三教平心論 1.20

1.20

或者又徒見元城先生之言曰。孔子與佛之言。相為終始。孔佛本一。但門庭施設不同。是儒釋二教未嘗不合也。圭堂居士之言曰。佛者性之極。道者命之極。兩教對立以交攝。則先天性命之妙始全。是釋道二教未嘗不同也。傅大士之詩曰。道冠儒履佛袈裟。和會三家作一家。是三教未嘗不合為一也。今獨優佛教而劣儒道。豈前賢之意哉。殊不知。前賢之言前賢之方便耳。

Others, again, merely see Master Yuancheng's words, which state: 'The words of Confucius and the Buddha form beginning and end to one another. Confucius and the Buddha are fundamentally one; they differ only in the practical provisions of their schools.' Thus Confucianism and Buddhism have never failed to coincide. Or the words of Layman Guitang, who said: 'The Buddha is the culmination of nature (*xing*); the Dao is the culmination of destiny (*ming*). When the two teachings stand opposite each other and interpenetrate, then the mystery of innate nature and destiny is first perfected.' Thus Buddhism and Daoism have never failed to be identical. Or the verse by Mahāsattva Fu, which says: 'A Daoist cap, Confucian shoes, and a Buddhist kāṣāya; / Blending the three schools to make one single family.' Thus the Three Teachings have never failed to unite into one. If we now favour Buddhism alone while disparaging Confucianism and Daoism, would that be the intention of the worthy predecessors? What they do not realise is that the words of the worthy predecessors were merely the skillful means of the worthy predecessors.