三教平心論 1.17

1.17

Some merely see Gongsun Hong's crooked learning to flatter the age, Zhu Qinming's sweeping the Five Classics to the ground, Yang Ziyun's flattering of the Duke of Han despite understanding the subtlety of the Taixuan, and Xu Jingzong's forfeiting himself to an empress despite knowing the righteousness of Diqiu—all of these emerged from Confucianism. The Rat Daoist deceived Dongpo with his midnight arts; Lin Lingsu deluded Emperor Huizong with dreams of Shenxiao; the heavenly immortal Zheng Huaji was actually a mediocre mediocrity; the earthly immortal He Deyi was actually an ordinary commoner—all of these emerged from Daoism. The foreign monk's incantations could not kill Fu Yi; the stone Buddha's emitting of light could not deceive Cheng Hao; the Buddha tooth was considered miraculous, yet it was smashed by Fu Yi's sheep horn; the Buddha tooth relic was considered spiritual, yet it was destroyed by Zhao Feng's battle-axe—all of these emerged from Buddhism. Viewing them all together, none of the Three Teachings in China has been entirely pure and aligned with the correct path; why then make petty distinctions of superiority and inferiority? Yet they do not consider what I am discussing: it is Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism [as teachings]. Confucianism teaches people with broad uprightness; when those who act as Confucians often rebel against the Way in their conduct, they are sinners against Confucianism. Daoism teaches people with purity and non-action; when those who adhere to Daoism gladly stoop to heterodox arts, they are sinners against Daoism. Buddhism takes love of life as its heart, not even permitting human feet to tread on living grass; can one say that it teaches incantations to kill people? Buddhism takes signlessness as its essential doctrine, holding that one cannot perceive the Tathāgata through bodily forms; can one say that it relies on inert stone to delude the masses? If a tooth can be smashed, it was stone and not a [Buddha's] tooth; if a tooth can be destroyed, it was counterfeit and not genuine. All those who falsely make use of the religious gate to create monstrosities and set up fabrications are sinners against Buddhism. How could one seize upon these to judge the Three Teachings?