三教平心論 2.10

2.10

原道謂。堯舜禹湯以道相傳是矣。禹沒四百年。而湯始生。謂湯接禹之傳可也。愈乃謂。禹以是傳之湯。湯沒六百年。而文武始出。謂文武接湯之傳可也。愈乃謂。湯以是傳之文武。豈有既沒數百年而能以道傳人者乎。曰。可死不得其傳。愈亦知死則不能傳道矣。何為既死之禹湯。乃能傳道於後世哉。愈之不知道也又如此。

In *Origins of the Way*, he states that Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang transmitted the Way to each other, which is true. But after Yu died, four hundred years passed before Tang was born; to say that Tang received Yu's transmission is acceptable, yet Yu claimed: 'Yu transmitted it with this to Tang.' After Tang died, six hundred years passed before King Wen and King Wu emerged; to say that Wen and Wu received Tang's transmission is acceptable, yet Yu claimed: 'Tang transmitted it with this to Wen and Wu.' How could there be someone who, having already been dead for hundreds of years, could transmit the Way to others? [The classic] says: 'He died and did not obtain its transmission.' Yu also knew that upon death one cannot transmit the Way. Why then could the long-dead Yu and Tang transmit the Way to later generations? Yu's ignorance of the Way is also like this.