[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [三教平心論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117) › 1.26 # 三教平心論 1.26 三教平心論 1.26 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1.26) 愈又曰。農之家一。而食粟之家六。柰之何民不窮且盜也。蓋謂釋氏之徒不耕而食。致民之窮且盜也。抑不思世之輕耕而食者。豈獨釋氏之徒哉。公孫丑問孟子曰。詩曰。不素飡兮。君子之不耕而食何也。孟子曰。君子居是國也。其君用之。則安富尊榮。其子弟從兄。則孝弟忠信。不素飡兮。執大於此。今之以佛為師者。默則誠語則善。所到勸人拙惡而趨善其人以此相化克己齋戒。好生止殺稱誦佛經。悛心改行為仁為慈。為孝為廉為恭為順。蓋日有遷善而不自知者。則不素飡兮。亦孰大於是哉。彼民之窮且盜又何關於釋氏哉。詩曰。小東大東杼軸其罕。傳曰。民有饑色野有餓莩。民之窮也。若此時中國無佛也。書曰。竊神祇之犧。牷牲用以容。傅曰。盜不可詰絕。又不能止民之盜也。若此時則中國無佛也。太宗貞觀之間。釋氏之教殊盛。僧尼不勝其數也。食用不勝其廣也。而外不閉旅不齎糧。何斯民之不窮不盜也。明皇開元之際。釋氏之徒愈繁。僧尼不減於貞觀也。食用不減於貞觀也。天下富羨攘盜松絕。何斯民之不窮不盜也。是知民窮且盜。決非釋氏之所致明矣。如必曰有佛而民窮。則無佛之時成湯何必患困窮。如必曰有佛而民盜。則無無佛之時季康子何必患盜哉。孔子之不欲雖賞之不竊。何干出家者繁哉。 > \[Han\] Yu also said: 'Of peasant households there is one, while of grain-consuming households there are six. How then could the common people not be destitute and turn to thievery?' He meant that the followers of the Buddha eat without plowing, causing the people to become destitute and thieves. But has he not considered: are the followers of the Buddha alone in the world in eating without plowing? Gongsun Chou asked Mencius, 'The Book of Songs says, "He eats not the bread of idleness!" Why does the gentleman eat without plowing?' Mencius said, 'When a gentleman resides in a state, if its prince employs him, he enjoys peace, wealth, honor, and glory; if its young people follow him, they become filial, fraternal, loyal, and trustworthy. "He eats not the bread of idleness!"—what could be greater than this?' Those today who take the Buddha as their master are sincere in silence and good in speech. Wherever they go, they exhort people to turn away from evil and hasten toward goodness. The people, transformed by this, conquer themselves and observe the fasts, cherish life and cease killing, chant the Buddhist sūtras, reform their hearts and alter their conduct to be benevolent and compassionate, filial, incorruptible, respectful, and compliant. Thus daily they advance toward goodness without even knowing it. 'He eats not the bread of idleness!'—what indeed could be greater than this? How could the poverty and thievery of those common people have anything to do with the Buddhists? The Book of Songs says: 'In the lesser east and the greater east, shuttles and spools lie idle.' The commentary says: 'The people wear the look of hunger; in the wilds lie those starved to death.' These describe the poverty of the people. At those times, was there no Buddha in China? The Book of Documents says: 'They steal the sacrificial victims of the gods and spirits, and whole animals are used with connivance.' The commentary says: 'Robbers cannot be checked or put to an end.' Furthermore, this failed to stop the people's thievery. At those times, too, there was no Buddha in China! During the Zhenguan reign of Emperor Taizong, the Buddhist teaching was exceptionally flourishing, and monks and nuns were beyond count; their consumption of food was exceedingly extensive. Yet outer doors were not closed, and travelers did not carry provisions. Why were these people neither destitute nor thieves? In the Kaiyuan era of Minghuang, the followers of the Buddha grew even more numerous; the monks and nuns were no fewer than in Zhenguan, and their food and provisions were no less than in Zhenguan. The realm had abundance to spare, and petty theft and robbery came to a total stop. Why were these people neither destitute nor thieves? From this we know clearly that the poverty and thievery of the people was definitely not caused by the Buddhists. If one must claim that with the Buddha people become destitute, why, in a time without the Buddha, did Tang the Successful have to worry about distress and poverty? If one must claim that with the Buddha people turn to thievery, why, in a time without the Buddha, did Ji Kangzi have to worry about robbers? When Confucius said, 'If you were not covetous, though you rewarded them, they would not steal,' what did that have to do with the proliferation of those who leave home? > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1.25) - [Next: 1.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1.27) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117~en-mt.1.26) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.1.26) · Pramāṇa