrifices at the ancestral temple; it is not seasoned with the five flavors, hence the Zuo zhuan says: 'The Great Broth is not seasoned'), and the spiritual deities descend with blessings. These are the regulations for maintaining the Dharma. When the Three Learnings are greatly illuminated in heaven, virtue is as light as a wild goose feather (kong means greatly; you means light; this means the brilliance of what is practiced is lifted as lightly as a wild goose feather). When humans think to embrace the goodness of the Way, it can endure for a long time. To wish for the true wind and dark lineage to suffer decline throughout the world would likewise be impossible. The administrative monks in the Western Regions are collectively called karmadāna; in this land, they are the karmadāna (weina), and are also addressed as 'assembly gladdeners.' In that land, it is exceedingly difficult to fill this position; first, the sages summon the worthy, and the benevolent come next (the weina is the monk in charge of affairs; in the Western countries, seeking one is extremely difficult; they mostly appoint worthy men to it, and benevolent men are second to them). Yet as for the sages of the Central Realm, they do not make themselves manifest through sagehood; they rely solely on virtue and conduct, seeking it within themselves. If one relies on those without constancy or who make light promises, there will surely be deficiency (if one employs those who are inconstant and frivolous, faith will be deficient, and there will be neither beginning nor end). Not only does one fear overturning the cauldron's broth (su means broth-dregs), but they also indeed spoil their kind. Therefore, rather than assigning the duty to those who are unprincipled and causing the lower people to be influenced by them, it would be better to become a den of thieves (those who take charge of the saṅgha's fields, not having the talent and capacity, merely covet wealth and goods, and do not attend to repairs; it is like assigning an official position to the wrong person, so that provinces and counties are not governed; dwelling in a den of robbers is not worse than this). When the Buddha was in the world, Mahākāśyapa led the assembly at Vulture Peak, and Śāriputra oversaw affairs at the Bamboo Grove. Dabba Mallaputta attained arhatship at the age of sixteen; afterwards, reflecting that his physical body was not durable, he requested to take charge of saṅgha affairs. The Great Sage, pitying his sincere aspiration (yuan means prudent and sincere), ordered the saṅgha to appoint him. Being diligent in his duties, regarding clothing and food he was so untiring that he had no leisure; putting external matters first and himself second, he led and exhorted his dark companions (xu means harmony; 'dark companions' refers to the monks), and his fame spread throughout the eight directions. The August Awakened One praised his fine achievements and extolled him, saying: 'Among my disciples who oversee rooms, bedding, and assignments to invitations for meals for the saṅgha, Dabba Mallaputta is foremost.' In Jibin, there was the Elder Dharmatrāta, who cooked with his own hands in the saṅgha's kitchen. Two visiting monks, wishing to pay their respects from afar, did not know him at first. Approaching, they asked him, 'Where does the Great Sage of eminent virtue dwell now?' Dharmatrāta pointed and said, 'He resides in that topmost chamber.' The two monks followed his words and were about to go, but Dharmatrāta immediately used his spiritual powers to return first to his original seat. When the monks arrived afterwards, they silently realized he was the one they had seen before. After touching his feet in veneration, they asked: 'The Venerable One's name fills Jambudvīpa; why do you personally burn firewood and kindling (zhan means to burn; large pieces are called firewood, small ones kindling) and undertake such menial labor?'

8.4.2

Damo sighed deeply (saying that he let out a sigh), 'Since you have asked, what would I conceal? What I reflect upon is that over accumulated kalpas I suffered the torments of birth and death, perilous and protracted. Even when for five hundred lifetimes I was a dog, I was sated with only two meals, not to mention the other evil destinies. If my head could be burned, I would burn it along with the rest; why then begrudge burning this fire and the rest of my limbs?' During the Yao Qin period in central China, half of the households abandoned the secular life. When Kumārajīva entered the Pass, disciples carried food baskets (a basket being a type of hamper) and, not considering a thousand li too far, three thousand came. Thereupon Daoqi was appointed as Sangha Director (sengzheng), Huiyuan as rector (karmadāna), and Faqin and Huibin were placed in charge of the Sangha Registry (managing the registers and records, like today's monastic administrators), and they were provided with carriages and clerks. The rank of the Sangha Director was equal to that of a Palace Attendant, and the others had their respective distinctions. The existence of monastic officials in China began with the Qin. The Wei dynasty established the Bureau for Overseeing Blessings, which was later renamed the Office of Illuminating the Arcane, complete with official subordinates, to adjudicate monastic affairs. The Zhou and Qi reformed it into the Office for Venerating the Arcane (in the Northern Qi and Later Zhou, it was like the Commissioner of Merit and Virtue). The Eastern Wei and Northern Qi esteemed its superintendents (tong), while the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen esteemed its directors (zheng). Furthermore, the three officers of a monastery (like the three directors of today) were subordinate to these superintendents and directors. When the Sui changed the Zhou mandate, the propagation of the Dharma became especially flourishing: the Tripiṭaka masters of the realm were divided among ten superintendents. Now the state has abolished the superintendents and established two registries, administering them in the capital (the monastic registries manage the capital, while outside prefectures separately establish Sangha Directors); their three directors, in particular, are sought among men of moral prestige. The stūpa of the country of Rāmagrāma was originally built when it received a share of the relics along with other kingdoms. With the passage of long years, the grounds became desolate; only wild elephants held fragrant offerings in their trunks and presented fruits, cleared the overgrowth with their tusks, and sprinkled the ground with their trunks. A traveling śramaṇa was deeply moved by this; he thereupon renounced the full precepts to become an earnest postulant (ceqin), diligently repaired the old site, and took all the labors upon his own person (renouncing the precepts means giving up the full ordination; as for an earnest postulant śramaṇa, why was it done? Because holding the precepts made digging the earth, felling trees, and burning fires in the open air violations of the precepts; therefore, he could not carry out the work of renovation). In the Jin, Daojing, the great-grandson of General of the Right Wang [Xizhi], resided in Mount Ruoye and established the Xuanniu Hermitage, renouncing the precepts just as in the affair of Rāmagrāma. Thus, when a benevolent person does good, it is identical throughout the realm; when an unbenevolent person does evil, it is also identical throughout the realm (for an auspicious person doing good, only the day is insufficient; for a baneful person doing evil, only the day is also insufficient). Cui Huiyuan built a monastery in Wuling. After he died, someone saw him at the foot of Mount Wudang, his expression and bearing utterly serene; he sent a message to the monastery's monks, saying: 'Do not allow the monastery's estate to fall into neglect.' From then on, the sound of a stone chime was heard in mid-air at the regular times (now at Mount Wuzhong in Qiongzhou of Shu, and at Jinge Monastery in Pengzhou, sounds of hymns, stone chimes, and the like are all heard in the sky). Faxian of Guangzhou founded a monastery on Mount Cangwei. Two youths arrived hand in hand and sang: 'Cangwei possesses the Dao and virtue, / Joy and bliss have not yet reached their end' (Weiyang was a Qin palace). When the song ended, they suddenly vanished. Indeed, spirits are moved by sincerity, and the Dao is assisted by the spirits. Without sincerity, what virtue is there? Without spirits, what reliance is there? Therefore, when auspicious omens soar, they ought to encourage those who have not yet soared. Zhou Yong of the Qi established Caotang Monastery at the former residence of Lei Cizong on Mount Zhong, which some called Shanci; he sought Huiyue to serve as its abbot. Huiyue, feeling that although it was close to urban dwellings, it was secluded beyond worldly matters and a silent appreciation of pure sincerity, entrusted his final years to it. Zhou Yong sighed, saying: 'The prior Yue of Shanci: his pure emptiness fills the age.' Emperor Wu of Liang built Guangzhai Monastery and decreed that Fayun serve as its abbot; he established monastic regulations, which set a noble standard for posterity. Fayun possessed filial virtue, and furthermore, through his practice and conduct, he received heaven's blessing and bore the country's favor and glory. Now, filial piety consists in serving the dead as one serves the living, and yearning for one's parents as if wishing not to live oneself. Zengzi was renowned for serving his parents; when he observed his parents' mourning, neither water nor broth entered his mouth for seven days. Gao Chai, in yearning for his parents, wept blood for three years and was never seen to show his teeth (this means he wept without voice, as if bleeding; his smiles were so faint that his teeth were not seen). Had Fayun not received the remonstrance of Sengmin, he would nearly have been broken by grief (Fayun observed mourning for his mother almost unto physical destruction; Sengmin urged him, and only then did he take food). When Fayun was a novice, he pondered the Lotus Sūtra deeply for years. He once went to a secluded crag, erected stones to serve as his audience, held a pine branch, and expounded it alone. Hence, later he stood foremost in this scripture, and though there were crowds of masters, it was hard to equal him. Once, when he concluded a lecture at a monastery, he moved heavenly flowers to drift through the hall like snow filling the sky; only when he stepped down from his seat did they cease. At that time, there was a monk who wished to equal Fayun; in a dream, a divine being admonished him, saying: 'Dharma Master Yun already expounded this scripture in the time of the Buddha Dīpaṅkara. You should promptly dismiss your intention (to dismiss means to cease) and not plot for what cannot be hoped for.' Now, in the final age of the Dharma gate, people pursue their own caprices (each turns toward his own intentions); as for the legacy and records left by former sages, how do the later-born regard them? Turning their backs on virtue, they head toward profit; they advance easily but retreat with difficulty. Constantly coveting the monastery's permanent property, if it is rich and fertile, they use bribes to seek its office (to spy means to steal a glance; using wealth to seek the principal duties). Once they obtain it and grasp those official tallies, swaggering in their position, they end up acting wilfully and blindly, behaving rashly without revering monastic ordinances, disrupting the order of the Six Harmonies, and leveling the accomplishment of nine fathoms. When the granaries and stores are empty and the weed-covered fields have turned green (this clarifies that handling the affairs of the monastery's permanent property in reverse brings ruin, causing estates and fields to become barren, whereupon they plot to retire and be relieved), they either contrive claims of old age or resign claiming illness. The prefectural offices do not investigate their failures and merits, nor scrutinize their corruption and uprightness (the commentary on the Hanshu states: superior merit is called zui; inferior merit is called dian; jian means evil; zhi means upright), but hastily grant their resignations and transfers, thereby allowing crafty fellows to succeed in their schemes to an extreme degree. Moreover, those petty and insignificant persons (cuier means small, base fellows) still require human governance even when dwelling among the secular; how could donning black robes suddenly enable them to bring order to things? But the authorities initially select them through wealth, and when they bear guilt, they also in the end evade it through wealth. Or, when the community does not conceal it and reports their crimes, those who examine the case conversely frame the accusers against all principle (to conceal means to cover up; biased means partial; initially seeking abbotship, they seek it with wealth, and after encroaching and misusing it, they use wealth to seek immunity; or when monks sue them before officials, officials also, through favoritism and luck, instead impose penalties on the accusers; this is all because wrongdoing is fostered in the officialdom); this has never been understood by the prefectures and cities.

8.4.3

Since [the government] registers their lands and estates and arrays them among the tributary duties (understanding and knowing; "ji" means "to borrow"; in antiquity, a tithe was taxed: the people plowed ten mu of fields, and the ruler borrowed their labor to cultivate one mu as tribute for the court; when the tribute was filled by the hundred, they offered it), it either treats them as beyond the mundane world or regards them as [transcendent beings] flying through the air (the government offices regard monks either as transcendent gentlemen beyond the mundane or as deities and lofty scholars looking upon one another; they should select the worthy and employ the capable), leaving them outside of governance and transformation, with none who select the worthy and encourage the capable, causing them to uphold and restore [the temples] (this is because the government offices view them as people outside worldly affairs and do not regulate them). This has caused the gate of merit to crumble and fall, and humans and spirits to sigh deeply. Is this not to possess the land yet allow its majesty and beneficence to leak away? When the litigation of the common clergy is judged by government offices, that is the fault of the monastic leadership (when the monks commit crimes and have the government offices correct them, this is the monks' fault); when the leadership seeks good order but the haughty and powerful obstruct it, that is the fault of the secular officials (when monastic lands are disturbed and encroached upon by the state without cause, this is the error of the officials). When these two faults exist yet are not redressed, how can disorder ever cease? Or there are those who falsely assume the official monastic register of the Śākya clan, coveting the legal patronage of monastic lands; when labor and service fall upon them, they skip about and shake their heads, considering only how to live at ease and pamper their bodies (some manage cloisters, or oversee estates, cheating the monastic assembly, encroaching upon the permanent property [of the saṃgha], colluding with prefectures and counties, relying on powerful factions, strictly building up ramparts so that litigants cannot prevail against them, and then donning fine saddlery and carriages, adorning their servants, skipping about and shaking their heads, taking deep pride in themselves). Fulfilling their ambitions and indulging their desires, they care only for themselves. If the monastery suffers loss or gain, they do not gallop or hasten [to help]; if the monastery has property to plant or tend, they do not attend to it personally; if the monastery has bells and chimes, they do not strike or beat them; if the monastery has courtyards and doors, they do not sweep or sprinkle them. Facing wealth or crisis, they merely act opportunistically (merely getting by heedlessly). These are indeed the hanging warts of the Dharma clan, the webbed fingers of humankind (when an extra finger grows among the five fingers, it is called a webbed finger, which is useless; here it is used as a metaphor). Those who leave home must take the practice of their Dharma as their outward form; they must not take plotting for profit as their outward form. Therefore they can adapt to high or low according to the times, bringing benefit to things wherever they are, like the southern breeze that harmonizes the myriad creatures, or like the Azure Essence that blesses a whole region (the horn constellation is called the Longevity Star, and also the Old Man Star; it is the essence of the Azure Dragon; when it appears, it brings good fortune). Why should they merely be like those whose breath stops the drifting wind, whose strength checks a bolting horse, who are bold in securing themselves, and who are stingy in gathering goodness? Thus average persons emulate their inferiors and gradually fall into vulgarity (habits become second nature). This has caused those who rectify, propagate, guide, and govern to be scarce in the end. At the close of the Xia and Yin dynasties, how could it be that everyone was executed, had not all transformed into evil? In the era of Tang and Yu, how could it be that everyone was enfeoffed, had not all transformed into goodness? (The people under Jie and Zhou were so corrupt that every house could be executed; the people under Tang and Yu were so good that every house could be enfeoffed). Now the Great Dharma is about to fall, and our party follows in neglect (neglectful and petty, as well as careless), everyone degenerating into unworthiness. If someone is about to go to the source of the teaching, chisel away its flaws, dredge the currents and guide the waves, bridge the waters with joined boats (joining boats and mooring them to make a bridge), restore the guiding principles of Zhi and Jia (Zhi Dun and others; Jia is Huiyuan), or pursue the foundational works of Yun and Yue (the disciples Fayun and Huiyue)—this is certainly not what is prized today. Or there are those whose practice is meager yet who are slightly revered, whose abilities and reputation are faintly apparent (such as those of today who master a single sūtra or treatise, or scholars who compose poetry and hoard knowledge). When it comes to amassing profits, they are never absent; yet regarding the affairs of the community, they say it hinders the Way, discarding their intention to maintain it and hastily inventing excuses with embellishments (they invariably offer excuses to seek careless evasion). This is indeed the broken blade of the common butcher, having not attained the skilled butcher's effortless insertion of the blade (Zhuangzi's common butcher broke his blade when first learning to carve an ox; the skilled butcher saw no whole ox before him, effortlessly inserting the blade without dulling it). The noble person is not a vessel; these are mere vessels (neither square nor round). The highest excellence is like water; these are not like water. Those who study the Way under heaven put practice first and reserve adherence for later: only when practice is obstructed do they hold fast, and when holding fast is penetrated, they practice. To hold fast when one ought to practice is called affectation. I observe that when the officials govern, they recognize the worthy and confer office on the talented, lessen slander and redress grievances (gaining the right people lessens slander; lacking impediments redresses grievances), cast out harshness and strive for kindness: these six are the utmost in aiding the living populace. Why should the exemplars and Dharma leaders who command respect in their regions not imitate their disciples in behaving like this? As for uniting with the worthy and capable, distributing labor and delegating responsibilities, not enriching oneself, not abusing the assembly, gathering the hundred faults upon oneself, attributing all goodness to others, showing kindness first to those of merit and only later bestowing it on commoners, implementing orders first among those close and only later reaching those who are distant, leveling love and hate in one's heart, equating glory and disgrace in affairs, drifting freely like an untethered boat, wandering carefree as if roaming and sporting—how could this not be the Way? The Grand Master of Yin, the Scribe of the Pillars of Zhou, and the Official of the Lacquer Garden (Pengzu, Laozi, and Zhuangzi) were all men of emolument and rank. In turbidity, they were like pearls dropped into water; walking through favor, they were like the wind passing over the grass. When did they ever let external affairs muddy their virtue and the Way? (Softening their light and blending with the dust). Formerly, when Kong Mie was a magistrate, he lamented three losses (Kong Mie was the son of Confucius's elder brother; together with Zijian, he served Confucius. Confucius visited Mie and asked him, "In your official service, what have you gained and what have you lost?" He said, "I have gained nothing; what I have lost is threefold: royal affairs are like deafness, so how could learning be practiced? Thus learning is obscured. Emoluments are meager, so the porridge does not extend to relatives; thus flesh and blood become more distant. Public duties are many and pressing, so I cannot attend funerals or inquire after the sick; thus the way of friends is neglected. These are the three losses"); whereas when Mi Zijian was a magistrate, he rejoiced in three gains (Mi Buqi. Confucius went to inquire of him, and he said, "What I have gained is threefold: what was previously spoken I now can practice, so my learning has become clearer. What my emolument provides extends to relatives, so flesh and blood are closer. Although I have public duties, I also attend funerals and inquire after the sick, so friends trust and recommend me." Confucius sighed and said, "A gentleman indeed is such a man! If Lu had no gentlemen, where could he have acquired this?"). Zhongni praised Mi as a gentleman, not something Mie possessed. How lamentable is this encumbered existence! In a hundred years of human life, among the common sort, they are registered in government offices and monasteries.

8.4.4

[Whether] subordinated to holy beings in temples of transcendent immortals, could those dwelling in official monasteries rather decline to handle human affairs? If there are temples of transcendent immortals, none of us are able to go to them (such as Mount Wuzhong in Dayi County of Qiongzhou, where five hundred arhats dwell, the sacred lamp of Mount Sanxue, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva on Mount Emei, and so on; or as in the Gantong zhuan, where an anonymous monk reached the bamboo grove temple of immortals, and so on—all of these). Formerly, Zhu Danyou went to Tiantai, Yuantong of Chicheng went to the east of Ye, and Huibao of Shigu stayed overnight in a rock chamber (these are all temples of immortals); in none of them were there not teachers and elders, and solemn deportment. When [the visitors] wished to lodge their physical form, [the immortals] would not allow them to stay. Therefore, among humankind one often hears of the sounds of bells, Sanskrit chanting, divine lamps, and wondrous images from sheer cliffs and deep forests: these serve as verification. For this reason, in the monastic dwelling, on each occasion of reciting the precepts and on the day of releasing the summer retreat, one cannot but purify and solemnize the Dharma hall, and respectfully align the assembly, solemn and dignified as if in the presence of the Holy One. The *Mahāyāna-avatāraka-śāstra* says that the sixteen great arhats, such as Piṇḍola and Rāhula, reverently received [the Buddha's] bequeathed entrusted care, and thereupon walked among the villages of mortals (after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, the venerable Nandimitra under King Jeta of Kaśmīra singled out the sixteen great arhats for his sake). In recent generations, in Zitong commandery there was a great elder, the Vinaya master of the Hu clan, who was also of this kind of spiritual resonance. To the south border of the commandery was Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Hu led his disciples in the summer retreat and recited the precepts. At night, the count of persons was settled, yet the tally sticks always exceeded [the count]; the assembly did not understand why it was so (every night of the fifteenth and the final night of the month, the monks have one person recite the prātimokṣa and must distribute tallies, first counting how many monks and how many novices there are, so as to know the total tally sticks). When the summer drew to a close, there were two or three foreign śramaṇas who emerged from the mountain to the roadside, waving their hands to bid farewell to the reapers. The Vinaya master heard of it and rushed over; his disciples galloped in all four directions to check, for their departure was not far off, yet none could see them. The mind of the holy ones originates from our human minds; the efficacy of ghosts and spirits originates from our human spiritual efficacy (utmost sincerity moves the divine and luminous). Huixuan suffered from the lack of water in his lecture dwelling; when he was about to move, the local mountain spirit gushed a flow for him (for instance, the Huiyi Monastery of Zizhou had no water; there was a monk named Shenxiao who recited the Diamond Sūtra, setting a term of seven days, and when the time arrived, a springing fountain indeed burst forth, which is visible today). Sengfan, on the night of reciting the precepts, lodged at another temple; observing that those putting forward doctrinal debates had neglected the practice, the spiritual deities grew wrathful and struck him down. Truly, sincerity and discipline must not be transgressed! When Huichao of the Liang served as Great Rector, he was fond of mountains and waters, and the sound of his retinue was heard for several miles. In his dwelling, he arrayed child servants; seeing that even princes and marquises did not rival him, how could he be deemed a Rector? Now, a Rector must rectify himself so as to govern; if he is not incorrupt, how can there be rectitude? When Daoda served as Rector of South Yanzhou, upon leaving office he had only five bundles of used paper—how could his incorruptibility and the turbidity [of others] be compared on the same level? (A level is like an equalizer, which evens out bushels and peck measures). Sengmin would not hold great assemblies. He addressed his disciples, saying: 'Although a great assembly has the merit of momentarily inspiring people, I am deficient in manual laborers. With rice, firewood, vegetables, and soup, trampling, pouring, and roasting, the harm caused to living beings is extremely great. If one borrows official power, though the laborers are numerous, it is even more difficult to fulfill one's intention. Therefore, I will not do it.' Critics say: 'Those who are quiet excel in their movement; those who are active excel in their quietude. Such are the persons of comprehensive relief (the principle where a hasty disposition cherishes quietude and a gentle nature loves firmness; also like the meaning of using leniency to temper severity). If one is quiet and merely practices quietude, then the ordinary mind will be desolate and virtue will not shine forth (because their traces are hidden and obscure). If one dwells in activity and becomes excessively active, then the physical world will become overly prominent, and the Dao and virtue will become superficial and false. Therefore, the worthy treads between movement and quietude, and reaches beyond being and non-being; they subsume the myriad goods into non-action (wuwei), yet there is no good that they do not perform. Now, Great Yu made his palace modest yet exhausted his strength on ditches and watercourses; he was frugal in food and drink yet devoted his filial piety to the ghosts and spirits. How could it be that he loved having calloused hands and feet and hairless shins? (When Xia Yu regulated the waters, his feet were without hair and his shins were hairless; Wei Zhao says *ba* refers to the small hairs on the thighs). It was simply that he did not prioritize his own ease, but wished to bestow merit upon the world. The elder's son Śāntamati established a great assembly of giving (expounded in the *Vimalakīrti Sūtra*); the Sage was pleased and instructed him, revealing that when extensive giving relieves the multitude, the merit reaches far along with the mind, and its joy is boundless. Therefore in the Western Regions there is the *pañcavārṣika* (namely, the great offering assembly); those of superior wisdom practice it. Accumulating yet able to disperse, kindness returns to oneself, and wealth returns to others. When Chen Xi gave distributions all around, in reality it doubled the blessings (Chen Huanzi heavily bestowed gifts upon the people using larger bushels, qu, and measures, providing for all; ultimately this led to his descendants prospering in Qi). Now, if a Great Being genuinely benefits living beings, even if it brings harm to oneself, he does not avoid it; how much less so when it is not harmful! (When a bodhisattva practices, his body becomes mountains of flesh and fish and rice; wishing to walk the great road, why look back at small pathways?) If one considers that generating meritorious undertakings harms sentient life, then from whence would the sin arise for banners, stūpas, clay, wood, ceremonial images, robes, and provisions? When Śāriputra begged for food, he observed insects in the air, falling like driving rain, thick as millet in a vessel; thereupon he did not eat for many days. The Great Sage addressed him, saying: 'What is seen with the fleshly eye may indeed be eaten.' Lingyu instructed his students: regardless of whether they were noble or base, young or old, he always stated his own name and addressed them as 'benevolent one,' entirely doing away with scolding and beating; yet if someone spoke contrary to what is right, he was sure to reprove them. Why did his application reach such an extent? This may perhaps be recounted, but cannot be sustained as a rule. The *Odes* say: 'I cherish your illustrious virtue, not displayed in loud sounds or [wrathful] countenance' (meaning King Wen did not issue loud voices or show anger in his countenance; it also says: 'Without conscious knowledge, he accords with the patterns of the Sovereign on High'). Zhongni said: 'Voice and countenance are trivial matters in dealing with people' (displaying awe and an intimidating countenance is of the lowest order). Now, governing without punishment is esteemed by all the world. But people of today fear awe and disrespect virtue (awe overcomes kindness); even the sages abhorred this. The *Odes* say: 'If the gentleman is moved to anger, the disorder will surely be swiftly checked' (meaning if the gentleman is angry, the disorderly rabble will certainly disperse). It also says: 'The king rose in blazing wrath, and thereupon assembled his forces.' This speaks of using awe to halt disorder. A fine horse must rely on its bit and whip; a beautiful bird must await trimming and pruning; fine timber must depend on the chisel and gouge. There has never been one who cast these aside and was able to achieve beauty by himself. The *Changes* say: 'The petty person is not ashamed of non-benevolence, nor does he fear unrighteousness. If he sees no advantage, he is not encouraged; if awe is not shown, he is not chastened. Chastened in small things, he takes great warning' (chastening means reproving; that is, reproving the offenses of injury, damage, and waste).

8.4.5

…and then greatly admonish them concerning the benefits of generating merit and performing good works.) Therefore, one who guides the multitude should promote people before their merits are widely known, and discipline them before disorder arises, so that people revere their authority and favor, exerting themselves in awe and caution; this can be called a good beginning. Once the beginning is established, things proceed silently like the five breaths harmonizing and the eight winds marking the seasons; all is fully orderly, and words and deeds are measured. Even if there are reproaches and floggings (reproaches mean verbal rebukes; floggings mean the cane), there will be no occasion to employ them; this can be called a good ending. Few people achieve a good ending, yet [Ling]yu achieved lasting renown for it (only Lingyu was able to do this; few others could). Observing this, although he did not beat or humiliate them, but expelled them from the assembly, this at times might also be considered severe (expelling means banishment; like handing over the robes and bowl and being expelled from the hall today). The sūtra says: 'This is killing; this is the retribution for killing. This is hell; this is the retribution of hell.' The vinaya permits rebukes and censures for the sake of instruction without it being an offense; what is the meaning of this? It is simply to aim at punishment so that punishment becomes unnecessary (this means strictly warning against offenses so people do not commit them). Therefore, praising the good encourages goodness; exposing the bad stops evil. Loving words to Rāhula, and reprimands to Devadatta—how could it be otherwise? (Rāhula was the Buddha's son; Devadatta was the Buddha's foe.) The humane person exercises forbearance in the mind, while the deceitful person exercises forbearance in the mouth (the humane person is loyal and honest, thus their forbearance is in the mind; the deceitful person is scheming, thus their forbearance is in the mouth). When it is in the mind, it elevates others and promotes benefit; when it is in the mouth, it ruins others and feigns compassion. Petty people of today listen to the mouth and do not understand the heart; they regard a compliant face as kindness and favor (because people are pleased by fine words, a pleasing face, and excessive respect), and regard lofty conduct as arrogance and stubbornness. They do not realize that Kings Yi and Li of Zhou (unruly rulers of the Ji Zhou) descended into the courtyard to receive the feudal lords, becoming weak and foolish, and were thus curtailed; while Emperor Yan and Xuanyuan raised armies to suppress disorder, yet cannot be called rulers who lacked wuwei (Emperor Yan attacked the Gonggong clan; the Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou). For a teacher, the benefit lies in the Dharma; why worry about what people say? (Care means worry. Benefiting others is not abandoned because of harm. It is like governing a state; why fear execution and punishment?) But in the world, there are those who accumulate deception and obscure uprightness, whose virtue is low but whose reputation is lofty, extending an inflated fame for compassion and gathering a crowd like flies to carrion; this leads unprincipled men to obscure their own conduct and take them as their model (making those lacking integrity imitate them). They even twist it to mean that the Great Sage's compassion will not fall upon them [with punishments], thereby causing the five types of intractable horses and the seven categories of people to be tamed to fall into perdition forever. Now in the degenerate age of our teaching (degenerate age means the final era), the followers of the Dharma face many difficulties, as the wicked band together to further disorder, as firm as clustered mulberry trees (bao means growing in clusters). If one wishes to rely on my rectitude, one must weigh what is feasible and act with caution regarding the turning points; this too is the teaching of the sages. In antiquity, the guest Tripiṭaka master, upon seeing an offense concealed, reprimanded them and they complied with reform (according to the vinaya, when a monk commits a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense, he is ordered to live apart for ten days, called parivāsa, meaning examining one's offense. If before ten days are up, he commits another saṃghāvaśeṣa without concealing it, and declares that he has disclosed it, then one should not perform the karman for concealing an offense. There was a guest Tripiṭaka master who saw this, rebuked them, and thus they reformed). Śāriputra, when encountering an illicit karman, (in antiquity, when the male and female monastery servants grew up, four monks performed a karman to marry them off; Śāriputra knew it was contrary to the Dharma, and wishing to rebuke them, first informed the Buddha; the Buddha said: 'You should not rebuke them, as one does not rebuke a multitude; moreover, they are many and you are alone, and I fear it will bring harm upon you'; thus he remained silent and did not stop them) acted just as Duke Liu did in fleeing the Di tribes, yielding to virtue through weakness (Duke Liu was a descendant of Houji; Houji served Yao and was enfeoffed at Tai as Minister of Agriculture; losing his office, he fled to the west; Duke Liu restored his office; the Rong people coveted his land and expelled him; by the time of King Tai, they moved to Bin and dwelt south of Mount Qi; King Wen received the mandate, King Wu conquered Yin, and they took all under Heaven); and just as King Wen did in attacking the forces of Chong, deploying strength to quell disorder (Chong was a feudal state; Marquis of Chong, Feizhong, was an unvirtuous spy for King Zhou; thus King Wen raised weapons and attacked him; there was a drought, but as the army marched, rain fell). Both were instances of broad, illuminating discernment in adapting to circumstances. As for those who plot for wrongful wealth and pursue untimely blessings, tearing down low pavilions to rebuild them on a grand scale, or replacing modest bells and drums with lavish, perilous displays (using seized wealth to pursue hasty, ostentatious projects, erecting spacious halls and gleaming bells and balustrades)—their wealth comes from injustice and excess, and their deeds arise from greed and rashness; truly, their sins and merits do not offset each other! Now, releasing living creatures stems from pitying those about to be slaughtered (when Qi was about to sacrifice an ox to consecrate a bell, King Xuan ordered it replaced with a sheep; Mencius said: 'The king was begrudging one ox'; the king said: 'I could not bear to see it go to death'; Mencius said: 'The king only saw the ox and did not see the sheep. A gentleman, regarding animals, sees them alive and cannot bear to see them die; hears their cries and cannot bear to eat their flesh; this is why a gentleman stays away from the kitchen'), meeting them and preserving their lives; this is called the merit of nurturing life. Long ago, when Zhao Jianzi released animals on New Year's Day, the people of the state netted and caught them to present to him; when beneficence is born of harm, it is better not to release them at all. Therefore, those who maintain [the monastic community] calculate virtue rather than profit, and so their benefit is broadened through virtue; if they calculate profit rather than virtue, their virtue is curtailed by profit. Alas! The Dharma has declined; the kalpa is at its lowest dregs. Sages and worldlings are separated; devas and nāgas lie hidden and restrained, while demons wield their power. It is hard to distinguish the correct from the vulgar. Relying on stūpas and temples as heavy anchors, and leaning upon the chaste and wise for support—can it merely be sheltering under the shade of fragrant altars, nourishing the body with Dharma offerings, while the rise and fall of the teaching is never held in one's heart, and one amuses oneself with laughter and talk from morning to night? In an instant, like a white steed passing a crack (white steed refers to dust motes flying past a skylight), the soul sinks into the long night of the grave (zhun means deep; xi means night; the eternal night is the long night of birth and death; words of the Viscount of Chu), having contributed not even a single basket of earth to the field of monastic merit, while sinking into the pains of a hundred punishments within the Iron Enclosure! Contemplating this principle in stillness, who would not feel chilled to the core and a pang of sorrow in the nose? Yet the dark guidelines have long been disordered; the monastic precincts are vast in vain. Population registers are kept in princely halls, and taxation returns to the commanderies and counties. Monks serve and welcome officials, like village clerks trembling before high superiors. Therefore, the upright and meek avoid encounters and avoid controversies by staying away (cleansing themselves to keep clear of prefectures and counties), while the foolish and corrupt waste effort and wealth without benefit. The golden fields have turned to brambles and thorns; truly, this is the cause of our affliction.

8.4.6

If it is like this, the prefectures and counties will soon destroy the temples; how could it merely be something to make the two Martial Emperors laugh? (The encroachments and wastes by prefectures and counties are no less than those of the two Martial Emperors.) Therefore, those who govern the people must understand people and bring peace to people; they should examine their words and deeds, and toward the good, offer the courtesy of bowing low and stepping off the dais, supporting them with all their might; while those who are not good should be demoted, so that gentlemen and petty men are not treated the same. If this is truly done, the hope for Jetavana to flourish with gold spread out can be awaited. Hence, the flourishing of temples is the flourishing of those who possess the Way. Therefore, when entering a realm, from a great state to a petty viscount or baron, if the banners and shrines are well-tended and the assembly of monks is solemn, this too is how one sees that the secular governance is pure. In the Western Regions, the permanent assets provide monks with food and clothing from the yield of fields and gardens, originating from donors; how could donations merely be discussed in terms of food and clothing? Monks dine at the designated time only after the bell is struck; leftovers must return to the Saṅgha and not be kept for oneself (leftovers mean remnants; eating leftover food from the previous night violates the precepts); even across different boundaries, things are shared according to the Dharma. The wealth of the Three Jewels is managed by appointed officers without stinginess (the wealth of the Three Jewels is managed by the cook/steward; there is no stingy hiding of it). When kings and ministers use force to demand supplies, one certainly cannot refuse them; when bandits and fierce men threaten with force beyond control, one cannot go against their demands. If a monk is sick and lacks medicine, give it according to what is available; if he is poor and lacks robes, provide for him according to available goods; the robes of the deceased are kept, and after the burial, returned to the Saṅgha (if there are permanent assets of the Three Jewels stored to guard against kings and thieves, and for poor or sick monks; if a poor monk lacks robes, supply them with robes; after death and burial, return them to the permanent assets of the Saṅgha). Those who labor diligently in managing monastic affairs are given double portions of clothing and food (like giving extra offerings and profits to monastery directors today); therefore, the vinaya refers to this as the category of multiplying merit. Yet those who undertake responsibilities must not decide every matter alone; in every undertaking, they must consult the assembly; if consulting the assembly is not always feasible, they should appoint someone who knows the Dharma; hence, the vinaya calls them 'authorized administrators' (like the monastery priors and directors of today). If they consider things as not belonging to themselves and indulge their minds in reckless dissipation, seeking their own ease, abandoning their duties and letting merit fall away, gathering laborers, calculating food rations, and using measuring cups and scales without rule (jiu means gathering; liang and heng mean dry measures and scales; having no rules for measurement), thereby damaging and wasting the wealth of the assembly, these duty-holders will return to sin! Long ago, Saṅgha[…]śā saw monks in a monastery on the ocean eating pus and blood and striking each other with vessels; this was because in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, dwelling in the same pure monastery, a guest monk arrived and out of anger they hid the food. In the Song dynasty, Fafeng died and became a hungry ghost that could not eat, circling the monastery making the sounds of a starving camel; this was because he monopolized monastery duties and acted with harsh stinginess. In Linqiong, the monk Sun saw his own body as a latrine, holding a bowl to eat filth; this was because during a famine year, he cut down the ladle and reduced the gruel. Zhiqui died and became a slave to the assembly; this was because he lent monastery cloth to others (for instance, the monk Qingxun of Shengshou Temple recited the Lotus Sūtra; whenever he was at funerals, he demanded wine and meat from the food servers and took them home; one day he suddenly lost his voice, for years could not take food, and gradually could not swallow water; he said of himself that he had entered the realm of hungry ghosts while still alive). Reflecting upon these unseen workings of karma, who would not take them as proof? The Biographies of Eminent Monks lists ten categories (first, translating scriptures; second, doctrinal explanation; third, practicing dhyāna; fourth, clarifying vinaya; fifth, protecting the Dharma; sixth, resonant responses; seventh, abandoning the body; eighth, recitation; ninth, promoting merit; tenth, miscellaneous); it takes maintaining the Dharma as promoting merit. Whenever I examine and carry out these practical deeds, there is indeed the generation of merit! Long ago, I heard from an Indian monk who asked my master: 'Crumbling walls and blood-stained foundation stones (pronounced xujin)—only those who burn with foul desires dwell there; while magnificent verandas and ornate windows (shu means window)—only those with minds pure as ice and snow dwell there.' Alas, when verified today, it is not false! He also said: 'Fotudeng established more than eight hundred and ninety temples, and Mount Tiantai has thirty-five; if I cannot now promote and expand one or two, then I am not a true man! (A true man means an eminent man.)' Speaking to you, his disciples, tears flowed down to his eyelashes. In my own folly and confusion, I am incapable of shouldering the burden (the Book of Documents says: 'If the father chops firewood, but the son cannot shoulder the load'); yet may this illuminate the legacy entrusted to us, accumulating good deeds amidst hardship, acting as a balance and support for the Dharma. Ashamed to look up at the clouds and the sun, I look back with sorrow and everlasting yearning.

Linked texts (1)

北山錄 — Classical Chinese