鐔津文集 8.11

8.11

寂子者學佛者也。以其所得之道寂靜奧妙。故命曰寂子。寂子既治其學。又喜習儒。習儒之書甚而樂為文詞。故為學者所辯。學佛者謂寂子固多心耶。不能專純其道。何為之駁也。學儒者謂寂子非實為佛者也。彼寄迹於釋氏法中耳。寂子竊謂此二者不知言者也。不可不告之也。因謂二客曰。吾之喜儒也。蓋取其於吾道有所合而為之耳。儒所謂仁義禮智信者與吾佛曰慈悲。曰布施。曰恭敬。曰無我慢。曰智慧。曰不妄言綺語。其為目雖不同。而其所以立誠修行善世教人豈異乎哉。聖人之為心者。欲人皆善。使其必去罪惡也。苟同有以其道致人為善。豈曰彼雖善非由我教而所以為善吾不善之也。如此焉得謂聖人耶。故吾喜儒亦欲晞聖人之志而與人為善也。又吾佛有以萬行而為人也。今儒之仁義禮智信。豈非吾佛所施之萬行乎。為吾萬行。又何駁哉。又謂之曰。客無以吾喜儒為寄迹苟容於佛氏法中耳。寂子雖無大過人豈不能為抱關擊柝魚鹽版築之事。以苟容其身耶。甘落𩬊忍所愛。口不敢嘗於葷血。以奉佛者誠以其教廣大其道真奧。以之修身則清淨齋戒。以之修心則正靜無妄。以之推於人則悛惡為善。善者為誠。以之死生終始則通於鬼神變化。雖飢羸枯槁委於草莽而不忍移者。正以其所存如此也。夫市井小人以市道相師。有一言利其所為。尚能終身戴其師之德。寂子雖陋。寧不賢於市井輩邪。得人之道而僥倖。以負其教而奴隸之。人不忍為也。寂子其為乎。仰天俯地吾不欺於聖人也。客幸無以此為說也。二客者嘗以其教相辯。寂子亦從而諭之曰。客無諍也。儒佛者聖人之教也。其所出雖不同而同歸乎治。儒者聖人之大有為者也。佛者聖人之大無為者也。有為者以治世。無為者以治心。治心者不接於事。不接於事則善善惡惡之志不可得而用也。治世者宜接於事。宜接於事則賞善罰惡之禮不可不舉也。其心既治謂之情性真正。情性真正則與夫禮義所導而至之者不亦會乎。儒者欲人因教以正其生。佛者欲人由教以正其心（或云欲人正心以行其教）心也者徹乎神明。神明也者世不得聞見。故語神明者必諭以出世。今牽於世而議其出世也。是亦不思之甚也。故治世者非儒不可也。治出世非佛亦不可也。二客復相辯其教之末者云云。寂子又諭之曰。君子於事宜揣其本以齊其末。則志常得而言不失也。今也各不詳其所以為教而辯其所奉教。吾未見其得之者也。苟辯其末孰不可辯也。二客且止。然寂子與人游也。不接其勢不奉其豪不要其譽。唯其達道與己合者與之視其嘐嘐相訾者悠然不樂從之。或問寂子。子似善於佛。盍揭子之道以示於世。寂子曰。吾道難言也。言乎邇則常不可極。言乎遠則常自得。存乎人通乎神達乎聖。歷乎死生變化而不失。未易一一與俗人語也。誠欲求之當探寂子所著之內書。

Jizi is one who studies the Buddha. Because the Way he has attained is tranquil, serene, profound, and wondrous, he is called Jizi. Having cultivated his Buddhist studies, Jizi also took pleasure in studying Confucianism. He studied Confucian books deeply and delighted in literary composition; therefore he was debated by scholars. Students of the Buddha said: "Is Jizi not fickle of mind? Unable to devote himself purely to his Way, why does he engage in such a heterodox mix?" Students of Confucianism said: "Jizi is not truly a Buddhist; he merely lodges his traces within the Dharma of the Śākya clan." Jizi privately considered that both sides failed to understand the matter, and that they must be told. Thereupon he addressed the two guests, saying: "That I take pleasure in Confucianism is simply because I adopt where it accords with our Way and practice it. What Confucianism calls benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—how does that differ from our Buddha speaking of compassion, giving, reverence, freedom from conceit, wisdom, and refraining from false speech and frivolous talk? Although their rubrics differ, how could that whereby they establish sincerity, cultivate practice, benefit the world, and instruct people be different? The mind of the sage desires that all people be good, causing them certainly to cast aside sin and evil. If they equally possess a Way to bring people to goodness, would one say: 'Although their goodness is good, because it does not stem from my teaching, I do not consider it good'? How could such a one be called a sage? Therefore, in taking pleasure in Confucianism, I also desire to aspire to the sages' will and join with others in doing good. Furthermore, our Buddha has the myriad practices for the sake of people. Are not the benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness of contemporary Confucianism precisely the myriad practices set forth by our Buddha? Being part of our myriad practices, what heterodoxy is there?" He further said to them: "Do not take my liking for Confucianism as merely lodging my traces to find an easy accommodation within the Dharma of the Buddhist clan. Though Jizi has no great superiority over others, could I not have kept watch at the gates, struck the clappers, or engaged in the trade of fish, salt, and building walls with beaten earth to accommodate myself? I willingly shaved my hair, renounced what I loved, and did not dare taste pungent or blood foods with my mouth to serve the Buddha, truly because his teaching is vast and his Way is genuinely profound. Using it to cultivate the body, one is pure, abstinent, and disciplined; using it to cultivate the mind, one is upright, tranquil, and free of delusion; using it to extend to others, one turns from evil to good, and those who are good become sincere; using it for life, death, beginning, and end, one penetrates the transformations of ghosts and spirits. Though famished, emaciated, and withered, cast into the weeds, I cannot bear to turn away, precisely because what is preserved within is like this. Now, petty market people take one another as teachers according to the ways of commerce; if there is a single word that benefits their undertakings, they can still bear the virtue of their teacher all their lives. Lowly though Jizi is, am I not worthier than the market folk? To obtain someone's Way, yet through opportunism betray his teaching and treat him as a servant—this, people cannot bear to do. Would Jizi do so? Looking up to Heaven and looking down to Earth, I do not deceive the sages. Guests, please do not speak like this." The two guests had previously debated their teachings with each other. Jizi followed up by instructing them, saying: "Guests, do not dispute. Confucianism and Buddhism are both teachings of the sages. Though where they issue forth differs, they return together to good order. Confucianism represents the great active engagement of the sages; Buddhism represents the great non-action of the sages. That which is active brings order to the world; that which is non-action brings order to the mind. Bringing order to the mind does not engage in worldly affairs; not engaging in worldly affairs, the resolve to treat good as good and evil as evil cannot be applied. Bringing order to the world should engage in worldly affairs; engaging in worldly affairs, the rites of rewarding the good and punishing the evil cannot fail to be raised. When the mind is ordered, this is called the feelings and nature being upright and true. When feelings and nature are upright and true, does this not converge with what is guided and attained through ritual and righteousness? Confucians wish people to rectify their lives through the teaching; Buddhists wish people to rectify their minds through the teaching (some say: wish people to rectify their minds to practice its teaching). The mind penetrates to the spiritual and luminous; the spiritual and luminous cannot be heard or seen in the world. Therefore, those who speak of the spiritual and luminous must explain it through transcendence of the world. Now, being tied to the world while debating transcendence—this is extreme unreflectiveness. Therefore, to bring order to the world, nothing other than Confucianism will do; to bring order to transcendence, nothing other than Buddhism will do." The two guests again debated the trivialities of their teachings at length. Jizi instructed them further, saying: "In dealing with matters, a gentleman should estimate the root to align the branches; then his purpose will always be attained and his words will not err. Now, without examining that by which they constitute teachings, you each debate what teachings you uphold. I have not seen anyone attain it. If you debate their branches, what is not debatable? Guests, let it cease." Thus when Jizi associated with others, he did not court their power, serve their arrogance, or seek their praise. Only with those who comprehended the Way and harmonized with him did he associate; seeing those who babbled and maligned each other, he remained aloof and took no pleasure in following them. Someone asked Jizi: "You seem adept at Buddhism; why not display your Way to reveal it to the world?" Jizi said: "My Way is difficult to express. Spoken of near at hand, it can never be exhausted; spoken of far off, it is always self-possessed. It resides in human beings, penetrates to the spiritual, and reaches the sage; it passes through life, death, and transformation without being lost. It is not easy to speak of it one by one with commoners. If one truly wishes to seek it, one should explore the esoteric writings that Jizi has composed."