三教平心論 2.21

2.21

張橫渠。不信輪迴之說。謂佛言。有識之死受生輪迴。為未之思。此即莊子息我以死之見也。意謂。死則休息。更無餘事矣。殊不知。生死無際輪迴不息。四生六道隨業受報。而謂之無輪迴可乎。南史載。梁武帝夢。眇目僧執手爐入宮內欲托生王宮。覺而後宮生子繹。幼即病目。醫療不効。竟眇一目。是為元帝。名臣言行錄載。范祖禹將生其母夢。一偉丈夫立于側曰。我漢將軍鄧禹也。覺而產兒。遂名祖禹。以鄧禹內行淳備。遂字之曰淳夫以是證之。則儒家之書。因有輪迴之說矣。乃以釋氏輪迴之說為非是。何其不察之也。程明道不信地獄之說。謂佛為下根者設此偽教。怖令為善。此即小人以小惡為無傷之見也。意謂。生作過惡既死誰復窮治哉。殊不知。天地神明昭布森列。賞善罰惡如影隨形。而謂之無地獄可乎。隋史載。開皇中大府丞趙文昌。死而復活。云於冥間見周武帝受罪。帝謂文昌曰。既還家卿。為吾向隋皇帝說。吾滅佛法罪重。為營功德。俾出地獄。文昌奏其事。文帝遂勅天下僧尼。為周武帝誦金剛經。名臣言行錄載。王荊公子名雱。所為不善。凡荊公悖理傷道之事。多出於雱。及雱死後。荊公彷彿見雱。荷銕枷立于門側。於是捨所居之半山為鍾山寺。為其追冥福。以是證之。則儒家之書。固有地獄之說矣。乃謂釋氏地獄之說為無有。何其未及思也。

Zhang Hengqu did not believe in the doctrine of saṃsāra, stating that the Buddha's assertion that the death of sentient beings leads to rebirth in saṃsāra was something unthought-of. This is just Zhuangzi's view of "giving me rest through death." His idea was that in death there is rest, and nothing further remains. Little did he realize that birth and death are boundless, saṃsāra is unceasing, and within the four modes of birth and six destinies beings receive retribution according to their karma. How could one say there is no saṃsāra? The History of the Southern Dynasties records that Emperor Wu of Liang dreamed of a one-eyed monk holding a hand-censer entering the palace desiring to be reborn into the royal palace; when he awoke, the imperial concubine gave birth to a son, Yi, who in childhood suffered from eye disease that could not be cured by medical treatment and ultimately ended up blind in one eye—this was Emperor Yuan. The Records of the Words and Deeds of Famous Ministers records that when Fan Zuyu was about to be born, his mother dreamed of a robust man standing beside her saying, "I am General Deng Yu of the Han." Upon waking, she gave birth to the child, and accordingly named him Zuyu, and because Deng Yu's personal conduct was pure and complete, she gave him the courtesy name Chunfu. Using this as proof, Confucian books indeed contain the doctrine of saṃsāra! To regard the Buddhist doctrine of saṃsāra as incorrect—how unobservant this is! Cheng Mingdao did not believe in the doctrine of hell, claiming that the Buddha established this false teaching for those of inferior faculties to terrify them into doing good. This is just the petty person's view that small evils cause no harm. His idea was that having committed transgressions in life, who will pursue and punish them after death? Little did he realize that the divine beings of heaven and earth are clearly and solemnly deployed, rewarding good and punishing evil as a shadow follows the form. How could one say there is no hell? The History of the Sui records that during the Kaihuang era, the Deputy of the Court of the Imperial Treasury Zhao Chang died and returned to life, saying that in the netherworld he saw Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou undergoing punishment. The Emperor said to Zhao Chang: "When you return home, my lord, tell the Sui Emperor on my behalf that the sin of my destroying the Buddhist Dharma is grave; let him perform meritorious deeds on my behalf so that I may leave hell." Zhao Chang memorialized the matter, and Emperor Wen thereupon decreed that monks and nuns throughout the empire chant the Diamond Sūtra for Emperor Wu of Zhou. The Records of the Words and Deeds of Famous Ministers records that Wang Jinggong's son was named Pang, whose conduct was unwholesome; whenever Jinggong acted contrary to reason and harmful to the Way, it mostly stemmed from Pang. After Pang died, Jinggong seemed to see Pang carrying an iron cangue and standing beside the door. Thereupon he gave up his residence at Banshan to become the Zhongshan Monastery, in order to seek post-mortem blessings for him. Using this as proof, Confucian books inherently contain the doctrine of hell! To claim that the Buddhist doctrine of hell is nonexistent—how unreflective this is!