辯偽錄 5.9

5.9

An imperial decree ordered that the apocryphal scriptures of the Daoist Canon be burned at Daminzhong Monastery in Dadu; with the exception of the Daodejing, all were to be destroyed by fire. Thereupon, [the monk] was commanded to offer incense, apply the torch, and express gratitude for the imperial favor. Offering incense, he said: 'The Son of Heaven with the heart of a Buddha pities living beings, / Fearing they might fall into the three wretched destinies and the pit of false views. / Herein there is no partiality or bias whatsoever; / Amidst this, the vermilion and purple must be clearly distinguished. Therefore it is said that the sage’s discernment is impartial, and the heavenly workings cannot be fathomed. Having come to praise his virtue, how dare I not repay his favor? This incense is offered solely to pray for the longevity of the Great Yuan’s ruler, our present Emperor: may his sacred person live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years! We humbly pray that the golden wheel and the wheel of the Dharma turn together, his blessings surpassing three asaṃkhyeyas; that the sun of Shun and the sun of the Buddha shine equally bright, his lifespan extending for a hundred million kalpas.' Next, raising the torch, he said: 'I recall back in the days of Emperor Ming, / How blazing flames were used to discern beauty from ugliness. / The Son of Heaven of the Great Yuan continues the Grand Norm; / Who does not know that he manifests the orthodox and destroys the heterodox? Alas, the Daoist religion has secretly undermined Buddhist scriptures from antiquity to the present, fabricating falsehoods and forging texts, stealing expressions and lines from Buddhist sūtras, plotting to put their names upon palm-leaf manuscripts, slandering the Tathāgata, and falsely accusing the former sages. How can their vile phrases and wicked words be described? Such baseless, wild talk is indeed difficult to recount fully. It began with Zhang Ling’s fabrications: not following the mysterious words of Laozi, he erroneously made manuals for sacrificial offerings and compiled the Lingbao scriptures, falsely claiming to have obtained them from the void and lying that Taishang personally transmitted them; he used the ghostly methods of the Three Zhangs to delude fools, and established talismans of the five movements to beguile and seduce common women. Viewed in this light, Ge Xiaoxian sought profundities in vain; Tao Hongjing merely recited superficial rhetoric; Du Guangting stole skillfully out in broad daylight, no different from a bandit; and Lu Xiujing was attractive on the outside but weak within, just like a persuasive rhetorician. If one did not suffer bitterness and refuse to yield, how could one bear to speak of their merits and faults? Bao Jing being executed was still light, but Wang Fu receiving retribution was not slight. Fu Yi and Jiang Bin are not worth recording; the likes of Zhang Shengji do not merit discussion. Kou Qianzhi’s tongue chattered incessantly, harming others to benefit himself; Lin Lingsu’s schemes were flattering and deceitful, ruining the state and destroying families. Slandering others’ ancestors surely brings a moment of disgrace; destroying the virtuous and good must incur retribution across three lives. Cause and effect do not err; retribution is exact. Alas, how sorrowful that Falin met with misfortune and was exiled; how lamentable that Daoshi, though appearing again, found it hard to endure! This caused the sons of the Śākya to grieve; fortunately, august Heaven opened its eyes. We respectfully reflect that our Great Yuan’s ruler, His Sacred and Brilliant Majesty the Emperor, eradicates the heterodox and returns to the orthodox, discarding the false and preserving the true, fearing that living beings might forever sink into the ford of delusion and enabling all the myriad people to ascend the path of awakening. The injustice has now been cleared; thanking the imperial grace, even crushing our bones and bodies could not repay it.' Thereupon, drawing a circle with the torch, he said: 'Everyone, take the spiritual writings of the Three Caverns: can they realize this fire-light samādhi or not? If you understand right here: "Having the Scripture of the Northern Dipper in the house only brings unease to the family." But if not: after this, once the ashes have flown and the smoke is extinguished, let them seek the Heavenly Worthy wherever they will! Open your eyes quickly and see!'