三教平心論 1.27

1.27

愈又曰。棄而君臣去而父子。蓋指出家者而言也。抑不思子陵傲光武而耕富春。歐陽公稱其為聖之清。未嘗曰棄而君臣也。太伯捨太王而逃刑蠻。孔子美其為德之至。未嘗曰去而父子也。以是比之。佛何過哉。況割愛出家。非特獨善其身。證果成道。將以普度一切。法華經云。我等與眾生。皆共成佛道。而況於君臣父子哉。故常人之於君。反不過極其敬順。而釋氏之於君父。則能誘之以正法。常人之於子弟。不過致其慈愛。而釋氏之於子弟。則能化之以正道。妙莊嚴王者。藥王之君父也。自藥王出家。而妙莊嚴王亦出家。因得授記而成佛道。羅睺羅者。釋家之長子也。自釋迦出家。而羅睺羅亦出家。因得證密行而授尊記。由是觀之。出家者何負於君臣父子哉。又況常人之心有親疎。而佛心則無親疎。常人之心有限量。而佛心則無限量。常人知有己之君父爾。而佛則無爾殊。故圓覺經曰。觀彼怨家如己父母。常人知有己之子孫爾。而佛無差等。故華嚴經曰。等觀眾生猶如一子。是心也豈愈之所能識哉。

[Han] Yu also said: 'They abandon your ruler and ministers; they cast aside your fathers and sons.' This was said pointing to those who leave home. But has he not considered: Ziling treated [Emperor] Guangwu with haughty disdain and plowed at Fuchun, and Duke Ouyang praised him as possessing 'the purity of a sage,' never saying that he 'abandoned his ruler and ministers.' Taibo renounced King Tai and fled to the tattooed barbarians, and Confucius praised his virtue as 'the utmost,' never saying that he 'cast aside his father and son.' Comparing it to these cases, what fault does the Buddha have? Furthermore, cutting off worldly affections to leave home is not merely for cultivating oneself alone: realizing the fruit and attaining the Way is intended to save all beings universally. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'May we and all living beings together attain the Buddha Way.' How much more so for rulers and ministers, fathers and sons! Thus ordinary people toward their rulers go no further than the utmost respect and obedience, whereas Buddhists toward their rulers and fathers are able to guide them with the true Dharma; ordinary people toward their sons and younger brothers go no further than delivering affection, whereas Buddhists toward their sons and younger brothers are able to transform them with the true Way. King Śubhavyūha was the ruler and father of Bhaiṣajyarāja; when Bhaiṣajyarāja left home, King Śubhavyūha also left home, and thereby received a prediction and attained the Buddha Way. Rāhula was the eldest son of the Śākya clan; when Śākya left home, Rāhula also left home, and thereby attained the realization of esoteric practice and received the exalted prediction. Viewed from this perspective, how do those who leave home fail their rulers, ministers, fathers, or sons? Moreover, the minds of ordinary people make distinctions of intimacy and distance, whereas the Buddha's mind has neither intimacy nor distance; the minds of ordinary people have limits, whereas the Buddha's mind is limitless. Ordinary people know only their own rulers and fathers, whereas the Buddha makes no such distinction. Thus the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra says: 'Regard those enemies as one's own parents.' Ordinary people know only their own sons and grandsons, whereas the Buddha has no hierarchical gradations. Thus the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'Regard living beings equally as if each were an only child.' How could such a mind ever be comprehended by [Han] Yu?