辯偽錄 2.37

2.37

By the power of Eternal Heaven, imperial edict of the Emperor: An edict proclaimed to the Pacification Commissions, to the darughachis of towns and villages, to the officials, and to the Daoist masters headed by Perfected Master Zhang. In the Year of the Horse, when the monks and Daoist masters debated the scriptures and the Daoist masters were refuted and confounded, seventeen Daoist masters were thereupon ordered to shave their heads and become monks. Moreover, of the four hundred and eighty-two monasteries that originally belonged to the monks but had been occupied by the Daoist masters, two hundred and thirty-seven monasteries, along with their fields, lands, waters, soils, and estates, were ordered to be returned to the monks; and an instrument of restitution was submitted by the Daoist masters headed by Perfected Master Zhang. Furthermore, the printing blocks and texts of the Huahu jing and other works mendaciously fabricated by the Daoist masters were ordered to be burnt; and whatever was engraved upon stone steles, whatever texts were written thereon, were all to be completely destroyed. Moreover, formerly among the Three Teachings, the sacred image of Śākyamuni Buddha was sculpted in the center, while the likenesses of Lord Lao and Master Kong were sculpted on the left and right sides; now, if the Daoist masters have cast aside that former precedent and sculpted the sacred image of Śākyamuni Buddha below, it was judged that they must follow the former precedent of the Three Teachings and make correction wherever the sacred image of Śākyamuni Buddha has been sculpted below. Now, Elder [Fu]yu of Shaolin and the other monks have submitted a memorial saying that, of the monasteries that were ordered to be returned, half have not yet been returned and are still being disputed; furthermore, of the printing blocks and texts of the Huahu jing and other works mendaciously fabricated, half have not yet been burnt; and with regard to the Three Teachings, they also do not follow the former precedent. Are these words true or are they false? If these words of theirs are indeed true, it shall be settled according to the prior ruling; if they differ, how could it be permitted? In accordance with the previous judgment, if there are monasteries among them that have not been returned, all fields, lands, waters, soils, and estates belonging to the monasteries shall be returned; if there are printing blocks and texts of the Huahu jing mendaciously fabricated that have not been destroyed, they shall be destroyed; and the Three Teachings shall also follow the former precedent. Once this imperial edict of ours has been proclaimed, if anyone alters the words previously judged, or fails to return the lands of the monasteries, or engages in dispute, such persons shall be convicted of the crime of anda-xi. Furthermore, if these monks, claiming to hold an imperial edict, dispute monasteries, fields, lands, waters, or soils that do not belong to them beyond what was previously judged, they shall not escape the crime. What kind of imperial edict would that be? Written at Kaipingfu on the twenty-eighth day of the sixth month in our Year of the Chicken.